Title: Breaking Chloe Sullivan

Summary: Her strength is intriguing him, her fire captivating him, but can she survive his interest? Lex decides it's time to find out, what exactly will it take to break Chloe Sullivan?

Shipping: Chlark Chlex mostly Chlark

Major Characters: Chloe Clark Lex

Author's Note: Okay so now the story is just pouring out of me! I love it when it's like this! I hope you like it too! I finished this chapter right after fifteen, which was done right after fourteen! I am just spacing them out for when the inevitable writer's block surfaces. I hope you like it!

Reviews: Thanks for all your reviews guys! I check my e-mail all the time just waiting for them! If you read the story and don't review, please please please start reviewing!

Previously:

Chloe

She could never tell him. With his morals and his righteous judgment, Clark would never understand. God she could see him now, betrayal on his face and horror in his eyes as he asked her how she could do that. How she could sleep with an evil person. But he wasn't evil. Lex wasn't evil. Some of the things he had done were evil. She knew that, she wasn't stupid. She hadn't gone to him not knowing who he was. She had gone knowing fully what he was capable of. But she knew him and he wasn't evil. He was broken. Like her. And Clark would never understand.

Clark

Why couldn't Lana just accept his secret the way Chloe had? As he flew out the window he had the urge to go tell Chloe. He wanted to tell her everything. Maybe because he wanted to know what she was keeping from him, and he thought that if he opened up to her she would do the same. Or maybe just because he was tired of keeping the secret from everyone. With his dad gone, his mom away all the time, and Pete in a different state, he really had no one to talk to. And she was always the one he could go to. Maybe she could handle it. If Pete could, why couldn't Chloe? Of course she could, she would probably only be mad at him for not telling her sooner. Maybe he should tell Chloe his secret.

Lex

An image surfaced, one from ten years ago. She was in agony, and he standing there watching. Just watching. But he remembered what her screams had made him feel. He was feeling it now. This ripping, tearing feeling, in his gut. He'd seen the betrayal on her face and it had cut into him. How could he have done that to her? To the woman he lo- Get a grip Lex. What mattered was that his plan was working. She would come back to him, she wouldn't have a choice. Now that she was tainted by him she couldn't go running to Clark for comfort. It would be him now. He would be her first choice. She would be with him by choice. She would stay with him.

Ch. 16 Secrets

She still hadn't figured it out. Two more days and nights of the questions bombarding her thoughts and she still hadn't figured out why he had wanted her to beg him. Something to do with control. That had to be it. It was so simple and obvious that he wanted to control her. But that would just as easily be achieved without her begging. And that wasn't the only thing he was keeping from her.

There was something else and she couldn't put her finger on it. He was hiding something from her, she could see it in his eyes when he looked at her. Just something that she didn't recognize. No matter how many times she revisited the memory she couldn't pinpoint what it was. Sometimes she thought it was guilt and other times she thought it was compassion. Most of the time she knew it was want, but sometimes she thought it was need. And there was such an immense distance between the two. It felt like he had so many things he was hiding.

There was this wall, this wall he had built around himself, so thick and high Chloe wasn't sure she had even breached it. She wanted to believe that she had, wanted to believe the long nights spent together meant something to him. But it was so hard to know what was real and what was just an act, he was so good at pretending. So are you.

It was true, the wall he had was similar to her own, the one she had been building around herself for years. Except Lex's was perfect, strong, and whole… and hers had chinks, hers was crumbling in places, hers had been knocked down, first by Clark, and now… Lex was trying to make his own hole. No matter how hard she tried to keep people out they still found their way in.

But it was more than that. Sometimes it was almost as if Lex was already inside. He knew things about her, things about the way she reacted to him, things about what had happened to her that made her do what she had done… what she was doing.

All these secrets he was keeping from her. Why did it feel like he knew all of hers?

Lex waited patiently for her to come back to him. He replayed what they had done over and over in his mind, seeing her face, seeing her body, feeling her skin and her body against his. Every time he allowed the memory to fully surface he had to stop himself from going over to her apartment, from calling her cell phone or the Daily Planet.

Just her voice, he just wanted to hear her voice, see her smile, hear her laugh. But he couldn't. He couldn't go to her. She had to come to him, his entire plan was based on it. Sometimes doubt would creep into his mind, and each time he crushed it back down. She would come.

