Shameless Upon Waking, NC-17

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

Distribution: I have posted these stories and have control of them on this site. I don't want them to be posted anywhere else unless I'm the one posting them. Please take down my stories if you have them posted on another archive site. I understand I can't stop you from doing this but I hope by asking politely you'll respect my work and my wishes. If anyone has more comfort and convenience saving the text of a story to their own computer, I have no problem with that.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel. Hopefully at least one more part up tonight.

Shameless Upon Waking
Part One


He hesitated in the dim service corridor, his eyes finally registering the person in front of him as real.

Dammit, I should have known.

”Chloe, are you crazy!? There’s been a chemical spill and you have to leave. Clark should already be outside,” he said sternly to the blond huddled in the doorway.

They were going to put her in that room forever and never let her out. She would be there, alone, forever because she was never going to get well. The man would keep her there and tie her up and make sure she never saw another sane face.

She whimpered and it wasn’t a nice sound, not even as nice as the mocking snickers he sometimes received from his lover. He didn’t have time to figure out what was wrong, but he could get her to safety.

“I’m sorry. I don’t have time. I don’t care if you’re investigating, it’s dangerous here. I’ll walk you to the exit.”

Lex moved forward and was startled when she dropped down to the floor, gasping. Her fingernails were digging into her elbows, her arms crossed tightly across her chest. Sweat was beading on her forehead and when he got closer her realized she was desperately pale except for two feverish patches of flushed skin on the apples of her cheeks.

His heart dropped and started to ache. She was infected.

“Chloe, Chloe! Stay with me. Shit! Stay awake.” He fumbled for his cellphone and found there was no signal. He would have to get her up to a higher level.

She let him lift her to her feet and hold her to his body, but she stubbornly clung to the wall. Lex slid her arms around his neck and felt the familiarity take over as her fingers ran over his bare scalp.

“Lex . . . “ Her voice was soft and frightened, but cognizant. He grasped her tighter and she pushed herself into his body. She was starting to shake violently, but managed to pull herself away far enough to tilt her face to his.

Chloe didn’t know how or why Lex had arrived in her dream, but he was there and the fear was afraid of him. His broad shoulders and beautiful anger would protect her from it.

She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth, the smirking corner that always lifted up in amusement about two seconds before the other corner could catch up. He didn’t move his mouth over to push his tongue into hers, so she did it for him, enjoying the heat of his breath. She knew people thought he was cold but he was exactly the opposite. He was fire so hot it didn’t have a colour, a dragon to protect her. He could breathe fire on her skin so gently it would never hurt, just warm her from the inside out.

“Chloe, stop.” He pulled back from her and held her by the shoulders when she tried to kiss him again, giving her a small shake that didn’t seem to register. She was slipping away and her eyes were getting darker with the coma devouring her. “Come on, you have to go to the hospital.”

She was dying, just like -

Lex snarled at the thought and gripped Chloe closer. Her arms and legs were bending randomly and she was slumping bonelessly, about to fall to the floor, when the word broke through the exhaustion pounding her body.

Hospital . . . no escape . . . alone forever . . . Mom . . . hospital . . .

Chloe bolted unexpectedly, so fast Lex nearly lost his footing on the cement floor. He took off after her but she was weaving wildly, knocking into walls and sobbing so loud there was no chance of losing her.

He was breathing heavily and trying not to slip on his dress shoes when the cart carrying Clark and the security guard pulled up and blocked her path. Lex leaned on the wall and stayed there, watching with envy as Clark gathered up Chloe’s small frame and sat back down, holding her in his lap. He didn’t miss the look of fearful devotion on the boy’s face. He hated it, wanted to take her back and be the hero for her. It hurt all over again to see that it wasn’t meant to be.

Lex stayed in the shadows where he belonged, and Clark took Chloe out into the light. The best thing he could do for her was to get back to the lab and get the antidote ready. It was the only thing he could do after dooming his workers.

He acknowledged silently that it always came down to being cold and guilty in the dark for him anyway.

[lexodus]

Goodie. I practically live for your post-eps, although Scare was pretty awesome except the Chlexlessness. I can't wait for the next part.

[crankychick]

:applause: Nice! It would have been great to have Lex rescue the swooing Chloe.

[Blaire023]

well crappity doo dah...is that even a word? probably not.

and yay!!!!!

post eppie eppie

[autumngold]

Wow!! I love the beginning of this story!! I like how even in her dreamlike state Chloe realizes that Lex is the only one who can save her from the nightmare!! I can't wait to read more!! :worship2: :chlexsign4: :worship2:

[sydsvaughn]

oooh... please post more, I love the idea of Lex being the only one to break through Chloe's 'scare.'

I'm so getting addicted to your post 'eppies!

SaraC

[Rae]

Oooh, angsty. This is great, I'm really enjoying it so far!


He acknowledged silently that it always came down to being cold and guilty in the dark for him anyway.

<Sobs into her pillow>



I&#39;m so getting addicted to your post &#39;eppies&#33;

SaraC

Same here. I need my fix, man. :yay:

[hfce]

I love this. :clap:



Hope :)

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel. I’m calling this at least a six-parter and yes, there will be smut. But not this chapter.


Part Two



“Hey, Lex.”

Chloe Sullivan’s casual greeting blew any shot Lex had of getting in and out of the coffee shop without cold stares, and he sighed inwardly.

He adored her, but she just wouldn’t let him do what needed to be done. People were taking the payoffs he was doling out, but they were less than forgiving about the chemical spill. No one wanted him around and he was trying to oblige.

Except for his girlfriend of course. She insisted on putting up with him no matter what he did, and if he ever found a way to express that kind of gratitude with physical objects she would probably end up with a life-size emerald elephant in the backyard . . . of her solid platinum palace.

And then, thankfully, she would beat him until he took it back and gave her a new laptop instead.

“Chloe,” he said, voice a little taut as eyes around the room flickered to them, hearing the familiarity. It irritated him that being on a first name basis with a woman was considered half the proof of a sexual relationship between them, even if it was true in her case. So much so that if it wasn’t the title his father had used to threaten her, Chloe would have been addressed as Miss Sullivan.

She seemed to be slightly put off by the tone, but kept her smile going. It was a real one, although a much milder version than the gleaming flash of teeth that she was famous for.

“You’re welcome to join me if you’ve got the time,” she said, no subtext behind the words that he could hear.

It was a nice change and Lex debated the harm in a quick visit. He had the time but it was a weeknight and almost every table was occupied. There were a lot of people to take note of a recently perp-walked billionaire pariah eschewing an empty table of his own in order to share one with a young woman. Especially a young woman who should have every reluctance to be anywhere near a Luthor.

“I should . . . “ He trailed off as her expression fell into a hint of disappointment.

He liked her and that was the best reason why he shouldn’t sit with her. It was such a difficult thing to ignore her publicly and call it a relationship, and he knew he was very lucky she was so reasonable about drugged sex with a homicidal brunette.

“No worries,” Chloe said, and the smile returned quickly. “I’m sure you’re busy with the plant.”

He knew she had called numerous times after the chemical spill, only to be rebuffed by his PR staff. She didn’t call him personally for business matters, and his cell phone didn’t get a signal in the lower levels of the plant anyway. He didn’t know if she remembered meeting him in the plant, or if Clark had told her about what he knew. Somehow Lex doubted it.

He had seen her only briefly, in the hospital. She had been sleeping normally, recovering from the poison, and her father had left the room for a few minutes. Lex had snuck in to brush his fingertips across her hand and feel her pulse, looking at her face to enjoy the healthy colour. Although he was too wise to mention the hated colour, she was just slightly pink all over her body, her lips and cheeks always rosy. When she felt ill or tired or worried the pink turned to gray and he worried about her.

“Actually, I can stay for half an hour or so,” he said. “Things are getting back under control.”

Chloe’s pleased smile almost blinded him to the heads turned toward them and Lex took off his coat and draped it over a chair.

He could feel the eyes on him as he walked up to the counter. Even Martha Kent’s smile and greeting were lukewarm. LuthorCorp was the enemy once again.

Screw them. He’d done the right thing this time, even if it was too late to help some of the people who had been infected. He’d done the right thing and he was going to have coffee with someone who believed that about him.

Lex picked up his cup and returned to Chloe’s table, sitting in the seat next to her instead of across the table. He deserved a little bit of pleasure for all the misery of this week. It would be months before things at the plant would be back to normal, and he would never forget the people who had died because of his company.

But he was a Luthor, and any tears he shed would be in private. Today was about strength of character and damage control. He wasn’t about to destabilize LuthorCorp and put people out of jobs just to satisfy their need to look down on him.

His convictions were helped significantly by Chloe’s pleasure in his company. It was almost enough to make him ignore the gawkers.

Two such gawkers were walking their way, a cheerleader and her jock boyfriend, doing the most obvious staring Lex had seen since the last time he’d been in a room with Clark and Lana. The couple veered slightly too close for comfort by the table, still staring in that blankly derisive way. He looked to Chloe and saw she was holding the hostile looks with her own mildly quizzical expression.

“Do I have a huge glob of whipped cream on my face,” she asked in a dry tone, making eye contact pointedly with Lex and dismissing the nosy couple.

He took a long sip of coffee and shrugged gracefully. If Chloe wanted to pretend it was okay he’d go along with it.

“No, but you do have a Luthor at your table, and that’s typically a poor reflection on most people.”

A tiny smirk appeared and she nodded agreeably. “I’m the calendar girl for that particular situation. I’m still standing. I just forgot to wear my ‘Property of LuthorCorp Snoop Division’ t-shirt. You know, they say purple and red can’t be worn together, but when you put my scarlet letter next to the logo it looks okay.”

She never stopped with the witty repartee, even when he was trying to warn her off. It was occasionally irritating, but most of the time it was a measure of how much she was willing to put into their relationship.

Chloe Sullivan didn’t attend pity parties for anyone but him.

[Rae]

I really love this title, "Shameless Upon Waking."

Anyway, I loved Chloe&#39;s complete disregard for her fellow townsfolk. It was an accident and Lex was willing to sacrifice himself to save them. I&#39;m glad she&#39;s going to stand by her man.

Your writing is absolutely amazing and I look forward to future parts. With smut&#33; Smut, smut, smut, smut, smut, smut, smut, smut, smut, smut&#33;


It was such a difficult thing to ignore her publicly and call it a relationship, and he knew he was very lucky she was so reasonable about drugged sex with a homicidal brunette.

Question: Wasn&#39;t Lex drugged after he had sex with the homicidal brunette? Or are you making this story a little AU? Chloe&#39;s great, but I don&#39;t know if she&#39;d stay with a man that cheated on her when he was sober or tipsy. Can Lex even get drunk anymore? He drinks all the time.

Keep it up&#33;

[kitten]

The Bound drugging is a private theory, because the murderous brunette said something about throwing out the blood test results. If that&#39;s the case, and all we have is her word when Lex was drugged, frankly I&#39;m thinking it was much earlier in the night. He looked pretty wonky. And let&#39;s not forget the dead brunette was also stalking him, so he had two women dressed identically, waiting to get him alone. If one stalker can use drugs, why not another?

[hfce]

I am loving this. Please keep it coming. :clap:


Hope :chlexsign3:

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel.

Part Three

“It’s all about voyeurism,” she said, and Lex’s eyes narrowed. Chloe was good at crafting innuendoes, but a little too free about voicing them. Not everyone was as dense as her high school friends.

She gave a miniscule shake of her head. I don’t know why you’re worried. No one would suspect the truth in a million years.

“The problem with little towns like Smallville is that everyone secretly craves and fears being looked at. Their image of the world has to be mostly good to feel safe, so they have to think they’re part of the good majority. They believe that being good just fades into the background and blends in, and being bad makes you noticeable. So, if you’re getting too much attention it must be because of something that you did wrong.”

Shuffling and conversations and debates about ordering food to share suddenly filled in the silence when Chloe stopped speaking. They still felt a sense of shame about eavesdropping on her, and she was using it to full effect to take some of the heat off him.

Lex nodded appreciatively. He knew she didn’t take the gesture for more than it was - an agreement to stay with her to the end of her point.

“Thus, all the aw’shucksing from someone who gets some attention; to overcompensate, “ Chloe continued. “But, I think you and I can say that some people are conspicuous no matter what they do, either because of who they are or what they have. It’s not fair, but some people just get all the infamy.”

Like me, he thought, his mood dropping back to the forlorn dissatisfaction of the last month. Chloe saw it and forged ahead quickly, this part of her little ethics lesson for him more than anyone else.

“Just because we’re getting stared at doesn’t mean we’re doing anything wrong.” She let a little bit of the feeling she had for him show, and he returned the intense gaze for a split second. Chloe ignored the arousal that was nipping along her skin and smiled humourously.

“Whenever I stare it’s usually because I’m enjoying the view. You’re too gorgeous. I share your pain.”

Lex Luthor laughed, albeit quietly, in a public place, with a reporter. Necks turned so fast they cracked, watching as the man seemed to finally sink back into his chair as if he was staying for a while.

“You’re very insightful, as usual,” he said. He didn’t know why he was surprised that Chloe had managed to put everyone in their place and make him laugh. She’d talked him out of much worst moods than his current guilt.

“Wait until you hear my thoughts on the vanity of love. It will blow any moral grounds for sexual fidelity out of the water. I mean, really, if you can’t handle your lover having sex with another person you’ll have to find a really sheltered virgin every time you want to have sex,” she said.

Lex sure as hell remembered getting that riot act.

“Do you want to listen to some music, or something?”

Chloe hovered, near, but not touching Lex as he walked into his study. She hadn’t really been invited as much as she’d pushed herself into the car past his bodyguards, guards who had often been hers as well. With no direction from Lex one way or the other they left her to climb in next to him, as she’d known they would. Short of Chloe trying to kill him, Lex had told them they weren’t to lay a hand on her.

That was back when he’d cared. He hadn’t looked at her in days, seemed numb to all of her attempts to get a reaction. Even to her experienced eye, facial expressions were nonexistent.

He slouched onto the sofa and loosened his tie, and she knew he didn’t want her sitting next to him. He was closed off completely.

“I’m really tired, Chloe,” he said flatly. “I don’t want any company right now.”

At least he remembered my name, she thought sourly, then regretted it. He’d suffered so much in so little time and he needed her understanding. Except you didn’t cuddle a hurt Luthor, you got him riled up enough to let his emotions out.

“I don’t think it’s my company you don’t want, Lex. I think you don’t want my questions.”

