These Arms Of Mine (NC-17)

[bluemoongirl23]

Title: These Arms of Mine
Author: Blue
Rating: NC-17..........eventually
Summary: Lex waxes poetic (not literally) about his feelings towards a certain blonde
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.....if only I did. Nor do I own the rights to the song These Arms of Mine by the imcomparable Otis Redding. I highly recommend taking a listen, it's wonderful.

A/N: Thanks to Sabby for betaing this. And to Kris for helping with the direction of the story. It's my first songfic so be gentle. And, I just wanted it noted that these things are hard to write! Plus, do I get any extra points for using a song that has my name in it?

Chapter One: Lonely


These arms of mine
They are lonely, lonely and feeling blue



Being reared at the best boarding schools in the country and abroad prepared one for many situations. One learned how to stage a coup, how to swindle those less fortunate out of what was rightfully theirs, how to put the most ideal spin on an amoral transgression…..and then there were the classes. However, there was no such instruction on how to handle the inappropriate, overwhelming urge to fully possess someone who was off limits to you on every level.

Lex came as close to sighing as his Luthor pedigree would allow while he expertly lifted a flute of champagne off the tray of a passing waiter. He savored the overly expensive liquid as it coursed down his throat and watched the people milling about his domicile with detached curiosity.

If nothing else, Lex knew the proper way to throw a party for his friend. ‘Yes, friend, singular,’ Lex noted to himself. Tonight, they were celebrating Clark’s graduation from college. Lex had made it a black-tie affair, figuring it would make the evening more interesting. Someone was always sure to appear in a horrid outfit.

Lex was pleased, yet not surprised by, the number of friends that the farmboy had made in his four years at Metropolis University. Lex was more pleased, however, at the fact that they were all of legal drinking age. He remembered too many parties that entailed him sipping a Coke instead of his fine Scotch after a platitude filled speech given to him by Jonathan Kent regarding the importance of setting a good example for the youth of America. Or, some drivel to that effect.

Most of the first floor of the Manor was taken up by the festivities, with the recent graduates drifting from one room to another. Lex had been able to pick out a few familiar faces; Clark’s current flame, Clark’s roommate and a fellow journalism major that would be employed by the Inquisitor in just a few months.

As his eyes continued to scan the room, he realized that he had been looking for someone in particular. For her.

Forcibly, Lex stopped the movements of his eyes and moved to a quiet corner of the room to sit on a sprawling leather couch. It wasn’t often that he felt melancholy, but he found that being in large crowds often brought it out in him.

Usually, he would make the required greetings and then slip into his own thoughts. Which, most of the time, were occupied by his business. Or, more to the point, keeping his father’s hands off of what he had built over the last six years in Smallville. Last quarter, LexCorp had turned a greater profit than LuthorCorp and Lex was sure that his father was none too pleased with that.

However, tonight, his thoughts were more of a personal nature. His eyes flickered around the room again, taking in the small groups of people that were engrossed in their own inane conversations. And here he was, alone. As usual. Lex had to check himself from rolling his eyes at his self-pitying thought.

‘Poor, little rich boy,’ a voice, which sounded like his father, taunted him. On some level, Lex knew that throwing the party for Clark would bring out the usual feelings of inadequacy and envy for the way the boy seemed to draw people to him. Currently, the brunette in question was in the center of a large group of people, gesturing like mad, everyone absorbed in the story he was telling. Meanwhile, there was not one soul in a ten foot radius of where Lex was sitting. After Clark had introduced the guests one by one to Lex as they arrived, the older man had been bitterly amused to see how long it was before the new acquaintance made some excuse to leave his presence. It had gotten so bad that Lex had actually been happy to see Pete Ross. Never a good sign.

The small microcosm of the party was imitating the world at large. Clark Kent had friends and family while Lex, well, Lex had his champagne to keep him warm.

Not that his outward appearance would ever betray the thoughts or feelings that were percolating in his brain. To anyone who happened to sneak a glance at the man, and there were many women, and more than a few men, too, that did just that, Lex would appear confident and aloof. Years of training by his father and, later, himself kept the impervious mask in place on his face.


Chapter Two

These arms of mine
They are yearning, yearning from wanting you


A crack appeared in the façade, however, when a small hand, which seemed to appear from nowhere, landed on Clark’s suit clad shoulder. A moment later, a tidal of laughter erupted in the small group as Clark turned a deep shade of red. A smirk appeared on Lex’s face, thinking of how Clark had most likely just been busted while ‘embellishing’ a story.

Lex shifted on the couch, trying to see past the blockade that was Clark’s hulking form. After a moment, Clark seemed to compose himself and turned around, tightly embracing the person behind him. He spun the blonde around and than placed her back on her feet, in the center of the group. For once, Clark had done something right. Lex now had an unobstructed view of one Chloe Sullivan.

Instinctively, Lex raked his eyes over her body. Chloe had outdone herself this evening. The dress, what of it there was, was a deep blue, a color that the girl rarely wore. It was silk and was hugging every curve that the young woman had. She was showing an ample amount of cleavage and Lex’s eyes narrowed as he watched some of the men appreciating the view. The thin straps that held up the dress were tied at the back of her neck. Chloe turned, grabbing some champagne of her own.

“Sweet Jesus,” Lex practically moaned. The dress was backless, showing off her pale, unflawed skin. The material of the dress covered her skin once more at the small of her back and Lex realized two things at once. Chloe had a tattoo; it was peeking out from behind the material. And, she wasn’t wearing any underwear; the dress was the only scrap of material separating him from what he wanted so badly.

The change in him had happened gradually. He had been aware of it, but refused to acknowledge it, instead burying himself in work. But, every time he had found himself alone with the tiny blonde, every one of his senses became aroused by her. ‘Not just your senses buddy,’ he reminded himself.

Lex remembered a particularly heated argument the two of them had gotten into the summer before her junior year of college. Clark and Chloe had come over to the Manor to ‘pump him for information’, as Chloe had put it, about some of the more out of the way spots in Metropolis. The two, along with Pete and Lana, had already seen all of the regular sights but wanted to explore other parts of the city.

After a few minutes, Clark had run out of the room, blathering some nonsense about having to do farm chores, leaving the two alone. Within minutes, Lex had found himself debating the validity of the accounts of Joan of Arc’s exploits. After Lex had made a particularly excellent point, the little spitfire sprang from her chair and began to pace around the room. Lex listened to her words, careful to make sure that when she looked back at him, his eyes had ceased looking at her ass. When she had leaned over his desk in order to encroach on his personal space, an old trick he used often, his eyes had flickered to her chest.

A curse had flitted through his mind and he’d quickly returned his gaze to her face. Chloe had looked shocked, but recovered quickly as she continued on with her rant, ignoring the fact that she had caught Lex’s eyes glued to her breasts. The air around them had changed, the palpable tension making the room seem smaller than it was.

Chloe had continued speaking and began to wander around the room again. She was the only woman Lex had ever encountered that could make him hard merely by talking about a thirteenth century French saint. When Chloe had been done talking, Lex had chosen not to speak. Wanting to see if Chloe would mention the rather large, pink elephant that he had brought into the room. Her eyes had locked with his, the hazel depths darker than usual and she had opened her mouth to speak. Clark, displaying his always impeccable timing, had walked back into the room then, effectively stopping whatever conversation had been about to occur. That night, Lex was ashamed to admit, he had researched what the legal age of consent in the state of Kansas was. When he found out Chloe was of age, he had scratched that off the long list of reasons why she was the worst possible woman for him to want. Now, all that was left was:

1) Gabe would kill me
2) Pete would kill me
3) Jonathan Kent would kill me
4) Clark would kill me (?)
5) Father would try to seduce her
6) Reporter
7) Would be whipped
8) LexCorp would fall into ruin due to the fact that I would never leave the bedroom

The last fact on the list had stopped most of the higher functions of Lex’s brain when it had plunged directly into the gutter at the thought of taking the blonde on his desk at the office.

That had been a little over two years ago and he was still no closer to making his numerous fantasies a reality. ‘Couldn’t very well try right after that now, could you,’ he reminded himself as he watched the blonde saunter over to Pete and Lana. Shortly after their little tete a tete, Clark and Chloe had begun to date.

[Gemini]

Very well written beginning, the POV is great *applauds* Hmm... now where are you planning to go with this? :biggrin:

[Tandy]

Great Job! I'm really intrigued, i can't wait to see what happens and how Chloe will fit into all of this! :yay:

Tandy

[scifichick774]

Really nice start, Blue. Can't wait for more!

[Susan S]

Very nice start. I love how you are doing Lex's thoughts. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

Susan S

[hfce]

Aw I feel bad for Lex . I want to give him a hug :sad:


Hope

[staysixkid]

I really, really like this. The intro is spectacular. Ok, it's time to bring in Chloe, get him out of this funk.

[shipperchick]

it's time to bring in Chloe, get him out of this funk.

Tooootal.
Plus, I agree that Lex really needs a hug. ::sniffle::

Excellent intro, great beginning, please give us more!

[Queen Of Tact]

very good so far, though Lex does need to have a little fun...... can't wait to read more....

CC

[Brittany]

That's it, I need more than that! Good beginning but their wasn't any Chloe. Please hurry with an update I'm eager to see Chlex together, in more ways than one! :chlexsign1:

[vardaquareien]

Fantastic beggining!!! You created a wonderful mood in this...well not a wonderful mood - a rather depressing, melancholy one actualy - but you created the melancholy atmospheree wonderfully!!! :biggrin:

My poor Lexy! Add me to the lineup of people waiting to give him a hug. Guess Chloe'll have to do it for us! ;)

[scorpio]

Originally posted by bluemoongirl23@Jul 26 2003, 12:19 AM
Clark Kent had friends and family while Lex, well, Lex had his champagne to keep him warm.


:huh: Nonono. Don´t think like that, Lex. Soon you´ll have Chloe to kiss it all better. Promise. Blue will take care of that. :biggrin: I´m sure of it.

You´re doing a very good job in portrying Lex here. I like it. :) Can´t wait to see what´s going to happen. Somehow I don´t think that you´ll have Chloe coming on to him easily...will you?

[lunaluthor]

that was a very fine introduction and I'm longing for an update so humor me and post soon :biggrin:

[Calliope]

I'm waiting to see Chloe enter the picture. She'll liven up Lex's life. :chlexsign2:

[bluemoongirl23]

Disclaimers in part one

A/N: Thanks for all the loverly words of encouragement. And, this is not really a chapter, it's a chap. Very short. Feel free to hurl objects at me.....I'm quite agile.

Chapter Two: Yearning


These arms of mine
They are yearning, yearning from wanting you


A crack appeared in the façade, however, when a small hand, which seemed to appear from nowhere, landed on Clark’s suit clad shoulder. A moment later, a tidal of laughter erupted in the small group as Clark turned a deep shade of red. A smirk appeared on Lex’s face, thinking of how Clark had most likely just been busted while ‘embellishing’ a story.

Lex shifted on the couch, trying to see past the blockade that was Clark’s hulking form. After a moment, Clark seemed to compose himself and turned around, tightly embracing the person behind him. He spun the blonde around and than placed her back on her feet, in the center of the group. For once, Clark had done something right. Lex now had an unobstructed view of one Chloe Sullivan.

Instinctively, Lex raked his eyes over her body. Chloe had outdone herself this evening. The dress, what of it there was, was a deep blue, a color that the girl rarely wore. It was silk and was hugging every curve that the young woman had. She was showing an ample amount of cleavage and Lex’s eyes narrowed as he watched some of the men appreciating the view. The thin straps that held up the dress were tied at the back of her neck. Chloe turned, grabbing some champagne of her own.

“Sweet Jesus,” Lex practically moaned. The dress was backless, showing off her pale, unflawed skin. The material of the dress covered her skin once more at the small of her back and Lex realized two things at once. Chloe had a tattoo; it was peeking out from behind the material. And, she wasn’t wearing any underwear; the dress was the only scrap of material separating him from what he wanted so badly.

The change in him had happened gradually. He had been aware of it, but refused to acknowledge it, instead burying himself in work. But, every time he had found himself alone with the tiny blonde, every one of his senses became aroused by her. ‘Not just your senses buddy,’ he reminded himself.

Lex remembered a particularly heated argument the two of them had gotten into the summer before her junior year of college. Clark and Chloe had come over to the Manor to ‘pump him for information’, as Chloe had put it, about some of the more out of the way spots in Metropolis. The two, along with Pete and Lana, had already seen all of the regular sights but wanted to explore other parts of the city.

After a few minutes, Clark had run out of the room, blathering some nonsense about having to do farm chores, leaving the two alone. Within minutes, Lex had found himself debating the validity of the accounts of Joan of Arc’s exploits. After Lex had made a particularly excellent point, the little spitfire sprang from her chair and began to pace around the room. Lex listened to her words, careful to make sure that when she looked back at him, his eyes had ceased looking at her ass. When she had leaned over his desk in order to encroach on his personal space, an old trick he used often, his eyes had flickered to her chest.

A curse had flitted through his mind and he’d quickly returned his gaze to her face. Chloe had looked shocked, but recovered quickly as she continued on with her rant, ignoring the fact that she had caught Lex’s eyes glued to her breasts. The air around them had changed, the palpable tension making the room seem smaller than it was.

Chloe had continued speaking and began to wander around the room again. She was the only woman Lex had ever encountered that could make him hard merely by talking about a thirteenth century French saint. When Chloe had been done talking, Lex had chosen not to speak. Wanting to see if Chloe would mention the rather large, pink elephant that he had brought into the room. Her eyes had locked with his, the hazel depths darker than usual and she had opened her mouth to speak. Clark, displaying his always impeccable timing, had walked back into the room then, effectively stopping whatever conversation had been about to occur. That night, Lex was ashamed to admit, he had researched what the legal age of consent in the state of Kansas was. When he found out Chloe was of age, he had scratched that off the long list of reasons why she was the worst possible woman for him to want. Now, all that was left was:

1) Gabe would kill me
2) Pete would kill me
3) Jonathan Kent would kill me
4) Clark would kill me (?)
5) Father would try to seduce her
6) Reporter
7) Would be whipped
8) LexCorp would fall into ruin due to the fact that I would never leave the bedroom

The last fact on the list had stopped most of the higher functions of Lex’s brain when it had plunged directly into the gutter at the thought of taking the blonde on his desk at the office.

That had been a little over two years ago and he was still no closer to making his numerous fantasies a reality. ‘Couldn’t very well try right after that now, could you,’ he reminded himself as he watched the blonde saunter over to Pete and Lana. Shortly after their little tete a tete, Clark and Chloe had begun to date.

[scifichick774]

Originally posted by bluemoongirl23@Jul 27 2003, 05:16 PM

1) Gabe would kill me
2) Pete would kill me
3) Jonathan Kent would kill me
4) Clark would kill me (?)
5) Father would try to seduce her
6) Reporter
7) Would be whipped
8) LexCorp would fall into ruin due to the fact that I would never leave the bedroom


I don't think you know how hard I laughed when I read #7. At least he acknowledges it. ;)

[hfce]

Yes it was to short :tease: but I like # 7. :lol: So true. :lol:


Hope ;)

[Impress]

When do we get to the Chloe/Lex lovin? :eyebrows:

Good work hun. Real good. Can't wait to read more. Please tell me Chloe and Clark aren't still dating.

Oh and I liked #7 and #8.

[dsapiro]

7 and 8 made me very happy. More soon please!

[Czech Angel]

:pclol:
Oh my God! that lil' guy up there is me falling out of the chair after reading #7 and #8.
I can't wait to see what happens next! :chlexsign1:
Also, When is the :smut: gonna happen?

[Calliope]

OK, we so need to break up Chloe and MrBoringPants. I also loved #7. Lex is in loooovvveee. :biggrin:

[Gemini]

OMG, that list was the best thing since chocolate cake :lol: Very cool chapter, poor Lex admiring her from afar... :yay2:

[Brittany]

Yay, Chloe arrived but they didn't even speak to each other, I'm very disappointed, shame on you! I agree with Calliope, gotta get rid of that stupid Clark :devil: !! Hurry with the next chapter, I don't think I can wait much longer for some Chlex interaction. Oh yeah, the dress description was great, she'd look good in blue! :biggrin:

[vardaquareien]

Wonderful! Loved seeing Lex's thoughts on Chloe.

...so #8...will that be happening anytime soon? *hint, himt* :satanwink:

[lunaluthor]

wondefull really
the list was hilarious and the craving Lex so sweet and sexy
I want more and I want it soon :yay: :yay: :yay:

[scorpio]

Chloe is dating Clark? Uh, let me check again what pairing this fic has. :lol:

I loved it. This is so good. Can´t wait for the update. :yay:

[Tandy]

As everyone else i liked #8! :devil: It was kind of short but really good, besides i prefer quality to quantity! Great job!

Tandy :wub:

[L'infini]

Ha! Lex could have all those people killed off first, easily. Or perhaps if he invested in some effing security at his mansion then it would be less likely that anyone would murder him. Good, so he can scratch all the being killed points.

So, is Chloe still dating Clark? I hope not, dammit, she's supposed to be an intelligent woman. Wonderful chapter, how's about another one? :biggrin:

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: So, here's the next part. It's longer than the last two, I think you'll be happy to note. As for the smut, it shall arrive....just not in this chapter. Enjoy.


Chapter Three: Grateful

And if you would let them hold you
Oh, how grateful I will be


Lex had reacted to the news of his friends’ relationship in a calm, controlled manner. He had gone on a twelve day bender; during the course of which he hadn’t met a blonde, or a drink, he didn’t like. Lex had returned to the plant convinced that he had gotten a certain blonde out of his system. Until, that was, Gabe had made an off hand comment about how happy Chloe seemed with Clark. Upon hearing that news, Lex had done the most logical thing……he had gotten married. Upon closer inspection, that may not have been the best move on his part….but, when in doubt, do what you know.

Needless to say, that blunder hadn’t lasted any longer than his previous mistakes. In fact, Clark and Chloe’s relationship had lasted longer than all of his marriages put together. Lex had figured out that little mathematical fact late one night when he should have been studying how to properly greet the royalty of Bruni.

When the twosome had returned home the next summer, Lex, ever the masochist, had invited them to dinner at the Manor. Clark had greeted him with the usual huge puppy dog grin and Chloe had started right in with a quip on his latest marriage. He had divided most of the time that evening keeping Clark away from shiny, expensive, breakable objects and resisting the urge to throw Chloe against the nearest hard surface and ravage her.

When it was time for the pair to leave, Clark had to fetch the car due to the fact that the Manor had sustained some damage during a recent break in and the service vehicles took up most of the driveway. It struck Lex that trouble always seemed to brew around late May in Smallville.

Chloe leaned against the open door, her arms crossed over her chest. When she and Clark had arrived, it had been a beautiful June day. Within the last few hours, the temperature had dropped significantly, and Lex noticed that Chloe was shivering slightly in her sleeveless shirt. Quickly, he took one of his numerous coats out of the closet and cleared his throat. When she turned, he gestured to the coat and then to her. After a few moments of blustering that she didn’t need it, Lex was able to convince her to take it….for his sake, of course. After helping her in the jacket, his hands lingered on her shoulders. And, giving into temptation, something he didn’t do often where Chloe was concerned, he had brushed his fingertips over the nape of her neck, clearing her hair from the collar. Lex heard a sharp intake of breath from the woman in front of him and had to trap a similar noise in his throat when he felt a shot of desire course through his body from the minimal contact.

Chloe had turned around, an unreadable look in her eyes as she carefully studied his face. He kept his gaze level with hers, his face not betraying a single emotion.

A short beep of the truck’s horn had broken the moment. Clark bounded out of the vehicle and opened the door for Chloe, waving his goodbye to Lex.

“Night,” Chloe murmured.

“Bye,” Lex returned, his voice deep.

After a beat, Chloe walked over to the truck and Clark helped her inside.

During the hours the three spent together, Lex had noticed a very interesting detail about the pair; they weren’t very physical with one another. There was the random holding of hands or touch on the shoulder. But for teenagers whose hormones, according to the experts, were out of control, the two seemed to be rather restrained with one another.

Later in the week, Lex had brought up that point to Clark and the boy had blushed, as usual. He had explained to Lex that Chloe had said the same thing a few months ago. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to touch Chloe, Clark explained, it was that something was holding him back. Lex had nodded in all of the right places and had told Clark that he shouldn’t rush into something that he wasn’t comfortable with. While that was true, Lex knew that his advice to the boy wasn’t totally altruistic. The thought of another man, especially Clark, touching Chloe was abhorrent to him. However, part of him did it for Chloe, too. She deserved someone better than Clark. While he was forever indebted to the young man, and would therefore forgive most of his faults, Lex knew that he would never treat Chloe the way that she ought to be treated.

Life in Smallville had carried on with the usual pattern during that summer; Lana running the Talon, Pete silently plotting Lex’s demise whenever the two happened to be in the same place at the same time, Clark constantly running off to do ‘chores’ and Chloe observing and editorializing everything that happened.

All of them had gotten through the few months unscathed by trauma. Until August, that was.

That month, girls began to disappear. Usually in pairs and always on a Wednesday night. Sheriff Adams had quickly instituted a curfew in the small town, but girls continued to go missing. Then, there were the notes. Cryptic poems that only made sense after the girls’ corpses were found.

Both Lex and Clark had gone into full protective mode. Lex had cancelled Gabe’s trips for the plant so he could be at home with the young women. The two had also taken to visiting with the girls numerous times a day. It had worked for awhile, Chloe and Lana begrudgingly putting up with having ‘a second shadow’ as Chloe had put it. However, the girls quickly tired of being “protected.” Especially after a certain incident where a man had grabbed Chloe’s elbow in the Talon. After it was all over, Lex had owned a certain Mr. Jennings of Colorado, who was only asking for directions, an apology and a pile of hush money. He had also had to buy Lana a new coffee pot.

Unbeknownst to the men at the time, Chloe and Lana had had enough of being watched constantly.

One night, about two weeks before the start of there last year of college, the day after Gabe had been sent to an emergency meeting that not even Lex could get him out of, the girls had informed Lex and Clark that they were going for a girl’s night out in Metropolis with some of their friends from college. In reality, the two were doing a quiet movie night at home, away from the constant watch of the two men. Unfortunately, someone else had been watching the girls.

When Chloe hadn’t called the Kents on Thursday morning, a ritual that Mr. Kent insisted on since the beginning of the whole mess, panic had quickly overtaken the farmhouse. Terror took over from there when Clark ran over to the Sullivan household, finding it in disarray. A sick feeling had formed in the pit of his stomach when he saw the broken doorjamb and the blood that was on the couch. In a daze, he had called Lex. Who had promptly screamed at him for not calling the moment that Chloe had failed to check in. He then began to bark orders at Clark, most of which Clark didn’t hear in his daze. Suddenly, the room began to spin and the next thing that Clark knew, Sheriff Adams and Lex were looming over him.

Clark could see that Lex held a plastic baggie with a note, which had no doubt been found inside Sullivan mailbox, in his left hand. The older man was seated on the couch, staring intently at it. His lips moved as he read the note to himself. When the Sheriff motioned to Lex that she needed the note back, he simply stared at her, unmoving. “It’s evidence,” she said. Lex blinked a few times. “Mr. Luthor,” she said, her hand going to the butt of her gun, “am I going to have to remove you from the crime scene for hindering an investigation?”

Lex stood, pulling himself to his full height in front of the Sheriff. “No, ma’am,” he said calmly, as he handed her the note. The woman nodded and then walked into the kitchen where she whispered something to another officer.

For the first time, Clark noticed that he was still on the floor. He pulled himself up and said, “What do we know?” Lex ignored him and walked over to the desk that was in the corner of the room. Upon finding a notepad, Lex quickly jotted something down. He briskly walked over to Clark and began to pull him out of the Sullivan house, “We’ll be leaving now,” Lex muttered under his breath.

As Clark and Lex walked towards Lex’s car, the younger man said, “Fill me in.”

Lex opened the car door, motioning for Clark to get in on the passenger’s side. “You already know,” Lex said, turning the engine over. “They’ve been taken by that psycho. He left a note and we now have approximately,” Lex looked at his watch, “anywhere between twelve and sixteen hours, depending on when he took them, before he kills them.”

“How can you be so calm about this, Lex,” Clark asked. “Don’t you even care?”

With a screech, Lex pulled the car to a halt.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~

When Lex had heard the phone ring in Luthor Manor that morning, he knew something was wrong. He didn’t believe in the psychic links between people, he believed in the fact that no one ever called his private line unless it was an emergency. He had fought a wave of nausea when Clark had told him what he had found at Chloe’s house. When his mind had begun to wander down the path of what had happened to the other girls, he quickly had to get himself back in control. Chloe needed him now. Lex had begun to tell Clark what needed to be done, but he had heard a thump over the line which he assumed to be Clark losing consciousness. Lex broke the connection and called the police.

Upon arriving at the Sullivan household, he was told that he was not allowed to go in. He had removed his sunglasses and glared at the rookie cop who was talking to him. The man’s words quickly dried up and he stepped aside for Lex.

Lex’s eyes took in the living room, filing the scene away in his brain. It seemed to him that the intruder had entered forcibly through the front door. Someone, he was guessing Chloe, had put up a hell of a fight and paid for it. He crouched down by the blood and heard approaching footsteps.

“This is a crime scene, Mr. Luthor,” a familiar voice said.

“I’m acutely aware of that, Sheriff,” he answered, continuing to stare at the droplets of blood. “Has this been typed?”

Sighing, Sheriff Adams realized that she could either waste her time trying to get the Luthor boy to leave or she could put up with him. “Yes, it has. We’re trying to figure out which of the girls it belongs to. It’s A positive.”

“Chloe,” he immediately replied. He stood up, “It’s Chloe’s blood type.” He swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat, trying not to dwell on the fact that the bastard had already hurt her.

The Sheriff nodded once. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Luthor. Now, if you’ll just see that officer over there..” The woman was gently trying to steer Lex out of the house. And, he wasn’t about to leave at this point.

Gracefully sitting down on the couch he asked, “Where’s the note? I assume you found one.”

She nodded shortly, realizing that the man was not going to be deterred by her. Taking the note out of her pocket, she said, “I assume you know that I’m breaking all sorts of protocol by showing you this. However, I also assume that you will continue in this manner until you get what you want.”

Lex took the note and read it over. Distantly, he heard a groaning from the floor, noticing Clark’s supine form for the first time. He read the note over a few times, hoping that something in it would click in his mind. He became more and more frustrated at the nonsensical words and phrases. ‘Think, dammit!’

The mental picture of Chloe’s unmoving form filled his mind. Still dressed in her pajamas, she was lying on a cold floor and bleeding from her temple. Lex imagined a shadowy figure circling her body, a serrated knife in his hand. The man approached Chloe and she awoke, terror flashing in her eyes. She began to scream….

With a jerk of his head, Lex cleared the disturbing image that made his gut twist into knots. He scrutinized the note more closely, reading it softly aloud, hoping that would jar his brain into action. When the Sheriff threatened to have him removed from the scene, Lex knew that he had pushed her as far as he could. Handing back the note, he kept repeating the words in his mind until he could write them down. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Sheriff whispering to another officer and decided it was time to get the hell out of Dodge.

He grabbed Clark, ignoring his questions until they were a safe distance away from the house. Lex knew that he had to be calm. Too often when important things were at stake, he let his emotions get the better of him. He wouldn’t let Chloe and Lana pay for his inability to think clearly. When Clark had accused him of not caring, he had immediately seen red.

Turning to Clark, Lex kept his voice low. “*Never* ask me that question again, Clark,” he said, his eyes boring into the younger man. “Right now, Chloe and Lana need us to be rational in order to figure this out. The only thing that falling apart will do is get them killed. This isn’t a game, this isn’t something that your ability to pop up seemingly out of nowhere will fix,” at this statement Clark’s eyes widened. “He will *kill* them, Clark. While Sheriff Adams is a smart woman, I think that we have more at stake and will, therefore, be able to figure this out in a timelier manner. Don’t you agree?”

The boy nodded, clearly feeling guilty for his earlier words.

Lex clenched his jaw, looking out the windshield. “I care, Clark,” he said. “More than you know.” He realized he had said his last statement aloud and turned towards Clark.

‘So, that’s what an epiphany looks like,’ Lex thought as Clark’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Before Clark could speak, Lex put the car back in gear and drove in the direction of the Manor.

[staysixkid]

This story is so friggin good! I loved how you described Clark at the mansion...

He had divided most of the time that evening keeping Clark away from shiny, expensive, breakable objects
and I could totally see Pete
silently plotting Lex’s demise whenever the two happened to be in the same place at the same time

:tease: now I'm very worried about what you plan to do to Chloe...and even Lana. Don't leave us hanging for long.

[hfce]

Oh my Lord this is getting so good. More please :worship2:


Hope :chlexsign2:

[dsapiro]

Great chapter. Update soon.

[Tandy]

MORE!!!