And she did. Two nights later. And the night after that. And the night after that. And the night after that. Every night for the past ten days she had come to him. Now he could look around his penthouse and be filled with memories. Memories of her on the desk, against the wall, on his kitchen counter, on the couch, on the rug, on the dining room table, and the hardwood floor. Everywhere except the bed.

The bed he had been saving. Saving for when he thought the time was right. And that time turned out to be tonight. When he had picked her up and carried her there he had expected the surprise that he saw on her face. She knew that he viewed his bed as important, that somehow his bed represented a deeper part of him. It was more intimate than any of the places they had used before. But that wasn't it. He'd taken many women to his bed.

It wasn't his bed that was so sacred to him, so difficult for him to deal with. It was Chloe on his bed. That was what he couldn't handle, or hadn't been able to handle until now. Chloe thought she had him figured out, or at least that part of him, but she didn't know the real reason he had been waiting.

He had to make sure he could control himself.

The last time he had just imagined having her in bed with him, not actually had her but just envisioned what it would have been like, his mind had taken him to disastrous places. All those years ago when he had pictured their first night in bed together that part of him he had locked away for so long managed to escape the vault he had locked it in…

Everything escalates, and she can't say no, she has no time for protest in between his kisses and her moans. Finally, finally he can touch her, he can feel her, the way he has wanted to for so long. They're on the bed now, and his lips trail down from her neck. Her hands grip his shoulders, and she shivers in delight the lower he goes.

But she is moving too much, her hands are driving him crazy. So he grabs them, forces her arms above her head, and now he's back in control. Except his fingers are interlacing with hers... his lips are gentle on her skin... his advances are slowing and now he's looking at her.

Just looking. Taking in everything about this woman who has stolen the one thing he had never intended to give away. His mouth opens and now he's about to say something. Heart pounding, still trying to catch his breath and he's going to say something.

Skin on skin, he has her, he has her! But he's going to say it, he's going to tell her that deep dark secret that she's unwittingly torn from the locked corner of his heart, of his soul. With her hands, with her lips, with her eyes, and with everything she is, she's taken it from him and now he's going to tell her. He's going to say, "I love you."

But he hadn't. He had made sure that those three words had never left his lips. And now she was lying beside him, the sheets pulled up over her chest, losing the fight against sleep, exhausted from what they had just finished doing. He looked at her, her skin glistening and flushed. His hands itched to simply pull back the sheets and admire the perfection of her body, but she looked so peaceful, and he didn't want to do anything that might end this moment.

Lex looked at her lips, remembering how they had felt moving with his, how they had felt when she had kissed his neck and his chest. His skin was still burning with the memory. Her mouth had been open and moaning, calling his name over and over again.

That was one of his favorite parts. When she said his name. Because that meant she knew she was with him. With him. By choice. Because she wanted to be. It was the same reason he always made sure she kept her eyes open. Because she had to know she was with him. Not with Clark. With him.

He looked at her hands, fifteen minutes ago her fingers had been digging into his back, clinging to him. Now they rested gently, one on her stomach, one next to him. He wanted to reach out and take her hand in his, meld them together with interlacing fingers as their bodies had been melded before. Sitting propped up on one elbow, he was just watching her. Her breathing had gotten deeper, and he was sure she was asleep. She must have been tired, because she'd never fallen asleep before.

Always she had waited only a few moments to catch her breath and then she had pushed him away to put her clothes back on. He dreaded that moment. Dreaded not being inside her, dreaded the cold that descended when she walked out his door. She never stayed for very long after, just long enough for a short conversation, just long enough to ask him what he was keeping from her and long enough for him to avoid her questions. Then she would leave. And it always felt like she was taking the air with her.

Lex wasn't sure how long he had been watching her, but he didn't want to stop. He inched closer to her underneath the covers, wanting to feel her skin against his. When his body touched hers she turned her head towards him. But she wasn't awake, just responding as he brushed the hair away from her face. Gently, he ran his fingers over her skin. Down her cheek and her neck, down her arm and across her collarbone. He could stay here forever with her beside him, just feeling her skin.

But she opened her eyes, groggy and confused as they looked at him.

