They All Really Want You
Rating: PG-13
Couple(s): L/L, some C/C, a bit of CL
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The lyrics are from 'King of Intimidation' by Alanis Morissette and 'Gramarye' by Remy Zero.
Author's Note: This concept was stuck in my head, and I had to write it down; I didn't think it would work with Chloe--she's too emotionally strong- -which is why I had to use Lana. (I hope certain people aren't annoyed; I don't plan to write any more LL stories.) Told from Lex and Lana's alternating POV's
* * *
LANA
***For you they live
In a quiet monastery
For you, they wear
Whatever you want them
To, as long as it's short***
I broke up with Whitney. No big surprise, I know; it's happened more times than I can count, usually over stupid, little things. This time, though, I said something that pretty much ruined any chance of our getting back together.
After he stormed out of the Beanery--and after everyone else stopped staring at me--I headed toward a familiar figure, wiping my eyes as I walked.
"Mister Luthor," I said casually, trying to sound as though my heart weren't breaking; the last thing I wanted was to start sobbing in front of half the town. "Can I sit down?" Without waiting for an answer, I dropped into the booth, across from him.
Lex glanced at me over the top of the New York Times. "Miss Lang. Please, join me." If it weren't for his infuriating smirk, I would have thought he was being kind. I don't know why I sat with him in the first place; we don't like each other very much. Well, I'm not too fond of him. I don't know how he feels about me, since you can never tell what he's thinking.
Before I knew it, I was crying into a napkin. Without looking at me--jerk-- he handed over a monogrammed handkerchief which he'd pulled from his jacket pocket. "I'm such a mess, Lex. I told Whitney that I love Clark, and he stormed out in one of his 'moods'. If he hurts Clark for this, I'll never forgive myself." I broke two of my personal rules just then: one, I let myself look pathetic in front of Lex; he'd be sure to remind me of that later. Two, I told someone that I was in love with my next door neighbor; I didn't want anyone to know--other than Whitney, who inadvertently forced me to admit it. If I had realized my feelings two weeks before, Clark and I could have jumped in eachother's arms and been blissfully happy. But not now.
*That* got the attention of the billionaire's son. The newspaper lowered until it was resting on the table between us. His emotionless blue eyes stared into my dark ones. "Interesting."
*Interesting?* Even Chloe Sullivan--Clark's 'lady friend' who has a strong dislike for me, and is mostly the reason why I'm so pissed off--would have at least been sympathetic. At least, I think she would; after what happened the other day, I don't know anything anymore. (She did, after all, say that she loved Clark, and he did say it back, and I did witness the whole thing.)
"You know, Lex, the least you could do is ask if I'm okay," I snapped, wiping my eyes with his handkerchief--which probably cost more than my leather shoes.
He steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on the table. "Well, Lana's angry side finally comes out. I was beginning to think you were all pomp and circumstance. Nice to see you at least have a few working braincells," he observed nonchalantly.
It was a good thing I wasn't drinking anything at that moment; if I was, he would've been wearing it in a matter of seconds. "Look, Lex: I don't know why you hate me so much. But I know that you do, so drop this cordial crap; either tell me to leave, or ask me what's wrong!" I was asking a lot of a Luthor--they usually only listen to someone if it's in their best interest--but I was fed up. *Stop leering at me!* I wanted to scream.
"Oh, but Miss Lang, I don't hate you; I just have a hard time sympathizing with you, since you could have had Clark any time, but chose to stay with your good-for-nothing jock boyfriend. Now that Clark has moved on and found someone to make him happy, you want him." He pursed his lips. "Gee, is Lana starting to realize that not every guy will wait for her forever?" He leaned in closer, until his warm breath was on my ear. "He's suddenly unattainable, and that makes him desirable, doesn't it? He wasn't a challenge before, so you led him on until, finally, he was forced to run to Chloe for comfort." As his hand stroked my hair, I swatted it away.
"That's what this is all about, isn't it?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "You want to seduce me, don't you? Well, I'm not like those other girls; I won't fall all over myself to be with you."