She strolled to his desk and ran her fingers over the glass surface, picked up a paperweight with the Luthor coat of arms. Walking around the desk, she twirled his chair around and watched as he bristled. He was a possessive man and the desk and chair were his equivalent of a throne. Not even the cleaning staff were allowed to touch it.

Chloe moved around to the liquor cabinet, strutting slightly. She was putting him on notice that he wasn’t scaring her away, and from the stiff set of his shoulders it was working.

She stopped and ran a finger over the whiskey decanter, wondering for the millionth time how he could still drink out of the same vessel that had contained the poison his father had intended to kill him.

“I know you’ve had a terrible week, but as the woman you cheated on I think I deserve to at least know what the whole chain of events was,” she said, trying for a matter-of-fact tone. “I spent a lot of time cramped in a car with Clark’s sanctimony and he never really got around to explaining how things started, but here’s how I’ve got it figured out.”

She moved closer to the sofa and dropped her purse to the floor, kicking it into the black leather. Lex flinched slightly as it struck, but he didn’t look at her.

“So, let me get this straight: You went to a fundraiser in Metropolis and drank some champagne to get you through the intense tedium, champagne that was drugged by one of your stalkers. This drug, if you’re interested, is commonly used in date rapes because it lowers inhibitions to almost nothing, causes an immediate high and culminates in memory loss of between 4 and 12 hours.”

She shrugged out of her coat and folded it over her arm, keeping her hands busy so they wouldn’t shake him. His desolate unwillingness to accept the smallest comfort was wearing on her already shaky goodwill. As unfair as she knew it was, Chloe was enraged that the last women he’d had sex with wasn’t her.

“Once said stalker lured you outside she was drugged as well and replaced by yet another stalker, who gave you a different drug with much the same effects. She hit on you and suggested going back to your hotel - which seemed just fine to you considering you were tripping out.”

Chloe sat in the furthest chair from Lex’s stiff frame and crossed her legs, staring at his face. Her fingernails gripped the arms in an outlet for her anger at everything of the week past.

“You miraculously got yourself back to the hotel in one piece and stalker number one joined you in the elevator where you engaged in foreplay underneath a video camera. Both of you so stoned out of your minds you would have humped any warm body, stalker number two retrieves you from the elevator without difficulty and gets all three of you to the hotel room registered under your name.”

She took a deep breath as Lex’s eyelids flickered just slightly. It was the hint of a reaction she needed from him and she used it to push past the hardest part of the story.

“In the room, stalker two had sex with you and made sure you passed out before she killed the other woman. She arranged the body in bed and took off without a trace, leaving the police with an open and shut case complete with bloodstained playboy. You weren’t just framed, you were gift-wrapped.”

Lex shifted in his seat, shooting an angry glance at her. “Chloe, stop.”

It was his warning tone, light growling to make her back off. Still not enough of a reaction for her to be satisfied.

She flounced to her feet and leaned on the fireplace, letting the fire warm her against his distance. “I just wonder how it would have played out if my father had been okay with me going to-” she sighed, “-visit Lois that night.”

He looked down guiltily, and Chloe knew he would have to get much more than sorry if he was ever going to cope. It wasn’t a lie: She had tried to get her father’s okay to go but he had expressed some concern about Lois and underage drinking. She had thought it was better to give up on the idea in the name of discretion. If Gabe asked Lois about Chloe’s visits, she would probably tell him the truth, which was that she hadn’t seen her cousin on any of the evenings in question.

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and folded her wrists together like they were tied, openly provoking him now.

She shrugged. “In the interest of honesty I guess I should disclose that you’re not the only one who went outside our relationship,” Chloe said.

Suspicion and disbelief crawled over his face and she hid her pleasure.

“Clark and I, in that very same elevator. We did a reenactment to find the earring. There are probably videotapes if you want to watch.” She licked her lips and forced a grin. “He was better than I thought he would be.”

Lex sucked in a deep breath and exhaled loudly, his arms flexing over the back of the sofa. Other hands on her were unacceptable, threatening. She was his.

Chloe was excited to see him pissed off but a little anxious as well. No matter how safe she was with him, it was still frightening to see anger replace the implacable calm he wore so convincingly.

“You didn’t. Clark would have told me.” He gritted it out between clenched teeth.

She nodded mockingly and answered. “Super Liar would have told you? Are you sure, because every time I’ve thought that something was too important to keep hidden he always did.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously and she knew it was caused by a deep-seated anger at Clark’s double standards. Every time the boy lectured Lex it grew hotter and fought to be let out. One day it would burn up every bit of friendship they had left, but Chloe didn’t want this to be the day.

“But you’re right, I didn’t screw Clark. I could have maybe, I was angry enough, but I didn’t see how revenge sex would help either of us. I needed to help you get out of a pileup of dead brunettes.”

Lex found himself outraged that she was taunting him. What point could she possibly have to all of this? He shook his head and she jumped on the movement.

“No? Oh wait, I forgot. You deserved it all because your previous treatment of women goes against Clark Kent’s sexual scruples. It was poetic justice?”

She had seen both Luthor men give arrogance new meaning and Chloe called on all that attitude to show through her stiff spine and arched eyebrow. Mimicking Lionel was cheap but it got Lex on his feet and screaming.

“Shut up, damn you&#33; What do you want from me?” He flipped the coffee table and it landed inches from her feet. Chloe gasped and froze in place.

Lex kept going, overturning every piece of furniture in the room and shattering anything made of glass. Papers flew as his desk crashed and cracked down the middle. He rammed his arms into the bookshelves and emptied them, stepping over the remains of his computer to throw the two million dollar vase that he had once told her belonged to an empress.

He watched as it flew apart on the spotless floor and looked for something else to punish. The vase of roses on the grand piano hit the wall eight feet up and he cracked one of the legs of the bench off, wielding it like a baseball bat as he attacked the glass cabinets beside the doors.

The improvised club hit the floor at his feet much later, his exhausted arms unable to raise it over his shoulder one more time. His harsh breathing was the only sound and Lex steeled himself to turn back to the fireplace. He’d been waiting for Chloe to leave him since the first waves of panic had abated and he thought it might have happened while he was busy destroying everything.

His feet wouldn’t pick themselves up, but he dragged them around and pulled his chin up to find she was climbing through the debris of many prized and priceless objects.

“Did that help?” She asked it in a normal tone of voice, gentle and calm as she glanced down to skirt the glass around his feet. She stopped at a short distance and let him absorb his shock.

Some days he wished she was a lesser woman so he wouldn’t have to work so hard for her. Pleasing Chloe was so simple and forgiving a task that he worried constantly about it. He equated struggle with consequence and pain with love. She just handed herself over and relaxed into his life like water seeped into the cracks of a boulder. Lex wondered if the boulder ever felt as much at a disadvantage as he felt with Chloe. He was afraid freezing her out would only make him break into pieces while she flowed away and into someone else’s life and he was unable to move.

“I’m too tired to be angry,” he answered. “I guess it’s a start.”

She let him get away with that because she had to lay something on him that might well be painful. He let her take his hand and blurted roughly. “I’m sorry, Chloe.”

“If someone had drugged me and taken me back to a hotel for sex, would you expect an apology from me?” Chloe kept her eyes on his and when he blinked in disbelief she gripped his hand tighter. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I want to find some way to keep you from getting hurt again, but I don’t want you to be sorry.”

Lex’s shoulders slumped and he suddenly looked like an older version of himself.

“I’m trying to keep you separate from this,” he said, stepping over a large shard of glass. “It’s the only way to keep you safe.”

She nodded. “I’m willing to go along with that as long as I don’t think you’re beginning to shut me out of things. I won’t let you make me helpless in my own life and you’re a part of my life now.”

He had been too moved to speak, and Lex had held her like he’d wanted to for days. Only Chloe could have made him so grateful to be on the receiving end of a tongue lashing, and it was no small feat for her to put the same amount of fear into the nosey residents of Smallville.

[lexchloe]

Loving this so far. Your post ep stories are definately a highlight. More please.

[Ami Rose]

Wow&#33; I like&#33; Please continue&#33; :devil:

[hfce]

Wow :ohmy: just wow :wub:

[lexodus]

I loved that. I like to pretend that all this happens on the show, but they cut it out for time reasons. Wouldn&#39;t this be great to see on the DVD?

Did you write a post-ep for Covenant? If not, I totally think you should.

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: this damn well fantastic&#33; great writeing, I really love the intence vibe between them.

MORE&#33; :blinkkiss: :worship2:

[S.Ann Smith]

:ohmy:

I love ur post eps...

they all totally fit with the eppies..

I :heart: the title too btw...


:goof: ... did i mention how much i love your post-eps? :biggrin:

[sydsvaughn]

why can&#39;t THAT have been filmed? I&#39;d have paid money for it.

I so love your post eps ... please, please update soon&#33;

SaraC

[autumngold]

Wow&#33;&#33; I am so loving this story&#33;&#33; :wub: I&#39;m so glad that Chloe was able to make Lex face the truth&#33;&#33; :worship2: Also, I love how you show Lex and Chloe&#39;s relationship&#33;&#33; Can&#39;t wait to read more&#33;&#33; :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[Kit Merlot]

I love that Chloe refuses to give up on Lex--GOOD FOR HER :biggrin:

More please :chlexsign2:

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Sorry the update took so long, but there are only two more chapters to go on this one.


Chapter Four


He missed her when he had to work overtime at the plant. He missed her even more when he had to juggle two separate companies with conflicting interests. He missed her when he was surrounded by toadies and corporate minions. He missed her when he walked into The Talon and she wasn’t there. The majority of his emotions lately were wrapped up in wanting her near.

All those disappointing moments became repressed inside him as he carried on with his day, blank-faced and reserved. He wasn’t going to allow people to see the chinks in his armour. No one except Chloe deserved to know him that well.

Unfortunately that repression sometimes blew up in their few moments alone together, ruining the time they should be doing the fun dating things she was missing out on. It was one thing to have an older boyfriend, but Lex knew she suffered from an unprecedented level of neglect. Not only was he an unromantic workaholic, he was also an emotionally crippled man with a string of failed relationships and one-night stands.

She deserved a better man without his decades of baggage, but he couldn’t let her go. From the way she was staring at his paper-strewn desk, she wasn’t letting him go either.

“Why are you doing paperwork on your night off?”

“I’ll just finish this one set of documents, it won’t take a minute,” he said, looking at her distractedly. Her arms crossed and the lush curve of her lower lip flattened into a frown.

“I didn’t come here to see Lex Luthor, crown prince of corporate America. I’m here to get freaky with my boyfriend, Lex. You might know him; he looks just like you but he’s not a robot, and he doesn’t treat me like a piece of office furniture,” she said.

She hated to see him closed off and shut down. Work made him cold to everything, numb and inhuman. Some days it felt almost wrong to try and thaw him out when he constantly fell back on the same coping mechanism. She wondered if it was even her place to be demanding.

Lex sighed and put down his pen. “I have responsibilities, Chloe, I’m sorry. I will be finished in a minute and then we can continue with our evening.”

Chloe bit her lip over tears that she hated to cry. She didn’t want to become one of those hopeless women who wanted to work on him like renovating a spare bedroom. He didn’t need to be fixed and he didn’t mean to be cruel.

She walked over to the sofa and sat down, keeping her purse in her hand. She didn’t feel like making herself at home without his invitation to do so.

Lex finished his signatures and glanced at his blond companion. She looked dejected and guilt struck him.

He resented people who talked about knowing yourself as if it were half of the battle in becoming an entirely different person. It had never helped him to know he was Lionel Luthor’s son and heir and he wasn’t going to submit to behaviour modification like a dog. What he was wouldn’t go away for a biscuit and a pat on the head and he resented the implication that he was lax in not falling in line with pop psychology. He was what he needed to be sometimes, and giving it up would make him vulnerable.

“I don’t mean to be unfeeling,” he said, sitting beside Chloe. She didn’t look at him and he struggled for a way to express his frustration. “I need to be on top of things at LuthorCorp. It’s the only way I can repair the damage my father has done.”

He was a good man, a moral man and it was going to make him a martyr before he was thirty. She didn’t know if it was overstepping her bounds or not, but she had to say what she thought.

“I would much rather look back on my life to see I had one, than to look back and see a lengthy and obsequious encyclopedia article on my greatness in the public sphere. VIP or not, under normal circumstances you and I will outlive Lionel by half a century. You might want to think about a life path that goes beyond ‘screw you, Dad.’”

Lex propped his elbows on his knees and grimaced.

“I have to do this, Chloe. I have to, and I can’t afford to wear my heart on my sleeve,” he said.

Her hand came to rest on one of his, and he held it. She was cold from being outdoors and he blew warm air into their cupped hands.

“I know you have to be strong, and in your professional life I support whatever you feel you have to do,” she said, turning toward him. “But in your personal life you have to let out what you lock up during business hours. It’s the only way you’re going to make people see you as the caring human being you are.”

He lay back on the sofa and shook his head humourously.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me? I growl and grumble at you more than anyone else,” he said. “I’m not so good in bed for you to ignore my intrinsic lack of cheer.”

It was her invitation to make herself at home, finally, and Chloe put her purse on the floor and shrugged out of her jacket.

“You don’t fool me, Lex. You might be standing around wearing only a condom and boxing gloves, but you’re a lover more than a fighter.”

She folded herself down onto his chest and relaxed as his hands ruffled her hair.

“Run that by me again?”

“The world at large runs on clichés and prejudices, and you defy most of them. If you went evil and started burning down orphanages people would know how to pigeonhole you, but you’re variable with the situation and it pisses them off. You put them off balance and that’s why they dislike you,” she said, unbuttoning his shirt. “People don’t like to be confused by motivations. It makes them reluctant to accept both negative and positive actions.”

He laughed and pulled her up his body. “You’ve never had any trouble putting me in my place.”

Her eyes met his and Chloe looked into the warm blue complexity. This was her Lex, and she knew he was real. She knew it because she felt it with him.

“I’m not going to tell you ‘I love you,’” she said, blurting it out as his mouth inched toward her.

“I didn’t-”

Lex tried to cover the panic he felt. She wasn’t cruel like the others, there was a reason she was saying it. He waited and tried to appear calm without going blank.

“It doesn’t matter whether you expected to hear it or not, because eventually everyone expects it. Human, remember? You can’t fool me.”

Her hands were still on his chest and she tried not to notice his fast heartbeat. She’d hurt him without meaning to and he was fighting the urge to pull away. It meant a lot that he was fighting. He wouldn’t have been able to resist six months ago and probably wouldn’t have tried.

