Disclaimer: I own nothing.
AN: And here's the final chapter of this fic. It's been fun writing this story. I thank everyone who took the time to read and review this story. Hopefully it has been an enjoyable ride for you guys as well. Now, on with the story...
Divided Devotions
Chapter 13
Clark entered the Talon and saw that he was the first one to get there. He secured their regular booth and waited for the rest of the guys to get there. He usually waited for his friends before he ordered his usual drink. But this time he placed his backpack on the table and headed for the counter.
"Hi mom!" He smiled at his mother when he reached the counter.
"Clark, shouldn't you wait until everyone gets here?" Martha gave him a disapproving look.
Clark rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I know. But every time I wait for them they always tell me that I didn't have to." He pointed out needlessly.
Martha raised her brows at his statement but got him a drink anyway.
Clark grinned appreciatively. "Thanks mom." He said cheerily before heading back to their table.
He sat comfortably and waited. Lois entered the establishment next, like usual and was chattering already.
"Damn! Traffic was awful. Classes sucked! My philosophy professor is so damn boring. I have loads of homework; I have two papers due next week. Remind me why I come here again?" Lois said all in one breath and looked at him expectantly.
Clark rolled his eyes at her greeting. "Must be the company." He replied snidely.
Lois gave him a once over before making a face at him. "I definitely don't come here for your company." She informed him haughtily. Her gaze landed on his cup of coffee and her eyes narrowed in displeasure. "You ordered without us." Her tone was filled with accusation.
"I was thirsty." He responded defensively. He forgot that Chloe and Lex were the ones who told him that he shouldn't wait for them to order. He glanced at his phone impatiently. He needed Lex and Chloe to act as mediators. His encounters with Lois were becoming more and more deplorable.
"Yeah, whatever." Lois rolled her eyes. "I'm going to get a drink, since you broke our routine already." She shot him one last accusing look before walking towards the counter.
Clark rolled his eyes at him. "Whatever." He muttered to himself.
It was another fifteen minutes before Chloe made an appearance. Clark knew that five minutes later Lex would be walking in. The two thought they were being all sneaky and stuff. But he knew that there was something going on with them.
He was not that dense. He noticed the change at the exact time that his 'DVD' was released. He still hadn't forgiven Lois for that stunt. Chloe had been acting so unlike herself days prior. All he knew was that Chloe went to the restroom and when she came back she had the biggest smile on her face. And Lex was different as well. He seemed to have taken off the weight of the world off his shoulders and he could have sworn that he saw a hint of a smile on Lex' face. Lois, well she was just Lois. She started babbling when he tried to ask Chloe and Lex what caused the attitude change.
And that was when they started their Friday night coffees. Clark had a sneaking suspicion that the coffee day was a way that the two could be seen in public, be together in public without the condemnation of the entire town, after all he and Lois acted as buffers.
He was a little miffed at the fact that they hadn't confirmed his suspicions. Neither of his best friends had told him that they were together and that made him a little…not mad exactly, but hurt.
Every Friday afternoon they would all congregate at the Talon. They would have coffee, talk about their week, complain on Lois' part, and just generally have a good time. That was precisely how he figured out the Chloe and Lex were a couple.
Chloe would always sit across from him whenever she got there, unfortunately that meant that he was sitting right next to Lois. And Lex would arrive five minutes later and would take the seat right next to Chloe. When they ordered their drinks, Chloe would usually use one hand to pick up her cup and so would Lex. He had a feeling that the two were holding hands underneath the table.
It was not as if that they were very successful at hiding their secret relationship. Majority of Smallville were not in the know. But a few people noticed a significant difference in Lex, his very own parents noticed a softening in Lex' demeanor. Even Lana seemed to have distanced herself from Lex, apparently she felt that Lex no longer took the time to be her friend, it actually cemented his own opinion of his former crush. But most of all Lex' eyes gave him away, every time his gaze landed on Chloe, there would be a certain sparkle in his eyes.
