Title: A Second Proposal

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville, the show of the same name or it's title characters.

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It was one in the morning before Chloe Sullivan was completely satisfied that she'd hit the right angle with her latest news article, and the effects of sleep depravation, however minimal, were quick to take advantage of her slight frame, sending her mind spiraling with thoughts of that big, warm, comfy bed just waiting for her down the hall. Stifling a yawn she gave the article a final once over, saved the document to a disc so she could take it in to work for formatting tomorrow, then clicked the shut down button on her computer.

Stretching her arms over her head whilst her laptop went through the motions of putting itself to bed, she closed her eyes and gave a little moan of pleasure as the ache in her back muscles eased slightly, finally dropping her hands back into her lap with a soft sigh, her eyes slow to open again. While Chloe loved her work, she was looking forward to the two weeks leave owed her, and she was planning on making the most of them once the clock ticked five o'clock this Friday coming.

A high profile investigative reporter for the Daily Planet these days, she faced certain expectations, not just from her boss and colleagues, but the public also, and that meant long hours and punishing deadlines at times and her work often found its way home with her. Not that Chloe entirely minded. To this day she still got a kick out of seeing her work published and given the respect and credibility it deserved, especially when it was headlining on the front page of one of the most prominent and respected newspapers in Metropolis. The Daily Planet.

Chloe tilted her head to the side, watching the computer screen absently until the soft hum of energy died out completely, leaving the muted sounds of The David Letterman Show airing on the T.V. behind her to fill the new silence. Smiling softly, her eyes drifted to the window and the dark of night on the other side as she found herself remembering her first day on the job.

Back then, her 'office', and she used the term extremely lightly, had been a virtual shoe box. A miniscule cubicle barely wide enough to house her computer; it was connected to a block of five other desks she had shared along with her best friend Clark Kent, her cousin Lois Lane and three other reporters. The head high partitions erected for privacy when on the phone etc were virtually ineffective and the noise level at times made it almost impossible to think, but as crazy as it sounded to some, Chloe had loved every minute of it.

The constant buzz of activity, phones ringing off the hook with new story leads, the frantic click of computer keys as someone raced to meet a deadline, it was all music to her ears. And she quite literally hadn't been able to wipe the grin off of her face the entire day. The Daily Planet had been her dream, and the surreal feeling that made her stomach flutter with pride and nervous excitement every time she walked through the doors of the building with the impressive slowly revolving globe sitting atop it never seemed to wear off.

A nostalgic smile at the memory still curving her lips, Chloe moved from her computer chair to the window, pulling an overstuffed cushion into her lap as she tucked her feet up under her on the window seat and finished her cooling cup of coffee. She had her own office now, and while she loved the privacy and the obvious status symbol that came with it, she still found herself leaving the door open on some days, just so she could hear the familiar sounds she'd grown so used to those first couple of years. It was comforting to her in some strange way. And Clark poked his head in often enough each day that it seemed pointless to close it anyway.

They still worked on stories together sometimes, reminiscent of their days at The Torch, Smallville High's newspaper. Either when Perry assigned them the same project or when Clark was just being plain stubborn. He refused to let her investigate leads with 'danger potential' alone and on more than one occasion she'd ended up wasting more time arguing with him over the fact that she could take care of herself than on the actual story. Needless to say, she'd learned to give up pretty quick and let him 'tag along'.

While her own stubborn streak refused to admit it at first, his help almost always proved beneficial, he'd gotten her out of more sticky situations than she had fingers and toes, and if she was being completely honest with herself, she loved that he worried about her so much, cared enough to want to keep her safe. Ever since they'd left Smallville, Chloe had gotten her old friend back somewhere along the way, a lover at one stage too, and if keeping that meant having the big oaf tag along when she was on a hot lead, then so be it. She was a self sacrificing gal after all.

Grinning at the thought, Chloe rested her elbow against the sill, cupped her chin in her hand and gazed up at the night sky, currently pelting rain down on Metropolis like there was no tomorrow. By the time her gaze ventured downwards to the empty and murky streets below, the street lights barely penetrating the sheeted rain, the limousine that had just pulled up in front of her apartment building had already deposited it's passengers on the sidewalk before moving off to find a place to park. Unaware, Chloe tipped her face back up to the sky.

While she was completely happy with her work now, things hadn't always been so pleasant. Despite what certain others liked to think, Chloe knew it was only ever through her own hard work and complete devotion to journalism that she'd landed where she was today, and she had no intention of ever becoming lax about it. She couldn't afford to, and if there were ever a time when that statement were more true it was when she'd married into the Luthor family.

Gossip had been rife amongst jealous colleagues from rival papers as well as the press in regards to the success of her rise in the journalistic pecking order following her nuptials to Lionel Luthor. Call it bad timing. Whatever it was, Chloe had known all along what she would be facing when she'd married into the Luthor family. She also knew her work spoke for itself though, her success didn't come courtesy of the Luthor name, and the people that mattered were well aware of that fact. The rest could go to hell for all she cared. If she'd learned anything from her marriage to Lionel it was how to grow a thick skin.