“’I love you’ are the magic words with you and you’re going to associate them with getting screwed over until you start to believe otherwise. You’re smarter than that,” she said gently. “You know intellectually that love isn’t about saying it at a dramatic moment in front of a blazing fireplace over champagne to a swell of orchestral music. It’s about proving it when the person you love is being nothing but difficult and hurtful.”

It’s about making you believe, she thought as his arms tightened around her, and maybe I’ll be able to.

[hfce]

That was great. I loved it. :wub:



Hope :chlexsign4:

[autumngold]

I&#39;m so glad that you updated&#33;&#33; I love how Lex and Chloe are making their relationship work&#33;&#33; Post again soon please&#33;&#33; :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[sydsvaughn]

this was lovely ... and so well written... more soon please&#33;

SaraC

[lexchloe]

:wub: That was lovely. I love how well Chloe understands him and that she won&#39;t give up on him when a lesser woman probably would. Can&#39;t wait for more.

[Kit Merlot]

Excellent&#33; Chloe intuitively understands Lex, and how hurt he is when people think the worst of him.

This is a beautiful story :biggrin:

[Zannie]

I&#39;m not sure how I missed the first three chapters of this, but, wow . . . really, really good. I love your insights into Lex in this one.

I particularly loved this . . .

the smirking corner that always lifted up in amusement about two seconds before the other corner could catch up
and this . . .

He acknowledged silently that it always came down to being cold and guilty in the dark for him anyway
and this . . .

She’d hurt him without meaning to and he was fighting the urge to pull away. It meant a lot that he was fighting. He wouldn’t have been able to resist six months ago and probably wouldn’t have tried.

Looking forward to more.

[randa]

muy exelente&#33; :biggrin:


randa

[zelda]

Keep &#39;em coming&#33;

[Smallville_Sitton]

Beautiful. Truely beautiful. Update soon. Add smut please&#33;&#33;&#33;














:chlexsign4: Chlexy, Chlexy, Extra Sexy&#33;&#33;

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel.

Chapter Five

The bodyguard watching Chloe had sounded strained as he related the address of the apartment building she had just entered. Lex had tried to rationalize it for all of ten minutes, then gotten into his car and driven there. It was in Pleasant Meadows, the LuthorCorp subdivision mostly housing company employees.

Her car was parked next to a mid-range sedan and Lex looked around after confirming the license plate. He owned all of this little suburb where so many families lived. He understood it financially and logistically, but it might as well have been a set for a science fiction movie for all the emotional understanding he felt. Normal family life was something he didn’t remember, perhaps had never experienced.

It was a Friday night and he was curious why she hadn’t called him. There was no way to justify that juvenile need and he wasn’t even going to try. He was needy and irrational, and too busy to worry about it. He’d turned on the GPS tracker in her watch and found it sitting idle on the tiny blip of her father’s house.

Stopping by there wasn’t an option, so Lex called the guard and found where she was. But his success in tracking her down posed a number of different problems. It didn’t tell him which apartment she was in or why she was there. It wouldn’t tell him if she was alone.

He didn’t need any electronic surveillance to tell him she might not be happy to see him. Chloe didn’t let him get away with anything, and ‘just stopping by to check on my investment’ wouldn’t hold water. If she saw him here she would know he had followed her.

I’ve become the creepy cradle-robbing psycho everyone expected, he thought with a sigh. She has her own life and every right to it, and I’m going to just drive away and chalk this up to another bout of insanity.

He was going to start the car again when he saw it. The unmistakable flash of blond hair through the glass doors of the tiny lobby. Chloe.

His moral stand fell just as quickly as it had formed. She made him crazy and he wasn’t fool enough to deny it. He’d grovel all he had to later, even if it meant giving her an interview she could print.

Lex dropped lower in the bucket seat of his conspicuous car, thankful he had taken the black BMW instead of one of his beloved sports cars. Driving a quarter million dollars worth of cherry red car tended to announce your presence as effectively as a parade.

She was carrying something large and he squinted. It was a child, a boy with dark hair. He was almost half her size, probably about five years old. Chloe was balancing him with ease on one hip, little arms wrapped around her neck as she walked down the last few stairs from an upper floor of the building.

Her lips were moving in smiling chatter and Lex found himself smiling, too. She was well-liked by just about everyone and he was proud of her for that. Her innate goodness shone through and won people over when she wasn’t even trying.

Then the man coming down the stairs behind her became visible. Chloe had moved off to one side of the small lobby and he stepped down behind her and in close. Tall, fit, dark hair, mid-twenties, the man was handsome as Lex understood the overall definition. Average in most ways, he was wearing a suit and tie with a winter jacket. A briefcase was in his left hand, but his right came up to rub the boy’s back fondly.

Chloe’s eyes were on the man now, smiling just as brightly, chattering just as happily. He saw the words form on her lips as she looked at the man but apparently spoke to the boy. Lip-reading it was fairly easy.

‘Say goodbye to daddy.’

The boy’s matching dark hair blended with his father’s as the man leaned in and gave him a kiss. One small hand reached out and touched the collar of his jacket and the man laughed. He put down his briefcase and nodded, zipping the coat up warmly; obeying his son’s suggestion.

In order to embrace the boy the man had leaned his chest into Chloe’s side, and she had smiled at the exchange of casual affection. There was pride in the look and familiarity.

After he picked up the briefcase, the man took a sideways step and was next to her free side. Her face turned up slightly to meet his and Lex’s hands gripped the steering wheel as their faces moved close together. It was unmistakably a kiss, initiated by the man but clearly accepted and welcomed by Chloe. Arching his neck didn’t help him see whether the kiss landed on her cheek or her lips.

A few more cheerful words were said as the man gave another fond pat to his son, then left the building. He walked down the few steps to his car, the sedan next to Chloe’s. She had carried the boy up to the glass door and reversed her grip to hold him seated against her chest. Lex wondered if she was stronger than he thought or just more practiced at carrying the boy around.

They were both looking out and waving as the man backed out of the space. They stayed in the door until his car made the first turn onto another street and was no longer visible.

The analytical parts of his mind tried to slow him down as adrenaline was jump-started by rage. That unnamed man and child owned Chloe in some way, some part of her that was therefore withheld from him. He had kissed her and even now she was caring for his child, taking him back up the stairs into what was no doubt a homey little apartment where they could live a simple life together.

He recognized how groundless his anger was even as it coursed through him, but there was no stopping the jealousy. He didn’t like them touching Chloe, didn’t like either of them having her smiles and kisses and hugs. He was just as jealous of the boy as the man. It wasn’t even sexual or romantic, just poisonous envy turned into a desire for blood.

Who were they to have her so lightly when he was forced to hide her like a sin?

Fuck it, he thought, fuck everyone.

Lex got out of his car and slammed the door, stalking up to the building. He headed upstairs without any idea of which door he would knock upon, his heavy footsteps the only outward measure of his rage. He was halfway down the short hall when a door opened behind him, and he turned around to see the boy once again. He was dressed warmly in a snowsuit and boots, clutching a hat and mittens in one hand puffed out from his encumbered body.

“Hello,” he said in a little boy’s innocence.

He had green eyes, an unusual bottle green, and a bright smile that was used often. Lex found himself wondering a number of things at once in no sensible order. Would Chloe’s children have green eyes and her smile? Would they be happy, carefree and brilliant? Did he have a prayer in being chosen to father them?

The last jarred him out of his thoughts. It had never been a foregone conclusion for him to have children. Lex had no confidence in his parenting abilities and no desire to end up with a son who hated him as much as he hated Lionel. Even with Helen the idea of children was a distant possibility without any real emotion attached to it.

With his barely legal secret girlfriend who was still in high school it was suddenly the clearest priority he had.

Oh, that should put her right into the mood, he thought acidly. I’ll just express my desire to knock her up and she’ll be ready and willing. It’s not like she has major career ambitions or a desire to have a single adult life before she has the responsibilities of family. You’re getting dumber by the day, Luthor.

Lex looked at the boy and wondered if there was time to get past him and outside before Chloe saw him. It was unlikely, and he resigned himself to embarrassment.

“Who are you talking to, James?”

She was wrapping a colourful scarf around her neck when she stepped out of the apartment, and didn’t see Lex for a few seconds. The boy pointed with a chubby fist at the end of a puffy sleeve and she turned toward Lex with a quizzical smile.

“Oh&#33;” Her face fell into confusion and she turned quickly back to the child and started pulling on his hat. “Did you get your friend’s name?”

The boy waggled his entire body in a gesture Lex translated as a shake of his head. “He just got here.”

Chloe’s eyebrow led her eyes to glance at him with mild suspicion. All the while her hands were negotiating the boy’s restless fingers into his mittens, a process that was fascinating Lex and doing nothing to push down yearning thoughts of children.

“Yeah? Well we have to get going, so unless he has anything to say for himself . . . “ There was censure and a hint of amusement in the words and Lex stepped forward to fix his idiocy.

“Where are you going?”

The boy, James, twisted his entire body to look at him and Lex smiled uncertainly. It was all he needed to launch into a loud dissertation of his future plans seemingly up to his retirement.

“We’re going to get hot chocolate because Chloe says I’m too little for coffee, only I wanna try some when I’m big enough because it looks good and she really likes it. But I’ve got to get this many-” he stopped and held up both hands, then frowned at the mittens.

Chloe stopped him from pulling them off and picked him up on her hip. The snowsuit made him slippery and she had to take a few extra seconds to get him balanced.

“Why don’t we get the stranger’s name before we start telling him about ourselves, okay buddy?” She put a light emphasis on ‘stranger’ but Lex couldn’t tell whether it was a dig at his behaviour or a keyword for James.

“Right,” the boy said, the small amount of his face visible around his winter clothes becoming politely serious. “I’m James Ward the second. How do you do?”

His well-padded arm stretched out in what might have been a handshake and Lex decided there was no graceful way out except to take it. He walked up to his bemused girlfriend and took the small hand in a solemn greeting.

“I’m Alexander Luthor the second,” he said. “I’m a friend of Chloe’s.”

The boy’s smile went a long way to keeping her from correcting Lex, and she started walking down the hallway.

I don’t know if friends follow other friends around, she thought, that’s more in the milieux of an obsessive boyfriend without a strong female influence in his upbringing.

She wasn’t pleased he had gone so far to show up there, especially since she knew a security guard watched her whenever she wasn’t at home. He knew she wasn’t in danger so he must be there to check up on her. Lex could be inwardly suspicious as far as she was concerned, but actions to that effect were downright insulting. Sometimes she wondered if he was even capable of trusting a woman.

Lex trailed behind Chloe as she carried the little boy down the stairs and continued out the door without pausing. He was getting a sinking feeling that he would have been better off suffering through the evening alone.

[autumngold]

I hope that Chloe doesn&#39;t torture Lex too much&#33;&#33; I love his thoughts of having children with Chloe&#33;&#33; I guess that makes me sick, but as long as he waits I think it&#39;s romantic&#33;&#33; Thank you so much for the update&#33;&#33; Can&#39;t wait for more&#33;&#33; :yay: :chlexsign3: :yay:

[tiger04]

That was a great update. I like the way that Chloe is dealing with lex. Also love lex thinking about kids. Hope you will update with more soon. :blush:


AT

[lexchloe]

Aww Lex is cute, slightly paranoid and obsessive, but cute. Who&#39;s the kid though??? More please.

[Zannie]

Amazing. I was totally sucked into Lex&#39;s mind: his jealousy, his confusion and his paternal pangs. So psychologically realistic, and convincing, and true.

Some more favorite lines:


He was needy and irrational, and too busy to worry about it.
and

I’ve become the creepy cradle-robbing psycho everyone expected, he thought with a sigh.
and

That unnamed man and child owned Chloe in some way, some part of her that was therefore withheld from him.
and (one more)

Who were they to have her so lightly when he was forced to hide her like a sin?

Very curious about who the boy is. Update again soon.

[crankychick]

If you went evil and started burning down orphanages people would know how to pigeonhole you, but you’re variable with the situation and it pisses them off.

Damn, that&#39;s a good line&#33; I&#39;m so sorry this is nearly the end, because I love the psychological aspect you&#39;ve put into the Chlex. You&#39;ve done a great job&#33;
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :worship2:

[hfce]

:lol: Jealous Lex is funny. Chloe should be a little flattered at least she knows he is thinking about her. :lol:


Hope :D

[Kit Merlot]

I hope Chloe is able to forgive Lex&#39;s jealousy&#33;

Wonderful chapter :biggrin:

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes, greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel. Did I say this would be six chapters? That was the old plan, and of course I’m extending it. With all this plot and character development it leaves woefully little room for smut.

And I should remind people, I make things up instead of doing research. If it sounds made up, it probably is. If I had an excuse I’d give it, but really it’s just laziness.

Cuteness warning: Beware the cute.


Chapter Six


Chloe settled the bulky snowsuit down as she fastened James into the booster seat his father had transferred to her little bug. Jimmy had been called in for a shift at the plant and she was the semi-regular short notice babysitter, when his wife Connie was also at work. She was one of the reporters at The Smallville Ledger and a reliable source of tips and information.

They were a cultured, educated couple who had moved for Jimmy’s job as Head of Catalytic Management at LexCorp’s fertilizer plant. When Connie had started the job as a reporter they had asked Gabe if Chloe would be willing to watch a then two year old James when their work schedules took them both away in the evenings.

It was one of the few normal teenage girl experiences she had, and she had grown close to the little family. Connie had a journalism degree and had taken on some mentoring of Chloe’s ambitions in that direction. Jimmy sometimes put his honours math degree at her disposal, since Clark was no longer available for homework help.

And James was the best little boy she had ever met. He was nearly a math prodigy and a genuinely sunny person. If the comments she got from other people when she took him places were any indication, he was also extremely well-behaved.

“Ready for lift off&#33;”

She smiled at his energy. For someone so young he rolled with the punches like a pro. These days when confronted by an overly interested billionaire she wasn’t sure whether she should be running for the hills or checking her underwear at the door.

“Okay, let me just say goodbye to your new friend and we’ll go,” she said, putting her bag next to James’ little backpack on the floor. She shut the door and turned to a grumpy Lex.

“So, you’re officially a hopelessly misogynistic bastard now? Is ‘congratulations’ appropriate or would it only soil you coming from a woman?”

He winced and took a step toward her, as Chloe sneered at him. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what it is about you to makes me dumber than Clark is with Lana. I don’t know why I’m here or what I thought I was doing, and I am very, very stupid.”

