Author's note: Thanks again to Julie on the beta. Wind beneath my wings, babe. I got more reviews on my last chapter than any of the others, so thanks to all of you. I want to get to 100. (My new personal goal.) We can all do it together! Enjoy.

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PDA Chapter 10: Sometimes it's Okay to Say No

"OH MY GOD!"

Lex Luthor was jolted out of bed by a loud noise he couldn't identify. He looked around. [Where am I?] He looked down at the bed and saw Chloe starting to wake up. [Oh yeah.] Then, Lex looked up and saw Lana Lang stammering and backing her way out of the door.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Luth..... um.. Lex. I didn't.... um...... I didn't know that you and...... you see, Clark told me to........ I should have knocked."

[Great,] thought Lex. [Now I get to do damage control.] He quickly got up from the bed and walked to the door. He closed it behind Lana, effectively trapping her in the room, not to mention the situation. "Lana, please sit down."

Just as Lana was sitting down, Chloe opened her eyes. She sat up in bed. When she saw Lex's serious expression and Lana Lang looking for all the world like she would rather be anywhere but here, Chloe knew instantly what had happened.

Lex wasn't looking at Chloe the moment she became aware of her surroundings. All of his attention was focused on Lana, who was cowering in her chair. Still, he knew exactly what had transpired. He heard the thin sheets rustle as Chloe sat up, then a loud whimper when she saw Lana, then the soft padding of her bare feet as she ran as quickly as possible to the bathroom, and finally, the thick metal click as she locked the bathroom door behind her. Lex knew Chloe was mortified, but he had to deal with Lana right now. "How much did you see?"

Lana looked down at her feet. "Um... nothing."

Lex sighed. This was not going to be easy. Lex looked around and took stock of the situation. He and Chloe had been sleeping in a bed together. A very small bed. She was wearing one of those idiotic paper hospital gowns that doesn't close in the back, with nothing underneath. Lex was wearing socks, slacks and a white button-down shirt that was, at this moment, completely unbuttoned. This did not look good. Given their state of undress, Lana probably figured that she had caught them shortly after a romantic interlude.

Lex grabbed the other chair in the room and sat down facing Lana. "Lana, I want you to listen to me. There is no reason you should feel embarrassed. You did not interrupt anything. I guess there is no point in denying it now. Chloe and I have been dating for a couple of months. In fact, we are very much in love with each other. The reason we haven't told anyone is because I was afraid of the negative backlash that Chloe might receive. Now, Lana, it is imperative that you not tell anyone. Chloe is going to be moving in with me soon, and it will be difficult enough without everyone knowing we are together."

Lana nodded as Lex continued. "So far, the only other people to know about us are Clark and Chloe's father, and he did not take the news well. Do you understand? You cannot tell anyone."

"I promise not to tell anyone, Lex," agreed Lana.

"Good. Now, I think you had better leave while I coax Chloe out of the bathroom." Lex and Lana stood and took a few steps toward the door. Lex bent over to pick a small bouquet of daisies off the ground. "Are these yours?"

"I brought them for Chloe. You can give them to her for me."

"I will."

"Oh Lex, please tell Chloe I'm sorry for barging in like this and embarrassing her. I wouldn't have done it, except for what Clark said."

"What do you mean 'what Clark said'?"

"Well Clark told me to come up here and if Chloe didn't answer to walk in. He made it seem desperate that I see her."

"Really?"

"Yes. He told me to make sure that Chloe knew that he and Pete would be here to visit her soon."

Lex looked at her sharply. "How soon?"

"I don't know. Five or ten minutes."

"Thanks, Lana."

"You're welcome, Lex" Lana left, closing the door behind her. Lex walked over to the bathroom door. He stood with his back against the wall beside it. Then, he slowly slid down the wall until he was sitting on the hospital room floor.

"Angel," Lex called out to Chloe.

"What," she replied. He could barely make out what she said because of the thickness of the door between them and the low sullen quality of her voice.

"Do you want to come out?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because Lana probably thinks I'm screwing you for your money and now she's going to tell everyone that I'm a whore."

"Angel, Lana's your friend; she wouldn't do that."

"How do you know?"

"Because I have never known Lana Lang to be anything but loyal and forthright."

Chloe, feeling a bit petulant, yelled out "If you like her so much why don't you marry her."

Lex sighed and said softly, "I'd rather marry you."

Apparently, it wasn't softly enough. Lex heard Chloe frantically trying to work the deadbolt lock. Suddenly, the door flew open. Lex looked up at her. She was so beautiful, even in that hideous polka-dot, paper hospital gown and bare feet. The sunlight from the bathroom window was framing her. At this moment she looked like the angel he knew she was.

Chloe fell to her knees beside Lex. "What did you say?"

"I said that I would rather marry you."

"Oh god Lex, do you mean that."

"Chloe," Lex said taking her hand. "I have never been more serious in my life. In fact, I'll make it official." Lex adjusted his position so that he was kneeling in front of her on one knee. "Chloe Bernadette Sullivan, I love you. Will you be my wife?"

Chloe started to cry. Huge crocodile tears that flowed down her cheeks and splashed onto the cool linoleum floor. Chloe's shoulders started to shake from the force of her sobbing. "God, Lex. I just.... I don't know what to say. I love you more than.... I love you so much..... It's just...... I dreamed of this..... I don't know how to say...... I can't...... Chloe couldn't speak any longer. Her throat seemed to close with the swell of the emotions she was feeling.