"Hi," she said and he felt a smile curve his lips. He watched her stretch, felt her move beside him, and he had a sudden longing to always wake up with that face being the first thing he saw.

"Hi."

"What time is it?" Lex glanced at the clock on the dresser behind her.

"2:56."

"That late? Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Because you looked like you were tired."

"Yeah I had to get up really early this morning to follow a lead with Clark… and well… between being over here late last night and having to get up early I didn't get much sleep." Not even the mention of Clark could bring Lex down off the high he was feeling.

"I should get going." That knocked him off his cloud and brought him back to reality in an instant. He hated himself for the wave of sadness that threatened to drown him. It was weakness and he knew it, but he couldn't help but start to miss her before she was even gone.

"Chloe it's 3 in the morning." She looked at him and instantly he regretted what he'd said. Come on Lex pull it together! How could he remain in control when he wanted her to stay so badly? But now she was looking at him like she had latched onto something, like she had finally figured out one of his secrets. She wasn't supposed to know. His entire plan might fall to pieces if she realized his weakness.

"Do you want me to stay Lex?"

Everything hinged his answer to this question. He wanted to say yes. Just one word. But it would mean that she would realize his feelings ran deeper than just this physical need he portrayed. If he said no he would have to see the hurt and possibly acceptance in her eyes that she wasn't good enough for even a man like him to care about. It's possible he could drive her away, and that would ruin everything.

It was an impossible question for him to answer. He wanted to say no, just to keep her at arms length. But he wanted to say yes, so he could pull her close to him again. The choice had to be hers, even if he wanted to make it for her.

"You can stay if you want to." She looked at him, as if trying to pierce into his soul with her eyes. In the end she didn't say anything.

Instead she pushed him down on his back and pressed her head into his chest, right above his heart. She wrapped her arm around his waist and snuggled into his body, pulling his arm around her. And that was the way Lex fell asleep, with her sleeping in his arms, and a warmth surrounding him that he never wanted to let go.

It was a weird feeling, both good and strange at the same time, to wake up in someone's arms. Chloe didn't really want to move. It was the weekend, she didn't have to go anywhere, she could just stay in bed with Lex all day. In bed with Lex… this was definitely a new step in their relationship. Were they even in a relationship? Not a normal one, that's for sure. A messed up one. But it seemed like a messed up relationship suited their messed up personalities.

His arms felt strong around her, and she felt safe, just nestled into his chest like this. She could hear his heartbeat, a dull thudding sound beneath his skin. With each breath she was lifted by his body and then lowered slowly again. Chloe lifted herself up just a little, to look at his face. Right now he could be anybody, someone who was normal, who wasn't a tyrant doing his best to control more than his share of the world.

His face was so peaceful. Without thinking about it she bent down and kissed his lips gently, feeling his scar beneath her mouth. He had asked her to stay. Well no… but he had wanted to. Hadn't he? Yes, yes he had. She had seen it in his eyes and in his hesitation to answer her last night. Was that his secret? Did he care about her? Did he need her?

Chloe tried to think about anyone else that Lex was close to and came up empty. His father was someone who had deprived him of love until everything Lex had done was either to impress or undermine Lionel. Everything Lionel had ever done to him was a test, and Lex had finally decided that he had to prove himself to his dad for his dad to love him. He had such a warped view of love. Love wasn't something you could earn.

Clark had been his friend once but that had turned into a disaster. They hated each other now. Chloe could see it on Lex's face whenever she mentioned Clark's name. Whatever Clark's secret was, Lex wasn't going to rest until he found it out. He was like that. When he wanted to know something it consumed him, it became an obsession.

That was the other reason why Chloe thought he was hiding something from her. He had never asked her what had happened. He had never asked why she had disappeared or where she'd gone. How long had he known she was Lois Lane? If he had discovered what had happened why wasn't he telling her? Didn't he think she could handle it? Or was it really that terrible?

He wasn't the only one who had obsessive tendencies. She would find out what he knew sooner or later, preferably the former rather than the latter. But for now she was happy just to be with him. Just to have someone who understood. Chloe kissed him gently again, and this time he responded. She felt his hand on the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair, his other arm tightening his grip around her. He deepened the kiss, his tongue running over her lips until she opened them. It was nice just to kiss him, to feel his lips moving with hers, to feel his skin beneath her fingers and his arms around her.

