Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or the characters in any way shape or form.
Chloe shut the door to her apartment and smiled. It had been her first day at the new job and it had gone well.
"A smile like that is enough to give a man a heart attack." Gage's voice scared Chloe and she jumped. She hadn't been to her apartment for more than a week. The last thing she expected to find was Gage.
"What are you doing? You could have given me a heart attack." She told him tensely.
Gage stepped out of the shadows and against her will Chloe had to appreciate his amazing looks.
"You look well. I'm glad. I was worried when you left the bar so quickly. Why didn't you tell me you were going?" Gage asked as he stepped close to Chloe.
"You looked pretty cozy with Lois. I didn't want to disturb an emotional moment." Chloe said with a little zing in her voice.
Gage actually looked a little embarrassed.
"Can I be honest with you, Chloe?" Gage looked at her shrewdly and she nodded. "I'm confused. I met you and I felt a certain way about you. It was the most amazing I'd ever felt. Then, I met Lois and she moved my heart too."
"Let me help you. I don't want you. Go to Lois." Chloe told him. She pushed past him to the kitchen. She grumbled slightly because all her food was now rotten. No dinner tonight apparently.
"It's that easy for you?" Gage asked the disbelief evident in his voice.
"Uh-huh." Chloe told him hoping there was some peanut butter and crackers somewhere.
"You still matter to me, Chloe." Gage said.
Chloe turned to face him only to find he was standing right behind her.
"How about you try that line on the next idiot that comes through the door? I'm not buying it. And how dare you do this to Lois? Aren't you guys like psychically connected or something? I've heard all about the mind meld thingy you two do. She said she's had dreams about you since she can remember." Chloe said.
"You've spoken to her?"
Now it was Chloe's turn to look sheepish. "Not exactly. She's been leaving me messages, not that it's your business."
"You've never had a dream like that?" Gage asked studying her intently.
"I…" Chloe didn't know what to say. She'd had some weird dreams, but none about him she didn't think. It was like they were there only she couldn't actually remember them. "I don't really know." She said honestly.
Chloe looked up into Gage's eyes. He looked confused and for a moment Chloe actually felt sorry for him. Later, she would blame this pity for letting Gage kiss her. He kissed amazing as always. But there was no flash of a previous experience or odd feeling, except the arousal he was producing in her. Oddly, she felt disappointed about it. Gage pulled away and for a moment there was only silence. She didn't know what to say.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have done that. You draw me to you somehow. I cannot explain this, Chloe. I wouldn't even know where to start." Gage said.
"Can you explain it to Lois?" Chloe asked. She was annoyed that she liked the kiss. "I think you should go." She told Gage. He looked like he was about to protest when Chloe cut across his words.
"I'm tired and I just need to get some sleep. I don't know what is happening between you and Lois, but I'm sure it's a good thing." Chloe told him honestly, even though it hurt her to say it. Chloe hadn't heard Lois this happy in a while and she hadn't ever heard her talk about a guy the way she gushed about Gage. Once again Chloe suppressed her own desires and bowed to a friend in need. She may be taking control of her life, but that didn't mean she had to break her cousin's heart in the process. And making a clean break from Gage would be taking control of her life.
"Fine, Chloe. If this is what you want, I'll submit to your wishes." Gage told her before he left her apartment.
After her little nocturnal visit from Gage, Chloe decided she needed to move to a new place. Besides that her new job was far from her current apartment. Chloe looked around her new apartment. It was just down the street from the bookshop where she worked. Bessie, her new boss, knew the person that owned it and so she got a break on the rent. It was actually a really amazing apartment. She had the top apartment, while another tenant had the bottom apartment. She hadn't met the other tenant, but she hoped they would be nice because they shared a walkway and their mailboxes were next to each other.
Moving had been something of a challenge, seeing as she hadn't asked any of her old friends, aka Clark, Lana, Lois or Lex, for any help. The thought of asking Lois for anything at the moment was disgusting to Chloe. She hired a local company for a few hours and they hadn't charged her too much. 'Goodbye old life' Chloe thought to herself as she began unpacking her boxes.
A picture of her and the old gang caught her attention. It was from a birthday party. Everyone looked happy. She and Lana stood next to each other and Clark stood between them, Lex stood on Chloe's other side. Chloe remembered the day the photo was taken. Clark had seized the excuse to plaster himself to Lana and Chloe had stood there feeling a little awkward. That is until Lex came over and wrapped his arm around her. She smiled gratefully and easily wrapped her arm around him. She'd never thanked Lex for that. He had done things like that a lot. He'd surprise her when she was feeling completely left out by the annoying on/off relationship of Clark and Lana. Funny how she never realized how often he'd done it.
Granted, Lex had also created a lot of problems in everyone's lives with his never ending schemes. Sometimes Chloe believed he was evil and diabolical, but looking back she could see the goodness in him. It seemed like he struggled against the dark side of his personality and against his father and Chloe admired that about him. Lately, Lex hadn't been as successful at avoiding the darkness, but he still fought it. At least Chloe hoped he did. When she was honest with herself Chloe realized the one person she was really missing right now was Lex.
When she realized this Chloe gave a little shudder. Lex? Lex Luthor? She stopped unpacking, her hands frozen in midair. What exactly did she feel for Lex? She didn't know and wasn't sure she wanted to examine it much further. He hadn't even come to see her yet. Of course, she hadn't told him anything about her plan and he was probably pretty pissed about her quitting so suddenly, but still.
'What am I doing?' Chloe thought to herself.
