Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Smallville because if I did Lex Luthor would so be mine and not even Superman would tear us apart. hee hee
A/N: my writing skills suck.
It was just plain old safety matters. Every night before roaming home, Lex would drive on in front of the Talon, taking a quick peek inside and looking if everything was okay. At ten Lana already had closed and the lights of her apartment on top of the Talon were on. Besides if anything was wrong she had his cell number on speed dial. Just a call and he would be there. Nothing to do with the fact that he was secretly mad in love with his young and beautiful business partner. Of course he wasn't! he would tell himself over and over again. This was just taking care of the business. His business! Nothing less.
But tonight something was wrong. The lights at her place were off and there was a dim light at the back of the coffee house. A blue sporty car was parked in front of the Talon. The kind that was inherited from parents to high school kids when they landed their car license.
Lex parked his Porsche and walked to the Talon. The front door was unlocked. Danger shined with neon lights! He heard voices coming from the back office, the same place where the dim lights were on. He walked carefully to the back door, trying to figure what was going on.
"Please, I'm telling you! This is all it is!" He heard Lana's voice full of pain.
"Drop the shit! I know something's going on! And I'm not going away before you tell me!" Lex knew who was playing tough guy but he couldn't record it just now. "Listen, I'm really tired, I had a rather full day, can't we just talk in the morning? Please?" Lana pleaded heartedly. "Fuck you, bitch! I want his name!" Tough guy retorted angrily. At this point Lex kicked the door open, whoever it was wasn't going to talk to Lana like that and get away with it!
The two of them looked startled at the intruder as he walked in and fired Whitney with his furious eyes. "What the fuck?" The young jock spat but Lex ignored him and hurried to rescue Lana. "Are you okay?" he asked softly holding her near. "Y-yes, I'm fine, I think." Lana murmured burying herself in his protecting arms.
The floor was a mess covered with stationery and smashed objects but this was the least important now, Lex wanted the offending brat as far as he could kick him.
"Out!" Lex demanded. At this point people would jump out of their skins and run for their dear lives but Whitney was sticking to the tough guy act and stood there challenging him.
"This has nothing to do with you! Get the fucking out yourself!" The daring quarterback spat.
Lex turned to Lana and kissed her softly on her forehead. "Just a second" He whispered and turned to the now worried high-schoolar.
He grabbed Whitney by his quarterback uniform shirt and shove him out of the office leading to the front door.
"Take your fucking hands off me!" Whitney tried to fight back but it was useless. Lex was stronger, smarter and a street wise fighter. He had been beating guys like Whitney before the young one had even learned to spell bully.
"Tell you what!" Lex hissed with such a low voice he almost seemed friendly. "You better get out of here and never show up again, not even for a take away, because if I ever see your ugly figure near Lana again I'll make sure your parents will have to play jigsaw to put your sorry ass face together! You understand me?"
"I – I- do…"Whitney stammered praying he hadn't wet his pants in front of his menacer. He ran out the door as soon as he freed himself and his car sped so fast it left a cloud of dust behind.
Lex walked back to the office and found her sitting on the edge of the old couch embracing her shivering body. "Poor little thing." He thought as he sat by her side.
"You better go upstairs and rest." He said softly putting a light calming hand on her shoulder. "I need to clean this mess." She said distractly as if talking to herself.
He looked around. In fact, the place was a mess but nothing he couldn't take care of. He was thankful to the fact that he could pay fat paychecks to his servants so everything got set up in no time. "Don't worry, I can fix this." He said reassuringly. "It was my fault! My entirely fault!" Lana assumed wiping a tear but holding herself not to cry in front of Lex. This would be utterly shameful. Showing weakness in front of her boss.
He wanted to pull her near and hold her until the tears dried away but he knew he couldn't. She had had her shed of emotions for the day. Holding her in the middle of that place would just make things worst. "He said I was cheating on him." She started.
"Of course you weren't!" Lex offered trying to ease her. "Maybe I was." Lana responded quietly.
Lex sat back and closed his eyes. He had got rid of the posy quarterback, it was a lucky strike, now he had to deal with Clark, a lost battle. What was he thinking? Lana would never fall for him. Besides the Talon they had nothing else in common.
"Come!" He said standing up and lending her his helping hand. She stood up reluctantly. Lex held her hand and walked her to the path that led to the stairs of the upper room. "Go! I'll close the Talon for you." She climbed two stairs and suddenly spun around. "Lex, please don't leave, I can't stay alone. Not tonight, not after all this." Lana said clinging her thin arms to his neck.
Surprised by her acts Lex stepped back and had to hold on the handrail not to fall. "This…" He was trying to find the best excuse not to stay there with her but he just couldn't. A real friend would stay. It was the least.
"I'm closing over here, I'll be upstairs in a minute okay?" He would just offer her a warm cup of tea and sit there while she rested. The next day he would make sure things were back in place so it would be like nothing had happened. He could afford his own Twilight Zone episode.
When he finally got upstairs holding a fresh cup of tea he was surprised to meet her walking out of the bathroom. She had showered and changed into her pink pajamas.
It was kind of shocking. He was used to models in satin nightgowns, when did he get to see a girl in cotton pajamas? Never!
He looked around the room to distract himself from Lana. She had done a good job, he had to admit. The place was a hotel for cobwebs and spiders and she'd turned it into a home. He had offered help but she refuted explaining she wanted to set it up alone so that it could have her own touch. And she made it!
Lex sat on the armchair in the corner while she was sitting on the bed fiddling with her teddy bear. Although she was kind of old to sleep with a teddy he knew it was something personal, a gift from her parents at a very early age so he never commented about it and she never seemed shy about it too.
He closed his eyes and pretended he was ready to sleep but popped them wide open as he felt her sitting on his lap and cuddling in. She was crying and for the first time in a very long time he didn't know what to do. He soothed her the best way he could and kept promising in a soft voice the next day would be better. It always was.
*** end ***
Hi there! If you reached here then you deserve a golden medal! =)