Lex puller her against his chest and put his arms around her. He began to rub her back soothingly. Chloe wrapped her arms around his waist and held on as though her were a life preserver. Lex started to whisper to her. "Shhhh. Shhhh. It's alright. It's going to be alright, Chloe. I understand. It's okay. You can say no."

Chloe looked lifted her head and looked at him through the tears. "What?"

"It's okay, Chloe. You can say no."

"How.... how.....?"

"How did I know that you wouldn't accept?"

"Yes."

"Chloe. I know that you're not ready for such a huge commitment. You're only sixteen. Albeit, you'll be seventeen in a few months, but you are still in high school. Second, I know that I'm your first real boyfriend, and we've only been dating for a few months. Finally, I know that you're bright and ambitious and talented. You, Chloe Sullivan, are going places. Being married, even to me, would hold you back."

"Lex, I love you so much."

"I know you do. I want you to understand. I wasn't planning on proposing to you today, or anytime before you finished college. I wanted you to be ready to accept. The only reason I asked you today, is because you need to know that what I feel for you is genuine. Chloe, If you said yes, I would run out and marry you tomorrow. You are it for me. I know that you are not ready. And I won't ask again. Just know that the proposal is always on the table and when you are ready, all you have to do is let me know."

"Thank you, Lex."

"No. Thank you, Chloe. So, what do you say we get up off this hard floor."

"That sounds good to me."

They both stood up and Lex began to quickly button his shirt. When he finished he sat on the edge of the bed and started putting on his shoes.

Chloe looked at him in surprise. "Hey, where's the fire?" she asked.

Lex grinned. "No fire, but Clark and Pete should be here any minute and it would be better if Pete didn't find me here."

"I guess you're right."

"If you need me, I'll have my cell. I'm heading over to the plant. I've been neglecting it for the past couple days. I assume that Gabe hasn't been coming to work. No telling what sort of shape it's in with all this lack of management. I'll be there until midnight, then I'll come back here and see you, okay?"

"Okay."

Lex finished with his shoes. He stood up and grabbed his jacket. Not wanting to bother with the tie right now, he crumpled it up and shoved it in his pocket. He gave Chloe a quick kiss goodbye and walked out the door. Lex decided to head for the back stairs. That way he wouldn't accidentally run into Chloe's next set of visitors.

Just as Lex was making his way down the first flight of stairs, Clark and Pete got out of the elevator on Chloe's floor. They walked down the hall towards Chloe's room. Just to be sure, Clark x-rayed the room before Pete knocked. He was relieved to see that Chloe was alone.

Pete knocked on Chloe's door. "Chloe, it's me, Pete."

"Hold on. It will be just a sec."

Chloe opened the door wearing a pair of jeans and a plain gray tank top. She smiled when she saw Pete and Clark. "Hey, guys! Come on in."

Clark and Pete walked in and each of them sat in a chair. Chloe climbed up onto the bed and sat cross legged, facing her two best friends.

Clark looked around and realized that they were missing a person. "Where's Lana?"

"She had to go home."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was real sudden."

Clark though Chloe sounded a little guilty, but he let it drop. He suddenly remembered the gift that he had been so anxious to get for Chloe. "Pete and I brought you a get well gift," he said, handing her a paper grocery sack. "I hope you like it."

"You'd better like it, Chloe," Pete chimed in. "I thought Clark was going to have a heart attack if we didn't get that for you."

Clark chuckled nervously, "Yeah.... well......"

Chloe opened the bag. Inside were three Starbucks Double Shot Espressos. "Oh, guys! Thanks you. Finally, decent coffee."

"We thought you'd like them." said Clark.

Chloe smiled. "I do. Thank you."

Pete cleared his throat. "Um, Chlo. I don't want to upset you or anything, but there is this crazy rumor that you're moving in with Luthor. I don't know who started it, but I'll find out, okay."

Chloe took a deep breath. This was not going to be easy. "Yeah, about that Pete. Um, it's true. Lex was nice enough to offer me a place to stay for a while, and I am taking him up on it.

"What? Why do you need a place to stay?"

"My dad and I had a falling out and we've decided that I shouldn't live there any more."

"Chloe, if you need a place to stay, you can always crash at my place. After all, I've got four older brothers. My parents aren't going to notice one more. Besides, my parents love you."

"Yeah, Pete, I know. I can't impose on your family though. For the same reason I couldn't move in with the Kents.

"But..."

"No buts, Pete. Lex has got room and god knows, money to spare. He's the only one that wouldn't be inconvenienced by a sudden housemate."

"I still don't like it."

"I really don't care if you like it, Pete. This is the way it has to be."

"Just don't cozy up to him too much. Remember who he is."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"He's a Luthor. They're all bad news."

"Pete, I can't deal with this right now. If you're going to be so mean, you can just leave."

"Fine. I'm outta here." Pete stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Clark who had been silent through the whole exchange, stood. "I'll go get him Chloe."

"Just take him home, Clark. I can't look at him anymore tonight."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm sure. Man, if he reacted like this now, imagine what it'll be like when he finds out Lex and I are dating."

"It will be fine. I'm always here for you. And Lex isn't going anywhere."

"Right."

"I'll see you later, Chloe."

"See you, Clark."

After Clark left, Chloe realized that it was only eight o'clock. [Lex won't be back until after midnight.] With nothing better to do, Chloe sat down and started on her geometry homework. She gave up on it after spending half an hour on the first problem. Try as she might, Chloe just could not focus on computing the area of a hexagon. In fact, there was only one thing written over and over in her notebook: Mrs. Chloe Luthor.....

TBC