SouthernChlex
7th January 2011, 23:32
Mistletoe...
Author:SouthernChlex
Rating:PG-13
Summary:Chloe has a gift for Lex, but he wants something else from her. Will some mistletoe be all they need to finally admit how they feel?
I don't own anything Smallville related.
It always amazed Chloe how insane people could be around Christmastime. The tacky decorations, the blinding lights, the little old ladies who slam their carts into your shins when you're moving too slowly down the aisle. Chloe very nearly despised it. If it weren't for Mrs. Kent's pumpkin pies and the fact that all her friends were usually exceptionally nice and forgiving around this time of the year, she'd probably hibernate till it was over.
She'd just finished up her shopping, and was on her way to the Talon. A fresh cup of coffee would surely put her nerves on the right kind of edge rather than the one they were on now. She hoped she'd gotten everyone what they wanted. This would most likely be their last Christmas together, next year they'd all be off to college and starting brand new lives. The thought saddened her.
She'd bought Clark a new jacket, seeing as to how most of his clothes ended up torn to shreds or burned beyond recognition during his encounters with the freaks that littered this place. She got Lana a matching scarf and hat, the girl could never have too many accessories. Lois was easiest to shop for, she'd been hinting for months that she wanted a new stun gun. Chloe had even managed to find one that looked like a harmless cell phone, so she knew she'd be getting bonus points for that. That is unless Lois accidently picked it up instead of her real phone and sent a few debilitating jolts of energy through her brain. Hmm…
Chloe had purchased a few more gifts for some other people who didn't mean nearly as much to her as the previous three, and also went out of her way to buy Lex something. Yep. That's right. Lex Luthor. She didn't know why she even bothered. He had everything in the world already, and what he didn't have he could get himself. She knew that none of the others had gotten him anything, he'd pretty much been shunned from the group, and he deserved it.
But, Chloe couldn't help herself when she'd seen it. Two lone action figures sitting in a bin marked Clearance. They were Warrior Angel and Devilicus. She couldn't quite remember when she'd found out that Lex had been a devoted fan of the series, but it had stuck with her none the less. So when she'd seen them just lying there, she just had to get them. She was planning on giving them to him anonymously.
If he didn't know she'd gotten them for him, he wouldn't be able to pressure her into telling him why she'd gotten them for him. Because, to be honest, Chloe had always felt something for Lex. Something she shouldn't be feeling. But everyone knows you can't control these things, she knew from experience. So although she couldn't completely annul these feelings, she could sure as heck crush them into tiny pieces and cram them into the furthest recesses of her mind.
It was Christmas Eve now, and she wasn't going to wait till tomorrow to give out her gifts. She hated competing with everyone else on Christmas Day, so she was gonna hand hers out now. Everything was wrapped and ribboned. She'd already passed all the presents out to everyone but Lois, Lana, Clark, and, of course, Lex. She had it on good authority that the former three were inside the warm building directly in front of her.
With a bag full of goodies tucked under her arm she walked in through the doors, stopping long enough to order a cup of coffee before scanning the grounds. She immediately spotted Lois waving to her from the other side of the room, Clark rolling his eyes at her theatrics. She made her way over to them, plopping herself down in an empty chair. Lois eyed her bag greedily, her eyes shining.
"Where's Lana?" Chloe asked, throwing a mischievous grin Lois' way.
"Oh, she's in the back, but she said she'd have some free time soon, which should be any minute now," Clark said, searching for his lady love behind the counter. Chloe nodded, pulling her bag closer to her body when Lois made a grab for it.
"Patience, Lois," Chloe admonished, shaking her head.
"Patience is not one of my virtues, Cuz," Lois stated, taking a sip from her cup of whatever, "But, I'll let you have your fun. I've already had mine. I caught wonderboy here under the mistletoe that Lana has sadly placed all over this place. You should've seen his face before he realized I'd only done it because of that stupid plant hanging over our heads. Priceless… I'm surprised you weren't caught under it. It's everywhere."
"Good luck was bound to come my way eventually," Chloe smiled, glancing around distastefully and finally noticing the green plant hanging everywhere. Whoever came up with the whole kissing underneath the mistletoe tradition should be forced to kiss the most hideous person everyday for eternity in the darkest bowels of hell.
"I'm just glad Lana didn't see that, Lois," Clark reprimanded, a small smile creeping onto his face. Lana obviously wasn't the only one who enjoyed that kiss…"What's in the bag, Chlo?" Clark asked, now focusing on the shiny paper that was poking out.
"Gifts, and no peeking," she threatened, knowing full well that he could just use his stupid x-ray vision to cheat and find out what he got, spoiling everything. Clark threw his hands up in mock surrender, and promised not to ruin the surprise.
Satisfied, Chloe settled in to wait for Lana. It was only a few moments later that the brunette parked herself beside Clark, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"Nice going with the mistletoe, Lana," Lois teased, winking at Clark, whose face had turned an impressive shade of red.
"Oh, I know!" Lana gushed, admiring her handiwork, "Have you gotten a chance to test it out yet?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Lois answered, her eyes shining. Chloe kicked her under the table.
"Hey!" Clark yelled, surprising them all, "Chloe's got presents!" He gave Chloe a pointed look.
