A/N : As promised, here is a Chlexy Christmas fic for all you fans of the bald billionaire and the snarky reporter. I really enjoyed writing this one and I hope you all enjoy reading it. As always, feedback is appreciated.
(Disclaimer : I do not own anything to do with Smallville - if I owned Clark or Lex do you really think I'd be sitting here writing fic?! ;) )
"Hey Lex, what's up?" Clark practically bounced up to me as I entered the Talon.
"Bad day, Clark, don't ask" I really wasn't in the mood for a chat. It was only lunchtime and I'd already had two lousy meetings and a confrontation with my father.
"I'm sorry" the sympathetic farmboys grin gave way just for a second before coming right back again "but, on the upside, it's less than a week to Christmas"
"Great" I said sarcastically.
"Oh come on, Lex, I know you have the money for it, but I didn't think your name was actually Eberneezer Scrooge" I smirked, I was in a bad mood but it was hard to be completely annoyed when Clark makes a statement like that, "Come on, what's wrong with Christmas?" Well there's a question with a lot of answers and all of them were reasons to stop smiling and go back to being miserable.
"Clark, I'm sure for you, Christmas is a blast. You have your family, your friends, people who love you. That's what Christmas is supposed to be about, it's what it used to be about for me too, once upon a time" I trailed off and he looked at me with that look he has that means he almost feels guilty because your life sucks whilst his is perfect.
"Hey guys"
Chloe Sullivan walked up to us, breaking a tense moment.
"Hello, Miss Sullivan" I greeted her. Usually she would get annoyed when I called her by her full name and we would go into our verbal judo, but today she was clearly more uptight than usual.
"Luthor, I thought only old people had memory problems" she complained, "but as you seem to have that affliction I'll remind you, I have a first name and it's Chloe. Try using it once in a while, okay?" She was clearly upset about something.
"Bad day, Chlo?" Clark asked, before I had a chance to say anything else.
"Oh, I'm sorry" she sighed, and tuning back to me she added "Sorry, Lex"
"No problem, can't say I'm having the best day either" I admitted.
"Well, I'm gonna have to leave you two to be depressed together for a while" Clark smiled slightly. Though why he found our depression amusing I have no idea. "I was supposed to be home half an hour ago to help my parents" he explained "Are you gonna be okay, Chlo?" he checked and his blonde friend smiled, it was fake, I could tell.
"Yeah, I'll be fine" she lied. I think the reason I knew it and Clark didn't was because I'd done the same so many times.
When Clark had gone I thought it was probably best not to mention the fact I knew Chloe was probably far from fine. She stood with her back to me fumbling in her bag for something.
"So can I get you a coffee, Chloe?" I offered, making sure I used her first name this time. She didn't turn around "Chloe?" I repeated, putting my hand on her arm.
"I'm sorry, Lex, just ignore me" she said as I turned her around. Tears were pouring down her face.
"Of course I'm not going to ignore you" I told her, guiding her to the nearest chair, "Here you sit down, I'll fetch you a drink"
I walked over to the counter and fetched two cappuccinos for us. By the time I came back she had almost stopped crying and she was dabbing the dampness from her face with a wad of tissues.
"There you go" I said, placing one cup in front of her and the other on the opposite side of the table.
"Thanks" she tried to smile and I slid into the seat opposite her.
"So, you wanna tell me what's wrong?" I tried.
"Really, it's nothing, it's just this stupid time of year" she sniffed, waving her arms for emphasis like I'd seen her do before, from a distance, when I had watched her explaining meteor theories and other such things to Clark and Pete.
"Oh, I know that feeling" I sympathised, Christmas can be depressing when you're alone.
"It's like everybody has the perfect set up" Chloe started to explain "Clark has his perfect family and is practically dating Lana, she has her new Dad and of course, Clark, Pete has his family and practically any girl he wants and..."
"...and you feel a little left out?" I guessed.
"I know it's stupid, I mean I have my Dad and my friends, but..."
"...it's not the same thing and you miss your Mom" I knew exactly what she was going to say.
"Yeah. She always made such a big thing of Christmas and it's just not the same without her" she tried to suppress more tears but one escaped and rolled down her cheek. There was silence for a minute before she picked up her drink, sipped at it and then asked "Anyway, how do you know about my Mom?"
"I don't, not really. Clark mentioned something about her leaving, that's all" I shifted uncomfortably, feeling like I'd said something that maybe I shouldn't have,
"Yeah, years ago, I was only a little girl" she said, thoughtfully, both of us looking down at our drinks instead of at each other "All I know is that she's somewhere in the world but I have no idea where, actually I don't even if she's alive or dead..." her voice cracked and I guessed she was desperately fighting back more tears "One thing's for sure though" she continued eventually "she didn't want me"
"Hey, it was your Dad she left, not you" I said, looking up now "I mean, who wouldn't want you?" she looked up too now and our eyes met. I couldn't believe I'd just said that out loud and I think I'd surprised her too. After a moment she looked away and sipped at her coffee, before continuing our conversation.
