Part Two
Standing by the counter, Lex once again found his eyes moving back to the petite form in the corner. He had noticed her as soon as she had walked in the door, even though Lex knew that she had not seen him. Now, she sat tucked away as though she wished the world was going on without her. His eyes narrowed as he watched Chloe drop her guard little by little, merely by sitting there alone with nothing but her writing and her coffee for company.
He watched as the movement of her pen paused for a moment, the instrument hovering over the paper. She stared at the words she had written but he wondered whether she really saw them.
She had changed somewhat from the lively sprite he had first met. Gone was the energy that seemed to cloak her, effecting those who were around her with boundless vigour. Gone was the effortless smile that lit her entire face. In its place was a fragile, pale creature whose entire posture spoke of weariness. Lex hoped it was all temporary.
Chloe was back in Smallville. But, the real question was: was she back in one piece?
Maybe her time in Metropolis had taken its toll on her, the stress of her internship. Lex knew it had to be more than that. It hadn't taken a genius to decode Clark's abridged retelling of the night of the Prom to realise that someone had gotten hurt, that Chloe had gotten hurt. Clark himself seemed oblivious to the pain he had caused Chloe that night.
Leaning across the counter, Lex gave his order and tapped his fingers impatiently as it was filled. In front of him, Chloe bit her lower lip as she concentrated on the paper in front of her and Lex found himself fixated on the sight of her pearly teeth sinking into the vulnerable flesh. Unbidden, Lex had an image of his own teeth nipping carefully at the delicate tissue of her lip before soothing away the sting with his tongue.
Shocked at himself, Lex shook his head as a plate and his coffee were shoved towards him, the abrupt movement thankfully breaking off his thoughts.
Just as well, he thought to himself, as he picked up his order and made his way over to the small corner where Clark's friend sat. As he moved, he tried to forget that brief searing image with every step he took and bury the knowledge that his attraction to the young blond he had felt upon first meeting her, the attraction that had gotten stronger every time they had met, had not gone away.
In a world of her own, Chloe didn't even realise that someone had paused beside her until a plate appeared unceremoniously in front of her.
"Here. Eat this. You can't survive on coffee alone, Ms Sullivan."
Taking her time in glancing up, Chloe was not surprised to see the resident Richie Rich in front of her. As always, Lex was the image of impeccable good taste dressed in only the finest and looking completely out of place amongst the flannel wearing public of Smallville. Idly, she wondered if he had ever worn a pair of jeans in his life and almost laughed out loud at the look of horror she imagined would run across his face if she ever suggested it. Even so, her eyebrow rose at the tone of censure she could hear clearly in his voice. "How like you," she started, closing her notebook and giving Lex her full attention.
"Hmm?" Lex responded. He placed his own coffee on the table and moved to put his coat on the back of his chair. Settling down, he finally gave her his full attention, his eyebrow raised at the unanswered query.
"Oh, you know, just giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed, no questions asked." Chloe replied, determined not to eat the sandwich he had put in front of her, based on mere principle of the matter. How like Lex to just assume control of everything and everyone around him. She wasn't even hungry!
Her stomach, never one to listen to her mind's demands, rumbled, reminding her that she had not fed it since breakfast that morning and that had been so long ago.
Okay, Chloe admitted it. She was starving and that sandwich looked so good.
"Eat," Lex urged, nudging the plate closer to her. He seemed to realise that her resolve was wavering, for he smirked and sat back in his chair, knowing that his request would be obeyed.
Not that it was obeyed, Chloe told herself even as she picked the sandwich up and took a bite, biting back a groan of delight at the food. It was going to go to waste anyway. Besides, if Lex was willing to purchase her lunch, a lunch that she didn't have the money to pay for anyway, who was she to complain? She had just saved herself a trip back home, not to mention the task of actually making her own lunch. She should be happy.
If only he would stop looking so smug about it - it was just a sandwich, not the Nobel Peace Prize!
