Part 2
For most of his adult life, Lex Luthor breathed shadows to nourish his lungs. In his veins coursed blood that was at once hot and cold. He moved among secret barriers and learned to surreptitiously play his hand. All this he did to survive a man who crushed him as a sign of affection.
He had been told by the women who held the most importance in his life to have faith in himself, because the time would come when it would feel that nobody else did. This he felt in the cold stare of the residents of a small town. Compared to him, these people were negligent in the greater scheme of the universe. That is why he never knew what force it was the propelled him to seek their acceptance. When he had given up long ago on receiving praise from his father, he strove for strangers to welcome him.
He did not care to remember that he had never felt more satisfied with the man he was than the time when a lovely girl who fought for fairness and balance asked him questions that could have easily ticked off a lesser man. When she smiled her approval, something he should not even have cared to have, his head spun and his heart palpitated.
Luthors do not care about the affairs of others.
But he did. So here he was, stuck with a lukewarm cup of coffee, ensconced in the darker and more isolated part of his own shop, watching the awkward conversation going on at one of the tables. For two teenagers who have perfected sexual tension, or rather their version of it, Chloe and Clark seemed unwilling to jump on each other. Lex could swear he saw Chloe tentatively pull her hand out from under Clark's at the pretense of picking up her coffee mug.
Who took a girl on your first date to the same place where they met every day of their lives? Sentimental value aside, most of the developments in Clark and Lana's relationship took place in this coffeeshop. Lex never took Clark for an obtuse guy, but Clark was rapidly showing Lex where his judgment erred.
High school kids being as naturally rowdy as any group of kindergarten kids, Lana ended up dropping a tray of frappes. The look of disappointment that crossed Chloe's face did not go unnoticed when Clark excused himself and headed over to Lana. The farmboy helped Lana Lang pick up the broken mugs. Lex shook his head at the sight of Chloe Sullivan suddenly finding the table very interesting, half-hiding her face under a curtain of blonde hair.
~~
"What are you doing here, Glory?" Cole Turner pulled himself off his lazy lean against the coffee shop wall. He turned his scorn on the voluptuous woman in a red short dress who was looking through the glass. "This is not your territory."
Glory flipped long blonde curls over one shoulder as she grinned at the demon. "And neither is this yours," she responded. "We're both visitors in this dimension, Belthazor. Don't presume to tell me where I am or am not welcome."
"I've been living in this plane for a few years now. You can't even transport your corporeal flesh."
She narrowed her eyes and ran a candle-shaped finger over her supple skin. "At least I still look youthful and gorgeous. Unlike you. You show each of your hundred years."
"I prefer dark hair," Cole told her simply. "If you're after the daughter of the sun, go on your merry way. I stake my claim first."
Glory lifted a playful yet warning finger as she tsked. "Ah ah ah! Nobody stakes claim on a prey until it's captured. Don't tell me living in the mortal world dulled your memories, my senile old demon."
Cole scoffed. "It's not like you can seed her the way I can."
Glory made a face of disgust. "Please. You think I'm after the child? My interest lies somewhere deeper." She peered through the glass again and her eyes widened. "Oh mucho guapitos in there. And one is heading this way." She turned to Cole and waved her fingers. "Later, lover."
Cole leaned back against the wall, not even turning to look when the door opened and out walked a man in a suit way better than his own. The bald man looked up at the rapidly dimming sky and took a deep breath. This was the man that he had seen watching his prey earlier. A little help from the inside never hurt. That was his strategy before with the Charmed Ones. It would be his strategy now. He pushed aside reminders that it did not work now. He was pretty certain he was not going to commit the mistake of falling in love this time. "Beautiful night," Cole began. The man turned his head, looking curiously at him. "Cole Turner. Attorney."
"Lex Luthor," was the quick reply. Lex extended his hand to shake his. "You're not from around here."
Cole chuckled. "So I don't look like the typical Smallville man?"
Lex raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "You don't. Anything bringing you here?"
"Would you believe me if I told you that it's a woman."
A slight smirk graced the man's lips. "A woman can make us do many things, Mr. Turner."
"Kindred spirit. Call me Cole."
"Lex."
"So, Lex, care to have some coffee with me? I would love to talk to someone while I wait for the woman to come to me."
Lex looked quickly inside the Talon before nodding. He had nothing better to do. And this gave him reason to stay longer in the Talon than he needed to. "That would really be a good idea."
"Not you too," came a voice from behind them.
Cole turned around and realized that late afternoon had turned into night. He sighed in exasperation. Lex had already stepped into the coffeeshop. "Tell me you're not really here," Cole pronounced, irritated.
"Can't do that," Angel insisted, tucking his black leather coat around him snugly. "Because I'm here to prevent you from doing what you're planning to."
"Look, Angel, I'm not spoiling for a fight. I've been laying low for a while. Give me this chance, huh?"
Angel shook his head. "I can't let you do that, Cole. It's too dangerous." The vampire cocked an eyebrow. "Besides, you prefer brunettes. Daughter of the sun necessarily translates to golden hair," he reasoned. "And I know all about blondes."
"Of course you do," Cole said patronizingly. The demonic grapevine was rife with stories about the extremes of the two women who graced the life of the celebrity vampire with a soul. Both with long golden hair, one was the slayer and the other one of the most malicious vampires ever created. Both women were such forces to be reckoned with that Angel was called 'whipped' behind his back.
The Talon's door opened again. "Your friend?" inquired Lex. He really had no time for pissing games between two men he did not really care about. Inside, Clark had just rejoined Chloe at their table, and he needed to be there to watch. "Why don't you join us for coffee?"
"He doesn't drink coffee," Cole drawled.
Angel pushed his way into the coffeeshop and scanned the room, his eyes settling on Chloe. "I'll just have milk. No problem."