"So why do you hate Christmas so much?"
"I thought we were talking about you?" I tried to shift the subject back to her and off of my own unhappy festive experiences.
"We were, but I'm curious to know how the guy who has everything can be depressed about Christmas" she managed a smile at her own wit but I couldn't.
"I don't have everything Chloe" I told her seriously "Money can't buy the perfect Christmas"
"I guess not" she admitted "You miss your Mom too?"
"Yes, I do" I told her, "Like your Mom, she really used to throw herself into Christmas and made it really special for me. When she got sick, Dad couldn't be bothered to make an effort and after she passed away, we grew just grew further apart..." I stopped there. I was determined not to make a fool of myself by bursting into tears in front of a coffee house full of teenagers and especially not in front of Chloe "So I spend Christmas in a similar way to every other day of the year" I concluded.
"That's sad" she looked sympathetically at me.
"I guess it is" I agreed and silence returned to our table.
"Well, not this year" she said suddenly.
"What do you mean?" I had no idea what she meant by that.
"This year we're both going to have a happy Christmas if it kills us" she smiled.
"And how do we do that?" I was curious to know.
"We make an effort" she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "Just because we don't have our Moms here, we have plenty of other people. We have Clark, Lana, Pete, and most importantly" she put her hand on top of mine on the table, "we have each other"
"We do?" I didn't know exactly what she meant by that. That we were friends? That we were more than friends?
"Yes, Lex, we do" she smiled "This morning I felt like no one understood how I felt but now I know that someone does, you do" I saw in her eyes true warmth like I'd never seen before, except possibly from my mother when I was a child. It was clear that Chloe did understand me and in some way she did care about me.
"Yeah, I know what you mean" I told her, turning my hand beneath hers and squeezing.
She blushed a little and took her hand away in order to lift her cup to her lips with both hands.
"So, how do we ensure that this Christmas is better than any other" I asked, in an attempt to keep the conversation alive and dispel the discomfort it seemed Chloe was feeling.
"Well, you have a big house and enough money to sink a battle cruiser" she smirked, "and I have my wonderful organisational skills, so how about we have a party?"
I smiled but I wasn't entirely convinced.
"There's only six days to Christmas, Chloe. When exactly do you think we are going to have this wondrous Christmas party?" my sarcasm took over.
"Well, today's Thursday so..." she appeared to be working something complex out in her head "Saturday?" she tried.
"You can organise a party in two days?" I asked, knowing the answer already. Chloe was capable of anything if she put her mind to it, I knew that.
"Don't under estimate me Luthor" she said, with mock annoyance and piercing stare, "I can do anything, even make you happy for Christmas" she told me, taking another drink from her cup.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" I was intrigued.
"You'll see" she smiled, draining the rest of the liquid from her cup and putting it back on the table next to mine, "Now I have to go and start organising" she told me, touching my arm as she stood up "See you later" she added, before she swept out of the front doors, a warm smile on her face.
"See you later, Chloe" I said, more to myself than to her, and I found myself hoping I would see her sooner, rather than later.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The phone on my desk rang into life. It had been a couple of hours since I'd left the Talon and as much as I'd tried to get on with some work, Chloe filled my thoughts and there was little room for anything else.
"Hello" I said as I picked up the receiver.
"Hey Lex, it's me!"
"Chloe?" It was as if she knew I'd been thinking of her.
"No, Marie Antoinette!" she joked "Of course it's Chloe" she laughed, and I could see her face in my mind, her eyes sparkling as she smiled brightly.
"Well, you're certainly in a better mood than you were earlier" I said, unnecessarily.
"Lex, I need to talk to you about this party" she told me.
"You were serious about that weren't you?" I checked.
"Of course. So, you have the room and the cash, right?" she wanted to know.
"Is that all you want me for Chloe, my house and my cash?" I joked, feigning hurt feelings.
"That all depends" she told me "what else have you got that might interest a girl?"
That wasn't what I was expecting and it was a question with several possible answers, but for once in my life I was too shocked and scared to say any of them
"Anyway" she continued, a hint of embarrassment in her voice "here's what I want to do..."
She started telling me all about her big party plans. I honestly couldn't tell you what most of them were, I just revelled in the sound of her beautiful and joyful voice, and the memory of what she'd said before. I agreed to everything she said and by the time I put down the phone, I was truly excited about this party and about Christmas. I had decided I was finally going to tell Chloe how I really felt about her. I only hoped she would feel the same about me.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Well, you did it, Chloe, you really pulled this off" I complimented her, as we glanced around the room. People, a lot of people, some which I knew and a lot that I didn't, danced and ate and drank and basically had a good time, in the largest room of the Luthor ancestral home.
"Was there ever any doubt?" she smiled and I couldn't resist annoying her.
"Well, maybe a little..." I joked and she punched me, playfully, in the arm "Ouch"
"You so completely deserved that" she giggled.