"So, what are you doing here, Mr Luthor?" Chloe took another bite, chewing and swallowing before she finished her sentence. "I mean, you didn't come here just to buy me lunch."
A curl of Lex's lips - Chloe presumed that was what he called a smile - directed itself at Chloe before he answered. "It's Lex and, no, that was improvised. I just came here for some coffee."
Leaning forward to throw her notebook into her bag, Chloe picked up the second half of her sandwich on the way back to settling into her chair comfortably. "What, did you run out at the castle?"
"Mansion," Lex corrected absently, staring into his coffee cup. "No, I just needed to get out for a bit. The mansion isn't big enough for two Luthors." he let his words trail off.
"Oh," Chloe didn't know what to say. She watched as an impassive mask dropped over his face, and wondered at what he was hiding. What was she talking about? Lex Luthor always seemed to be hiding something! "Dad told me about your father, Lex. I'm sorry."
He shrugged, yet Chloe detected sorrow in the movement. Abruptly although not surprising, he changed the subject as though the topic of his father had never come up.
"Working already?" he asked, gesturing at her collection of paper and pens that were distributed liberally around the small table. "You aren't even back at school yet."
"Oh no," Chloe answered, gathering up the rest of her things that were strewn around the small table and shoved them back into her bag. She checked to make sure she had already replaced her notebook, in case she had forgotten. It was one of her prized possessions, after all, and to lose it would be a disaster. "Just some Torch stuff I thought I would get a head start on. Nothing you would be interested in."
"You don't know what I would be interested in," Lex remarked quietly and Chloe's head shot up at the tone in his voice. She frowned slightly but Lex was already moving on.
"So," Lex started casually, something that should have sent alarm bells ringing in Chloe's mind. Nothing about Lex was ever casual.
"I haven't seen you around all that much over the summer before you went to Metropolis and since you have been back.and I don't think Clark has either. He mentioned it in passing a few times when I saw him."
Chloe had jolted at Lex's first words, a warm sort of a buzz spreading through her body at the thought of Lex Luthor, one of the rising stars in the business world, taking note of her comings and goings, before she deflated at the mention of Clark.
Of course, she thought to herself, mocking her own momentary thrill. It is just Lex Luthor coming to the aid of the hapless Clark Kent once again.
Out loud, she retorted, "Playing at being Clark's messenger again, Lex?"
"That is not why I asked, but he is worried about you, Chloe," Lex answered evenly, his keen eyes watching as she flushed. "In fact, so am I. Are you okay? You just don't seem yourself."
"Oh," Chloe started airily, waving a casual hand that did not reflect the tension inside her. "I've just been busy."
Lex shook his head. "You don't have to lie to me, Chloe. Your.feelings for Clark, your attempted relationship. It didn't pan out?"
If Chloe was merely pink before, she was red now. "How did you.?" she whispered before laughing shortly. "Oh wait. You are Lex Luthor. You know everything."
Tilting his head slightly as he studied her, Lex again shook his head. "No, Chloe, I don't know everything."
"Whatever," Chloe snapped back, her eyes regaining some of their previous fire that Lex had thought may have been gone forever. "Look, you can go back to Clark and report to him that he has nothing to worry about."
Frowning, Lex raised a hand in the air to cut her off. "This talk isn't for Clark," he said, exasperated. "This is just a concerned citizen doing his bit to keep the Earth spinning. That is all." He lent forward, taking her hand in his and forcing her to meet his glaze. "That is all, Chloe," Lex repeated softly.
"Oh," Chloe squeaked slightly, conscious of her hand lying within Lex's grasp. His hand felt nice, not hard with calluses and rough like Clark's. Lex's hand was soft and well looked after, strong as his fingers held firmly onto hers. She gasped slightly as she seemed to tingle all over, as though small twinges of electricity was running between their palms. She tilted her head at the pleasant sensation and her eyes met his.
In silence, they stared at each other over the table before Lex cleared his throat, dropping her hand at the same time as though it burnt him. "Yes, well."
