Everything In This World
By Viv
*~*~ Part Forty-One ~*~*
"Chloe, can you please stop bouncing around like that? Just eyeing you is exhausting me."
Chloe drew playfully closer to Lex who was squinting in the brash late morning sunlight. "Who says you have to be eyeing me?" She said, her eyes alight with a speculative glint as she sneaked her way into his arms. "And newsflash - I'm excited to be back in Metropolis again. I don't know about billionaire playboys, but we peasants do get unfashionably excited over minor weekend getaways to the bustling Metropolis." Her amusement dropped a notch as she absorbed the tightness around his eyes. "Tough meeting?" She asked, her eyes soft and sympathetic.
"You could say that." Lex admitted. By the measured tone in his voice, Chloe took this as a flashing red neon sign above his head that the board meeting had taken a lot more out of him than his stubborn Luthor pride would care to admit. Lex was one of the most taciturn personalities that Chloe knew in her admittedly small sphere of influence, but since that sphere also included one Clark Kent - secretive and disappearing maestro extraordinaire - that opinion probably counted for more than she could give credit for.
She was tempted to ask him exactly how the meeting went, but the memory of his casual brush off the last time she had ventured to understand the economic plight of the Smallville plant stalled her. Instead, she let her head fall against his shoulder and smiled bashfully up at him. "We should do something fun. Get the shareholder ickyness out of your hair." Her face fell slightly as she realised what she had just said. "I mean, not your hair because you don't have any but -"
Lex laughed, the tightness around his eyes dissipating. "I know what you mean Chloe." His eyes crinkled as he gave her a playful squeeze. "And I'm all for fun. Just let me get out of these clothes. I think I'll have them burned." He added distastefully.
"Hey, whatever rocks your world." She rejoined, her hazel eyes twinkling.
They threaded their way through the crowded Metropolis streets, strolling leisurely to a rhythm only they could feel. Lex had undone his tie and had taken off his exquisitely tailored jacket, which was now strung carelessly over his shoulder as they walked in the mid-summer heat.
It was a very un-Lex-like action that inexplicably thrilled Chloe to the depths of her soul. A relatively mundane thing as how Lex walked or carried his clothing was somehow transformed into something magical, a unique symbol that they now had attained such an unspoken honesty around each other, as if the connection that they now shared had sometime in the past few months flooded past their mutual defensive barriers to leave them completely and utterly open to each other.
Chloe smiled to herself, feeling the itchy sensation of insane happiness bubbling up inside her again.
She also loved being back in Metropolis. She thrilled at the throbbing pace of the city, and at the thousand sights and sounds that took place every minute of every day. She delighted in the excitement that pulsed through her body, the pace of the city stirring within her a reaction that could never be duplicated by anything that Smallville could ever offer.
As much as she appreciated all the freakish fascinations of Smallville, Chloe was a city girl at heart. She knew that she could never be completely satisfied with the quiet country life that Smallville represented, preferring instead the blinking lights of the city that never went out or the diners that were open 24/7 in the inner sanctums of the city.
As if to emphasise her point, Chloe found herself inhaling deeply, taking in the heady blend of grease and perfume and a thousand other distinct aromas that encapsulated Metropolis. She lifted her face to the sun and glorified at the warmth that filtered through her closed eyes.
Lex noted her unusual silence. "You miss this, don't you?"
Chloe made a non-committal sound in reply, before opening her eyes again. "I guess. I mean - of course I do." She lifted her gaze to meet his, her eyes shining with sudden emotion. "I never wanted to move to Smallville. Dad suddenly decided one day to take the plant job and the next thing I knew I found myself settled as a reluctant citizen of the meteor capital of America. No discussion, no anything. Don't get me wrong," she added hastily, "if Dad had never physically hauled me off to Smallville I would never have met Clark and Pete and ... well, you." She gulped, swallowing her flaring emotion down as she endeavoured to add more glibly. "So I guess my youthful exile hasn't been entirely wasted."
Lex nodded thoughtfully, his voice colouring with surprise. "You consider Smallville an exile too?"
Chloe did a double take. "Well - yeah. Not that I would ever say that to anyone else. I mean, Dad's happy - he likes the life of a rural peasant. He has his job, his weekend, his friends, his vicarious corn and his equally vicarious hay. He likes it."