:blush: Please?

Tandy

[drina]

He had divided most of the time that evening keeping Clark away from shiny, expensive, breakable objects and resisting the urge to throw Chloe against the nearest hard surface and ravage her.

You make Clark seems like a very exurberant puppy. lol

and gosh...this chapter is so exciting....Chloe and Lana kidnapped...hopefully nothing bad will happen to them.

[Brittany]

I agree this is getting SO good, I can't wait much longer for another update! :worship2:

[vardaquareien]

Ooh this is so wonderful!!!

I've been doing some detective work and reading back over the chaps to find some clues. In chapter one Lex mentioned that he saw Clark's 'current flame' whilst he was searching for Chloe - so I'm assuming that this Clark/Chloe relationship is strictly in the past? If so...YAY!!!

And due to the fact that Lex is remembering this whole kidnapping incident & you've mentioned both Chloe and Lana being at the party I'm assuming that they end up all right? Or do my detective skills just suck?

Now what I really wanna find out is how Chloe and Clark break up? Is it coz of Lex? Does he save her?

I can't wait for more!!!

[scifichick774]

Heh. Already read this (as you know) but always looking forward to more.

[Charlie]

"Lex had reacted to the news of his friends’ relationship in a calm, controlled manner. He had gone on a twelve day bender"

"Gabe had made an off hand comment about how happy Chloe seemed with Clark. Upon hearing that news, Lex had done the most logical thing……he had gotten married."

Booze and women, a very mature (male) reaction to the news of the relationship... :biggrin:

OK, Chloe needs loose the farmboy fast. Lex is a much better catch than flannelboy. Pleeease update soon, the suspense is killing me. What is going to happen to Chloe and Lana? Maybe Lex can be a knight in shining armour and rescue them. (at least Chloe)

[celticangel]

I love this story! :wub: Can't wait to see what happens. :worship2:

[asharnanae]

:chlexsign1: allthough the badness that is chlark is in this story, I have to say, its great, Pained jelous lex is soooo agh, my heart goes out to him. heck, lana can be brutaly murdured, or thow herself of a cliff for all I care, just need more story, wityh the CHLEX!!! :biggrin: :worship2:

[DawnieAngel]

this fic is....amazing. I love the way you've written Lex's thoughts towards Chloe and Chloe and Clark's relationship. I really neeeded to know what's happening with at kidnapper murdery thingy (oh i'm so articulate lol) and also Clark's reaction to his little realisation! So PLEASE PLEASE update soon! PLEASE!

[fighterangel]

sooo good.... want more....
:worship2:

LA

[buffiy18]

This story is getting very interesting. You have me very interetsted in the flashbacks... I want to know who/how the girls are rescued... I'm also waiting to see some Chlex, other than the few moments they've shared that Clark has interupted. :chlexsign3:

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Firstly, I deeply apologize for the Chlark, but, it is a means to an end. I also applaud Renee's detective skills. Secondly, there is some cheeseballness in this one, considered yourself warned. However, the twosome actually speak to one another in this chapter....


Chapter Four: Burning


These arms of mine
They are burning, burning from wanting you
These arms of mine
They are wanting, wanting to hold you


Clark ducked just in time as a book went flying through the air. He made no comment about it. It wasn’t as if it was the first time that it had happened in the past few hours. There was currently a pile of about thirty expensive, leather bound, rare texts in one corner of the room.

At first, Lex had been certain that he would be able to work through the riddle quickly. When Lex had heard the other ones, after they had been released to the press, he had thought the police were fools to not see the obvious meanings of the words. Now, however, with so much at stake and time ticking away, Lex was beginning to see how the police had been unable to stop the madman.

It didn’t help that, with each passing abduction; the phrases in the letters had become more obscure. Also, the author of them had used fewer and fewer words. Instead, there were numerous symbols in the notes and, what words there were appeared to be spaced out carefully, the spaces between them taking on meaning as well.

The last time, the dead girls had been found at the base of the scoreboard on the football field. One of the girls had been there only days ago, she was a cheerleader and in Smallville that’s where they did their routines from.

There had been two columns of unrelated words on that note. After, when the evidence had been collected, an officer noticed that the number of words on the right side of the paper matched the score on the right side of the scoreboard, which had yet to be reset. The same held true for the left side of the paper.

At first, Lex had concentrated on the actual words that he had copied down. He sighed, realizing that the pattern of the words could be more important. Thankfully, he had been able to replicate the note to a fair degree.

Deciding that the pattern was something to focus on, Lex had heaved the book in his hand across the room. He watched as Clark deftly avoided it. ‘Why does he even bother,’ Lex mused, ‘not like it would hurt him.’

Sweeping the pile of books and whatever else that lay upon the desk, Lex placed the note directly in the center of the glass surface. He willed himself to see something, but knew that that wasn’t the way to go about it. “Clark,” he said in a clipped tone, “come over here.” Maybe having another perspective would help.

Clark dutifully walked over and stood next to Lex, sensing that Lex was a few short minutes away from losing it completely. The older man’s body was tense and the number of books flying across the room had greatly increased in the last twenty minutes. Clark nervously eyed the clock, ‘One to five hours.’ A shiver ran down his spine at the thought of something happening to Lana or Chloe. His body stilled and he felt sick. ‘Still thinking of Lana first. Chloe’s right.’ They had had a fight yesterday about that. Chloe had said that she was sick of him putting Lana before her, even after they had gotten together. She had also said that it wasn’t fair to her, either. Clark had just stood there, with nothing to say. There had been no resolution, they still hadn’t made up. ‘If she dies….’ Clark’s thoughts were interrupted by Lex clearing his throat.

“Some time today, Kent, it might be nice to know what you think about the note” he said, tersely. He watched the young man look at it, studying it carefully. ‘Please, please, I don’t care if Clark saves the day again, just as long as I get her back.’ A sadistic voice in his head said, ‘She’s not yours, she’s his. The boy wonder’s, get used to it.’

Shaking his head, Clark said, “I’m sorry, I just don’t see anything.” Lex nodded and walked over to the window, taking in the spacious grounds of Luthor Manor. Unbelieving that this was happening days after he and Chloe had been walking around the wooded part of his property; her looking for meteor rocks, him just studying her.

“All this money,” he murmured, “and I can’t do a damn thing.” Clark didn’t know what to say so he remained silent.

Lex knew that he should call Gabe and see how he was doing, but he couldn’t deal with telling the man that it would be alright, that his daughter would be found safely, when he didn’t believe it himself. A lump formed in Lex’s throat and he bowed his head. ‘Giving up on me so soon, Lex?’ His head snapped up and he whipped around, that’s how sure he was that Chloe’s voice hadn’t been in his head. However, he only saw Clark behind him, with a rather concerned look on his face at that.

“Sorry, hearing things,” he said. He looked over to the desk, the only link to the killer and the whereabouts of Chloe and Lana lay there, silently mocking both he and Clark.

Eyes widening, Lex realized that the shape of the words looked familiar. Clark had started to speak and moved into his line of sight. “Clark. Move. Now,” Lex barked out the order. Without asking for an explanation, Clark did as told.

When Clark moved, Lex continued staring at the piece of paper. He would never have seen it if he hadn’t been brought out of his own defeatist thoughts by Chloe’s voice. At first, he thought his eyes had been deceiving him, but he now knew that what he saw was really there. He walked over to the desk, brushing past Clark, and picked up the piece of paper. Lex barely noticed that the note fluttered in his trembling hands. As he walked back towards the window, he threw the word “Stay” over his shoulder to Clark. He could see that the brunette was confused, but he obeyed Lex.

Holding the piece of paper up next to the window Lex asked, “Do you see it, Clark?”

Before he could really process the statement, Clark began to shake his head. Then, he noticed the shape that was both on the note and out the window. “The tree,” he whispered.

Looking at the piece of paper from this distance, the shape of a rather distinct looking tree came into focus. A tree that just happened to be on the Luthor grounds. “God,” Clark whispered.

“Go,” Lex commanded his voice urgent.

Clark remained motionless until Lex said, “I already know Clark, just get there NOW!” Lex screamed the last word.

Without another thought, Clark supersped to the tree. When he got there, he saw nothing at first. No Lana, no Chloe, no psychopath. However, he heard something. Just as he was turning to the sound, he was knocked off of his feet.

A hulking figure, clad totally in black, was now on top of Clark. Too late, Clark saw the knife that the man held, which happened to covered in Kryptonite dust. The two men tussled for control. Clark managed to flip the man onto his back, but he could feel himself weakening. A few moments later, Clark found himself staring up at the man, once more. He tried, in vain, to make his fists connect with the man’s hooded face. Clark watched, almost detachedly, as the knife got closer and closer to his chest. As the tip sliced through his clothing, a shot rang out and the man slumped onto Clark’s body.

Lex lowered the gun and Clark quickly flipped the dead man off of his body. He saw two struggling figures at the base of the tree and ran over to them. Relief flooding through him as he saw Lana and Chloe. Without thinking, he knelt down by Lana and undid the bindings that held her hands and feet together.

After Clark had raced out of the room, Lex had hurriedly grabbed his gun and run, full speed, to the tree. When he saw the green substance on the knife, he knew that Clark was in trouble. Muttering something as close to a prayer that Lex would ever get, he pulled the trigger. His heartbeat slowing when he saw he had been successful in his shot.

Throwing the gun down, he followed Clark to where the girls lay. He was literally stopped in his tracks when Clark went to Lana’s aid first. Lex’s eyes were immediately drawn to the struggling blonde. He watched as Chloe took in the sight of her boyfriend crouched down by Lana. Lex quickly stalked past the two brunettes and knelt by Chloe.

Taking in her appearance, Lex was even gladder that he had shot the bastard. Just as he had imagined, there was a huge scratch on Chloe’s temple. She also had a few bruises and he had gagged her. He could see that the young woman was freezing being that she was clad only in a tank top and a pair of Metropolis University shorts. Their gazes locked, Lex’s eyes softening and Chloe’s filling with tears. Silently, he removed the gag. Next, he freed her legs and then, finally, her hands.

Of its own volition, his left hand reached out and stroked her cheek. “I’m glad to see you, Chloe” he said, simply, willing himself not to totally break down in front of her.

“Me, too, Lex” Chloe said, her voice hoarse, saying his name for the first time without him having to ask her to do so.

Without further warning, she launched herself into his arms, wrapping herself so tightly around his body that it felt as if she were a second skin. In an instant, Lex wrapped his arms around her, whispering soothing words in her ear as her body shook with sobs.

Hot tears fell on his neck and he held her tighter, careful not to hurt her further. “I’ve got you, shhh. Everything’s going to be alright. He won’t hurt you again, baby.” Lex continued on, not really knowing what he was saying or noticing the term of endearment that had come from his lips. He rocked her back and forth, one of his hands now tangled in her hair, stroking the silken strands.

After a few minutes, Chloe’s body stilled and he felt her pulling away from him. Closing his eyes, he brought her closer to his body, just for a moment, and then let her go.

Chloe looked up at him. “Sorry,” she said, clearly embarrassed by her actions. She became more flushed when she realized that she was in his lap. As she tried to scramble away from him, Lex touched her shoulder.

“Easy, Chloe. Calm down, take it slow.” Lex helped her out of his lap and then stood up, reaching down and helping the girl to her feet. She swayed and cursed as she had to hold onto Lex in order not to lose her balance.

Lex’s hand found its way to the jagged cut that ran across her temple. “Does it hurt,” he asked softly.

Chloe smacked his hand away, “When you poke it at like that, yes.”

After a beat, Lex found himself laughing, letting out all of the tension that had coiled within his body in the last few hours. “Can you walk,” he asked, prepared to pick up the girl and carry back to the Manor if necessary. Truth be told, his hands itched to do it.

“Lex,” Chloe said, trying her best to feign annoyance. “My legs aren’t broken.” They began to walk over to the two other figures.

“Lana,” Chloe called, her voice cracking. “Are you ok?”

When they were close enough, the two girls, as Lex and Clark held them up, embraced fiercely. Both of them beginning to cry once more. After they were both satisfied that the other was indeed alright, they stepped back. Clark reached out for Chloe, but she stopped him with a look.

“I’m fine, Clark. Help Lana. It makes no sense to switch now, does it?” she managed a small smile.

A look passed between the two. “No,” Clark said, “I suppose it doesn’t.”

Lex and Chloe fell back as Clark and Lana walked towards the Manor. Lana had apparently twisted her ankle while trying to outrun the madman and was leaning on Clark. As they walked past his fallen form, Chloe motioned to the kidnapper, “He dead,” she asked.

“Yes,” Lex said, not bothering to elaborate.

Chloe nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Good,” she said, bitterly.

Tremors began to run through her body again and Lex quickly said, “Let’s go call your father, shall we?”

Chloe nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.” Tentatively, Lex circled his left arm around Chloe’s waist. He was able to breathe again when he felt her lean against his body. They traveled the rest of the way back to the Manor in silence.

[Calliope]

Lex is so sweet. Clark is such an ass. Glad neither of the girls were harmed. :chlexsign3:

[dsapiro]

Great chapter. More soon please!

[hfce]

Wow that was good. :biggrin:


I have a question is the kidnapping a flashback?

Hope

[staysixkid]

Ok, this would have to be my favorite chapter. It clearly proves what I think Chlex is. The only word I can use to describe it is ‘Inevitable’. Despite what happens, they are duty-bound to get together. Through different journeys, ranging from horrific shit to happy ‘fluff’, it’s clearly obvious that they are two characters who are meant to be together. It can not be denied or worked around. Bravo! :biggrin: Thank you for updating! I'm curious as to what's next. I LOVE THIS STORY!

[Zealot]

Excellent chapter, I'm looking forward for the rest!

[Impress]

So Good. Really enjoyed this chapter. Post again soon.

[buffiy18]

:chlexsign1: :chlexsign1: :chlexsign1: :chlexsign1:
No more Clark and Chole... I'm so sad... NOT. This keeps getting better! Lex is so sweet. I liked his "baby" slip up... wonder if Chole noticed.

[Brittany]

Finally, some Chlex!! This chapter was so sweet, especially the hug :wub: and Clark is such an inconsiderate asshole, lex should have waited until after clark was stabbed to shot the bad guy :devil: !! I'm Really excited to read the next chapter, so hurry!

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: FANTASTIC!!!!! This stoy is great, I love the way you have turned it towards the Chlex!!! More soon please!! :yay: :worship2:

[Czech Angel]

A look passed between the two. “No,” Clark said, “I suppose it doesn’t.”

Gawd could Clark be more of an asshole?!Oooh. It looks like Chlark won't be around for wrong. :chlexsign2:
And is Lex the sweetest guy or what? As usual the chap was great.:clap:
Can't wait to see what happens next.*hint, hint* :chlexsign3:

[Susan S]

You couldn't have killed Lana off? Oh well, great chapter. I loved the Chloe/Lex interaction. Clark is an idiot. Can't wait to see the next chapter.

Susan S

[Tandy]

:tease: Stupid, STUPID clark! Always hurting Chloe! Argghh, i really hate him now. :blinkkiss: Good thing Chloe has Lex!

Tandy

[hurlingturtles]

want to punch Clark, want to hug Lex....wonderful writing, love the narrative...need to know what happens, update soon!

[Blaire023]

I was wondering the same thing, is all of this a flashback? the whole serial killer thing?

i got kinda confused there for a moment.

*frowns*

i hate clark....he must be punished...*heads off to update*

~B

and i loved the chlex in this chapter. *snuggles up between sab and the chlex* my two favorite things in the world. *shies away from the cheese now, looking for a grater*

[lunaluthor]

fantastic chapter and the Chelx was so sweet
so I'm craving an update soon :biggrin: :yay: :yay:

[scorpio]

This chapter was just awww all the way. Lex...god bless his good soul. :biggrin: And Clark should really go to hell with Blana. *sigh*
I´m really, really loving this. It´s one of my favourite fics. Please continue this soon. :)

[drina]

Just iterating again what the others are saying: CLARK IS AN ASS!

But i guess that's a good thing coz Chloe broke up with him. lol

[crazygirl]

I agree and now I can't wait for Lex to show Chloe how a *real* man treats a woman.

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Ok, sorry about the confusion with the time frame. The only thing that is set in the present is the party. Everything else? The past. Also, this one is a long update, blame Kris is your eyeballs dry out. However, I am to blame for the amount of Gouda and drama you will find in the forthcoming update. That is all...enjoy


And if you would let them hold you
Oh, how grateful I will be
Come on, come on baby

Chapter Five: Let Me Hold You


Throwing his keys on the foyer table, Lex could only think of his warm, welcoming bed. The last time he had slept had been over thirty hours ago and he could feel himself coming down from the adrenalin rush. ‘Totally worth it, though,’ he thought as he wearily climbed up the stairs.

After Chloe and Lana had called Gabe in order to inform him that they were safe, Lex had called the authorities and notified them that the two missing girls had been found and the perpetrator of the most heinous crimes the small town had seen was dead. Within a few minutes, the walls of Luthor Manor flashed blue and red, reflecting the lights of the numerous police cruisers that had shown up in the driveway.

The girls had been taken to the hospital and after the body had been taken away. Lex and Clark had been asked, oh so nicely, if they would mind coming down to the station to ‘answer some routine questions.’ While Lex was in no mood to do so, he was also not in the mood to cause a scene, either. However, he had insisted on driving himself there. He had ridden in the back of police cruisers enough in his youth and had no intention of repeating the action.

Once the police had been able to ascertain that neither of the men had been involved in the plot itself, they were both free to leave. Clark had followed Lex over to the hospital, trying to keep up with the speeding Aston Martin, where they were informed that since they were not family members, they would not be able to see either Chloe or Lana.

Not missing a beat, Lex had said, “We’re their fiancées.” He had figured it was their best shot and, hell, it always seemed to work in those damn chick flicks that Chloe had recommended to him. Not that he would ever admit to watching them.

However, the night shift nurse wasn’t buying it. And, no amount of pleading had been able to sway her. When Lex ‘accidentally’ dropped five hundred dollars on the desk, both he and Clark had been escorted out by security.

In the parking lot, the two men had stared awkwardly at each other, unsure of what to do or say. “Good work, Clark,” Lex said, holding out his hand for Clark to shake.

Grinning, Clark had flicked Lex’s hand away and hugged him. Lex tried to butch up the hug by doing the patented hitting you on the back while I’m hugging you move.

“You too, Lex,” Clark said when he had released his friend. “And, I don’t think you should really be congratulating me. You were the one who figured it out. Without you….” He trailed off, shaking his head. “I don’t even want to complete that sentence.”

Lex nodded. “No need to. But, Clark, we’re lucky that you….” It was Lex’s turn to be at a loss for words. ‘That you are some sort of meteor freak that can do all sorts of things that aren’t humanly possible,’ didn’t seem to roll off the tongue. Nor was it polite, or something that should be discussed in a parking lot. “Let’s just say that you’d make Jessie Owens quake in his shoes.” Lex was happy to see that his remark earned a grin from Clark. Lex began to walk away, and then stopped, turning back to Clark. “You have no idea who I’m talking about, do you?”

“Nope. Not a clue,” Clark said, shaking his head. “Just didn’t want to ruin the Hallmark moment by bringing up that point.”

Lex chuckled and then muttered, “Damn kids. Ask Chloe, she’ll know.” With those parting words, Lex slipped his hands into his pocket and walked over to his car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~
On the ride home, Lex’s mind had been far too busy. He had remembered what it had felt like to have Chloe wrapped around his body, how he hadn’t wanted to let her go. His grip on the steering wheel tightened when he remembered the way her body had trembled, the sound of her cries against his neck and the hot tears that slipped over his skin. He wished that he could say that he has spared a moment to think about taking the other man’s life. But, he had hurt Chloe, it was that simple.

Walking by the study, Lex couldn’t help but take a brief detour into the room. He chuckled when he noticed the ruin that used to be his state of the art laptop. Chloe would surely string him up for breaking it only a week after he had gotten it. A soft smile played at the corner of his lips as he imagined the combative stance she always seemed to adopt whenever she was trying to explain to Lex why he was a ‘bonehead.’

He picked up the laptop and circled around the desk, placing it back on top of the glass surface. He saw the note which still lay where he had thrown it. Clenching his jaw, he picked up the piece of paper and tore it in half. Then, he tore those pieces in half as well. He had once read that you couldn’t fold any piece of paper more than five times in one direction, but there was no set amount of times you could rip one apart. His eyes flashing, he made quick work of the document. Lex threw the scraps that were left in his hands across the desk, where they fluttered towards the ground, his heart hammering in his chest. ‘So this is what a major coronary feels like,’ he thought.

Bracing his arms against the desk, he let out a long, shuddering breath, attempting to calm himself. His eyes slipped closed and he sank down into his plush, leather chair. He took his hands off of the desk and ran them over his face before leaning back in the chair, staring at the ceiling. All of the sudden, his bedroom seemed very far away. Instead, he decided that right here was just as good a place as any to pass out. Closing his eyes, it occurred to him that he would have to find another way to sneak into the hospital in order to see the girls. After a few moments, his breathing became deep and even as his body finally gave in and slept.

Always having been a light sleeper, Lex came awake when he heard someone clearing their throat. Opening his eyes, he noticed that it was dark in the room, indicating that he had been asleep for quite a few hours. Lex saw a familiar figure standing in the doorway of the room and couldn’t help some of the shock he felt come through in his voice. “Chloe? What the hell are you doing here?”

In an instant, Lex was on his feet, his long legs quickly taking him over to the petite young woman in his doorway. Not caring how it looked, his eyes ran over her body from head to toe, assessing if there were any other injuries he had failed to notice before. Apparently, Chloe had been able to shower and change before coming over to the Manor, leading Lex to believe that his little bout with unconsciousness was longer than he thought. There were no new wounds, but she did have a rather large bandage on her forehead. Lex’s hands twitched, resisting the great urge to pull her into his arms once again. ‘It’s called willpower, Luthor. How about showing some right about now?’

A small smile formed at her lips, “Nice to see that your bad manners are still in place. It’s good to know that some things never change.” She reached around his body and flicked on the lights, causing Lex to wince at the sudden brightness in the room. He noticed that she held her hands behind her back, as if she were hiding something from him. He could also see that she was trying to make light of the situation, but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook that easily.

“Chloe, I think that we both know that I’m glad to see you. However, I’m surprised that you would be discharged from the hospital so quickly,” he gave her a pointed look.

Quickly, Chloe ducked her head, avoiding the penetrating gaze of Lex’s eyes. “Well,” she said, hesitantly, as she walked towards the seat that was across from his desk, shifting whatever she held from its present position to the front of her body, “I don’t think ‘discharged’ is the correct term when someone signs themselves out against medical advice.”

Lex couldn’t help it, a flicker of intense anger coursed through his body. Before he could begin to speak, Chloe held up one of her hands, “Don’t bother, I already got it from my dad. Who by the way, is waiting outside in the car, so I have to be quick.” She looked over at him and rolled her eyes. “Go ahead, do that whole counting to ten in five different languages thing to help ‘harness your anger’ or whatever the hell the term is.”

It wasn’t fair, here she was, blatantly disregarding the orders of doctors, doctors which Lex intended to have some serious conversations with once he illegally obtained their home phone numbers, yet, she was able to weasel her way out of a well-deserved rant with a quick turn of phrase.

Managing to suppress his laughter he said, “Actually, it’s seven languages. If you’re going to insult me in my own home at least get your facts straight.”

“It was five the last time we spoke, Lex,” Chloe said. “You must have learned two new ones during the course of this year. It’s not my fault that you barely speak to me when I’m away at school.”

There were two reactions that Lex had to her statement. One was of pure, dumb joy that she remembered something as trivial as the number of languages he used in his anger management. The other was supreme guilt for ignoring most of the emails that Chloe had sent to him over the course of the last year. He hadn’t thought that it had meant that much to her. And, he knew that if he got sucked into corresponding with her, his little plan of not making a fool of himself would have gone by the wayside.

Instead of verbalizing any of these thoughts he merely said, “I’m sure you’re right. I take the blame, fully. Now, why don’t you have a seat, I’m sure you must be tired.” He gestured to the chair that she was standing by.

Nodding, Chloe began to sit. A puzzled look crossed her face and Lex saw her pick up one of the torn pieces of paper which had landed on the chair. “Oh, a ticker-tape parade to welcome me back to the Manor? You shouldn’t have.” She looked down and noticed the other pieces of paper. “Or maybe it’s a secret love letter.” Chloe threw whatever she was carrying on the chair and fluidly sank to the floor, beginning to pick up the scraps of paper.

Lex was crouching by her side immediately. He snatched the pieces of paper out of her hands, “Leave them,” he said, a bit too forcefully. He could now feel Chloe’s gaze on his face. A wave of nausea had hit his gut when he saw her with what could have been her death warrant in her hands. He wanted her away from the damn note as soon as possible.

Chloe caught the emotions that played over his face and began to understand what she was holding. Clark had filled her in on what had happened before she had come over to Lex’s. She watched as Lex violently picked the papers up from the floor and threw them all into the wastepaper basket. He stood and walked over to a cabinet and pulled open the drawers. When he found a lighter, he flicked it on and set the can ablaze.

Tendrils of smoke began to rise from the can and Lex walked to the table that was in the middle of the room and picked up the water pitcher that had been left there yesterday. He poured the contents of it over the fire, putting it out.

Chloe had watched the whole display from the floor. She continued to watch Lex as he stared at the charred contents of the ruined trash can. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want you touching that.”

It was time for Chloe to show some self-restraint. Seeing Lex like this, it made her want to cry. Cry for him, cry for what this had done to him. Her emotions seemed to be so close to the surface after what had happened.

After she and Lana had been taken, he had locked them in a room, gagging them so they could not even speak to one another. Left with her thoughts, Chloe had begun to analyze the choices she had made in her life. To her, there had been one glaring mistake that she had made. She vowed, that if she got out of it alive, she would correct that mistake. Chloe wasn’t sure if it would make a damn bit of difference in her relationship with the person that stood before her, but she had to do it for herself.

Instead of accepting his apology, Chloe rose to her feet and blurted out, “I broke up with Clark.” Lex’s head snapped around to meet her gaze. The intensity of what she saw reflected in his eyes made her drop her head.

For a man that usually tried to suppress his emotions, the past day had been a test for him. Trying to push them down in order to concentrate on Chloe. On getting her back and then giving her what she needed. What he wanted to do was walk over to her and force the issue, to ask if he was a factor in *any* part of her decision. But, Lex knew that you couldn’t always do, or get, what you wanted. Instead, he asked, “Why?” to Chloe’s bowed head.

Her voice was clear and strong. “I never should have dated him. It was a mistake. I suppose I thought that if we actually got together, I would be proving something. Proving to myself that I could get what I had always wanted. Proving to this town that someone saw something special in me. But,” she shook her head, “that’s not what it was like. He loves Lana, and he always will.” Chloe looked up again, a tear sliding down her cheek. She didn’t bother to sweep it away, not caring if Lex saw her cry. “I knew that going into it. But, what I didn’t know, what it took me awhile to realize was this. I don’t love Clark. I never did, I was just in love with the idea of having him.” She laughed, self-consciously, “I’m sorry, I’m not making any sense.”

“No,” he said, firmly. “You make perfect sense to me.” Lex walked over to Chloe and reached out to brush her tears away, but stopped himself, his hand coming to rest at his side. “I’m sorry about you and Clark. How’d he take it?” While Lex wanted Chloe for himself, he also didn’t want the one person who had been his friend to suffer.

“He’s fine,” Chloe said and, noticing the surprised look on Lex’s face, she laughed. “Yeah, how sad is it that after a year long relationship neither one of us is terribly upset about it? I think that says more than either of us cares to admit.”

Lex had to ask. “You came over here just to tell me that? Chloe, that could have waited, you just went through a traumatic event. Well, technically two, counting the breakup.” Off her look, Lex amended himself. “Ok, one and a half, we’ll compromise. I’m still shocked that Gabe not only allowed you to come over here now, but drove you himself.” While this was, by no means, small news, Lex would have preferred that Chloe had rested for a few days before coming over to see him. Briefly, he wondered if he should try and change their positions so she couldn’t see out the window and view the tree that she had almost died at the foot of.

Chloe gave a rather unladylike snort. “That’s not the reason I came over here, Lex. I got home and was cold, so I went to the closet to look for a blanket and this,” she said, gesturing to the garment on the chair, “fell on me.” Lex craned his neck and realized that Chloe had brought back the coat that he had lent her last summer.

“A coat,” Lex said, trying to keep his voice even. “You are almost killed and you feel the need to bring back a coat. Chloe, I….” But, he got no further.

Swallowing the lump that had appeared in her throat, Chloe interrupted him. “Yes, I needed to bring back your coat. And thank you for it.” She picked up the coat and shoved it at him, hoping he understood what she was trying to say. “Thank you,” she said, again, silently cursing the girlyness she was displaying when she felt a new round of tears fill her eyes.