'This is Lex. My friend Lex, nothing more than that. Besides he probably doesn't see me as anything but the good old Chloe. Resource girl, extraordinaire and reporter on the verge. Well, used to be reporter. Whatever, there are no romantic notions in his head about me.'
With that thought Chloe turned on the radio and began unpacking again.
"Can you tell me where the books on irrational women are?" Lex asked Chloe. She was sitting behind the counter reading a book. She looked up at Lex and smiled out of pure happiness to see him.
"Irrational women, huh? I've told you before Lex you need to find different friends." Chloe told him. Forgetting any sort of social mores, Chloe leapt up from behind the counter and ran to hug Lex. He was wearing the usual suit and looked very sexy in a baldish man sort of way. Lex didn't react immediately, but eventually hugged her back.
"Come on. What kind of hug is that?" Chloe teased him at his lackluster embrace.
"Just remember, you asked for it." Lex told her and then he hugged her like he'd wanted to earlier. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground so they were closer to eye level. He looked into Chloe's smiling eyes and wanted to kiss her. When she smiled broadly his desire increased ten fold. He tightened his grip on her. Assuming Chloe would freak out if he actually kissed her, Lex leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"So, how is life in the world of Lex?" Chloe asked as Lex put her down. She hadn't meant to show so much emotion at seeing him but she hadn't been able to stop herself.
Lex gave her his trademark half smile/smirk, "Well, one of the Planet's most promising reporters quit. No notice, she just left. Other than that, everything is well."
"I'm sure she had her reasons, Lex." Chloe told him.
"Of course. I'm just wondering why she would leave a job that she's wanted for as long as I've known her."
"Maybe she just got tired of everyone trying to control her life."
Lex smiled at that. "There are other ways of rebellion. Ones that won't damage her long term goals. I've been rebelling against my father for a long time. I'm something of an expert on the subject."
"It's not rebellion. I just saw my life heading one way and I wanted to go the other." Chloe shrugged.
"You're just going to let them win?" Lex asked with a look of surprise.
"Who win what?" Chloe asked.
"Clark and Lana." Lex said and Chloe actually laughed.
"It's not about them. Never again am I going to do anything in my life over a guy. I refuse to let a man rule my decisions. Giving up my own wants and desires to be with someone is not a possibility. Clark and Lana can have each other. I've pined away for him way too long." Chloe told him and she meant it. Men would no longer hold any sway over her. She would make her own choices and screw what men wanted.
"I believe you." Lex was secretly happy to hear she was over Kent. He hadn't believed her before when she told him, but now he could see the truth on her face. He just needed to figure out how to get her back at the Planet and back in his life.
"Good. I told you that before though, so I'm glad you believe me now." Chloe told him sarcastically.
"What about Gage Savonrola?" Lex threw the name out there to see Chloe's reaction. "What does he mean to you? I seem to remember you telling me you were going to sleep with random men. I didn't believe that either."
By Chloe's immediate reaction Lex knew his answer. The disgust was evident in her expression. "I haven't turned into a slut overnight. You made me mad so I was trying to make you mad." Chloe told him annoyed.
"Why would that make me mad, Chloe? Knowing that you were having sex with other men wouldn't make me mad as much as it would make me jealous." Lex said and Chloe just looked at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but Lex beat her to it. "Actually, it would make me mad. I have to admit. I'm only human and somewhat territorial about what is mine." Lex's deep voice had never sounded sexier to Chloe than in that moment. She didn't actually know what to say. The thing about being "his" offended her sense as a woman, but another part of her was delighted at the thought of being Lex's.
"I…I…Well…" Chloe sputtered a little bit.
"I never knew you to be at a loss for words, Chloe." Lex smirked a little.
"You've never said anything like that to me before." Chloe answered.
"It was all in the abstract, of course." Lex said and Chloe's heart fell at that. Even if for a moment Chloe believed he'd been interested in her.
"Of Course." Chloe hid her sadness quickly. "So was there a specific reason you came to see me or was it to generally annoy and harass me?" Chloe asked with false lightness.
"I thought that was obvious. I'm here to offer you your job back. The Planet needs you. You're a great writer, Chloe. I'd hate to lose you to this quarterlife crisis you're going through." Lex said and set Chloe's teeth immediately on edge.
"It's a lifestyle change not a crisis. And I don't want your job, Mr. Luthor."
"You'll regret it, Chloe. Maybe not now, but later you'll realize what a mistake it was." Lex told her in his 'you're acting like a child' voice. Chloe was glad there was noone else in the store because she knew her voice was about to rise an octave.
"Will I?" Chloe asked. "When did you get the gift of prescience, Lex? I never knew you had psychic abilities. Tell me, who will be the next president. Will man ever land on the moon again? Come on, Lex, astound me!" Chloe half yelled at him.
"You're being irrational." Lex told her not raising his voice at all.
"And you're showing your anal retentive-must-control-the-universe-and-everyone in-it's-lives-ness." Chloe told him.
"I can see that I've made you angry. I'll go." Lex told her and his completely cool and calm attitude annoyed Chloe even more.
"You should. I told you earlier that I wouldn't let anyone tell me what to do anymore and I meant it. You better believe that." Chloe told him before he left the shop. This time she had managed to stop herself from throwing anything at the infuriating man.
a/n: Howdy. So thank you for any reviews you may have submitted. They are very lovely and make me happy. So Gage is gone but not entirely no. I tried to keep everyone in character but it's hard because these two don't interact a whole lot on the show so I don't have much to go on. And it's just in the Smallville universe. Obviously it doesn't match up to the current season chronologically. So PLEASE REVIEW!
