disclaimer in part 1

flashback

2 YEARS LATER

Chloe sat in the Talon sipping her coffee and began typing her final editorial for The Torch. The doors to the Talon opened and Chloe smiled as Clark entered, he waved hello to Chloe and then made his way over to Lana and kissed her hello.

Chloe smiled once more, she was happy that her friends had finally gotten together. Her crush on Clark had long dissipated and she was able to accept them together.

The door opened once more and Chloe put her head down quickly. Lex Luthor entered the coffee shop, he surveyed the room and spotted Chloe and made his way over. Chloe's heart began beating faster and she began to feel butterflies in her stomach.

It had been a year ago that Chloe realized she no longer had a crush on Clark. It was also then that she realised that somehow she had fallen in love with Playboy, billionaire extraordinaire, Lex Luthor.

Lex had been throwing a masquerade ball for all those in Smallville...

Chloe arrived with Clark and Pete but they soon got separated. Chloe made her way around the ballroom, she was wearing a shimmery fairy costume which was something that she would normally not wear. Soon after she spotted Lex, he was standing next to Helen Bryce, the new doctor at Smallville general.

Chloe didn't know when she had fallen but she knew the moment she had realised that she had,

She had been sipping her glass of punch looking quite bored when a laugh drew her attention away from watching her friends having fun.

Lex was whispering something in Helen Bryce's ear and she laughed again. Lex leaned back and looked at Helen with something so close to love in his eyes that Chloe frowned and winced when she felt a pain in her chest.

It was a pain that hit her heart; it made her want to curl up into a little ball and die.

She was in love with him!

The realisation hit her and she gasped, she was in love with Lex Luthor. Being the person she was, Chloe began to make her way to the entrance. Stopped by Clark on the way she muttered an excuse about not feeling very well and left the party quickly.

Since then she had been keeping her distance from Lex but now she couldn't escape him, "Miss Sullivan"

"Mr. Luthor" Chloe looked up from her laptop, "How are you Lex?"

"I'm fine, trying to organise some last minute party plans" Lex was holding the graduation after party for the Smallville Seniors. Chloe knew it was more about sending Clark off but she couldn't help fantasising that the party was for her personally as well. "What about you Chloe? Surely you cant be doing more work?" Lex questioned.

A shiver ran down Chloe's spine at the sound of her name on Lex's lips. "This is my last edition of The Torch" Chloe explained, Lex nodded in understanding and sipped his coffee which had been placed in front of him.

"So what are your plans for the next year?" Chloe frowned at Lex's question

"I haven't really thought about it, Metropolis maybe?" Chloe was lying, she had her plans, but she had yet to tell anyone, the party was two days away, Friday night, she'd let people know then.

2 DAYS LATER

Chloe looked around at her classmates and smiled, they had all graduated that afternoon. She turned away from everyone and made her way to her favourite room in the Luthor mansion.

Running her fingers over the spines of the first editions that lined the walls of the library she let her body soak in the atmosphere. The door opened and Chloe heard someone enter the room. As they spoke, she turned around smiling, "Well, well, well. Who many times has I found you in this room?"

"How many times have I attended parties here?" Chloe smiled as Lex closed the door behind him and they both sat down on the couch together, Chloe sighed, she wanted to tell him soon.

Lex looked at the woman who was sitting close to him. For the past six months he had been beginning to feel more than friendly feelings for the blonde teenager.

"I'm leaving tomorrow" Chloe's voice was so soft Lex barely heard herm but when the words registered in his head he looked at her in shock, "To Gotham" she continued, "I've had everything planned for weeks, but I couldn't go before I... before..." Chloe trailed off and looked up at Lex, she moved closer and kissed him softly on the lips.

Lex was in shock the moment Chloe's lips touched his, but he soon shook himself out of his shock and his hands made their way up and he tangled his fingers in her hair. Chloe gasped and Lex took this opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth and begin exploring.

He lifted Chloe so that she was now straddling his lap, Chloe moaned in frustration as they both pulled back for air. "Well that was..."

"Interesting?" Chloe supplied and Lex laughed, Chloe hit his chest playfully and her hand hit something. Her fingers pulled out a chain from around Lex's neck and hanging at the end of it was a very familiar ring. Chloe gasped, "You kept it" she was amazed.

"Chloe? Are you around here?" a familiar voice called out and Chloe realised the position she was in, she leapt off Lex's lap.

"I have to go" she mumbled and ran out of the room before Lex could stop her and she ran to find Lana who had called her.

Lex sat there in shock, Chloe's words echoing in her head, 'You kept it' his hand flew up to the ring that hung around her neck and played with it. Chloe was the girl who gave it to him and she had kissed him.

Lex was in shock and for the first time in his life he had no idea what to do.

THE NEXT DAY

Chloe sat on the plane and looked out the window at the terminal where her father and Lana stood, she was leaving Metropolis for Gotham and a whole new life. After the night before Chloe realised that Lex would not like her and she was stupid to have kissed him, her heart was aching, as she was still in love with him, but she had to push those feelings down if she was start a new life.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

It was her first day for work and she was already late, with a cup of coffee in her hand she rushed along the streets of Gotham. Not looking where she was going she bumped into someone, "Ugh" was the response from the man and it was then that Chloe realised that she had spilt her coffee on his shirt,

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Chloe was so embarrassed, she looked up and for the face of billionaire, Bruce Wayne looking at her, "Oh my gosh, I really am so sorry"

"It's alright" Bruce said, a hint of amusement in his voice, Chloe winced and looked down at her watch,

"Crap" she muttered under her breath, Bruce looked at her.

"Look, I have plenty of shirts, why don't I buy you another cup of coffee? Its not every day that a beautiful woman bumps into me" Bruce smiled as Chloe blushed, debating it in her head she finally gave in,

"Alright" She let Bruce lead her to a coffee house but Chloe was still feeling uneasy, Bruce looked at her questioningly once they were introduced and sitting down, "I'm already late for work" she explained, "Gotham Daily, it's my first day of work" she revealed and Bruce's eyebrows went up. He looked thoughtful before speaking again,

"Well, I'll tell you what, you have coffee with me and I'll explain to Kerry why you're late. Have dinner with me as I would like to give you the interview as to why I donated this recent amount of money to the Gotham General Hospital" Bruce watched as Chloe's face lit up in delight and surprise, "I'll take that as a yes"

Bruce ordered them both coffee and they sat back and began talking, laying down the foundation of a beautiful friendship.

TBC...