That was when the hurt, the anger disappeared for him. He knew then that whatever was going on between them, it was not just a momentary thing. He had a feeling that Chloe and Lex, they were the real thing.
And Clark was perfectly okay with that.
Lois walked back to the booth purposefully. She was looking forward to giving Clark a hard time before Lex and Chloe arrived. The two seemed intent on ruining all her fun. They would arrive and they would try and keep her from picking on her favorite farm boy.
"No sign of the two yet?" She asked Clark as she plopped down next to him. It was a strategic move on her part. If she sat across from Clark that would mean that her little cousin wouldn't be able to sit next to her bald billionaire. Oh the things she did for family.
"Nope." Clark muttered in reply as he took a sip of his coffee.
Lois frowned slightly. Usually Chloe would get there a few minutes after her and then Luthor would soon follow. She told Chloe that Lex better time his appearances more carefully if they wanted their secret relationship to remain a secret. But like clockwork, Lex would enter the Talon five minutes after Chloe came in. She had a feeling that was the amount of time that Lex could stand to be away from her cousin. It was sweet and just slightly disturbing.
"I hope they get here soon. I want to know what we should do for Chloe's birthday." Clark said rather eagerly.
"You're not planning a party are you?" She gave him a measured look. "I've heard all about your infamous parties. And I don't think that's what Chloe had in mind. Besides I think someone's got something special planned for her." A small smile played on her face. Lex had been consulting her on what to do for Chloe's birthday. Sure he dismissed most of her suggestions (including a trip to Sin City, which he shut down before she could even finish), but it was nice to be consulted.
"Who's planning something special for her?" Clark looked absolutely innocent as he posed the question.
Lois rolled her eyes. She did not see the point in Clark's innocent act. She had a feeling that he knew exactly who she was talking about. She tried to convince Chloe to tell Clark about her and Lex. But Chloe just said that the decision to tell Clark was a joint one and that Lex was not comfortable with the idea of the entire town knowing that he was romancing a senior in high school.
"Her dad. I think he's coming home for her birthday." Lois answered shortly. Uncle Gabe was really coming home for a visit. She was just relieved that her uncle knew all about the two lovebirds, otherwise it would have been hell trying to cover for the two.
"Oh that's great!" Clark smiled widely. "Maybe a party won't be such a bad idea. After all I'm going to make sure that I get the necessary parental consent."
Before Lois could reply Chloe came strolling in.
"Hey guys! Sorry if I'm late." She smiled at the two of them.
"No big. Go get a cup of coffee and get one for the mighty bald one as well. He tends to come in five minutes after you anyway." Lois grinned wickedly.
Chloe just rolled her eyes and did as she said.
"Maybe we could just put a bow around Lex' neck and give it to her." Clark suggested quietly, a sinful gleam in his eye.
"I knew you knew!" Lois said triumphantly.
Clark scoffed at her declaration. "Of course I knew. The way they look at each other is pretty hard to miss. I'm just waiting for them to tell me. In the meantime I'm keeping everything a secret."
"That's inexplicably nice of you. I didn't think you had it in you Smallville." She clapped him on the back proudly.
Clark shrugged her off. "I'm Chloe's friend; of course I'd do it for her. Besides, they look happy together." He said simply.
"Who's happy together?" Lex appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
"Just a couple of friends I have from school." Lois answered dismissively and glared at Clark half-heartedly.
Lex nodded as he slid into the seat across from them. "So where's the intrepid reporter of the group?" He looked around surreptitiously.
Lois jerked her head towards the counter. "Over there, getting your coffee."
The three of them watched as Chloe walked back to their table, holding two cups of coffee. Lex got up, took a cup from her and waited until she slid into the booth before sitting down again.
"So what are we talking about?" Chloe looked at the three of them before taking a sip of her drink.
"Clark just commented on the happiness of Lois' friends from school." Lex replied coolly.
Chloe looked at her and then at Clark skeptically. "Okay." She drawled out the word to signify how much she didn't believe what they supposedly were talking about.