Pulling back he smiled at her. "Good morning."

"Good morning." She was smiling too, and anyone looking in from the outside would have thought they were blissfully happy and in love. For a moment she believed it too.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Good, you?"

''Good. Are you hungry?"

"Starving," Chloe replied with a smile. What was this game they were playing? Was it even a game?

"Well if you'll let me get up I can make breakfast." He was going to make her breakfast? He knew how to cook? Chloe's head was spinning so fast she wasn't sure what to do next.

"What if I want to keep you in bed all day?"

Lex smirked at her, the muscles in his abdomen and arms flexing as he pushed himself up and pulled her underneath him. "That can be arranged." She was smiling at his playfulness, at this side of Lex she had never seen before, and then he was kissing the smile off her face.

She didn't want to ruin the moment, but she wanted to test him. She wanted to see what their relationship was evolving into. So when his mouth left hers to explore other patches of sensitive skin Chloe asked him, "What about breakfast?"

Lex groaned from where his mouth was buried at the base of her neck. "You really want breakfast?" He trailed his fingers down to her hip bone, teasing her.

"Mmm," Chloe moaned softly as his teeth gently nipped her skin. Did she really want him to stop? Now he was tracing the curve of her ear with his tongue. Chloe felt goose bumps prickle her arms and legs.

"You're sure?" he whispered enticingly in her ear. No she wasn't. Not at all. What was the point of this again? Oh yeah. A test. She needed to test him.

"Yes."

He growled and kissed her hard on the mouth again, and now Chloe would have been helpless had he chosen to continue. But he didn't. He stopped. And kissing her on the forehead he rolled off of her and slid out from under the covers to walk across the room to his dresser and slip on a pair of red satin pajama pants. Throwing her the matching long sleeve button up top he paused in the doorway.

"If I'm going to make you breakfast can you at least wear that for me?"

"Why? Do you think I'll look sexy?"

"Chloe," he said seriously. "You always look sexy." Chloe smiled at him and watched him leave the room.

Why couldn't it always be like this? She got up and put the shirt on, walking out to the kitchen, which was about three times larger than hers. Not like it mattered, she never used hers anyway. He was pulling out ingredients for pancakes and eggs.

"You know how to make pancakes?"

"Don't you?"

"If I have a recipe. Can I help?"

"Yes, you can make the eggs."

"How do you like yours?"

"Scrambled."

"Me too."

Their conversation was easy, meaningless. Just playful comments back and forth. There had never been this kind of flirting between them and Chloe was enjoying it. For awhile things seemed almost normal. But after breakfast, when they were cleaning up, she couldn't help herself, she had to ask, she had to know.

"Hey Lex?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you want me to stay?" He hesitated, pausing in between opening the cupboard and putting the plates in. Chloe sipped from her coffee mug, waiting.

"You wanted to stay. I asked you remember?"

"Yeah but you hesitated Lex. There are two reasons you would have done that. One, you didn't want me to stay but you thought that if you shoved me out the door I wouldn't want to come back and you wouldn't get any from me anymore. Or two, you wanted me to stay, and for whatever reason you didn't want me to know. I think it's the second one."

Lex turned around to face her. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you just made me breakfast."

Chloe watched as the wheels turned in his head and felt nervousness turn her stomach into knots. She didn't want him to be mad when he figured it out. "That was a test? Breakfast was a test?"

"I wanted you to make me breakfast Lex. But yes, it was test." She expected annoyance, maybe even anger, but instead he started to laugh softly under his breath, shaking his head. "What?"

"You never fail to surprise me Chloe." There was admiration in his voice.

"The feeling is somewhat mutual Lex."

"How so?"

"Why haven't you asked me?"

"Asked you what?" He knew what she was talking about, she could see it in the way his hands gripped the counter tighter, turning his knuckles white.

"Asked me what happened, asked me why I left Smallville and disappeared."

"I figured you would tell me when you wanted to."

"Bull shit!"