Chloe shook her head as though to dislodge the slight murkiness that had formed as she gazed into Lex's eyes that had, for a brief moment, shone warmly at her before they retreated back to their usual coolness. "I'm fine," she said, finally answering his question. She paused for a moment, as she wondered how much she was able to safely tell him. "I was busy with my internship and.I just needed some space over the summer," she said carefully. "Some time to think about things, without."
".Clark there to further complicate issues," Lex finished for her, nodding in understanding.
"And have you worked things out to your satisfaction?" Lex prodded her when it seemed as though she was not going to continue.
"Yes," Chloe nodded hesitantly before her brow furrowed and she spoke more decisively. "Yes, I have."
"Good," Lex half smiled at her. As he sipped at the coffee that was rapidly growing cool, he told himself that he was not feeling a sudden rush of relief at her revelation. "I'm glad for you," he continued. "It wasn't good for you to be pining over him." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Lex wished that he could suddenly recall them as Chloe went from calm to furious in 0.8 seconds.
"Pining? I wasn't 'pining'. And who are you to decide what is good for me, huh? Tell me! Yoda? Mr Miyagi? Am I supposed to just throw up my hands at your declaration and cry 'I hear and obey O, Master'?"
"Well," Lex smirked, real amusement glinting in his eyes. "I like the sound of 'Master'." He threw his hands up as her face flushed with anger. "Kidding. I'm just kidding."
"I didn't think that was allowed," Chloe snapped, unwilling to be humoured out of her mood. Who did he think he was? Someone who cared even to ask you how you were, an inner voice whispered and she wilted at the reminder. Okay, maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing. Besides, hadn't she already decided that pining - yes, she admitted it - over Clark had gotten her no where? Was it really all that hard for her to hear it out loud?
Or perhaps it was just because Lex had said it. Lex, who wasn't really anything more than Clark's friend, yet who seemed to have the ability to look at her as though he were looking straight into her soul. Either way, she looked at Lex apologetically. "Lex, I'm.."
"No, no," he waved her off, unwilling to accept her half formed apology. "I shouldn't have said anything."
She hesitated before nodding her head. This was the first time that she had been able to speak to Lex in any great depth and she found that she enjoyed his company. He honestly was one of the most interesting people that she had ever met, not that she would ever admit it of course. There was just something about him that seemed to inspire honesty from her. Chloe didn't know what it was that was so different about him, but she found that she liked it. She felt as though she could say anything to him and he wouldn't mock her, or roll his eyes and say "There goes Chloe again," like Clark and Pete sometimes did.
Chloe blinked. Where had all of that come from? This was Lex Luthor. Smallville's apparent devil-in-residence, the root of all evil. She couldn't possibly be having warm fuzzies about Lex Luthor!
She just wished things weren't so complicated.
"What is it that you wish for?" Lex asked, and Chloe's head shot up. Did she say that out loud? He looked at her expectantly and she mentally groaned as she realised that she must have said it out loud.
She thought quickly for a moment before confessing quietly. "I was just thinking that I wished that someone would look at me the way Clark looks at Lana some day. Is that too much to ask?"
Replacing the mug that he had held limply in one hand to the table, Lex ran his hand over his scalp. "No, Chloe, its not. You know, we have a lot in common."
"What?" Chloe mock gasped, feeling the return of her good spirits. "Lex Luthor admitting common ground with a local," she sneered the word, placing upon it the same feeling Lionel Luthor would have.
"You know, it happens more often than my father would ever want me to admit, Chloe." Lex stood, collecting up his coat as she watched him with wide eyes.
Chloe told herself that she didn't really want to know, and she wasn't going to ask.but the reporter in her was clambering to find out. "Wait a minute - what is it that we have in common?"
Turning back slightly, Lex gave her a sad smile - one that made her almost miss his words, so shocked was she at seeing his mask of indifference slip slightly, if only momentarily. "We are both lonely."
****
Once again, thanks to those who reviewed the last part. I really appreciate the encouragement!