"My thoughts exactly." Lex shot Chloe an amused smirk.
Lois rolled her eyes as she saw Lex' hand disappeared underneath the table. She saw the shy smile that appeared on Chloe's face. Lex' smirk vanished and a slight smile replaced it. Clark was so right about the two of them. They were happy and she couldn't help but feel happiness by association.
Lex smiled slightly as Chloe held his hand underneath the table.
It had been three months since their confrontation at the Talon. Lex was…for lack of a better word, happy. Chloe made him completely and perfectly happy. Ordinarily, he would deem it as a sign that something menacing would be in the horizon. But somehow he didn't feel like a threat was looming over him. Because despite the wonderful moments he had with Chloe, there was always a splash of reality in their relationship. His involvement with Chloe guaranteed the fact that not everything would be smooth sailing. They had disagreements and endless debates. And that made what they have far more precious than anything he possessed in his life.
He was very much aware that something was still missing from their relationship. When they cleared the air a few months ago, they agreed that they should take their relationship slow. So they went on dates, spent time together and every Fridays they would meet Lois and Clark for a cup of coffee. It was not just so they could see the two banter endlessly. It was also a test run, to see how people would react to the two of them together.
"So Chloe, what do you want for your birthday?" Lois asked eagerly, successfully grabbing his attention.
Lex shot Chloe an interested look. The past few days all she kept saying was that she didn't want anything. She was just glad that her father was coming for her birthday. So he still had no idea what to get her for her birthday. Lois tried to give him some suggestions but there was no way he was going to buy the Planet for her, give her two first class tickets to the Las Vegas, he assumed the other one was for Lois, and he was definitely not going to hire Chippendale dancers for her viewing pleasure.
And so he was at a loss. She was not easily distracted by shiny things and she was never the type of woman who would swoon at grand romantic gestures. Basically there was nothing he could get her that would send the right message.
And the message that he wished to send to her was yet another issue. Ever since she told him that she loved him there hadn't been any repeat performance. It might have had something to do with the fact that they decided to take things slow. And a profession of love was hardly taking things slow. So despite the numerous times that he was overwhelmed with the desire to blurt out those three words, he held them back.
He could remember clearly the first time he wanted to tell her. Chloe had a particular expression on her face; it was a mixture of awe, a touch of disbelief and a whole lot of adoration, of love, for him. Whenever he saw her looking at him in that way, he felt the compulsion to tell her he loved her. And yet he held back. When he finally said those words to her it would be the right time, the perfect moment.
"I don't want anything." Chloe answered impatiently.
"Come on Chlo', there must be something you want. We can throw you a party." Clark rejoined excitedly.
Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. It was a sign that she was getting tired of the same old conversation. Clark and Lois had been badgering her for the last few months, trying to convince her that there must be something she wanted so much. Chloe just patiently replied that he father was coming and she was set. She had everything she needed. And she ended each protest with a slight smile in his direction.
"A party isn't such a bad idea. We can invite all your friends and have some fun." Lois added stubbornly.
Chloe closed her eyes and took deep calming breaths. "I don't want a party. All I want is to spend my birthday with the people I love." She opened her eyes and glared at the two.
"Then how about a birthday dinner? A low-key dinner, with everyone you love." He suggested gently, so as not to aggravate her further.
Chloe looked at him thoughtfully. "And where would this event be held?" She eyed him critically.
"I would suggest my house but I have a feeling that you would just shut that down." Lex replied sardonically. Chloe was inexplicably territorial when it came to the mansion. She preferred not to have people over, particularly when she was there specifically so they could spend some quality time together. "So how about we hold this birthday dinner at the Kent Farm, provided of course that they approve of my proposition." He looked at Clark expectantly.
Clark practically pushed Lois out of the way and made a beeline for his mother. The three of them just watched as Martha smiled and looked in their direction before nodding in obvious approval.
