Rated M: Mature content & theme - only for 18+

Smallville: Lex & Lana romantic pairing.

Chapter 4

The Talon was bustling today, crowds of people ordering lattes and pastries filled the room, as all kinds of people from different walks of life gather in the café. This served Lana as a distraction, as she busied herself with the orders and managing the crowds of people that were waiting for their coffee. Whenever the Talon doors opened, Lana would jerk her head to the spot, hoping she would see the tall billionare walk in. Each and everytime, Lana would be disappointed. It had ended up being longer than a few days after all, and now it had been over a week since their night together.

Although they spoke every day over the phone, Lana missed him so much, she ached. Their conversation was always brief, because either Aunt Nell was by her, she was about to go to school, or he was about to go to work. Lex was attentive over the phone, but she could tell he was busy and tense; and it made the physical distance between them all the more unsettling.

The Talon doors opened, and Lana's head jerked towards the direction. Much to her disappointment, Clark and Chloe walk in. Lana sighed, turning back to her task at hand. She could hear them approaching her, and she braced herself. Ever since the turn of events she had with Lex, she knew she has not been acting the same. It was hard for her to carry a conversation with either of them, Chloe because she was used to telling her everything, and Clark because well, besides the obvious reason that Clark was her ex-boyfriend, she also knew Clark would always have feelings for her. She knew it the moment they broke up, and she knows it now whenever he looks at her. Lana wasn't sure how she felt about that, especially now - considering all things.

It was also hard to keep the façade, ever since Lana saw Clark's father from across the street, right after Lex pulled out of her driveway, she had been struggling on how to maintain composure around Clark. Jonathan had stared at her for what seemed like hours and she had just stood there, frozen on the spot. How stupid could they have been to start kissing right across the Kent's house? Lana wasn't sure where her mind was exactly at, but she was pretty sure it was due to the haziness of being completely weak in the knees for Lex's touch - to the point where she couldn't even think clearly. She was convinced at that moment that Jonathan saw everything and it was only a matter of time when Clark would confront her about it. But much to Lana's relief, Clark showed no indication of having any idea of her and Lex's current status. In fact, he acted more perceptive and attentive towards her, making Lana feel all the more guilty. She had wondered then how much did Jonathan see, but if he did see anything – she wondered again, if this was something Jonathan would shield his son from. Lana couldn't help but think the answer was yes.

"Hey!" Chloe says excitedly. "Wow, this place is packed." She says, her long earrings jingling as she seats herself across from where Lana was preparing a latte.

Clark hovers over next to her, and smiles empathetically. "Sorry, Lana. So much for leaving early tonight."

Lana turns to them and shrugs her shoulder. "The perks of being a co-owner. I'm just happy that it's picking up. A few weeks ago, I was getting worried we were going to close."

Chloe waves her hand dismissively. "Oh, I knew it was going to pick up. Every town now knows that Lex owns this place, so everyone is going to want to come in here, hoping to catch a glimpse of him." Chloe rolled her eyes.

The sound of Lex's name made Lana tense. Her shoulders perked up and as casually as she could, she handed the latte to a staff member, as she leans on the table with her elbows.

"Well, they might have to hold their breaths. Lex isn't coming back to Smallville for awhile." Clark says, his face quietly tense, as he skims the room.

Lana tenses again. She had known this already, but hearing it out, loud elevated and anchored her uneasiness. Lex had told her he was trying to get back tonight, and she had hoped against all odds, that he would.

Lana peers up at Clark. "Have you spoken to him?" Lana ask, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

Clark rests his eyes on her and for a minute, she could see his expression wrestling with something on his mind – then he shrugs his shoulders. "No. But, I know there's a lot of issues going on with the Luthor Corp labs, things blowing up... It's a mess over there."

Lana had an unsettling feeling creep at the pit of her stomach. "How do you know this, Clark?" She asks, looking at him inquisitively.

There was silence, and Lana waited, watching the way Clark darted his eyes away from her.

"My cousin told him." Chloe suddenly chimes in, "She works at Metropolis, right by one of the Luthor Corp buildings, so I'm sure she's seen things." Chloe smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

Lana looks at her and then back at Clark. Lex didn't tell her any of this over the phone and she couldn't help but wonder why. And more so, Clark barely talks to Lex anymore, considering how tense their relationship has been, why does Clark and Chloe know more about the issue at LuthorCorp? Not wanting them to see her expression, she quickly turns away. "I better get back to work. I'll see you guys."

At the corner of her eyes, she saw Chloe look at her with a concerned expression, while Clark stares at her – a longing look spread across his face.

But Lana couldn't keep pretending anymore, she was afraid all her feelings would spill out in that very instant.

The rest of the night was almost a blur, crowds and crowds of people filled the room, jumbles and mixes of coffee and pastry, and busy waitresses were everywhere. By the time the room thinned out, Clark and Chloe were sitting in the corner of the café, talking about – of course, meteor infected people. Pete had joined them somewhere during the evening, and they were engrossed in their conversation when Lana approached them, balancing two cups of iced coffee in a tray.

