As promised, a long update. Thanks a ton to everyone who's been reading, reviewing and taking out the time to view this fic - I love you guys!
She hears a lot of beeping on waking up.
When she opens her eyes, all she can see is the sharp fluorescent light of the hospital room and the various life support equipment hooked onto her. Sitting by her side is Lex ( whom she has come to address by his first name , she realizes). He raises a couple of fingers, and she knows what's coming.
"They're four fingers, right?" He nods, doing a rapid series of the same.
"Four, eight, seven, three, two, okay slow down, my head hurts." He puts his hand down, visually observing her for a while. "How long have I been out? Twelve hours?"
"Nine - the hyperbaric chamber flushed out the carbon monoxide in three." She lays her head back, trying to alleviate the pain. "How much does it hurt?" He asks in a softer voice, tone much gentler than she's ever heard. It's the oddest thing she's ever witnessed, and it worries her, because only an extremely serious condition could merit such a reaction.
"How bad was I when I was brought in?"
"Carbon monoxide poisoning was the key issue, apart from other sulphurous and nitrous fume inhalations. You only had respiratory issues at the start, but they elevated to nervous; thankfully, there is no damage to your nervous system, but your lungs might struggle with oxygenation for a few days."
"I suppose Lois will be seeing a lot more of me," she quips. "Where is she?"
"She left with Clark Kent for the cafeteria - they will be back in ten minutes. As for your accommodation, you will be staying under my supervision."
"You're saying as if it was all your fault," she says jokingly; he doesn't react. "Lois will take good care of me," she turns serious. "You don't have to take this all upon yourself."
"I would feel much more at ease," he states, fingers lacing through hers. "Please don't make this harder for me - I already feel personally responsible for it." She didn't understand the reason for it, but his unusually tender behavior towards her was beginning to worry her; Lex Luthor was known to be persistent to the level of obsession, and besides, she felt safer with him for reasons she couldn't yet explain.
"All right," she says with a smile, and the smile he give her is priceless - eyes shining, he looks more grateful than happy. She shuts her eyes, the dose of morphine slowly taking its effect, and she remembers the touch of a cheek and a kiss on the back of her hand before she falls asleep.
When she wakes up again, there's another person sitting beside, apologizing profusely as soon as she opens her eyes. Lois' face is streaked with tears, Clark's arm wrapped around her shoulder.
"You're Superman," she says, and Lois laughs.
"This is the first thing you say after waking up?" Clark looks at her for a while, expression unreadable. "Those glasses are a shitty disguise."
"Works for most people," he counters.
"Well, most people are idiots. I and Lois aren't"
"Touché." Lois cleans her face, then takes her hand, stroking her hair with the other. "So, ready to go home?" She says. "You'll stay with me and Clark until the house is restored."
"Actually, an arrangement has been made."
"Let me guess - Luthor cajoled you into staying with him,"
" Cajoled would be a bit too extreme, Lo." Lois sighs.
"He's smitten with you."
"Again, too extreme."
"We all know it's true." Beside her, Clark nods. Truth is, she did suspect that after today, but the very notion was so absurd she dismissed it.
"He's just a friend, Lo, and he cares for his friends." God knows how few he really has. "Besides, me and LexCorp's CEO… " she trails off, "Do you know how absurd you sound?"
"Superman with a lowly Daily Planet reporter sounds absurd too," Lois counters, at which Clark/ Kal El/Superman frowns. "Actually, Lois Lane with a lowly intern sounds absurd," he speaks. At that, Lois turned to counter and Lo and behold, a typical couple argument had begun.
"Guys…" Lilian reminds them of the issue at hand. "I'm going with him." Lois gives her a questioning stare. She thinks of a dozen excuses she can use, finally settling on the truth.
"He makes me feel safe," she admits. "Like someone really cares for me, like a real person thinks I am important to them." She looks away, trying to ignore those memories of the slew of profanities she received at her foster homes, until they dropped her back at the adoption house she came from.
"Lil…" Lois' voice softens, and she gently squeezes her hand.
"Besides," she looks at her again mischievously, "I don't want to eavesdrop on your 'midnight sessions'."
"All right," Clark says, and when Lois looks at him reproachfully, he turns serious. "It's all right. I know for a fact that he really will look after her well."