"Seems like it doesn't matter if I agree or not anyway." Chloe said sarcastically but smiled at him brightly, which served to assure him that she was okay with his suggestion.
Lex was quite engaged by her smile that he almost missed the snort and frown that came from Lois. "Problem Lois?" He raised a brow at his girlfriend's cousin.
"Hell yeah there is! Clark and I spent weeks trying to convince her to do something special for her birthday. And she spent weeks shutting us down. One word from you and all systems are go." Lois muttered irately.
Lex leaned forward and whispered discreetly "Boyfriend's prerogative."
Lois glared at him as she leaned back on her chair. "Boyfriend's prerogative." She repeated mockingly.
Before Lex could come up with a dignified response Clark returned to their booth. "Mom loved the idea." He said happily.
Lois was still glaring at Lex and Lex was simply enjoying the warmth of Chloe's hand in his and was pointedly ignoring Lois, while Chloe simply looked on with such amusement.
"Did I miss something?" Clark looked at the three of them in confusion with a touch of resentment.
Lois rolled her eyes at the slight whine in Clark's tone and then at him when she saw him smile. Everything was perfect. Lois was thoroughly irritated, Clark was clueless and Chloe was smiling in hilarity.
Chloe squeezed his hand in obvious disapproval. Lex looked at her speculatively. She was staring at him with the very same expression that never failed to make him feel loved and always brought on the intense need to tell how that he loved her unequivocally.
Lois cleared her throat loudly which prompted her to break her staring contest with Lex. Chloe shook her head a little and looked at her cousin with interest. And then she remembered the signal.
According to Lois, whenever she looked at her boyfriend she would have a particular expression on her face. Lois called it her LFL, love-filled look. When Lois first mentioned it she did not really pay too much attention on the fact that she apparently screamed her love for Lex whenever she looked at him, in a particularly mushy way. But when Jason, for he insisted that she call him by his given name, observed the very same thing, well it just forced her to try and control her feelings better. Fortunately, Jason just thought that she had a crush on Lex. She didn't bother to deny it; as long as he believed it was one-sided it was okay. And so she recruited Lois to keep her facial expressions in check. She had no intention of pressuring Lex into telling her that he loved her. If he ever said those three, she wanted it to come from him without any outside influence, giving him LFLs definitely constituted as an outside influence.
Chloe intertwined her fingers with Lex' and gave him a small smile before refocusing her attention on Clark. "You didn't miss much. So did your mom really love the idea? Maybe it's too much to ask." She looked at everyone apprehensively.
"Of course not." Lois and Clark said in unison.
"Nonsense. I can hire a caterer so Mrs. Kent won't have to do anything but be there." Lex said pointedly.
She frowned slightly. She was still uncomfortable with the idea of anyone doing so much for her. And she was especially averse to receiving gifts from Lex. It caused a lot of friction in their relationship. Lex was particularly generous to women he dated and she was not an exemption to the rule. But she had no intention of becoming like the other women in his life. She fell in love with him; she fell for Lex and all the complexities that came with him, not with his money. Lex could not seem to accept that he could not shower her with gifts, not even if he could afford it.
"Come on Chloe. It's just dinner. Good food, good company. That's it." Clark edged back into the booth while Lois glared at him.
"How about we make a list of the people you want to be there?" Lois proposed when she was done giving Clark the death stare. She took out a pen and paper from her bag and looked at her expectantly.
Lex eyed her coolly; the ever reliable Luthor mask was firmly in place, which meant that he was going to give her yet another lecture on why he should be given the chance to spoil her once they were alone.
Chloe nodded slowly. "Okay, obviously Mr. and Mrs. Kent, after all it's going to be at their house."
"Hey, why aren't you writing my name down?" Clark scowled as he peered over Lois' shoulder.
Lois ignored him and stayed focus on her. "Who else?"
"You guys of course." Chloe looked at Lois pointedly.
"No duh. Our presence is a given. Smallville is just being an idiot. This is a guest list and we're not going to be guests, we're the ones hosting this gig." Lois finished condescendingly.