Standing by the counter, Lex once again found his eyes moving back to the petite form in the corner. He had noticed her as soon as she had walked in the door, even though Lex knew that she had not seen him. Now, she sat tucked away as though she wished the world was going on without her. His eyes narrowed as he watched Chloe drop her guard little by little, merely by sitting there alone with nothing but her writing and her coffee for company.
He watched as the movement of her pen paused for a moment, the instrument hovering over the paper. She stared at the words she had written but he wondered whether she really saw them.
She had changed somewhat from the lively sprite he had first met. Gone was the energy that seemed to cloak her, effecting those who were around her with boundless vigour. Gone was the effortless smile that lit her entire face. In its place was a fragile, pale creature whose entire posture spoke of weariness. Lex hoped it was all temporary.
Chloe was back in Smallville. But, the real question was: was she back in one piece?
Maybe her time in Metropolis had taken its toll on her, the stress of her internship. Lex knew it had to be more than that. It hadn't taken a genius to decode Clark's abridged retelling of the night of the Prom to realise that someone had gotten hurt, that Chloe had gotten hurt. Clark himself seemed oblivious to the pain he had caused Chloe that night.
Leaning across the counter, Lex gave his order and tapped his fingers impatiently as it was filled. In front of him, Chloe bit her lower lip as she concentrated on the paper in front of her and Lex found himself fixated on the sight of her pearly teeth sinking into the vulnerable flesh. Unbidden, Lex had an image of his own teeth nipping carefully at the delicate tissue of her lip before soothing away the sting with his tongue.
Shocked at himself, Lex shook his head as a plate and his coffee were shoved towards him, the abrupt movement thankfully breaking off his thoughts.
Just as well, he thought to himself, as he picked up his order and made his way over to the small corner where Clark's friend sat. As he moved, he tried to forget that brief searing image with every step he took and bury the knowledge that his attraction to the young blond he had felt upon first meeting her, the attraction that had gotten stronger every time they had met, had not gone away.
In a world of her own, Chloe didn't even realise that someone had paused beside her until a plate appeared unceremoniously in front of her.
"Here. Eat this. You can't survive on coffee alone, Ms Sullivan."
Taking her time in glancing up, Chloe was not surprised to see the resident Richie Rich in front of her. As always, Lex was the image of impeccable good taste dressed in only the finest and looking completely out of place amongst the flannel wearing public of Smallville. Idly, she wondered if he had ever worn a pair of jeans in his life and almost laughed out loud at the look of horror she imagined would run across his face if she ever suggested it. Even so, her eyebrow rose at the tone of censure she could hear clearly in his voice. "How like you," she started, closing her notebook and giving Lex her full attention.
"Hmm?" Lex responded. He placed his own coffee on the table and moved to put his coat on the back of his chair. Settling down, he finally gave her his full attention, his eyebrow raised at the unanswered query.
"Oh, you know, just giving orders and expecting them to be obeyed, no questions asked." Chloe replied, determined not to eat the sandwich he had put in front of her, based on mere principle of the matter. How like Lex to just assume control of everything and everyone around him. She wasn't even hungry!
Her stomach, never one to listen to her mind's demands, rumbled, reminding her that she had not fed it since breakfast that morning and that had been so long ago.
Okay, Chloe admitted it. She was starving and that sandwich looked so good.
"Eat," Lex urged, nudging the plate closer to her. He seemed to realise that her resolve was wavering, for he smirked and sat back in his chair, knowing that his request would be obeyed.
Not that it was obeyed, Chloe told herself even as she picked the sandwich up and took a bite, biting back a groan of delight at the food. It was going to go to waste anyway. Besides, if Lex was willing to purchase her lunch, a lunch that she didn't have the money to pay for anyway, who was she to complain? She had just saved herself a trip back home, not to mention the task of actually making her own lunch. She should be happy.
If only he would stop looking so smug about it - it was just a sandwich, not the Nobel Peace Prize!
