Chapter 5

Lex was glad that he invited Chloe over he felt good when she was around him. As they arrived at the mansion they went to the movie room. Lex showed Chloe were he kept all his movies and then he went to the kitchen to get popcorn and ice tea. As the young man was back he gave her one glass of tea and he took the other and then Chloe asked him: "Lex you are a working and when you are free you are at the Talon right?" Lex was surprised by this question but he nodded and the blond smiled. She had caught the twinkle of surprise that had showed in his eyes and she was happy that she could surprise him.

"Then I'm asking you Mister why do you have so many movies, I mean you don't have the time to look them all." she said playfully.

The young man chuckled as she called him Mister in that playful tune. He noticed that she seemed more relaxed since they were here. He knew how he felt about her but if he would tell her now Lex feared that she would run away.

Chloe could feel that he looked at her and she decided that he deserved to know the truth.

"I don't want to see a movie anymore Lex. Can we go to the library instead of?"

As Chloe asked him that the young man knew that she trusted him enough to talk to him about what had happened in Metropolis. He nodded and together they moved to the said room.

As they were sitting Chloe was grapping her glass as if her life was hanging on it. Lex saw how nervous she was and tried to help her when he said that she should take in a deep breath. He encouraged her by telling her that she could trust him and that he would not tell one soul what they have talked about. Chloe took one last deep breath and then began: "I don't really know Lex, I really want to tell you but I think that it will bring back bad memories for you. I don't want to hurt you please promise me that if it is too much for you that you will stop me okay?" she looked up to see that Lex looked concerned. But she could see that he was concerned for her. "Chloe you don't need to talk to me about it. Don't feel like you owe me an explanation but I promise I will stop you if it is too much for me."

"Thanks Lex! After the night...at the club," Chloe was blushing, "an old friend called me and said that there was a man who needs to speak to me. So I went to the club to hear him telling me that...that he is my older brother and that my mother wanted to see me. I mean she left me as I was seven and she never made a move to show me that I was her daughter and then she suddenly wanted to see me. I was angry and snapped at Ben. That is the name of my brother and then he tells me that she had...that she was sick and going to die." Lex could see that Chloe was about to start to cry and then a tear rolled down her cheek but Chloe brushed it away took a deep breath and then continued.

"I went with Ben to see her and as I saw her lying there...she was so pale and weak...!" Chloe was lost in her thoughts as Lex took her hand in a gesture of comfort and the blond snapped out of it and continued but the young man didn't let go of her hand.

"She apologized to me and explained everything of why she left and never called or had written. I stayed the night and we got to know each other. About five hours later she had died," another tear rolled down her cheek but this time she didn't brush it away but Lex did. He reached up with his hand cupped her cheek and took his thumb to wipe away the tear. Chloe smiled at him it was soft but it showed that she was feeling a little bit better after talking.

But there was something else showing in her eyes that Lex couldn't really read. It was concern mixed with something else if he didn't know it better he had said it was love because the way Chloe looked at him his mother had done too. She know she was concerned because she knew that her story would remind him of his mother but it was okay is mother would never leave him as long as he didn't forget her. Lex told her that and the concern was gone from her eyes and now he could clearly see that the other feeling was indeed love. Chloe knew that he had seen what she felt and it made her uncomfortable. She needed to get out of here the whole situation made her nervous.

"It is getting dark outside I think I should go...a Lex can you drive me back to the Talon we left my car there?" asked the blond a bit unsure. She didn't know how she should approach Lex after what she had told him and after he had seen what she felt for him so she stood up.

"You know what it is fine I walk back or something like that." said Chloe quickly.

Lex saw how nervous she suddenly seemed and gripped her hands to force her to sit down again. As they were that near to each other Chloe seemed to get more nervous. She didn't look him in the eyes but kept instead her head down. At that the bald man knew that she knew that he knew how she felt about him. He moved her face so that she was looking at him and then he kissed her forehead. Chloe was surprised by his acting that her eyes widened but she recovered quickly and looked puzzled at the man beside her.

"Chloe I know that you like me. Emma let it slip at the club as she came over to apologize for setting us up. I think you should know that I like you too a lot more then I have ever liked anybody since my mother has died. I didn't want to tell you that now because I think that you are dealing enough with the death of your mother and the problems you have with Clark & Co. But you know that I know how you feel about me so it only seemed fair to me to tell you how I feel about you." Lex sounded nervous but Chloe nodded: "then it seems only fair to you when you hear it from me too because Emma doesn't count

Chloe was about to continue but Lex touched her lips with his hand to silence her. Chloe was curious but kept her mouth shut. They stared into each others eyes and into their souls. Chloe once read that eyes were the gates to the human soul and at that time she thought it was bull shit. But now she had changed her mind she could see into Lex soul.