"Yeah! I wanted to give these to you today, I figured it would make you more uncomfortable to open them now rather than tomorrow," she smirked, reaching in and grabbing the top present, which happened to be Clark's.
"This is great Chloe!" he exclaimed, unfolding the material to see it better, "This is the one I saw a couple months ago that I wanted. This is too much." He gave her a reproachful look, but slid it onto his shoulders none the less.
"Clark, shut up," Chloe said, "It looks great on you."
"Thank you, Chloe, I love it," he reached over and gave her a hug. Digging into her bag she pulled out another gift. She handed it to Lana.
"Aww…Chloe these are beautiful," Lana cooed, running the material over her hands, "Thank you."
"It was nothing," Chloe waved her off, "I'm glad you like it." Or are at least pretending to like it, she thought to herself. Smiling, she reached in for Lois'. Her hand came in contact with the last gift, but the size was all wrong. The stun gun cellphone thingie was in a small box. This one was odd-shaped and larger. She pulled it out all the way, realizing that she'd put Lex's gift in with the rest.
Hiding the tag that had his name written on it, she swiftly placed the gift between her legs to keep Lois from grabbing it.
"Hey, what about me?" Lois pouted, looking put out.
"Hang on, I'm looking for it," she dug back into the bag, but came up with nothing. "I must have left it in the car. Give me a sec."
"Who's that for?" Lois asked, pointing to the one Chloe had her arms wrapped around protectively.
"Someone else," she answered hesitantly, "I must have switched them or something. I'll be right back with yours."
"Hurry," Lois said, winking. Chloe left them there, heading towards the door. She could hear them making fun of Lois for having to wait for her present. Chloe shook with silent laughter. That was close.
She was in such a hurry that she didn't notice someone had just come through the front door of the Talon. It was empty over in this area, everyone else crowded around the tables, and because of the decorations Lana had put up it was partially separated from the rest of the place. As a result she hadn't bothered watching where she went. So when she collided with that someone, she lost her grip on the package in her hands, and it fell to the ground. Two strong hands gently grabbed her arms, steadying her so she wouldn't join the shiny parcel on the floor.
Glancing up, she felt her stomach drop. It was Lex, and his trademark smirk was present on his handsome face. "Miss Sullivan," he greeted, none too kindly, "I know it's the holidays, but I don't believe that's any excuse for absentmindedness."
"Yeah, well maybe you should wear a bell around your neck so that people will know when his highness is approaching," she shot back, her eyes narrowing in the process.
"My, how I welcome our little run-ins," he drawled, "They always leave me feeling so much better about myself."
"Well, there's an accomplishment," she said, pasting a fake smile on her face, "Since we all know that you're as narcissistic as they come."
"We can't all be as self-sacrificing as your friend, Clark," he continued, his eyes darkening.
"Once upon a time he was your friend, too," she countered.
"Things change."
"They didn't have to."
He was silent. Deciding that she could do without anymore of this conversation, she started for the door.
"You forgot something," he called out over the laughter echoing from the rest of the shop. Dread formed in the pit of her stomach. She'd forgotten his present on the floor. Chloe spun around, intending to grab it before he realized what it was. But, it was too late.
"To Lex," he read softly, looking up and smirking at her. "Did you get me a present, Miss Sullivan?" She reached out to grab it from his hand, but he held it above his head, the look on his face was infuriating. He was taunting her.
"I've changed my mind," she huffed, ceasing her efforts to get it back after several failed attempts.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's not very Christmassy of you," he scolded. And before she knew it, he began ripping the paper off, "What is it? A book about how to become a better you? A tie that will choke me when I put it on? A bottle of wine mixed with bleach?..."
He stopped with the sarcasm when he saw what was under the pretty wrapping. His jaw hung open slightly in a very un-Luthorish way. His eyes softened as he turned the two characters over in his hands.
"Merry Christmas, Lex," she said, turning on her heel and heading to the door. How could she have been so stupid?
"Wait!" he said. She kept walking, and was almost to the door when she felt long fingers close around her upper arm.
"What do you want?" she asked, refusing to look at him.
"I…" he started, but then stopped abruptly. Sensing a change, she glanced up, but Lex wasn't looking at her. He was looking at something above them both. Craning her head back, she saw what he was seeing. Mistletoe.
Before she could even remember what that meant, Lex's head snapped down. Hesitating for only a moment, he brought his lips down to hers. The kiss was slow at first, as if he was unsure he should be doing this. Then, something changed. He brought his hand around her waist, the one that wasn't still holding his gifts. And as his tongue asked for entrance, all Chloe could do was give it to him.
Her hand snaked around his neck, pulling him in closer, pressing herself into him as much as she could. Lex's arm around her tightened, and she felt his other arm shift for a moment, only to find its way into her hair. He must have set his presents down. As clichéd as it sounds, time seemed to stop for a moment. Then a bell dinged over the front entrance, and they broke apart.
Lex collected his action figures from a side table beside her, and proceeded to head straight to the counter. Chloe watched his retreating form, shocked. Shocked by his actions, as well as her own. As the last of the group of people who had interrupted them walked through the door, she slipped out of it, entering into the frigid outdoors. The chilly wind was a shock to her overheated body.