"Chloe, I have to cut you off after your 3rd cup of coffee." Clark says, shaking his head in disbelief.

Chloe stands up and picks up the coffee from the tray. "Are you the coffee police now?" She asks, frowning but with an amused expression on her face.

Clark throws his hands up. "You're jumping off your chair."

Chloe rolls her eyes and take a large sip of coffee, eyeing Clark at the same time.

"Why do you even bother, Clark?" Pete says.

In spite of herself, Lana couldn't help but laugh. She turns on her heel towards the counter, when she hears Clark walking behind her.

"Lana…" Clark starts, hands in his pocket, his hazel eyes twinkling with shyness.

Lana turns to him as she walks around the counter, setting the tray down. She could tell Clark was trying to say something. He had that same expression whenever he spoke to her alone, as if he's been keeping something bottled up inside, and he couldn't wait any longer.

"The homecoming dance is coming up." He finally says.

Lana stops midway at her task. She has been so engrossed in everything that happened with Lex, that she had forgotten about the homecoming dance. Of course, it was coming up, and of course Clark was going to mention it. She takes a deep breath, hands slightly shaking as she places a scone in the display case. Finally, she looks at Clark. Silently, she prayed he wouldn't continue - but he did.

Clark smiles shyly at her. The beautiful shy smile that always made her heart melt. "I realize this might be a little late, and you could very well already be going with someone, but I was thinking – if you don't have anyone to go with… Would you want to go to the dance with me?"

Lana's mind raced. Her thoughts immediately went to Lex. What would he think? Wouldn't it only be fitting that her and Lex would go together considering all things? Immediately, she berated herself. Don't be silly, Lana. Why would Lex want to go to a stupid homecoming dance? And what would people think? It would be the biggest taboo in a small town like Smallville; if anyone ever found out that she was in a relationship with an older guy – and not just some older guy, the Lex Luthor – it could create havoc.

This shouldn't be surprising that Clark would ask her. It would only be fitting, considering Clark's feelings for her was not as secretive as he thought it was. Truth be told, she cared about Clark, deeply. And if she never knew Lex, Clark would be without a question her only choice. He was the kindest human being she ever met, and it always broke her heart to see him hurt. And as she looked into Clark's hopeful eyes, and unsure stance – she knew what her answer would be.

"Of course, Clark." Lana responds.

Clark broke into a smile, and Lana herself couldn't help but smile back, in spite of it. She always liked to see him happy.

The homecoming dance was apparently in a week, and Clark had it all planned out. He would pick her up at 7pm with a Range Rover they rented. He told her he didn't ask Lex, because he wanted to do it on his own. Lana thankfully prayed in silence that he didn't. Chloe was going with a guy from the yearbook committee, and Pete was going with a girl from the track team. They were all going in the Range Rover together. By the time they had finished discussing the homecoming dance, it was closing time, and Lana was mentally exhausted.

Clark and Chloe offered to stay with her until closing time, but Lana politely declined. She was desperate for time alone to gather her thoughts. When the last costumer left, Clark gave her a hug, and she warmly welcomed his embrace. There was always something about Clark that comforted Lana, even in the midst of her sadness, and now her desperate ache for Lex.

As she began to start turning off the coffee machines and closing the register, the phone to The Talon rang. Thinking Aunt Nell was calling to check up on her, Lana took her time walking over to the phone.

"Hello?" She greeted, sitting down on a stool and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey." The voice of Lex greeted her on the other line, and Lana immediately perked up. She had spoken to Lex in the morning, and usually they wouldn't speak again until the following day – so to say she was surprised was an understatement.

"Lex… Hi." She breathed out, ridiculously relieved to hear his voice.

She heard him take a deep sigh, and she could hear the exhaustion in his voice when he began speaking. "I'm still stuck here. My dad left so much work for me. I can't seem to catch up. There was large malfunction in one of the machines at the lab, I'm over here now."

This was maybe what Clark was talking about, and Lana was strangely relieved to hear Lex finally talk to her about it. "Do you know how it happened?" She asked curiously, her brows furrowing.

She could almost see Lex's blue eyes sparkle with frustration. "No, we're trying to figure that out right now. But, I wanted to give you a call first…" There was a pause, she could hear him shift. "I was planning to go see you tonight, I don't know if that'll be happening." The regret in his voice was tangible, and Lana wanted to somehow reach over and touch him.

"I understand, Lex." Lana tried to sound understanding, but the disappointment in her voice was evident, and she could almost see Lex looking at her, eyes softening at her demeanor.

Another pause, and then she heard him take another deep breath. "I have to be in France in two days, apparently there was another explosion in one of the headquarters."

Lana's heart sank immediately, but she was more than ever concerned about Lex. "What is going on? Why are there so many explosions at Luthor Corp?"

There was a pause, "Who told you this?" His voice sounded slightly impatient.

"Word gets around here quick." Lana responds, her mind racing. Something told her that mentioning Clark was not a good idea.

She heard Lex shift. "I'm sure it does." He says, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Lana frowned, "Why didn't you tell me about this?" Lana pressed.

There was another pause.

Lana waited, slightly regretting her choice of words.