"And you?" He prompted, as they rounded the last block to his apartment building.
"And me ... I can't wait to get out of there." It was true. Chloe had always known it, but it wasn't until this moment with Lex that she had consciously realised it. It was as if stating her intentions aloud had cemented the desire that had previously been floating around inside her, a desire to do and experience things that while exciting and unhelpfully glamorous, could also end up taking her away from everyone she ever considered an essential part of her life.
"Lex." She bit her lip thoughtfully, unsure of how to phrase the tumultuous questions pummelling through her mind. "Would you ... do you think one day you'll leave Smallville?"
"Eventually." He said crisply as they finally approached his apartment building. He paused as he greeted Charlie the doorman, who beamed youthfully at Lex as he and Chloe strolled past into the lobby.
His steely blue eyes trained intensely onto her as he punched the button for the elevator. "I've enjoyed my time in Smallville more than I could have imagined before my father exiled me there. But I've always known that it wasn't my ultimate destiny."
Chloe found herself unable to drag her gaze away from his intense orbs as the elevator zoomed its way to Lex's apartment, absorbing the quiet strength of his conviction.
All too soon the doors opened, revealing the spacious apartment, its surfaces bright and sparkling as sunlight filtered through the domed skylight. She took a moment to absorb again the absolute splendour of her surroundings before rounding to face Lex. "So where do you think your destiny is?" She asked quietly, suddenly conscious of her voice in the cavernous stillness of the apartment.
He cocked his head slightly, deep in thought. He was about to answer her when a booming voice cut across the stillness, the quick tap of a cane clearly audible as it reverberated around the room.
"Lex." Chloe whipped around ungracefully, almost tripping over herself in haste - which was no mean feat, considering the fact that there really wasn't all that much of her to trip over in the first place.
A look of intense discomfort flickered over Lex's pale blue orbs, before his expression closed off into one of distant arrogance. Coolly he greeted the man standing in front of them. "Hi Dad."
Lionel Luthor stepped out from the shadows languidly as the late morning sunlight cast a lengthy form on the reflective marble floor. His gaze took in Chloe's presence and Chloe had the urge to ungracefully high tail it out of there, but somehow it didn't seem the thing to do. So she stayed put.
"I was going to ask where you were, but now I hear the answer is perfectly clear."
An awkward beat ensued as father and son faced off, Chloe shifting uncomfortably on the spot, watching in apprehension at the barely discernible ripple of Lex's jaw.
"Dad, meet Chloe Sullivan. Chloe - my dad, Lionel Luthor."
"Miss Sullivan ... Sullivan, as in the plant manager's daughter?"
"One and the same." Chloe replied tersely, trying very hard to restrain the overwhelming annoyance and intimidation of this man "How are you Mr Luthor?" She added politely, vaguely wondering whether it was a seriously bad thing to want to rip his heart out through his throat for all the pain that he'd caused Lex over the years.
"Your father is quite a competent plant manager from what Lex has told me."
"Okay Dad, that's enough." Lex interrupted abruptly, stepping between Chloe and Lionel so that she was out of the older Luthor's penetrating vicinity. Lionel raised his brows but chose to remain silent. "Why are you here?"
"Is it wrong for me to want to see my own son? Speaking metaphorically of course." He dripped with heavily coated sarcasm.
"Of course." Lex smiled coolly, with no hint of warmth in his voice. "But we both know that's not why you deigned to come all the way up here."
"Well, of course you're right." He turned around and walked briskly away, clearly expecting Lex to follow. Chloe tried to catch Lex's eyes, but his gaze remained locked on an invisible spot on the floor. Finally he looked up and sighed.
"This won't take long Chloe."
Chloe nodded into empty air, frowning as she watched Lex follow his father down the hallway.
She looked around, quickly taking in the emptiness of the large domed space around her. The sane person thing to do in this situation was to go discreetly upstairs, make herself at home with the various amenities that were available at Lex's luxurious abode and wait until Lex had finished discussing whatever it was that he had to discuss with his dad - which would have absolutely nothing to do with her.