If anything the comments and articles against her made her work harder to prove them wrong and when she didn't fall flat on her face like they'd all anticipated, damn near salivated over, and when she held her own against the best of them the press turned tail, the negativity suddenly died down and she was being drawn in a new 'intelligent' light once they'd realized she wasn't like all the other bimbos that usually accompanied Lionel to his business functions in the past. The shock on their faces over the fact that she could actually string a sentence together when Lionel allowed her to be interviewed regarding their relationship in the early days of their marriage was proof enough that their assumptions had been false.

She'd even been offered an 'on location' news reporting job with one of the main T.V. stations recently, which she'd yet to accept or turn down. While she was extremely flattered, she wasn't sure that that was what she wanted, and apart from the fact that she'd been assured she would get to do her own research and scripting in regards to how the story went to air, the finer details were as yet unknown to her. It was a wonderful opportunity, she wouldn't deny that, but she didn't want it to eat into her time at the Planet or more importantly with Lisa and she wanted to get Lionel's opinion on the matter before she made any final decisions.

And not because she needed his approval. They'd been separated for seven months and she'd do it if she wanted to regardless of whether or not he was for or against it, Lionel knew that as well as she did, Chloe just knew that he would prefer to be consulted first and she valued his opinion on these types of matters in any case. Reporting she could do, negotiating contracts and business deals, she preferred to leave to Lionel. And she would need his advice if she decided to go ahead with it.

Finishing off the last of her coffee, Chloe tossed the cushion back onto the window seat, pulled the curtains closed then padded barefoot into the kitchen where she soaked her mug in hot water in the sink. Just as she turned off the faucet, a soft knock sounded at the door. Frowning at the time of the visit she crossed the living room quietly, then standing on the tips of her toes she squinted through the peephole, her breath involuntarily catching at the sight of the man on the other side. Lionel. Turning, she pressed her shoulders back against the door, closing her eyes briefly as her mind raced with reasons as to why he was at her front door at such an hour. Unannounced visits weren't anything new from Lionel, but they never came at one in the morning.

Opening her eyes, she bit her lip and cast a quick glance downwards at her appearance with critical eyes. A threadbare powder blue singlet top clung to her upper body, finished off with a pair of black cotton panties. Her face was scrubbed clean of any makeup and her hair which was now grown out past her shoulder blades was loose and probably a mess. Making a sound of distress, Chloe did her best to straighten it, carding her fingers through her hair and pulling at her tank top which had a tendency to ride up her stomach. Another impatient knock told her she'd hesitated too long and taking a deep breath, she schooled her features into what she hoped was an outwardly calm look and unlocked the door. Opening it only part way, Chloe kept her lower body hidden due to the two burly body guards flanking Lionel's sides. "Lionel," she said, infusing her voice with just the right amount of cool detachment. "What are you doing here?" Lionel gave a slight smirk at her position behind the door, no doubt aware of her state of undress at this time in the morning but Chloe refrained from commenting.

He had the decency to straighten his lips before answering. "I needed to see you. May I come in?"

Nodding almost imperceptibly, Chloe opened the door to allow him entry. Once he'd strolled passed her she closed the door and then leaned back against it again, watching him as he moved further into her living room. Stopping at the divan he turned to face her, their eyes locking across the room as he removed the black overcoat he was wearing along with the suit jacket underneath before tossing the discarded items of clothing over a stool at the breakfast bar.

Chloe pushed away from the door and walked further into the room to meet him half way when he slipped his hands into the pockets of his pants and began moving towards her again. He looked tired, she mused worriedly, her eyes searching his face. Pale and tired, yet still as sinfully attractive as ever, she thought with a helpless little sigh. Reaching up unconsciously when he was stood close enough in front of her she cupped his cheek in her palm, unable to hide the concern evident in her voice. "Is everything okay?"

Lionel simply grunted in response, turning his mouth into her palm briefly, his eyes focused on the hole he was fingering absently in the material of her top, just below her breast, a slight frown between his brows. "You have draws full of lingerie, yet you choose to wear this."

Frowning, Chloe dropped her hand and pushed his probing finger away. "You didn't come here to critique my sleepwear, Lionel."

Lionel's eyes were dark and penetrating for a moment, but then his lids dropped and he lowered his head, a strangely passive gesture she'd never seen on him before. "No, I didn't." He admitted, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Do you have anything to drink?"

Chloe sighed at his obvious avoidance, but nodded, ignoring the way his lips quirked in amusement at her irritation. "Scotch?"

"Please." Lionel followed her into the kitchen and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest after he'd loosened his tie, as the small blonde set about fixing his drink.

