Chapter 12-Private Emotion
"Did Clark say anything when you left?" Lex asked as they strolled near the ice-skating rink with cups of hot chocolate in their hands.
Chloe shrugged, "If he did I didn't hear it."
Lex sighed. The other part of the package deal, the conscious, was kicking in. "Chloe, I don't want to ruin your friendship with Clark." In all honesty, he really didn't want it to resort to that. He just wanted Chloe to want to be with him with no worries about Clark. Damn Clark, Lex thought.
"Lex, you're not doing anything. This is all Clark's own fault. All my life I would hang on every word he'd say yet he would barely pay attention. Now, I have my own life and he wants to over see it all," She explained.
She had a point, Lex thought. He remembered observing her crush on Clark when he was back in Smallville. "Well, I'll be honest Chloe, Clark's reservations about our growing relationship will not keep me at bay."
"I'm glad. To tell the truth, I was a tad bit reluctant to tell him about…well…us…about…our 'growing relationship.'" Chloe said a little bit hesitant.
"Chloe, I want to ask…well, I know you had feelings for him back in Smallville. I was just wondering-"
"If I still had them?" Chloe asked.
Lex nodded.
Chloe looked into his eyes for a few seconds. This made Lex a tad bit uncomfortable because he had no idea what her answer might be. Though all he wanted was honesty. "Lex, I want to be completely truthful with you."
"I want that as well," Lex nodded.
"I was 15 years old and thought I knew everything, including what love exactly was. I was a bit of a loner in high school and Clark was pretty much the only guy who made me feel comfortable. It was easy to have feelings for him though they weren't returned," she took in a deep breath. This was actually the first time she had to say these things out loud.
"That was then, so what about now?" Lex asked.
"Now…I'm older. And maybe I don't know what love is exactly, but I know what love isn't. And it's not what I felt for Clark. My feelings for Clark were just infatuation…a longing for someone to just understand me," she said. "Clark is and always will be…a friend," she added.
Lex smiled at her. He loved what she had said to him. He loved the way she said it. She was completely honest not only with him but with herself. He bent down and kissed her on the lips. They both closed their eyes and pressed their foreheads together. "I'm utterly and completely…obsessed with you," Lex breathed. "I don't know what love is either, but maybe together we'll learn."
Chloe stepped back to look him in the eyes. "I hope so too," she said softly.
Lex laced his fingers into hers as they walked off to get two pairs of ice skates.
A few moments later…
Chloe struggled to lace up her ice skates as Lex waited, already done with his own. "Do they have to make this so complicated?" Chloe joked.
"I think you are just shoelace-tying challenged," Lex joked back.
Chloe gave him a playful glare and said, "Excellency in Speech class is going out the window. You're picking up my vocabulary Batman."
Lex laughed. "Batman?"
"Bruce Wayne…a millionaire with a secret," Chloe said. She gestured towards Lex's black Armani suit. "Resembles a certain costume."
Lex looked down at his suit then back at Chloe. "I'm far from Batman. But, if you want a superhero I'll try my best."
Chloe thought for a second then crinkled her nose and said, "Nah. Superheroes are overrated. The villains are the coolest. They are dark, disturbing yet captivate you."
"Interesting way to describe them. So, which villain am I? Maybe Joker?" Lex said, sounding a bit too hopeful.
Chloe chuckled. "No. Ever seen Blade?"
Lex nodded.
"Deacon Frost," Chloe said.
"Deacon Frost? But, he's short and…puny," Lex said, scrunching his face.
"You could say that. But, remember when that head vampire bitch slapped him?" Chloe asked.
Lex nodded.
"Well, he didn't go berserk or freak out. He didn't turn around and start beating him to a pulp. Oh, no. He turned around slowly and said a cool line that showed he wasn't scared. He waited till later to get his revenge," Chloe explained.
Lex thought about this a moment. "I love the way you think. You have such the imagination and you're so observant. It's a very great quality."
"Thank you. Now, if only I could somehow put that to use and imagine the techniques to getting these laces laced up," Chloe complained, jokingly.
With that said, Lex got on his knees, picked up Chloe's foot and began lacing her skates for her. After he finished he took her hand and helped her on her feet. She kissed him. "What was that for?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Chloe asked, with a smile. She grabbed his hand and led him to the rink. "Come on Deacon."
"You know, if I'm Deacon Frost then you have to be that blonde vampire in the movie. It fits perfectly with your new blonde hair color," Lex said.
Chloe ran her hand through her hair and said, "Yeah, I changed it back today."
"You look beautiful," he said.
"The other color was out dated. I had wanted to change it for the longest time," Chloe said as they began skating, hand in hand.
"You could color it neon pink and still be beautiful," Lex commented.
"My dad once told me I was like a chameleon. I would look right in just about anything," Chloe said. "I told him he was crazy."