Numbly, Lex wrapped his fingers at the coat that he had forgotten about and watched as Chloe began to cry again. This time more forcefully than the last. His fingers tightened on the material as he realized what she was really saying.

‘Fuck this,’ Chloe thought. She was sick of not really saying what was on her mind.

“Thank you for saving my life, Lex.” Chloe whispered the words and they were no sooner out of her mouth before she felt herself crushed against Lex’s body. Her arms wrapped around his back and she let out a sigh.

‘This is ok, it’s fine. I’m just telling her she’s welcome,’ Lex thought to himself as, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, he held Chloe in his arms. He wanted, badly, to kiss her. But, she had been through too much recently. It would be taking advantage of the situation, something that he usually had no compunction about doing, but not this time.

His left hand, once again, stroked her hair and he murmured, “Anytime,” causing Chloe to laugh. He felt the vibrations radiate through his body. Lex moved away from her slightly and looked down into her face. Slowly, he lowered his head and watched as Chloe closed her eyes.

Gently, he placed a kiss on her forehead and her eyes fluttered open. Chloe stared intently into his face, obviously searching for an answer to whatever question she had. Lex watched as Chloe licked her lips and rose up on her toes, her eyes rooted to his face.

“Chloe,” Gabe questioned, sotto voce, from the hall.

Lex didn’t know whether to scream or be glad that they were interrupted before anything had really happened. The look on Chloe’s face was unreadable. “In here, Gabe,” Lex called, not bothering to release Chloe out of his arms.

The man that came into the room was in obvious need of some sleep. His clothes were rumpled and his body was tense. He relaxed slightly when his eyes fell on his daughter. “Hi daddy,” she said.

“Just wanted to make sure everything was Ok,” he said. Lex noticed the non-reaction that the man seemed to have at finding his daughter in his boss’s arms and Lex mentally crossed number one off of his list.

“Everything’s fine, Gabe. Chloe was just thanking me for the use of my coat,” Lex said, gesturing to the fabric that was, by now on the ground.

Gabe nodded. “Sorry for, um, interrupting,” he said, gesturing to Lex and Chloe. “I just had to make sure that she was ok. I know it’s completely…”

“Understandable,” Lex broke in.

Relief spread across Gabe’s face. He had obviously been worried that Lex would think him foolish for worrying.

Lex heard a small sound and saw that Chloe was yawning. He smiled down at her and turned back to Gabe, who also had a small smile on his face. “I think this one ought to be getting back home.”

“Hey, I can make my own decisions you know? What makes you think that I need to…” but whatever brilliant argument Chloe was about to give was cut off by another yawn. When done, she looked from her father to Lex. “Shut up, both of you.”

Chuckling, Gabe walked over to the pair. Lex dropped his arms and Chloe was soon engulfed by her father’s arms. Lex watched the display of paternal affection, trying not to be jealous of the obvious love the man had for his daughter.

In the next moment, Lex found himself being hugged tightly by Chloe’s father. “Thank you for saving my baby.” Gabe’s grip on Lex’s body tightened and Lex could tell that the man was doing his damnest not to cry.

When he was released, Lex clasped Gabe’s shoulder. “It was my pleasure, though I wasn’t alone in it. Clark…”

“I know what Clark did,” Gabe said, “we both do. And yes, he fended off the attacker, but without you, we all know what would have happened.” The trio stood in silence for a moment.

“Ready to go home, sweetie,” Gabe asked.

“Yes,” she beamed at him. The Sullivans nodded at Lex and then turned to leave the room. When they reached the doorway, Lex spoke.

“Gabe, the fact that Chloe was able to convince you that she should be let out of the hospital and then that she should be brought over here tells me that your judgment is obviously clouded. Something we don’t need at LexCorp. I think a two week break should take care of that,” Lex said as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

“Thank you, sir,” Gabe said. When Lex quirked an eyebrow at him he amended, “I mean, yes sir. I think you’re right. Judgment no good, two weeks should clear it right up.”

“Oh, and daddy,” Chloe piped up. “It’s Lex, not sir.”

Lex could see the look of uncertainty cross over Gabe’s face so he nodded. “She’s right you know.”

“She usually is,” Gabe said, “it’s rather annoying. Night, Lex.”

“Goodnight Gabe, I’ll see you in two weeks.” Lex turned his gaze to Chloe. “Goodnight, Chloe.”

“Goodnight, and again, thanks for the coat,” she said. The Sullivans, holding on to one another, left Luthor Manor. Lex watched them from the window, making sure that they made it safely to their car.

He sat down at his desk and placed his head in his hands. He was screwed. He had come to realize that. Mostly because he had come to realize one important fact.

In spite of, or maybe because of, all that had happened, he could now admit it. Lex was in love with Chloe.

“Well, fuck,” he said, to no one in particular.

He would just have to deal with this new fact later. For now, he rose out of his chair and unbuttoned his shirt as he walked down the hallway, hoping that his dreams would be filled with images of Chloe in his arms.

[dsapiro]

Well, at least Lex realizes that hes in love with her thats one down, one to go. More soon!

[staysixkid]

I L.O.V.E. this inner struggle Lex is going through. I'm itching to know what's going on in Chloe's mind! 'bout time she dumped that loser. Now, hook it up. :biggrin:

[Brittany]

:wub: Ahh... that was so sweet, I can't wait until they get together! Supurb writing as usual, can't wait for more! :chlexsign2:

[Calliope]

So sweet! I love Gabe. :wub:

**Waiting impatiently for these two to quit dancing around each and get together.**

[Impress]

Realization is the first step. You're doing good. Post more soon.

[argentlife]

Oh I love this. There's suck an emotional ride (at least for Lex) and the way you describe it is fantastic.

can't wait for the next chapter.

Lisa

[asharnanae]

:ohmy: Oh my god, this is so good, I just want to hold lex!! you have to write more now damnit!! please!!

[scorpio]

Yippie, you updated. :yay:
Finally Chloe realised what a mistake dating Clark was. Woohoo.
And what a cutie Gabe is. He hugged Lex. Aww. :wub: Lex needs some loving´but not from Gabe, though. :lol: I bet Lex was probably scared that Gabe would start crying, too.

Write faster. :blinkkiss:

[Megs]

oh my gosh! That was so good! :crygreen: im crying literaly bawling my eyes out! I love chloe! i love lex! man so beautiful. no words can express how much i love this fic. but ill try amazing absolutely amazing is comming to mind. you must update my emotions depend on it.


:worship2:
Megs

[lunaluthor]

oh so sweet :wub:

Lex is in love with Chloe ( notice not Luthor no Sullivan, thats a new one)

and honey a chapter can't be too long :cool:
excellent work :worship2: :worship2:

[scifichick774]

Awww. He loves her. But does he have the guts to do anything about it?

[hfce]

Aww that was so cute . I loved how she dumped clark thanks for that ;)


Hope

[vardaquareien]

This fic is gorgeous. I adore the way he finally realises he loves her and his response "Well fuck" that was priceless. The Gabe/Lex moment was beautiful, Gabe's such a cutie!!!

I'm trying to figure out how much time goes by in between the end of this chap and the beginning of the party...is it one year? You said that Chloe started going out with Clark 2 years prior to the party, and they went out for about a year. Is my figuring right? If so what happens over the next year...I gotta know!!!

[drina]

that was so sweet... love lex when he goes into his protective mode.

[shailafter]

aw :crygreen: how could you stop right there? so cruel! can't wait for more.. this fic is so wonderfully written! heheh :chlexsign3:

[Blaire023]

*bats lashes* Please update Blue

PLEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!

Thanks :blinkkiss:

~B

[Val]

That was extremelly sweet! I loved it!
Now please dont tell me you'll have Lex cross all numbers off of his list before they get together! I dont think I can wait that long! heheh

[tigroon]

<de-lurking>

Arghhh dying of curiosity here. What happens between the flashback and the party ? How come Chloe is so friendly with Clark again ? Hasn&#39;t Lex approached Chloe at all since saving her ?
So many questions... Please update soon.

<re-lurking>

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Here&#39;s the next chapter. A thanks to Kris for telling me that it doesn&#39;t suck....now you all can be the judge of that, too. This part mainly takes place right after the kidnapping and until the kids return for their last year of college. Again, anything at the party is in the present....

:blinkkiss:

Chapter Six: Somebody to Treat Me Right

Just be my little woman, just be my lover
I need me somebody, somebody to treat me right


Downing the rest of his champagne, Lex remembered, fondly, the images that his psyche had conjured up that night. He awoke the next morning to a feeling of peace….that lasted all of twenty minutes.

If Lex had been a typical man, that would have been the end of the self-imposed Chloe embargo. Unfortunately, he was anything but typical. Chloe had been doing the whole lean thing, that much was clear to Lex. However, her motivations were not. The young woman had just been through a terrible experience and Lex was not about to take the chance that she was placing her affections on him merely because he had had a hand in saving her. Then there was his list of reasons, he couldn’t forget that. It was frustrating, just when one reason was eliminated, another, more serious one, would always pop up.

While living in Smallville had always seemed to be dangerous for the blonde, Lex knew that it would only increase if she began to see him. There were people that would make her life hell if they knew that she was involved with him. Another reason that needed to be penciled in.

Lex didn’t want to subject her to all of that and he couldn’t be sure that Chloe had thought it through as thoroughly as he had. ‘She’s not a fool, Lex,’ he reminded himself.

“No, but you are,” Lex said, his eyes still trained on Chloe in her dress, if it could be called that. Unaware, at first, that he had spoken the words aloud. “Talking to yourself, Luthor, never a good sign.” Maybe the insanity that Lucas had displayed hadn’t come *solely* from his mother’s side of the family. God knew that Lex’s actions after that night bordered on insane.

Instead of orchestrating a way to see Chloe alone so they could discuss what had passed between them, he always made certain that there were others around when they came into contact. Lex figured that he could keep it up until she returned to college. However, keeping the distance between them had been next to impossible, due to the fact that it seemed as if Chloe was running a counter scheme against him in order to get them alone. She had managed to corner him by the coat rack in her house when he had gone to see her, but Clark had come into the hallway, adding another layer to the already thick tension.

Lex had gotten Clark’s side of the break up story, and while it did seem as amicable as was possible, it would still take some time for everyone to get used to the fact that Chloe and Clark were no longer a couple. It would also take some time for the two former friends to get back to where they used to be. When you added into the mix what Clark now suspected about Lex, what Lex hoped Chloe was thinking and what Chloe was trying to figure out about Lex….well, tension was not an easy thing to avoid when the three were in each other’s presence.

A week after the girls had returned home, Lex had actually sunk so low as to call Mr. Ross to come along with him. Chloe’s eyebrows had come close to hitting her hairline when she took in the sight of Lex and Pete standing on her front stoop together.

“Lana,” she called into the kitchen, “did Hell freeze over and you forgot to tell me?”

Hobbling in on blue crutches, the nurse had tried giving her pink ones and she had practically growled at the woman, Lana said, “No, why do you….” She trailed off, seeing the two men now entering the house.

“Armageddon is upon us,” Lana whispered.

“I needed a ride, he offered,” Pete said in a clipped tone. Pete was generally angry these days. He didn’t want to admit that Lex had saved his two friends’ lives; it was against his genetic code.

Ignoring Mr. Ross’s snide comment, Lex looked at the two women. “How are you two feeling?”

Before Chloe could respond, Lana jumped in saying, “I’m *feeling* like I will throttle the next person that asks me that question. Then, when they are unconscious, I will beat them with my crutches.” Lex held his hands up and backed away from her. “Point taken.”

Pete was actually giggling at the image of the all powerful Lex Luthor standing down from Lana Lang. He quickly stopped laughing, however, when he saw the look in her face. “Sorry,” he muttered and it was Lex’s turn to exalt in the fact that Pete had been nicely put in his place.

Chloe watched the interchange between Lana and Pete avidly and Lex took the opportunity to study her face. She had gotten her color back and the bruises had already faded. Without thinking, he took her chin in his left hand and studied her forehead. The bandage had been removed and the angry red mark was the only discernable evidence that something had befallen the bearer of it. He gently ran his thumb over her cheek before asking, “Does it hurt,” in a voice that was far softer than it should be.

Chloe, leaning ever so slightly into his touch, shook her head. “No,” she replied in a voice just as gentle as his own had been.

‘Danger Will Robinson, danger,’ Lex thought. He quickly grabbed his hand back, as if burned by the feel of her skin. Which, honestly, wasn’t that far off from the truth.

Stepping away from her, Lex tried to come up with a topic of conversation but was stopped when he saw the looks on Lana and Pete’s faces. He knew that a discussion between himself and Mr. Ross was bound to take place when he drove the boy home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~

“Did you sleep with her?”

The question hung in the air of the small, overpriced luxury vehicle. Lex and Pete had left the Sullivan residence a few minutes ago, Lex wishing both Lana and Chloe well in their last year at Metropolis University. He would be awaying on a business trip the next day, he had explained, so he had to say his goodbye a week before they actually started their term. What he had failed to mention was the fact that he had purposely sought out a conference that would keep him out of town until Chloe left.

Without warning, Lana had hurled herself into Lex’s arms. He had little choice in catching her, being that she would surely fall to the ground if he didn’t. While she had already thanked him repeatedly, she did so once more. Lex had nodded, stamping down the emotions that her gratitude brought about in him. On impulse, he had leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek.

Lana had pulled back, looking flustered. A smirk adorned Lex’s face, but it quickly faded when Chloe approached him. He realized the hole that he had dug himself. Lana and Chloe were his friends; he had always treated them equally. Well, not entirely equally, he knew that even when he had felt nothing but respect for Chloe he had always favored her over Lana. So, it may raise suspicions if he didn’t say goodbye to Chloe in the same manner as he had Lana.

Leaning forward, Lex brushed his lips against the soft skin of her cheek. He felt Chloe’s left hand come to rest on his right shoulder. Unable to resist, he had brushed his lips over her skin again and then, ever so briefly, nuzzled her cheek. Chloe’s hand had tightened on him at this action and she leaned into his body. Again, too late, Lex had become aware of his mistake.

Pete had said his quick goodbyes, knowing that come next week he would be traveling up to school with the two girls, and then climbed into Lex’s car.

Now, he was staring at Lex, awaiting his answer. Perhaps thinking that Lex had not heard his query, he asked again.

“Did you sleep with Chloe?”

Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Lex tried to keep his voice even as he spoke. “First off, you have no right to ask me such a question. It’s my personal business, and therefore, none of yours. Secondly, a gentleman never discusses such things.”

Pete, anger already evident in his voice, replied, “Firstly, anything that involves Chloe *is* my business. She’s my friend and I want to protect her from anything that may cause her undue pain. And, secondly, you’re not a gentleman so let’s skip the pleasantries. I know that she broke up with Clark and then went your house the night it happened. Lana told me.”

“Then Lana would have also told you that *Gabe* drove her over to my house and we were only alone for a few minutes. And, while that may be enough for you, Mr. Ross, I can assure you it is not sufficient time for me to be with a woman.”

Lex watched Mr. Ross’s reaction out of the corner of his eye, attempting to keep most of the focus on the road. “Besides, what makes you think that anything happened between us? It’s not as if after Chloe opened the door for us I walked into her house and then proceeded to shove my tongue as far down her throat as possible.” Lex hoped that by throwing such statements into the conversation, Pete would either be so disturbed or angered by the images Lex was suggesting that he would either blow up at him or shut up altogether.

When Pete remained silent, Lex continued on. “And, do you really think that just hours after ending her relationship with Clark, she would be so rash as to decide to be with me? It would be reckless and insane of her to decide something so important in the state of physical and emotional exhaustion that she was in. Does that sound like Chloe?” He was now certain that Pete was not the only one that he was trying to convince with this speech. If what had passed between them could be attributed to momentary insanity on Chloe’s part, Lex’s world could return to normal. There would be no more hoping that that Chloe returned his feelings and no chance that he could hurt her in the long run.

It made perfect sense. Chloe had just been overemotional and had overreacted to her breakup with Clark. Never mind that that was against her very nature. She had needed to prove to herself that being with Clark was a mistake so the logical thing to do would be to go after someone who was diametrically opposed to him. Someone who wasn’t innocent and pristine. Naturally, she had chosen him. She had probably been able to convince herself that the gratitude she felt for his actions were something different, something deeper.

Noticing the silence that now filled the vehicle, Lex spared a glance at Mr. Ross, who was studying Lex’s face. He continued driving on, the silence lasting four minutes by the digital clock in the car, until Mr. Ross finally spoke.

“No,” Pete said. “It doesn’t.” Another long pause filled the car, “But, I’m not blind or an idiot, either.” Lex decided not to make a comment about Mr. Ross’s last statement, instead, letting the boy continue. “It’s not just today that I’m talking about, we both know that.”

In point of fact, Lex did *not* know that. He chose to remain silent, hoping that Mr. Ross would elaborate on his last cryptic statement. He didn’t have long to wait. “Whenever you two argued there was always this *thing*,” the boy waved his hand around, “between the two of you. Clark may not have seen it, but I noticed it. But, it was always just below the surface, never too obvious. Until today.” Mr. Ross raised his eyes and looked at Lex, accusingly.

Honestly, Lex didn’t even know how to begin to respond to what the young man had said to him. Lex had always felt some sort of charge when he bantered with Chloe, but, he had always assumed he was the only one that felt it. Sometimes, the intensity of it scared him.

“I don’t know what you want from me, Mr. Ross.” Lex was becoming tired of this conversation. Plus of which, the Ross house was in sight so he wished that the young man would just come to his point. If he even had one.

“Just the truth, though, I realize that I may have to define the word for you before continuing this conversation,” Pete said.

By now, they had pulled into the Ross’s driveway. Lex turned off the car and faced Pete. “Fine,” he said, curtly. Usually, there was no way in hell he would ever dignify Mr. Ross’s demand with an answer. However, the conversation had been tedious and unpleasant, and he was sure if he didn’t answer the question now, Pete would discuss his suspicions with Clark. And, right about now, he thought his friendship with the boy was as tense as he could handle, he didn’t want to add Pete’s crazy theories to the mix.

Turning towards the boy, he said, “You would have done well during the Spanish Inquisition, Mr. Ross.
I did not have sex with Chloe. Are you happy now?” Lex challenged him with his eyes, then turned them towards the handle of the door, not so subtly gesturing to it.

Instead of taking the hint, Pete leaned back further in the leather seat. “Ecstatic,” he muttered to himself. Closing his eyes, the boy exhaled a hefty sigh. He opened his eyes and studied his hands intently as his foot began to tap on the floor of the car. He shook his head and then his whole body began to shake. A moment later, Lex realized that he was laughing. Lex watched as Mr. Ross tried to get a hold of himself, but failed.

When it seemed as if Mr. Ross could not get himself under control, Lex began to go through his photographic memory in order to remember the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Mr. Ross exhaled one last time and then turned to Lex. For one that had been laughing like a madman seconds ago, his face was serious.

“I apologize,” Pete said, “it’s just that I realized, right this second, how pathetic both you and Clark are with women.”

“What in the hell are you talking about,” Lex demanded, curtly. He didn’t like being laughed at and he certainly didn’t like being compared to Clark where the fairer sex was concerned. Clark was a bumbling idiot while Lex was….

“You’re a fucking moron, you know that, don’t you? And so is Clark.” Mr. Ross stared directly at Lex as he continued, “You are both too scared to go after what you want. Clark was too much of a pansy to go after Lana. Instead, he played it safe and went out with Chloe, when we all knew that it wouldn’t work out. And you, well, you’re even *worse*.”

“Explain,” Lex growled. He had a sneaking suspicion that he knew where Mr. Ross was going with this, and, for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why he wasn’t throwing the younger man out of the vehicle himself.

“Gladly,” Pete said, and Lex could tell that he was beginning to enjoy their dialogue. “Clark was just dumb, *you’re* a coward.”

When Lex remained quiet, Pete continued on.

“You rescue a girl. Said girl breaks up with her boyfriend. Said girl then runs over to your home in the dead of night to thank you. You avoid being alone with said girl. Real brave, Lex. And, if you *really* have to go on this conference thing or whatever the hell it is, I’ll eat my shoe.” Pete noted Lex’s silence, rejoicing in the fact that the man wasn’t denying it all. At least that was one way in which he differed from Clark.

“She’s already been with one guy who didn’t deserve her. Don’t make it two.” Pete voice became stronger. “I don’t like you. I don’t think that I ever will. But, I love Chloe, and that, that outweighs what I feel for you. Or, at least it does right at this second. So, I’m going to give you some advice. As soon as I slam this door in your face, drive directly back over there. Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars. Just go back over there. It doesn’t matter what you do or say, she’ll know when she answers the door. Just go. If you don’t, well, you’ll only have yourself to blame when you’re miserably drinking yourself to sleep every night wondering what could have been. And, I’ll be sure of the fact that you are the biggest pussy that I have ever met.”

Pete turned his eyes back to Lex’s face. He stared at the older man a minute, letting his words sink in. Then, he grabbed the handle of the door and ran into his house.

Lex took a moment to process what had just happened. Pete Ross had just, rather effectively, put him in his place.

“Armageddon *is* upon us,” he whispered.

He back out of the Ross’s driveway and came to the main road in a few minutes. To the left was the Manor, to the right, the Sullivan residence. Lex sat in the car contemplating his choice and the effects it would have on all around him. Sighing, Lex turned the car to the left.

[Val]

argh&#33;&#33;&#33; *kicks Lex*
Stupid stupid stupid&#33;&#33; You didnt by any chance mistake &#39;left&#39; with &#39;right&#39; did ya?
I love this fic&#33; more soon&#33;

[tigroon]

I sooooo love this story. This chapter explains a lot of things. The UST is splendid. Will there be Chloe&#39;s POV in other chapters ? Update soon please.

[dsapiro]

Go Pete&#33; Lex is a moron though. More soon&#33;

[Tandy]

ARGHHH&#33; Left? What idiot&#33; I really liked the pete scene, it showed how much he disliked Lex but for chloe&#39;s sake he was willing to hand out advice to him&#33; MOre&#33;

Tandy

[hfce]

Lex :hammer: is an IDIOT&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;


Hope :devil:

[asharnanae]

RIGHT RIGHT RIGHT&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;


Lex :hammer: is an IDIOT&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;


Oh lex, will ya never learn&#33;&#33;&#33;

great fic, keep it comeing&#33;

[Calliope]

WHAT&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; Alexander Luthor wins &#39;Idiot of the Year&#39; award. Dumbass. :huh:

[Brittany]

:devil: Your killing me here&#33; When are they going to get together? Please say in the next chapter, cause I&#39;m getting mad&#33; Loved the chapter by the way, please update soon.

[hurlingturtles]

You tell him Pete&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; He better go over there&#33;&#33;&#33;

[shailafter]

go pete&#33; :biggrin: and what is wrong with lex?&#33; he needs to make a U-turn in the next chap and head back towards chloe&#33;&#33;&#33;

[justicea]

Lex is such an idiot. I mean my god why didn&#39;t he just go. This is absolute madness. But post again asap. lol
J

[A-u-r-o-r-a]

hahaha....gentleman ^_^ *snort*

[venus1978]

*HUGE SIGH* LEX U STUPID MORON........



PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE UPDATE SOON :-)

[buffiy18]

Lex is truly unbeliveably stupid. Pete spells it out for him, tells him what to do and he does the opposite. Now I understand why he&#39;s at a party sitting on the sofa by himself drinking. :tease: Otherwise this chapter was great. I&#39;m guessing/hoping Lex will get a clue before the end of this story... better yet soon.

[tigerbaby]

OMG. He has permission from Mr. Pete "I hate the Luthors" Ross and he goes the wrong way&#33;&#33;&#33;

Somebody needs a good smack upside the head

Loving the story btw

[sabby]

Hey hon, you know I love this one, just thought I&#39;d tell you and bugg you myself for an update *g*

One Question: Why is it that when given a choice men will always make the wrong one?

hugs,
Sabby

[scifichick774]

*sigh*

Oh, Lex. Will you ever learn? Tsk, tsk.

Looking forward to more of this - but you already knew that. ;)

[Impress]

I&#39;m with the Lex is an idiot crowd. I mean really. Pete was giving him permission and still he....arg.

[crazygirl]

Turn the damn car around, that&#39;s an order&#33; *yells*

[lunaluthor]

AHHHH FUCK LEX IS A FREAKING PUSSY

[scorpio]

What the hell did they teach that guy in those boarding schools?
You´d think that with a proper education and the right IQ he´d be able to figure out what´s best for him. But..no-o. Our favourite bald billionaire decides to piss us off. Hmm. :dry:

Guess that screams for Chloe to take matters in her own hands.http://www.click-smilie.de/sammlung/aktion/action-smiley-039.gif


Can´t wait for the update. :worship2: You´re doing an excellent job. :wub:

[vardaquareien]

:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

...need I say more?

[Czech Angel]

WHAT. THE. FUCK. LEX ???&#33;&#33;&#33; :ohmy:
:hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

[peepsRfun2eat]

must not kill Lex must not kill Lex........ok calm but well update so i know that Lex is not a complete and utter dumbass for not going over to see Chloe. ok but seriously great story love it keep it up.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"God dam it Jim&#33; You are destructive to the expanding of the mind&#33;"
-Said after a "friendly game" of Trival Pursuit.

:coffee:

[Charlie]

Óh, my god&#33; How can one man be so stupid? You should have gone to her, Lex, instead of hiding away in the mansion like a coward. *sighs deeply*

[Arin]

You are being a complete and utter bastard. GRRRRRRRRR&#33; I hope to see some improvement in the next update. Why is Lex so stupid? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG&#33;

[flower]

Let´s out a sigh,
"Dear Lex,
I only have one word to describe you...
RETART&#33;
GET YOU`RE ASS BACK TO THE SULLIVAN HOUSE RIGHT NOW&#33;"

< Coughs>
Well, that was a good waist of exaction.

FloweR
:evilbat: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :evilbat:

[scorpio]

That stupid boy is in serious need of some punishment.
http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/aktion/action-smiley-073.gif


http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/trave_abc/smilie_u.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/trave_abc/smilie_p.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/trave_abc/smilie_d.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/trave_abc/smilie_a.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/trave_abc/smilie_t.gif http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/trave_abc/smilie_e.gif


http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung/traurig/sad-smiley-068.gif *looks around shyly* Please?

Do you want me to beg? I..I can do that. I swear.I can. And..and..I will. I will do it. If you won´t update soon. Then I´ll beg and whine and cry and it´s all your fault. Consider yourself warned. It could get nasty. ;)

[happy bunny]

I agree whole-heartedly with Scorpio, an update is most definitely in order. I&#39;m very skilled in the arts of whining and begging, see? *does best Lana impersonation, complete with a pout* Please, please, please, update soon&#33;&#33;&#33;

And what the hell is wrong with Lex?? If he doesn&#39;t do an "emergency" Uie, I&#39;m going to climb into this fic and smack him upside the head.

(Just thought I&#39;d let you know, I just found this fic and I&#39;m already hooked. So feed my addiction, post soon.)

[lunaluthor]

ok now you&#39;ve done it you make me send the very mean update mafia to you and they don&#39;t make prisoners dear

update update update maybe I can hold them back for a littlle longer (about 5 minutes) :devil:

[happy bunny]

:huh: Why has this wonderful story been abandoned??
You think you could add another chapter soon? I think you&#39;ve made us wait long enough, don&#39;t you?

[Sab_Luthor]

ummm :wave: :wave: woohoo
where is the update
i see no new chapter here
are you sick that you can&#39;t write us an another chapter
or are you dead

[ColumbiaBlue]

I LOVE this story&#33; :love: :love: :love:

But, yeah, Lex needs to suck it up and just make a damn move already cause he&#39;s just being a pathetic brat about this whole thing. He&#39;s Lex fucking Luthor, he should NOT be afraid of telling a girl how he feels about her. I mean, he&#39;s been married three times. :hammer:

Anyhoo... great story so far and UPDATE PLEEEAAASSSEEE&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

[Tandy]

Please you just have to update&#33; Please I&#39;m dying for more&#33;

[autumngold]

Please, please don&#39;t give up on this story&#33;&#33; I just know your muse really wants to update it&#33;&#33; :yay2: You&#39;re a great author&#33; I hope to read more soon&#33;&#33; :dance:

[Amelia]

So far, this is great. It&#39;s beautifully written, I&#39;ve found no real issues with the plot, so all that&#39;s left is for you to show me the smut.

:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

[scifichick774]

Okay, Blue. You&#39;ve had enough time to work over whatever little issues you had with this fic. Now, come over here and update. I *know* you have more written.