Shivering, she quickly made her way to her car. Grabbing Lois' gift, she headed back to the Talon. Walking through the doors, she noticed that Lex was no longer at the counter. Chloe carefully made her way back to her table, subtly keeping a look out for Lex.
"There you are!" Lois shouted while Chloe was still three tables away. She tried to smile at her cousin, but failed. "What's wrong? You were gone for awhile. I thought you mighta forgotten about me."
Chloe tossed Lois her present, and sank into her seat. "Sorry."
Lois gave her a strange look, but tore into her gift nonetheless.
"Oh my God!" she said upon opening it. "This is perfect. I'll be able to take this anywhere with me and not have to worry about it getting confiscated. Thank you so much, Chlo."
"No problem, just make sure you don't try to make any calls with it," Chloe half joked. She was still thinking about that kiss.
"Geez, it's pretty bad that Lex can't stay off his phone long enough to enjoy the holidays," Lana said, looking at something over Chloe's shoulder. Knowing she shouldn't, Chloe glanced behind her, and low and behold there he was, cell phone pressed securely to the side of his head. She shook her head, and turned around in her seat.
She looked up and saw Clark watching her. She raised her eyes at him in question. He glanced over at Lex, presumably, and then gazed back at her. A bad feeling was taking root in her stomach. Clark shook his head slightly, then mouthed the words, be careful. He must have witnessed their little scene earlier.
The gang began to talk about this and that, and Chloe waited for her chance to spy on Lex. Clark and Lana were giving each other googly eyes, and Lois was checking out her new toy, no doubt wondering whether or not to test it out on Clark. Jumping at the opportunity, she rolled her neck in an attempt to cover up what she was doing. As her eyes roamed over the spot where Lex had been a few minutes ago, she was disappointed. He was gone.
"You know, maybe I should test this out on Lex, because he definitely has one heck of a staring problem right now," Lois interjected, sending a death glare towards the counter. Chloe's head spun around, and there he was, staring straight at her. When their eyes met, he winked.
"What in the world was that about?" Lois said, "Chloe? Chloe? Chloe!"
Chloe jerked around and looked at her cousin, who was staring at her suspiciously. "Uh…" A Christmas miracle, Chloe Sullivan was speechless.
"Oh, you know Lex. He's up to his usual tricks. Right, Chloe?" Clark asked, saving her from further embarrassment. Chloe nodded her head.
"Yeah, well, he better watch out. I'm armed," Lois threatened, downing the rest of her drink. "But, unfortunately lassies, I gotta go. Christmas Eve parties galore." She hugged Chloe goodbye, then left.
"I gotta head home, too," Clark announced, "Mom needs help with finishing touches for tomorrow's party. I guess I'll see you two then." He leaned over and gave Lana an awkward kiss, then followed in Lois' footsteps.
"I should get back to work," Lana said, giving her an apologetic smile, "Thanks again for the present, Chloe."
Chloe nodded numbly. She sat there for a minute before she realized that everyone had actually left, and she was alone. It was only for a few seconds, though, because then she had company. Lex sat down in the seat directly besides her, placing his toys on the table between them.
"I didn't thank you earlier for my gifts," he said, no trace of malice evident in his voice.
"I didn't expect you to," she said, trying very hard to not look at him. They both stayed silent for a few moments. Chloe could feel Lex's gaze on her, like the feel of the sun's ray on your arm while driving.
"Chloe…" he breathed, leaning in closer to her. "Don't you want to talk about what happened? It's been my experience that girls usually have this insatiable need to talk about things."
"One kiss under a piece of mistletoe doesn't mean anything," she said, ignoring the icy coldness that entered her heart when she said this. "There's nothing to talk about."
She could see him nod out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't difficult seeing as to how he was unreasonably close to her. "We don't have to talk," he whispered, leaning in beside her ear. Heat seared through her as his breath grazed her neck. She instinctually leaned in to him.
Breathing hard, she tried to come back to her senses. This was Lex Luthor. He didn't like her, he was probably just lonely, or desperate. Chloe wasn't. If she chose to be with him, it would be because she really did want to be with him. To feel his strong arms wrap around her. To feel his lips on her neck, her shoulder, everywhere. To hear him say her name like it actually meant something to him.
But that wasn't what would happen. He would use her, and then toss her away. Chloe knew she wouldn't be able to handle that, no matter how much she wanted to know what it would be like to be him, even if only for one night.
"I'm not interested in being one of your one nighters," she breathed, relishing in the shudder that visibly ran through his body.
"What makes you think you would be?" he asked, his lips grazing her ear.
Her heartbeat sped up a little. Was he saying that she didn't even qualify for a one night stand, or that he would want more than one night? She didn't know what to say.
He must have sensed something in her silence, because he chose to elaborate, "I have a feeling one night would not be enough." Lex moved one of his hands under the table to rest on her outer thigh. Chloe didn't know how much more she could stand. His pretty words did nothing to alleviate her fears, and she said as much to him.
He let out a breath, warming her already too hot skin. "What if I told you that more things have changed than just what have appeared to? Besides my and Clark's friendship, that is."
Chloe was confused. "Such as?"
Lex hesitated. "What if… What if I said that our tenuous friendship has never been the same for me since the safe house?"