The words flew out of her mouth harshly and immediately she wanted to take them back. Because suddenly the air in the room changed. Gone was the carefree atmosphere of the-morning-after that they had both been enjoying. Now there was a tension so tangible Chloe could taste it on her tongue. She set her coffee mug down, walking over to him, gently taking his hand. There was only the slightest resistance as she led him back to the bedroom, back onto the bed.

She sat cross legged facing him and he leaned against the headboard, stretching his legs out. Chloe traced designs across the back of his hand held captive on her lap. "I'm sorry." He didn't say anything and Chloe felt her face fall a little. She wanted him to tell her everything was okay, she didn't want to fight. But it had to be done and all of the happiness drained out of her with a sigh as she said, "I don't believe you Lex."

"Why?" His voice was monotone, betraying no emotion, but she could see the tension in his jaw.

"I know you." Why was that phrase such a repeating motif in their relationship? "You always want to know everything. If you didn't know what had happened you would never let it go, not until you had exhausted every possible resource within your reach, and even then you would have gone farther!" Chloe took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "Why can't you tell me the truth Lex? How long have you known that I was Lois Lane?"

"Ever since you took her name, got a birth certificate and a driver's license." His answer was weary, as if holding onto the secret and then releasing it was exhausting him.

"Why didn't you come and find me?"

"You were doing fine on your own. And besides, you would have never accepted help from me anyway."

"Lex why didn't you tell me?" She didn't deny it, she wasn't sure if she would have taken his help or not.

"I didn't think it mattered."

"Didn't think it mattered! Lex do you have any idea what I went through!"

"Yes Chloe! Yes I do!" He pulled his hand from her grasp, getting off the bed pacing across the room. Chloe stood, ready to follow him.

"No you don't!" It was a reflex answer, because she had never told anyone about the man who waited for her in every dark corner and in every haunted nightmare. But when he didn't say anything, her confidence wavered. She stepped closer, trying to read his eyes. "Do you?"

He looked away from her. "No."

"Do you know how much it would have meant to me? To have someone know that I was still alive?"

"You could have told someone anytime Chloe. Smallville and everyone you knew and loved was still there! Tell me Chloe, why didn't you go back?"

"Stop it Lex! Stop it!" She didn't want to go here, didn't want to face these demons again. But he wouldn't let her escape, he advanced towards her, backing her against the wall.

"Why didn't you go back Chloe?"

"Lex don't." Her voice was breaking, she sounded so pathetic. She felt tears prick the backs of her eyelids and with every bit of willpower she possessed Chloe told herself she would not cry.

"Why Chloe? Did you decide you hated it there? Did you figure out that you didn't fit there? That there was no place for you in that small town? Did you finally admit that to yourself?"

"Lex stop…please stop…" She was shaking now, holding her hands up as if to ward him off but all he did was come closer.

"Did you finally admit that everyone you thought had cared about you didn't? Did you finally realize that Clark would never love you? Did you finally realize that what had happened to you had changed you into a person he could never love?"

"This has nothing to do with Clark!"

"Admit it to yourself! You're more like me than him! And you know it Chloe. You know it."

His words bit into her, each one a knife that stabbed through her heart. Because she knew it was true. She wasn't good enough for him. She wasn't. Not anymore. She probably never had been. No one could love her now, she was dirty, defiled, broken beyond recognition. Chloe felt the tears streaming down her face and she hated herself for it.

Pushing Lex away she grabbed her clothes and ran into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door. She didn't come out until she was dressed and until she had control over herself. He was gone. The penthouse was empty. Chloe left with sorrow draped over her like a cape. She would never speak to him again. Not after that.

But he never told you. He knew. He knew what had happened to her during that missing year. Chloe knew it in her bones and even though she never wanted to see his face again, she knew she would come back to him. Because he still had all those secrets. And in those secrets he kept locked away from her there were answers.

He had all the answers to her questions.

Clark was sitting in her apartment, waiting for her when she got back. He'd been there for three hours, waiting. He'd wanted to call her but told himself not to, wherever she was it was her business. But it hurt. For reasons he didn't want to explore or understand, it hurt that she had spent the night with someone else. He knew that they had never spent the night together in the sense that the phrase was most widely used for but that didn't matter.

He told himself she had been working. He told himself she had just spent the night at a friend's. But as far as he knew she wasn't working on any solo projects, and she didn't really have any friends other than him. As much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, he was jealous. He was jealous of whoever it was that she obviously needed more than him.