He chuckled mockingly. "Me, try to seduce *you*? Don't flatter yourself, Lana; I'm not that desperate. As for your not being like other girls, keep dreaming; you're no different than all the other cheerleaders that could have any guy they want, but settle for the one that society demands they date. Admit it: You never loved Whitney; you were with him because the cheerleader's always supposed to date the quarterback. You couldn't break that tradition to go out with the guy that you know cared about you more than anything." He stood. "Pretty convenient that you fall for him now." In one fluid movement, he was heading for the door.
"Lex, wait!" I called, trying vainly to be heard over the chatter and the blaring music. At the sound of his name, he turned, an eyebrow raised. "You're right."
******
LEX
***Straight from the sound
She's seen as a bright sun to anyone...
Hollow and mined..***
Well, what do you know. Still smirking, I sauntered back to the booth, standing by her side with my arms crossed. "That was hard for you, I know; admitting that I'm right and all." She was so amusing when she tried to look intimidating. "I thought we'd said everything we had to say to eachother."
To my surprise, she flipped me off. She made even that rude gesture look prissy. "We have now." She looked so proud of herself; it almost broke my heart to bring her down a few more notches. Almost.
"Very bold, Lana. Does Nell know her niece is such a *naughty* girl?" I retorted. "If we didn't have so much in common--and if I didn't thus respect you in some roundabout, twisted way--I'd take you back to my place." Sarcasm, a beautiful invention.
My words had the desired effect; Lana stared up at me, her eyes wide and unblinking. The vulnerable, deer-in-the-headlights look wasn't flattering on her. I almost said so, but held my tongue for once; it was her turn to speak. And if I there's one thing I never do, I never deprive a woman of her opportunity to tell me what she thinks. "You respect me?"
She took the bait. *Luthor, you're still the master.* "No, but I got your attention." My lips were by her ear again; I smirked when I heard her take in a sharp, deep breath. "You don't sound shocked that I said we're a lot alike. Aren't you curious as to what you could possibly have in common with me, the conniving son of Lionel Luthor, and heir to his estate?" As much as I loathe my father, bringing him up in conversation reminds people of just how powerful I am.
At her slow nod, I grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Then come on. Let's go back to the Manor, and I'll tell you."
"I thought you didn't sleep with women you respected." Oh, she'd been paying attention after all.
Opening the passenger door of my silver Jaguar--the latest of my many vehicular conquests--I motioned for her to get inside. After a moment's hesitation, she did. "I'm impressed; you understood what I was trying to infer back there." I threw the car into drive and started down the road.
"You'll recall, though, Miss Lang, that I said I didn't really respect you." Her doe eyes grew large as my second inference sunk in. "So, I'll give you two choices: Either you tell me to stop the car, and I'll let you get back to whatever prissy business you have this afternoon; or we'll go back to the Manor and you can learn about all the things you and I have in common. Then, if I feel like it, we can fool around." I watched her out of the corner of my eye, enjoying myself immensely. "It's up to you."
******
LANA
***For you we wax
..For you, we'd chew
Our nails if we had any left
..We counted to ten temporarily
And it was something about how
You talk down to me***
He was expecting me to want to leave, I could see it in his eyes; he wanted me to want to get out of the car. That's not to say he didn't want the free sex that came with my going with him; he was notorious for sleeping with a different woman every weekend. Still, he was waiting for me to admit that I was frightened by him. That wasn't going to happen. "Keep driving," I ordered firmly, staring straight ahead.
Lex chuckled mirthlessly. "Lana Lang wants me to bed her." He faced me for a second, obviously getting a kick out of himself. "What was that about being different from other girls?"
All my reasons for getting in the car with him vanished from my mind as I grew increasingly annoyed. "Does seducing young girls make you feel good about yourself?" I inquired fiercely, not sure what I was getting at.
He pulled into his endless driveway, startling me; the ride had gone by quickly. "Not only is the cheerleader brainless, but she has delusions of being well versed in psychology." He got out of the vehicle, opening my door for me, but not waiting before striding toward the main entrance. When I reached his side, he unlocked the door--his having keys surprised me, but I'm not sure why--and continued: "No, seducing young girls doesn't make me feel good about myself. It's merely a way to keep my adoring public at bay." I followed him as he threw his disgustingly expensive leather jacket on the floor, pushing open the doors of his private office.