"Your Kryptonian senses tell you that?"
"Yes - besides, people experience a spike in blood pressure when they lie; I couldn't sense that throughout their conversation."
"From the cafeteria?" Lilian looks at him, agape. Clark simply smirks, and Lois beams at him with pride in her eyes. They talk for a while, and Lilian promises Lois that she will be back as soon as she has healed properly.
A day later, Lois escorts her out of the hospital on a wheelchair, driving towards the Luthor manor, where Lex meets them at the beginning of the twisted path that leads to manor's gates.
"Secrecy much?" She chides, and he just smirks, driving through a path hidden by massive oaks and willows. He takes her arm, the two walking into a large hall filled with baroque and Impressionist era paintings. "I have a feeling the leave will be well spent," she murmurs as he leads to the library.
"Feel free to work in the lab whenever you wish," he mentions as they pass a lab similar to the crucible, which had become her new home before the accident. Finally, they enter a bedroom, where Lex makes her settle into the bed.
"You're supposed to sleep for twelve hours, after which breakfast follows, after which you're free to do whatever you wish."
"Thank you, Doctor Lex," she teases, looking at the full moon outside.
"My pleasure." She has been feeling sleepy before the discharge, and now she just wants to fade into oblivion, so she settles down amongst the pillows and shuts her eyes.
He's lost count of how long he's been watching her sleep.
She looks younger, the worry fading from her face as soon as she falls asleep. Now sleeping, she looks like a teenager without a care in the world. Watching her sleep puts him at peace, and for all the trouble and hurt he's caused, he feels this sight and the contentment that follows is worth all of it. Having her in his sight is comforting and exhilarating at the same time - it soothes him, calms him down but also sets his veins afire.
He sits beside her on the bed, a hand running idly through her open hair, strewn carelessly across the pillow. While he has a sense of boundaries, he figures this can't hurt to either party. He has gone through her personal history, sifted through the records, and her childhood does not differ much from his in terms of the scars it may have left on them - while he had an abusive father, she had the foster system. As if the two were any different.
She doesn't need any more pain or neglect, and he will ensure that she receives all that she deserves, and more. "Don't worry," he whispers to her sleeping form, taking a hand, "Eros never let Psyche come to any harm under his watch." Gently kissing her forehead, he exits the room, wandering through the halls as the early morning light filters through the windows.
An hour later, he can hear the shuffling of feet in the hallway, and she joins him in the balcony of the dining hall. The early morning light only enhances her sharp features, and he's transfixed, unable to take his eyes off, no matter how much he tries.
"Good morning," she wishes him, taking a deep, shuddering breath before she sits down on one of empty chairs. "God, it does hurt." They sit in silence for a while, observing the dark storm clouds obscuring the Metropolis sky and the sharp sunlight streaming through them, casting a steel grey glow across the city.
"Breakfast?"
"I'm starving." Lex walks in, leaving a message on the system for two French omelets, toast, mushroom and cheese quiche and Irish spring water. Fifteen minutes later, he walks back to the balcony with two trays of breakfast.
"I'm sure you could ask your staff to do this for you," she states, looking up from Feynman's lectures, "or is it privacy?" He takes a seat beside her, beginning to go through the toast.
"This section of the manor is forbidden to them when I'm present. My father's wishes - besides, I hate it when people amble into this wing when I'm there." She nods, eating small bites of the omelet.
Breakfast done, he leaves for a run around the manor. He finds her in the lab when he returns, a pile of books beside her. "These books on the Greek Myths are pretty helpful for my metas," she comments, sighing happily as she presses Post on Tumblr. "I've got to maintain that influx of the Kylo Ren and Rey meta for my followers, injury or not." Her arms are bandaged at various spots, and he sees the ones at the elbows turning red.
"Your bandages need changing," he points out, and they walk to the washroom, where he pulls out the arsenal of first aid supplies. "Done."
"Thank you," she states, and she looks pure, vulnerable, beautiful, untouched - just like Psyche.
My Psyche.
And then, in a instant of impulse and bad decision-making, he leans in, kissing her. A moment later, realising his mistake and in shock at what he's just done, he gets up, briskly walking out of the washroom - leaving a very confused and bewildered person behind.
Not that he's any less confused himself.
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