ii. Finding Warmth
She had not reached very far when the snowflakes that had earlier been teasing her cheeks began to feel heavy on her shoulders. Chloe glanced up at the sky and saw the countless white spots falling heavier. Knowing that she would not make it back to her apartment or to one of Gotham's notoriously inept transportation system, she decided to slip into the first building that she saw.
Chloe stood at the lobby brushing off the snow from her Kansas coat. The building was heated. She sighed in pleasure. A while later she noticed that a pool of murky liquid had formed around her boots, likely from the ice that encrusted her feet.
Having lived in Smallville for most of her teenage years, she was aware of a pair of eyes watching her the entire time. She looked towards the direction of the gaze and found the guard's regard. Chloe nodded briskly to the man, who was only doing his job. She did not appear to be a dangerous character really. She probably looked like a wet chick. Chloe walked towards the elevators to get out of the lobby and appear as though she really had business in there.
The ding of the elevator was a welcome respite from the guard's watchful eye. Chloe stepped into the furbished steel and mahogany and noted for the first time how luxurious her surroundings were. It was a first for her in this city. It hit her that it was sinful to live and work in so much wealth while the rest of the city was so desperate.
The ride provided her with the silence and privacy to think. She leaned her head back against the mahogany lining of the elevator and closed her eyes. She felt the elevator stop and a person get in. Chloe figured she could just ride up ad down until she was warm and rested enough to walk back to her apartment.
And then she felt it again. Just the way it felt down at the lobby. Chloe opened her eyes to find a pair of blue eyes looking directly at her. It must be the city. She had not gone to any place where she had not been mauled by stares. "Do you have a problem?" she asked the man directly.
Wide shoulders shrugged, bringing her attention to the good build underneath the expensive suit. She swallowed hard at that, remembering another man in another expensive suit-another pair of shoulders and firm muscles that she had every right to touch. "I was wondering if I can help you," he stated in a deep voice. "I go home this late and there's usually no one else but security in the building."
A blush stained her cheeks at his words. Chloe grimaced in combined shame and apology. "I'm sorry I was so rude. The city is getting to me."
The man in front of her nodded. "So was there a particular reason that you're in the building?"
Chloe gave him a shy smile and shook her head. "I was only escaping from the snow. This was the first building I entered that didn't appear to be a safety hazard."
The blue eyes raked down her clothes and shoes. "Caught unprepared then. Odd since it's been like this for the past month. You're not from around here then?"
"No actually. Tornadoes I can take, but not snow like this. I'm from Kansas."
The dark-haired man's lips curved to a degree that she deemed enough to be called a smile. "Welcome to Gotham City, Dorothy."
Chloe smiled back in return. "Chloe."
"Let me buy you coffee. The lounge at the building annex is kept open at all hours." Chloe hesitated at the invitation. "My driver informs me that the snow has not let up yet. He won't be picking me up for a while yet. We'll drive you home."
"Well then thank you-"
"Bruce."
Chloe's eyes went wide. "Bruce Wayne?"
"I see my reputation precedes me. Believe me, they are more talk than truth."
She shook her head. Of all the buildings to walk into, she had to walk into his. "Your exploits are legendary, Mr Wayne."
"Bruce please. We're both stranded anyway. That should bring us closer."
"Models, daughters of business acquaintances, even psychiatrists. The only constant about your social life is that you'll turn up with a different woman hanging from your arm with every event."
He looked at her as they walked through the covered walkway leading to the other building, impressed. "I never seem to find one that I can have a good conversation with."
"Maybe you should try talking to them first before asking them out on a date."
Bruce chuckled. Chloe smiled when he held the door open for her. In high school she always had to do it herself. Two years living with. It had spoiled her in little courtesies that made her feel like a woman. When they reached a table, Bruce Wayne pulled a chair for her first. Training in expensive schools would necessarily give him the same habits.
If you were the owner of a conglomerate as expansive as Wayne Enterprises, you will receive your order in the blink of an eye. This was service that she had gotten used to in Metropolis and never thought she would experience again. A steaming cup of coffee in front of each of them and Chloe noticed that she had tuned out his voice.
"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
Bruce merely grinned at her. "The smell of coffee takes you someplace beyond earth too?" Chloe nodded eagerly. "What brings you to Gotham?" he repeated.
She blinked rapidly, lost for words. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Sensitive topic then."
"You could say that. Is that okay?"
"We all have our secrets," he told her. "You're entitled to yours."
She asked him if it was always so cold in Gotham City. Bruce admitted that it often was.
"You get used to it," he assured her. "It will take time before you find the warmth in this cold but eventually it will happen."
Chloe didn't want to remember warmth anymore. Warm was a morning in Smallville, waiting for the bus to take her home. Warm was her father's embrace on her graduation day. Warm was Mrs Kent's smile when she waved her into her kitchen.
Warm was Lex's blood spilling onto her hand while she held a pathetic linen handkerchief over his wound the last day she kissed his lips.