[Czech Angel]

What Scifichick said and-

PleasePleasePleasePleasePleasePleasePlease Update&#33;

[flower]

:pclol:
Come on&#33; We need an update&#33; I need to know how airheaded that son of satan is&#33;
Please, please, PLEASE update&#33;
I realy need to know&#33; This is a wonderful fic, so PLEASE&#33;

well, inof beging and pleading
good luck with the UPDATE&#33;

:evilbat:
Flower
:chlexsign4:

[scorpio]

*sigh* Oh come on. Update already.
This sort of torture is mean ;) and illegal. :tease: Ask Amnesty International if you don´t believe me.
So please, please have a heart. Show mercy.Update. :worship2:

[Lady Candy]

But isn&#39;t it ended here? Is there a sequel? Pete is N.1

[seraphic]

i&#39;m begging you real shamelessly now. please update. please please please :worship2:

-cher-

[randa]

wasnt he soposed to go to the right? uh, well he&#39;s and idiot
plase post soon&#33;&#33;&#33;

randa

[happy bunny]

*pouts once more* I think you&#39;ve left this alone long enough, don&#39;t you?

Methinks it&#39;s about time for an update.

[tigerbaby]

Okay, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn&#39;t harass authors for updates b/c *I know* how difficult it can be to write something not contrived or forced and something you are happy with.

That said, I am going to have to break that promise. I am going to have add my pleas to the others here for an update. Last update was August and it&#39;s now October. I need to know that the idiot that is Lex makes things right. It&#39;s just plain cruel to leave us hanging like this.

So...PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE update&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; I&#39;m begging here. I have absolutely no pride whatsoever.

[lunaluthor]

Damn I was one month away from NS abd there ist still no update

[Sab_Luthor]

c&#39;mon
why don&#39;t you update more
you want to kill us or what
please update more

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Hey, remember me? Yeah, Hell froze over and I’m updating. You can call off the search dogs. Thanks to Sabby for kicking my ass and Kris for gently prodding me. This one is for all of you that have been waiting so ‘patiently’, especially happy bunny, tiger baby and Sab Luthor. Imp, lookie, it’s up.

By midnight the party was in full swing. It now seemed to Lex that the whole first floor was filled with people. He surveyed the scene with amusement, noting that while the guests looked elegant it only took a few drinks to make them forget that they were supposed to be acting like ‘grownups’ now that they had graduated college. Lex watched, quite fascinated, as one of the guests tried to place a Tiffany lamp shade on his head. ‘People *actually* do that,’ Lex thought. His brows furrowing, Lex tried to remember the young man’s name as the expensive glass teetered on his head.

Clark had long ago given up on introducing Lex to every new arrival. Lana had helpfully, in her opinion, tried to stick a name tag on Lex’s lapel. When she had lunged at him with the adhesive paper, Lex had gracefully grabbed her wrist, spun her around and gently pinned her hand to her back. He had plucked the offending paper out of her hand and wadded it up before throwing across the room. Lana had squeaked in protestation but it had quickly turned into a laugh when the paper had whizzed through the air and hit Pete squarely in the face. The young man flinched and let out a squeak of surprise that rivaled Lana’s in pitch, driving away the pretty girl he had been talking with. Both Lana and Clark were, by now, doubled over with laughter. When Pete’s eyes finally spied who had thrown the paper at him, he quickly glanced around and then mouthed the word ‘coward’ at Lex.

The beginnings of a smile that had quirked up on the corners of Lex’s mouth quickly disappeared. If anyone had been able to pick up on what Pete had said, they would have merely thought it alluded to the fact that Lex had thrown the paper from a great distance instead of ‘assaulting’ the young man in a way that he could retaliate. However, Lex was quite certain that Pete was referencing their conversation of a few months ago. It had been this well placed comment that had driven Lex to the couch that he had been sitting in for the past hour. He was just thankful that he had seen neither hide nor hair of Pete since Chloe’s arrival. He didn’t think he could deal with the boy’s smug satisfaction at Lex’s total lack of bravery when it came to the blonde. Lex took another drink when he realized that, in addition to distancing himself from Chloe, he was now also hiding from Mr. Ross. “It’s your own damn fault,” he mumbled.

The drive to Luthor Manor had been especially long that night when he and Pete had had their little heart to heart. Mostly due to the fact that Lex kept having to stop himself from making a U-turn and racing over to Chloe’s house. He had actually completed two steps of the three point turn at one point and had to imagine Chloe being chased by paparazzi in order to ensure that he returned to the castle. He had been thoroughly disgusted with himself by the time he pulled into the driveway. After yanking on the parking brake, he had allowed his head to thump forward onto the wheel. He had been so busy feeling sorry for and berating himself that he had not noticed that the horn was blaring. He was pulled out of his reverie when his butler, Enrique, had tapped on the glass of the driver’s side window. Without saying a word, Lex exited the car and threw the keys to the older man, who caught them deftly.

The next two weeks were a relief for Lex. He was out of town and busy with the conference, at least that’s what he told Clark when he had stupidly picked up his cell phone. They made small talk for a few minutes with Lex asking about Clark’s new classes and Clark telling Lex about how he had gotten on the wrong bus, yet again, and ended up on the bad side of town, neither of them mentioning the person that was on both of their minds. Until, that was, the last few moments of their conversation.

“She’s asked about you, you know,” Clark said abruptly as Lex was just about to wind up their talk. When Lex didn’t respond to Clark’s statement, the farmboy continued on. “It’s been two weeks.”

“Yes, Clark, I am aware of the space time continuum and do own a calendar,” Lex snapped back at the boy. When one was mad at their own actions, it was best to take it out on someone else. Another gem from boarding school.

“You also own a phone, but you haven’t used that either,” Clark, never missing a beat, retorted. Lex had to admit that the boy had picked up one or two tricks from Chloe.

A tense silence filled the phone line. It was broken by Clark. “If you don’t want to discuss it then just say the word. I mean…”

“I think that would be best, Clark,” Lex said, keeping his voice even and devoid of emotion. His mind was churning. First Mr. Ross, now Clark. It seemed as if everyone he knew thought that *they* knew what was best for him. At least he was thinking of what was best for *Chloe*, someone had to. ‘Wouldn’t she be the best judge of that,’ part of him piped up. Lex quickly squashed that thought before it had a chance to root itself in his cerebrum.

“Fine,” Clark said, tightly. Lex could hear him exhale a deep breath and then he said, “I’ve got to go now,” in his normal tone of voice. While Lex knew that Clark was clearly displeased with how Lex was handling the situation, he would not mention it again, nor would he hold it against Lex.

“It was good talking to you, Clark,” Lex said matter-of-factly. “I know it’s futile to say, but try and stay out of trouble in Metropolis, if you can.”

Clark chuckled warmly and replied, “Will do. Bye Lex.”

After hanging up on Clark, Lex did a little brooding. Every day, he went back and forth on his choice to try and stay out of her life. He wanted her; that was easy enough to figure out. And Luthors always got what they wanted. However, he was unable to leave it at that. Along with the knowledge of his blinding want of the small blonde came the thought that he didn’t deserve her. That whoever and whatever he loved seem to wilt away and die. He wasn’t willing to take that chance with Chloe.

His resolve set, again, to keep things at a platonic level with the young woman, Lex turned his computer on. He could email her now that he had settled things between them in his own head. He clicked into his email system, pulled up Chloe’s address……and stared at the screen.

All of Chloe’s emails had been long ones. Telling him about her new apartment, how her classes were going, the people that she had been meeting, funny stories about Lana, Clark and Pete. Lex found that he had nothing to say to her that wasn’t personal. And, personal was no good. Trouble would soon ensue if he let himself write what he really wanted to her. He had to keep this at an acceptable friend level.
Twenty minutes later, Lex was still staring at his screen. He had gotten nowhere…..fast. He ran his hands over his face and groaned. Chloe was always easy to talk to, this shouldn’t be a problem. Placing his hands back on the keyboard, Lex muttered, “Don’t think, just type.” That seemed to work and his finger flew across the keyboard. However, when he saw what he had written, he was horrified.

Chloe,

I love you. Marry Me. How’s school going?

Lex

“God help me,” Lex whispered. He frantically hit the delete button, only leaving the ‘Chloe’ portion of his email. He was in far more trouble than he realized. ‘Ok, just try again. This time, no proposals, though.’ Lex imagined that he was typing out a quarterly report of LexCorp’s production. He found that keeping his business mind set in place helped greatly. As he read over his email, he was pleased at both the tone and length of it. Lex happily hit the ‘send’ key. “There,” he said, “now I won’t have to deal with Clark asking me if I’ve spoken with her.”

Lex walked over to the full sized bar that was in his suite and poured himself a generous amount of Scotch. He made his way over to one of the floor to ceiling windows and sighed. “Another job well done, Lex.”

************************
Pressing the intercom button, Lex said in a clipped tone, “Gladys, where the hell is the report on Wayne Industries?” He sifted through the mountain of paper that was his desk for a second time and still couldn’t find the crucial statistics that had been complied for his meeting tomorrow. He jabbed his finger and the intercom button, “I’m waiting.”

Gladys’s harried voice came through the phone sitting on his desk. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m sure I left a copy of it on your desk.” When Lex remained silent, Gladys quickly said, “I’ll make another copy of it right away, sir.” The intercom clicked off and Lex let out a groan. This meeting was going to be the death of him. He was sure that Bruce Wayne had purposely sent over the wrong paperwork just to drive him insane. For every pertinent piece of paper that needed to be looked at, there were at least three that had nothing to do with the deal they were discussing. Lex couldn’t wait until this whole mess was out of the way.

The past two months had been a nightmare. Shortly after he had returned from his unneeded business trip, Wayne had made his life a living hell. Lex had been holed up in his office until midnight for the past two weeks. It was ridiculous, this wasn’t even a merger; they were just talking about consolidating some of their departments. However, if this idea became reality, Lex stood to make a huge amount of money. Money that had nothing to do with his father. Besides, it’s not as if he had a life outside of the office.

Attending the requisite business and charity events didn’t take up much of his time. Though he was getting sick of having to explain his lack of a date at each of the events. Lex tried not to dwell on the fact that the one date he had gone on in the past two months had been a disaster of epic proportions. From the very first moment, it had been a nightmare. It had only gotten worse when the airhead had thrown herself at him at the end of the night. He had been forced to remind her that he could ruin her modeling career with a few well placed phone calls before she had finally taken her hands out of his pants.

Lex was brought out of his thoughts by the electronic voice of his computer. “One incoming message.” The little mailbox flag went up and Lex looked at the sender of said message. His mouth set itself in a grim line. It was from Chloe.

The restraint that he had shown in their correspondence had surprised even him. After his first message, Chloe had responded with more vigor than with her previous messages. It had taken him three passes through her email to take in all of the stories that she regaled him with. After three days, an acceptable amount of time, he thought, he had replied. Commenting a little on what she had said and telling her about all of the new ideas that he had to increase the plant’s productivity. He included a little anecdote about her father to make the email seem less formal. It was after that email that the trouble had begun.

Chloe’s response had been more guarded, somehow. Her tone had been more subdued and the email was significantly shorter. Lex had chalked it up to her most likely being very busy at school. After three days, he had responded. Letting her know about how well the plant was doing, commending her on an article of her’s that had appeared in the Planet and asking questions about Clark et. al’s well beings.

What he had gotten back in response to his email had been a few short, terse lines. Chloe hadn’t mentioned anything personal. Just answered his questions about her friends. Nothing more. As he had read the email, his heart had begun to sink into his stomach. Chloe was following his lead. Even in the past, when he had kept their all of their conversations and correspondences formal, she had managed to ignore his lead. Chloe had always worked what she wanted to say into the conversation, drawing Lex into a debate or getting something personal out of him. Lex knew what was happening. Chloe was finally giving up on him.

The final line of the email pretty much said it all:

P.S. *I&#39;m* not your damn plant manager, don’t you have anything more to tell me, Lex?

It had been a week since she had sent him that email. Lex had no idea what an appropriate response would be. That wasn’t true. He knew the proper thing to do would be to address her question. However, if he were to do that, things would inevitably get messy. Instead, he had done nothing.

And now, there was a new email from Chloe. His left hand hovered above the mouse. He knew that the girl had a temper and found that he while his compulsion for everything associated with the young woman always won out over good sense, he was still hesitant to open the email.

‘Be a man.’ The gruff voice belonged, of course, to his father. Thankfully, it was only in his head. Not that Lex wouldn’t sign up for some experimental partial lobotomy surgery to get rid of it. However, it was better than the man himself paying Lex a visit. Lex clicked on the mail icon and opened it.

Lex,

My father tells me that congratulations are in order. I hear that the meetings with Wayne are going very well. I’m surprised that you didn’t tell me yourself, being that you tell me all about LexCorp in your informative emails.

I’ve been rather busy myself. Trying to keep Clark out of trouble is a full time job. However, I seem to have come upon the task of keeping Lana and Pete&#39;s relationship afloat, as well. Juggling that, my full course load, the school paper and my new relationship is occupying most of my time. So, I won’t have much time to keep in contact. I hope that your future emails will be just as gripping as the last one I received.

Hope your health is well and your new secretary is more capable than your last.

Regards,

Chloe


Lex only realized that he was gripping the mouse a little too tightly when it shattered in his hand. Cursing, he threw the useless piece of office equipment against the wall. His intercom buzzed and he pressed the button, giving Gladys a curt, “I’m fine,” before shutting it off. Taking a deep breath, he sat back at his desk and read the email over. Even though he didn’t want to, Lex found himself staring at the two most important words on his screen, ‘new relationship.’ Chloe was beyond pissed. Anyone else would have said that she was being professional, but an outsider wouldn’t appreciate the sarcasm that leapt out of her words.

‘I’ll deal with this later.’ Lex nodded to himself and pressed the intercom again. “Gladys, please bring me another mouse. A sturdy one.” He snapped off the intercom without waiting for a response. He tried focusing on the mountain of paperwork that littered his desk, but his mind and eyes were drawn back to the screen. Lex ran his hands over his face and wondered how, exactly, he had gotten to this point. ‘I believe it was when you took a left instead of a right.’ Lex’s head snapped up. Having his father’s voice in his head was one thing, having Mr. Ross’s was a horse of a different color. It was unacceptable. Lex grabbed his jacket off the back of his leather chair and headed for the door.

As he yanked the doors open, Gladys tumbled forward. Lex grabbed her by her upper arms and righted her body. Without so much as a glance, he walked passed her. “I’m out for the rest of the afternoon. Take my calls and have the important ones forwarded to my cell phone.” He heard Gladys sputtering behind him, but Lex didn’t care. Thankfully, the elevator doors opened as he approached, one of his other workers was returning from lunch and stepped out. “Mr. Luthor, I’m glad I caught you…” Lex walked past the woman, directly into the elevator and hit the Lobby button. “I’m sorry,” he said, no regret evident in his voice. “I’m going to college, no time for small talk.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lex strode confidently across the campus of Metropolis University, ignoring the numerous looks he got. He was a man on a mission, not to be deterred from his final destination. A vapid looking blonde sidled up to him and before she could speak he said, “Not interested, go screw a frat boy.” She stopped in her tracks and Lex continued walking.

While he had never actually visited the campus, he had looked at a map of the place that he had stowed in his glove compartment. A few buildings had been circled on the map, along with little commentaries that Chloe had written about each site. She had sent it, along with her first article that had been published, for his first visit, so he wouldn’t get lost. Lex had had no use for the map, until now.

Maneuvering quickly through the throngs of kids playing their various sports, the residence hall that Lex was looking for finally appeared in his view. As he approached the steps, he took off his sunglasses and studied the plate next to the door. He needed some sort of card to get into the residence hall. ‘I’m too old for this shit.’ Next to the plate, there was a key pad. Obviously, you were supposed to call whomever you were there to see. Lex had no idea what the phone number was, he had never used it. Luckily, he saw a student exiting the hall.

‘Freshman,’ Lex thought to himself as the horribly young looking girl approached the door. Once it opened a little, Lex reached out and held the door for her. She smiled at him, juggling the books that she held in her arms. “Thanks,” she murmured as she blatantly stared at his bald head. Lex nodded and continued on his way. Peering down the hall, he saw no signs of an elevator and decided to take the stairs. After climbing the three flights, he saw the door that he was looking for and knocked on it.

There was no answer, but Lex could clearly hear some god awful music blasting. ‘Must be the roommate,’ he thought to himself. Lex began to pound on the door and it was finally opened.

[tigerbaby]

Blue&#33;&#33;&#33; You&#39;re alive&#33;&#33; And you brought an update&#33;&#33;&#33;

I can forgive you for that long wait. But Lex is a dolt. He shouldn&#39;t be surprised by Chloe&#39;s reactions. Idiot.

I loved that first email he sent. Can we say subconcious Lex? tee hee. I would have loved to have seen his reaction if he had hit send by mistake. LOL.

Don&#39;t wait so long next time for an update, k?

[buffiy18]

Welcome back :biggrin: . You have been greatly missed. Just as it was getting good you ended it :crygreen: I hope you are planning on updating htis soon... I can&#39;t take the suspense. :chlexsign2: Great chapter&#33;

[petriebird18]

:biggrin: :yay: YOU UPDATED&#33; YAY&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;
Lex and Chloe still aren&#39;t together, Lex is still acting like an ass, and Chloe&#39;s with another guy?&#33;?&#33;?&#33; :nono:
I HOPE that you&#39;re planning another chapter soon, and tell us what happens next.
~Deidre~
:chlexsign3:

[hfce]

Blue get back here. You cant stop there.....




Hope :worship2:

[Impress]

*blinks. looks. blinks again. looks again.*

WOW. it&#39;s....wow....an actually update. :huh: will wonders never cease.

good update hun. Lex is still an idiot. I actually like that Chloe isn&#39;t willing to wait for him. More soon.

[autumngold]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for updating&#33;&#33; I can&#39;t wait to see what Lex finds when Chloe opens the door&#33;&#33; I know it&#39;s not possible, but I really wish it would lead to some Chlexy sparkage&#33;&#33; Great story&#33;&#33; :chlexsign4:

[SinnerSaint]

GAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH &#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; You can&#39;t leave it there &#33; WHat is wrong with you ? What are you trying to do to me ? What did I ever do to you ? (cause I&#39;m pretty sure we&#39;ve never met ) ;)
On a serious note : This rocks , please write more of it &#33;

[scifichick774]

WOOOOOOOOOOOT&#33;&#33;&#33; You updated&#33; It&#39;s a miracle&#33; And what a fantastic update at that&#33; Now...more. Yes, I demand more.

[Czech Angel]

You&#39;re back&#33;&#33;&#33; :hug: And you updated. This just makes my day&#33; :biggrin: The chapter was wonderful&#33;

“Don’t think, just type.” That seemed to work and his finger flew across the keyboard. However, when he saw what he had written, he was horrified.
Chloe,
I love you. Marry me.How&#39;s school going?
Lex
That part just had me smiling from ear to ear. It was just perfect with Chloe not willing to wait and Lex finally getting some balls. I just have one request:please,please don&#39;t make us wait as long for a update. :cute:
Yours truly,
Gabrielle
P.s.> This is my other favorite line form the fic. :chlexsign4:

A vapid looking blonde sidled up to him and before she could speak he said, “Not interested, go screw a frat boy.”

[liasonforever33]

Yeah&#33; An update.
I agree with Gabrielle. Those two lines got me laughing my ass off.
As always brilliantly written.
BUT YOU CANNOT STOP THERE&#33;
YOU MUST UPDATE NOW&#33;
Please? :biggrin:

[Sab_Luthor]

ALIVE YOU ARE ALIVE
oh my god i thought you were dead
i&#39;m so glad you are come back and with an UPDATE WOW
ok i stop that
this update is very very great
but lex is an ass seriously
why can&#39;t he go to the girl take her in his harms and kiss like they are no tomorow
that&#39;s the right thing to do
and WHO is this damn man who think he can take the place of lex in chloe&#39;s heart
no no no chloe belong to lex and THAT S ALL
ok i want an update and not in 3 months or i don&#39;t know since when you haven&#39;t update

[vardaquareien]

:yay3: Blue&#33;&#33;&#33; Welcome back from the abyss&#33;&#33;&#33; We missed you&#33; :yay3:

*standing protectively in front of her Lexy* Back off people&#33;&#33;&#33; Stop pickin&#39; on my Lexy&#33;&#33;&#33; I actually think that his total cluelessness in this fic is adorable&#33; And so apt, big bad buisinessman can&#39;t cope with his emotions so acts like a four year old&#33; *pats her Lexy on the head* its alright, you&#39;re getting a clue now aren&#39;t you, baby?

Blue, let me tell you if the door gets opened by the guy in Chloe&#39;s new &#39;relationship&#39; I will not be pleased&#33; Right? That&#39;s a warning so just bear it in mind&#33;

Please don&#39;t take that long to update again&#33; (*cough*likeIcantalk*cough*)

[randa]

lex needs to be knocked in the head again and then probly one more time, but im gald he grew a pair and finally went to see chloe...though i have a bad feeling about this &#39;meeting&#39;...yeah
so update soon&#33;&#33;

randa

[Lulucifer]

glad you updated, so how long is it gonna be until the next update? please don&#39;t make us wait too long. love the story.

[Tandy]

YES&#33;

I LOVE YOU&#33;


I"m so glad you updated&#33; Yay&#33;


Tandyd

[crazygirl]

Hey, I&#39;ve been waiting for an update for *looks impatiently at her watch* FOREVER. Hurry up&#33; (Pretty please with a cherry on the top?)

[scorpio]

You updated. :yay: :worship2: I almost had a heart attack right there when I saw it. How could´ve missed it until now-I have no idea. :goof:
Anaway, update again.ok? Someday? Somehow? Look, I´ll just wait over there in the corner and behave. You won´t even notice me waiting and stalking and crying and crying, crying and...begging for more. :biggrin: I can be subtle. You´ll see. ;)

Just update...someday. Please. I love this fic. :wub:

[tigroon]

You know we love this fic :wub: . Don&#39;t be cruel :crygreen: update soon.

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Here&#39;s the next installment. Again, much thanks to Sabby. And, of course, to all of you for being so patient. Enjoy.


Surprise was clear on the senior’s face at seeing Lex on the other side of the door. “What are you doing here?”

Lex smirked at the question. “Is that anyway to greet your guest? One would think that you were raised in a barn, Clark. Not merely that you lived in one.”

Blinking a few times, Clark managed to give Lex a lopsided grin. “Yeah, well, you can’t blame me for asking. Four years and you’ve never come to see me.” Clark leaned in the doorway and when he saw that Lex wasn’t going to comment, he said, “Um, you want to come in?” Clark swept his arm behind him, gesturing to the room.

“On one condition, you turn off that offense to my ears that you call music.” Clark laughed and then nodded, turning around and stepping into his room. Lex followed and took in the décor of the room. Internally, he groaned, but instead said, “Nice digs.” Looking at the dimensions of the room he asked, “Remind me again. Why aren’t you living off campus?”

‘Because I can save more witless morons *on* campus. Oh my god, was that outloud?’ When Clark saw that Lex was still looking at him for an answer, Clark breathed a sigh of relief. “Well, I just thought it would be easier. That way, I don’t have to worry about getting on the wrong bus or driving to school and stuff.” Lex nodded, clearly not believing him. Clark made a note to discuss this whole keeping the secret from Lex thing with his father again. After they had saved Chloe and Lana, Clark and his father had gotten into a pretty big argument about it. Clark knew that Lex already knew. He just didn’t know know.

“Uh, huh,” Lex said, clearly unconvinced by Clark’s explanation. He looked around the room for a place to sit. Clark cleared off a chair and when Lex didn’t see anything too suspect on the seat, he took off his jacket and sat down. “You’d think that you would at least *not* have a roommate.” Lex looked around the room at the numerous naked women that graced the walls, “But at least he has a subscription to Maxim.”

Clark blushed. He had had a single until a few weeks ago and then the college had forced this guy on him. He was running out of lame excuses to give Jason when he heard cries for help. “Yeah, he’s an ok guy. Just a slob.” Clark looked at Lex, waiting for the inevitable question. While Clark knew he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, he suspected that Lex’s visit had nothing to do with him.

Over the past few months, Clark had listened to various Chloe rants. Most of them dealing with how bad Lex was at keeping in contact with her. She didn’t understand why her friend would do that to her, how her friend could be so cold, why her friend did this, while her friend did that. When Clark had pointed out her overuseage of the word friend, and asked if she thought that that meant anything, she hadn’t talked to him for a week. Chloe had finally caved because she had had some exciting news. She had gotten herself a new boyfriend. Clark had decided to keep his trap shut, just asking polite questions about the guy.

After she had been dating Kyle for more than a month, Clark had causally asked if she had mentioned it to Lex. Chloe had ducked her head, quickly recovering; she had defiantly stated that she saw no reason to do so. The only thing that Lex ever mentioned in his emails was business so it really wouldn’t make any sense for her to do so.

Clark hadn’t brought it up and things had been quiet until a week ago. Chloe had gotten an email from Lex and she was livid about it. Clark wasn’t sure what it had said, she was always very cryptic about their correspondence, but it had pissed her off like nothing he’d ever seen. Then, just this morning, she had mentioned that she had told Lex about her boyfriend. Clark was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. And it had, in the form of Lex’s impromptu visit.

Clark leaned against his desk and crossed his arms. “So, Lex, what brought on this visit?” Clark wondered how many questions he would have to answer before Lex would get to the topic of Chloe. Talking to either one of them about the other drove him insane. He wished that they would just shut up and get together already. Of course, there were numerous factors in their way. Top on this list right now was the fact that Chloe was dating a decent guy that she actually seemed to like.

‘Fear, insanity, jealous, stupidity.’ Lex doubted that he could tell Clark any of those honest answers so he tried to come up with another one. He shrugged. “Just thought I should come and see you before you graduated. Seems like I haven’t been a good friend, lately.” Lex muttered the last few words under his breath but he knew that Clark had caught them. Clark grabbed the chair from his desk and sat down. “I’ve got no complaints.” Clark did his best not to stress the first word of his sentence.

Lex quirked an eyebrow at Clark. He had picked up on the subtle dig in his friend’s sentence. “Are you saying that other people might have some complaints?” This was good; if Clark was the one that brought up Chloe’s name then they could discuss this. Lex would just be listening to what his friend had to say and not pumping him for information on his nongirlfriend.

Clark sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He would have never thought that two of the bravest people he knew would be such babies about the whole thing. “Lex, why don’t you just cut to the chase? Chloe told you that she’s got a boyfriend and you came here, hoping that we’d stumble upon some sort of natural conversation about him so you could see what was up.”

‘When did I become so transparent?’ Lex realized that he was in real trouble if even Clark could see through his poor excuse for coming to his dorm room. Lex knew that he could just gracefully excuse himself and Clark wouldn’t hold it against him, but he decided it was time to face the proverbial music.

Lex leaned back in his chair and looked at Clark. “Tell me about him.”

Clark tried to keep his face neutral. He couldn’t believe that Lex was dropping the pretense and actually asking about what he wanted to. Recovering quickly he said, “He’s a year older. She met him at her internship. He bumped into her, spilled her coffee, she yelled at him….he yelled back.” Clark smiled, remembering how indignant Chloe had been at this fact. “She professed that she hated him. They kept running into each other and he asked her out.” Clark shrugged. “Simple, really.” He knew that he shouldn’t have added the last two words, but he couldn’t help it. “He’s smart, cool, a good guy.” This was all true, Clark actually liked Kyle.

Lex kept his face impassive. His stomach felt as if it was trying to leave his body and his hands were fisted, but he was sure it had nothing to do with what Clark had just told him. Lex didn’t want to know, but he had to ask. “What’s his name?”

Clark hesitated. While he had never believed any of Pete’s tirades that a Luthor would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, Clark couldn’t help but think that Lex knowing Kyle’s name wasn’t a good idea. After he had that information, he could easily get his address.

“Don’t worry, Clark, I’m not going to have him disappeared.” Lex could see the young man’s mind working in overdrive and he didn’t want his friend hurting himself. It bothered him that Clark still questioned his motives. Then again, in this situation he really couldn’t blame Clark. Much. Because, the thought of finding this kid, whoever he was, and having a little ‘chat’ with him had crossed Lex’s mind.

Nervously, Clark laughed. “Sorry, it’s just that..” Lex cut him off with a dismissive hand gesture. “It’s fine Clark.” Lex paused. He came here to get information and he wasn’t leaving without it. “But, you still haven’t answered my question. His name?”

“Kyle Mason.” Clark watched as Lex took in the information. He could see that his friend was trying to place the name, see if he had heard anything about him. If Lex didn’t know anything about him now, Clark was pretty sure that he would by the end of the day. His staff included three full time retried police officers. Clark silently prayed that Kyle had a clean record. Though, he doubted Chloe would date an ex-felon.

Running the name over and over again in his head, Lex was quite certain that he had never heard of the young man. This meant a few things. Kyle wasn’t in the business world, had never crossed his father or Lex and wasn’t part of the Metropolis party scene. ‘Least he’ll be good for Chloe.’ Lex was glad that she had finally found someone suitable to date. Forget the fact that he felt a migraine coming on and the coffee that he had ingested during his morning meeting was threatening to come back up, he was truly happy for Chloe.
Lex could feel Clark’s gaze on him and he said, “I’ve never heard of him. But, based on what you’ve told me, I’m sure he’ll make Chloe very happy.” Clark’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline.

