Freaking Out

Potentially PG-13 for later chapters

Eventually Chloe/Lex

Part 1/?

Author's Note: The plan for this fic is to make it all the way through the John Mayer song below. But if it sucks, tell me so I can quit while I still have a lil' dignity. Thanks.

Summary: I can't think of a good one. If you do, tell me.

***

Here comes the cold

Break out the winter clothes

And find a love to call your own

You - enter you

Your cheeks a shade of pink

And the rest of you in powder blue

-John Mayer's "St. Patrick's Day"

***

Chloe sighed in relief as she slipped out of her maroon-and-beige jacket and rolled up her sleeves as she placed her hands around her coffee cup. For once, she didn't want to drink her coffee, she just wanted the warmth to radiate from her hands to the rest of her body.

Chloe sighed again as she leaned her head back against the booth, glad the Talon wasn't crowded, due to the hellish weather. The only reason Chloe was out was because her dad was driving her insane playing his stupid 'Chipmunk Holiday Album' on repeat.

*

Lex grinned as he scanned the Talon and saw a few blonde pieces of hair sticking out from one of the booths at the back of the Talon.

As Lex got closer, he saw that it was none other than Chloe, mouth wide open, snoring quietly. Lex leaned down to shake her gently; secretly enjoying the mundane tasks Lana did everyday as the manager of the Talon. Lex was actually happy to take over when Lana wanted to go visit Nell in Metropolis.

Contrary to popular belief, Lex liked getting his hands dirty, being face- to-face with people, not cell phone-to-cell phone or satellite dish-to- satellite dish.

"Chloe?" Lex said as the blonde opened her eyes slowly.

"Lex?" She replied as her eyes adjusted to the now even darker Talon. "Geez, what time is it?" She asked as she realized no one else was in the coffeehouse.

"Almost eleven. How long have you been here?"

"Since about nine thirty."

"What were you doing? I see a perfectly good, but cold, cup of coffee untouched." Lex gestured to the white mug on the counter.

"I was so cold---and my dad got me up so early to help him decorate---I guess I just---fell asleep." Chloe explained, slipping into her jacket.

"I can't believe I slept that long without anyone noticing." Chloe replied, standing up and stretching, then slipping her purse over her shoulder.

"Well, I'm locking up, so I'd say it's time for you to head on home. Won't Gabe be worried?"

"Doubt it." Chloe replied as Lex turned off the last light and locked the doors from the outside, then slipping the key ring into his pant pocket.

"I think he will be. He loves you so much, Chloe."

"I know---even if he doe show it in the strangest ways---like that LexCorp party you threw and I was dragged to." Chloe said as they both made their way to the parking lot.

"And then I found you hiding in the coat room with your laptop." Lex said, smiling slightly at the memory.

"Hey, you throw sucky parties. Don't smirk at me." Chloe retorted as she got into her car and slide her keys into the ignition. "But thanks for keeping that quite. My Dad really was just trying to 'bond' with me."

"No problem." Lex said. "Now go get some real sleep. And take some Ibuprofen, I bet you'll have a crick in your neck tomorrow."

"Night, Lex." Chloe said as Lex opened his car door, which probably cost more than her whole entire car.

"Night," Lex replied as Chloe turned the keys, got a meek roar from her car and then silence.

"Ok, so once again." Chloe muttered to herself, turning the keys again, but getting the same result.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Lex called from his open window. He had got his car purring and Chloe could hear his radio playing.

"Stupid car." Chloe shouted from her open window. "It's been outside so long that's its frozen or something. I'll just call my dad. See you later, Lex." Chloe replied.

"Damnit!" Chloe cried seconds later.

"What now?" Lex said, his omni-present smirk in place.

"No signal." Chloe sighed.

"Snowstorm." Lex said, catching a weird look from Chloe. "I do have the weather channel. Get in my car."

Chloe sighed, pulled her keys out, grabbed her purse, and dashed into Lex's warm car.

"I'm sorry about this. I bet Dad's going to be real glad to have his boss show up with his daughter in his car."

"Actually, you're not going home. It's getting pretty bad out there." Lex said, peering at some high tech, hand-held thingy that Chloe had never seen before.

"What are you talking about? Like this car can't make it through a little winter snowdrift?"

"Look outside, Chloe."

The blonde did, and noticed the parking lot and street were already covered in so much snow that she couldn't see the asphalt.

"Ok, you are now the reigning adult. I put my life in your hands. What now?" Chloe sighed.

"We'll go back inside, I bet we'll get signal so you can call your dad and tell him we'll camp out in the Talon. We have a back room of stuff for emergencies like this."

"Oh, this is going to go over well. Not even the Chipmunk's 'Silent Night' can save me." Chloe muttered.

*

Minutes later, Chloe was standing against the door inside the Talon with her jacket wrapped tightly around her.

"I've never seen the weather get this bad this fast!"

"Eh, it's been brewing while you were asleep and I was working." Lex replied, motioning for Chloe to follow him into a storage room.

"Here's a sleeping bag and some blankets." Lex said as he handed them to Chloe, then grabbed some for himself. "The couch is big enough for both of us and has more pillows than the guest room in my FATHER'S mansion."

"I'm impressed. Nice to see you're in touch with the real lives of others." Chloe said, throwing down her sleeping bag. "Ok, sorry, that was a little bitchy. I've got a crick in my neck and I'm about to spend the night on a floor with someone who is a little less than a stranger." Chloe sighed as Lex laid out his bag.

"I've been called and told worse." Lex replied. "And I could help you with that crick, but I am just less than a stranger." Lex shrugged.

"What would you know about cricks?"

"I have a masseuse, but I've learned a few tricks of my own. Falling asleep in school but looking like you're paying attention took many years to perfect, then I learned how to un-cramp."

"Alright, I'm putting my back in your hands, because you are the reigning adult, and I can press charges because this place has security cameras since Lana's inebriated college-boy problem." Chloe sighed, lying on her stomach and closing her eyes as Lex's hands met with her back.