Her silence was worst than a diatribe of abuse and Lex started to fidget.

“So, why are you here?” His unusually timid question had her exhaling forcefully on a disbelieving squeak. Even with his tail between his legs he was pushy.

“You’re so far into your own press that you can’t imagine not knowing something if you want to. This is impossible,” she said, taking a step closer to him and lowering her voice. “Any current association we have is a secret, and it’s not going to be very secret for very long if you follow me around to places you would never normally be seen.”

He shifted his shoulders indecisively and Chloe interpreted it as an inability to judge his best action. His best action in this circumstance was the one that would piss her off the least, and though she knew the answer she wasn’t inclined to help him.

“I’m really sorry,” Lex said, his shoulders slumping. She was never going to speak to him again and he couldn&#39;t really blame her. Now all that was left was to wait for her to tell him so.

Damn him and his painfully sincere apologies, she thought. I can’t be mad at him now.

“Just try to remember before you do something like this again,” she sighed. “I can deal with the security guard, I can deal with the secrets, but I’m not going to be the skeleton in your closet. As far as the rest of the world knows we’re not even friends. We put your father in prison, lived together for two days, you took me to a morgue, you killed me and then you brought me back to life; that’s not a relationship, it’s a David Lynch movie.”

His lip quirked as her forgiveness became clear. Chloe smiled but fought a full-fledged grin.

”It’s not funny, do you want to be the creepy guy from a David Lynch movie?”

The smirk blossomed into his super smirk. She usually only saw it when he was removing her clothing.

“There’s some pretty hot sex in those movies,” he said.

She turned the Luthor eyebrow on him and he pulled his face back into a mild expression.

“I’m going to go now, so James can get his hot chocolate. Don’t get any weirder than you already are.”

Chloe turned back to her car and then paused, swinging her arms idly.

“Do I really make you dumber than Clark is with Lana,” she asked, looking over her shoulder at Lex.

He nodded and she hid her pleasure at the confidence.

“Don’t hit your head getting into your car, then,” she said, before throwing herself into the drivers seat.

He sat in the BMW and waited until she pulled away, thinking about her. She was sweet and decent when he expected her to be fiery, and fiery when he expected her to get sappy and sentimental. She let him off the hook so many times he was beginning to think there was nothing he could do to make her really upset at him, but the desire to please her was still present. He knew her better than he’d known anyone for years, but he was constantly surprised by her.

When he was eleven he had bought firecrackers from a classmate and taken them to an out of the way part of the garden to set them off near dusk. The matches he used were cheap ones from a cardboard book and he burned his fingers dozens of times, stubbornly trying to get the string of fireworks to light. He hadn’t known why it was so important to see them burn away, just that it was. His mother was gone, his father was away and he wanted more than anything to set something off.

It was almost dark and there were voices ringing through the garden, calling for him, but Lex had stayed hidden. He didn’t like to be in the dark but he was determined.

There was a small pile of burnt out matches at his feet and he was getting frustrated when he realized there was only one left in the book. It was his last chance and he hunched his shoulders over the fragile flame and held it to the fuse. His fingers were hurting so much there were tears in his eyes, but Lex kept his arms steady. A breeze started blowing over the burning cardboard but he ignored it.

Finally, blissfully, the fuse sparked and flame started its run toward the red discs. He dropped it on the ground and watched the small bursts of colour overtake each one, blackening it. There was a relief in having accomplished it, in having disobeyed and even in burning himself. It had been a bad experience until it turned good and he knew it was something he had needed.

Chloe made him feel that level of importance in ordinary details and she was equally difficult to define. Sometimes it was so tenuous but he could always see the reward if he kept trying. Like that damn book of matches he sometimes worried he would eventually get to his last chance without realizing it.

He didn’t want to go home yet, and Lex wondered how much leeway he could count on in one day. He was suddenly feeling like a cup of Martha Kent’s hot chocolate.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++


Chloe carried two cups of hot chocolate back to the table and smiled at James. He had opened his backpack and pulled out the notebook she had given him a month ago. He liked math and did addition and subtraction for fun.

His small calculator, shaped like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, was open next to his left elbow. Tiny fingers wrapped around an oversized pencil and his notebook was open to a reference page of numbers. He had been using children’s notepads with animals and bright pictures on them, but one look at Chloe’s reporter’s notebook had convinced him he needed something more ‘professional.’ She had granted the request and found that he was getting more use out of the larger pages and sturdier binding.

He looked up as she put the cup in front of him and smiled.

“I’m going to figure out ages again,” he told her.

Chloe nodded and slid into the booth beside him. His favourite math problem was to subtract one person’s age from another’s. He had a list of people he knew and their ages. As was his custom he started subtracting Chloe’s age from his father’s. Next he would do the same for his mother and finally himself. Jimmy was the oldest and he got the distinction of being the largest number, his son’s particular interest in math. To him bigger numbers meant more equations he could make and more buying power at the local candy store.

Lex would get along great with that attitude, she thought.

She fished her own notebook out of her bag and uncapped a pen, writing down some story ideas for The Torch. It was slowing down with Christmas approaching, but there were a few oddities to report.

A few minutes later she glanced at James to find him looking toward the door. He was midway through a subtraction and Chloe looked to see what had distracted him.

Of course he didn’t listen.

Lex was entering the coffee shop brushing snow off his shoulders and pulling off his leather gloves. He was wearing one of his public faces of polite indifference and she looked back in time to see James scoot on his slippery snowsuited bottom out from the table. His clumping footsteps across the floor had everyone looking at the rather stunned billionaire as the boy made a beeline for him.

“Alex&#33; Are you here for hot chocolate too?&#33;”

Just when I was congratulating myself on having an easy job, Chloe ruefully mused. Everyone in the packed coffee house was looking between James, Lex and herself as the boy reached his destination. She wondered what her boyfriend’s reaction would be.

“Hello James,” he said kindly, bending his knees and flawlessly picking up the unresisting boy. It was entirely possible everyone’s mouth had dropped to their kneecaps with the easy gesture.

Chloe was just trying to reconcile a large upswing in her desire for him. Goodness, there must be some way to make him unattractive, but she’d never seen it. Tired, sick, dirty, asleep, angry, sad - all gorgeous. And now she had to deal with adorable Lex relating to a child. It made her biological clock threaten to tick madly.

“I believe this is yours,” he said to her, carefully depositing James in front of his things. “I see you found your hot chocolate. I hope it’s to your satisfaction?”

James nodded and Chloe aped the gesture. She wanted to jump Lex so badly if she wasn’t babysitting it might have happened despite all the eyes on them.

“Hello, Lex,” she managed. “Everything’s fine, thanks.”

He nodded and smiled genuinely and Chloe had to take a long sip of hot chocolate to prevent her lips from launching at him.

“Do you want to sit with us,” James asked, and she watched in horror as Lex sat down across from her.

His mild expression did nothing to make her calmer, but she forced a polite smile. Say hi to the nice man you’re not having a steamy secret affair with.

“What brings you here?”

He was tempted to answer the real reason, but there was little gain in causing a scene twice in an hour.

“Just checking up on the place,” Lex said. “I thought it might be a good night to sample some of Martha’s Christmas cookies. Clark tells me her gingerbread is not to be missed.”

James looked up from his notebook at the mention of cookies and his eyes slid to Chloe searchingly. She caught the glance and pinned Lex with a disapproving glare before nodding.

“One gingerbread cookie of normal size, and just one, even if it’s stuck to another one and in some definitions might be considered two in one,” she said, sliding out of the booth. James followed and she took his hand as they walked to the counter. Lex followed behind a few seconds later.

Because Chloe was walking with a remarkably short person they all arrived at the counter at the same time. She hoisted James up to sit on one of the barstools and gave Martha a smile.

“Hi, we received a spurious and underhanded tip that there might be gingerbread cookies,” she said, and Clark’s mother’s smile practically glowed.

“Absolutely,” she said, producing a tray of elaborately decorated figures so detailed each had shoes, pants, coats and hats in addition to their little icing faces. James wiggled and Chloe reached out to put a steadying hand on his back, finding that Lex’s hand had gotten there first.

If I get pregnant anytime soon I’m blaming gingerbread cookies, she thought with exasperation. Lex and babies and happy smiles swirled through her mind and she tried to combat it by concentrating on her birth control pills.

Martha watched as the two young people waited patiently for the little boy to make his decision. His eyes ran hungrily over the tray, resting on each cookie in deliberation. Chloe and Lex were both holding him on the barstool and at the ready if he should start to fall, and they were huddled closer together than two virtual strangers should find comfortable.

“That one,” James declared, pointing at a brightly dressed dessert.

She put it on a plate and regarded him critically. “Have you been behaving yourself, James?”

He nodded vehemently and Chloe backed him up.

”He’s been very good.”

Martha retrieved a small pastry bag from behind the counter and traced a ‘J’ and a ‘W’ on the little gingerbread lapels. “There you go, then,” she said. “Enjoy.”

Chloe tried to pay for the treat and Lex waved her away. “It’s on me.”

She smiled weakly at Martha in what she hoped was a neutral way. If Lex didn’t quit giving her personal attention he was going to raise suspicions. As it was, if someone had seen them in the parking lot and at The Talon it wasn’t that far to jump to the right conclusions.

“Thank you,” she said, and gave a prompting nudge to James.

“Thank you.”

Once the boy and the cookie were safely back at the table, Chloe found herself unable to remember what she had been writing down. Sighing, she folded the notebook and put it back in her bag. Watching James as he happily ate bits of the cookie between making it dance around was soothing in one way, but it didn’t help her calm down from the high of watching Lex dote on a small child.

“Chloe?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, sweetie,” she corrected. “Drink some hot chocolate and swallow what’s in your mouth.”

Lex returned to the table with his own mug of hot chocolate and gingerbread cookie. He didn’t really want either, but he would be willing to sacrifice both to Chloe’s young charge for a few minutes of conversation with her.

Martha had told him that she had been babysitting for the Wards for years, since Jimmy Ward had moved to Smallville to work at the plant. He had been chagrined to realize he had so little idea of his employees’ names. However, knowing there was a Mrs. Ward had made him feel a lot better about the kiss he had witnessed earlier.

“I’m glad my mom and dad had to work tonight,” James said.

“Why is that,” she questioned.

He shrugged and bit a foot off his cookie, chewing it up before answering. Lex waited as he looked at Chloe earnestly.

“Cause when you were gone all summer I had a dumb babysitter. She wanted me to play with cars.”

He said the word cars like it was a virulent form of plague and Chloe laughed before composing herself. “I’m sure she wasn’t dumb, James, it’s just some people don’t think doing math is playing.”

The boy’s little head nodded and he picked up his pencil again. He seemed a little sad and she put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. She had missed him over the summer as well.

“Why don’t you use Lex’s age?”

Two sets of green eyes turned to him and he felt nervous.

“My age?”

“Yeah, how old are you? I’m this many&#33;”

James repeated his gesture from the hallway but without his mittens, and Lex could see he was holding up two fingers on each hand. “I don’t have enough fingers. I’m 24.”

The dark head bent over his notebook and Lex looked to Chloe for guidance. She met his eyes mildly and sipped her hot chocolate.

“20 and 6,” James said a surprisingly short time later.

Chloe nodded and he turned to his calculator to check the numbers while she explained to the puzzled billionaire.

“He likes to subtract ages of the people he meets from each other,” she said. “He’s hoping to eventually meet someone who’s 100.”

Lex took a look at the equations and found they were not only correct, they were amazingly neat and tidy. “Do his parents know he does this?”

“His father is your Head of Catalytic Management, he taught him how,” Chloe said.

He nodded and watched as the little fingers punched numbers quickly into the green calculator. With every equation he checked he made a small mark next to it on the paper. He could remember doing similar things as a child, but never having his father spend the time to teach him or even to appreciate the projects despite how advanced they had been for someone his age.

I’ll do better with my own kids, he thought.

Which of course brought his eyes back to a certain blond reporter, who blushed attractively when she seemed to catch a hint of his intentions toward her. He smirked and she looked away quickly, watching James complete more math problems with a proud smile. Lex soon joined in and wrote some simple equations for him to solve.

Almost an hour later the boy yawned impressively and Chloe looked at her watch.

“Okay buddy, I think it’s time to head home,” she said.

James gave her a vaguely irritated look and turned to talk to Lex. “She’s bossy sometimes.”

“Only with good reason, I’m sure,” Lex replied. “Sometimes we need someone else to tell us what the best thing for us is.”

Chloe rolled her eyes at him before James could turn back and catch the rude gesture. She put his jacket back on and wiped icing from his fingers before wrestling his hands into their mittens. His hat went on easily and she shrugged into her own jacket.

“Goodnight Lex,” she said, slinging her bag and James’ little backpack over her shoulder. It was harder to get the boy up into her arms than it had been earlier and the pack slid down around her wrist to dangle. She couldn’t right it without putting him back down and Lex stood up to help.

Pushing the strap back up, he let go and it fell down once again.

“Why don’t I walk you to your car,” he offered.

Chloe knew she should refuse but James was slumping heavily onto her left side. With the bags around her other arm she would barely be able to unlock the door.

“I’d appreciate it,” she said, smiling.

He really is a very good man.

Martha Kent watched as Lex held the door for Chloe and the child, his hands wrapped comfortably around a shoulder bag with a large flower on it and a brightly coloured backpack with pictures of flying robots. It wasn’t an image that deserved the strange looks it got from the other patrons.

Because she knew from the moment she met him, Lex Luthor was a family man without a family.

[lexchloe]

Because she knew from the moment she met him, Lex Luthor was a family man without a family

:wub: Excellent line, beautiful chapter. :applause:

[Zannie]

”It’s not funny, do you want to be the creepy guy from a David Lynch movie?”
Ah . . . the essential question at the heart of it all . . . hee hee.

Anyway, thanks a lot--now my chest actually hurts with the sweetness of it. Loved Lex&#39;s interaction with James. Adored the "super smirk." And Martha&#39;s observations at the end were lovely.

I&#39;m glad you are extending your plan for this fic. All must be modified to make room for smut.

And by the way,

And I should remind people, I make things up instead of doing research. If it sounds made up, it probably is. If I had an excuse I’d give it, but really it’s just laziness.
. . . a woman after my own heart.