For most of his adult life, Lex Luthor breathed shadows to nourish his lungs. In his veins coursed blood that was at once hot and cold. He moved among secret barriers and learned to surreptitiously play his hand. All this he did to survive a man who crushed him as a sign of affection.
He had been told by the women who held the most importance in his life to have faith in himself, because the time would come when it would feel that nobody else did. This he felt in the cold stare of the residents of a small town. Compared to him, these people were negligent in the greater scheme of the universe. That is why he never knew what force it was the propelled him to seek their acceptance. When he had given up long ago on receiving praise from his father, he strove for strangers to welcome him.
He did not care to remember that he had never felt more satisfied with the man he was than the time when a lovely girl who fought for fairness and balance asked him questions that could have easily ticked off a lesser man. When she smiled her approval, something he should not even have cared to have, his head spun and his heart palpitated.
Luthors do not care about the affairs of others.
But he did. So here he was, stuck with a lukewarm cup of coffee, ensconced in the darker and more isolated part of his own shop, watching the awkward conversation going on at one of the tables. For two teenagers who have perfected sexual tension, or rather their version of it, Chloe and Clark seemed unwilling to jump on each other. Lex could swear he saw Chloe tentatively pull her hand out from under Clark's at the pretense of picking up her coffee mug.
Who took a girl on your first date to the same place where they met every day of their lives? Sentimental value aside, most of the developments in Clark and Lana's relationship took place in this coffeeshop. Lex never took Clark for an obtuse guy, but Clark was rapidly showing Lex where his judgment erred.
High school kids being as naturally rowdy as any group of kindergarten kids, Lana ended up dropping a tray of frappes. The look of disappointment that crossed Chloe's face did not go unnoticed when Clark excused himself and headed over to Lana. The farmboy helped Lana Lang pick up the broken mugs. Lex shook his head at the sight of Chloe Sullivan suddenly finding the table very interesting, half-hiding her face under a curtain of blonde hair.
~~
"What are you doing here, Glory?" Cole Turner pulled himself off his lazy lean against the coffee shop wall. He turned his scorn on the voluptuous woman in a red short dress who was looking through the glass. "This is not your territory."
Glory flipped long blonde curls over one shoulder as she grinned at the demon. "And neither is this yours," she responded. "We're both visitors in this dimension, Belthazor. Don't presume to tell me where I am or am not welcome."
"I've been living in this plane for a few years now. You can't even transport your corporeal flesh."
She narrowed her eyes and ran a candle-shaped finger over her supple skin. "At least I still look youthful and gorgeous. Unlike you. You show each of your hundred years."
"I prefer dark hair," Cole told her simply. "If you're after the daughter of the sun, go on your merry way. I stake my claim first."
Glory lifted a playful yet warning finger as she tsked. "Ah ah ah! Nobody stakes claim on a prey until it's captured. Don't tell me living in the mortal world dulled your memories, my senile old demon."
Cole scoffed. "It's not like you can seed her the way I can."
Glory made a face of disgust. "Please. You think I'm after the child? My interest lies somewhere deeper." She peered through the glass again and her eyes widened. "Oh mucho guapitos in there. And one is heading this way." She turned to Cole and waved her fingers. "Later, lover."
Cole leaned back against the wall, not even turning to look when the door opened and out walked a man in a suit way better than his own. The bald man looked up at the rapidly dimming sky and took a deep breath. This was the man that he had seen watching his prey earlier. A little help from the inside never hurt. That was his strategy before with the Charmed Ones. It would be his strategy now. He pushed aside reminders that it did not work now. He was pretty certain he was not going to commit the mistake of falling in love this time. "Beautiful night," Cole began. The man turned his head, looking curiously at him. "Cole Turner. Attorney."
"Lex Luthor," was the quick reply. Lex extended his hand to shake his. "You're not from around here."
Cole chuckled. "So I don't look like the typical Smallville man?"
Lex raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "You don't. Anything bringing you here?"
"Would you believe me if I told you that it's a woman."
A slight smirk graced the man's lips. "A woman can make us do many things, Mr. Turner."
"Kindred spirit. Call me Cole."
"Lex."
"So, Lex, care to have some coffee with me? I would love to talk to someone while I wait for the woman to come to me."
Lex looked quickly inside the Talon before nodding. He had nothing better to do. And this gave him reason to stay longer in the Talon than he needed to. "That would really be a good idea."
"Not you too," came a voice from behind them.
Cole turned around and realized that late afternoon had turned into night. He sighed in exasperation. Lex had already stepped into the coffeeshop. "Tell me you're not really here," Cole pronounced, irritated.
"Can't do that," Angel insisted, tucking his black leather coat around him snugly. "Because I'm here to prevent you from doing what you're planning to."
"Look, Angel, I'm not spoiling for a fight. I've been laying low for a while. Give me this chance, huh?"
Angel shook his head. "I can't let you do that, Cole. It's too dangerous." The vampire cocked an eyebrow. "Besides, you prefer brunettes. Daughter of the sun necessarily translates to golden hair," he reasoned. "And I know all about blondes."
"Of course you do," Cole said patronizingly. The demonic grapevine was rife with stories about the extremes of the two women who graced the life of the celebrity vampire with a soul. Both with long golden hair, one was the slayer and the other one of the most malicious vampires ever created. Both women were such forces to be reckoned with that Angel was called 'whipped' behind his back.
The Talon's door opened again. "Your friend?" inquired Lex. He really had no time for pissing games between two men he did not really care about. Inside, Clark had just rejoined Chloe at their table, and he needed to be there to watch. "Why don't you join us for coffee?"
"He doesn't drink coffee," Cole drawled.
Angel pushed his way into the coffeeshop and scanned the room, his eyes settling on Chloe. "I'll just have milk. No problem."