She could see how lonely he was, how much he wanted for his father to love him, to be proud of him and how much he missed his mother. Chloe saw how much he loved his mother how important his friendship to Clark was to him and how scared he was to hurt her because like he had said he had never felt like that before. But she also saw how much she meant to him.

Lex saw how lonely the blond was sometimes too because nobody understood her, how hurt she was as her mother had left and that she felt sometimes like an outsider among her friends. He could see how much she want other people to like her the way she is and how much she loved him but also that she feared to hurt him.

For over an hour they looked at each other as if they would try to memories their faces with all the details. Nobody of them had ever felt so comfortable with another person. They were so engrossed that they didn't hear the knocking on the door and that three teenagers walked in the room. The two boys and the girl couldn't see the faces of the two because they were sitting with their backs to them but because of the silence they thought that they were mad at each other or something like that.

"Hey Lex is everything alright or did Chloe bother you with another interview?" asked the dark-haired guy. Chloe and Lex were startled by the voice that was interrupting their time with each other. Lex stood up from the chair he sat in and walked over to where Clark, Lana and Pete were standing.

"Everything is fine Clark but why did you thought that Chloe would bother me? Back at the Talon I have told you that we had an appointment!" said the bald man annoyed.

Clark looked confused but then smiled and said: "So you are not mad at her because I know how persuade Chloe can be if she wants." Lex shook his head sometimes he wondered if Clark was playing stupid or if he really was that stupid.

"No Clark he is not mad at me because our appointment wasn't because of an interview!" said now the blond who also had stood up.

"But you have no other reason...we thought that was what your appointment was about!" replayed now Pete. He felt uncomfortable because he didn't know what their appointment was about. He heard many things about Lex and one of them was that he forced girls into sleeping with him and as if Chloe could read his mind she said: "Lex didn't forced me to sleep with him if it is that what you were thinking Pete Ross, because if you would overcome your prejudice about Lex then you would see that he is a normal guy with feelings. He is just better at hiding them but to let you know I needed someone to talk to and Lex was there for me because he cared about me and that I can't tell about you." screamed Chloe. The three teenagers were shocked never in their entire friendship had she spoken to them like that. Sure she was sometimes angry with them or in a bad mood but now it hurt them.

Lex wrapped his arms around her back to calm her down. As her breathing had returned to normal he asked her if he should tell the others. Chloe didn't had the energy to speak so she just nodded and Lex sat her back down this time on the sofa so that he could Chloe embrace when she need it. Lana and Pete sat down in the chairs and Clark sat on the floor.

Lex was by the part where Chloe's mother had died as Chloe buried her face deep into Lex's shirt. He hugged her and then told them the rest of the story. As the bald man had ended was a moment of silence between the friends as Pete stood up and kneeled down in front of the blond young woman.

"Chloe I think I'm speaking for us all if I say we are sorry not only because your mother had died but also because we have ignored you. You are our friend mostly our best friend and we are sorry that we made you felt like an outcast among us. Or that we came then to you when we needed something from you and as you needed something from us we turned away. I'm really sorry Chloe please forgive me?"

The others nodded in approval and also apologized then each of them turned to hug her and after that the three said their goodbyes.

Again Chloe and Lex looked into each others eyes neither of them saying anything for a long time but as Chloe yawned Lex whispered in her ear: "Chloe stay...please I promise I just want to hold you tonight and comfort you nothing more...please?" Chloe was touched at his soft voice and it occurred to her that nobody in Smallville really knew Lex not just Lex Luthor business-man. She nodded glad that he was here for her and then the young man stood up and took her in his arms to carry her up to his room.

Together they lay beside each other on the king-size bed, Lex in his boxers and Chloe in her tank top. Lex fingers were moving over Chloe's face remembering every curve and every mole. Her hands were trailing over his arm to his back over the neck and up to his head drawing small circles there.

"Chloe why do all your friends back in Metropolis call you Tiger?" asked Lex suddenly remembering that little detail.

Chloe laughed: "You are asking me that now?" the young man nodded and the blond explained.

"Back in Metropolis I was also a reporter and when I had sat my mind on something then I wouldn't let it go. Just like a tiger who is hunting his prey!"

Chloe smiled as Lex laughed she liked the sound of it. Chloe sat up a little bit and leant over to him Lex stopped to laugh as Chloe took his face in her hands and brushed her lips against his. At the first moment Lex was too surprised to respond but as Chloe lay back down he leant over and kissed her.

Then they spooned against each other and went to sleep. The dreams filled with pictures of each other.

TBC

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