I perched on the edge of an enormous black chair that rested in front of a blazing fireplace. He sat on the one next to mine, crossing his legs. "So tell me: how are you and I alike, Lex?" It was as nasty as I could sound when I was apprehensive.
"We're both ruthless, and we don't mind if we hurt anyone to get what we want." Again he steepled his fingers, that blasted smirk *still* on his lips. "For instance: You knew dating Whitney--even though you didn't love him--would boost your popularity. Sure enough-" He clapped his hands quickly, causing me to jump. "You're everybody's favorite person the day after you and the quarterback are seen spending time together. Meanwhile, poor Clark--who you knew was madly in love with you, much to my bafflement-- suffered."
He was standing in front of me, pulling me to my feet again. "You string Clark along, knowing he won't care. You get his hopes up when you nearly kiss him--after a fight with the Boyfriend, of course--then conveniently make up with your One and Only." He kissed my lips quickly, before I knew what had happened. "You had Clark wrapped around your little finger, in case Whitney ever realized what a bimbo you are." He frowned. "Not that Whitney's the sharpest tool in the shed."
I had to interrupt. "Are you nearly finished? I'm getting bored."
An amused laugh escaped his mouth. "This isn't the high school, *darling.* You don't have any control over this situation as long as you continue to stand there." He waited, evidently for me to leave. I stood my ground. "I gave you your last chance to leave." Lex sighed dramatically, then my mouth was crushed to his.
******
LEX
***She moves and it's fire (fire underwater),
Speaks and it's flame (she speaks my name).
Well they all really want you,
If only you had wanted them.***
She returned my kiss easily, as though she'd been waiting to do so the entire afternoon. I knew she'd either given in, or was planning something; since she's not the most intelligent girl I've ever made out with, I went with the former.
Before it went farther than it already had, she broke away, breathing heavily. The now-familiar caught-in-the-headlights look was back on her attractive face. "What is it, Lana?" I asked, finding the whole afternoon to be incredibly amusing.
After a beat, she was kissing me again; she was getting bold. As I responded to her kiss, I found that she wasn't as bad a kisser as I'd been expecting. I was almost enjoying her, to be perfectly honest.
The next time she pulled away, she was smirking. "There's a surprise; Lex Luthor returned a kiss that wasn't initiated by him. This is interesting."
"I have to give you credit. That was a good attempt at turning the tables." I leaned in again, but she stepped away quickly, nearly causing me to lose my balance.
She sat on my desk, her legs swinging. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you going to kiss me?"
So that was how things were going to work. I said nothing, instead leaning against the wall and crossing my arms.
Another smirk graced her lips. "He's speechless."
That was enough. I crossed the room, remaining a foot away from her. "Only because I didn't want to have a one-sided battle of wits."
Her perfectly-shaped eyebrow raised. "Since when do you have wits to battle, *Alexander Joseph Luthor*?" she retorted, using my full name, which not many people know. I was going to reply, but I was too impressed.
"You were going to ask how I know your full name, weren't you?" She hopped off the desktop, running a manicured fingernail up and down my chest. Her lips brushed mine before I had a chance to react. "I guess I'm just full of surprises."
With that, she flounced away, leaving me staring after her.
******
LANA
***All hail the King of Intimidation
I cannot love this scum behavior***
I laid awake most of the night, trying to block out the memory of Lex's lips. I'd let him get to me after all, and I began to need him in the most intense way. I would never, ever have him, though; he was too accustomed to getting his way. If I went to him, confessing myself, he'd use me and throw me away, just like he had so many other girls before me.
I'd have to live without touching him again, even if it tortured me.
******
LEX
***Here we are again.
(how could I have seen?)
Always she's driving
(how could I have known?)
..See how she's driving me... down***
She got under my skin, as much as I hate to admit it; I needed Lana, and I never needed anyone. To tell her would mar my reputation, and she wouldn't take me, anyway. She was too smart to fall for me, as she'd proven that afternoon at the Manor.
I'd simply have to live with the knowledge that, when it came to our relationship, she had the upper hand.