"So who else?" Clark flashed Lois a triumphant smile.
Chloe smiled slightly and tried to gauge Lex' reaction from the corner of her eye. She squeezed his hand but he remained unresponsive. "Jason, we have to invite Jason." She disengaged her hand from his and broke the contact. She felt Lex stiffen upon her declaration.
"Why would you want him to be there?" Lois made a face at her as she reluctantly wrote down Jason's name.
"Because he's my friend." She stated simply.
"And Lana? If you're inviting her boyfriend then you'll have to invite her." Clark pointed out needlessly. "I know you feel sorry for the guy but you didn't have to befriend him because you feel responsible for what happened to him." Clark said in what seemed like a mollifying tone. Chloe felt like Clark was trying to ease the sudden tension that settled over their table.
She scoffed at Clark's statement. "He became my friend even before someone got him fired." She said meaningfully.
"Lex did the right thing." Lois began but she stopped talking the moment Chloe scowled at her.
"Besides student-teacher relations are against the law." Clark added, not helping her mood at all.
"Add the fact that he almost attacked you. I say the guy had it coming." Lois once again spoke up, obviously encouraged by Clark's declaration.
Chloe sighed in exasperation. She was sick and tired of defending her friendship with Jason. He was a decent man and he already apologized profusely for what he did to her and Clark. "Look, he's my friend. The people at this table pretty much make up my entire social calendar; pardon me for trying to broaden my horizon." She said tartly.
"I offered him a job. He refused." Lex said curtly.
Jason Teague was another sore subject. She couldn't understand her boyfriend's obvious derision for her friend. She already told him that she loved him, he couldn't possibly be jealous of the other man.
"And I appreciate the gesture and he did too. But he liked coaching the football team." She said softly. The thought that Lex Luthor was able to feel jealousy was unbelievable and yet it made her feel just a little bit mushy. She reached for his hand tentatively and was glad when he took her hand in his.
"Didn't you tell her?" Clark's brows furrowed as he looked at Lex. "Lex got someone from Jason's college to hire him as an assistant coach for the football team. I was sure you knew. Lana said he started just this week."
Chloe bit her lip and lowered her gaze. She felt unexpectedly pleased at the knowledge that Lex went through lengths to get Jason another job, a job that he would actually enjoy. She met his gaze and smiled at him. Lex replaced the Luthor mask with a slight smile of his own.
She could vaguely hear someone clearing their throat but she ignored it. She didn't care if she was wearing her heart on her sleeve at that exact moment. Lex, for all his gruff exterior, would do anything to make her happy. He might not have said the words but she knew… she just knew that he loved her, as much as she loved him.
At that moment everyone else probably saw the same old Lex Luthor. His eyes though, his eyes gave everything away. It was as though he compiled his every feeling for her and gave her the opportunity to see just how much he meant to her, how much he loved her.
"Chloe!" Clark practically hollered to get her attention.
"Huh?" She answered him distractedly as she practically tore her eyes from Lex so she could meet Clark's gaze.
"Do you want to invite someone else?" Lois shook her head, a slight smile playing on her face.
Chloe ignored her cousin's amusement. "Uncle Sam, I want him to be there." She beamed at Lois.
Lois' eyes narrowed.
"It's my birthday." She reminded everyone needlessly.
"It's her party." Lex added supportively. He rubbed circles on the back of her hand before turning her palm up.
Clark was grinning from ear to ear. "Yeah, Chloe's party, Chloe's prerogative." He practically sang the words.
Chloe giggled, not because of what Clark said but because Lex was running a finger over and over on her palm.
Lois frowned at her. "You know I'm going to get you someday." She said ominously.
She shrugged indifferently. She thought Lex was just tracing random patterns. Her brows furrowed as she tried to decipher what Lex was writing on her hand.
I
Clark and Lois started their usual banter. She and Lex were used to being spectators by now. But she always paid close attention on their arguments in case they needed some intervention.