"So, what are you doing here, Mr Luthor?" Chloe took another bite, chewing and swallowing before she finished her sentence. "I mean, you didn't come here just to buy me lunch."
A curl of Lex's lips - Chloe presumed that was what he called a smile - directed itself at Chloe before he answered. "It's Lex and, no, that was improvised. I just came here for some coffee."
Leaning forward to throw her notebook into her bag, Chloe picked up the second half of her sandwich on the way back to settling into her chair comfortably. "What, did you run out at the castle?"
"Mansion," Lex corrected absently, staring into his coffee cup. "No, I just needed to get out for a bit. The mansion isn't big enough for two Luthors." he let his words trail off.
"Oh," Chloe didn't know what to say. She watched as an impassive mask dropped over his face, and wondered at what he was hiding. What was she talking about? Lex Luthor always seemed to be hiding something! "Dad told me about your father, Lex. I'm sorry."
He shrugged, yet Chloe detected sorrow in the movement. Abruptly although not surprising, he changed the subject as though the topic of his father had never come up.
"Working already?" he asked, gesturing at her collection of paper and pens that were distributed liberally around the small table. "You aren't even back at school yet."
"Oh no," Chloe answered, gathering up the rest of her things that were strewn around the small table and shoved them back into her bag. She checked to make sure she had already replaced her notebook, in case she had forgotten. It was one of her prized possessions, after all, and to lose it would be a disaster. "Just some Torch stuff I thought I would get a head start on. Nothing you would be interested in."
"You don't know what I would be interested in," Lex remarked quietly and Chloe's head shot up at the tone in his voice. She frowned slightly but Lex was already moving on.
"So," Lex started casually, something that should have sent alarm bells ringing in Chloe's mind. Nothing about Lex was ever casual.
"I haven't seen you around all that much over the summer before you went to Metropolis and since you have been back.and I don't think Clark has either. He mentioned it in passing a few times when I saw him."
Chloe had jolted at Lex's first words, a warm sort of a buzz spreading through her body at the thought of Lex Luthor, one of the rising stars in the business world, taking note of her comings and goings, before she deflated at the mention of Clark.
Of course, she thought to herself, mocking her own momentary thrill. It is just Lex Luthor coming to the aid of the hapless Clark Kent once again.
Out loud, she retorted, "Playing at being Clark's messenger again, Lex?"
"That is not why I asked, but he is worried about you, Chloe," Lex answered evenly, his keen eyes watching as she flushed. "In fact, so am I. Are you okay? You just don't seem yourself."
"Oh," Chloe started airily, waving a casual hand that did not reflect the tension inside her. "I've just been busy."
Lex shook his head. "You don't have to lie to me, Chloe. Your.feelings for Clark, your attempted relationship. It didn't pan out?"
If Chloe was merely pink before, she was red now. "How did you.?" she whispered before laughing shortly. "Oh wait. You are Lex Luthor. You know everything."
Tilting his head slightly as he studied her, Lex again shook his head. "No, Chloe, I don't know everything."
"Whatever," Chloe snapped back, her eyes regaining some of their previous fire that Lex had thought may have been gone forever. "Look, you can go back to Clark and report to him that he has nothing to worry about."
Frowning, Lex raised a hand in the air to cut her off. "This talk isn't for Clark," he said, exasperated. "This is just a concerned citizen doing his bit to keep the Earth spinning. That is all." He lent forward, taking her hand in his and forcing her to meet his glaze. "That is all, Chloe," Lex repeated softly.
"Oh," Chloe squeaked slightly, conscious of her hand lying within Lex's grasp. His hand felt nice, not hard with calluses and rough like Clark's. Lex's hand was soft and well looked after, strong as his fingers held firmly onto hers. She gasped slightly as she seemed to tingle all over, as though small twinges of electricity was running between their palms. She tilted her head at the pleasant sensation and her eyes met his.
In silence, they stared at each other over the table before Lex cleared his throat, dropping her hand at the same time as though it burnt him. "Yes, well."