But then, that course of sane person action didn't take into account the tiny fact that Chloe was as far as a person could get from being sane. Add to that spectacularly obvious fact was that she was a budding reporter - and what kind of a reporter would she be if she didn't at least exhibit some form of inappropriate curiosity?
Chloe frowned thoughtfully, her brain supplying her with ample reasons to not eavesdrop in on Lex's private conversation with his dad, before discarding them all quickly. Who was she kidding - when it came to things that might interest her, she was less than ethical about a little constructive snooping. After all, she was Chloe Sullivan - not high morals boy Clark Kent.
She tiptoed lightly down the hallway, wincing as her footsteps scuffed the marble floor. Who the hell knew that marble floors produced such distinct and annoying sounds?
Chloe stopped abruptly at a double paneled closed door. Glancing furtively around to ensure that no enthusiastic servants or Lionel lackeys were about, she pressed her ear softly against the door and listened.
"Why are you here Dad?" Chloe heard Lex's deceptively calm voice filter through the door to her, although she would be willing to bet her non-existent fortune that he was tautly holding his emotions.
His father ignored him, and Chloe heard the faint clinking of crystal goblet and glass momentarily as he poured himself a drink from the crystal decanter. "How did the meeting go?"
"It went fine. We reviewed LuthorCorp's worldwide net revenue, checked our growth in various markets, reviewed our projected targets for release at the press conference next week ... But really Dad, why are you here?"
There was a terse silence before Lionel deigned to answer his son. "A high school girl Lex? Isn't she a little young and rustic for you?"
Chloe gasped in indignant anger before covering her mouth. How dare that wrinkly old pathetic excuse for a living creature judge her and Lex like that?
If ever there was a time that Chloe wanted to smack a visually challenged person, it was now - horrible and politically incorrect sentiment as it was. Hell hath no fury like a Chloe insulted.
"So this is about Chloe?" Lex hissed incredulously, the anger exploding from him before he had the presence of mind to reign in his emotions. "Isn't that just a little bit below you Dad?" He paused before continuing, sounding coolly calm once more. "Even for you?"
"Everything that goes on in this family is my business Lex." Lionel replied gruffly.
"I see." There was heavy clank as Lex put his glass down onto the table. "Well now that you've met her, I think you can go."
"I'm just looking after both our interests son. It seems that your time in Smallville has taken the edge off you Lex. I'm surprised that even after all this time, you refuse to spot the vipers in this world who will take advantage of the Luthor name. We must protect ourselves from people who seek to exploit our wealth for their own ends. We must do the exploiting for our own ends." He drew in a breath. "Don't let yourself be used, least of all by an ignorant farm girl. Use your head Lex."
"Have you quite finished?" Even through the door and the hazy film of red hot anger coursing through her veins, Chloe could detect the outright venom that laced Lex's words. If Lex was feeling anything like what she was feeling right now - let's just say that a stint for cold blooded murder at Metropolis Penitentiary might not be entirely out of the question.
Chloe was biting her tongue in an insanely determined effort to restrain herself from bursting into the room and ripping Lionel Luthor's lungs out to use it as a particularly horrible Christmas ornament. Things had gone entirely too far.
She could have dealt with the inevitable snobbery, the razor edged remarks or even snide comments alluding to her less than impressive physical stature or non-beauty. But what she hadn't been prepared for - and which naturally must eventuate given the stubborn laws of the weird and wonderful universe of Chloe - was Lionel Luthor's not-so-subtle allusion to her motivation for being with Lex.
As if Lex loving her the way he so clearly loved her - despite her propensity for overreacting and a dubious sense of a good news story - wasn't motivation enough. Throw in his aesthetically pleasing physique, the way he gazed at her with those pale, glittering blue eyes in the twilight, and Chloe was sold.
So clearly Lionel Luthor was certifiably insane - and a really awful person in the bargain too.
"I'm just warning you Lex." He said smoothly.
"Consider me warned. Now get out." Far from becoming flustered by his son's venomous tone, she heard Lionel give a small laugh. Heavy footsteps on the padded floor jolted Chloe into quickly retreating back up the hallway where she came from.