Chloe's breath caught. No, no, no, no, no. He was lying. He didn't like her. Lex didn't have any real feelings for her, besides animosity and loathing that is to say.
She pulled back slightly, "Oh, so is that why you ignore me, insult me, and verbally abuse me every time we see each other?" Chloe knew she was being harsh, but she couldn't help herself. This guy was setting her up for a fall, and she wouldn't stand for it.
"Yes," he said flatly, looking her square in the eyes. "I'm not a fool. I knew what you thought of me, what you think of me now. I didn't see the point in trying to start something that I knew you wouldn't agree to. When I opened the present you got me, I was stunned. No one ever put that much thought into me. Of course, I still wasn't sure if that meant that you wanted me too. But, then…But, then you kissed me back."
"Special circumstances," she said, leaning in once more to keep their voices from carrying. "You trapped me under that damn mistletoe."
"Trapped," he scoffed, "A peck would've been acceptable by tradition. That was no peck."
"Special circumstances," she repeated, allowing her lips to graze over his ear as his had done earlier. His hand tightened on her leg. "I don't know what your goal is here. I'm not about to spill on Clark, I have no useful information for you, at least none that I'm willing to share, and I'm far from the usual eye candy you drool after. As a matter of fact, Lana's working tonight, why don't you-"
"I don't want Lana," Lex said forcefully, moving his hand up to rest on her hip, "I want you. I've wanted you for far longer than I care to admit. You are strong, loyal, smart… And beautiful. You say you know me, so you know what it takes for me to say this." He placed a small kiss upon her neck, so soft she should have barely been able to feel it, but feel it she did. "I don't want your secrets," he whispered, "Because as you and I both know, I'll learn them eventually all on my own."
"I…" Chloe started, trying to remember her earlier arguments.
"Yes," he murmured, resting the side of his face against hers. And in that moment she knew that she had to go, because if she stayed any longer she'd agree to anything he said.
"I have to go," she said abruptly, getting to her feet. Lex looked momentarily stunned, but shook it off quickly. Chloe grabbed her bag, and then set off towards the door. She knew he was following, but she refused to check and make sure.
She quickened her pace to reach the front door ahead of him. She heard Lex catch it as it began to close. "Don't trust yourself to kiss me again?" he asked, following her to her car. Chloe spun around, and found that he was much closer than she realized. He gripped her arms as he had earlier, softly. "Will you not even give me a chance to prove-"
"To prove what?" she asked, heatedly, "That you want me? You like me? That this isn't just some ploy to mess up my life even more than your father did? What, Lex, what?"
"To prove that I want you, not because of Clark, or my father, or some malevolent plan I have, but because…" Lex paused, reaching up and cupping her face, "You're something I gave up on a long time ago. And I don't know if it's the ambience of the holidays, that kiss, or me simply coming to my senses and shaking off my cowardice, but I'm not afraid to be with you anymore."
"Well, that makes one of us," Chloe whispered.
Lex sighed, and stared up at the sky. After a moment, he looked down at her abruptly, "Come to the mansion tonight?" the fact that he had asked instead of commanded stirred something in her, "Please?"
His eyes held an uncertainty that Chloe had never seen before. She knew she should refuse, to forget this day ever happened. But she found herself nodding just the same.
Lex nodded in turn, "Give me a couple hours?" Then he walked to his car. Chloe got into her own, Lex waited till she pulled out to do the same.
The next two hours were torture for her. Chloe went over and over their entire conversation, the good one and the bad one. She hated to hope that he was telling her the truth. But, to believe that there was even the smallest amount of humanity left in Lex was hard to imagine.
As she walked up to the doors to the mansion, she began to reconsider her decision. What could he have waiting for her within this place? Before she could even knock, the door was opened and she was ushered in by an older man who had obviously been told to expect her. Taking her coat, he led her to Lex's office.
Walking in, she took in her surroundings. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but something seemed off. She didn't immediately notice Lex, that is until he came up behind her, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I've trapped you now," he said, running his nose in a line down her neck. She trembled under his touch.
"Have you now? As I remember it, I chose to come here."
"Yes, but under false pretenses," he said softly. Chloe tensed. Lex must have felt it because he wrapped his arms around her small waist, and then said, "What I meant to say is I have a trick up my sleeve to get you to kiss me again. And again. And again…" All the while he was talking he trailed kisses over her skin. "I've come to the conclusion that it will take an immeasurable amount of time for you to trust me, and what I feel for you. So I've decided to appeal to the more carnal side of you. Because I am fairly certain that you want me just as much as I want you."
"And, how, may I ask, do you intend to appeal to my carnal side?" Chloe asks, slowly turning around in his arms to face him.
Instead of answering her, Lex leaned his head back and looked up towards the ceiling. Following his lead, she glanced up and gasped.
Covering the ceiling, covering every available surface of the ceiling, was mistletoe. It was everywhere. Literally. Hanging off rafters, lights… everything. It made the Talon's use of the plant look weak.
"Subtle enough?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
Chloe smiled, and as his lips came within inches of hers, she conceded, "You've won this round." She then closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. As their lips met, and they resumed what had been interrupted earlier that day, she knew without a doubt that she'd never look at mistletoe the same way again.