[autumngold]

I love Martha&#39;s response to Lex and Chloe together&#33;&#33; I&#39;m so glad that she understands&#33;&#33; Thank you for the wonderful chapter&#33;&#33; I&#39;m so glad that you decided to make this story longer than 6 chapters&#33;&#33; :yay: :worship2: :chlexsign4: :worship2:

[hfce]

That was just so awwwww beuatiful. I love when Chloe and Lex play family. They are so cute. :wub:



Hope :chlexsign4:

[lexodus]

That was so great. Just the cure for the exam I just took. How is it possible that it is so easy to believe that Lex is so good with kids when he&#39;s hardly good with adults? Just part of the Luthor mystery I guess. :wub: :wub: :wub:

[AlabamaWorley]

Hmmm... I&#39;ve not been reading this fic because...

Okay. I got nothing.

You, however, have a charming fic. I&#39;m all sorts of gushy after that last chapter. So, SO sweet, and Martha is a genius&#33;

[Kit Merlot]

I love that Chloe and Lex understand each other so well, and she accepts who he is, faults and all.

A Beautifully written chapter--WELL DONE :biggrin:

[eurydices falling]

i can&#39;t even think straight after the beautiful scene you just portrayed. i swear if a man ever loves me like that, i&#39;ll burn my commitment issues along with all my underwear so that we can shack up. :wub:

[sydsvaughn]

See, this is the kind of fic I so enjoy.... especially showing that Martha understands that Lex just needs a family to love him. Chloe ... step right up and fill the bill&#33;

SaraC

[Thessaly]

I was on my guard against the cute. Then I got to where Lex, Chloe and an infant genius were playing family in a coffee-shop.

Then the cute snuck up behind me, sucker-punched me and stole my purse. And kicked me in the ribs a couple of times whilst reminding me that Lex belongs to Chloe and I&#39;m going to die old and alone.

Despite that, more, please.

Thessaly

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel.

Some alone time for Chlex, and another chapter on the way within the hour.


Chapter Seven


Chloe Sullivan had found herself crying surreptitiously in her office quite a bit lately.

Everything was a bit more real in this room, perhaps because it was where she always ended up writing her postmortems of the strange events that regularly traumatized the citizens of Smallville. She had personally made several appearances on the Wall of Weird and they caused just as much shaky fear in the retelling. Her father didn’t need to hear her sniffling as she typed, and the professional atmosphere helped her keep it together as she objectively detailed the latest attempt on her life and how it had been thwarted.

She wasn’t sure she would be getting a chance to write about the latest threat to her life - one recently overturned double murder conviction of Lionel Luthor.

They just let him go, and no one even bothered to call her to tell her the sufferings of a over a year were for nothing. No one had bothered to tell her money always wins over truth.

Lex tried, she mused, but I wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t believe it then.

It had been terrifying when Lionel had found a way to switch his personality into Clark’s body, but at least it had been temporary. As cruel as he had been, using her old lust for the boy to humiliate her, his main priority hadn’t been revenge against her. Otherwise she would be dead, from what Lex had told her about the beating he had experienced.

But now that he was a free man he had to be trying to reclaim what he had lost half a year ago. That meant LuthorCorp and his omnipotent attitude over his son and heir. It was true that Chloe only played a peripheral role in the struggle, but the fact that Lionel had even bothered to mess with her a month ago indicated he was holding a grudge against both of them. She’d signed up for a battle and found herself taking one side of a war.

He probably knows I’m seeing Lex, she thought.

Which put her on an entirely new level of threat, because Lionel enjoyed seducing women away from his son even more than the typical seductions of debutantes and society wives. His dealings with Chloe had been tinged by poorly concealed lust even when they were on good terms, and she wondered if he had wanted to use Clark’s body to push her back onto the desk and kiss her, do more than kiss her. Wondered what he would have done if she had resisted, told him - Clark - that she was with Lex.

She suddenly didn’t feel like being in her office anymore at all.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Lex came to the front door to meet her, frowning in worry. On the first turn to the castle the security guard had called him to announce her.

“Are you alright?”

Chloe smiled and nodded. Tears had been wiped away on the drive over and now she was, oddly but predictably, calmer. She liked it here now, had ever since Lex had made sure her requests were taken as seriously as his own by the servants. There was a drawer with her clothing in Lex’s bedroom and a set of her toiletries on the sink. The left side of the bed was hers, though she found herself sharing it most of the nights she slept here.

Lex never countermanded anything she asked, even when it went against what he preferred personally. She had strongly suggested hiring extra security guards, mostly as a bitter joke after yet another burglary, but less than a week later there were half a dozen new faces on the staff. Each of the new men knew her, and took her orders without question.

She wasn’t sure if she was prepared to be de facto lady of the manor, but it was mostly by her own initiative. None of the staff members ever asked her to make decisions, just accepted them when she offered.

And just when she was getting used to that he had asked her to move in.

Her heart had already been racing and it didn’t slow down as Lex explained that he wanted to ensure her family’s protection. There were guest rooms to house herself and her father ten times over.

She had smiled gently to acknowledge his sacrifice, the addition of her father to the castle virtually guaranteeing celibate nights in the foreseeable future. Then she had said no.

When she dropped her suitcases in Luthor Mansion she wanted it to be a new point in their relationship, not because Lionel might be trying to finish the Sullivans off yet again. And damned if she didn’t want the world to know, possibly by way of a certain legal ceremony that involved rings and vows.

Lex was watching her carefully as she put her purse into the closet off the entryway.

“I wanted to see you,” she said.

He was giving her a puzzled look, clearly wondering at her mood a day after finding out Lionel was out of prison and unaccounted for.

“I thought you might be staying away for a while,” he said haltingly.

He had almost hoped she would, even though he would miss her. Distance would be to her advantage if his father was only interested in taking back LuthorCorp. If she was out of sight it might be possible to keep her away from the ugly repercussions entirely.

“I’ve already told you, you won’t get rid of me that easily,” she said plainly. “I’m scared but I’m not stupid.”

“I’m not trying to get rid of you, but I wouldn’t fault you for wanting to cool things off for a while,” he said.

Her scathing look was unexpected but brief as she shrugged out of her knee-length coat.

“You don’t know how to cool things off for a while, Lex, unless it’s code for never seeing each other again,” she said. “All or nothing is the only way you know how to be in a relationship.”

Chloe took his hand and started pulling him down the hallway behind her, and Lex followed as he argued.

”I’m capable of being reasonable and patient, and I can certainly appreciate the need to wait.”

“You’re capable, but you still don’t know how to be patient in a relationship that means something to you. Thus the three very quickie weddings before your twenty-fourth birthday,” she said, opening the door to the indoor pool.

She shoved him down onto a padded bench and started pulling off her clothing. Lex looked to the door and pushed it shut, turning the lock.

“What’s going on, Chloe?”

He looked sad, worried, and she wondered what he was interpreting of her behaviour. She’d never been so forward as to drag him away and start stripping but this wasn’t working. He was supposed to be playing along and enjoying himself.

“I’m worried about my father and you and Clark. I’m worried about myself and Smallville and all the people who work for LuthorCorp. I’m worried for the world now that he’s free somewhere. I’m worried about being worried.”

Chloe stopped at taking off her boots and sweater and sat on the bench next to him.

“But my worries don’t change anything right now. Everyone is alert and you’re looking for him and there’s nothing much I can do personally at the moment. I trust you to protect me from Lionel and now that we’re both here together I don’t want to waste time on him.”

“I will protect you,” Lex said, but his eyes were very sad and worried. His hands reluctantly rose to slide along her bare shoulders and she grinned.

This is more like it. Distraction.

“So I’m going to leave saving the world to enterprising environmentalists and Clark Kent, and I’m going to go swimming,” Chloe said.

She stood up and started taking off her pants, Lex’s eyes following the path of the opening zipper.

“I was hoping you would join me,” she said, leaning in to stage whisper, “because I forgot my suit and I’m going to feel really conspicuous if I’m the only one skinny dipping.”

Chloe watched as his wrist rotated and he looked at his watch.

“I have a call scheduled in about fifteen minutes,” Lex said. “I can’t really afford to miss it.”

His tone was all regret and apology, and she was happy the strange look in his eyes was gone.

“I can wait,” she said, stripping off the rest of her clothes and stepping into the shower cubicle. She turned her back to adjust the water temperature and heard Lex stand up. Felt his eyes linger on her.

“I’ll go see if I can take that phone call now.”

“Okay.”

He could really cover a lot of ground at a walking pace when he was motivated.

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel.

After a sinus cold, exams, grades (good ones, thankfully) and an alpha male with a multitude of situations requiring my personal attention, I’m finally back to updating. Of course, my first priority is the smut.


Chapter Eight


She lathered up with the expensive body wash in the stall, taking her time. His calls always lasted at least ten minutes and she didn’t want to go into the pool without him. It was one thing to shower nude, but doing the naked breast stroke alone was a bit beyond her nerve. She rinsed the soap off her body and reached for the shampoo, indulging in a do-it-yourself scalp massage as she worked it into her hair.

The castle had a near inexhaustible supply of hot water and she stayed in until her skin was pink and flushed. Chloe wrapped herself into a huge towel and combed through her hair before it could start tangling. She fussed with the towel because it seemed to be slipping down in spite, then folded and refolded her clothing.

She sat down on the bench and picked through the CDs next to the stereo. The room was huge, large enough to have a lounge area on all sides of the Olympic size pool, so the system was hooked up to numerous wall-mounted speakers. Acoustics like that deserved something great, so she disregarded most immediately. Then she found a jazz compilation and put that on, smiling as the notes of trumpet started.

Her bare feet padded over the cool tile floor, and Chloe walked around the pool by the path of the mosaics inset around it. It was the story of creating the oceans, some mythology with vengeful gods and defiant men.

Very fitting for the Luthors, she thought.

It tickled her that there were goddesses in the tableaus and all of them were curvy blondes, and she strolled while looking at the colourful figures between her bare feet. Once she had seen the entire story she turned into a hidden alcove and peered into the hot tub.

Lex pulled his sweater over his head before the door was closed behind him, then he turned back and locked it. He knew Chloe had waited at least twenty minutes, so he wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t in the shower. He pulled off his shoes and tossed them down next to the bench, putting his sweater beside her clothes. He unclasped his watch and shoved it into the pocket of his slacks before unzipping them.

Feeling vaguely foolish, he looked around for Chloe. It was possible she had wandered off to look for him in his office. Her infamous curiousity might have inspired a trip to one of the least used areas of the castle, but if that was the case what was she wearing?

“Chloe? Where are you?”

He didn’t feel particularly concerned as long as she was still in the castle, now that she had taken care of his security problems. As with many things in his life he’d been unable to change, it only took her about a week to recognize the solution and implement it.

“Hi,” she called, “I’m over here.”

He looked to the sound of her voice and Chloe emerged from the hot tub area. His eyes skimmed up her small body, and he whistled.

“Where did that come from,” she giggled.

“I like the outfit,” Lex said, pulling her into his body and looking down her towel.

She rolled her eyes as he had expected, but her hands also came up to stroke over his chest. Chloe was welcome to make fun of him all she wanted as long as she touched him.

“It’s from the Chanel terry cloth collection and a real bargain at &#036;30,000,” she said.

“Worth every penny.”

Lex buried his face in the curve of her neck and gnawed on her as she squirmed happily.

“Good, because I ordered one in every colour,” Chloe said, unbuttoning his shirt as well as she was able with less than an inch of space between their bodies.

He ran a hand down her back and kneaded her hip before giving a sharp tug on the towel.

“Take advantage of me all you want, I’m very gullible.”

Chloe shivered and leaned back to let the towel fall. Lex’s shirt was unbuttoned but she needed him to cooperate to get it over his shoulders.

“I always knew you were an easy mark,” she said, sliding her arms around his waist and plucking his wallet out of his pocket. “It’s just an added bonus that you’re a good lover.”

“I’m a great lover,” he corrected, picking her up by the hips and balancing her until she got a grip on his shoulders. The slap of his wallet hitting the floor made them both smile. They both knew she had about as much interest in his money as she did in his comic book collection.

She stifled a chuckle against his skin and assumed a patronizing expression. “Yes, you’re a good lover.”

He took a step closer to the pool and frowned at her.

“I’m great.”

“Right, you’re good.”

“No, great.”

“Very good,” she nodded, sketching a careful shrug without letting go of him.

He gave her the stern eyebrow and kissed her hard. “Great.”

“I’m agreeing with you. You’re good in bed, okay?”

They were right next to the deep end and she broke her composure to look nervously over her shoulder.

“Last chance.”

Chloe used her legs to climb slightly higher on his body, but refused to give in. Her mouth landed on his cheek and she purred the word lowly.

“Good.”

Lex switched his grip to hold her under her knees and back, then tossed her into the pool. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of a scream, but the look on her face was hilarious. Her face scrunched up into a childish wince and her hands came up to fold over her chest. It was also nice to watch her breasts bounce as she hit the water.

He waited until she started to swim, then hauled off his shirt, tossing it behind him. Pants and boxers quickly followed, and by the time she surfaced he was diving in.

“Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh . . . you’re a cruel man, Lex Luthor.”

Blue eyes flashed with excitement as he circled her in the water like a horny shark. Chloe stayed in place, treading water, her expression blasé as he started coming close enough to graze her body with his own.

“I’m a wounded man. I offer you my hospitality and my comforting arms and you insult my skills as a lover,” he said. His comic pout didn’t stop her aroused shiver.

He’s hot when he’s stalking his prey.

His body was hitting hers with every move he made now, and Chloe was cooperating more than she was evading the touches. Her head arched back as Lex passed in front of her, jutting out her breasts to get the brunt of the slick friction. He snapped his teeth playfully near her neck and pulled her into his erection.

“I didn’t - oh, yeah, there - insult,” she disagreed, “Good is . . . oh, ah . . . It’s good.”

Lex bit down on the back of her neck and felt the reflex bend of her spine drive her into him. She was making the pretty little moans that he collected in his memories. No two sounded quite the same but they all meant she was only thinking about him and what they were doing to each other.

“You can do better than that, Chloe. There are words that describe it much better than good does.”

She wasn’t going to let him goad her into stroking his ego and she remained silent as his hands cupped her breasts. He adjusted his grip and his head came down on her shoulder, and Chloe made her move.

One second they were swimming upright, his taller body curled around hers, and then Lex was underwater and rolling through a storm of bubbles. She had clamped her arms down on his and taken him with her into a suicide dive, twisting them down breathlessly to the bottom of the pool. Her legs were alternately kicking in the water and hindering his own efforts to get them back to the surface, and the buoyancy of floating evened out their strengths.

It was only twenty seconds before she let him swim up, hauling her along to the nearest ladder. Lex gasped as he felt for the edge of the pool and he dragged her with him onto the floor.