FINIS
Rating: PG-13
Couple(s): L/L, some C/C, a bit of CL
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The lyrics are from 'King of Intimidation' by Alanis Morissette and 'Gramarye' by Remy Zero.
Author's Note: This concept was stuck in my head, and I had to write it down; I didn't think it would work with Chloe--she's too emotionally strong- -which is why I had to use Lana. (I hope certain people aren't annoyed; I don't plan to write any more LL stories.) Told from Lex and Lana's alternating POV's
* * *
LANA
***For you they live
In a quiet monastery
For you, they wear
Whatever you want them
To, as long as it's short***
I broke up with Whitney. No big surprise, I know; it's happened more times than I can count, usually over stupid, little things. This time, though, I said something that pretty much ruined any chance of our getting back together.
After he stormed out of the Beanery--and after everyone else stopped staring at me--I headed toward a familiar figure, wiping my eyes as I walked.
"Mister Luthor," I said casually, trying to sound as though my heart weren't breaking; the last thing I wanted was to start sobbing in front of half the town. "Can I sit down?" Without waiting for an answer, I dropped into the booth, across from him.
Lex glanced at me over the top of the New York Times. "Miss Lang. Please, join me." If it weren't for his infuriating smirk, I would have thought he was being kind. I don't know why I sat with him in the first place; we don't like each other very much. Well, I'm not too fond of him. I don't know how he feels about me, since you can never tell what he's thinking.
Before I knew it, I was crying into a napkin. Without looking at me--jerk-- he handed over a monogrammed handkerchief which he'd pulled from his jacket pocket. "I'm such a mess, Lex. I told Whitney that I love Clark, and he stormed out in one of his 'moods'. If he hurts Clark for this, I'll never forgive myself." I broke two of my personal rules just then: one, I let myself look pathetic in front of Lex; he'd be sure to remind me of that later. Two, I told someone that I was in love with my next door neighbor; I didn't want anyone to know--other than Whitney, who inadvertently forced me to admit it. If I had realized my feelings two weeks before, Clark and I could have jumped in eachother's arms and been blissfully happy. But not now.
*That* got the attention of the billionaire's son. The newspaper lowered until it was resting on the table between us. His emotionless blue eyes stared into my dark ones. "Interesting."
*Interesting?* Even Chloe Sullivan--Clark's 'lady friend' who has a strong dislike for me, and is mostly the reason why I'm so pissed off--would have at least been sympathetic. At least, I think she would; after what happened the other day, I don't know anything anymore. (She did, after all, say that she loved Clark, and he did say it back, and I did witness the whole thing.)
"You know, Lex, the least you could do is ask if I'm okay," I snapped, wiping my eyes with his handkerchief--which probably cost more than my leather shoes.
He steepled his fingers, resting his elbows on the table. "Well, Lana's angry side finally comes out. I was beginning to think you were all pomp and circumstance. Nice to see you at least have a few working braincells," he observed nonchalantly.
It was a good thing I wasn't drinking anything at that moment; if I was, he would've been wearing it in a matter of seconds. "Look, Lex: I don't know why you hate me so much. But I know that you do, so drop this cordial crap; either tell me to leave, or ask me what's wrong!" I was asking a lot of a Luthor--they usually only listen to someone if it's in their best interest--but I was fed up. *Stop leering at me!* I wanted to scream.
"Oh, but Miss Lang, I don't hate you; I just have a hard time sympathizing with you, since you could have had Clark any time, but chose to stay with your good-for-nothing jock boyfriend. Now that Clark has moved on and found someone to make him happy, you want him." He pursed his lips. "Gee, is Lana starting to realize that not every guy will wait for her forever?" He leaned in closer, until his warm breath was on my ear. "He's suddenly unattainable, and that makes him desirable, doesn't it? He wasn't a challenge before, so you led him on until, finally, he was forced to run to Chloe for comfort." As his hand stroked my hair, I swatted it away.
"That's what this is all about, isn't it?" I hissed through clenched teeth. "You want to seduce me, don't you? Well, I'm not like those other girls; I won't fall all over myself to be with you."
