A/N : I'm surprised that I can bear to write my two favourite characters with anyone other than each other, but somehow it has happened. Don't worry, Chlex will come, eventually, but it starts out un-Chlexy (if that's a word, lol)
This is my version of what could have happened during and after the final episode of season one, if the tempest had never hit Smallville...

Title : Together (1/?)
Author : Ultrawoman
Rating : PG-13
Spoilers : Season 1 (esp. Tempest)
Disclaimer : All characters belong to DC Comics and/or the WB of which I am not a part.
Summary : Can anyone be happy with second best?

Chapter 1

The strains of the Remy Zero song 'Perfect Memory' floated in the air as Clark and Chloe swayed together. Their attention was fixed solely on each other and the melody of Chloe's favourite song.

"I'm glad you asked me to be your date tonight Clark" she said, barely above a whisper.

"I'm only sorry I made you wait" he replied, just as softly.

"That's okay" she smiled, "you were worth the wait"

He leaned down and placed his lips on hers in the softest of kisses and yet it made her whole body feel electrified.

"I love you, Chloe" he told her as he pulled away a little.

"I love you too Clark" she sighed, going further into his arms. He held her close and they continued to rock to the music, their hearts beating a little faster than they had before and their faces both smiling.

Lana sat in the empty Talon. There was no point opening tonight. Any one who was anyone as far as Smallville High alumni was concerned, was at the Spring Formal, which explained why Lana herself wasn't there.

She wasn't anyone special, not anymore. She had given up cheerleading and lost some of her friends. She'd lost her boyfriend, Whitney, to the military and worst of all she had lost Clark. He had been a good friend to Lana and, in a way, her safety net, in case anything went wrong, especially if anything went wrong between herself and Whitney. But now, Chloe had been the reason for the removal of that safety net, so when things went wrong, Lana kept falling, with nothing between her and the inevitable pain but thin air.

She sobbed into her hands as she sat alone on a stool by the counter of the Talon. She saw herself being lonely forever - no parents, no friends, no boyfriends - apart from Aunt Nell who was there?

"Lana?"

A voice from across the darkened room made her turn suddenly - a man's voice - the voice of her business partner.

"Lex?" she answered, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand and sniffing loudly, as he came closer to her, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question" he replied with a smile, before noticing her sadness, "Hey" he sat down on the stool beside her, "What's wrong?" he asked her, resting his arm on the counter behind her.

"Oh nothing" Lana waved away his sympathy.

"Lana" he said, seriously, "I know real pain and tears when I see it. I've had enough of my own over the years"

"I'm just being silly" she sighed, not daring to look at him as he handed her a handkerchief, "Thanks" she nodded, blowing her nose, "It's just..." she started.

"It's just, what?" he prompted.

"Well, do you ever just feel like you're so alone?" she asked.

"Lana" he smirked, "Think about who you're talking to"

She realised the absurdity of her question then. Of course Lex knew of loneliness, of pain and of tears. He was the prince of the most dysfunctional family of them all - a handsome prince though, Lana's subconscious told her.

"I'm sorry" she said, sincerely, but he just smiled at her.

"It's not your fault a large proportion of my life sucks" he told her. She giggled at his tone and choice of words.

"That's better" he smiled genuinely. "You know you'd be quite pretty if you stop crying"

She blushed at that and he had the good grace not to stare at her too much. She was used to hearing such things from guys at school but not from a man, not a man like Lex Luthor.

"So" he said after a moment of silence, "I'm guessing the tears are for a certain quarterback who's left our quaint little corner of Kansas to go fight for uncle Sam?"

"Partly, yes" Lana admitted, "But you wanna hear something completely crazy?"

"I think that's more Chloe's territory" Lex smiled, "but tell me anyway"

Lana took a deep breath before explaining.

"I was going to break up with Whitney weeks ago"

Lex was a little surprised by the revelation. Although he suspected something between Lana and Clark and hoped it was true for his friends sake, he had no idea that Lana really would've dumped the football player to go out with the farmboy.

"Why didn't you?" Lex was curious to know.

"His Dad" she said simply and Lex understood. He knew what it was like to lose a parent that you loved so dearly and could sympathise with the pain Whitney must have felt. Lana had done a good thing by being there for him at a time like that.

"But now he's gone" the billionaire thought aloud, "so what happens next?" he ventured to ask.

"I don't know" the girl sighed, fiddling with the material in her hands and not looking at the man next to her at all. Even so, she knew that his eyes never left her, he was watching her every move.

"I had thought..." she continued, "...but..." she couldn't even speak about it as tears took over again.

"Clark?" Lex guessed, she only nodded in response, unable to do anything else as a fresh wave of tears took her voice and fierce sobs shook through her whole body.

Lex lifted his arm and placed it around her shoulders

"C'mon" he said, soothingly, "it's going to be okay"

Lana found herself leaning into the man's embrace, resting her head on his chest, as he brought his other arm up around her and held her tight.

Unrequited love was tough, Lex knew that. He had seen Clark watch Lana from afar wishing she loved him the way he did her. In turn he had seen Chloe, smitten over Clark, but trying to bury those feelings as best she could, behind snark and the occasional angry explosion. And then there was the billionaire himself, who, for a while now, had seen a quality, a kind of magic, a something in the blonde reporter girl that was different. Something he liked and thought perhaps he could love, and then maybe she could love him too, but it was not to be. So now, whilst Chloe's dreams came true and Clark seemed perfectly happy, the fairytale wishes of Lex and Lana were falling apart before their eyes.

A/N : Please review and I'll update soon.