Author:SouthernChlex
Rating:PG-13
Summary:Chloe has a gift for Lex, but he wants something else from her. Will some mistletoe be all they need to finally admit how they feel?
I don't own anything Smallville related.
It always amazed Chloe how insane people could be around Christmastime. The tacky decorations, the blinding lights, the little old ladies who slam their carts into your shins when you're moving too slowly down the aisle. Chloe very nearly despised it. If it weren't for Mrs. Kent's pumpkin pies and the fact that all her friends were usually exceptionally nice and forgiving around this time of the year, she'd probably hibernate till it was over.
She'd just finished up her shopping, and was on her way to the Talon. A fresh cup of coffee would surely put her nerves on the right kind of edge rather than the one they were on now. She hoped she'd gotten everyone what they wanted. This would most likely be their last Christmas together, next year they'd all be off to college and starting brand new lives. The thought saddened her.
She'd bought Clark a new jacket, seeing as to how most of his clothes ended up torn to shreds or burned beyond recognition during his encounters with the freaks that littered this place. She got Lana a matching scarf and hat, the girl could never have too many accessories. Lois was easiest to shop for, she'd been hinting for months that she wanted a new stun gun. Chloe had even managed to find one that looked like a harmless cell phone, so she knew she'd be getting bonus points for that. That is unless Lois accidently picked it up instead of her real phone and sent a few debilitating jolts of energy through her brain. Hmm…
Chloe had purchased a few more gifts for some other people who didn't mean nearly as much to her as the previous three, and also went out of her way to buy Lex something. Yep. That's right. Lex Luthor. She didn't know why she even bothered. He had everything in the world already, and what he didn't have he could get himself. She knew that none of the others had gotten him anything, he'd pretty much been shunned from the group, and he deserved it.
But, Chloe couldn't help herself when she'd seen it. Two lone action figures sitting in a bin marked Clearance. They were Warrior Angel and Devilicus. She couldn't quite remember when she'd found out that Lex had been a devoted fan of the series, but it had stuck with her none the less. So when she'd seen them just lying there, she just had to get them. She was planning on giving them to him anonymously.
If he didn't know she'd gotten them for him, he wouldn't be able to pressure her into telling him why she'd gotten them for him. Because, to be honest, Chloe had always felt something for Lex. Something she shouldn't be feeling. But everyone knows you can't control these things, she knew from experience. So although she couldn't completely annul these feelings, she could sure as heck crush them into tiny pieces and cram them into the furthest recesses of her mind.
It was Christmas Eve now, and she wasn't going to wait till tomorrow to give out her gifts. She hated competing with everyone else on Christmas Day, so she was gonna hand hers out now. Everything was wrapped and ribboned. She'd already passed all the presents out to everyone but Lois, Lana, Clark, and, of course, Lex. She had it on good authority that the former three were inside the warm building directly in front of her.
With a bag full of goodies tucked under her arm she walked in through the doors, stopping long enough to order a cup of coffee before scanning the grounds. She immediately spotted Lois waving to her from the other side of the room, Clark rolling his eyes at her theatrics. She made her way over to them, plopping herself down in an empty chair. Lois eyed her bag greedily, her eyes shining.
"Where's Lana?" Chloe asked, throwing a mischievous grin Lois' way.
"Oh, she's in the back, but she said she'd have some free time soon, which should be any minute now," Clark said, searching for his lady love behind the counter. Chloe nodded, pulling her bag closer to her body when Lois made a grab for it.
"Patience, Lois," Chloe admonished, shaking her head.
"Patience is not one of my virtues, Cuz," Lois stated, taking a sip from her cup of whatever, "But, I'll let you have your fun. I've already had mine. I caught wonderboy here under the mistletoe that Lana has sadly placed all over this place. You should've seen his face before he realized I'd only done it because of that stupid plant hanging over our heads. Priceless… I'm surprised you weren't caught under it. It's everywhere."
"Good luck was bound to come my way eventually," Chloe smiled, glancing around distastefully and finally noticing the green plant hanging everywhere. Whoever came up with the whole kissing underneath the mistletoe tradition should be forced to kiss the most hideous person everyday for eternity in the darkest bowels of hell.
"I'm just glad Lana didn't see that, Lois," Clark reprimanded, a small smile creeping onto his face. Lana obviously wasn't the only one who enjoyed that kiss…"What's in the bag, Chlo?" Clark asked, now focusing on the shiny paper that was poking out.
"Gifts, and no peeking," she threatened, knowing full well that he could just use his stupid x-ray vision to cheat and find out what he got, spoiling everything. Clark threw his hands up in mock surrender, and promised not to ruin the surprise.
Satisfied, Chloe settled in to wait for Lana. It was only a few moments later that the brunette parked herself beside Clark, leaning over to kiss his cheek.
"Nice going with the mistletoe, Lana," Lois teased, winking at Clark, whose face had turned an impressive shade of red.
"Oh, I know!" Lana gushed, admiring her handiwork, "Have you gotten a chance to test it out yet?"
"In a manner of speaking, yes," Lois answered, her eyes shining. Chloe kicked her under the table.
"Hey!" Clark yelled, surprising them all, "Chloe's got presents!" He gave Chloe a pointed look.