"Whatever you say, sweetheart" I said, not thinking about my words, she noticed though and I thought 'okay, now is the perfect time to...'
"Hey guys" I looked away from Chloe and saw Clark standing next to me, a perfect opportunity lost.
"Hey Clark, where's Lana and Pete?" Chloe asked her friend.
"Lana's just checking her makeup and Pete's girlfriend has already got him on the dancefloor" Clark grinned, "I think because you hung mistletoe over it"
"Ah, now there was a reason for that" Chloe said slyly and Clark looked worried.
"Really?"
"Don't look at me like that Kent" she grinned, and then dropped her voce to say something only he should here "as much as I love you, you're not the one I want..." I heard her anyway but pretended I didn't when both she and Clark turned to look straight at me.
"Why are you looking at me?" I pretended not to know but I was hardly able to contain the joy I felt, just hoping that Chloe did actually like me, or even love me, as much as I loved her.
"Come with me" she said, grabbing my hand. I glanced back at Clark as she dragged me through the crowd.
"Good luck, man" he called, grinning widely.
"Chloe, I don't do this kind of dancing" I complained.
"You do now" she ordered, pulling my arms around her back and putting her own around my neck.
"There really is no arguing with you is there?" I smiled and gave in.
"Er, no!" she smiled too and we moved with the rest of the crowd to the music that echoed through the mansion.
"So, do you want the rest of your Christmas present now?" she asked, suddenly.
"The rest of it?" I didn't understand.
"Yeah, do you want it or not?" she asked again.
"Depends what it is..." I said dubiously. She giggled.
"I'll give you a clue, look up" I did as I was instructed.
"Mistletoe?" Did that mean what I thought it meant? I didn't dare to ask.
"Oh come on Lex I know you're not so stupid that you can't..." I cut her off mid-sentence by kissing her soundly. I pulled her in close and she responded to what I'd started. When we finally pulled away, all she could say was.
"Wow"
"I have a present for you too" I smiled.
"If it's anything like that, you're going to get a very special thankyou note" she smiled sexily but I remained serious.
"I love you, Chloe" I told her, "I think I have for a long time now and I could give you so many gifts with the money I have, but I want to give you my heart and my love instead" I'd never been so honest with anyone in my life and I'll admit I was more than a little afraid of rejection. Kisses were one thing, true love was quite another "I hope that's okay" I added, when she didn't answer immediately.
"Okay? Lex, it's more than okay" she smiled again. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear that from you" I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding, thankful that I'd got a positive answer "That's the best Christmas present I've ever had from anybody" she leaned into me again and our lips were just inches apart when...
"Lex!"
"Clark, your timing as always, is impeccable" I sighed.
"What?" he asked, either having not heard me or just not understanding.
"Never mind Clark, just say what you wanted to say" Chloe sounded faintly annoyed at the interruption.
"Well, Mom and Dad were wondering if you wanted to come to the farm for Christmas Dinner, Lex"
Now that wasn't what I was expecting. I liked the Kents, Martha was like a second mother to me but I was fairly sure I still wasn't Jonathan's favourite person, despite having made some progress in the last few months in convincing him that I wasn't a double of my father.
"Are you serious?" I checked.
"Totally" Clark beamed that smile that was unique to him. I wanted to say yes, but I thought better of it.
"Thanks Clark, but..." I didn't get a chance to make an excuse.
"He'll be there, thanks Clark" Chloe interrupted and my eyes went from Clark to her immediately. I didn't even notice when he walked away.
"Chloe..." I was curious to know why she had answered for me and why she was so sure I even wanted to spend my Christmas Day with the Kents.
"Don't argue with me" she warned, "You're going to have a good Christmas this year, we both are, I told you that, and this party is just the beginning. The Kents already invited me and my Dad over so we can all be together and make this Christmas the best one ever" she explained.
"It already is Chloe" I told her "because now you know how much I love you"
"And I love you too" she all but whispered. We stood in the centre of the crowded dance floor, holding each other and gently swaying to a slower song now.
"Now, where were we before the farmboy interrupted" she said suddenly, with an inviting smile.
"Let me see if I remember..." I said, softly, moving closer to her. Our lips met again and we shared another kiss. As we moved away this time I sighed.
"Merry Christmas, Chloe"
"Merry Christmas, Lex" she whispered, before she kissed me again.
That truly was the best Christmas I had ever had. From the party to Christmas Day and beyond, it was all perfect because the one wish I had had for so long came true. I wished to be loved and accepted and it had happened that year, that Christmas. The woman I loved, Chloe Sullivan, felt the same way about me and I couldn't have been happier about that. I had a family too, the Kents were like a family to me and Chloe and her father too. I don't know what my own father did on Christmas day and I'm willing to admit I don't really care. I was with people who cared about me and who I cared about in return. I used to wonder what Christmas was truly meant to be about and now I know, it's about love, like the love of family, the love of friends and like the love between me and Chloe.
A/N : Feedback is appreciated, so please hit that little button and review, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone who is reading this!