Lex shook his head. "No, your father is right. Your style…well everything about you is so…various. You can do the…what is it…the punk thing and look beautiful. Though I must be honest."
Chloe waited.
"The natural you is the more classic look. The red with the black was very rebel and definitely cute. But, this…" he stroked her hair. "This is Chloe Sullivan." He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her lips.
When they broke apart she playfully rubbed his baldhead then wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He returned the hug, not letting her go for a few minutes. She broke away and skated a few feet away, not letting go of his hand. She smiled at him. "So…Lex…tell me something true."
"Something true?" Lex asked, confused.
"Something no one else knows. I'm interested," Chloe said.
"Uh…I like Banana Royals from Baskin Robins," he said.
Chloe laughed.
"Your turn," Lex said, pulling her towards him.
She shook her head. "Oh no, I said tell me something no one else knows. I already knew you liked Banana Royals."
"Objection, I tasted it but I never told you in so many words that I liked it. So technically you didn't know."
Chloe sighed, "Sustained."
Lex laughed as he put his arms around her as they skated together. "Your turn," he said again.
She leaned her head on his chest. "Let me see…"
He breathed in the intoxicating smell of her hair.
Her eyes looked up. "What are you doing?"
"Smelling your hair. It's like Coconut," he said.
"Conditioner," she answered.
"Great lotion and great conditioner. You know all the secrets to making a guy go crazy," he said.
She turned around to face him. She poked his ticklish spot, making him bend forward slightly as he quickly covered the spot. "Not all guys…just Lex Luthor."
"I can't argue with that," he said to her. "So, you still haven't told me something no one else knows."
Chloe thought about this for a second then said, "I think young guys with bald heads are dead sexy." She imitated Fat Bastard from Austin Powers.
Lex burst into laughter. "So am I the one who popped the baldhead guy fetish cherry?"
"More of my colorful vocabulary," she said with laughter. "You weren't the first sadly…Billy Zane was."
"Billy Zane! The guys a fake! He wears wigs sometimes," Lex said, he turned to look away from her pretending to be hurt.
She put a comforting hand on his shoulder and said, "But you're still special."
"No no! You don't have to say that to make me feel better," he continued on with the joke.
She kissed his cheek. "Feel better."
Lex rubbed his eyes as if he had cried and avoided looking at her. "Well…maybe."
Chloe grabbed him and kissed him right smack on the lips. After they pulled apart she said, "Billy never had that pleasure."
"I definitely feel better," he said with a wide smile.
"Your turn again. Something no one else knows…and come on I want some good," Chloe said.
Lex looked up to the sky thinking about this one. He looked back at Chloe. "That day at the coffee shop…I did recognize you."
Chloe's expression was that of someone surprised. "You did? Why didn't you just say so?"
Lex shrugged. "I didn't really know what to say. 'Hey, Chloe Sullivan? Remember me…Lex Luthor?'" Lex shook his head, "Very…corny. I'm Lex Luthor. I have to keep that suave mysteriously cool vibe."
Chloe rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please." She giggled.
"Your turn again…something no one else knows," Lex said.
"Uuuuh…." Chloe smiled and looked at him. "In high school, when I first met you, I thought you were totally hot."
"Thought? Does that mean past tense?" Lex asked.
"Don't worry…you're still a babe," she assured him.
Lex let go of her hand to make an 'I'm hot' pose, but ended up tripping and falling flat on his face.
"OHMIGOD! LEX!" Chloe yelled and skated over to his side. She helped him turn over on his back. "Are you OK?"
"My cheek hurts," he groaned.
Chloe helped him sit up. She softly touched his cheek. "Does it hurt when I touch it?"
"It's…OK," Lex nodded. He looked over at Chloe who was still watching him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," he said and then started shaking his head. "No…no…it's throbbing really bad. It hurts."
"Awe…Lex," she put her arms around him to comfort him. She rubbed her hand on the ice to make it cold then put his against his cheek. Chloe looked away from Lex.
Lex noticed this and said, "What? Wait…are you laughing?"
Chloe didn't answer. But Lex could see her shoulders shaking.
"You're laughing! I can't believe this!" Lex exclaimed.
Chloe stopped trying to hide it. She burst into hysterics. "I'm…s-s-sorry." She wiped away tears from laughter. She stood up then helped Lex stand up.
Lex had an angry expression though he wasn't angry at all. He shook his head in astonishment. "I fall and you laugh. What kind of woman are you?"
"A real one," she said and skated up to him. She softly kissed his hurt cheek then wrapped her arms around him.
"How can I ever stay angry at you?" Lex thought out loud.
"I'm just too lovable," Chloe said, burying her face in his chest.
"I know," Lex said. I know I'm falling in love with you Chloe, he thought to himself.
To be continued…
