(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 12
"Lois, this is stupid" Clark complained as they walked into their hotel and straight up to the bar, "How is drinking going to solve anything?" he asked her as she hopped up on a barstool and waited for some service.
"Smallville, it's been a long day" she said tiredly, noticing the clock said past midnight already, "We have schlepped the Strip for hours trying to find the hotel where 'Mr and Mrs Luthor' are staying" she shuddered even as she said it, "I'm done for tonight, and I need a drink" she said definitely as a bar tender suddenly appeared.
"What can I get you?" he asked the pair as Clark sighed and gave in, sitting down on the stool beside Lois.
Just as soon as she looked his way and actually for once addressed him by his name when asking what drink he'd like, the barman retracted his question.
"Ah, Lois Lane and Clark Kent, right?" he smiled in a way that made them both a little uncomfortable.
"Okay, when did we become Vegas celebrities?" she asked both the guy before her and the one to her right.
"Your friends were here earlier. The happy couple?" the barmen told them, as both Clark and Lois turned pale, "I don't know what exactly has been going on with you but they asked me if you came here to find them... well, it's all here" he said, ducking under the bar and reappearing with an envelope which he laid before them on the bar.
Both Clark and Lois reached for what they presumed to be a note from Chloe, since the handwriting seemed to be hers. Knowing there was no point arguing, Clark gave in first and simply sat waiting to hear what was in the note as Lois ripped it open and read aloud.
"'Dear Lois and Clark, Some investigative reporters you guys would make! You really think you would be able to find us and stop us in time?'" she read, rolling her eyes and sighing as she did so, "'Don't think you stand a chance now because you found this note, it won't lead you to us. I just wanted to tell you how happy I am now as the new Mrs Luthor' Yeah, right" Lois commented before continuing, "'Please, you guys, please be happy for me. Enjoy your drinks, have a great night in Vegas, and then go home'" Chloe instructed through Lois' voice as she read on, "'I'll see you when I get there, when I hope you'll have got over this and be genuinely happy for me. Love you. Chloe'"
"She's out of her mind" Clark shook his head, "This is crazy! Have a good night and go home? How can she think we'd do that?"
"I honestly don't know what going on" the barman shook his head as the younger man shot a dirty look his way, despite the fact this really had little or nothing to do with him, "All I know is that letter was for you, as are these... the drinks she was talking about" he explained as he put them on the bar before Lois and Clark, "Compliments of the Luthors" he tried with a smile, but neither of the pair looked pleased.
Quickly excusing himself and hurrying off to serve other patrons, Lois and Clark were left alone, looking first at the two odd looking cocktails before them and then at each other.
"They should print a T-shirt" Lois sighed heavily, "I came all the way to Las Vegas to save my cousin from a fate worse than death" she said dramatically, "And all I got was this crappy cocktail" she declared as she picked up the glass that contained some purplish liquid as well as two umbrellas and various fruit.
"What is it?" Clark looked at the drink with distaste, turning the glass to get a better look.
"I don't know" Lois admitted, "and I don't care. Smallville, we've done all we can do today, and this drink is free, hopefully alcoholic, and not even a fraction of what Luthor owes us!" she said definitely, "So I say we drink up, we get some sleep, and tomorrow we try and put a stop to the craziness, because honestly, right now, I don't have a better plan"
Clark would have liked to argue, but he was out of ideas too, and starting to get tired. He wasn't much of a drinker and what had been placed before them on the bar didn't exactly look appealing, but hey, what the hell.
"When in Vegas..." he muttered as he picked up the glass and raised it to his lips, looking sideways at Lois as she did the same.
Perhaps it should've occurred to the pair that drinking anything they couldn't identify might be dangerous. Surely that thought should occur to anyone at any time, but most particularly to the undefined couple from Smallville who had known such troubles the last couple of days and all caused by an as yet mysterious drink. Downing their cocktails in one hit, it took just moments for Clark to realise what they'd done, and a second later he forgot to care.
"Wow, that's got a kick" Lois noted as she replaced her glass on the bar besides Clark's own, "What do you think is in it?" she asked Clark, as her hand went to her chest.
"I don't care" he told her honestly with a wicked smile as he looked over at her and she smiled, undoing the top button of her own shirt.
"Is it me, or is getting hot in here?" she said, the second button coming open too as she pulled the band from her hair and shook it out around her face.
"Well, maybe it'll be cooler upstairs" Clark suggested, getting to his feet and holding out a hand for Lois to take, "Besides, you look like you could use a lie down" he said, as he eyes raked over her body.
"You have no idea" she agreed as she took hold of his hand, and he pulled her off the stool with such force she crashed into his solid chest, her knees giving way a little as he held onto her with strong arms.
Glancing up at him through her lashes, Lois swallowed hard when she saw the very real fire in Clark's eyes for her. God but she wanted him, even now as something slight and quiet in the back of her mind told her she shouldn't. The feelings of lust, of passion, of love even, rushed through her body and overtook her as he held her there in his arms. His own feelings clearly matched her own as he leant in and crushed his lips against hers in a searing kiss that took her breath away to the point where her legs barely held her weight. A moment later she realised they didn't have to as Clark pulled back and looked at her with a smirk, his arm curling under her legs and sweeping her up into his arms.
