My sincerest apologies if this one took a little longer, as I've been lacking inspiration lately.

But again, thanks for the reviews :)

DISCLAIMER: Smallville and all the other copyrighted products mentioned are not mine, just temporarily borrowed. etc.

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LEX

There's something imminently mysterious about Clark Kent.

It's not something you can pinpoint straight away. The first time you see him, all you'd notice is a huge guy with a thick mop of black hair almost down to his eyes. Just your average farm boy.

But when you get to know him, it's a different thing. The boy's honesty is unfailing, if only because he has such an open face. At the same time there are things that he's so secretive about, something you can pick on by the way he carefully conceals his words, if you ask him the right questions.

He's simple but complex. He won't be able to describe any emotion to you but you could always read it in the expression on his face. He always has a Clark Kent megawatt grin waiting for his friends and a hard glare for those he considers his enemies.

I'm the most powerful man in Smallville and I tread carefully around Clark Kent.

He has this amazing ability to hear a cry for help from ten miles away. Clark Kent saved my life before, but I'm just the first of many 'coincidences'. The boy is always there when you need him, without hesitation, in the speed of light.

And unfortunately, sometimes he shows up when you don't need him.

"Hey Lex," he greets, sitting in Chloe's empty chair. "Where did Chloe go?"

It takes a moment for me to recover from the fact that it's a big guy with a mop of unruly black hair grinning at me, not Chloe. "To the bathroom," I reply in what I hope is an amiable tone. "Where's the lovely Lana Lang? Don't tell me the quarterback arrived."

"She's sitting with some friends," he says, disappointment etched on his face.

"Not joining her?"

"No, I thought I'd join you guys instead," he smiles at me. "After all, we were supposed to drink together."

"Yes and we understand totally if you'd rather join Lana, Clark."

"I know," he replies easily. And stays put in his seat.

I wait for a moment and he still sits there. The boy is staying.

Another moment of Clark grinning at me and I resign myself to my fate. "So what's up, Clark?"

"Not much. You holding up well against Chloe?"

Better than you think. "I'm surviving."

"You know if you're not careful, she could be hiding a tape recorder somewhere in her bag," he kids.

"Chloe is at the liberty to do whatever she pleases. Even if it means exploiting me for the asshole that I am."

"Then for your sake, I hope you didn't say anything too personal."

"Besides telling her my favorite movie, nothing too personal."

Clark raises his eyebrows and laughs. "Which is?"

"Godfather."

"Did Chloe mention hers?"

"She said she loved Sixteen Candles."

"It's Aliens," he confirms. "Sigourney Weaver. Woman in control."

I feel mildly annoyed that Clark would know her favorite movie and I wouldn't.

"Good choice." I smile thinly and lean back in my chair. "But that's Chloe. One of a kind, isn't she, Clark?"

Clark looks at me peculiarly. "I guess you could say that." It looks like he's about to say something else when Chloe's voice interrupts us.

"Clark Kent finally joining us mortal beings." Chloe says. "Takes my seat too."

Clark grins back at her. She studiously avoids my gaze. Not a good sign.

However, she does sit down on the empty space next to me, if only for the lack of other seats available. I discreetly sniff. Apples and strawberries with just a hint of glue. "And what were you boys talking about? Discussing the finer features of the latest Lana Lang doll?"

"Why should we when the Chloe Sullivan doll has all the cool sarcastic gadgets?" Clark says, in the manner of an excited child.

"Well gee, Clark, I wonder which doll you'd buy."

"I'd keep both dolls by my side," Clark answers, smartly. Very smartly, might I add.

For the first time since she joined Clark and myself, Chloe slants a look at me. "Well go on, Luthor. Be honest."

"I would have to say that the Chloe doll would be the best investment. The verbal jargon will keep me company for a long time."

Apparently satisfied by my answer, she smiles at me. "Smart boy."

"But would the Chloe doll prefer the Clark doll to the Lex doll?" I ask.

"The Lex doll might be too expensive," she remarks.

"I'm always open for a discount."

She laughs loud and appreciatively. I feel absurdly pleased to know that I caused it. "Now there's something you don't hear every day!"

"Hey," Clark interjects, and points out a painful truth, "The Clark doll is strong and better looking."

"Yes and the Clark doll also starts malfunctioning when in close proximity with the Lana doll," Chloe adds, wryly.

"Hey, we all have our faults." Clark flashes the megawatt smile at both of us.

I glance at Chloe to see how she takes the Clark Kent megawatt smile. If my memory serves me correctly, she'd be looking down and pretending the smile didn't have an effect on her.

But this time she's looking at me.