Swallowing down bile and a surprising number of creatively worded insults, she sat herself midway up the winding staircase, sitting on her hands for good measure. Chloe honestly didn't trust herself to not hurl a particularly blunt object at Lionel Luthor - physically incapacitated and all - which would have been so not good for the marble floor. And of course, Lionel Luthor's head if she actually cared.
She didn't have to worry. Lionel strolled unconcernedly past her on his way out the door unaided, sure of his path. If he detected the razor sharp ray of anger directed at him which radiated from Chloe as she sat on the stairs, he didn't give the slightest acknowledgment - which Chloe thanked the gods of several major religions for. She didn't know whether she could have held off on beating the crap out of the guy, visually challenged and one of the richest men in America and all.
She heard Lex's soft footsteps on the cold marble floor. Chloe stood up abruptly, her expression no doubt betraying her hurt and anger at what she had overheard. Strangely, as much as it hurt and bewildered her to think of Lionel Luthor having such an indescribably horrible attitude towards her, a person whom never under any other circumstance could be considered more than a very insignificant insect, she was more outraged at the fact that his arrogance and horribleness towards Chloe had probably ended up wounding Lex more than if Lionel had come straight out to attack him personally.
Because that was just so like Lex - to shield himself behind impenetrable armour of steely resolve and cool indifference, yet leave himself open to be wounded when people he cared for were attacked. That was the so-called weakness that Lionel saw in his son, and in which Chloe realised in a flash of understanding, what he so ruthlessly exploited.
Lex glanced up quickly, his hand wringing his neck in a gesture of nervous tension, surprised to find Chloe on the stairs and processing her presence. "I take it you heard. Why am I not surprised?"
Chloe nodded silently as she scrutinised his drawn expression. "Because I'm too curious for my own good. Are you okay?" She asked abruptly.
He smiled bitterly, sinking down onto the cold marble step beside her. "You're asking me?" he asked incredulously, biting back more cold laughter. "We did hear the same conversation right?"
"The one where your dad was deriding me as the rural peasant girl leeching and plundering the Luthor family crest all in the name of my newly crowned vixen viperishness? Yeah." Chloe smiled too brightly in an effort to lighten the mood, but Lex just nodded his head sadly.
It suddenly struck Chloe how odd Lex looked right now - sagging into himself as his hands crossed over his folded knees in a moment of open-hearted weariness. It was odd to see such tangible evidence of Lex the man - not Lex the cool, calm and collected Luthor, not Lex the savvy businessman, not Lex the elegant charmer - just Lex the man. The person he was when all his myriad defences were stripped away from him, leaving the bare core of his soul.
And Lex the actual person evidently cared a little too much about Chloe, to allow himself to display such susceptibility to attacks on her.
Chloe was the quintessential 21st century girl, which meant that slurs and slanders on her generally pristine name were going to roll off her like water off a particularly greasy duck's back - so she knew that as soon as she got over her psychotic impulse to put the smack down on Lionel Luthor, she would be okay.
But Lex? Chloe frowned as she contemplated his profile, juxtaposed against the harsh brightness of the pale cream wall behind him. She actually worried about him - laughable idea as it was, given the fact that he was widely regarded as the most capable person on the planet.
But it was at moments like these, moments where Lex displayed a semblance of vulnerability - and what Lionel Luthor would call weakness - that made him that much more appealing to Chloe.
It was a lot to digest in a crystal instant of pure understanding.
"I'm sorry Chloe, I -"
"Hey." She let her hand cover his, snuggling wantonly to his side so that his warmth now permeated her skin. "You don't have to apologise for your dad any more than I have to apologise for my dad's lame fertiliser jokes and bean fetishes." She sighed as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. " We'll just ... not let him spoil our day."
"Our day?" He repeated hazily, still caught in what Chloe was now secretly referring to as his extremely well-dressed stunned deer in headlights look.
"You promised we'd have some fun. I think it's time you delivered. I'm not letting a Luthor rescind on his promise, crappy start to the day and all. You can always take me shopping."
She felt Lex swallow down a groan but smiled as his eyes lightened. "Okay." He paused, his eyes searching hers almost eagerly as he whispered. "Are you all right?"
Chloe leaned in and gave him a small kiss. "Never better." She replied quietly as she drew contentedly against him, revelling in his closeness as he allowed himself to lean against her.
(c) December 2002