“That’s it?” Clark’s voice was incredulous and he got up out of his chair. He imitated Lex’s cool voice, “I’m sure he’ll make Chloe very happy.” He dropped the voice and looked back at Lex, “I’m sure you have got more to say than just that, Lex.”

At least, Clark hoped so. He would never go behind Lex’s back and think to speak for him, but he also wasn’t about to hide the fact that Lex had come to see him for Chloe. If Lex freaked out, he could at least tell Chloe that. However, he knew that was unlikely. In all of the years that Clark had known Lex, there were only a handful of times when the business man had lost his cool. And, it appeared that this would not be one of those occurrences. Lex looked almost as calm as usual. Almost.

‘He’s wrong for her. She belongs with me. I’ve been an ass. Is it too late? Are they sleeping together? How serious is it? Is he taller than me?’ Lex had plenty more to say and ask, but he wasn’t about to give Clark any more fodder for when he spoke to Chloe. It was bad enough that Lex had come over here before stopping to think about his actions.

Lex leaned forward, his shoulders dropping slightly. “Clark, I don’t think that there’s much left to say, do you? Chloe has clearly made her decision.”

“Decision?” Clark yelled the word. However, his voice was high pitched and rather girly. He couldn’t help it, when Lex said that word, he lost it. “What decision? You never gave her a choice, Lex. You held her at an arm’s length and made her do all of the work when it came to your *friendship*.” Clark made airquotes when he said the last word. “You would get close to her and then pull away. Do you have any idea how unfair that was to her?”

“Well, you should be the expert on that, Clark.” Lex’s voice was cold and even. How dare some farmboy tell him anything about his relationship with Chloe? Clark clearly didn’t understand what was at stake. Nor did he seem to grasp the utter hypocrisy that he was spouting. “*You* did that with Chloe for years. Dangled a relationship in front of her and then backed off.” Lex’s statement betrayed none of the emotions that he was feeling. “Was that fair to her? Then, when you finally were with her, you made her feel second best. Continuing to pine after Lana. I don’t think that that’s the textbook definition of fairness.”

Clark knew what Lex was trying to do. But, he wouldn’t allow Lex to make this about his failed relationship with Chloe. “Of course it wasn’t, that was why she dumped my ass. She could see it even if I wasn’t ready to. But, I’m certain that she expected more from you, Lex. If nothing else, shouldn’t you have learned from my mistake?” Honestly, Clark couldn’t believe that he was yelling at Lex, of all people, about his inability to act.

Rising out of his chair, Lex looked at Clark, dead on. “I did learn. I learned that I didn’t want to see Chloe in pain. And, that’s all I have to offer her.” Lex walked over to the window and fixed his gaze on a tree. He shoved his hands in his pants pockets. “Every person that I have ever cared about has met with some horrible accident of fate and I’ll be damned if I let Chloe down that path. To let her be with me would be a selfish act. She’d be hounded by the media and her life would never recover from it. Each time she got a job, people would think it was because I pulled some sort of strings for her. She wouldn’t care at first, but, eventually it would eat away at her.”

“Amazing,” Clark said, shaking his head. “Absolutely amazing. Lex, while those are excellent points, it’s total bullshit. You’ve taken the decision away from her, hiding behind what passes as being honorable. That way, not being with her becomes something that you credit yourself with. Being strong and allowing her to live a normal life. At the end of the day you can pat yourself on the back and then climb up on the proverbial cross.” Clark ran a hand through his hair. “If Chloe heard this, she’d kick you ass. And then throw you down some stairs. We both know that this conversation has nowhere to go but down so I’m just going to say one more thing and then I’ll shut up. You’re right about bad things happening to people you care about.” Lex looked over at Clark, surprised that he would admit that fact. “It seems to follow all of us around. We don’t know what kind of freak accident lurks around the bend. What if, even without being involved with her, something happens to Chloe?” Lex flinched but Clark kept going on. “It almost happened once already. If it happened again, without you, you know,” Clark couldn’t say the actual words, that would just be too surreal and he didn’t think he could handle it at this particular moment, “you’d have to live with it. Do you think you could?”

Clark stared at his sock clad feet. He didn’t want to have to be so dramatic but Lex wasn’t taking any steps in the right direction so Clark figured he’d pull out all the stops. He felt kinda bad, though. He was basically telling Lex to go after Chloe while she had a boyfriend. He internally shrugged, thinking back to when Chloe had broken up with him. At that time, he was sure it was over Lex and she would be with him as soon as she could be. ‘All’s fair in love and war.’ When he was able to look back over at Lex, he was, once again, staring out the window.

Instantly, Lex was back on the grounds of the Manor, running over to a bound Chloe underneath a tree. He shook off the image and the feeling of terror that threatened to, once again, overtake his body. That was in the past, and it should stay there. Thinking about that night was dangerous for him. Inevitably, the feeling of Chloe in his arms would resurface. He could still remember how he felt her chest rising and falling as she breathed, the way that she had smelled….and that look she had given him. Lex cleared his mind and focused on the task at hand; answering Clark’s question. “I don’t know.” Lex hadn’t realized that he was going to answer Clark honestly, the words had just come out. “What I do know is this,” Lex locked his gaze with Clark’s, “I won’t be her downfall, Clark.”

Frustration coursed through Clark’s body. ‘Was this what it was like listening to me and Lana?’ If so, Clark knew he’d have to start apologizing to his friends every day for putting them through that. He had to check the urge to walk over and shake Lex until he just did as Clark told him so. “Shouldn’t that be Chloe’s decision?” Clark knew he had said that the conversation would end with Lex’s answer, but he thought that his question was a good one.

“If Chloe really wanted to put herself in that situation, she wouldn’t be dating this Kyle person.” Clark opened his mouth, no doubt to protest Lex’s words but Lex held up his hand. “Clark, just let it go. You said it yourself, he’s a good guy. And, I’m assuming Chloe is happy with him.” When Clark nodded weakly, Lex’s gut clenched. “Then, there’s nothing left to discuss.” Lex looked at his watch, not really seeing the numbers on the face of it. Not that it mattered. “I have to go. Important meeting with Wayne tomorrow.”

Clark nodded, knowing that his last ditch effort to help his friends had failed. ‘You can save the mindless masses but when it comes to the people you care about….’ Clark walked over to the chair that Lex had previously been sitting in and handed him his coat. “I know, Chloe told me about it.” He didn’t want to add salt to Lex’s wound, but he refused not to discuss Chloe just because Lex was stubborn. “Good luck with that.” ‘Lame…just tell him she loves him. You don’t know that. Like hell you don’t. Even Pete thinks so.’

He and Pete had had some interesting conversations about Lex and Chloe. Clark had been amazed to hear about the conversation in which Pete had basically told Lex to go for it with Chloe. He had actually considered the possibility that Pete was a clone. He had to stop scanning Pete for any weird stuff in his body when his friend had said, “Quit the creepy x-ray crap, Clark. I just want Chloe to be happy.”

Lex put on his coat and attempted a smile at his friend, “Thanks, I’ll need it with Wayne. He’s sent over about a ton of paperwork. I swear, he’s trying to drive me insane. If I’m back in the psych ward, he can just talk about consolidation of assets with another company.” Lex stuck out his hand and Clark shook it. “Thanks, Clark.”

“I didn’t do anything.” Clark thought truer words have never been spoken. He hadn’t been able to convince Lex to do anything about Chloe. He had only succeeded in telling Lex that Chloe was happy with someone else. “Talk about a bad friend,” Clark muttered.

“A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere. Before him I may think aloud,” Lex quickly responded. “You listened Clark, trust me, it’s enough.” Lex couldn’t help but think that if he were a better friend, he would respond in kind. Actually listen to Clark’s advice. But, that was taking too big a risk. In business, that was acceptable, but in his personal life…that was another matter. Lex had shot himself too many times in the foot.

Clark tried to place the quote. “Um, Benjamin Franklin?” Lex chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t tell me, I’ll find out for myself later.”

“Fair enough, Clark.” Lex hadn’t been lying when he had quoted Emerson to Clark. He decided that he needed to do something to show him. Some grand, sweeping gesture would be good. “You think about it and you can tell me who it is at your graduation party at the Manor.”

“My graduation party at the Manor?” A slow grin started to spread across Clark’s face. “When did that happen?”

“Just now,” Lex replied. He needed a project to focus on once this meeting with Wayne was done. Otherwise, his mind would wander to other, not suitable topics. Clark and his friends graduated in a few months and he figured that that was enough time to plan a proper party. Or, to pay someone else to plan the party, more accurately.

Clark knew that he should protest and that his father would most likely freak when he heard about it, but, dammit, he saved tons of people, got no credit and had to deal with a pain in the ass roommate…maybe this was karma. “Sounds good. And, I assume you’d like me to invite everyone that I’ve ever met so it’s a respectable crowd.”

Lex smirked, “Of course, have to give the valet guy something to do. Now, I really do have to go. I’ll speak to you soon, Clark. Good luck with the rest of your semester.” Lex opened the door and was surprised to see Pete Ross standing on the other side of it, hand raised, primed to knock on the door.

‘Can this day get any worse?’ Lex watched a few emotions flit over the younger man’s face. First, confusion at seeing Lex there, then anger, but only for a moment. The last look Mr. Ross had was one of smugness. “Lex,” he said, curtly.

“Mr. Ross,” he said by way of greeting….and dismissal. As he brushed past Mr. Ross and started down the hall the younger man called, “Hey Luthor.”

Lex stopped, knowing that he wasn’t going to make his getaway unscathed. He turned and shoved his hands in the pocket of his jacket. “Yes, Mr. Ross, did you need something?”

Mr. Ross nodded. “I know they taught you a lot at those boarding schools. I’m just amazed that they didn’t teach you your right from your left.” Though he didn’t show it, Lex was confused at Pete’s words. Then, he remembered coming out of Pete’s driveway and making the decision to take the turn back to his house instead of Chloe’s.

“Point taken, Mr. Ross.” Lex turned on his heel and left. He didn’t need to be lectured to by a boy who had no idea of what it was like to live his life. Lex was sure that from his perspective everything was in black and white. Want Chloe, take Chloe. However, in Lex’s life, it was the shades of gray that governed his actions. Want Chloe, take Chloe, watch as the outside world punished her for being with him.

Lex grabbed the door handle and viciously opened the door. Numerous students moved out of his way and he put his sunglasses back on. He heard the click of a camera and made a note to speak to his secretary about contacting all of the local rags in order to make sure that it didn’t reach the light of day. Lex realized that he had forgotten to ask Clark to keep their conversation between them. Though, he doubted that Clark would be able to keep anything from Chloe. In fact, Lex was fairly certain that within twenty seconds of her next meeting with Clark that she would know something was up. ‘And, that’s exactly why you went to him.’

Lex’s fluid steps faltered for a moment. Yes, he had gone to Clark for information about Chloe’s new beau. But, Lex had a full investigative team at LexCorp. They could have found out his name, as well. Instead, he had gone to Clark. Guaranteeing that their discussion would get back to Chloe.

“Fuck.” Even his damn subconscious was against him. Finally reaching his car, Lex took off the parking ticket that was on the windshield and crumpled it up. He’d have his judge take care of that one. He peeled out of the parking lot, willing himself not to wonder what a certain blonde was doing at that very moment.

[staysixkid]

Awesome update&#33; lol...I love Clark&#39;s attempt at placing the quote..such an idiot&#33; lol :biggrin:

[scifichick774]

You know, he deserves every ounce of pain that he has inflicted upon himself. Idiot. Still hoping they end up together though. ;)

[jem]

aw...... wheres chloe??

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for the update&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

:worship2:

now do it again :biggrin:

[scorpio]

Oy...you updated. :biggrin: Woohoooo.
Now I have a very Merry Christmas, indeed. :blinkkiss:

:worship2: :yay: :worship2: :yay: :worship2:

Wonderful update. Can´t wait for the next part. :chlexsign3:

[tigerbaby]

What a lovely Christmas present&#33;&#33;

I love it that everyone is rooting for the ship and are basically paving the way for Lex but he is still stubbornly resisting. *smacks Lex upside the head*, pay attention boy-o and move your ass&#33;&#33; Sheesh.

[autumngold]

I really enjoyed your new chapter&#33;&#33; I liked how Lex realized in the end that he really wanted Chloe to know about his visit to Clark&#33;&#33; Now I think it&#39;s time for some Chlex NC-17&#33;&#33; Please&#33;&#33; :biggrin: :angel: :chlexsign2:

[Susie Q]

Originally posted by bluemoongirl23@ Dec 26 2003, 08:45 AM
“Amazing,” Clark said, shaking his head. “Absolutely amazing. Lex, while those are excellent points, it’s total bullshit. You’ve taken the decision away from her, hiding behind what passes as being honorable. That way, not being with her becomes something that you credit yourself with. Being strong and allowing her to live a normal life. At the end of the day you can pat yourself on the back and then climb up on the proverbial cross.”
Wow…who knew Clark could be so discerning. Bravo Clark&#33; http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/clap3.gif Lex needs to stop trying to play the martyr and get with the program before he ends up alone in his castle dreaming about what might have been. http://www.angelfire.com/emo2/emoticons0/images/indifferent08.gif

[happy bunny]

Two whole updates&#33;&#33; Thankyouthankyouthankyou&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;

And Lex *shakes head* what an idiot. If he doesn&#39;t go after her soon I&#39;m going to scream, not to mention smack that boy around a little.

I like that Clark&#39;s not a total moron, it&#39;s a nice change. And love how he still kept a bit of his bumbling farmboy-ness.

And, OMG, I literally choked on my drink when I read this. :lol:


Chloe,

I love you. Marry Me. How’s school going?

Lex

So, thanks a bunch for the updates and, well, feel free to keep &#39;em coming *g*

[Val]

You updated :biggrin:
I love this fic, please more soon&#33; I wanna know what chloe is going to do when she finds out lex went to visit clark and want lex to take some attitude at the damn party already&#33;

[Lover]

I don&#39;t like the&#39;&#39; I love her enough to let her go&#39;&#39; thing with Lex... I mean, its sweet and all but hey, what about him? :unsure:

[vardaquareien]

Whoohoo&#33; You Updated&#33;&#33;&#33;

I think you probably know by now how much I love this ficcy&#33; :wub: Once again I find Lexy boy soo adorable in the stubborn, self-matyred, emotional retard role&#33;

*rubs hands together* So we&#39;re getting close to the present time now&#33;&#33;&#33; I can&#39;t wait to see what&#39;s going to happen at the graduation party&#33; Hopefully being confronted with Chloe again he&#39;ll have no choice but to give in to his love for her.

[buffiy18]

:yay: An update, and a mighty fine one :yay:
I love this story and how you make the present and the flashbacks equally as intriguing. Looking forward to seeing Chloe&#39;s reaction to Lex&#39; visit and much more :biggrin:

:chlexsign3:

[hfce]

Yeah an update but Lex :rage: :angry: :nobad:



Hope ;)

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Here&#39;s the next update. Have fun, and keep in mind, if you kill me now, there will be no end. This is for Hope, who&#39;s icon made me laugh for half a minute....yes, I&#39;m simple....leave me alone *g*. Thanks to Sabby and Kris for prodding me ever so gently along.


Lex had forgotten how mind numbingly boring parties could be. Clark seemed to be having a good time. Presently, he was quietly talking to his girlfriend. It was taking all of Lex’s self control not to go over there and ask which of the numerous men surrounding Chloe was Kyle. She didn’t seem to be paying more attention to one of them than the others. Then again, it was possible that he wasn’t yet there. Sure, the party had been going on for a few hours, but it wasn’t out of the ordinary to show up to a party a few hours late in Metropolis. And, Lex had discovered, purely by accident, of course, that that was where Kyle hailed from.

Chloe had said few specific things about her boyfriend in their correspondence. Then again, as of recently, she had said very few things. There was a change in her emails, something that Lex couldn’t put his finger on. They were direct, cold and always had a bite to them. Lex responded in his usual way, pretending as if nothing was amiss. As if he didn’t miss the time when they could, and would, say anything to each other.

She hadn’t even questioned Lex about going to see Clark. He knew that she knew, Clark had informed Lex that he had caved and told Chloe pretty much everything. When asked how Chloe had responded, Clark said, “She just nodded and walked out of the room.”

But, there had been no mention of it in her emails. And, it wasn’t like Chloe to just ignore it when someone went delving into her personal life. Chloe wasn’t the only one acting strange, either. Lex’s gaze went back to Clark. In the past few weeks, whenever Lex had tried to casually mention Chloe and her boyfriend, he didn’t know why he put up the front with Clark, but he had to save *some* face, Clark would immediately change the subject. Lex thought that it could only mean one thing: Chloe was serious about this Kyle person. When Lex had realized that, he had told his PIs to cease investigating Kyle. Chloe deserved that much.

Lex ran a hand over his scalp and let out a sigh. It was time to bid this party a not so fond farewell. He got up off of the couch and sauntered over to Clark. “Excuse me, sorry to interrupt.” Clark put some space between himself and his girlfriend, Emily.

“It’s fine, Lex.” Clark smiled widely at Lex and he knew that the farmboy had had one too many. It didn’t matter though, he wouldn’t be driving home. Lex had arranged that Clark, Pete, Chloe, Lana and a few other of their friends would have rooms to stay in for the night at the Manor. The rest of the guests would be assessed by his security staff. If they were too drunk to drive, they would be escorted to a cab. Lex didn’t need any lawsuits on his hands.

“I just wanted to let you know that I’m retiring for the evening,” Lex said. He saw Clark sneak a glance over at Chloe and then back at Lex. Emily had the decency to excuse herself, giving Lex a small smile, before Clark spoke. “Chloe looks really good.” Clark wasn’t the most tactful person to begin with and the alcohol certainly wasn’t helping.

Against his will, Lex looked back over at Chloe. She had a drink in her hand and was smiling up at one of the young men that had previously been looking down her shirt. Her gaze shifted from his face and landed squarely on Lex. Their gazes locked for a moment before Lex was unable to stop himself from raking his eyes over her body from head to toe. When he looked back at Chloe, she took another gulp of her drink, finishing the glass. She gave the empty glass the guy standing next to her and started to walk over to Lex and Clark.

The first instinct that swept through Lex’s body was to meet her halfway and crush her against his body so he could kiss her, making her forget her boyfriend’s name. Make her forget about any other man. His second instinct, brought on by his first, was to get as far away as possible from her before he made a grave mistake. However, he wasn’t about to run away from a girl five years his junior.

Lex stood his ground, waiting for Chloe to come to him. Them, he meant them. When she was a few yards away, her gait slowed and she ran a hand through her hair, causing her already short dress to ride up. Lex’s hands fisted as he took in the heretofore unseen flesh. He started to imagine what it would be like to be able to touch her skin right there, to hear her groan his name as his fingers skated across it. ‘Control, get control.’

“Damn.” Lex turned to Clark when he heard him mutter that word. “What? I’m sorry. I’m with Emily, I know that. You’re in love with Chloe, I know that too. But, I stand by my damn.” Lex decided not to get into Clark’s turn of phrase right now.

Once Chloe reached them, she grinned smugly at Lex, ignoring Clark altogether. “Running away so soon, Lex?” Before Lex could respond to her question, Chloe asked another one. “Aren’t you even going to try to seduce one of the girls here? I mean, I know that’s why half of them showed up. Rather pathetic if you ask me.” She turned her head a little, “Hey, Clark.”

Lex clenched his jaw. He wasn’t going to allow Chloe to start with him. He had already had a few drinks and, while he wasn’t even approaching drunk, his ability to totally control his words was diminished. The best plan was just to ignore what she was saying and be polite. “I’m afraid they’ll have to go home disappointed. I don’t plan on taking anyone to my bed this evening.” ‘Do you?’ The question popped up in his brain, he still couldn’t determine which of the other boys was Kyle. And, he would be damned if he would actually ask.

A slow smile spread across Chloe’s face. “Plans change.” Lex kept his face impassive and managed a non-committal noise as images of Chloe in his bed flickered through his mind. Damn him and his overactive imagination.

As Chloe and Lex continued to stare at one another, neither backing down, Clark became increasingly more uncomfortable. He wished that Emily would come back and save him from his friends. He craned his neck around and said, “So, where’s Kyle?”

A shark like grin, very reminiscent of Lex’s, appeared on Chloe’s face. Lex could see that she was clearly watching his reaction and, for once, he understood what it felt like to be the prey instead of the predator. “Last I saw of him, he was hitting on Emily. I think that you should go and see if she needs any help.” Lex couldn’t help it, his eyebrows rose. He couldn’t see how Chloe could be so blasé about her boyfriend hitting on another woman. And, Clark’s girlfriend, no less.

“What?” Clark dumped the rest of his champagne into a nearby plant and walked off. He didn’t bother with goodbyes, he needed to find Emily and it needed to be now. Kyle was pretty smooth…not that Clark had noticed that or anything.

Evenly, Lex looked at Chloe. “You seem remarkably calm about the whole situation. I didn’t realize that you and Kyle had an open relationship.” There it was…a spark of anger fired in Chloe’s green eyes. There was the Chloe he was used to, not this calm and collected front that she was trying to pass off as the new her.

“Kyle would have no reason to seek out someone else, trust me.” And trust her, Lex would have to, he had no intention of finding out if that was true himself. Chloe flicked some hair out of her eyes. “However, what he does is of little consequence to me anymore.” She paused and looked up at Lex, clearly waiting for him to ask the obvious question. He remained silent.

Lex’s mind was too busy yammering on to give Chloe anything verbal. She was flat out suggesting that she was no longer with Kyle. And, she had waited until the two were alone before telling him so. They were in a corner of the room, out of sight of most people. A thought came to Lex, she had planned all of this.

Chloe had literally and figuratively backed him into a corner. The silence between them stretched on. Chloe’s jaw was set, a defiant tilt to her chin. Now, she was daring him to ask her about it. But, Lex was never one to take people up on foolish challenges that had little point to them. He would ask, she would tell him, he would express regret and it would end there. Instead, Lex said, “If you’ll excuse me, Chloe, I have business to attend to.” The flare of anger in her eyes exploded into a supernova. Before she could make a scene, Lex smoothly brushed past her.

Lex kept his pace brisk as he navigated through the labyrinthine hallways of the Manor. He half expected to hear Chloe charging after him, demanding some sort of acknowledgement of what she had just told him. Instead, the only sound he heard were his hollow footfalls as he made his way to his room. The din of the party subsided with every passing step.

He was grateful that he had had his servants set up his overnight guests before the party. If not, he would have been forced to stay to the end and see them to their rooms himself. Lex didn’t want to dwell on the fact that, as usual with Chloe, Pete had been right. He was a coward. He had washed his hands of any forced personal contact with Chloe, forking the responsibility onto his paid help. He had even instructed the servants to assign rooms to his guests. That way, he wouldn’t be tempted to pay her any late night, Scotch induced visits, thereby making an ass out of himself. Especially since, at the time, Chloe was bringing her boyfriend. Lex did instruct his household staff, however, to house his guests in one of the farthest wings from himself. He couldn’t take the chance of honestly stumbling over Chloe’s room accidentally.

Finally, his mind quieted down as he reached his room. Checking a sigh, he swung the double doors open and made his way over to an overstuffed leather chair. He sank down in it, mentally and physically exhausted. Lex ran a hand over the back of his neck and slid his tie off, letting out a sigh of relief. After undoing the top two buttons of his shirt and taking off his shoes and socks, he leaned further back in the chair, relaxing his body completely.

After a few minutes, Lex felt more at ease. His confrontation with Chloe had been unpleasant. He could tell he was weakening in his resolve to stay away from her. He had openly undressed her with his eyes, for god’s sake. And, she hadn’t seemed to mind. With a small shake of his head that he was unaware of, Lex dismissed that thought. That was irrelevant. Chloe needed to be protected from him, even if she didn’t know it or didn’t want to accept it. For once in his life he would be the strong one and do the right thing. It was in his genes to just take what he wanted, consequences be damned. But, he was trying to fight it. Not that Chloe was helping the situation…wearing a dress like that, looking at him as if he was her next conquest. A harder shake of his head was required to banish the unmistakable look of want in her eyes that she hadn’t bothered to mask before him.

Lex went over his schedule for the next day. Trying to determine if it was necessary for him to make an appearance with his guests before leaving to go to the office. He supposed it would be rude not to do so. However, it was only Clark and his friends. Lex didn’t think he could take one more smug grin from Mr. Ross. He had come a long way with managing his anger, but the young man’s comments were pushing him to his breaking point. ‘Only because you know he’s right.’ Lex let out a little growl at that thought. Every now and again that damn voice would break through. Telling him he was an ass for what he was doing, that he was damning himself to become his father, that the only reason that he was doing this was fear, and just fear for Chloe’s safety. On those nights he usually considered the option of a prefrontal lobotomy…and then administered a layman’s one, drinking the night away. A wry chuckle left his throat, another thing Mr. Ross had been right about.

The silence in the room was a balm on Lex’s frazzled nerves. He was sure that after a good night of sleep, he would be back to his old self. He was certain that the passing weeks would be easier than the previous ones. Clark had mentioned to him that Chloe had already secured a job at the Daily Planet. Lex knew that she would be forced to stay in Metropolis. So, he had tied up all of the loose ends that needed his attention in that office. He would now be based in Smallville for the next few months, at the very least.

Lex drew in a deep breath and his body tensed up immediately. At first, he didn’t know why. Then, he realized that his body had detected and placed a scent wafting through the room before his mind had. Before he had cut himself off from the young woman, he had given her an expensive bottle of perfume for one of her birthdays. Chloe had tried to maintain that she couldn’t accept it, but he had insisted, saying that he knew that the fragrance suited her. Not too strong, a classic perfume. Earlier, he had been unable to smell it on her, most likely due to the amount of people in the room. But now, in his bedroom, the scent was noticeable. Without opening his eyes, Lex said, “Are you lost, Chloe?”

When Lex got no response and he didn’t hear anything, he opened his eyes. Chloe was leaning against the doorframe, studying him. He noticed that she had taken off her shoes. ‘Smart girl.’ Had he heard footfalls in the hallway, he no doubt would have closed and locked his door, assuming that some random woman had wandered down the wrong hall. And, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with lost guests.

Ignoring his question, Chloe’s gaze remained focused on Lex. Lex was used to being put under the microscope so her attention didn’t bother him….at first. When another minute went by with no movement from the blonde, Lex said, “Were you planning on staring at me all night, Chloe? If you’d like, I could give you a photo. That way, I could go to bed and you could get back to the party.”

“Only if you autograph it. At least that way, I could make some money off of it.” Chloe’s voice came out in a cold, even tone that Lex recognized. It was the way he usually sounded with people he didn’t know or those that had angered him. ‘See, you’ve already tainted the girl.’ Lex nodded, curtly, “I’m sure that could be arranged.”

Lex heard a humorless chuckle come out of Chloe. “I’m still rather surprised that you didn’t find another future ex-Mrs. Luthor out there. It’s been, what? At least two years since you’ve been married? I think that may be a new personal best for you.” Her eyes were sharp and her body was tense. Lex was in no mood to get into a fight with Chloe. While he knew they would never again be as close as they had been in the past, he didn’t want them to end their relationship on bad terms.

“Is that what you came in here for? To congratulate me on my marital restraint as of late?” Lex’s gaze hardened on the girl. But, she didn’t flinch. Instead, she pulled the door closed behind her and took a few steps into the room.

“No, that’s not why I’m here.” Chloe’s eyes flitted around the room. She had never been in here before and he could tell that she was filing away all of the details in her mind. ‘Better have a good memory, it’s the last time she’ll be in here.’ Chloe ran a hand through her hair and sighed. “I’m here to tell you two things. Then, I’ll leave you alone.”

Lex looked over at her expectantly. Two things, that he could handle. He knew that she might try to drop some sort of bombshell on him, but he would just take the hit and then get rid of her quickly. It was far too dangerous to have her in his bedroom. Looking like that, smelling like that….just being Chloe. When his thoughts, once again, wandered down the path of what it would be like to feel that soft, oh so accessible skin, Lex placed his hands on the arms of the chair, hoping to keep them in their proper place. When Chloe saw that he wasn’t going to fight her on this one, she spoke.

“Ralph Waldo Emerson.”

Not what Lex had expected. He had no idea why Chloe had come here just to say the writer’s name. Then, he remembered his conversation with Clark and the line of Emerson’s that he had thrown at the younger man. Clark had made a few guesses, none of them right and most at least a few decades off of when Emerson wrote. Lex had assumed, probably correctly, that Clark had forgotten all about that part of the conversation. And, while Clark had informed Lex that Chloe had been well informed about *their* conversation about her, he was surprised to find that Clark had wasted his time telling Chloe about that exchange. Lex’s brows furrowed together, he had no idea where Chloe was taking this. It unsettled him. She was the only one who’s moves were occasionally a mystery to him.