He chuckled mockingly. "Me, try to seduce *you*? Don't flatter yourself, Lana; I'm not that desperate. As for your not being like other girls, keep dreaming; you're no different than all the other cheerleaders that could have any guy they want, but settle for the one that society demands they date. Admit it: You never loved Whitney; you were with him because the cheerleader's always supposed to date the quarterback. You couldn't break that tradition to go out with the guy that you know cared about you more than anything." He stood. "Pretty convenient that you fall for him now." In one fluid movement, he was heading for the door.
"Lex, wait!" I called, trying vainly to be heard over the chatter and the blaring music. At the sound of his name, he turned, an eyebrow raised. "You're right."
******
LEX
***Straight from the sound
She's seen as a bright sun to anyone...
Hollow and mined..***
Well, what do you know. Still smirking, I sauntered back to the booth, standing by her side with my arms crossed. "That was hard for you, I know; admitting that I'm right and all." She was so amusing when she tried to look intimidating. "I thought we'd said everything we had to say to eachother."
To my surprise, she flipped me off. She made even that rude gesture look prissy. "We have now." She looked so proud of herself; it almost broke my heart to bring her down a few more notches. Almost.
"Very bold, Lana. Does Nell know her niece is such a *naughty* girl?" I retorted. "If we didn't have so much in common--and if I didn't thus respect you in some roundabout, twisted way--I'd take you back to my place." Sarcasm, a beautiful invention.
My words had the desired effect; Lana stared up at me, her eyes wide and unblinking. The vulnerable, deer-in-the-headlights look wasn't flattering on her. I almost said so, but held my tongue for once; it was her turn to speak. And if I there's one thing I never do, I never deprive a woman of her opportunity to tell me what she thinks. "You respect me?"
She took the bait. *Luthor, you're still the master.* "No, but I got your attention." My lips were by her ear again; I smirked when I heard her take in a sharp, deep breath. "You don't sound shocked that I said we're a lot alike. Aren't you curious as to what you could possibly have in common with me, the conniving son of Lionel Luthor, and heir to his estate?" As much as I loathe my father, bringing him up in conversation reminds people of just how powerful I am.
At her slow nod, I grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Then come on. Let's go back to the Manor, and I'll tell you."
"I thought you didn't sleep with women you respected." Oh, she'd been paying attention after all.
Opening the passenger door of my silver Jaguar--the latest of my many vehicular conquests--I motioned for her to get inside. After a moment's hesitation, she did. "I'm impressed; you understood what I was trying to infer back there." I threw the car into drive and started down the road.
"You'll recall, though, Miss Lang, that I said I didn't really respect you." Her doe eyes grew large as my second inference sunk in. "So, I'll give you two choices: Either you tell me to stop the car, and I'll let you get back to whatever prissy business you have this afternoon; or we'll go back to the Manor and you can learn about all the things you and I have in common. Then, if I feel like it, we can fool around." I watched her out of the corner of my eye, enjoying myself immensely. "It's up to you."
******
LANA
***For you we wax
..For you, we'd chew
Our nails if we had any left
..We counted to ten temporarily
And it was something about how
You talk down to me***
He was expecting me to want to leave, I could see it in his eyes; he wanted me to want to get out of the car. That's not to say he didn't want the free sex that came with my going with him; he was notorious for sleeping with a different woman every weekend. Still, he was waiting for me to admit that I was frightened by him. That wasn't going to happen. "Keep driving," I ordered firmly, staring straight ahead.
Lex chuckled mirthlessly. "Lana Lang wants me to bed her." He faced me for a second, obviously getting a kick out of himself. "What was that about being different from other girls?"
All my reasons for getting in the car with him vanished from my mind as I grew increasingly annoyed. "Does seducing young girls make you feel good about yourself?" I inquired fiercely, not sure what I was getting at.
He pulled into his endless driveway, startling me; the ride had gone by quickly. "Not only is the cheerleader brainless, but she has delusions of being well versed in psychology." He got out of the vehicle, opening my door for me, but not waiting before striding toward the main entrance. When I reached his side, he unlocked the door--his having keys surprised me, but I'm not sure why--and continued: "No, seducing young girls doesn't make me feel good about myself. It's merely a way to keep my adoring public at bay." I followed him as he threw his disgustingly expensive leather jacket on the floor, pushing open the doors of his private office.