"Yeah! I wanted to give these to you today, I figured it would make you more uncomfortable to open them now rather than tomorrow," she smirked, reaching in and grabbing the top present, which happened to be Clark's.
"This is great Chloe!" he exclaimed, unfolding the material to see it better, "This is the one I saw a couple months ago that I wanted. This is too much." He gave her a reproachful look, but slid it onto his shoulders none the less.
"Clark, shut up," Chloe said, "It looks great on you."
"Thank you, Chloe, I love it," he reached over and gave her a hug. Digging into her bag she pulled out another gift. She handed it to Lana.
"Aww…Chloe these are beautiful," Lana cooed, running the material over her hands, "Thank you."
"It was nothing," Chloe waved her off, "I'm glad you like it." Or are at least pretending to like it, she thought to herself. Smiling, she reached in for Lois'. Her hand came in contact with the last gift, but the size was all wrong. The stun gun cellphone thingie was in a small box. This one was odd-shaped and larger. She pulled it out all the way, realizing that she'd put Lex's gift in with the rest.
Hiding the tag that had his name written on it, she swiftly placed the gift between her legs to keep Lois from grabbing it.
"Hey, what about me?" Lois pouted, looking put out.
"Hang on, I'm looking for it," she dug back into the bag, but came up with nothing. "I must have left it in the car. Give me a sec."
"Who's that for?" Lois asked, pointing to the one Chloe had her arms wrapped around protectively.
"Someone else," she answered hesitantly, "I must have switched them or something. I'll be right back with yours."
"Hurry," Lois said, winking. Chloe left them there, heading towards the door. She could hear them making fun of Lois for having to wait for her present. Chloe shook with silent laughter. That was close.
She was in such a hurry that she didn't notice someone had just come through the front door of the Talon. It was empty over in this area, everyone else crowded around the tables, and because of the decorations Lana had put up it was partially separated from the rest of the place. As a result she hadn't bothered watching where she went. So when she collided with that someone, she lost her grip on the package in her hands, and it fell to the ground. Two strong hands gently grabbed her arms, steadying her so she wouldn't join the shiny parcel on the floor.
Glancing up, she felt her stomach drop. It was Lex, and his trademark smirk was present on his handsome face. "Miss Sullivan," he greeted, none too kindly, "I know it's the holidays, but I don't believe that's any excuse for absentmindedness."
"Yeah, well maybe you should wear a bell around your neck so that people will know when his highness is approaching," she shot back, her eyes narrowing in the process.
"My, how I welcome our little run-ins," he drawled, "They always leave me feeling so much better about myself."
"Well, there's an accomplishment," she said, pasting a fake smile on her face, "Since we all know that you're as narcissistic as they come."
"We can't all be as self-sacrificing as your friend, Clark," he continued, his eyes darkening.
"Once upon a time he was your friend, too," she countered.
"Things change."
"They didn't have to."
He was silent. Deciding that she could do without anymore of this conversation, she started for the door.
"You forgot something," he called out over the laughter echoing from the rest of the shop. Dread formed in the pit of her stomach. She'd forgotten his present on the floor. Chloe spun around, intending to grab it before he realized what it was. But, it was too late.
"To Lex," he read softly, looking up and smirking at her. "Did you get me a present, Miss Sullivan?" She reached out to grab it from his hand, but he held it above his head, the look on his face was infuriating. He was taunting her.
"I've changed my mind," she huffed, ceasing her efforts to get it back after several failed attempts.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That's not very Christmassy of you," he scolded. And before she knew it, he began ripping the paper off, "What is it? A book about how to become a better you? A tie that will choke me when I put it on? A bottle of wine mixed with bleach?..."
He stopped with the sarcasm when he saw what was under the pretty wrapping. His jaw hung open slightly in a very un-Luthorish way. His eyes softened as he turned the two characters over in his hands.
"Merry Christmas, Lex," she said, turning on her heel and heading to the door. How could she have been so stupid?
"Wait!" he said. She kept walking, and was almost to the door when she felt long fingers close around her upper arm.
"What do you want?" she asked, refusing to look at him.
"I…" he started, but then stopped abruptly. Sensing a change, she glanced up, but Lex wasn't looking at her. He was looking at something above them both. Craning her head back, she saw what he was seeing. Mistletoe.
Before she could even remember what that meant, Lex's head snapped down. Hesitating for only a moment, he brought his lips down to hers. The kiss was slow at first, as if he was unsure he should be doing this. Then, something changed. He brought his hand around her waist, the one that wasn't still holding his gifts. And as his tongue asked for entrance, all Chloe could do was give it to him.
Her hand snaked around his neck, pulling him in closer, pressing herself into him as much as she could. Lex's arm around her tightened, and she felt his other arm shift for a moment, only to find its way into her hair. He must have set his presents down. As clichéd as it sounds, time seemed to stop for a moment. Then a bell dinged over the front entrance, and they broke apart.
Lex collected his action figures from a side table beside her, and proceeded to head straight to the counter. Chloe watched his retreating form, shocked. Shocked by his actions, as well as her own. As the last of the group of people who had interrupted them walked through the door, she slipped out of it, entering into the frigid outdoors. The chilly wind was a shock to her overheated body.