“Correct Now, what’s the second thing?” Deciding to ignore the fact that Chloe was clearly referencing his conversation with Clark, Lex tried to move *this* conversation along.

Chloe shook her head. “It’s not as cut and dry as that, Lex. Things rarely are. Though Clark may not realize it, the world isn’t black and white. It’s the shades of gray that we all live in and must deal with.” Chloe averted her gaze from Lex and started to peruse the books on the bookshelf. With her back to him, Lex was able to make out her tattoo. It was in Latin and the phrase made his heart beat a little faster. He took a few deep breaths, getting it back down to normal.

“Mind sparing me the insipid poetry and just get on with it, Miss Sullivan?” Lex internally flinched at his own words. Not the harsh tone of them, that was fine, he was trying to drive her away so being an asshole was part of it. However, the Miss Sullivan slip was inexcusable. It was a clear distancing tactic. One that Chloe had picked up on. When he had used her surname, she had turned around, triumph flashing in her eyes. Though she most likely didn’t know why, she had gotten to him.

“Gladly, Lex.” Chloe drew out his name on her tongue, her voice lowering slightly. “I wondered if you meant it. If you believed in what Emerson said. That in front of a friend, you can think aloud.” No matter what he said, he would be trapped. Lex knew it from the way that Chloe’s eyes studied him. For the second time in the past half an hour, he felt like the fly trapped in the Black Widow’s web.

The urge to lie sprung up in his mind. But, it was overruled by the urge to tell Chloe the truth. “Yes, I believe it.” This seemed to please Chloe, a small grin spreading across her face. “I thought so.” She had wandered over to his desk, her fingertips trailing over the polished oak as she took a few more steps in his direction. She cocked her head to the side and asked, “Are we friends, Lex?”

He had no idea of what game she was playing at but it was starting to grate on his nerves. Part of the draw of Chloe was that she always told you what she thought, straight out. This coy act did not sit well with Lex. “Of course we’re friends, Chloe.”

“In front of you I may speak aloud.” It was a statement but her voice when up at the end, turning it into more of a question.

When Lex tilted his head in acquiescence, Chloe took the last few remaining steps between them. “That allows me to tell you the second thing.” Now, she stood between the V of his legs, looking down at him. She was a commanding sight and this time, Lex was able to control his eyes from roaming across her body. But, only because the intensity in her eyes didn’t permit his attention to wander.

“You’re spineless.”

The two words were spoken so low that Lex had to strain to hear them. But , no doubt about it, that was what Chloe had said. Lex’s hands tightened on the arms of the chair. It was one thing to berate himself with those words, it was quite another to hear them from Chloe’s mouth.

Seeing that Lex wasn’t going to rise to the bait, Chloe went on.

“You talk to Clark and to everyone else about taking a chance, but you’re too much of a little boy to do it yourself. With you, it’s always two steps forwards, four steps back. Even after I came to you that night, that night when you, not Clark, not anyone else, saved my life, you did nothing.” Chloe spat out the last word as if it were poison to her. Her eyes became watery but Lex watched as she willed the tears away. “I broke up with Clark because I knew that whatever I had thought I had felt for him was nothing compared to the way that you could make me feel with just one look. One touch.” Chloe shook her head. “I really thought that after that, things would be different. But, they weren’t. You ran, like you always did. Didn’t you know that I could feel you pulling away?”

Again, Lex didn’t respond to her. He couldn’t. How could he argue with her when she was right? Instead, he let her say whatever she needed to. Maybe it would give her some peace of mind once this mess was over. That she had gotten to at least tell him all that she had been thinking. Lex knew that *he* wouldn’t get the same comfort, but he couldn’t deny that to Chloe. Not after he had denied her so very many other things.

“Those fucking emails you sent me. I wanted to rip you limb from limb. Giving me a fucking progress report on what worked at the plant, what didn’t, how your various conferences were going.” Her voice seethed bitterness and Lex felt a pang of guilt that he had caused her that pain. ‘It’s what’s best for her, she just doesn’t understand.’ But, now, Lex wasn’t so sure that it was true.

“Then, I met Kyle.” Lex’s jaw clenched and a smile of sheer, evil satisfaction crossed Chloe’s face. “You don’t like hearing his name, do you?”

Another moment of silence.

“No, I think you don’t. Because even though you’re not man enough to go after what you want, you don’t like it when someone else does. I’m not blind, I see the way you look at me. Tell me, Lex, how long has it been since you *haven’t* thought of me as yours and yours alone?” After a beat, Chloe said, “Can you even remember how it started? Wanting me so badly that it consumed you?”

Lex kept his body still, not wanting Chloe to know what sort of effect her words were having on him. He just kept his eyes focused on Chloe’s. A challenge was clear in them. A challenge for him to deny her words or address them. Lex did neither. Silence had gotten him through this so far, so he stuck with that tactic.

Laughing bitterly, Chloe said, “Fine. Don’t answer. He took my mind off of you. I needed that. I needed to feel what it was like to be with someone who not only wanted me, but wasn’t afraid to want me. Kyle was wonderful for me. He was quick, didn’t let me get away with shit and tormented me to no end.” Chloe’s voice faltered a little. “But, I kept comparing him to you. It always came back to you.” The last words were spoken as an accusation. “You weren’t even there, Lex, and you ruined my relationship just by existing.”

Chloe shifted her weight. “That’s when I knew that this,” she gestured between herself and Lex, “had to stop. I won’t allow it anymore. I’m not going to pretend to be your friend, all the while knowing that you want me just as much as I want you. It’s bullshit and I won’t stand for it for another second.”

Chloe locked her gaze with Lex’s. In her eyes he saw no doubt, no fear, just determination. “If you let me walk out of here now, Lex. It’s over. I’m not going to be your friend because I couldn’t pretend that this didn’t happen. We’d both know what went down and I couldn’t ignore it and pretend not to hate you for it.”

It was the remark about hate that made Lex snap. “Hate me for protecting you, Chloe? You’re living in some fantasy world where you and I could actually be something more than a huge mistake.” Lex stood up but Chloe refused to take a step back. He looked down at her. “You’re a smart girl, why can’t you see that? Being with me would kill any shot at a real future that you have. Every job that you got, people would assume that it was based on your merit in *my* bedroom, not your real talent.”

It was Lex’s turn to be on a roll. Chloe tried to interrupt him but he said, “You had your shot, it’s my turn now. I also think that you’re being rather assuming, Chloe. You mentioned the way that I look at you. Chloe, did it ever cross your mind that I just want to fuck you? And that you’ve ascribed feelings to me that I just don’t have?” Lex’s eyes flashed with anger. He hated what he had to say to her, nothing could be further from the truth but her words had gotten to him. He was dangerously close to just giving in and letting himself ruin her life. “Women always want to think that men are in love with them when, really, sometimes we just need a good lay.”

The reaction that Chloe gave him was unexpected. A slap he could have dealt with, crying was to be expected. However, Chloe just said, “Is that all you’ve got? You’re a fucking genius and you just hide behind those lame excuses?” She chuckled and Lex had to fist his hands in order not to shake some sense into her. “I could care less what people think of me, Lex. You know that. And as for wanting to fuck me..I don’t doubt that that’s true. I saw that look you gave me tonight, Lex. I know what you were thinking. But, if that’s all you wanted from me,” Chloe shrugged, “you would have already taken it. You would have found a way to sleep with me and then let me down easily. And, on the other hand, if you were just going to use me and throw me away, my future would be of no consequence to you.” Chloe broke eye contact with Lex. She looked down at her hands, took a deep breath and then looked back up at him.

“You’re in love with me. You can’t deal with it. But, I’m going to make you. It’s time for you to grow up, Lex. So, you either tell me now, or I walk out that door.” With her eyes, Chloe motioned to the door behind her. “And, if you let me walk out. It’s over. No friends, no emails, nothing. I’ve done all I can. The proverbial ball is in your court now, Lex.”

Lex had always thought it was over the top, melodramatic bullshit when people talked about their hearts breaking. How there had been actual, physical pain. Lex had never really understood that. Then again, he had never let Chloe walk out of his life before. His gaze never wavering, Lex said, “Goodbye, Chloe.”

Chloe didn’t bother to mask the anger and hurt in her eyes, which quickly filled up with tears. “Coward.” She spat out the word, her hands fisting at her sides. Lex was sure that she was trying to contain the urge to pummel him.

Lex tilted his head to the side and was pleased when his voice sounded normal to him. “If you say so, Chloe.” That sent her over the edge. Before he knew what was happening, Chloe had pushed him as hard as she could. Lex was catapulted back into his chair. He looked back up at Chloe, surprised that she had actually assaulted him. She wiped away the tears from her face, setting it in an impassive mask. “I love you, Lex. Just thought you should know.”

[scifichick774]

:ohmy:

I know you said that it would be a cliffhanger ending, but man&#33; Can Lex possibly get any denser?

[tigerbaby]

:tease:

Lex. Is. An. Ass.

:tease:

[autumngold]

I hope Lex enjoys reading about Chloe&#39;s wedding and children, because if he doesn&#39;t get off his high horse and act that&#39;s what he&#39;ll be doing&#33;&#33; Great chapter&#33;&#33; More soon please&#33;&#33; :chlexsign3:

[hfce]

Lex kiss this :suckup: you ass :tease:



Hope :nobad:

[happy bunny]

*smacks Lex in the back of the head* *smacks him again*

Lex, honey, the whole love her enough to let her go thing was kind of cute (albeit annoying) in the beginning, but it&#39;s getting old. So c&#39;mon, grow a pair and just take her already, please&#33;&#33;

Great update and I really can&#39;t wait for more.

[MissMed03]

Lex is being such an asshole oh my freakin gosh. Loved the banter and the tension though. Typical man always assuming that they know what&#39;s best for women. Great chapter. I&#39;m pretty sure you have a life outside Chloe and Lex&#39;s but I don&#39;t so you need to post ASAP before I concuss myself out of sheer boredom. *virtual high five* :worship2: :worship2:

[Val]

Fucking hell, what an ass&#33; Can&#39;t he see that she wants him just the way he is? No matter what other people may think? She freaking spelled it all out for him, why can&#39;t he stop being a jerk and let both of them be happy&#33; :hammer:

Just please update this&#33; Make Lex grab her and tell her he loves her too or something, ANYTHING&#33;

[Impress]

Originally posted by happy bunny@Jan 7 2004, 08:17 PM
*smacks Lex in the back of the head* *smacks him again*


*joins in the smacking cuz twice just wasn&#39;t enough.*

great update hun. I so hope lex gets his act together SOON.

[vardaquareien]

Ok that&#39;s it&#33;&#33;&#33; I&#39;m done protectin&#39; him from the attacks&#33;&#33;&#33; *steps aside* Carn gals lets get him&#33;&#33;&#33;http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v28/vardaquareien/Smilies/sins.gif How could he listen to all that and still be willing to let her walk away&#33;&#33;&#33;? Bloody git&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; I&#39;m really hoping that she leaps on him in the chair and they end up having some really desperate, violent sex coz damn I really need it&#33;&#33;&#33;

BTW I loved Clark&#39;s "Damn&#33;" http://img8.photobucket.com/albums/v28/vardaquareien/Smilies/ROFL.gif that was a classic&#33;&#33;&#33;

[jem]

:crygreen:

i dont think this expresses my feelings at this moment very well...
but its the closest i can get on the available smileys/frownies..

i think im gonna go hide myself under my bed covers, and recover
from this DAMN ANGST>>>>>>>>>

:crygreen:

:worship2:

yeap, but i ABSOLUTELY worship you for it....

please update soon

[katspell]

:tease: :tease: bad Lex. You better hope she isn&#39;t so stuborn that she won&#39;t change her mind.


On a side note, Chapter 2 seems to be missing. Is there a way to get it reposted or something....

THanx

[asharnanae]

:devil: lex, stop being an ASSSSSSS&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; :worship2:

[tocameamigo]

I really enjoyed this last part. I think it captured the essence of the two characters wonderfully.

I can&#39;t wait for the next update&#33;

Nehal

[venus1978]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH come back don&#39;t just leave it there.

U better come back soon or i&#39;ll beg and whinge until it drives u insane..



:chlexsign3:

[buffiy18]

Lex-y-Pooh needs to stop being an @&#036;&#036; and take a chance with Chloe. He can&#39;t let her walk out of that room and his life. She was still in the room when you ended the chapter... he still has a few more seconds to catch her... literally and figuratively.

Come on Lex... Get a Clue&#33;&#33;&#33;

Please update soon.

[Jenmar]

I loved them having it out. Chloe going to him and laying it all on the line was great. The game of wills that both of them were playing was awesome. I can&#39;t wait to read where it goes from there. I can only hope Lex&#39;s body beats back his brain and keeps her from leaving that room. Overall, a great story.

[tigroon]

So well written. The suspense was fantastic. It was well worth the wait.
:worship2: :worship2: :worship2: :worship2: :worship2: :worship2:

[pirouettegrl2288]

This is soooooo good&#33; please update&#33;

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Look, an update&#33; How&#39;d that happen? Thanks to Sabby for the tatoo idea. Enjoy.


Just be my little woman, just be my lover,
I need me somebody, somebody to treat me right

Chloe turned on her heels and walked towards the bedroom door. There were too many thoughts flooding Lex’s brain. He couldn’t think straight. Chloe was in love with him. Chloe was leaving. Chloe was in love with him. He was letting her leave. Chloe was in love with him. Lex saw Chloe reach the door and her hand grasp the knob. Before she could fully open the door, he was up and on his feet, closing the distance between them.

Once he was behind her, he reached past her shoulder, shutting the door that she had begun to open. Lex sensed, rather than felt, Chloe’s body tense. She took her hand off of the doorknob, but didn’t turn around to face him. ‘Why should she? She’s more than met you halfway you ass.’ He looked at her tense back, his eyes, once again, reading her tattoo. He trailed his pointer finger down her spine and then traced the writing on the small of her back. “Semper a te debeo.” He whispered the words. It was Latin. Chloe would never get anything fashionable like a Chinese character; she was never one to follow a crowd.

He could hear that Chloe’s breathing had become erratic and saw the tremors that ran through her body in response to his brief touch. He allowed himself to wonder how else her body would respond to his touch. He moved, slightly, so he was now directly behind her.

Lex translated the phrase into English. “Forever bound to you.” Then, he leaned forward and placed a delicate kiss on Chloe’s neck. He let his eyes close and took a deep breath, inhaling the perfume he had given her and the scent of her shampoo. His lips took in the feel of her soft, smooth skin and Lex had to contain a groan. Chloe was invading all of his senses and his body was reacting in the most predictable of ways. He had to maintain control. He had already let her win this round. ‘Round? She just bagged the whole damn game.’ Lex opened his eyes and nuzzled his nose against her neck.

If Lex was determined to keep his reaction to Chloe in check, Chloe was the exact opposite. He felt another shudder run up her body and opened his eyes. From his position, he was peering down at the front of her body. Her hands were fisted tightly at her sides and her nipples had tightened under the silk of her dress. Lex ducked his head again, a smug smile on his face. When he placed an open mouthed kiss directly on her pulse point, Chloe moaned his name. Her voice was delectably throaty and a high pitched curse left her lips when Lex bit down on the flesh under his mouth. Lex had never realized how erotic a woman’s neck could be. As he continued his assault on the column of her throat, Lex’s hands trailed down the sides of Chloe’s body and came to rest at her hips.

Lex tried to take things slowly. But, as usual with Chloe, whatever plans he had made were thrown out the window. She was rocking her hips against him, brushing against his erection. When she did it for the third time, his grip on her hips tightened and he pulled her body flush against his. Chloe groaned his name and he involuntarily thrust against her, panting out her name.

Chloe’s hands covered his own and she guided his arms until they were wrapped around her body. His hands rested on her belly and the heat of her body seeped through Lex’s clothing and into his skin. It wasn’t enough; he wanted to feel her with no barriers between them.

Earlier that night, Chloe’s outfit had given Lex nothing but grief. To be able to see how gorgeous her body was, but not be able to touch her the way that he had wanted to. That didn’t seem to be a consideration anymore, thankfully. Chloe’s left hand found its way to the back of Lex’s neck, holding him in place at her neck. As soon as she had moved her arms out of his way, he moved them from her waist. A noise of disapproval came from Chloe but he murmured a “shh” against her earlobe. Her hips bucked against his once more and he groaned. Internally, Lex counted to ten and then slipped his hands inside of her dress.

Lex closed his eyes as his fingers ran over her ribs. He let out a contented sigh as he felt her smooth skin under his palms. The tops of his hands were rubbing against the silk of her dress but the feel of that was nothing compared to Chloe. Lex moved his head to the other side of her neck and gently bit down as he linked his fingers over her belly. Chloe moved restlessly against him and Lex knew that he was tormenting her. But, he had to have this. Had to see what he did to her before he fully accepted his defeat.

Slowly, Lex’s hand inched up Chloe’s body. When his fingertips brushed the underside of her breasts, Chloe let out a gasp and stilled her movements. Lex watched as Chloe bowed her head, looking at his hands under her dress. She was watching what he was doing to her and Lex felt himself grow harder.

After another moment, that seemed to stretch out impossibly for both of them, Lex covered Chloe’s breasts with his hands. Neither masked the desperate noises that they made. Chloe’s nipples tightened even more under Lex’s hands and he ran his fingertips over them gently before giving them a tug. A harsh “fuck” came out of Chloe’s mouth and Lex started to grind his erection against her.

Whimpers were emanating from the back of Chloe’s throat, driving Lex insane. Chloe leaned her head back against him and Lex watched as she licked her lips before panting his name. ‘Enough foreplay.’ They had denied themselves what they truly wanted for far too long. Or, more accurately, he had.

As Lex’s hands continued to massage her breasts, Chloe’s hands had found their way to the side of his legs. By now, her nails were digging into him. When Lex pinched her nipples, Chloe’s head flew forward and her nails brutally dug into Lex’s flesh. It was just the opening he needed.

Lex’s mouth latched onto the strings at the back of Chloe’s neck. They were the only things holding the tiny scrap of material on her body and Lex had decided it was high time that her dress came off. He caught one of the strings between his teeth and pulled on it. The knot easily came undone and the material began to slide off of Chloe’s body.

Intently, Lex watched as the silk caught on his knuckles. He moved his hands and the material slipped off of his knuckles and fell to the floor. Goosebumps appeared on Chloe’s skin. But Lex couldn’t tell if it was from the sudden change of temperature or the fact that he had just undressed her. He suspected it was a combination of the two.

This was not the most ideal angle for Lex to properly look at Chloe. “I want to see you.” His voice was rough and gravelly. He had spoken the words directly into Chloe’s ear and she nodded, immediately.

Chloe’s chest rose and fell once as she took a deep breath. With regret, Lex took his hands off of her body. He knew that he needed to do so in order for Chloe to turn around, but he still wasn’t happy about the situation. Now that he was allowing himself to touch her, he didn’t want it to stop. Lex also forced himself to take a step away from her body.

As she turned around, Chloe threw her head back, flicking some of her hair out of her eyes. She looked up at Lex and he could see that, for all of the bravado she had thrown his way before, she was still nervous about his reaction. Though, Chloe had nothing to worry about.

Lex’s eyes eagerly raked over her body and he marveled at the fact that he had been able to deny himself this for so long. Chloe was exquisite. Curved where a woman should be and lean in other places. He smiled softly at the dotting of freckles that she had, thinking about tasting them. He noticed that she started to nibble on her lower lip and he realized that he had been caught up in his own thoughts for too long.

Though, Lex wasn’t sure which of the fifty cent words he should use to describe her. Before he could come up with an eloquent sentence, he breathed out, “Jesus, Chloe,” surprising himself. It seemed to be the right answer because she blushed prettily and then grinned at him.

Chloe took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Her eyes flicked from Lex’s gaze to his lips. She licked her own as she brushed her body against his. Lex could feel her hardened nipples through the thin, expensive fabric of his white shirt and he was unable to stifle a groan. Chloe’s eyes danced with mischief as she repeated the motion…..eliciting the same response from Lex.

Lex reached out his hands and he saw confusion grace Chloe’s face when he reached for her instead of his shirt. His fingertips danced along her shoulders and then down to her arms. He linked his left hand with her right and looked down at their joined hands. He felt the slightly hardened pads of her fingertips, from pounding so furiously and often on a keyboard and then stroked his thumb over the back of her hand. Chloe was tiny, he could see clear over her head when she wasn’t wearing shoes. But, he often forgot that in her presence because she seemed to fill a room. While holding onto her hand, a wave of protectiveness swept over him. He would be damned if he was going to allow anyone to take her, or this, from him.

When he looked back at her face, Chloe smiled softly at him but didn’t push him for an explanation. Which was saying something being that he was standing a few inches from a beautiful naked woman yet chose to gaze at her hands instead of her other, more pleasing body parts.

Using her hand, he tugged her closer to him. His eyes rooted to her mouth. He had touched a good portion of her body, and before the night was over, he would memorize every inch of it. Up until this point, however, he hadn’t tasted her mouth. Lex knew that wouldn’t do at all.

Lex released his grip on her hand and his right hand rested on the small of her back, fingers idly running over the tattoo as his left found its way to the nape of her neck. Lex looked into Chloe’s green eyes, they were darker than usual but still unmistakably hers. He lowered his head and kissed one side of her neck, then the other. Letting his tongue run over the small mark that was forming on the left side from his earlier attention. He brought his lips to her ear and spoke as he ran his pointer finger directly over the letters on her lower back.

“Promise?”

One word. That’s all it was. But, Lex knew that Chloe would understand what he was asking. There was no need to even ask if she had been thinking about him when she got it. Later, he would get the full story, but, for now, he just needed to know the answer to his question.

Chloe’s hands, which had been wrapped around Lex’s back moved to either side of his face. She made Lex look into her eyes. Before answering him, she searched his face. Seeing whatever it was that she needed to, Chloe said, “Forever.”

Satisfied with her answer, Lex leaned forward and brushed his lips against Chloe’s. It was just a whisper of a kiss but he heard Chloe sigh at the contact. Lex added more pressure and Chloe eagerly responded, pulling him closer. She let him control the pace and he was grateful for it. He doubted that this would be a regular occurrence, so he made the most of it. At a leisurely pace, he started to step up the intensity of the kisses; letting his lips linger and tangling his hand in her hair.

By the time he brushed his tongue against the seam of Chloe’s lips, she was more than ready for him. Chloe’s mouth opened instantaneously and their tongues slid against one another’s. Upon his first taste of her, Lex became more demanding. He pulled Chloe closer, crushing her body against his. He thoroughly explored her mouth, using the tip of his tongue to run over the roof of her mouth and her teeth, causing Chloe to groan.

Chloe was not idle. Following Lex’s lead, she was just as aggressive in her own pursuits. One hand at the base of his neck, keeping him in place while the other started to tug his shirt out of the waistband of his pants. When her hand caressed the smooth skin she found underneath the shirt, Lex groaned and bucked against her. Her hand was close to where he truly wanted it to be.

Distracted by Chloe’s touch, Lex lost his focus and Chloe took full advantage of it. Her tongue wove its way into Lex’s mouth and stroked against his tongue. Lex’s hand tightened in her hair and he angled her head, deepening their kiss. Lex was so focused on the feel of her mouth against his and the way she tasted, a combination of the champagne and strawberries from earlier, that it took him a few seconds to realize that Chloe was moving them towards the bed.

Lex grinned against Chloe’s mouth and broke the kiss, unable to resist a smartass remark. “Eager are we, Chloe?” The smirk that formed on his mouth disappeared instantly when he felt Chloe barely brush his erection with the back of her hand. The touch bordered on innocent, but the look on Chloe’s face told Lex it was anything but.

“Not the only one,” Chloe murmured. Before Lex could respond, Chloe dipped her head and flicked her tongue over his Adam’s apple. Lex hissed and clutched at her hips and Chloe repeated the action before fixing her lips on the side of his neck. She nipped at the skin as her hands worked at the buttons of his shirt.

A shudder ran through Lex’s body as Chloe’s hands made a leisurely trip over his torso. She raked her hands over his abdominal muscles, which instantly tightened under her attention, and then ran her palms up his chest until her hands reached his shoulders. Chloe placed a chaste kiss on his lips and Lex shrugged the shirt off of his body. Or, he tried to. He muttered an impatient curse as the cuffs of his sleeves refused to give. Why, of all days, did he wear his best cufflinks today?

Chloe’s hands were trying to undo them, but she obviously had little practice with the objects. “Let me,” Lex murmured. He doubted that he’d be able to wait until Chloe got the gold cuffs undone, he was barely maintaining himself as it was. Once freed from them, Lex threw them in the general vicinity of his nightstand.

When he saw Chloe giving his chest the once over with her eyes while nibbling on her lower lip, Lex could finally be grateful for the hours spent hitting the heavy bag, trying to banish her from his mind. Chloe ran one fingernail over his bicep and murmured, “My, my, what a nice surprise.” Her voice was low and husky and Lex knew that he had to move things along. He formulated a plan to get them all the way to the bed….which quickly left his head once Chloe closed the distance between them. They groaned in unison as their naked upper bodies met. Lex took advantage of her open mouth, sliding his tongue inside of it. Gone was any technique or finesse, blind want was now in its place. He was spurned on by the broken noises made by Chloe.

A loud cry escaped her throat when his clothed erection brushed against her. Lex was moving backwards again, Chloe now more forcefully pushing him towards the bed. Never relenting his assault on her mouth, Lex stepped back until he could feel the mattress against his legs.

Finally coming up for air, Lex gazed down at Chloe. Her hair was a mess and her lips were swollen from his latest assault on her mouth, which was parted. Her pupils were dilated and she blinked a few times before she was able to focus on him. She was the epitome of a woman in heat. A self satisfied smile worked its way onto Lex’s face. Even out of practice, he was damn good. His hands worked on removing his belt, but Chloe covered them with her own.

Lex quirked an eyebrow at her, but said nothing as she turned them around. She sat down on the bed and looked up at him before her nimble fingers made quick work of his belt. Her eyes were intently focused on the task of undoing the button and zipper of his pants and his cock jumped in response as she slid the zipper down. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

The material of his pants pooled on the floor and Lex watched Chloe as she hooked her fingers in the elastic waistband of his boxers. Her breathing had increased and she leaned forward placing a trail of wet, open mouth kisses from his belly button to the edge of his boxers. He wouldn’t beg, he just wouldn’t do it, he was in control. No twenty-one year old girl was going to make him, either.

When Chloe’s tongue followed the same trail that her mouth had moments ago, Lex hissed out, “Chloe, please.” He was breaking every other rule this night, so why not that one as well? Chloe nuzzled against the oversensitized skin and Lex was just about to rip the material off of his body when Chloe finally slid the last remaining barrier between them down his legs.

Lex was unsure about how much experience Chloe had had with men, so he wasn’t expecting her next move. She wrapped her hand around his shaft and began to stroke it confidently. Lex moaned as his eyes slipped shut. Chloe was using just the right amount of pressure and speed. His hips moved in counterpoint to what she was doing. His eyes flew open when he felt her tongue flick over the tip of his penis. “Jesus.” He barked out the word. Chloe was too good at being a tease; he could feel the unbearable tension already starting to form in his body.

He looked down at her, meaning to tell her just that. Before he could, their eyes locked and Chloe’s mouth enveloped his cock. A guttural groan was all Lex was able to manage as Chloe’s head began to bob. She ran her tongue along the underside of his penis and, with every pass, took more of him into her mouth. His hands found their way to her head and tangled in her hair. Chloe hummed and Lex found himself approaching the edge. But, he’d be damned if he was going to come in her mouth. He intended to be buried deep within her for their first time together. “Chloe, no. Stop.”

Immediately, and thankfully, Chloe stopped her ministrations on his body. Lex took a deep breath and saw that Chloe was confused and looked a little worried. Before she could ask the inevitable question if she had been doing something wrong, Lex breathed out, “You’re too good at that, baby.” He ran his fingertips down the side of her face and she smiled up at him.

“I like it when you call me that.” Chloe’s chest was heaving and Lex’s eyes were drawn to her breasts as he tried to pay attention to what she was saying. “I heard you that night, you know? That’s why I went to you. That’s when I knew you loved me.” Chloe turned her head and kissed the center of Lex’s palm. “Now, show me.” Chloe leaned back on her hands and scooted up the bed, her eyes never leaving Lex.

As Chloe slid up the satin sheets of his bed, Lex’s eyes were drawn to the juncture of her thighs. Before she could get too far away, Lex gently grabbed her ankles, stopping her motion. Chloe stilled her body and opened her legs wider. She even managed to look bashful while she did it. The innocent look on her face coupled with how wet she was almost banished all thoughts of his plan. All Lex wanted to do was to cover her body and thrust himself deep inside of her. But, first he had to make *her* beg.