Chloe shook her head as though to dislodge the slight murkiness that had formed as she gazed into Lex's eyes that had, for a brief moment, shone warmly at her before they retreated back to their usual coolness. "I'm fine," she said, finally answering his question. She paused for a moment, as she wondered how much she was able to safely tell him. "I was busy with my internship and.I just needed some space over the summer," she said carefully. "Some time to think about things, without."
".Clark there to further complicate issues," Lex finished for her, nodding in understanding.
"And have you worked things out to your satisfaction?" Lex prodded her when it seemed as though she was not going to continue.
"Yes," Chloe nodded hesitantly before her brow furrowed and she spoke more decisively. "Yes, I have."
"Good," Lex half smiled at her. As he sipped at the coffee that was rapidly growing cool, he told himself that he was not feeling a sudden rush of relief at her revelation. "I'm glad for you," he continued. "It wasn't good for you to be pining over him." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Lex wished that he could suddenly recall them as Chloe went from calm to furious in 0.8 seconds.
"Pining? I wasn't 'pining'. And who are you to decide what is good for me, huh? Tell me! Yoda? Mr Miyagi? Am I supposed to just throw up my hands at your declaration and cry 'I hear and obey O, Master'?"
"Well," Lex smirked, real amusement glinting in his eyes. "I like the sound of 'Master'." He threw his hands up as her face flushed with anger. "Kidding. I'm just kidding."
"I didn't think that was allowed," Chloe snapped, unwilling to be humoured out of her mood. Who did he think he was? Someone who cared even to ask you how you were, an inner voice whispered and she wilted at the reminder. Okay, maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing. Besides, hadn't she already decided that pining - yes, she admitted it - over Clark had gotten her no where? Was it really all that hard for her to hear it out loud?
Or perhaps it was just because Lex had said it. Lex, who wasn't really anything more than Clark's friend, yet who seemed to have the ability to look at her as though he were looking straight into her soul. Either way, she looked at Lex apologetically. "Lex, I'm.."
"No, no," he waved her off, unwilling to accept her half formed apology. "I shouldn't have said anything."
She hesitated before nodding her head. This was the first time that she had been able to speak to Lex in any great depth and she found that she enjoyed his company. He honestly was one of the most interesting people that she had ever met, not that she would ever admit it of course. There was just something about him that seemed to inspire honesty from her. Chloe didn't know what it was that was so different about him, but she found that she liked it. She felt as though she could say anything to him and he wouldn't mock her, or roll his eyes and say "There goes Chloe again," like Clark and Pete sometimes did.
Chloe blinked. Where had all of that come from? This was Lex Luthor. Smallville's apparent devil-in-residence, the root of all evil. She couldn't possibly be having warm fuzzies about Lex Luthor!
She just wished things weren't so complicated.
"What is it that you wish for?" Lex asked, and Chloe's head shot up. Did she say that out loud? He looked at her expectantly and she mentally groaned as she realised that she must have said it out loud.
She thought quickly for a moment before confessing quietly. "I was just thinking that I wished that someone would look at me the way Clark looks at Lana some day. Is that too much to ask?"
Replacing the mug that he had held limply in one hand to the table, Lex ran his hand over his scalp. "No, Chloe, its not. You know, we have a lot in common."
"What?" Chloe mock gasped, feeling the return of her good spirits. "Lex Luthor admitting common ground with a local," she sneered the word, placing upon it the same feeling Lionel Luthor would have.
"You know, it happens more often than my father would ever want me to admit, Chloe." Lex stood, collecting up his coat as she watched him with wide eyes.
Chloe told herself that she didn't really want to know, and she wasn't going to ask.but the reporter in her was clambering to find out. "Wait a minute - what is it that we have in common?"
Turning back slightly, Lex gave her a sad smile - one that made her almost miss his words, so shocked was she at seeing his mask of indifference slip slightly, if only momentarily. "We are both lonely."
****
Once again, thanks to those who reviewed the last part. I really appreciate the encouragement!