Chloe could feel his eyes on her as she moved about the kitchen and made a mental note to move the glassware to a cupboard below the sink instead of above it as her top rode up indecently high when she had to stand on her toes to get to the glasses. Controlling the urge to fill the silence with useless words, knowing it would amuse Lionel to no end to know that he was making her uncomfortable, she willed her flushed skin back to its normal color and self consciously tugged at her top. When she turned around she wasn't surprised at the way his eyes had to flick up to her face from 'elsewhere' to meet her gaze, or at the presence of that familiar smug smirk currently curving his lips. She arched an annoyed eyebrow. "Did you enjoy the view?"

Lionel's eyes danced with amusement and open lust and he bowed his head slightly as he spoke. "Very much so, thank you."

Chloe rolled her eyes, handing him the glass and ignoring his chuckle as he sipped at the amber liquid. At times, his sole purpose in her life seemed designed to piss her off, she thought. "I should go put something on." Before she'd even taken a step Lionel had grabbed her upper arm in a firm embrace as she moved to brush past him on her way out of the room, startling her into looking up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"That's not necessary, Chloe." He said firmly, in answer to the question in her eyes. She could feel his thumb stroking her skin softly, see the familiar commanding heat in his gaze, and a shiver ran through her even as she willed it not to and Lionel added, "I have seen you in less, after all." His lips quirked in amusement once again and Chloe couldn't stop her eyes from narrowing slightly in suspicion. Suspicion because she'd quickly come to learn that hidden meanings abounded behind almost everything that came out of his mouth, be the intention good or bad.

Granted, he knew her body more intimately than anyone else ever had or probably would. Even after their separation Chloe had somehow ended up in bed with him. Lionel could be a very persuasive man with little to no effort and the self made trap her love for him created didn't help. She'd let his needs and emotions dictate the direction of her life even when they weren't together in the official sense any longer, and it was an unhealthy existence she'd fought hard to control. But somehow she'd found the strength to put a stop to it for obvious reasons, her own sanity being one of them, and they weren't about to change. Not without good reason. "And is that why you're here?" She asked. "To see me in less, Lionel?"

Lionel laughed, obviously amused by the young blonde's blatant suspicion. "You seem so convinced I have some sort of ulterior motive for being here other than to simply see you, Chloe." He said, releasing her arm. "Have I managed to make you that distrustful of me?"

Chloe sighed, her eyes not sharing in his mirth as a slightly pained frown creased her delicate brow and she lowered her eyes. Her voice was soft when she replied. "I honestly don't know anymore, Lionel." She looked up into his eyes, searching, as if trying to read the truth there, surprised when Lionel took her hand in his and pressed his lips to her fingers.

"I'm sorry if that's the case." He said softly, the smile gone from his face now, and Chloe was startled to find it actually sounded genuine. He held her gaze a moment longer, before her eyes slid down to where he was skimming her fingers across his warm lips tenderly, the gesture made all the sweeter because she could feel none of the usual sexual intent she had come to expect from his caresses, just affection, and Chloe found herself in no hurry to pull them away. "However," Lionel began silkily, a desirous glimmer entering his eyes at the way the young woman's moistened lips had parted, "seeing you naked is never far from my mind."

His words didn't penetrate straight away, but when they did Chloe's eyelids fluttered feverishly at first, as if she were waking from a mesmeric daze, and she shook her head as much for her own benefit as for Lionel's. This is exactly why I can't afford to have him here, she thought nervously. She was tired, and it was too early in the morning for her to be thinking straight. She honestly didn't know if she'd have the strength to resist him tonight. At times, she didn't want to, and that's what made it harder.

Refusing to play his game, Chloe disentangled her hand from his and crossed her arms over her stomach, suddenly feeling more vulnerable than ever, a fact that was only compounded by her lack of clothing. The way his eyes followed her movements didn't help. "Look," she said, rubbing her forehead, "it's late and I have work tomorrow so if you're not going to tell me what this is about-"

"Still so impatient." Lionel interrupted in mock admonishment, drawing an indignant look from her that quickly changed to surprise at his next statement. "It's good to see some things haven't changed." An impious smile touched his lips but before Chloe could respond Lionel deliberately turned and headed for the living room, leaving the blonde, who was somewhere between feeling baffled and wanting to stamp her foot in frustration, with no other choice but to follow.

Unable to decide, she did neither and instead felt a helpless sigh slip past her lips as she watched his retreating back, past experience telling her that he wasn't going to leave before he was good and ready to, and she hated the position that left her in. There were reasons as to why they were still merely separated, even after seven months, and not divorced, and every time Chloe shared a room with the man every single one of those reasons hit her in the face and she had to bite her lip to keep from telling him just how much she thought about him in the time they'd been apart. Lionel's behavior, while no more annoyingly mysterious than usual, was definitely off and not helping her figure out what he was up to in the least. Even if he was just there to 'merely see her' that in itself was still cause for concern.

Chloe sighed, burying her face in her hands. Whatever it was, she knew she wasn't going to find out by just standing there and working herself into knots over it. Taking a deep breath, Chloe straightened and left the safety of the kitchen and the distance it provided from the only other weakness in her life these days besides the small body asleep down the hall. Her husband.

TBC...