"My hero" she giggled like some saved damsel, causing him to laugh too as he carried her towards the stairs.
* * * * *
Lex couldn't sleep, despite the fact he should be tired in every possible way. He guessed it was starting to wear off, the adrenaline rush borne out of the excitement of the day. Finding himself both loved and in love, bolting from his home with the woman of his dreams to get married in Las Vegas, spending hours making love until they were spent, and his beautiful bride had fallen asleep like a delicate angel in his arms. Chloe was everything he had ever wanted and he ought to be sleeping at her side now, and yet he could not.
Something was bothering Lex, a little voice in the back of his head saying this wasn't right. He couldn't fathom where such a notion came from. He loved Chloe and she loved him, this day and night together had been the best of his life and he doubted that would ever change. Still he couldn't shake the niggling doubt and that made him worry.
Reaching onto the night stand for a drink of water, never letting go of his beloved, Lex gulped down the remainder of pink liquid from the bottle. Immediately he felt contented and happy again. He knew he'd been a fool to worry, and that doubt that lingered in the back of his mind a moment before vanished without a trace as he laid down beside Chloe once again and kissed her forehead, her cheek, and her lips, till she finally awoke.
"I love you" he whispered as she smiled and stirred in his arms.
"I love you too" she replied as her eyes fluttered open, "That's a nice way to wake up" she said with a sigh as she shifted in his arms and gazed up at his face in the half light.
"Then I'll make an effort to oblige the lady every morning" he smiled back at her as he softly kissed her lips.
"I can't believe we're married" she sighed, as he held her close, "It's not exactly a plan that I had but now... I can't imagine wanting anything else but to be with you" she told him honestly.
As he looked down at her angelic face in the dim light, a wave of contentment washed over the young Mr Luthor who always believed he could never be so happy. He always wanted more than he had, always craved to win another battle, conquer another place. All this he found slid away as he laid here with his new wife in his arms. She was the only world he wanted, her love the only thing he would ever need, and her opinion of him the only one that mattered.
"Chloe, I swear I will not let you down" Lex swore to her, with such intensity in his eyes and tone it almost made her cry, "Anything you want..."
"I already have everything I ever wanted" she told him, silencing him with a finger on has lips, "You're everything I want, Lex, everything..." she whispered as she replaced her hand with her lips on his and kissed him.
The passion between them soon ignited, and the happy couple made sweet love again. Though the fire remained, this was love, in the truest sense. Chloe had never felt like this about another man in her whole life, and she knew without a doubt she had made no mistake in marrying Lex. He had meant so much to her for so long now, she was only glad she'd been allowed to tell him and show him. So long she'd been afraid of rejection, after so many times before with other guys she thought she could love. Clark was a good friend, up to now anyway, but that was all he was ever going to be for Chloe. She realised now how foolish she had been to try and make something more out of that relationship. Her heart would always and forever belong to the man she could now call her husband.
Lex wondered how he had ever doubted his love for Chloe or hers for him. Women had previously come close to being his downfall and yet Chloe had remained steadfast throughout. She was his match in wit and intelligence despite the difference in their age, and he knew her well enough to know she was not here and married to him to relieve him of his fortune. In truth, he would trade every penny he had if it meant keeping Chloe here with him forever. She was all he wanted in every way, and no riches or power he had so often strived for could ever compare to this feeling of being with his beloved wife.
When the couple finally fell asleep a while later, they knew they did not need to dream, they already had everything they could ever desire right here, wrapped in each others arms.
* * * * *
Crashing through the door of a room just down the hall, Clark and Lois were far less content than the couple they had previously been chasing around. They had such a need and want for each other, that could not be controlled. It did not occur to either of them that this was inappropriate or wrong, forgotten was the awkwardness and such that came after their last attempt to get so close. This time it seemed nothing would stop them as they fell onto the bed together in a tangle of limbs, shoes off and shirts soon to follow.
"Oh, Clark" Lois gasped, lying on top of him as he kissed her skin, "I want you"
"Want you too, Lois... love you" he told her between kisses, shocking her out of her passion-induced daze for a moment as she pulled back to look at him with a slight frown on her face.
"You... Oh my God, you do love me" she said, a grin breaking through before she threw herself down on top of him once again and kissed him hungrily, "I love you too" she swore as her hands moved down his body and worked on getting his pants off, as well as her own.
Words of passion and love already spoken, actions would be the real proof of what existed between the couple that would have only denied any such a attraction a few minutes ago. Now all they knew was each other, how much want and need and love they felt as they realised this was it,. the moment that had been too long in coming. Looking down into his eyes as Clark looked back up into hers, Lois could not mistake the love he had for her, and only hoped he saw as clearly the true feelings that came from her heart as two quivering shadows on the wall became one and a second love was entirely proven tonight in a moonlit Vegas hotel room.
To Be Continued...