Shivering, she quickly made her way to her car. Grabbing Lois' gift, she headed back to the Talon. Walking through the doors, she noticed that Lex was no longer at the counter. Chloe carefully made her way back to her table, subtly keeping a look out for Lex.
"There you are!" Lois shouted while Chloe was still three tables away. She tried to smile at her cousin, but failed. "What's wrong? You were gone for awhile. I thought you mighta forgotten about me."
Chloe tossed Lois her present, and sank into her seat. "Sorry."
Lois gave her a strange look, but tore into her gift nonetheless.
"Oh my God!" she said upon opening it. "This is perfect. I'll be able to take this anywhere with me and not have to worry about it getting confiscated. Thank you so much, Chlo."
"No problem, just make sure you don't try to make any calls with it," Chloe half joked. She was still thinking about that kiss.
"Geez, it's pretty bad that Lex can't stay off his phone long enough to enjoy the holidays," Lana said, looking at something over Chloe's shoulder. Knowing she shouldn't, Chloe glanced behind her, and low and behold there he was, cell phone pressed securely to the side of his head. She shook her head, and turned around in her seat.
She looked up and saw Clark watching her. She raised her eyes at him in question. He glanced over at Lex, presumably, and then gazed back at her. A bad feeling was taking root in her stomach. Clark shook his head slightly, then mouthed the words, be careful. He must have witnessed their little scene earlier.
The gang began to talk about this and that, and Chloe waited for her chance to spy on Lex. Clark and Lana were giving each other googly eyes, and Lois was checking out her new toy, no doubt wondering whether or not to test it out on Clark. Jumping at the opportunity, she rolled her neck in an attempt to cover up what she was doing. As her eyes roamed over the spot where Lex had been a few minutes ago, she was disappointed. He was gone.
"You know, maybe I should test this out on Lex, because he definitely has one heck of a staring problem right now," Lois interjected, sending a death glare towards the counter. Chloe's head spun around, and there he was, staring straight at her. When their eyes met, he winked.
"What in the world was that about?" Lois said, "Chloe? Chloe? Chloe!"
Chloe jerked around and looked at her cousin, who was staring at her suspiciously. "Uh…" A Christmas miracle, Chloe Sullivan was speechless.
"Oh, you know Lex. He's up to his usual tricks. Right, Chloe?" Clark asked, saving her from further embarrassment. Chloe nodded her head.
"Yeah, well, he better watch out. I'm armed," Lois threatened, downing the rest of her drink. "But, unfortunately lassies, I gotta go. Christmas Eve parties galore." She hugged Chloe goodbye, then left.
"I gotta head home, too," Clark announced, "Mom needs help with finishing touches for tomorrow's party. I guess I'll see you two then." He leaned over and gave Lana an awkward kiss, then followed in Lois' footsteps.
"I should get back to work," Lana said, giving her an apologetic smile, "Thanks again for the present, Chloe."
Chloe nodded numbly. She sat there for a minute before she realized that everyone had actually left, and she was alone. It was only for a few seconds, though, because then she had company. Lex sat down in the seat directly besides her, placing his toys on the table between them.
"I didn't thank you earlier for my gifts," he said, no trace of malice evident in his voice.
"I didn't expect you to," she said, trying very hard to not look at him. They both stayed silent for a few moments. Chloe could feel Lex's gaze on her, like the feel of the sun's ray on your arm while driving.
"Chloe…" he breathed, leaning in closer to her. "Don't you want to talk about what happened? It's been my experience that girls usually have this insatiable need to talk about things."
"One kiss under a piece of mistletoe doesn't mean anything," she said, ignoring the icy coldness that entered her heart when she said this. "There's nothing to talk about."
She could see him nod out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't difficult seeing as to how he was unreasonably close to her. "We don't have to talk," he whispered, leaning in beside her ear. Heat seared through her as his breath grazed her neck. She instinctually leaned in to him.
Breathing hard, she tried to come back to her senses. This was Lex Luthor. He didn't like her, he was probably just lonely, or desperate. Chloe wasn't. If she chose to be with him, it would be because she really did want to be with him. To feel his strong arms wrap around her. To feel his lips on her neck, her shoulder, everywhere. To hear him say her name like it actually meant something to him.
But that wasn't what would happen. He would use her, and then toss her away. Chloe knew she wouldn't be able to handle that, no matter how much she wanted to know what it would be like to be him, even if only for one night.
"I'm not interested in being one of your one nighters," she breathed, relishing in the shudder that visibly ran through his body.
"What makes you think you would be?" he asked, his lips grazing her ear.
Her heartbeat sped up a little. Was he saying that she didn't even qualify for a one night stand, or that he would want more than one night? She didn't know what to say.
He must have sensed something in her silence, because he chose to elaborate, "I have a feeling one night would not be enough." Lex moved one of his hands under the table to rest on her outer thigh. Chloe didn't know how much more she could stand. His pretty words did nothing to alleviate her fears, and she said as much to him.
He let out a breath, warming her already too hot skin. "What if I told you that more things have changed than just what have appeared to? Besides my and Clark's friendship, that is."
Chloe was confused. "Such as?"
Lex hesitated. "What if… What if I said that our tenuous friendship has never been the same for me since the safe house?"
