A/N: Enjoy! Kinda short because what I had in mind was hard to transfer into word.

Chloe walked slowly, trying to balance her cup of coffee and her laptop while being weighed down by her bag. She saw the person in the chair she was trying to navigate around around scoot back. She stopped abruptly, stumbling as her foot caught in one of the chair's legs and went sprawling; her laptop clutched to herself, her bag under her, and her coffee flying a few feet away.

"Ow," she muttered into her bag.

She slowly lifted her head to see an extended hand. She followed the arm to see its owner. Lex Luther was smiling down at her. She let her head fall back to her bag, mortified. She waited for the ground to swallow her and when it didn't happen, sighed and took the hand.

Chloe put her laptop and bag down carefully on the table she had been heading towards. As luck would have it, it was the table next to the one Lex just stood up from. She picked up her spilled coffrr. Her perfectly brewed, expensive cup of coffee, wasted.

When she returned to the table after throwing the cup away, Lex was standing there.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't see you. Can I buy you a cup of coffee to replace the one I made you drop?"

"No, thanks."

"I want to make it up to you. I insist."

"Sure, if you put it that way." Well, it was expensive.

When Lex returned with her cup, Chloe had set up her workspace. she was tapping away at her laptop, occasionally glancing at her notebook. she thanked him for the coffee and he returned to his table.

Chloe watched him out of the corner of her eyes as she sipped her drink. He was staring into space, his hands wrapped around what appeared to be his third cup of coffee. She felt a twinge of sympathy. She tried to suppress it. Then she saw Lex's hand tremble as he raised the cup to his mouth.

In her shock she turned to look at him. She saw the trembling again before he made his hands into fists and met her eyes. She fixed on a smile before leaning over and asking him to join her. He turned down her offer.

"I'm about to leave."

"Come on. Just for a few minuted."

He sat across from her, his face blank but a hint of laughter in his eyes. "How are you doing?"

"Good." She saw his lips curl at the corner. "Are you laughing at me?"

He chuckled. "That was quite the tumble."

"Well, I'm glad I amused you."

He tried to disguise his laughter by coughing into his hands. Chloe flushed and looked down at the table.

"I apologize for laughing. It's just I haven't had much to laugh about for a few weeks." He said when he saw her face. His face cleared of amusement.

Chloe thought over his words for a moment before realizing he meant since Lana left him. She studied his face and realized how worn he looked. He looked like he hadn't slept in a while.

"You really loved her," she said without thinking.

"Not that my relationship with Lana is any of your business but yes. I loved her and for the briefest moment, I thought she loved me back." His blue eyes were shuttered.

"Lex, for what it's worth, I'm sorry and I know how you feel." He just looked back at her silently until she broke eye contact to glance at her notebook.

For a moment neither of them said anything.

A cleared throat and then, "What are you working on?"

A/N: Questions, comments, criticisms are welcome. Don't forget to review.