14. After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?
LEX
House full of paramedics getting my father onto a stretcher - he's going back to Kane for observation. Maybe this time they'll keep him there. Refuse to go myself. Nothing band-aids and good night's sleep won't cure. Let the powder work it's own way out.
Raise Gabe Sullivan - set up a meeting of the consortium. Raise my lawyers, get them to set things up their end.
See the Kents off - Their car has wrapped itself round a gatepost. I still have Clark's truck. Enjoy giving the keys to Jonathan. Submit to being wept on a bit by Martha. Clark's appalled that his mother tried to shoot someone. I don't like to tell him that my father probably enjoyed it.
And suddenly - they're all gone. Silence. Turn back and Chloe is still there. Small and exhausted, in the wreckage of her dress.
She comes to me, buries her face in my chest.
"I'm sorry." she whispers.
"What?"
"For not being here. For running away."
"There was nothing you could have done. Did you have fun tonight?"
Loaded question, and I wish I hadn't asked it. I can't take any more this evening. Clear gaze meets mine.
"Clark and I resolved some issues." Fingers above my eye. "I wanted to be dancing with you...you're going to have another scar."
Small shiver over my skin, because Chloe has a 'thing' about my scars. Wicked little smile, because she knows. Soft kiss, pulling at my upper lip.
"You did it, then? Saved Smallville?"
"I did. I think your father might have invested your college fund." Kiss her again. "You could be stuck in Smallville for a while."
"What about you?"
"I'm staying, too."
"You talked your father round?"
"Not quite. I saved his life," point to the mess in the library, "then Martha Kent tried to shoot him. He decided to retreat on the issue."
She's smiling up at me, proud and happy. I'm a hero.
She needs to know the worst about me before we go in any deeper. And coward that I am, I can't look her in the eyes to say this. Turn my back.
"I tried to kill him in the hospital."
Silence. She knows who I mean. I've pulled the world down around me.
"No. You didn't. If you -had- tried, he would be dead. You thought about it." Two arms come round my waist. "You don't fail, remember?"
That is the scariest thing. She knows I never lie to her. And she has faith in me.
She deliberately stands in front of me, puts her arms up round my neck. Looks into my eyes, and I don't see any fear or disgust in her gaze.
"Don't try pushing me away, Lex. I spent last week without you, and it sucked."
I'm not strong enough to push her away. I need her to hold me, tell me that I'm not monster or a failure. Bury my face in her neck, smell her skin, feel the pulse jump beneath my lips.
"Lex..." She pushes me back, hand to my cheek. Slightly scared, slightly defiant. "I love you."
Luthors don't cry. I just have plaster dust in my eyes.
"I love you." She repeats, softly. Smiles at me, a wide happy Chloe smile. I'm smiling back, regardless of how much it hurts my face, because she loves me. Bend my head to kiss her, and I need this, need her.
"I love -you-." And she knows I never lie to her.
Timeless moment, until we have to breathe, and I bury my face back in the curve of her shoulder, let her hold me tight.
"Lex," she says, in quite a different voice, "why is there a horse in your garden?"
"I'll tell you later, sweetheart."
***
~ Many thanx to Creed, David Gray and Remy Zero! cyber-cookie to whoever gets all the song refs!~
~ next up - whatever I finish first. I have a whole world and timeline to play with! Wanna place a request? ~
LEX
House full of paramedics getting my father onto a stretcher - he's going back to Kane for observation. Maybe this time they'll keep him there. Refuse to go myself. Nothing band-aids and good night's sleep won't cure. Let the powder work it's own way out.
Raise Gabe Sullivan - set up a meeting of the consortium. Raise my lawyers, get them to set things up their end.
See the Kents off - Their car has wrapped itself round a gatepost. I still have Clark's truck. Enjoy giving the keys to Jonathan. Submit to being wept on a bit by Martha. Clark's appalled that his mother tried to shoot someone. I don't like to tell him that my father probably enjoyed it.
And suddenly - they're all gone. Silence. Turn back and Chloe is still there. Small and exhausted, in the wreckage of her dress.
She comes to me, buries her face in my chest.
"I'm sorry." she whispers.
"What?"
"For not being here. For running away."
"There was nothing you could have done. Did you have fun tonight?"
Loaded question, and I wish I hadn't asked it. I can't take any more this evening. Clear gaze meets mine.
"Clark and I resolved some issues." Fingers above my eye. "I wanted to be dancing with you...you're going to have another scar."
Small shiver over my skin, because Chloe has a 'thing' about my scars. Wicked little smile, because she knows. Soft kiss, pulling at my upper lip.
"You did it, then? Saved Smallville?"
"I did. I think your father might have invested your college fund." Kiss her again. "You could be stuck in Smallville for a while."
"What about you?"
"I'm staying, too."
"You talked your father round?"
"Not quite. I saved his life," point to the mess in the library, "then Martha Kent tried to shoot him. He decided to retreat on the issue."
She's smiling up at me, proud and happy. I'm a hero.
She needs to know the worst about me before we go in any deeper. And coward that I am, I can't look her in the eyes to say this. Turn my back.
"I tried to kill him in the hospital."
Silence. She knows who I mean. I've pulled the world down around me.
"No. You didn't. If you -had- tried, he would be dead. You thought about it." Two arms come round my waist. "You don't fail, remember?"
That is the scariest thing. She knows I never lie to her. And she has faith in me.
She deliberately stands in front of me, puts her arms up round my neck. Looks into my eyes, and I don't see any fear or disgust in her gaze.
"Don't try pushing me away, Lex. I spent last week without you, and it sucked."
I'm not strong enough to push her away. I need her to hold me, tell me that I'm not monster or a failure. Bury my face in her neck, smell her skin, feel the pulse jump beneath my lips.
"Lex..." She pushes me back, hand to my cheek. Slightly scared, slightly defiant. "I love you."
Luthors don't cry. I just have plaster dust in my eyes.
"I love you." She repeats, softly. Smiles at me, a wide happy Chloe smile. I'm smiling back, regardless of how much it hurts my face, because she loves me. Bend my head to kiss her, and I need this, need her.
"I love -you-." And she knows I never lie to her.
Timeless moment, until we have to breathe, and I bury my face back in the curve of her shoulder, let her hold me tight.
"Lex," she says, in quite a different voice, "why is there a horse in your garden?"
"I'll tell you later, sweetheart."
***
~ Many thanx to Creed, David Gray and Remy Zero! cyber-cookie to whoever gets all the song refs!~
~ next up - whatever I finish first. I have a whole world and timeline to play with! Wanna place a request? ~