Slowly, he crawled into the bed and deliberately lowered himself on top of her. Chloe bucked up against him when their skin met and Lex smiled against her neck before kissing it. He braced most of his weight on his elbows, keeping some distance between their lower bodies. He moved his mouth to her lips and plunged inside of her mouth. His kiss was demanding and Chloe wrapped her arms around his back, trying to keep up. Abruptly, Lex broke their kiss and started to make his way down her body. His cock was throbbing painfully, so he decided that slow was not going to work this time. He placed a few kisses on her breasts and then his mouth latched on to one nipple as his fingers tugged the other.

Chloe was writhing beneath him. And, while there were numerous words flying out of her mouth, not one of them was ‘please.’ Lex was almost glad of it. He had already tasted her mouth, but he wasn’t satisfied with just that. Chloe sucked in a deep breath when he began to kiss her stomach. Lex smiled against her soft skin when he realized that *she* realized what was soon to come. He moved lower, until he was kneeling on the floor, Chloe’s legs thrown over his shoulders. He placed his hands on her upper thighs, spreading them.

“Oh, god.” This was in response to Lex’s thumbs moving closer and closer to Chloe’s core. Her hands were fisted in the sheets and Lex watched her face as he blew on her outer lips. Her eyes flew open and her back arched. Chloe looked down at him and after a beat, Lex lowered his head. He breathed in her true scent before sliding his lips against her clit. Chloe yelped, it might have been his name, he couldn’t be sure. He started to suck on her clit….yes, that was definitely his name. This time, she had screamed it so it was easier to tell. The next time she said it, it was more of a moan, as he slid two of his fingers inside of her. Not too deep, just giving her enough to ease some of her tension.

Chloe was incredibly tight, hot and wet. She had begun to move her hips furiously. Lex pulled his fingers out a little. It was time that Chloe understood that he was the one in control now. After her body stilled, he ducked his head, his tongue now sliding over her core. He kept moving, never staying in one place too long. Sweat had broken out over Chloe’s body and she desperately moved against him. “God, please.”

Upon hearing the word, Lex pulled away from her. Now, they were even. Lex climbed back on the bed and covered Chloe’s mouth with his own. She shuddered at the contact and moaned when his tongue hit hers. He theorized that it was the fact that she was now tasting herself. She eagerly responded and tried to wrap her legs around his body. He broke the kiss and whispered, “Move up.”

Chloe nodded and followed his instructions; it wouldn’t do if they fell off the bed at a crucial moment. Once Lex was satisfied that they had more than enough room to move around on, he lowered his body on top of Chloe’s. Chloe threw her head back and groaned. “You’re so beautiful,” Lex murmured.

When Lex’s erection brushed against Chloe’s inner thigh, he felt her tense up. It was barely noticeable but being that Lex was so in tune with every move her body made he was able to pick it up. He pulled back and looked down at her. It killed him to say it, but he had to. He wasn’t about to let this happen if Chloe was having second thoughts. Her body definitely wanted this but he didn’t want her rational side to regret it later.

“If you don’t want to do this,” he started, but Chloe quickly cut him off.

She shook her head. “I want to, it’s just that,” Chloe looked away from Lex and took a deep breath. She looked back at him, and said, “It’s just that I…um, *haven’t* before.” She looked up at him, waiting for his reaction.

[asharnanae]

:biggrin: :drool: Ghaaa.... :huh: :tease: oooooo, you tease&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; get back hear and finish that scean now&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; damn that was just fantastic&#33;&#33;&#33; :worship2:

[autumngold]

You wouldn&#39;t&#33;&#33; I just know you wouldn&#39;t be mean enough to leave the chapter right there&#33;&#33; Would you? Please come back and finish&#33;&#33; This chapter rocks&#33;&#33; More please, and quickly&#33;&#33; :chlexsign4:

[Val]

Ok, after where you stoped this, you BETTER not take longer then ONE MINUTE to update this&#33;

Loved the tattoo idea&#33;

[hfce]

GUH&#33;&#33; :ohmy: what you cant stop there :drool: :drool: I want more......




Hope :worship2:

[staysixkid]

wow. that was one beautiful chapter&#33; excellent update. the tat idea was wonderful. very meaningful and deep. :biggrin:

[buffiy18]

:yay: Oh goody... Lex got a clue and didn&#39;t let the woman of his dreams make it out that door :yay2: I am very proud of Lex. Oh, I very glad Chloe has been saving herself for Lex too. that just makes this whole thing that much sweeter :wub: Well I hope you are able to post your next chappy soon. This was a great chapter, but I know there is more greatness to follow &#33;

[happy bunny]

...And you leave it there. Have you any idea just how cruel that is?

I&#39;m so glad Lex finally got his act together and kept Chloe there. And the tat was very cool, it suits Chloe.

But, please, give us more soon&#33;

[MissMed03]

Way to ruin the moment Chloe&#33; Great update though, I need another one ASAP. So stop whatever you&#39;re doing and update&#33; I love smut (i can&#39;t believe i said that) and the smut was terrific so update &#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; :worship2:

[vardaquareien]

:drool: mmmmmm yummy yummy foreplay&#33;&#33;&#33; It&#39;s really sweet that Chloe has waited for him...but get the hell back here and give me my damn smut&#33;&#33;&#33;.......ummm pwetty pwease? I&#39;ll give you some :cake:

[Béatrice]

:huh: Huh...You can&#39;t stop here. This is cruel what you&#39;re doing.
I hope you&#39;re going to update soon. :yay2:

[scifichick774]

Mwaahaaahaaahaaahaaa&#33; Er...sorry. It&#39;s just that you finally update and you&#39;re evil about leaving it at the end. :devil: Love you, Blue. ;) :wub:

[Jenmar]

<fans self> That was definitely hot&#33; I&#39;m so glad he hurried his ass over there to keep her from leaving. Now..on with the rest of the smut, please? Wonderful chapter.

[venus1978]

I&#39;m sorry but its just not right to leave us all hanging like this...............

[Via]

NOOOOOOO that&#39;s not true&#33; Impossible&#33; :hammer: how dare you stop like this?


:chlexsign1:

[MagnusXXN]

Come on&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; You can&#39;t leave it there&#33; I mean, thats a big bomb to just drop on us like that&#33;&#33;&#33;

Need to hear more now&#33;










): )

[gina]

Oh wow, that was incredible&#33; I loved it&#33;

But so very mean to end there. Please update soon&#33; :)

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: Ok, here&#39;s the next update. This time I didn&#39;t stop in the middle....cause I value my life.


I need your woman&#39;s loving arms to hold me tight


The words and their meaning took longer than usual to penetrate his brain. Of course, he wasn’t usually on top of Chloe, ready to take her. He blinked when he finally comprehended what she was telling him. He was confused and overjoyed at the same time. His jealous streak ran far deeper in him than he cared to admit and knowing that he was going to be the only one to ever know her like this, well, he had to try and mask the huge grin that threatened to break over his face. But, Chloe hardly seemed like the type that wouldn’t be physical with her boyfriends.

Before Lex could ask a question or even make a remark, Chloe said, “I told you, you wrecked every part of my relationships.”

“Good.” The word was out of his mouth before he could stop it. It was what he honestly thought. Chloe surprised him when she started to chuckle.

“Typical of you.” She tried to look as if she didn’t approve of his answer, but Lex watched as she failed to suppress a smile. “You ruined my fun and don’t even care.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” He pitched his voice so that it was lower than usual and was rewarded when Chloe shifted restlessly underneath him.

Chloe nodded and then captured Lex’s lips. He let her control the pace of the kiss, wanting her to feel completely at ease. He could imagine how nervous she was about the whole situation. The fact that she was a virgin, like everything else about Chloe, amazed him.

As Chloe languidly explored his mouth, Lex ran his hand down her body until it was between the apex of her thighs. She opened her legs wider and Lex stroked her a few times before sliding a finger inside of her. Her inner muscles fluttered around the digit and Lex could feel that she was ready for him. She groaned into his mouth when he pulled away from her. But, it was only for a moment. When she felt the tip of his penis at her entrance, she broke their kiss.

Lex groaned her name when he felt her wetness rub against his cock. All he wanted was to plunge into her and lose himself in their rhythm. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Once Lex opened his eyes, his gaze locked with Chloe’s.

She was looking up at him expectantly, her eyes were wide and Lex could clearly see her emotions reflected in them. He was struck by the fact that Chloe was much stronger than he was. She hadn’t been afraid to force him to admit the truth of his feelings, she didn’t shroud her own. He loved her, but he didn’t know if he could verbalize it yet. But, she deserved at least that. Truthfully, she deserved more than his broken self, but he wasn’t about to tell her that.

When he felt Chloe brush her fingers over his cheek, he realized that his thoughts had taken him away from her. She smiled softly, “It’s ok, Lex. I know. You’ll get there. Just show me.”

That, he could do. Lex lowered his head and captured Chloe’s lips. His left hand moved to the back of her thigh and caressed it before moving it slightly upwards. Then, he slid inside of Chloe. He groaned into her mouth when he felt her wet heat engulf him. He reached her barrier and pulled back a little. He pumped into her shallowly a few times, causing Chloe to whimper. Deciding she was ready, he thrust forward completely, swallowing her cry. Lex could feel her velvet walls enveloping his cock and he fought with his body to remain still. He knew that he had to take it slow with her and wanted Chloe to get used to the feel of him before they went any further.

Opening his eyes, he looked down at Chloe. Her eyes were closed and he kissed her eyelids, and then moved to her cheek, her mouth. He distracted himself from the inferno of his lower body by losing himself in the feel of Chloe’s mouth. It was soft and yielding beneath his lips and he took his time exploring every millimeter of it. He was doing fine ignoring his need.

Then, Chloe moved her hips.

She shifted them up and gasped when Lex slid deeper inside of her. Lex was about to ask if she was ok when she repeated the action, this time with a moan of his name accompanying her movement. Lex tentatively rolled his hips and was rewarded when Chloe’s nails dug into his shoulders, her neck arched backwards and she groaned, “Oh, god, yes.”

After placing a soft kiss on the now vulnerable column of her neck, Lex began to thrust more forcefully into Chloe. She encouraged him with her throaty moans and the way that her hips started to pick up the slow, steady rhythm that he had set.

Chloe’s legs tightened around Lex’s body and he was surrounded by the feel of Chloe. He raised his head and covered her mouth, determined to taste her again. Lex felt one of Chloe’s hands leave his back, but he was unprepared when she ran it over his scalp. The sparks of pleasure coursed directly down to where they were joined and, losing a little more of his control, Lex thrust into her, hard. Chloe didn’t seem to mind, if the clawmarks on his back were anything to go by.

Lex raised himself up, taking most of the weight of his upper body off of Chloe. He wanted to watch her lose herself in what they were doing. With his new found leverage, Lex could pump into Chloe at new angles. He was testing to see what pleased her most. Chloe’s hands traveled to his ass and Lex hissed when she pulled him deeper inside of her. Her inner muscles enveloped him like a vice and Lex moaned her name every time they tightened slightly around his shaft.

Apparently, Lex wasn’t the only one would was observant. A harsh “Christ” was ripped from Lex’s mouth and he was forced to close his eyes when Chloe purposely tightened her cunt around him. She rolled her hips and began to thrust harder against him. Small tremors had begun in Chloe’s body. Lex could tell that she was close.

He pumped into her, hard and high and she screamed his name. ‘That’s more like it.’ Lex knew that Chloe would be a screamer, and he intended to hear just how loud she could get. “Wrap your legs around me, baby.” Lex panted out the words, surprised that he could even form a coherent sentence. By now, he was sliding in and out of Chloe rapidly.

Chloe did as instructed and Lex thrust forward, hitting the same spot inside of her again. Chloe’s arms wrapped around his back and she clung to him, never stilling the movements of her hips. For Lex, this brought back the memory of the first time she had ever been in his arms and he slipped his arms between Chloe and the sheets, pulling her flush against him. He hugged her tightly and then released her, her arms loosened around his shoulders and he guided her back to the mattress.

Taking a deep breath, he slowed down, gliding in and out of Chloe. She opened her eyes and their gazes locked. They rocked languidly together, panting each other’s names. Lex could feel that Chloe’s legs were shaking around him and her breathing had become erratic, her chest heaving with the effort of pulling oxygen into her lungs. A light sheen of sweat covered both of their bodies and Lex dipped his finger into the hollow of Chloe’s throat, picking up a bead of moisture before the hand traveled lower.

His finger brushed against one of her nipples, but didn’t linger long before lightly skimming over her belly button. Chloe watched avidly as Lex’s hand traveled lower, brushing over her coarse pubic hair. Her head fell back against the mattress and she closed her eyes. Her body had tensed in anticipation. Lex licked his lips. “Look at me.”

As she rocked her hips, Chloe shook her head, her eyes were scrunched tightly closed. “Chloe.” His voice held a warning, but, really, he was at her mercy at this point. Her eyes fluttered open and his finger brushed delicately against her clit. Chloe’s hips arched up and her eyes widened and then flew closed again, his name on her lips. Lex continued to rub at the bundle of nerves and she chanted his name. Every time, it was a bit louder as he applied more and more pressure to her flesh.

Lex pulled almost completely out of her and then thrust forward, hitting her sweet spot as he brushed his thumb over her clit. Chloe screamed out his name and Lex felt her inner muscles clamp down on him as she came. She kept pumping her hips and Lex teased her clit again, Chloe’s eyes flew open when she whimpered as another orgasm hit her. Locking her gaze with Lex’s, Chloe let the feeling wash over her. She titled her head back slightly and said, “Let go, Lex.”

It was all the encouragement he needed. His mouth descended on Chloe’s and he kissed her as he lost himself in the feel of being buried deep in her body. One last time, Chloe tightened herself around him and moaned into his mouth.

With a groan of her name, Lex came inside of Chloe. His body moved primally, his hips crashing into hers with an intensity he couldn’t keep in check. His orgasm seemed endless and it threatened to kill him. It didn’t help that Chloe’s body was milking him for all he was worth and that she continued to pant his name. Lex blinked rapidly as black dots came into his field of vision. He moaned Chloe’s name with his last thrust.

Lex still had enough of his wits about him to make sure that he didn’t crush Chloe. He rolled onto his side, pulling Chloe against him. He stroked his fingers through her hair and she peppered his throat with kisses. He tilted her chin up so he could look at her. Her face was flushed and she looked a little dazed. The Luthor arrogance came back with a vengeance and a wide grin spread over his face before he kissed Chloe.

When he pulled away from her, Chloe said, “Before you get up and start crowing, let me remind you who seduced who buddy.”

Lex quirked an eyebrow. “I don’t remember any seduction on your part. Just yelling, screaming and accusations. If I remember correctly, *I’m* the one that seduced you.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “Yelling, screaming and accusations is foreplay for us, Lex.” She poked him in the chest, “Don’t even try to deny it. Besides, what do you call that dress that I was wearing until you so rudely gnawed it off?”

“Evil.” It was true, he hadn’t really stood much of a chance when she played dirty like that.

Chloe tilted her head. “Hmmm…I like to think so.” She chuckled. “But, it worked, didn’t it? So, stop complaining.”

Lex dipped his head lower, until his mouth brushed against her ear. “When did I ever complain? I would hardly call me groaning your name complaining. Would you?” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, causing a shudder to run through her body. They were still joined and Lex could feel the movement both inside and outside of her body. Lex sucked in his breath as he felt his arousal returning. He wasn’t sure if he could handle another round this soon. He didn’t want to pass out. Lex knew he’d never hear the end of it from Chloe.

When Chloe shivered again, it had nothing to do with him. He realized that they hadn’t bothered with any of the sheets on the bed, they had just found their pleasure in each other on top of them. By now, Chloe was cold. He kissed her collarbone and started to tug on the sheets that were underneath them. Chloe said, “I’m comfy, it’s fine.”

Lex shook his head. “You’re cold. Now, help me out here.” Pouting for good measure, Chloe moved away from Lex. As he slid from her, they both groaned. After a few moments of maneuvering their bodies, they were under the sheets of the bed. Lex wrapped his arms around Chloe and pulled her close. She settled herself on top of his body and traced patterns over his chest.

Chloe watched the motions of her hands and Lex could see that she was obviously thinking about what had happened between them. While he didn’t doubt that Chloe had wanted it to happen, he wondered if she had any regrets about it. Especially since it had been her first time. Maybe she was thinking it should have been more romantic, maybe she was thinking about the future, or about how people would react when they found out that they were together, or that her father was going to kill her, or that…

“Lex, how many women have you been with?”

The question surprised him. He knew that it shouldn’t have. It was a natural thing to want to know about the person you were with. But, Lex didn’t think that the actual number was what Chloe was concerned about. Nor the amount of times he had sampled other women. She was worried about how she compared.
And, there was no comparison. He had never felt this way, ‘You love her, just deal with that’ fine, he had never loved a woman that he had had sex with. That’s what it was, sex. This, this had been different. But, how to tell Chloe that without it sounding trite or like he was feeding her a line?

Even though he knew she may not like answer, he went with the truth. “More than I’d care to admit.”

Chloe nodded, slowly.

“But none of them made me feel the way that you just did.” He ran his hand down her back and Chloe looked up at him. “I’m not just talking physically, either. Though, I must say you’ve got some incredible natural talent, Chloe.” He was pleased when she blushed. He made a mental note to tell her as often as possible how amazing she was, in general, and specifically, in bed.

Finding the words was difficult. “What happened with me and the other women in my life can’t hold a candle to you, or what just happened between us. I don’t know how else to put it. The way that you moved under me, the noises you made, how you touched my body,” he paused, “the way you looked at me. *Nothing* in all of my experience can compare.”

Chloe ducked her head, seemingly taking in the information. Lex held his breath, silently pleading that that would be enough for her. He really didn’t want to get into his past with her. He knew that it would only make her feel more inexperienced and young next to him. The fact that being with him had actually meant something to her was a huge turn on, but he didn’t think Chloe would be able to understand that. She had never had the experience of knowing someone was in your bed because of your name or your checkbook.

An unreadable look was on Chloe’s face when she raised her head. A huge grin broke over her face, “Damn, I’m good.”

Lex burst out laughing. Of all of the reactions he had gone through in his mind, he could honestly say that that wasn’t one of them. But, he was happy that she seemed at ease with his explanation. She rested her chin on his chest once he stopped laughing and he ran a hand through her hair.

“I am aware of that.” He grabbed onto her shoulders and moved her up his body until their faces were millimeters apart. Lex watched as Chloe’s eyes locked on his lips. Slowly and deliberately, he ran his tongue over them and was pleased to see when Chloe did the same. Pleasure of a different sort flared in him when she shifted on top of his body. Her leg brushed against his already semi-erect cock and he hissed.

Chloe’s head snapped down as she peered between their bodies. The speed of the action would have been comical at any other time. Now, however, it only spurned Lex’s want on. He closed his eyes, trying to get himself under control. Chloe would no doubt be sore from their earlier activities and he didn’t want to hurt her. He willed his body to listen to him. However, it wasn’t obeying him. Things got even worse when he felt Chloe wrap a hand around his burgeoning erection, pumping it until it was fully erect. Lex felt her settle her legs on either side of his knees and sit back.

Opening his eyes, he saw that Chloe was focused on her task at hand, so to speak. She panted in time with her strokes and Lex groaned when she licked her lips. Her hips were moving along with her hand and Lex knew that he wasn’t the only one who needed another release. Suddenly, Chloe released his cock and Lex groaned in frustration.

Chloe crawled up his body a little. “Help me, Lex.” She was positioned over his cock and he grabbed onto her hips. Together, they guided their bodies until they were joined. Once he was fully encased inside of her, Lex expelled a deep breath. Chloe was already fluttering around him and moaning his name. She placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly moved up on his shaft. Biting down on her bottom lip, she plunged down. Lex met her halfway, his brain only half registering her cry of pain at the reckless move.

“Slow down, baby.” He gritted out the words as she repeated the action, her cries now more of pleasure. While he met her thrust for thrust, he didn’t want his own blinding need to make him forget that they should be taking this slowly. However, Chloe had other ideas.

Once impaled on him she arched her back and rolled her hips, cursing harshly when her clit rubbed against Lex’s body. As she clawed into his chest, she squeezed her pussy around Lex’s cock. ‘So much for slow,’ Lex thought as he held onto her hips. He pumped upwards, into her, keeping pace with her as she continued to slam down onto his body.

Her movements were becoming more erratic and Lex decided to take control. His grip on her hips tightened and slowed Chloe’s pace. He took his left hand off of her hips and moved it to just above where they were joined. Chloe opened her eyes and looked down at him, knowing what was about to happen. Lex could see her struggling to keep her eyes locked on his as he brushed his thumb against her clit. It was a losing battle. They slid shut as she bucked uncontrollably against him. Her inner muscles started to clamp down on his arousal and Lex pitched his hips upwards as his fingers slid against Chloe’s clit.

“Oh. Oh, Lex. Yes.” Chloe screamed the last word as her cunt closed around Lex’s cock. She continued to ride him as he felt his own orgasm approaching. Quickly, Lex flipped them over, ignoring the entanglements of the sheets on his limbs. Chloe wrapped her legs around him and Lex’s lips crushed against her mouth, demanding entrance. He hit her sweet spot and she yelped. Deciding to try something new, Lex hooked her legs over his shoulders and pumped into her. Chloe’s hands had found the headboard and she held onto it, her knuckles white. Lex placed his hands over hers, pulled out until just his tip was inside of her and thrust forward. His pubic hair rubbed against Chloe’s clit as he drove home, hitting her where she needed it.

“Lex&#33;”

The combination of hearing her scream his name and her cunt gripping him like a glove sent Lex over the edge. Their lower bodies continued to thrust against each other. Lex’s hips never ceasing until he was spent inside of her and Chloe’s moving until she had taken all he had to give.

This time, Lex collapsed on top of Chloe. She didn’t complain, instead, she started to run her hands over his back. He panted against her neck, trying to get himself under control again. She really needed to stop doing that. Throwing all of his plans into a tailspin. Though, he doubted that his plan of falling asleep after they made love before was preferable to their most recent activities.

“You keep that up and I’m not going to let you out of this room,” he murmured against her neck. He felt her body shake under him as she laughed. He moved out of her and settled down next to her, propping his head up on his elbow so he could look at her.

“I think that that may be detrimental to my journalism career,” her body mirrored Lex’s and he didn’t see her roll her eyes when his were drawn to her chest.

Licking his lips, Lex shook his head. “Not necessarily, I’ll just pay to have very worldly, important events take place here.” His eyes went back to her face. “Sound good?”

“It’s tempting,” Chloe said, looking as if she were actually considering his offer. “But, I doubt if you kept me in here, I’d get much writing done. You can be rather distracting.”

Lex raised one eyebrow. “Not to sound juvenile, but, I am forced to mention that you started it.” With his free hand, he reached out and ran his fingertips down her arm. “Thankfully. Otherwise, I may have ended up back in the mental institution.”

Chloe chuckled. “Well, then I guess I would just have to break you out.” She smiled sweetly at him and was then unable to contain a yawn. She pointed at him. “Though, if you make some comment about tiring me out now, I may let you rot in there the next time you lose it.”

Seeing Chloe yawn, set off one in Lex. “I don’t think I’m exactly in the position to make fun. I’m a little tired myself.” Truth be told, Lex was exhausted. He had been dreading Clark’s party and work had been stressful lately, as usual. That, coupled with the argument and two bouts of love making with Chloe, was more than enough to exhaust both his mind and body.

Lex flopped down on the bed, “Come here.” Chloe scooted over to him and laid down on his chest. “And keep your hands where I can see them, young lady.” Chloe murmured something unintelligible against his chest as Lex wrapped his arms around her. “Of course,” he said. When in doubt, just agree with her. He had learned that the hard way. Fun, but hard. Lex was able to pick up her telling him goodnight. He returned the sentiment and listened as Chloe’s breathing began to even out.

After a few minutes, she was asleep. Her tiny body cradled against his own. Instead of wondering what complications the morning would bring, Lex just enjoyed the peace of the moment. Tomorrow would come on its own, for now, all that mattered was the woman in his arms.

[MissMed03]

*Cackles Loudly* Smut, smut, smut&#33; And lots of it&#33; Finally, Lex stops being a prick, I am sooooooo happy with this fec. If only the writers of SV would get a clue....
Great Update, more soon:)

[Tandy]

Wow that was so sweet&#33; *sigh* Something bad is going to happen the next day isn&#39;t it? :crygreen: Update soon please&#33; I love this fic&#33;

Tandy

[hfce]

Yes finally smut :drool: More please...




Hope :clap:

[autumngold]

Thank you, thank you so much for this great Chlexy chapter&#33;&#33; Lex must be kicking himself for all of the years he wasted&#33;&#33; I really hope you write more soon&#33;&#33; I need some more Chlex&#33;&#33; Please&#33;&#33; :biggrin: :chlexsign3: :biggrin:

[vardaquareien]

Originally posted by Tandy@Feb 12 2004, 05:04 PM
*sigh* Something bad is going to happen the next day isn&#39;t it? :crygreen:
hmmm unfortunately I&#39;m getting the same feeling...must be that last line...

:drool: Absolutely adored the wonderful smut Blue, so here&#39;s the :cake: I promised you&#33;

[scifichick774]

Yaaay smut&#33; And, I&#39;m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that nothing *horrible* is going to happen the next morning - but that&#39;s only because you said the fic was winding down. *narrows eyes* Don&#39;t prove me wrong, Blue.

[ColumbiaBlue]

Oh that was good. :worship2: Really good.

And, I&#39;m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that nothing *horrible* is going to happen the next morning - but that&#39;s only because you said the fic was winding down. *narrows eyes* Don&#39;t prove me wrong, Blue.
Yeah, don&#39;t prove her wrong Blue&#33; Sorry... I felt like I needed to second that.
Update soon&#33;&#33;&#33; :chlexsign2:

~Manda

[Jenmar]

Whew&#33; Anyone else need a cigarette? I think I might and I quit over two years ago. That was great smut. This whole story has been great, and this last part was no exception.

[Impress]

And, I&#39;m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that nothing *horrible* is going to happen the next morning - but that&#39;s only because you said the fic was winding down. *narrows eyes* Don&#39;t prove me wrong, Blue.
and I feel the need to third that.

Great Update hun.

[gina]

Wow, that was fantastic&#33; I really hope nothing bad is about to happen.

I adore this fic&#33; Can&#39;t wait for your next update&#33; :)

[buffiy18]

Beautiful chapter. :wub: :wub:

[bluemoongirl23]

A/N: So, here&#39;s the last of this one. Hope you like it. Can&#39;t wait to see what you guys have to say to me. *g*





The sun shone bright and strong through the window. Lex’s eyes fluttered open and a grin formed on his face when he remembered his activities from last night. However, it lessened when he realized that Chloe was no longer in his arms. He turned slightly and saw that she was sleeping on her stomach, her head facing away from him. The smile evaporated totally when Lex touched Chloe body. It was cold. His eyes focused briefly on her back. It remained completely still, devoid of the usual rising and falling rhythm of breathing.

Horror beginning to creep up on him, a chill running through his own body, Lex turned her over. Chloe’s eyes were open, unseeing and vacant. Taking in everything, the stiffness of her body, the blue of her lips a soft “no” escaped Lex’s mouth. Lex placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her, “Chloe.” Her head lolled back and forth, like a doll’s. Shaking his head, Lex repeated the action, the knowledge of the truth seeping into him. “No.” He took Chloe in his arms and ran his hands over her back, willing his body’s warmth to transfer into hers.

It was no use. The body, and that’s what it was, did not react. His arms tightened aroud it….her…Chloe, as one thought came across clear and real in his mind. Chloe was dead…..and what the hell? Do you really think I’d do this to you? But, after all of the betting and voting on me screwing with the characters, and you guys, I couldn’t resist. Now, here’s the real stuff.


I need your, I need your tender lips, to hold me,
To hold me together when I&#39;m around you.





Something was missing. That was the first coherent thought that passed through Lex’s mind when he came awake the next morning. He sat up in the bed. Chloe. Chloe was missing. She had obviously come to her senses and ran as far away as possible from here.

Lex heard someone whistling and turned his head in the direction of the window seat to his left. Chloe was lying on it, dressed only in his shirt from last night. He cocked his head to the side, “It’s a good look for you.”

Plucking some of the material away form her body Chloe asked, “You think? I never thought that I looked all that good in white.”

Settling himself against the headboard, Lex said, “In my unbiased,” Chloe smiled at that word, “opinion, I think you look good in anything. But, I think you look better in nothing at all. Take it off and get over here.” He patted the empty section of the bed next to him.

Chloe pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them. “Lex, do you really think that one night together had warped my personality so much that I’m just going to obey your every command. Please, even *you* aren’t that good.”