Chloe's breath caught. No, no, no, no, no. He was lying. He didn't like her. Lex didn't have any real feelings for her, besides animosity and loathing that is to say.
She pulled back slightly, "Oh, so is that why you ignore me, insult me, and verbally abuse me every time we see each other?" Chloe knew she was being harsh, but she couldn't help herself. This guy was setting her up for a fall, and she wouldn't stand for it.
"Yes," he said flatly, looking her square in the eyes. "I'm not a fool. I knew what you thought of me, what you think of me now. I didn't see the point in trying to start something that I knew you wouldn't agree to. When I opened the present you got me, I was stunned. No one ever put that much thought into me. Of course, I still wasn't sure if that meant that you wanted me too. But, then…But, then you kissed me back."
"Special circumstances," she said, leaning in once more to keep their voices from carrying. "You trapped me under that damn mistletoe."
"Trapped," he scoffed, "A peck would've been acceptable by tradition. That was no peck."
"Special circumstances," she repeated, allowing her lips to graze over his ear as his had done earlier. His hand tightened on her leg. "I don't know what your goal is here. I'm not about to spill on Clark, I have no useful information for you, at least none that I'm willing to share, and I'm far from the usual eye candy you drool after. As a matter of fact, Lana's working tonight, why don't you-"
"I don't want Lana," Lex said forcefully, moving his hand up to rest on her hip, "I want you. I've wanted you for far longer than I care to admit. You are strong, loyal, smart… And beautiful. You say you know me, so you know what it takes for me to say this." He placed a small kiss upon her neck, so soft she should have barely been able to feel it, but feel it she did. "I don't want your secrets," he whispered, "Because as you and I both know, I'll learn them eventually all on my own."
"I…" Chloe started, trying to remember her earlier arguments.
"Yes," he murmured, resting the side of his face against hers. And in that moment she knew that she had to go, because if she stayed any longer she'd agree to anything he said.
"I have to go," she said abruptly, getting to her feet. Lex looked momentarily stunned, but shook it off quickly. Chloe grabbed her bag, and then set off towards the door. She knew he was following, but she refused to check and make sure.
She quickened her pace to reach the front door ahead of him. She heard Lex catch it as it began to close. "Don't trust yourself to kiss me again?" he asked, following her to her car. Chloe spun around, and found that he was much closer than she realized. He gripped her arms as he had earlier, softly. "Will you not even give me a chance to prove-"
"To prove what?" she asked, heatedly, "That you want me? You like me? That this isn't just some ploy to mess up my life even more than your father did? What, Lex, what?"
"To prove that I want you, not because of Clark, or my father, or some malevolent plan I have, but because…" Lex paused, reaching up and cupping her face, "You're something I gave up on a long time ago. And I don't know if it's the ambience of the holidays, that kiss, or me simply coming to my senses and shaking off my cowardice, but I'm not afraid to be with you anymore."
"Well, that makes one of us," Chloe whispered.
Lex sighed, and stared up at the sky. After a moment, he looked down at her abruptly, "Come to the mansion tonight?" the fact that he had asked instead of commanded stirred something in her, "Please?"
His eyes held an uncertainty that Chloe had never seen before. She knew she should refuse, to forget this day ever happened. But she found herself nodding just the same.
Lex nodded in turn, "Give me a couple hours?" Then he walked to his car. Chloe got into her own, Lex waited till she pulled out to do the same.
The next two hours were torture for her. Chloe went over and over their entire conversation, the good one and the bad one. She hated to hope that he was telling her the truth. But, to believe that there was even the smallest amount of humanity left in Lex was hard to imagine.
As she walked up to the doors to the mansion, she began to reconsider her decision. What could he have waiting for her within this place? Before she could even knock, the door was opened and she was ushered in by an older man who had obviously been told to expect her. Taking her coat, he led her to Lex's office.
Walking in, she took in her surroundings. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, but something seemed off. She didn't immediately notice Lex, that is until he came up behind her, and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I've trapped you now," he said, running his nose in a line down her neck. She trembled under his touch.
"Have you now? As I remember it, I chose to come here."
"Yes, but under false pretenses," he said softly. Chloe tensed. Lex must have felt it because he wrapped his arms around her small waist, and then said, "What I meant to say is I have a trick up my sleeve to get you to kiss me again. And again. And again…" All the while he was talking he trailed kisses over her skin. "I've come to the conclusion that it will take an immeasurable amount of time for you to trust me, and what I feel for you. So I've decided to appeal to the more carnal side of you. Because I am fairly certain that you want me just as much as I want you."
"And, how, may I ask, do you intend to appeal to my carnal side?" Chloe asks, slowly turning around in his arms to face him.
Instead of answering her, Lex leaned his head back and looked up towards the ceiling. Following his lead, she glanced up and gasped.
Covering the ceiling, covering every available surface of the ceiling, was mistletoe. It was everywhere. Literally. Hanging off rafters, lights… everything. It made the Talon's use of the plant look weak.
"Subtle enough?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair.
Chloe smiled, and as his lips came within inches of hers, she conceded, "You've won this round." She then closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. As their lips met, and they resumed what had been interrupted earlier that day, she knew without a doubt that she'd never look at mistletoe the same way again.