“Did you like the crocodile roll,” she laughed.

“Chloe,” he growled, and her face fell into the rapt attention of a woman about to be fucked within an inch of her life.

My shark . . .

He was pushing and pulling her, barely getting them both on hands and knees before he was inside her. She held back the cries on the first few thrusts until she realized they wouldn’t get anywhere else until he had made her screams echo off the huge tiled room and into the rest of the house.

Then she howled.

Lex had been desperate, had nearly lost control as she was trying to drown him. Inside her, with the room ringing out her pleasure, he was losing fast but she was going to go with him. He got one hand up off the tiles and onto her breasts, both of them at the same time in a finger stretching grip that had her jerking her hips back to him on a faster tempo.

“Tell me,” he yelled it over her screams and didn’t care who was listening. It was beyond him to feel any kind of reserve.

She was lowering her arms to raise her hips, offering herself and trying to get him against her clit. Lex pulled her back up by her breasts and sank his teeth into her soft sides, shortening his strokes to let her catch her breath.

“Great, so wonderful, so fucking perfectly transcendent . . . “

Chloe hadn’t taken a full inhale since she had pulled him under the water, and the words came out half gasping, but he started moving again. She wasn’t able to drop down like she wanted, but his hand left her breasts and flicked over the nub.

“My big shark . . . Lex . . . please . . . “

Lex was getting so close but he reminded himself that he was proving himself to her. He put his weight down harder on her back and felt Chloe brace her arms, then he pulled her knees out from under her as he rested all his weight on her arms alone.

His stopping left her indignant, but then she was trying to hold both of them up on shaky hands. Chloe bit off a scream of mild fright as her knees slid out, but then Lex was on her, welding them together with his arms wound around hers and her ankles over his shins.

Deeper, harder movements were seemingly happening without either of them initiating the motion. There was no sense of withdrawal or an in-between time because they were glued to each other and blending together like they’d never been two people. His fingers spread next to hers, found a second of lift to overlap and grasp each other as well. Legs and backs and heads were all lined up and clutching. His face was hanging next to Chloe’s and she was saying something that Lex struggled to hear.

“Lex . . . Lex . . . love you . . . love you, Lex . . . “

Wet, red lips whispering his holy grail.

It distracted him and he was suddenly cumming with no warning. They were pounding each other and wailing and breaking apart and coming together and there was nothing they could do except cling.

If we do that in the water we’ll drown, Chloe thought.

She was on her side, against Lex with his arm keeping her head up. She presumed he had moved them out of the pretzel he had made of their bodies, because she couldn’t move anything except her eyelids.

“Did you mean it?”

He was more serious than she had expected, and Chloe flashed on her last words. She had told him, softly and then loudly. Then louder than that. She had told him, the servants, and the next county.

So much for my self-control, she griped in her head.

“Yes, except after that speech about proving I was different I was going to hold off a while until it seemed like I was making progress through your thick skull. You do realize there are oil reserves at the bottom of the ocean that are easier to reach than you on a bad day.”

Chloe regained the use of a fingertip to give him a poke in the side.

“And now?”

He felt like a fool and a crazy man and a child all at the same time. She could crush him on a sigh.

“Now I love you and I’m saying it. You’ll just have to believe me and adapt.”

And he just felt lucky.

“Already trying to change me,” he said, the humour somewhat lost in a breathlessness he hoped she would mistake for their previous exertion.

“Never.”

They both sighed happily in unison.

“Chloe, I . . . “

Lex paused and tightened his grip on her. He could do it, show it, but it wasn’t something he could say.

“I know you do,” she said. “Your lips move when you’re about to cum. It used to be just my name.”

Apparently he could say it, but it didn’t mean he could discuss it yet.

“Clever.”

“Not really. I just like watching you.”

“I like watching you, too.”

“Mmm . . . and you are great.“

He waited until she was almost drifting off to sleep and couldn’t see his smirk.

“You’re okay,” Lex said indifferently.

Outrage had her rearing up as far as she could go, which happened to be onto one elbow with her face still lying on his shoulder.

“Okay?&#33; You get a string of compliments and I get ‘okay’? I’m leaving as soon as I can walk.”

The effect of the tirade was considerably deflected by her immediate slump back down to cuddle in.

“You’re really leaving,” Lex asked.

Chloe scoffed and the air tickled his skin. He used it as an excuse to laugh.

[autumngold]

Oh, Lex is mean&#33;&#33; :biggrin: Chloe is going to have to make him pay for the "Ok" comment&#33;&#33; Wonderful update&#33;&#33; I can&#39;t wait to read more of this great story&#33;&#33; :yay2: :chlexsign4: :yay2:

[hickchick]

you are truely a gifted writer. i love reading your fics.

i can&#39;t wait to read more of this and your other awesome fics as well.

please update all of them soon&#33;

[zelda]

Woo Hoo&#33; I laughed as much as I gaped with open mouth and took furtive glances to make sure my co-worker wasn&#39;t reading over my shoulder.

[lexchloe]

:yay: Two great updates&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; Glad Chloe won&#39;t let :devil: Lionel&#39;s release end her relationship with Lex. more please.

[Zannie]

Yum . . . excellent smut.

More soon.

[kitten]

Shameless Upon Waking
NC-17 Fanfiction

SPOILER WARNING: Spoilers up to Scare in Season 4.

Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.

A/N: Post-Bound and Scare, Chloe and Lex cope with prying eyes in The Talon and the aftermath of my favourite episode yet. Greatest fears, secret lovers and the return of Lionel.

Delete-inspired. Chloe has gotten into trouble other than her job with Lionel, but it all comes back to the Luthors anyway.


Chapter Nine


Lex woke up with Chloe’s weight numbing his right arm and he smiled. She was far from perfect, far from innocent and he thought he would love her less with fewer flaws.

She had lived with him before, for two days the previous spring. He hadn’t remembered the things she had confided before his electroshock therapy but he had learned to see her, finally.

All it took was a bit of dirt on the lens of innocence he used to look at Clark and his young friends from Smallville. Because Lex knew better than anyone that certain experiences pushed you beyond naivety.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


“Is there anything I can get you?”

He paused in the doorway of the library and looked back at Chloe. She was sitting with a book open in her hands and tears stubbornly pooled in her eyes. Periodically she would hold the book close to her face and blink them away.

It would have made Lex feel better if she would just let them fall one time, even if he was in the room. He got the feeling she was worried he would be offended by her emotion, or that he saw her an as intrusion.

“I’m fine, thanks, Lex,” she said, flipping him a poor excuse for the smile she used to flash so casually. She’d learned that casual things, even the most well intentioned, could get people hurt.

Lex frowned as she went back to staring blankly at the fire. It was about as unconvincing a display as he’d ever seen.

Feigning a forgotten item, he strolled to the coffee table. Her blond head stayed down and he wondered if she was that angry at him for the loss of her father’s job. Wondered if there was no forgiveness to be had and regretted the loss. She was funny and intelligent like few townspeople were. She seemed informed about Smallville’s weirdness and would usually share that information with him, but she gave hints of knowing he wasn’t indulging idle curiousity. And her loyalty to Clark was a selling point.

Chloe skirted the razor edge of observation without judgment. She was the kind of good friend he’d never managed to get on his own.

He sat down in the chair next to hers and felt her tense.

“You know, in the past day there have been two attempts on your life. I’m not going to kick you out on the street if you have some reaction to that,” he said gently. “If you want to talk about it, or haul Clark over here to play Monopoly until 5 a.m. or sneak a cigarette on the balcony, I’d be okay with forgetting it in the morning.”

She didn’t smile like he had hoped and Lex stood up, dejected. She didn’t want his help beyond a safe place to sleep.

Chloe sighed audibly.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

It was the falsely polite tone of a person who didn’t want to deal with conversation, and Lex took the hint.

“Let Enrique know if you do need anything. Good night, Chloe,” he said as he reached the doorway again.

Chloe put down the book once his back was turned and grimaced. She felt horrible, physically and mentally. She had a huge problem - unbelievably an even bigger problem than being marked for death and on the outs with Lionel Luthor.

“Wait&#33;”

Lex turned around slowly and walked back. He caught the gleam of tears on Chloe’s cheeks and wondered if he had given up on her too soon. Maybe she needed more of a push to speak than Clark or Lana.

He sat on the sofa across from her, giving her a few more feet of distance. It seemed to help because she looked at him gratefully and kept eye contact.

“I do need something, but it’s not exactly-”

“Legal?”

Chloe nodded awkwardly and brought a hand up to cover her face. She hated having to ask for something from Lex, but she hated thinking about Max’s widow, too. She hated what she had done.

“I know Clark and Lana already have a revolving door of requests, but the fact of the matter is that we’re not in any position to help you in return and I’m sure you know that, so I’ll just get to it. I need you to make sure something never comes to light.”

One day, less than two months ago, she had been Max Taylor’s mistress.

It had been a singular lapse built on her desperation as life came apart at the careful seams she had counted on to contain it. Lionel had Lex imprisoned in a sanitarium, despite all Clark’s efforts there was no way to see him, and she was dreading the repercussions of her unwise accusation to her employer. Her father couldn’t know, Clark and Pete knew too much and distrusted her as a result, and life still had to go on. She was doing research on Lionel behind everyone’s back, editing The Torch, writing The Daily Planet column and keeping up with school work.

It wasn’t the heavy workload that broke her as much as it was the need for secrecy and emotional normality. There was nothing holding her up except the slimmest hope that Lex would recover. If he did she could continue with the foolhardy alliance against Lionel. If he didn’t she would be the older man’s toady until he killed her. Either way, things didn’t look good. She barely wanted to get out of bed in the morning.

But one night she had let herself into the dark newspaper office, having exhausted herself driving into the city for another intimidation session with Lionel. She couldn’t drive three hours back home with any hope of staying awake, so Chloe was going to brew some coffee and finish her column. Hopefully the caffeine would kick in and allow her to drive back to Smallville in time for school.

She had dragged her tired body to the desk that had once pleased her so much, slumping down into the chair. Even her personalized nameplate didn’t bring a smile to her lips.

The summer internship had been taxing but fun. It had been difficult to adapt to big city rules and find her place in the pecking order was dead last, but she had been happy. Newsrooms were worlds unto themselves but she understood how to get by. Hard nosed reporters were just people with attitude, and she had plenty of attitude of her own so Chloe fit in nicely.

She had been pleased to see there was one more lamp burning on another desk. The city editor, Max Taylor, was in his office with the lights dimmed and the door open. She didn’t call out a greeting, knowing if he was still around at 3:30 a.m. it was a bad night.

The office was closed for business at 10 p.m., but most of the staff had keys to stay as long as they needed; it was the only way to get some editions out in time. But most people were gone by midnight, and there was rarely anyone around for Chloe’s late night visits. It made her feel less behind knowing that someone was staying so late, considering the next day’s work would start in about three hours.

Chloe had brewed a pot of coffee and poured two cups, dressing hers with extra sugar to give herself a jolt of energy and Max’s with his milk and two sugars. She took a huge swig of her cup and left it on her desk, carrying the other into the office.

‘Hi, I’m not going to bother you,’ she’d said, grinning as she put the cup down on his desk.

She liked him, liked his mellow demeanor and devil-may-care smile. He understood there was only so much time in a day and only expected reasonable efforts to make the hours stretch as far as they could. He preferred encouragement to bullying and always remembered her name. He’d even made time to take her out to lunch in her first week, when she was still leery of everyone and uncharacteristically shy.

Max had welcomed her back enthusiastically when Chloe made the deal for a column and they had spent some time together - bitching about work, sniping at politicians and swapping ways to get around canned interviews and sanitized press releases. He was a different kind of friend and separate from all of the Smallville baggage she resented having to carry.

When he had taken the cup of coffee with a heavy sigh she had noticed how attractive he was, how simply and warmly pleasant it was to be with him. And when he had squeezed her hand in gratitude they had started to lean toward each other like magic. Kissing him had been light and thoughtless, going to his arms as he pulled her into his lap had been free from anxiety. Her fingers had found their way under his shirt and his onto her lower back and it had felt right.

They had spun away from each other just as suddenly as they had gravitated toward intimacy. The stunned silence had given way to another furious kiss when their eyes had met. Misery, surprise and the strange peace of acting on the purely physical without considerations to later. Whatever was going on for both of them had all started to fall around their ears, but at least they would not be alone.

The lights had been quickly switched off and belongings gathered before Max was pulling her into the elevator and leading her into the parking garage. Chloe had been passive in the motion but she was very willing, delighted when he nudged her into an alcove and wrapped his arms around her. They had laughed and dodged security cameras on the way to his car, hugging out in the open before getting in and driving to a hotel.

They had checked in at a few minutes past 4 a.m., Max signing the credit card receipt and scrawling two names on the register book. Chloe had gotten a look at the signature and laughed loudly. He had signed them in as ‘Mr. and Mrs. Tom Brokaw.’

Holding hands in the elevator had brought them scrambling down the too-long hallway, necking indiscreetly and amused by everything. They had fumbled into the room, laughing and kissing. Their things had been dropped just inside the door and Chloe had shrugged out of her jacket. Max was in shirtsleeves, hadn’t bothered to put on a jacket.

She hadn’t imagined ever sleeping with her boss, let alone doing it during the worst, most complicated time in her life. Never before she had a first boyfriend and a few years out on her own.

But when she was naked and lying beside him, it was more okay than she’d been in a long time. Max was kind and sweet as he touched her and Chloe felt safe with him. More than that, she felt free and wild. Excitement was all around the simple hotel room and she was pulling him on top of her when his hand moved to brace next to her ribs and his wedding band glimmered at her.

She had scared both of them by bursting into noisy sobs and speaking for the first time since they had kissed.

‘This is so wrong.’

They were suddenly icy cold but still understanding the pushes and pulls of life that had brought them together so randomly. She had cried and thought Max had as well. Their clothing had been retrieved and they had spent hours venting to each other, wrapped chaste and fully clothed in the bed.

His wife was talking about a separation because she barely saw him, but he had just gotten the city desk a year ago. The job was a demanding one, only to be followed by increasingly more time-consuming promotions if he did well. Max didn’t want to lose her, but the woman he married would have to begin to understand that his time was not his own. The stress was killing him, and the little time he did have to spend at home was poisoned by resentment and pain.

Chloe had been more vague about her problems, but she had told him about her inability to tolerate her friends and family. She felt used by them even if they didn’t know what she was doing for them. She felt they were unfairly distrustful even as she felt guilty about things she had done. She wanted them to recognize her reasons.