“That sounds like a challenge to me.” Lex made his voice low, and laced it with just a touch of menace. Locking eyes with her, he patted the mattress again. He would make her come to him if it was the last thing that he did. He knew she wanted to, she just needed some encouragement. “Unless, of course, I wore you out and you’re still recovering.” Hardly a fair statement since some of his muscles were sore and he was no virgin.

The familiar glint of ire crept into Chloe’s eyes and she was on the move. He was barely able to contain his trademark smirk when he saw that his play had worked perfectly. She stalked over to the foot of his bed and placed her hands on her hips as she glared at him. “Wore me out, old man? Doubtful. Need I remind you that I was ready for you again way before you were ready for me?”

Lex was certain that whatever Chloe was saying was important. However, he was distracted by how sexy she looked in his shirt. His eyes ran over the creamy, flawless skin of her well-toned legs. Then, they traveled up to her chest. Her nipples stood out under the shirt and the first few buttons were undone, showing a tantalizing amount of skin. Chloe waved her hands in front of her breasts and Lex realized that he had totally zoned out. Looking up at her face didn’t help matters.

The mark on her neck stood out in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin. And, it looked as if Chloe had tried to do her best to control her hair without the help of a brush. But, the locks were still wild and untamed. All in all, she looked highly edible. And Lex intended to have more than a little of a taste.

“Are you even listening to me,” Chloe asked, more than a little testily.

Slowly, Lex shook his head. A low growl sounded in Chloe’s throat. ‘She’s barking up the wrong tree if she thinks that *that* is going to make me focus on what she’s saying. He refused to apologize for his actions, instead, he’d explain them.

“You really can’t blame me.” He gestured over to her. “Look at you. All post-coital, hair mussed and wearing *my* shirt. It’s actually your own fault that I can’t concentrate.” He looked back at her face. “You don’t even know how hot you are sometimes, you know that?” Chloe fidgeted a little under his gaze. “Chloe, you had better get used to me looking at you like this, it’s going to be a pretty regular occurrence.”

“We’re veering off topic here, Lex.” Chloe stopped fidgeting and held Lex’s gaze. Her brow furrowed and Lex could tell that she was trying to remember *what* they were talking about. He shifted his body weight, the sheets now pooling in his lap. When he noticed Chloe’s eyes raking over his body, he moved around a little more, knowing that the action would derail Chloe’s train of thought.

Lex grinned at her. “We’ll talk about *whatever* you want to. Just, come here.” For the third time, Lex patted the vacant spot next to him. “You skulked out of bed before I got a chance to say good morning.”

Rolling her eyes, Chloe started to climb onto the bed. “Miss, I’m sorry, we have a strict dress code, here.” Lex affected the voice of the numerous pompous hosts that he had had to deal with at the best restaurants in Metropolis. “The shirt must come off.”

Sitting back on her knees, Chloe narrowed her eyes at Lex. “You. Are. Insufferable.” However, Chloe quickly undid the buttons and then crawled over to the spot next to Lex. “Are you happy now?”

“Ecstatic.” Lex closed the gap between their bodies, his lips finding Chloe’s. His tongue pushed its way into her mouth and his left hand tangled in her hair, his right wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer to him. He slowly explored her mouth and moaned when her tongue slid against his.

Chloe’s arms wrapped around the back of his neck and Lex shifted his weight, rolling Chloe over onto her back. The sheets tangled around their bodies and Lex adjusted one of the sheets so it covered them. Chloe wiggled beneath him, shifting her position until Lex could comfortably lay between her thighs. He angled her head back, deepening their kiss. The only thing that existed in his sphere was Chloe, which was why Lex didn’t hear the knocking at his door.

However, he did hear someone say his name….and it sure as hell wasn’t Chloe.

Breaking their kiss, Lex craned his neck, seeing a rather embarrassed looking Clark standing at the door to his bedroom. The look on Clark’s face was priceless. His eyes were wide as he looked at the clothes that were strewn against the room. Lex moved his body so that he was blocking Chloe from Clark’s view. This was not how he intended to tell Clark about his and Chloe’s new status.

Before Lex could tell Clark that it was rude to barge into a room without waiting for a “Come in,” Mr. Ross appeared at Clark’s elbow. Things just went from bad to worse.

Clark started to sputter. “Lex…I’m sorry. I didn’t know that you had, um, company.”

As Clark continued to make no sense, Mr. Ross knelt down, picking up Chloe’s dress. Mr. Ross’s brow furrowed and Lex knew that the young man recognized the dress. The younger man was just trying to place where. Lex could see the moment that it all clicked home for Mr. Ross. His eyes widened and he dropped the dress, looking back at Lex. Lex braced himself for the inevitable death threats. He looked back at Chloe, who was trying to remain as still as possible….as if Clark or Mr. Ross would buy that he was alone in the room.

“Clark, shut up.” Lex whipped his head back around just in time to catch Clark looking at Mr. Ross. “Let’s give them some privacy.” Mr. Ross gestured vaguely to the bed. “And, get the hell out of here.” It was obvious that Mr. Ross could also see that Clark had yet to figure out who was in bed with Lex. He nodded at the young man in thanks.

But, he knew that Clark would figure out that he and Chloe had been together. And soon. Chloe had been slated to stay the night in the Manor and Clark was supposed to give her a ride home. After the door closed, Lex started to climb out of the bed.

“Where are you going?” Chloe reached out to Lex, grabbing his arm.

“Chloe, *I* have to tell him. I owe him that much.” He leaned forward and brushed a kiss over her lips.

Quickly, Lex climbed out of the bed and put his pants on. He heard rustling behind him and saw Chloe put his shirt back on, this time doing up all of the buttons. “Do I even dare ask where you think you’re going?”

“I owe him that much, too.” She ran her hands through her hair and grabbed the door handle. Lex opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. “I’m coming, end of story. I think it would be best if Pete heard it from me, you take Clark.”

“Pete already knows.” This caused Chloe to close the door and look back at Lex. Lex shrugged and said, “He recognized your dress.”

“But, you’re still alive.” Chloe looked puzzled at this new turn of events.

“Firstly, if you think that Mr. Ross could cause me any harm, I may have to have you committed for a psych evaluation. Secondly,” Lex paused, trying to phrase it properly, “he already gave me his blessing. Sort of.”

“What? When did this happen and why did no one tell me?” Chloe threw her hands up in the air, clearly not believing any of this was really happening.

“Before you started school this year.” Chloe’s jaw dropped open. It was clear that she wanted to discuss this further but Lex said, “Listen, we can discuss this later, do you want to go tell them that we’re together or not?”

“I do. But both you and Pete are going to have some explaining to do. I have a feeling that I’m not being told everything and I don’t like it one bit.” Chloe pointed an accusatory finger at Lex.

“Have I ever told you that you’re extraordinary cute when you’re angry?” Lex grabbed the door handle with one hand and Chloe’s hand with the other. He led her out of the room and looked back at her. “Yes, I know. I’ll pay for that later.”

After two turns, Clark and Pete came back into view. They weren’t alone. Both Lana and Emily were by their sides. Lex heard Chloe mutter, “Here goes nothing.” Lana was the first one to notice them. Her mouth flew open and she covered it with her hand. However, both Lex and Chloe could still hear the screech that she let loose.

“I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to do this.” Chloe tried to bolt, but Lex held onto her hand.

“No way you’re leaving me alone to deal with Lana. And the rest of them.” Lex watched as Lana started to run towards them. She was headed for Chloe and Lex stepped in front of her body. Lana stopped and Lex said, “If you physically assault my girlfriend, you and I are going to have some problems.”

“Your girlfriend,” Lana exclaimed happily. She took another step towards Chloe and when she saw the look Lex was *still* giving her she said, “I promise that I won’t crack a rib, now let me get at her.”

With one last glare, Lex let go of Chloe’s hand and Lana quickly engulfed the blonde in her arms. Chloe made a big deal of being put out, but Lex could tell that Chloe was pleased with Lana’s reaction. It was at least one person on their side. And, they both knew how good Lana was at wearing people down.

Lex looked over at Clark, who had the blankest look on his face that Lex had ever seen. He looked from Lex to Chloe and then back at Lex. A slow grin spread across his face and he called over, “Lex, you dog, you.” He was quickly elbowed in the ribs by both Emily and Pete. “Nice talk, Clark,” his girlfriend muttered while Pete just glared at him. “That’s just wrong, man.”

Chloe walked over to Clark. “Excellent manners, Clark. Don’t you have any shame?”

“Says the girl who’s probably wearing nothing but Lex’s shirt.” Clark crossed his arms over his chest and looked down at Chloe before turning his attention back to Lex. “Took you long enough.”

Lex smiled and put his hands in his pockets and chuckled. “Tact, Clark, look into it.” Lex shifted his gaze to Mr. Ross. He hadn’t said one word to either Chloe or himself. The younger man took a deep breath and said, “Finally went right, Luthor.” He started to grin at Lex and then looked at Chloe. “You hurt her, I kill you.”

Glad that the requisite threat was out of the way, Lex nodded, “Understood.”

Lex walked over to the rest of the group and wrapped his arm around Chloe’s waist. Mr. Ross looked at the two of them.

“One more thing, could you put a shirt on for the love of god? I don’t need to see that.”

************************************************** ****************

As the blonde ran around the track, she was unaware that her every move was being observed. The man watching her had been doing so for the last few minutes, lost in his thoughts.

Lex had been displeased when he had awoken and her side of the bed was empty. He had had plans for their early morning, and none of them included being outside at this hour of the morning. Though, they had included a workout of a different sort.

He had taken a guess as to where she was and had been correct. Even though there was a gym in the basement of the apartment building, Chloe shunned it. She said she was already sick of people looking at her when she was out in public, she didn’t need to be scrutinized while exercising. Lex hadn’t put up an argument when she started taking these early morning jogs on the Metropolis University track. However, an argument had occurred when Chloe discovered that he had assigned a security detail to her. She had been furious, especially when Lex reminded her that *she* had been the one that made him hire a few new guards. They had gone back and forth with yelling and had solved nothing by the end of the night. Though, that could be attributed to the fact that they had ended up, somehow, making love on the floor of the kitchen.

When Chloe had realized that Lex wasn’t going to give in on this one, she had accepted defeat. Though, not quietly. She had muttered that he was forcing her to leave him but had been silenced by a sharp look from him. He had almost lost her once before and he would be damned if that was going to happen again.

Lex had expected Chloe to try and ditch the detail, however, that did nothing to temper his anger when she went through with it. Instead of exploding, he had calmly explained to her if she wanted to continue their relationship she would accept the fact that security went along with it. Finally, Chloe seemed to grasp how important it was to him…..and that he wouldn’t back down on it.

The early morning fog cloaked her figure as she ran around the far side of the track and Lex watched as his guards shifted their positions accordingly. He had long ago given up the thought of leading a “normal” life. He was pleased to see that Chloe seemed more at ease with everything that went along with dating him. She had become more adept at answering the press’s questions vaguely, she actually seemed to take glee in articles that pointed out that fact. Her own career had been progressing well and didn’t seem to be hampered by the fact that she shared his bed.

The bleachers creaked as Lex got up and walked towards the track. All in all, things between himself and Chloe had gone better than either of them had dared to hope. Sure, they bickered a great deal, that happened when you dated Chloe, but there had been few actual fights. Their conversations were never dull, she kept him on his feet and their physical relationship….Lex certainly had no complaints there. Smugly, he smiled a little to himself. If Chloe’s words in the heat of passion were anything to go by, neither did she.

When he approached one of the guards, he murmured a few words of dismissal. The man lightly touched his right ear and spoke softly. Lex watched as the other two guards turned around and walked off. Chloe’s form came out of the fog as she rounded the curve of the track. When she saw Lex, she stopped.

“You really love that, don’t you?” She was panting from her run. “Coming out of the fog, long coat fluttering dramatically in the wind. The iconic imagery and all that sort of crap.” She smiled at him as she walked over to where he was standing. Looking around, she asked, “Where’d the Three Stogies go?” Yes, Chloe had accepted her guards but that didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to make fun of them.

“I told them that their services were no longer required for the moment.” He could see the curiosity on Chloe’s face as she arched an eyebrow at him. She knew that something was up but she was trying her damnest not to outright ask what it was.

“Did you now?” She had finally reached Lex and stretched up in order to give him a kiss. She wrapped her arms around his waist and said, “Didn’t want them to see you showing any sign of affection? Debunks that whole ruthless business man thing you’ve got going on.”

“Something like that.” Lex saw her face scrunch up a little at his remark, causing him to grin widely down at her. Before she could pull away and mutter to herself, Lex wrapped his arms around her. Chloe’s confusion deepened and Lex couldn’t really blame her. It wasn’t every morning that he followed her out to the track. And, the occasions when he dismissed their security in public, well, he couldn’t remember having ever done that. Then again, he hadn’t done this before. Well, ok, he had, but the other three times didn’t count. At least, he wasn’t counting them.

“Care to tell me what’s going on up there?” Chloe gestured to Lex’s head. She looked nervous and Lex considered asking her the very same question.

Lex reached out and ran his thumb over her cheek as he looked at her. “I want you to marry me.” Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He grinned at her. “If I had known that that’s all it would take to make you speechless, I would have done it a long time ago.”

Chloe still remained silent and Lex wondered if he should have done this another way. Perhaps with roses and soft music and the whole down on bended knee thing. However, that struck him as false. That wasn’t what a real relationship was about, it was about living with the person on a daily basis and loving them through all of the crap that went along with them. Lex had been considering the question for a long time, and when he woke up this morning, he had decided that it was time that he asked her. Of course, she had ruined his plan by not being at home, but that was to be expected. Chloe never made things easy on him, that was part of the reason he loved her. Not that he ever verbalized it to her. His brow drew together. Maybe that was the problem. Chloe wasn’t just affectionate with him, she told him that she loved him often. She was used to being blunt about everything so it didn’t seem like a big deal where she was concerned.

However, she hadn’t been brought up by Lionel Luthor. A man who had passed on the idea of emotions being a weakness to his son. The thought had taken hold and Lex had never been able to let it go. That wasn’t to say that he had never told Chloe that he loved her. He just didn’t do it as often as she did. Actions spoke louder than words, but he figured that Chloe would still like to hear them.

“I love you.” Chloe’s head quickly snapped up at the words. He repeated them as he took a step closer to her. “I love you, Chloe. Marry me.” Lex’s voice was strong and sure in what he was saying.

“I love you, too, Lex.” She paused and ducked her head and Lex began to feel a little sick.

“Why am I sensing a but,” he asked.

Quickly, Chloe looked back up at him. “No, no buts.” A grin began to spread over her face. “Just wondering where my rock is.” She took one arm off of his waist and held her hand out, palm up.

Lex chuckled, relieved that he had misinterpreted her silence. He lowered his voice, “First, I need an answer.”

Her face became serious and she took a deep breath. He found it endearing that it was obvious that this meant as much to her as it did to him. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Lex.” Before the words had left her mouth, Lex pulled her to him in a crushing hug. He heard, and felt, her laughing at his actions. “Now I see why the guards were given the boot.”

Lex shrugged. “I’m a firm believer that some things should remain private. Like this,” he gestured between them. “And this,” he leaned towards Chloe and captured her mouth in a kiss. He started gently, just brushing his lips against hers. Soon, however, he couldn’t help himself and he had to deepen the kiss. His left hand tangled in her hair and he felt her arms wrap around the back of his neck.

He moaned in disappointment when Chloe pulled away and tried to grab her again but Chloe took another step back. “Ring, please.”

Lex laughed. “Who would have thought that you’d be so materialistic?”

“I just enjoy sparkly things, is that so wrong?” Chloe put her hands on her hips and mock glared at Lex.

“No, just remind me to keep you away from the silverware.” He reached into his jacket and brought out a black, velvet box. Chloe stepped closer and watched as Lex opened the box. He was pleased by the little gasp that escaped Chloe’s mouth. He had gone a little overboard, but she was worth it. It was a big ring, but not gaudy. Later, he would tell Chloe that the two smaller diamonds flanking the middle one had belonged to his mother. For now, he’d keep that fact to himself.

“It’s beautiful, Lex.” Chloe stated, simply. She held out her left hand and Lex slipped the ring on. Chloe held up her hand and looked at the ring. “It looks weird.”

He shook his head, “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” Chloe continued to stare at her hand and Lex covered it with his own.

“What do you say to going home and celebrating?” He winked mischievously at her and wondered what in the hell had gotten into him.

“And by celebrating you mean…” Chloe trailed off, her voice going up in a question.

Lex quickly wrapped his left arm around her and pulled her flush against his body. He ducked his head and whispered into her ear. “Use your imagination.”

He felt Chloe shiver against him. ‘Point to me.’ A smug grin graced his face but it was wiped off when Chloe said, “I’d rather have you show me,” as she arched into his body.

Lex felt the usual response when it came to Chloe and her soft curves and he decided that they needed to get to some place much more private, *now*. Chloe smiled up at him, the picture of innocence but he knew that she was silently congratulating herself. Lex formulated a plan to wipe that smile off of her face and replace it with something quite different. His hands made their way down her back and settled on her ass. Lex jerked her towards him, letting her feel the effect she was having on him and Chloe’s eyelids fluttered shut.

“Let’s get out of here.” Without waiting for a response from Chloe, he started walking, taking her hand and leading her towards the car. He grinned when he realized that Chloe was moving quickly in order to keep up with him. ‘Nice to know that I’m not the only eager one.’ As if reading his mind, Chloe smiled up at Lex and then quickened her pace.

Chloe looked around, craning her neck, noticing that the security was still nowhere to be found. Once they got closer to the limo, she said, “I hope you have the keys. Or, was there some sign you were supposed to give them to have them scurry back?”

Lex smirked down at Chloe and released her hand. Sticking two of his fingers in his mouth, he whistled. Chloe heard footfalls starting towards them and rolled her eyes. “How technologically advanced.”

Shrugging, Lex said, “I forgot the walkie talkies at home.” He nodded at the driver and motioned to the front of the car while he opened the door for Chloe.

Once she was settled in her seat, Chloe looked down at her left hand again. Lex shook his head, amused that she kept staring at the ring. Whether the issue was that she couldn’t believe the size of it or the fact that she was wearing it, Lex couldn’t tell. He covered her hand with his and squeezed it gently. “Ready?”

Focusing on their linked hands for a moment, Chloe then linked their fingers. “Yeah, let’s go home.”

[hfce]

:clap: :clap: :clap: Loved It that was so romantic and fun and gushy and and AWWWWWWW I am sad its gone. :crygreen:



Hope :wub:

[staysixkid]

My god&#33; That. Was. BEAUTIFUL&#33; :blush: What a perfect ending....outstanding job&#33; I&#39;ll miss this one...a lot.
Fee

[buffiy18]

When I started reading it I knew it could not be real... but I did think Lex was having a horrible dream. I&#39;m glad to say I was wrong and it was just you pulling out leg. :biggrin: Good one. I loved Chloe&#39;s reaction to the ring. And Lex sending away the guards so he could be mushy with her.

This was a great chapter and a wonderful way to end the story. Looking forward to reading more from you.

:chlexsign3:

[gina]

Aww, that was fantastic&#33; I loved how Pete, Clark, and Lana all fully embraced their relationship, that was a cute scene. And the ending was just *perfect*.

(Also, I totally fell for the beginning :blush: I was so relieved it wasn&#39;t real.)

I&#39;m so sad that this fic is over... I loved it from beginning to end&#33; Amazing job&#33;

[Tandy]

Amazing&#33; :biggrin: Wow&#33;


Tandy

[Karen090882]

That was such a wonderful story to read, thanks for writing it. I fell in love with the Lex and Chloe relationship and their stories. I hope you continue writing for everyone&#39;s enjoyment&#33;

Karen :biggrin: :chlexsign1: :chlexsign3: :chlexsign4:

[marrycherry]

LOVE THE ENDING :yay2: IT WAS SO ROMANTIC&#33;&#33;&#33;&#33; :wub:

:chlexsign4:

[ColumbiaBlue]

The smile evaporated totally when Lex touched Chloe body. It was cold. His eyes focused briefly on her back. It remained completely still, devoid of the usual rising and falling rhythm of breathing.

Horror beginning to creep up on him, a chill running through his own body, Lex turned her over. Chloe’s eyes were open, unseeing and vacant. Taking in everything, the stiffness of her body, the blue of her lips a soft “no” escaped Lex’s mouth. Lex placed his hand on her shoulder and shook her, “Chloe.” Her head lolled back and forth, like a doll’s.

OH MY GOD&#33;&#33;&#33; Don&#39;t EVER do that to me again&#33; It scared the crap out of me and I almost stopped reading it cause I thought she was really dead&#33;

But I&#39;m glad I didn&#39;t stop cause the *real* last part was perfect. I loved it. I loved this whole story&#33;

~*~Manda

[vardaquareien]

http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/waffen/violent-smiley-001.gif...that&#39;s for the beginning.

http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0903/liebe/love-smiley-001.gif...that&#39;s for the rest&#33;&#33;&#33;

Great last chappy&#33;&#33;&#33; I loved Lex&#39;s proposal. I really liked that he didn&#39;t get down on one knee and all that romantic shit. It was real, it was beautiful. Well done Blue :clap: you&#39;re a legend&#33; :worship2:

[scifichick774]

WOOOOOT&#33; What a wonderful, perfect ending. Really well done, Blue. I loved it.

[happy bunny]

I just read this last bit and I love it. Although I&#39;m sad to see it go, I loved the proposal and it was a wonderful end to one of my favorite stories. Great job, Blue&#33;

And the beginning of the chappie, *snickers* you really are evil, you know that right? :blinkkiss:

[Catheryne]

This was just amazing. Beautiful fic. I enjoyed every moment of it curled up in bed. Delish as always. You really should write more. Love your romances.

[newbatgirl]

Don&#39;t think I ever left proper FB for this one. It&#39;s awesome&#33; This is likely my favorite thing by blue&#33; I love the characterizations and the pacing. And the smut was sooo good.

I also adore all of the little in-jokes about Smallville. Totally cool.

:chlexsign3:

[RenaissanceQueen]

:ohmy: What a wonderful story&#33; I tried to read it all in one sitting, but damned real life got in the way . . . It was terrif, and I&#39;d love to read more of your work&#33;

[becky]

OK, it&#39;s 3am, my eyes are knackered as I don&#39;t think i&#39;ve blinked for the past three hours with reading this amazing fic... I love the way you wrote the beginning chapters with the flashbacks to the past: fascinating to read, seeing Lex and Chloe&#39;s past friendship and affection and their &#39;present day&#39; estrangement, and discovering how one turns into the other... and the ending chapters, they were so well rounded they&#39;re among the best chlex chapters I&#39;ve ever read.

So, what else can I say except...

damn, you can write.

:worship2:

~Becky~
:chlexsign3:

[prosthetic ballerina]

<sob>...that was...with the...and the...<snotty sniff> oh geez, that was the sweetest. Everything, from the perfect angst at the beginning, to the SMUTCAKE in the middle, and the beautiful proposal...i bow to you, oh great masterful Chlexer <blows nose>.



Chloe,
I love you. Marry Me. How’s school going?
Lex

:worship2: Who could resist?

[LEXNCHLOEROCK]

GAWD YOU ARE SOOOO GOOOD&#33;&#33;&#33;

I LOVED IT&#33; ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT&#33;

Ya I thought Lex was having a bad dream too...OH YOU ARE EVIL&#33;

I loved the humor and your use of Pete&#33;

***shivers with delight*** it&#39;s so very late or otherwise I&#39;d read another but that&#39;ll have to wait for tomorrow night&#33;

Thank you&#33;

Sophie :wub:

[Ainur]

Lex is so hard headed. Thank the heavens Chloe was woman enough to go for what she wanted. Great story&#33;&#33;&#33;

[Chimera0523]

:chlexsign1: Loved the story&#33;&#33; :yay: Lex just needed to stand up and be a man.

~Michelle

[starmoon]

This story is great and I love the smut. It was great that Lex was Chloe's first and only. Lex was so stupid to think that by staying away from Chloe would make her life better. He should have know her life would only good and complete with him as her lover. Chlex forever.

[showntell]

That was lovely and cute and funny...what more can I say?

[meeaz]

soooooooooo good. amazing!

[JosiCuervo]

Yeah, so I was all really into this fic, devouring each word with starved eyes, my heart pounding in my chest, almost gasping for breath, when all of a sudden I just freaked out adn was like;

:tantrum:*slams fist on desk and stands up to shake monitor* :soapbox:

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! YOU CAN"T KILL CHLOE!!!NO, NO, NO!!!....Oh, she's just fucking with us...damn it, I can't believe I fell for that..." :nono:

It's not very often someone gets me like that...nice job... *mutter*

Great fic. I heart it...even the part where my heart literally stopped. :blinkkiss

[micah_luther]

You know, I've read many many MANY stories, and yours is one that will stick out in my mind for a very long time. Amazing job with the characters. I love how all of them were portrayed. Especially, Pete. Because of the fact that he's a small character, he doesn't have much depth, but you gave him a little of that. Thanks write more, you're good

[ggdoll18]

Fantastic story
great details
awesome job- really!

[arkakitty]

Ohhhhhhhh this story is soooo great :)
I love it.

[darkangel]

This was very good. :D :grin3:

[kimmie]

This is one of my most favourite Chlex fics. :love2: I've read it lots of times and I still adore it. Even the chlark at the beginning is bearable because you know it will lead to chlex in the end! I love Lex in this fic and I think how you showed him struggling with his feelings of love and attractioon towards Chloe is very believable!!! :clapclap:

Well done on a truly fantastic fic... :respect:

Kimmie

P.S The smut is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! :drool2: :hankpank: :ecstatic:

[mamma_2004]

This is the best story i ever have read. Love the smut. it was so funnie. *s*

[txalb]

Another great fic. Its too bad that it’s too late to read the rest of them tonight. 2 am, I really need my sleep, but it was worth holding off to get to read this gem. You have the greatest turn of phrase and it really came out in this one. Some of my favorites (because they’re just so damn funny):


That night, Lex was ashamed to admit, he had researched what the legal age of consent in the state of Kansas was.

How perfect, and the greatest part is that I can actually see him doing something like this.


It wasn’t fair, here she was, blatantly disregarding the orders of doctors, doctors which Lex intended to have some serious conversations with once he illegally obtained their home phone numbers, yet, she was able to weasel her way out of a well-deserved rant with a quick turn of phrase.

I laughed and laughed and laughed…


“Armageddon is upon us,” Lana whispered.

Another one of those funny ones, and what timing.


He had actually considered the possibility that Pete was a clone. He had to stop scanning Pete for any weird stuff in his body when his friend had said, “Quit the creepy x-ray crap, Clark. I just want Chloe to be happy.”

…and laughed and laughed and laughed…


“I’m with Emily, I know that. You’re in love with Chloe, I know that too. But, I stand by my damn.”

A drunken uninhibited Clark, too funny.


“Besides, what do you call that dress that I was wearing until you so rudely gnawed it off?”

“Evil.”

Now this has to be one of the best lines in there.

I’m curious as to where you got your Latin translation. I only ask because I'm literally in the middle of working on my Latin IV take home final and I'm not entirely sure it's correct.

This was just wonderful. 3 for 3 and still going strong. Thanks for writing.

txalb

[noirrobin]

*sighs* That was beautiful.

[Goldielocks]

ok so i guess that was the end...i was totally expecting the wedding or some scene being the end but i guess not..but it's still a fabolous story...thank u

[angie284]

Evil!! Totally hilarious once I recovered, but still way to make a girls heart stop. Can't believe it took me so long to find and read this fic.

Loved Clark, Pete, and even Lana in this fic. Laughed continously through out the story. Well done! :D

[katieandjason]

Awww!!!! This fic is amazing. When the girls had been kidnapped, I couldn't read fast enough or load pages quick enough to satisfy me. When Lex went to Clark's, I barely managed not to skip ahead and find Chloe's reaction. And then when there was the final confrontation in the bedroom I couldn't read slowly enough to sustain the high of them finally being together.

This is a great fic, I heart it and am so so so very glad I read it after it was completed. :D

[redniblet]

OH MY GOD!!! That was awesome!

[Esther25jm]

Oooh, I finished reading this last night, but I forgot to post. Goodness, I flove this story!! From Lex's stubborness to Chloe's no-hold's barred approach---it was fantab!! And the loving....whew, that was hot!!! Great job!!

[~*~Tasha~*~]

Wow ... took me two days of reading to finish this one. Lots of UST, angst and drama in this one. Those are not usually my forte, but you had me hoping the whole time that he would turn around. I really wanted to kick Lex's butt many times for how he was hurting Chloe.

This was a very well written emotional piece. Very nice ending, and I am glad that everything turned out all right in the end. {Grins}

[Madison_Writer]

Wow, lovely story. Lex is loving and yet still 'Lex'

[xiaoyouangel]

i love the story though there are many times that i want to kick lex ass for being a coward..its a good thing that chloe got feed up and decided to take the matters into her own hands...my eyes are hurting now for reading it in one sitting...but its worth it...