This had been going on for almost two weeks, her avoidance of him and the end of their late nights together. At first he'd shrugged it off, then he had made up excuses, like that she was working. But he wasn't stupid, he knew that she was seeing someone. That had hurt. But this… this was the first time she had ever spent the night there. And he was mad at her for not telling him. He was mad at whoever this guy was from stealing Chloe away from him. But mostly, Clark was mad at himself.

He shouldn't be sitting here wringing his hands like this, he shouldn't be upset. They were only friends, Chloe could be with whoever she wanted, she deserved to have someone like that in her life. He didn't understand why it made him so mad, why it made him want to figure out who it was and go punch him in the face. Clark couldn't figure out why he was so jealous. They were just friends.

When he began convincing himself to leave, to just let it go, that was when she opened the door. "Clark? What are you doing here?"

"I have something to tell you."

"Okay. Any reason you couldn't call?" She walked in and put her purse on the counter. He watched her from his seat at the kitchen table.

"Chloe…" Why was this so uncomfortable for him? He'd decided he wanted to tell her, why couldn't he just come out and say it? Because what if she runs away? What if she runs away to the normal guy she's been with and I never see her again?

"Yeah?"

"Where were you?" Immediately he saw her defense system hit DefCon 1.

"No where."

"Chloe."

"What?"

"Come on Chloe, you think I can't tell when you're lying?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm your friend, and I care about you."

"Then leave it alone."

Clark got up and went to stand in front of her, taking in her bloodshot eyes. She'd been crying. Immediately Clark felt his body tense, his hands close into fists. He wanted to go break whatever or whoever it was that had hurt her.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Chloe."

"God Clark! I hate it when you talk to me like that!"

"Like what?"

" 'Chloe,' like you're this high and mighty person who can read my mind and knows that whatever I've done is wrong!"

"Come on Chloe! You know that's not how I mean it." This wasn't what he wanted. He hadn't wanted to fight with her, he'd wanted to share something with her. "I'm sorry Chloe… I didn't want to fight."

He watched her take a deep breath, watched some of the fire leave her eyes. "I'm sorry too Clark, I didn't mean to bite your head off." She walked over to the coffee maker and he saw her smile. "You made coffee?"

"Yeah," Clark said sheepishly, running a hand through his hair. "I meant to make breakfast too… but when I got here you were gone so…"

Something dark and hard crossed her expression but it was gone as quick as it had come. "Well thanks for the coffee Clark." She poured herself a cup, and went to go sit on the couch.

"So…" Clark followed her, sitting down and twisting to face her. "So who is he?"

"Who is who?"

"The guy Chloe? I'm not that stupid."

"Are you sure about that?" She laughed at him and he smiled back. This was how it was supposed to be, not yelling and screaming, just teasing and laughter.

"Most of the time." Clark laughed at his own expense, just enjoying being here. "So you're not going to tell me are you?"

"Not a chance."

"Oh come on!"

"Nope."

"Well…" Did he really want to talk about this? Yes, he would be a good friend, he would ask all the right questions, even if it was killing him inside. "Well do you like him?"

Chloe laughed again, "Seriously Clark? Umm yeah… I like him."

"Does he treat you right?" This time she hesitated, and he caught it. "What happened?"

"Well, we kind of got in a fight."

"About what?"

"Things." Why did it hurt that he wouldn't tell her?

"Okay… have you apologized?"

"There is no way in hell I am going to apologize."

"Oh, so his fault?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Well if he cares about you and I'm sure he does, he'll apologize Chloe. It'll be okay."

"How do you know?"

"I don't I guess… but if he cares he will."

"Thanks Clark."

"What are friends for?"

"Speaking of which, what did you want to tell me?"

"Umm nothing."

"Are you sure?"

She was looking at him, just waiting. It would be so easy, just to let it all tumble out. But he couldn't. Not now. Something was stopping him and he wasn't sure what. It felt like she was already slipping away from him and he didn't want to do anything that might push her farther away. He could ignore the fact that she was keeping secrets if she wouldn't ask about his.

"Yeah, I'm sure.

Hey how was that? PLEASE review! I really want to know what you think! Reviews will keep me posting more chapters faster!