I perched on the edge of an enormous black chair that rested in front of a blazing fireplace. He sat on the one next to mine, crossing his legs. "So tell me: how are you and I alike, Lex?" It was as nasty as I could sound when I was apprehensive.
"We're both ruthless, and we don't mind if we hurt anyone to get what we want." Again he steepled his fingers, that blasted smirk *still* on his lips. "For instance: You knew dating Whitney--even though you didn't love him--would boost your popularity. Sure enough-" He clapped his hands quickly, causing me to jump. "You're everybody's favorite person the day after you and the quarterback are seen spending time together. Meanwhile, poor Clark--who you knew was madly in love with you, much to my bafflement-- suffered."
He was standing in front of me, pulling me to my feet again. "You string Clark along, knowing he won't care. You get his hopes up when you nearly kiss him--after a fight with the Boyfriend, of course--then conveniently make up with your One and Only." He kissed my lips quickly, before I knew what had happened. "You had Clark wrapped around your little finger, in case Whitney ever realized what a bimbo you are." He frowned. "Not that Whitney's the sharpest tool in the shed."
I had to interrupt. "Are you nearly finished? I'm getting bored."
An amused laugh escaped his mouth. "This isn't the high school, *darling.* You don't have any control over this situation as long as you continue to stand there." He waited, evidently for me to leave. I stood my ground. "I gave you your last chance to leave." Lex sighed dramatically, then my mouth was crushed to his.
******
LEX
***She moves and it's fire (fire underwater),
Speaks and it's flame (she speaks my name).
Well they all really want you,
If only you had wanted them.***
She returned my kiss easily, as though she'd been waiting to do so the entire afternoon. I knew she'd either given in, or was planning something; since she's not the most intelligent girl I've ever made out with, I went with the former.
Before it went farther than it already had, she broke away, breathing heavily. The now-familiar caught-in-the-headlights look was back on her attractive face. "What is it, Lana?" I asked, finding the whole afternoon to be incredibly amusing.
After a beat, she was kissing me again; she was getting bold. As I responded to her kiss, I found that she wasn't as bad a kisser as I'd been expecting. I was almost enjoying her, to be perfectly honest.
The next time she pulled away, she was smirking. "There's a surprise; Lex Luthor returned a kiss that wasn't initiated by him. This is interesting."
"I have to give you credit. That was a good attempt at turning the tables." I leaned in again, but she stepped away quickly, nearly causing me to lose my balance.
She sat on my desk, her legs swinging. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you going to kiss me?"
So that was how things were going to work. I said nothing, instead leaning against the wall and crossing my arms.
Another smirk graced her lips. "He's speechless."
That was enough. I crossed the room, remaining a foot away from her. "Only because I didn't want to have a one-sided battle of wits."
Her perfectly-shaped eyebrow raised. "Since when do you have wits to battle, *Alexander Joseph Luthor*?" she retorted, using my full name, which not many people know. I was going to reply, but I was too impressed.
"You were going to ask how I know your full name, weren't you?" She hopped off the desktop, running a manicured fingernail up and down my chest. Her lips brushed mine before I had a chance to react. "I guess I'm just full of surprises."
With that, she flounced away, leaving me staring after her.
******
LANA
***All hail the King of Intimidation
I cannot love this scum behavior***
I laid awake most of the night, trying to block out the memory of Lex's lips. I'd let him get to me after all, and I began to need him in the most intense way. I would never, ever have him, though; he was too accustomed to getting his way. If I went to him, confessing myself, he'd use me and throw me away, just like he had so many other girls before me.
I'd have to live without touching him again, even if it tortured me.
******
LEX
***Here we are again.
(how could I have seen?)
Always she's driving
(how could I have known?)
..See how she's driving me... down***
She got under my skin, as much as I hate to admit it; I needed Lana, and I never needed anyone. To tell her would mar my reputation, and she wouldn't take me, anyway. She was too smart to fall for me, as she'd proven that afternoon at the Manor.
I'd simply have to live with the knowledge that, when it came to our relationship, she had the upper hand.
FINIS