I'm sorry! Lots of issues plus my beta reader has gone missing means this is a VERY late update. But I'll post the last part straight after to make up for it. Both these chapters are un-betaed, katieishere where are you:(

Mindgames

Part 9

"Clark." Lex stated his friend's name, hiding the surprise from his voice with perfected ease. Said friend walked a few steps further into the room, which had improved considerably from the disaster area it had been the last time Clark had set foot in the house.

Without looking at what he was doing and without missing a beat, Lex closed his desk drawer with a hasty and silent push, turning the key in the lock afterwards.

He closed his laptop quickly, saying, "What brings you here at this time of night?"

His staff had long since clocked off for the night, and Lex had always thought farmers needed a good night's sleep to tackle all the chores in the morning, hence his well-hidden surprise.

"Chloe's in the hospital." Clark told him, and Lex leaned forward, uncrossing his legs and looking concerned.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she'll be ok." Clark nodded.

"Thanks to you - again." Lex supplied, smiling slightly.

Clark looked a little embarrassed and distinctly uncomfortable. "Not really. I just took her to hospital." He said, playing down his heroics.

Lex gave him an unreadable stare before standing up and stretching. "I guess I owe you one." He leisurely walked up to Clark, stopping just short. "If it weren't for you I'd be dead or worse. That must be... exactly how many times have you been at just the right place at just the right time now, Clark?"

Clark shifted uneasily. "Um, haven't really been keeping count." He most definitely didn't like the direction this conversation was going.

"I have." Lex replied casually, and they both felt the tension in the air thicken. Then he smiled and dropped his gaze, relieving the pressure. He strolled over to the pool table and scooped up a ball, throwing and catching it with one hand absently.

"How about a game? You win I'll let you drive the Porsche… I win, you tell me your secret." He offered, picking up a cue from its leaning position on the wall. He tossed another to a dumbstruck Clark. At Clark's blank look Lex explained, "You have to tell me how you pull off both plaid and trainers sometime, Clark."

Lex smirked as Clark let the relief sweep over his face. He swallowed. "No thanks, Lex. I better get going, I still have to visit Chloe yet. Chores in the morning, you know?"

"Sure." His friend replied easily, still tossing the ball then snatching it from the air, his piercing stare still on Clark.

Clark backed away to the door, smiling his goodbye, but it was a troubled smile.

---

Clark fingered the flowers in his hands nervously. His stomach leaped for no apparent reason as a nurse went into Chloe's room at the small but friendly hospital. He looked down at the flowers again. It suddenly seemed very important to him that she liked them, and he didn't know why. They were daffodils, bright yellow and in full bloom, nearly sparkling with their intensity. Clark had been going for the typical roses when the golden flowers had caught his eye, shining like Chloe's hair and telling of things to come, a new spring and a fresh start.

He jumped again and nearly crushed the glistening stems in his hands as the door to her room opened and closed, admitting a nurse into the hallway. She smiled at him as he stood up, saying, "You can go in now, Mr. Kent."

He nodded his thanks tightly, his stomach leaping again, and twisted the door handle.

As soon as he met Chloe's eyes all his anxiety fell away.

She smiled up at him from the hospital bed, her petite body looking extremely out of place in the swamp of quilts surrounding her small frame. Clark felt a broad smile break out over his own face and squatted down beside her, there being no chair in sight.

"How're you feeling?" He greeted her brightly.

"Better. Much better." Chloe replied truthfully, then laughed sheepishly. "To tell you the truth I'm just glad to see a familiar face."

Clark allowed her the pleasure of his trademark grin. She grinned back giddily, and her dizziness wasn't just a product of the drugs they'd been pumping into her system for the last 24 hours.

Suddenly very aware of the tension in the air, Clark cleared his throat and glanced away, the moment broken. "So, uh, when are you escaping from this hell hole?"

"Well, I'm planning a break-out tonight, but officially I can go home tomorrow morning." Chloe quipped, then grew quiet for a while. Clark smiled.

"Thank you Clark." She broke the silence suddenly.

He drew his eyebrows together in surprise. "For what?"

"For being the dumbest farmboy in Kansas, what do you think Clark?" Chloe replied sarcastically, wanting to swat him upside the head but being unable to due to the IV line in her arm.

Clark grinned and looked away, unzipping his bag, and rummaging around inside. Chloe waited for the right moment and licked her lips in anticipation, then decided to just say it.

"I saw what you did."

End of Part 9

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