"I didn't know you needed to know, Lana. We don't even know what the cause of it is." Lex finally said. "Don't worry, it's not going to affect The Talon" Lex continues, irritation now imminent in his voice.

Lana couldn't help but feel a tinge of anger. "Is that all you think I care about?" She asked, frustration now boiling in her stomach.

"No." Lex responded quickly. She heard him take another deep breath. "I didn't mean that." He says, his voice sounding defeated.

Lana swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling defeated as well. "Lex, you sound exhausted and this sounds dangerous."

He pauses, and she heard him gulp. "You don't have to worry about me, Lana. I promise."

Lana couldn't help but wonder if this promise was empty.

"How long will you be gone for?" She finally asks, trying to abate the shakiness in her voice. She wasn't sure if she was angry because he didn't think it was important to tell her about Luthor Corp, or because he was leaving for France in two days, or both. All she knew was that she was tired and upset.

"If I could bring you here and take you to France with me, I would. But, I don't know how well it would go over with your aunt." He pauses, and then continues, "A few days - three the most." He finally responds, a slight break in his voice could be heard.

Lana wanted to ask him if a few days meant a week, but she held her tongue. She didn't want to sound clingy or needy, especially not to Lex Luthor.

Not just a month ago, another week wouldn't have been so ominent for Lana. Lex traveling wasn't uncommon. In the past, he had been gone longer than two weeks, and although Lana did miss him, they were also in completely different circumstances at that time. Having Lex gone for another week, considering everything that had just recently taken place between them, felt devastating.

Lana found herself unable to speak and Lex sighs. "I wish I could see you right now." He says, his voice sounding as if he wanted to say those words for so long.

Lana closed her eyes. In spite of her frustration, she couldn't help but sigh, "Me too..." She responds.

There was a small, but distinct unresolved tension between them when they hung up the phone. Lana could feel it in the air. Although she's had many disagreements with Lex before, this felt different. It was their first fight not as friends or as business partners, but as something much more than that, and it made her feel uneasy. She had the sudden urge to call him again, but instead she ruminated over their conversation. By the time she left The Talon, Lana was beside herself.

She couldn't bear the thought of coming home to her room, tossing and turning again. Somehow, she found herself driving her way to the castle, not knowing why, since she knew Lex wouldn't be there. Much to her surprise, the gates opened for her and she was greeted by Lex's butler with no type of resistance.

Rather, he opened the door for her. "Come in, Ms. Lang." He says, motioning his hand to let her in to the large foyer.

Lana stepped in, and looked at him quizzically. "Thank you." She turns to him in question, and before she could utter the words, the butler smiled.

"Mr. Luthor instructed us to always let you in, even if he's not here." He says, smiling politely.

Lana stares at him in surprise, but she nods her head, acting as if this was completely natural, so as to not give away how deep her relationship with Lex truly was. Although, she highly doubted Lex's butler had things go over his head.

In spite of their recent disagreement, she couldn't help feel elated that Lex trusted her and allowed her to be in his home without his presence. It made her feel special. A fleeting thought occurred that perhaps he did this with every woman he was with, but she pushed it out of her mind – determined not to be spoiled from this newfound discovery. For the first time, she found herself exploring the castle, she visited the office first of course, to give Nell a call. Lana found herself blatantly lying, telling her aunt that she'll be sleeping over at Chloe's house. A part of her felt guilty, but a larger part of her more than anything, needed to be in the castle.

She found her way through one of the massive dining rooms that could house an entire ballroom party, and walked into the large indoor pool that had a glass rooftop allowing the moon and stars to shine reflectively down on the pool. Finally, much to Lana's excitement, she explored the impossibly humongous library with endless amounts of books stacked on wall-to-wall bookcases that practically reached the high cathedral ceilings. Lex had often told her to visit the library, and she wondered why didn't visit sooner. It was magnificent and breathtaking.

Lana practically skipped from bookcase to bookcase, completely thrilled by the boundless amount of choices. She found herself skimming through books for hours, sitting in one of the large comfortable couches, and getting lost in the pages. She wondered how many books Lex has read, and figured given his genius intellect, she wouldn't be surprised if he probably has read almost all of them.

Hours passed by, and when Lana finally looked up from the book, it was past midnight. She found herself instinctively walking to Lex's room, somehow remembering her way through the hallways, past several rooms, then his office, until she reached the last room at the end. She pushed the heavy door open, and paused. Aside from the fireplace that was lit, the room was dark. Lex's massive king-sized bed was situated at the center of the room, impossibly high ceilings made his room feel all the more empty without him. Tentatively, Lana took off her pants and shirt, and crawled under the bed sheet. The bed felt luxurious, just the way she remembered it the first night she slept on it with Lex. Yet somehow, it felt strange and empty.

In an attempt to comfort herself, Lana hugged the sheet closer to her, and the smell of Lex's familiar scent enveloped her immediately. The comfort of his scent and the warmth of the sheets, coupled with the fire crackling next to her, immediately relaxed her body. She could feel her lids getting heavy almost instantaneously, and soon she was fast asleep.