She had not reached very far when the snowflakes that had earlier been teasing her cheeks began to feel heavy on her shoulders. Chloe glanced up at the sky and saw the countless white spots falling heavier. Knowing that she would not make it back to her apartment or to one of Gotham's notoriously inept transportation system, she decided to slip into the first building that she saw.
Chloe stood at the lobby brushing off the snow from her Kansas coat. The building was heated. She sighed in pleasure. A while later she noticed that a pool of murky liquid had formed around her boots, likely from the ice that encrusted her feet.
Having lived in Smallville for most of her teenage years, she was aware of a pair of eyes watching her the entire time. She looked towards the direction of the gaze and found the guard's regard. Chloe nodded briskly to the man, who was only doing his job. She did not appear to be a dangerous character really. She probably looked like a wet chick. Chloe walked towards the elevators to get out of the lobby and appear as though she really had business in there.
The ding of the elevator was a welcome respite from the guard's watchful eye. Chloe stepped into the furbished steel and mahogany and noted for the first time how luxurious her surroundings were. It was a first for her in this city. It hit her that it was sinful to live and work in so much wealth while the rest of the city was so desperate.
The ride provided her with the silence and privacy to think. She leaned her head back against the mahogany lining of the elevator and closed her eyes. She felt the elevator stop and a person get in. Chloe figured she could just ride up ad down until she was warm and rested enough to walk back to her apartment.
And then she felt it again. Just the way it felt down at the lobby. Chloe opened her eyes to find a pair of blue eyes looking directly at her. It must be the city. She had not gone to any place where she had not been mauled by stares. "Do you have a problem?" she asked the man directly.
Wide shoulders shrugged, bringing her attention to the good build underneath the expensive suit. She swallowed hard at that, remembering another man in another expensive suit-another pair of shoulders and firm muscles that she had every right to touch. "I was wondering if I can help you," he stated in a deep voice. "I go home this late and there's usually no one else but security in the building."
A blush stained her cheeks at his words. Chloe grimaced in combined shame and apology. "I'm sorry I was so rude. The city is getting to me."
The man in front of her nodded. "So was there a particular reason that you're in the building?"
Chloe gave him a shy smile and shook her head. "I was only escaping from the snow. This was the first building I entered that didn't appear to be a safety hazard."
The blue eyes raked down her clothes and shoes. "Caught unprepared then. Odd since it's been like this for the past month. You're not from around here then?"
"No actually. Tornadoes I can take, but not snow like this. I'm from Kansas."
The dark-haired man's lips curved to a degree that she deemed enough to be called a smile. "Welcome to Gotham City, Dorothy."
Chloe smiled back in return. "Chloe."
"Let me buy you coffee. The lounge at the building annex is kept open at all hours." Chloe hesitated at the invitation. "My driver informs me that the snow has not let up yet. He won't be picking me up for a while yet. We'll drive you home."
"Well then thank you-"
"Bruce."
Chloe's eyes went wide. "Bruce Wayne?"
"I see my reputation precedes me. Believe me, they are more talk than truth."
She shook her head. Of all the buildings to walk into, she had to walk into his. "Your exploits are legendary, Mr Wayne."
"Bruce please. We're both stranded anyway. That should bring us closer."
"Models, daughters of business acquaintances, even psychiatrists. The only constant about your social life is that you'll turn up with a different woman hanging from your arm with every event."
He looked at her as they walked through the covered walkway leading to the other building, impressed. "I never seem to find one that I can have a good conversation with."
"Maybe you should try talking to them first before asking them out on a date."
Bruce chuckled. Chloe smiled when he held the door open for her. In high school she always had to do it herself. Two years living with. It had spoiled her in little courtesies that made her feel like a woman. When they reached a table, Bruce Wayne pulled a chair for her first. Training in expensive schools would necessarily give him the same habits.
If you were the owner of a conglomerate as expansive as Wayne Enterprises, you will receive your order in the blink of an eye. This was service that she had gotten used to in Metropolis and never thought she would experience again. A steaming cup of coffee in front of each of them and Chloe noticed that she had tuned out his voice.
"I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
Bruce merely grinned at her. "The smell of coffee takes you someplace beyond earth too?" Chloe nodded eagerly. "What brings you to Gotham?" he repeated.
She blinked rapidly, lost for words. "I'd rather not talk about it."
"Sensitive topic then."
"You could say that. Is that okay?"
"We all have our secrets," he told her. "You're entitled to yours."
She asked him if it was always so cold in Gotham City. Bruce admitted that it often was.
"You get used to it," he assured her. "It will take time before you find the warmth in this cold but eventually it will happen."
Chloe didn't want to remember warmth anymore. Warm was a morning in Smallville, waiting for the bus to take her home. Warm was her father's embrace on her graduation day. Warm was Mrs Kent's smile when she waved her into her kitchen.
Warm was Lex's blood spilling onto her hand while she held a pathetic linen handkerchief over his wound the last day she kissed his lips.