Max had kissed her gently on the forehead and told her to wash up so he could buy her breakfast.

‘I know whatever you do is for the right reasons, Chloe,’ he had said. ‘I know you’re good to the people you love, and pretty much everyone because you’re a decent person. And a gorgeous woman who I’ll never have the pleasure of touching again, so you’ll have to forgive me this last time.’

She had laughed and squirmed away as her boss had comically grabbed her ass, and Chloe had thought they got out of a very near miss unscathed.

She bit her lip and looked at Lex’s neutral expression. He could make sure Max’s good name stayed intact during the investigation into his murder. She was fairly sure he would if she just asked.

His wife would be missing him forever, but there was no reason why she had to suffer the indignity of finding out about an indiscretion that hadn’t even occurred. Chloe would sacrifice her pride and give Lex ammunition against herself to prevent a smear on Max’s reputation. She wasn’t happy about trusting him, but she didn’t think he would maliciously hurt a woman who was completely uninvolved.

“There’s a credit card charge for a hotel room that I need you to erase from Max Taylor’s records. It’s not important to the investigation but if the police bring it to his wife’s attention she’ll think the worst.”

Chloe kept her head up but she couldn’t stay composed. Her shy words made her tear up too fast to blink them away.

His expression had been neutral for another second, then he had clenched his jaw.

“Should I be thinking the worst, Chloe,” he had asked, eyes ticking through the possibilities of her statement.

A 17 year old should not know about hotels her boss has stayed in. There weren’t many good ways to take the information.

“We went to a hotel once,” she said with her eyes averted.

Lex’s anger was tempered by the sadness he heard in the words. Her lover had died because she had given him information that turned out to be dangerous. She couldn’t have anticipated it, but less than a day later she was dealing with the knowledge that confiding in someone had been his doom.

The rights and wrongs faded under the fallout of that kind of guilt, and Lex had reevaluated every perception about Chloe. She had been out of reach sexually, virginal and innocent despite her brushes with adult intrigues. Now he knew it wasn’t the case and he appreciated her more for it. Untested innocence was relatively lacking in the face of someone who had to fight to keep integrity.

It was nice that Clark and Lana seemed to always do the right things, but Lex didn’t really believe it was possible for most people. Chloe was proof that moral ambiguity didn’t condemn you on the spot. He liked the validation.

“I’ll take care of it, and I&#39;ll forget it in the morning.”

She had squeaked out a thank you and gone to her room quickly, crying.

Once Lex had made sure no one would ever find out about the shared hotel room, he researched Max Taylor. He was a young editor, only in his mid-twenties. Good grades, no criminal record. No indication that Chloe was under duress or in any danger from him. They would have been a good match, he had thought.

And he had been jealous of a dead man.

[Tehzo]

"And he had been jealous of a dead man." That was definitely my favorite line.

This was great. I really enjoyed the glimpse into the past. It was interesting to see Lex and Chloe before their relationship began. And it was so sad for Chloe. Not only did two of her friends try to kill her, she also lost a good friend. I was so glad that Chloe realized in time that the affair was wrong.

Can&#39;t wait for your next update&#33;&#33; :)

[autumngold]

Now my heart is really breaking for Chloe&#33;&#33; Excellent update&#33;&#33; I&#39;m glad that Chloe protected her friend and his wife&#33;&#33; Thanks so much for posting&#33;&#33; :yay2: :chlexsign1: :yay2:

[Zannie]

This is just getting better and better, getting more and more interesting.

Great update.

[sydsvaughn]

Wonderful. Just wonderful. Please, more soon&#33;

SaraC

[Kit Merlot]

I love this story--it is beyond brilliant :biggrin:

[crankychick]

nonky, you&#39;ve been hit with another zonk of greatness by your muses. That was yet another amazing update to a great story - complete with pool yumminess :drool:

[hfce]

God that was great.



Hope :chlexsign4:

[Thessaly]

Originally posted by nonky@Dec 26 2004, 12:37 PM
They would have been a good match, he had thought.
There&#39;s a huge gap between good and great. I believe Lex and Chloe established that in the chapter before last.

However, I&#39;m slightly worried about James making his gingerbread man dance as he eats it. I still do that and I&#39;m twenty six. Is that wrong?

More please as quick as you like. (More squishy family cuteness and raging smut wouldn&#39;t come amiss. Particularly the smut, obviously.)

Thessaly *sitting in front of the computer in a Smurf hat. Stupid broken heating*

[Tehzo]

I already posted a reply before but I wanted to do it again regardless. I love this story. It's amazing and wonderful :).

The relationship between Lex and Chloe here is definitely one of my favorites. I love how you write their mature relationship. I especially like that Lex also shows his faults- his jealousy as he drove to where Chloe was going to babysit James. I like smut, but sometimes I skip it :o - just to get to the talking part. But I read this from the begginning all over again and...just wow. The pool smut was written incredibly. The whole good-great lover thing was adorable. :)

After all that I just wanted to say that I hope you'll continue with this great fic :D.

[Evelyn]

This is an absolutely beautiful story. I adore the way you write Chloe and Lex&#39;s relationship, so sad yet there lies truth within their actions. If only the writers of Smallville could write their true characters as well as you I wouldn&#39;t want to smash my head against a wall everytime I watch the show.

Update soon&#33;

Evelyn :cute:

[Krysia]

This is one of the reasons why I love Chlex the grey areas of life. They realize that the world isn&#39;t just black and white but they still try to make the best of it. I love the plot twist with Max, I can totally see that happening on the show. ANd I love the way Lex agnowledged the news.
Please update.

[starmoon]

update sonn please i can't wait for more.

[suspension of disbelief]

please update soon....

[AlabamaWorley]

I was behind - and I was missing out on some smoking hot pool room smut! Interesting development with Max. That would have been a far more interesting revelation than bow-tie Jimmy!

[welshy]

I hope you update soon

[suspension of disbelief]

begging for an update..... looks in the stars above.......

[Kit Merlot]

I agree with all of the above: This superb fic needs an update :grin3:

[randa]

this is some extreme writing ability that you have! i love this plot and im waiting for the next part to come sometime soon



randa

[OddEvens]

Oh gosh, Please update this soon. It's such a great story!
Thanks

[Willower]

i'm so lovin this story...do us all a favor and update please :respect:

[Thessaly]

Heh. Time for my traditional petition for an update, even though I know you're on a rota and you think I'm a pain in the arse.

Nonky, goddess of hot smutty fic in the Holy Pantheon of Chlex, grant me an update in this my time of need. Work sucks and I've just been out for dinner. I had the blackened tuna and I don't feel so good. Adored Nonky, cast your blessings down upon me as I kvetch and whine. I'm sure that an update would miraculously ease my spiritual and gastric pain.

In short, update or I will give you a full rundown on my symptoms. It could all get very messy. Literally.

Thessaly

[buffiy18]

I just picked up this story. And it is very good and intriguing. I am a little confused... are all the chapters linier and chronological or do they go back and forth? The chapter with Little James was adorable.

[kitten]

are all the chapters linier and chronological or do they go back and forth?

The chapters are linear and in chronological order, although they will no longer fit in with the current episodes of Smallville and the last one contained a flashback inside a flashback. This season has been too nonsensical to really incorporate it well. The best guideline I can give is that if an event isn't mentioned I'm probably ignoring it.
Unfortunate announcement time, everybody. My laptop is toasted and will no longer allow me to go online. Additionally, because I decided I was going to be forward thinking, it doesn’t have a 3 ½ inch floppy drive, which is the only way I could transport my files to the school computer lab. If I were a woman of vast wealth all this could be remedied in short order, but I’m not so it won’t.

Soooo, updates are iffy right now. It looks like I’ll be typing them up at home, writing them in shorthand on paper and then typing them again to post. Needless to say, that’s going to be a hassle I won’t typically have time to undergo. I’m going to make an attempt at it soon. Wish me luck.

[kimmie]

Please finish this fic, i've just found it, (don't know how I missed it) and its absolutely brilliant!!! :respect:

Come back and update PLEASE!!!

Kimmie

[darkangel]

Please finish this fic. I love the way that it is going.

:worship:

[kitten]

A/N: I know. I'm so lazy. Soooo lazy. Lazier than a no-toed sloth that doesn't even bother to climb trees. I am a muddy ground sloth. In my defense, my process (if you can call it that) is to work on many stories at the same time. Thus, one chapter of one story gets finished pretty quickly, but if I get stuck I work on my other neglected stories. It might be a year before I get back to a fic and finish it. Like this little number, for example.

So this is the end. It's rather short and not what I'd planned at the beginning, but who can really predict the Luthor family. I've never claimed to. Hopefully this brings hope to my other half-buried ficcies. They will be finished. Eventually.


Chapter Ten


Chloe led James by the sleeve, his hands both covered in thick mittens and clutched close to his body for warmth. Even under three layers of bulky winter clothes, the January wind was cutting. She would simply have carried him, but her free arm was wrapped around the toy laptop Santa had brought him. Her purse was threatening to fly up over her shoulder and knock her in the head, but she finally got both of them inside The Talon and to a table.

"Still in there," she joked, peeling one layer off the boy.

He nodded and let out a sigh of relief as his babysitter helped him from the heavy clothes. He pulled irritably at the elastic suspenders of his snow pants and Chloe frowned.

"It’s too hot here," James said, his voice hinting at a whine.

"Okay, but you’ll have to put all this stuff back on when we leave."

Waiting until he nodded vigorously, Chloe held James steady as he kicked his boots away and took off the slippery pants. One of his socks went with a boot, so she lifted him onto the bench. Once was reunited with the runaway sock and his boots, she took off her own coat.

Nearly half of the booth was taken up by the pile of down-stuffed fabric. James very carefully wiped an area of the table with his sweater and set his laptop down on it. The gift wasn’t meant for anyone under six, so he was taking its protection as a point of pride. His little mouth had a precociously businesslike expression that reminded Chloe of Lex.

Despite their desire for secrecy, Lex had been talked into several more visits with she and James at the coffee shop. Everyone tended to congregate at Martha’s counter, but it was a good alibi for a surprise meeting. Lex owned it, Chloe frequented it and Martha seemed willing to play along by setting the accounts out even if he had last seen them only the day before.

And Lex got along incredibly well with James. The boy always looked around for his older friend when they arrived. She secretly did the same. There was such a strange comfort in letting James bounce his conversation between them. He would say things so unexpected from a four year old, quirky little observations that were stunningly accurate and funny. He would try to play them against each other with limited success - trying to wheedle extra cookies out of Lex by telling him his birthday was the next day.

Their lives had been calm in the past few months, at least by the standards of the town. Additional security was diverting a lot of trouble before it began. LuthorCorp was thriving. Sneaking around was working with only a few irritations like rarely being able to spend the night together.

There was only one person who cast a shadow over it all, and Chloe refused to think about him. She tapped James on the shoulder until he looked away from his computer.

"You’re going to stay right here while I get the food, right?"

His dark hair bounced with the force of his nod, then he was riveted again. She walked to the counter, glancing over her shoulder a few times to make sure James was there. She noted the guard from Lex at another table, pretending to study the menu, and suppressed a sigh.

He’s taken enough of my good days, she reminded herself, determined not to brood over Lex’s father when he wasn’t an immediate threat.
Lionel was guaranteed to reappear, likely shattering Lex’s emotional state and crushing the quiet. He had avoided any publicity, gained his freedom and vanished, but he must want his company back. The board of directors liked Lex but they knew Lionel, and some of them didn’t appreciate the changes LuthorCorp was going through. The battle for the company was inevitable, and the personal problems were equally inescapable.

"Only two of you today? I thought Lex was stopping in to look at the ledgers," Martha greeted her slyly.

Chloe wasn’t certain it was approval but decided to take it that way. Martha was the only Kent with tact, which sometimes made it hard to tell.

"Only James and I at the moment," she said. "We’ll have to settle for each other’s company."

The blond turned back to check on her small charge. He was typing furiously with an air of great works being done.

"Or I’ll be amusing myself while he ignores me."

Clark’s mother shook her head and smiled broadly.

"Four is a wonderful age. Clark used to spend hours on massive towers of blocks, then knock them over two seconds after they were finished."

"Clark at four - that was back when he was only five-eight, right?"

Laughing, Martha set a mug of coffee on the counter and reached for a plate.

"Only about five-six, I believe. Is James choosing his cookie today," she asked.

With all the selective hearing a little boy could command, James was at the counter in no time. He selected a brownie and carried it back to the table, eyes fixed on the plate to keep it flat.

"Hey, manners," Chloe called to him.

James ran back and looked up at her stern expression, his own face a little vulnerable. It made her feel mean, but he would start school in the fall and being polite would be expected of him.

"Thank you, " he said, peeping at Martha. Then, oddly, "Chloe and I are both penguins."

The women stifled laughter until he was back in the booth.

"It’s something about being only children," Chloe clarified. "Thanks."

She joined James, found some room on the table for her coffee, and watched as the boy played a trivia game on his computer. Less than a month after Christmas and he knew most of the correct answers. Showing off his knowledge to Lex would make his day, so Chloe smiled when a tall shadow fell over them.

"Hello, Miss Sullivan."

Lionel’s voice came from nearby, but not directly beside their table. Her head jolted up to see the shadow was her bodyguard, standing with his back to she and James. Lionel was a few feet away, smiling mildly and holding his hands out from his sides. Though she couldn’t see, Chloe was certain her guard was holding a gun on him.

"I’m not here to harm you or your young friend," Lionel continued. "I want to apologize for my behaviour toward you. It was inexcusable."

Panic finally came rushing through her limbs, and she leaned down to James.

"Get your stuff together and your coat on," she whispered. "We’re going now."

"I wanted to show Alex my computer," he replied in a normal voice, unaware of the tension in the room. "He said I had to tell him what else I got, too."

She shrugged her coat on and closed the laptop for him. "No. This is important. We have to go right now back behind the counter to the fire exit."

His green eyes went wide at the mention of the fire exit, one of the very serious things his parents had been teaching him in preparation for kindergarten. Unfortunately the mixture of nerves and excitement made him as clumsy as she was feeling. Getting him into the coat took minutes and when the zipper got stuck, she left it halfway up.

"Mr. Luthor, I’ve been instructed to keep you from having contact with Miss Sullivan, her family and friends," her guard was saying. His voice boomed over the coffee shop, but Lionel wasn’t alone either. Two men were with him, though neither was as big as her one guard. They were holding the same arms out, armistice pose as Lionel.

