Title: A Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Rating: PG-13 for some sexual scenes, but no major smut.

Pairing: Chloe/Lionel

Disclaimer: I do not own anything to with Smallville or Superman. None of these characters are mine, I'm merely borrowing them for a fic or two...

A/N: Alright, just let me say that I'm still a die hard ChLex fan, but the idea of (an adult) Chloe and Lionel together is intriguing. So, we can blame HumbugGirl for this thing because it was her story posted on ff.net that led me to write this. Now, when I say I like the idea of ChLionel, it is with an adult Chloe. Underage stuff gives me an icky feeling in my stomach and that makes me cranky. So, why would I write stuff that would make me cranky? Well, I wouldn't, so this is set many, many years into the future. I'm also looking for a Beta reader for ChLex fics and a few other things. If you're interested, drop me an email at stdrmf15@shsu.edu Anyhow, enjoy.

***

The door opened slowly, allowing light to enter into the dark and quiet bedroom. A tall figure dressed in a luxurious robe stepped into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. He turned on a lamp near the doorway, which cast a soft light on the sleeping figure on the bed. He made his way across the room, settling himself on the bed next to the woman sleeping in it. The man pulled back the covers on the woman and gazed at her naked form.

He stood up and took his robe off, and then slipped under the silky blankets. He propped himself on his side and then gently ran a hand down her soft body. She moaned softly in her sleep and unconsciously turned her body towards him. He ran a hand through her blond hair and pulled her to him for a passionate kiss.

She awoke when he pulled back and he whispered in her ear. "Chloe, are you awake?"

Chloe gave her husband a sleepy look. "I am now, thanks to your...rude awakening."

Chloe Luthor's husband smirked at her and rested his hand on her breast. He began gently massaging it. "You seemed to be enjoying being woke up." He leaned over her and began to suckle at her breast.

Chloe pushed him away and turned her back to him. "I don't feel like it right now." He pulled her into a tight embrace and Chloe could feel his erection pressing up against her back.

"Wouldn't you like to work on having a son? I'm sure Cassandra would love to have a baby brother." He whispered into her ear. His hands wandered down her body and he reached between her legs.

Chloe pulled herself out of his arms and got out of the bed. She looked down at her husband, who was looking at her with narrowed eyes. "Why don't you go have a son with one of your secretaries? I'm sure they're all quite willing." Her voice was angry and held a slight note of bitterness.

"They're nothing. You're my wife. The one who is supposed to bear my children."

Chloe snorted and yanked on her robe. "You have two sons already, why don't you go lavish any fatherly feelings you have on them?" Chloe stalked over to her vanity and sat down. She looked at her husband in the mirror and then began to furiously brush out her hair.

He rolled onto his back, but continued to look at her. "A son, Chloe. That was the deal, if you recall."

Chloe whirled around in her chair. "A child, Lionel, not necessarily a son. And you have your child in Cassandra. Though, if I had known why you had wanted another child so badly I would have never agreed to it."

Lionel Luthor quirked an eyebrow at his wife. "You regret having our daughter?"

"I never said that! I love her with all my soul. I would do all of this again if I had to just so that she's with me." Chloe looked down at her hands. "I regret the reasons behind her birth."

Lionel stood up from the bed and walked over to her. He began to rub her shoulders lightly. "I understand how you feel, but wouldn't you like to have another child? A little boy named Gabriel for your father, perhaps?" Lionel felt Chloe's shoulder relax ever so slightly, so he took her by the arm and helped her stand up.

She looked up at him. "I hate you. I hate it when you...manipulate me this way."

Lionel kissed her on the mouth. "Hate can be such a grand thing." He murmured against her lips as she started to passionately kiss him back.

Chloe allowed herself to be lead to the bed. Lionel untied her robe and lowered her onto the bed. He followed quickly as she opened her arms to embrace him.

*****

The door to the bedroom creaked open and a small blond child peaked her head in. She pushed open the door and then tiptoed over to the bed, carrying a blanket and a stuffed teddy bear. She stopped at the foot of the bed and then proceeded to crawl up on top of the bed. She started jumping up and down on the bed, giggling.

The two entwined figures on the bed awoke to the sound of the little girl laughing.

"Cassandra...stop that." Chloe told her daughter in a sleepy voice. "Cassie, please, mommy and daddy are very tired."

Cassandra's only response was to giggle some more and to flop down on the two of them. "Mommy, why is daddy in your bed?"

Chloe awoke completely to that question. Suddenly she was glad she and Lionel had managed to put some clothes on during the night. She sat up and gave Cassandra a hug. "Sweety, daddy is sleeping. We don't want to wake him up do we?"

"Too late." Lionel's gruff voice sounded out. He rolled over a little and eyed his daughter. "Aren't you too old for this sort of behavior?"

Cassandra returned his gaze with a remarkable intensity for a five year old. She then crawled between the two of them and settled underneath the blankets with them.

Chloe sighed, gave Lionel a tired look, and laid back down on the bed. Chloe opened her arms up and Cassandra gave her mother a tight hug. The three of them laid there in silence, just sort of absorbing each other's presence.

"Why are you in mommy's bedroom, daddy?"

Lionel and Chloe exchanged a look, while Lionel started to stroke Cassandra's blond curls. "Your mother and I are going to be sharing a bedroom from now on."

"Why?"

"Because that is what grown up married people do."

"Okay." Cassandra looked worried for a second. "Does that mean I can't sleep with mommy anymore?"

Lionel smirked and gave his only daughter a hug. "Of course not, it just means that I'll be here too."

Cassandra nodded and then yawned. She snuggled down into the blankets and used her father's arm as a pillow.

"Get some more sleep, munchkin." Chloe kissed her daughter's forehead and watched her drift off to sleep. She looked up to find that Lionel was watching her.

He smirked at her. "So much for our early morning 'exercises'."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Oh, go back to sleep." She laid her head down on her pillow and shut her eyes.

Lionel watched for his family for a few minutes, and then he too fell back asleep.