It's at this point in time that I feel strangely uplifted, a feeling not unlike the rush of a very expensive drug but without the hangover, and the desire for victory against all odds. How I feel when I'm about to close a business deal but… happier.

Chloe's gaze stays intent on my face, inquisitive as always, but unlike the information hungry way that usually makes me feel like a child stripped of his clothing.

It's almost as if her eyes are finally going easy on me. I find it hard to look away.

"I think I'll make a better troll than a doll," I tell her.

"Have your employees started making comparisons to make you think that?" Chloe asks, teasingly.

"Ask your dad."

"Well then rest your mind at ease, Luthor. He did mention something along the lines of mad bald tyrannous cow, but definitely no trolls."

"A definite load off my back," I smile at her, a bit relieved that she has insulted me. It can only mean that things are normal.

"You know I hate to point out the obvious," Clark says. "But trolls have hair."

"So I'll be an original."

"Then if you get to be a troll, I get to be GI Joe."

Chloe rolls her eyes skyward. "You're heroic Clark, but you're not that heroic."

"And what will be your preferred doll of choice?" I ask her.

"Barbie," Clark answers for her.

"I'm disproportionate. The Mattel conglomerates will have a heart attack." She pauses. "And seriously, I don't think I'd make a good doll. A box of Lego, maybe, but not dolls."

"Because they're too quiet?" Clark asks with a grin. Chloe replies with a flip of her middle finger. "Bet you'd make a cute Raggedy Ann. Just find a red wig and a Raggedy Andy."

"I think the operative word here is 'freaky'."

I turn to her. "Did I ever tell you that I had red hair?"

Her eyes look startled at my little confession, but she manages to flash me a grin. "My first candidate."

We smile at each other. After a moment of this enjoyment, it's quickly punctured by the silence from the other member of our party. I tear myself away from the blueness of Chloe's eyes and turn his way. I find him observing the little interaction between Chloe and myself with an odd look about his face.

Not for the first time, I wonder about telling Clark.

An instinct tells me to hold it back, and if there's only one thing in the world that I trust, it's my instinct. It's simple mathematics. I don't like making my failures known to anyone, even in the matter of relationships, and so I wouldn't tell Clark unless I was secure in the knowledge that Chloe might reciprocate those feelings (or at least have reason to hope).

Until tonight, I've always regarded Chloe as a no-win situation, which would complicate matters further if I told Clark. I can't be too sure of what will happen, but I do have an idea that either Chloe will run or Clark will tell her to run.

Clark considers me his best friend, but I doubt he esteems me or anyone highly enough to find worthy of Chloe's affections. I wonder if he ever realizes that.

The silence goes on forever and is reaching the point of extreme discomfort. Of course, Chloe speaks up. "What, Clark? Is there something green on my face?"

The familiarity of Chloe's sarcastic tone seems to jolt Clark out of whatever conclusion he was making about us. I feel oddly relieved.

"No," he says, still staring at us, then shakes his head. "If you were green, then forget Raggedy Ann and be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle."

"Yeah and you could be my sidekick rat. Er.." Chloe frowns. "Dammit, what was his name?"

Clark furrows his eyebrows and narrows his eyes in what I can only describe as the Clark Kent intense concentration position. Sometimes you can catch him doing this at the oddest times. I once found him staring at a wall like that, as if trying to determine what was behind it.

Complex.

I decide to relieve them of their misery. "Splinter." They gape at me. "What?"

"I never thought of you as a turtle fan," Clark grins and I shrug.

"Pretty impressive," Chloe says.

"Why is that impressive?"

"It adds to the evidence I've been collecting to figure out, once and for all, if you're human or demon spawn."

"Conclusion?" I ask, with a smile.

"We're getting there," she replies saucily, with a sly grin at me.

Just at this moment, Clark looks at us strangely again.

Feeling somewhat like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, I look away from Chloe and lightly tap my fingers on the couch. The movement doesn't alter the rigid atmosphere. Clark is still looking at us strangely.

Always the perceptive one, even if it's post-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trivia, he asks, "What's up with you guys?"

I glance at Chloe who is studying her fingernails. Then as if she just noticed, she looks up and says, "Huh? Sorry what was that?"

Obviously left to my own defenses, I look at him dead in the eye. "What are you talking about, Clark?" It's a Luthor talent, the ability to lie through your teeth without having a twinge of guilt shown on your face.

Clark continues regarding me suspiciously.

Despite the Luthor stare, I feel plagued with guilt (although I have no idea why) and I feel his suspicious eyes on me like they're burning holes to the back of my head.

In just about a second before I cave in, Chloe clears her throat.

Then suddenly, "Oh look, Lana's calling you!"