On the second glance, Chloe realized Lex’s father was dressed oddly and very badly. His suit was cheap and looked like it might not quite fit. The men with him were similarly dressed, which was even more strange. Perhaps Lionel was unable to get to a tailor while he was laying low, but his employees wouldn’t have the same problem.

"My employer is Mr. Lex Luthor and he has made arrangements with local and state authorities allowing me to use lethal force in carrying out my duties."

The warning seemed to roll off Lionel like nothing, because he took a step forward and grinned.

"I know we have some unpleasantness in the recent past, Chloe, but you don’t want to see me shot in front of your young boy. He’s not yours I assume, so you must be babysitting. I can’t imagine his parents would want him exposed to violence."

The oily words made her cringe before she could hide it, but Lionel didn’t use the lapse to pounce on her uncertainty. Instead, he looked almost contrite, his mouth twisted into a frown.

"I see there’s no use trying to have this discussion today," he said. "I do sincerely apologize and I want to assure you there is no malice in my return to Smallville. I merely wanted to make my peace, and happened to see you here. Please, don’t get up. I’ll be going now."

He really did turn to leave, making a gesture that his companions should do the same. But only steps from the door, Lex burst through and took his father by the lapels. Four more guards followed, all trying to prevent the impulsive move. He wasn’t having it.

James jammed himself into her side and Chloe held him there, not sure what to do. They were huddled behind the guard who had been following her, but the man moved to help with the scuffle. Martha was half-ducked behind the counter, holding the phone to her ear and trying not to call attention to herself. When all the men were embroiled in the fight, she ran out and picked up James, beckoning Chloe to follow her.

The little boy let out a cry of fright, but within seconds they were all safely in the kitchen. Martha led them through the tight space and put James unsteadily on his feet again. He was crying, and threw himself at Chloe.

"My . . . my computer," he sobbed.

Everything they had brought with them was still back at the table, including her purse and car keys. She couldn’t walk with James so poorly dressed on such a cold day. Hopefully the guards would get both Lex and Lionel under control so she could get to safety with her charge.

The kitchen door crashed open, clanging off the stainless steel counters. The women ducked behind some boxes, and Chloe pulled James in tighter. If anything happened to him because of her stupidity she would never recover.

"Chloe," Lex called out. "It’s okay."

She stood up and carefully handed James off to Martha, rushing into Lex’s arms. He didn’t seem to recognize their audience was there, not only hugging her tightly, but kissing her for a few lingering seconds. His hands cupped her face, rubbing at tears she hadn’t noticed.

"Are you okay? Where’s James?"

The boy leaped away from Martha and attached himself to Lex’s leg. He seemed to be completely reassured by the presence of Chloe’s lover, because his tears were gone and his only comment was about the toy computer. She was unfathomably grateful the guns and the very real threat to his safety had passed him by, apparently overcome entirely by the exciting arrival of Lex and his guards.

He picked the boy up, but Lex only had a few moments to spare. They couldn’t actually keep Lionel anywhere, since he wasn’t an escaped felon. The only thing to do was control the circumstances of his reappearance, which meant a round of negotiations had to take place that minute.

"I have to go talk to him," he told Chloe. "Don’t worry, I’ll leave two guards with you and take three with me. I’m sorry this happened. He won’t come near you again."

The tone of the last words were almost frightening, and she swallowed hard at the thought of how far Lex thought he might have to go. It was true killing his father was a recurring desire for him, but it was coupled by other, deeper desires to win Lionel over and gain his love and approval. Killing him would make it simpler for the rest of the world to deal with him but might well destroy Lex. She couldn’t let that be the reason why they didn’t last.

"I don’t want you to do anything drastic," she said. "There’s always the possibility he didn’t come here to hurt anyone. I know it’s slim, but he’s your father. There’s no rational reason to hurt me now."

His jaw tensed, but all he said was, "Maybe."

Chloe looked over Lex’s shoulder as her guard and another one entered the room. They were toting the rest of her’s and James’ belongings. Martha nodded tersely at Lex and helped to redress James before he went back outside. The boy was the only person in the room who wasn’t pale as chalk.

"Sorry we couldn’t have a long visit, buddy," Lex told him. "Next time I promise it will be much quieter."

"Aw, but this was cool."

Chloe managed to laugh, but she still felt like panicking. Lionel was back. He had seen her with James and probably knew she and Lex were a couple. As she picked up the boy and followed her armed escort, she looked back at her boyfriend.

He looked worried.



Lex sipped his drink and shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the latest incarnation of his father. The good Lionel Luthor, concerned with charity, forgiveness and reparation. It was either funny or horrifying, but he couldn’t decide which.

It was also either funny or horrifying that he had lost his mind earlier, tearing through the streets of Smallville to get to Chloe and protect her. The stupidity of launching himself into the room as if he were some movie action hero was beyond compare. As if publically strangling his father would be something he could carry through. It might be an impulse that occurred more than once, but it was still more ruthless than he could be to a family member.

Most absurd was that Lionel Luthor, magnificent bastard or genuinely reformed penitent, was at that moment moving into the pool house behind the mansion. His meager belongings and new wardrobe of inexpensive suits would be only meters from the place where Lex’s own million dollar wardrobe and multi-million dollars of possessions were kept.

Sometimes Lex doubted his own sanity, but he was still sane enough. Guards would keep Lionel from coming into the main house except by invitation. His meals would be made in the main house and delivered to him. His laundry and dirty dishes wouldn’t even mix with Lex’s. The servants had been instructed to give him the basics, but none of luxuries he was used to having.

All in all, it seemed to make as much sense as the Luthor family could make in the world. They were throwbacks to old Scottish lairds and clan justice, and best left to that system. The sherif had said as much when she arrived at The Talon and was told everything was taken care of.

Earning the scorn of local law enforcement didn’t bother him, nor did the undeniable threat of living with his father once again. The major problem after the decision had been made was a blond reporter with something of a temper. She was understanding to a fault at times, but Lionel was not a small issue for her safety. Lex had called her to tell her about the plan, but she had been close-lipped. She didn’t angry, but he imagined a sad, helpless expression on her face when she realized how much less freedom they would have.

Without the mansion, their only place to be together was Metropolis. It was a very long drive on most of their long days, especially with Gabe in the dark about the extent of the relationship she and Lex were having. He would insist on Chloe coming home each night, which could mean as much as six hours on the road to have a few more hours together.

She might simplify all of that by dumping him, of course. Lex swirled his drink again, finished it, and thought about another. It didn’t seem wise to get too tipsy, but he wasn’t up to making wise decisions. He was making stupid ones and sitting back to wait for the sword over his head to fall.

He had finally almost decided to pour another scotch when the door to the library opened. Chloe stepped in, looking serious and nervous. She sat down across from him and looked in her lap.

Here it comes, he thought cynically. It’s all over now.

"You’re being stupid," she said. "You’re being very, very stupid. I won’t be coming back to this house after tonight."

Lex felt himself ice over, anger at the circumstances turning him against himself. It was so pathetic that he couldn’t just cut his father loose and save his relationship with Chloe. He loved her. Shouldn’t the real, tangible love he had with her make it worthwhile to give up his heedless quest for Lionel’s paternal nurturing?

"I understand."

"Don’t assume that. You’ve been incredibly dumb today. I wouldn’t be surprised if simple math was beyond you."

She stood up and paced, pumping her arms like a runner.

"God, I know you want to believe him, but he’s up to something. He’s plotting and scheming and working an angle. You know this - you told me this about Lionel!"

"I know it will never get better than the lies he tells to draw me in," Lex answered. "I know he’s always manipulating me for one reason or another. But I can’t quit yet."

Chloe’s eyes narrowed at him and she sniffed the air.

"You’re drunk," she accused. "God, no wonder."

Instead of making her angry, his stupidity seemed to make her feel bad about berating him. She walked around his desk and settled in his lap, holding him.

"I’m sorry. This is your risk to take. I really, really don’t like it. I’m going to remind you every day how much of a moron you’re being, and I think I’ll be telling you ‘I told you so,’ too."

"I deserve it," he slurred, wondering how he had managed to drink so much in such a short time. It was barely six o’clock.

She stroked his face gently, reluctantly amused by the bleary Lex who was groping her so obviously. He really was a fool, but she had a history of dating fools. Lex couldn’t give up on Lionel and she couldn’t give up on Lex. They would all have to figure out a way to survive the association.

"I love you anyway," she told him.

Afraid that he would say something so utterly dumb that she would have to recant, Lex kissed her instead of saying anything. After a few kisses they were heating up a bit too much for comfort, and she pulled away.

"Nice of you," he finally managed. "Very kind."

"You’re just lucky you’re good in bed."

"I’m great," he said, pride stung by the luke-warm review.

She stood up and batted his hands away from her ass, retreating. It was one thing to be in the mansion but quite another to be naked, vulnerable and preoccupied with Lionel very nearby.

"You’re great. Call me tomorrow."

Chloe walked out, straightening her clothes and closing the door behind her. It took Lex another hour before he realized they hadn’t broken up and hauled himself off to bed to celebrate by passing out.

The End

[welshy]

That was an excellent update, I especially enjoyed the ending LOL I hope there's going to be more soon :)


Chloe walked out, straightening her clothes and closing the door behind her. It took Lex another hour before he realized they hadn’t broken up and hauled himself off to bed to celebrate by passing out.

[Kit Merlot]

Nonky, I adore this story, and I thank you for finishing it:D

James is an absolute treat, and I love seeing Lex and Chloe being so parental.

Excellent work!

[Krysia]

The blond turned back to check on her small charge. He was typing furiously with an air of great works being done.


I love little James :) I could just see him working on his laptop while LEx is sitting next to him pretending to work. It's a picture that brings a stupid smile to my face and almost makes me go "Awwww".
Lex bursting in like some action hero to rescue Chloe from Lionel was just priceless.
Even through it was a great chapter I'm a bit sad that the story is finished....

[ggdoll18]

James was so adorable!

[lj715]

Great story!

[Catvampcrazines]

Great fic hun! Thanks for sharing it with us. *s*

[Ainur]

Great story!

[Pieper]

Great fic.

[cwong]

I really like the last line. Very funny yet sweet at the same time.
James is adorable and he seems like a good combination of Chloe and Lex. Maybe an epilogue with kids for Chole and Lex?

[teb85]

Fantastic fic, i loved the chlex interaction, hot smut and the insight to Lex was great!! James was so cute, the scenes with Lex in the talon were so sweet and a great ending too !!

[pipersmum]

I really enjoyed this story.
Lex,Chloe and James make a lovely family:D The sex in the pool was very hot and glad that Chloe is still with him even though Lionel is around. Martha always knows more than she lets on;)

[Zannie]

I remembered this morning that I'd noticed you finished this but hadn't had a chance to read it. I'm so glad you were able to get it finished. James is adorable, and I liked the Lionel stuff in this last part.


"You’re just lucky you’re good in bed."

"I’m great," he said, pride stung by the luke-warm review.

Heh. Loved this. Poor Lex--so defensive of his sexual prowess.


Chloe walked out, straightening her clothes and closing the door behind her. It took Lex another hour before he realized they hadn’t broken up and hauled himself off to bed to celebrate by passing out.

I giggled for a full minute over this.

A rather undramatic conclusion, but I enjoyed it very much. Thanks for this story. I'm looking forward to when you're able to resurrect more of your fics.

[Esther25jm]

This was fantastic!! Loved every word.

[xiaoyouangel]

nice story though i wish the ending could have been romantic....anyways, thanks for making it...

[junelle1]

VERY sexy and seductive story.
Thank God you finished it.

[superag]

This is a really good story. I enjoyed the small nuances of what we hope Lex would be as a dad and the flashbacks. However, the un-nerving ending gets me.

So, for my own personal gratification, since she won't return to his place again, Lex buys a home in Pleasant Meadows and she can just walk there from hers for their 'time together'

[juuicebox]

great fic!

[westwingwolf]

I love the scenes where Chloe and Lex hang out with James. It's great that Chloe won't be leaving Lex even though he took Lionel back into his home. This was great seeing them juggle a relationship and everything else going on in their lives.

[happybum]

i love this fic, as always great work, not good but great. I'm rereading this fic and it's like a different experience from the other time. It happens when you reread great stories. =]

[Kaimore]

Favorite lines:
Lex stayed in the shadows where he belonged, and Clark took Chloe out into the light.

with a life-size emerald elephant in the backyard . . . of her solid platinum palace. And then, thankfully, she would beat him until he took it back and gave her a new laptop instead.

Other hands on her were unacceptable, threatening. She was his.

“I didn’t come here to see Lex Luthor, crown prince of corporate America. I’m here to get freaky with my boyfriend, Lex.

Who were they to have her so lightly when he was forced to hide her like a sin?

Because she knew from the moment she met him, Lex Luthor was a family man without a family.

Her infamous curiousity might have inspired a trip to one of the least used areas of the castle, but if that was the case what was she wearing?

[malugargula]

This fic is great
:)
I loved Lex and Chloe`s relationship and I loved James
I bet their own children will be as inteligent as James

[badhairdays]

This was excellent!! I can't believe I haven't read it before...

[dhh123]

Sometimes it's confusing since there's no breaks in scenes which DO need them..

I"m still a bit confused since I'm not really into Smallville since the beginning and this story seems to be following"?" canon in it's own way?????

[dhh123]

The child sounds so adorable!

[dhh123]

AWWWWWWW!!!!


It's a great chapter..It's so SWEET and adorable..Lex was great in this..

[dhh123]

THE thing I LOVED most about this story is James..He's so adorable..

Using his sweater to wipe the table so that his laptop won't get dirty..LOL..

[emms14]

Fantastic story!! :)

-emms14

[SouthernChlex]

As much as I would have loved to read more of this story, this is really how all Chlex stories should end: slightly unresolved.
Loved the whole thing.

[koolchic150]

Hi, Really liked this fic, have to admit was a little confused about the bit of Chloe with her boss and how it related but did love the story including the ending especially as it wasn't a dramatic one I think that made it more realistic!

[darkwhisper]

You've put together a great ending for this fic! Great job!

[ajl_gurl84]

Aaaww... It's finished?

=sigh= That was a fun story to read :D

James is adorable :puppydog:, lionel is confusing... (did someone give him a concussion? :confused:), and Chloe and Lex are just as lovable as ever.

Again, I express my appreciation for fics with established Chlex rather than the beginning and ending of Chlex.

Great job! :grin3:

[malugargula]

Just read this great fic again
:)

[missmagick]

Really good keeping lex in character and very well written