L
Clark laughed at Lois' threat. "You act like its some form of punishment having your dad over for dinner."
Chloe met Lex' gaze and rolled her eyes at the two.
O
"You don't know the general." Lois replied haughtily.
V
"You are such a drama queen." Clark muttered under his breath.
E
"I heard that." Lois glared at him just before smacking the back of Clark's head.
Y
"Ow." Clark rubbed the spot that Lois smacked and scowled at her. "One of these days I'm going to file a battery charge against you." He told her snidely.
O
"And you're calling me a drama queen. I'm the one who actually got hurt. Is you head made of steel?" Lois inquired icily as she rubbed her sore hand.
U
"Serves you right." Clark made a face at Lois.
Chloe's eyes widened when she finally put the letters together. She gasped inaudibly before and looked at Lex, who met her gaze full on. He nodded imperceptibly and her heart almost stopped. She felt overwhelmed with joy and she couldn't help but giggle giddily.
Lex was looking at her with such interest and she positively beamed at him. Everyone else was forgotten; her boyfriend just said he loved her. They were staring into each others eye; he too, was apparently ignoring everyone else.
She squeezed his hand comfortingly and turned his palm up. She traced the very same letters on his palm deliberately. Chloe held his gaze as Lex gave her the most unguarded smile.
"I know." Lex said quietly as he raised their joined hands from under the table, for the entire world to see.
Chloe could hear the hush that settled over the coffee shop. She let her eyes stray from Lex' for a quick second and she saw that Lois and Clark were staring at them unabashedly. She refocused her attention on Lex and smiled brightly when she saw love in his eyes. She had no doubt that the very same emotion was reflected in hers.
Lex placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand and she was breathless. He just publicly declared his love for her. There was a chance that the rest of the town would see her as another one of his conquests but she didn't care. She knew otherwise and that was what mattered most.
The gap between them disappeared altogether as she leaned against him, validating Lex' declaration. She brought their intertwined hands to her heart and then adjusted Lex' collar with her free hand. She knew that every eye was focused on the two of them. But she didn't care; she boldly placed a gentle kiss on his neck. When she raised her eyes to meet Lex' blue orbs she felt warmed by his gaze.
The spectators would forever marvel at their display. Each and every one of them would proudly claim that they saw the mighty Lex Luthor in love. And they would be right.
"Finally!" Lois muttered evenly as she and Clark exchanged knowing looks.
"I second that." Clark declared flippantly.
Chloe and Lex simply smiled at each other. Lex slipped out of the booth and Chloe followed wordlessly.
The way she saw it they could always watch Lois and Clark argue another day. Lex just told her he loved her and he did it simply, sincerely. She wanted to have some alone time with the man she loved. And she had every intention of getting him to say those words over and over; she had a feeling that she would get tired of hearing it. Just as she was sure that she would never get tired of saying she loved him.
She could feel Clark and Lois' stare as they walked out of the Talon. They were barely out the door when the place came alive again. She had no doubt that they were talking about her and Lex. As they walked hand in hand towards the car she felt a twinge of worry. "We made quite a spectacle there." She mumbled quietly.
Lex smiled at her. "I don't care." He said in such a carefree tone. "Let's make another one." He whispered huskily as he pulled her into his arms and crushed his lips against hers. Lex kissed her with such passion that she felt slightly heady at the sensations he was rousing in her.
"I love you." He whispered in between kissing her lips, her jaw and her neck.
Chloe pulled back slightly. "And I love you too." She kissed him chastely. "But how about we move this somewhere private? That way I can give you my undivided attention."
Lex wrapped his arms around her waist and gave her a speculative look. "And your undivided devotion?" He asked wryly, reminding her how everything began.
She leaned against him and rested her cheek against his chest. "Trust me it's yours." She murmured softly. She could hear his heart beating steadily. "You'll have my undivided devotion for always."
"And you'll have mine. For always." He tipped her chin up and kissed her gently. "Now, about this relocation proposal…"
THE END