completed
Title: Love Is Blind (1/1)
Author: HumbugGirl
Email: humbuggirl@hotmail.com
URL: Storyville http://www.geocities.com/peacefulempress/home.html
Pairing: Clark/Lana, Lex/Chloe (implied)
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Post Tempest
Summary: Lana makes some observations about the people of notorious Smallville.
Disclaimer: Okay so I haven’t had the chance to come up with a proper disclaimer yet so you’ll have to put up with the basic ‘none of the characters belong to me, this is a non-profit piece of work just written for fun with praise directed at the creators of Smallville’ kinda thing.
Author’s Note: Just a little observation fic. Not much of a plot really. Lana POV.
Feedback: Needed and desired.
There’s something about those eyes that makes all seem well with the world Lana decided as she watched Clark babble out another meaningless sentence. It was a something that she’d discovered the first time they’d ever actually sat down together and talked. It was something that she had continued to see whenever they were together. Clark Kent could make even the meanest bad guy back down and think about his actions by just meeting his eyes. It was reassuring and, in it’s own way, very attractive. Especially since at the minute he’s giving me all his attention and to him the rest of the world might as well not exist, she added silently. Unable to stop herself Lana smiled at him.
The answering smile that Clark cast in her direction made Lana’s heart do a little hop, skip and a jump confirming the fact that for whatever unexplained reason she was actually starting to have feelings for the boy standing across from her that went beyond mere friendship. It made her mentally frown because she knew that it wasn’t necessarily a good thing. After all she had never technically broken up with Witney. They had instead left their relationship on hold and she supposed, that meant that she was free to see who she wanted to. It was a freedom she hadn’t experienced for years. Somehow she still guessed that Witney wouldn’t be too happy if he came strolling back into Smallville and found himself confronted with the sight of his girlfriend in the arms of Clark Kent. The animosity between them would probably always be there.
To stop herself from blushing Lana looked past the handsome object of her admiration and at the couple who were sat at the table behind him calmly talking to each other. She honestly didn’t know how Chloe could sit there and have a conversation with Lex Luthor, officially one of scariest, most intimidating people that she had ever met in her life and not end up mumbling like an idiot. Lana had to practically plan her dialogue before hand so that she could get through a five minute chat on how Talon was doing and she could still end up feeling like an idiot.
“For some reason I always get suspicious when I see them talking,” Clark said suddenly pulling Lana out of her thoughts. He sounded almost guilty while making the observation and she realised that Clark probably felt like he was betraying his too friends.
“Why?”
“Well, because if they ever teamed up they’d be unstoppable. Not that I can really see that happening though because I really can’t imagine what they would have in common to talk about anyway.”
A small frown crossed Lana’s face and she hoped that Clark didn’t notice it. Did he really not realise what had been going on between his two best friends recently? If he didn’t then he must be the only one at school who didn’t. Over the past few weeks the rumour mills had been working over time in the halls of Smallville High and the thing that had been keeping them occupied had been the sneaking suspicion that there was something developing between Chloe Sullivan, reporter, and Lex Luthor, business man and rich boy. There was a sort of electric atmosphere that had developed between them. It danced about them, rare and exciting and every time Lana found herself looking at the pair then she felt a little rush of happiness in her because it seemed romance wasn’t dead.
The funny thing was though that Lana wasn’t even sure that they were even aware of the way they appeared to other people. Well that was the case with Chloe at least; she wasn’t too sure about Lex. She was never sure about Lex. There was just something about him that screamed the fact that he was perfectly aware of his surroundings in a way that she had never realised was possible. Even now he was glancing briefly in her direction and reminding her of the fact that he was the only man on earth who was capable of making a smirk seem charming.
“Do you ever look at him and wonder what’s going through his head?” she asked glancing away and hoping that the bald man couldn’t lip read.
With his characteristic innocence Clark glanced in the direction of his friend. “I suppose I do,” he answered cautiously. He was clearly unhappy with his answer and a moment later looked back towards where they were sat with a pensive expression on his face.
Chloe stood up laughing and walked over in their direction carrying the two empty coffee cups that had been sat on the low table in front of her. There was a bright smile on her face as she came to a halt and placed them down.
“Want another?” Lana asked returning the smile. The last few weeks had been better between them ever since the long held hostility had begun to disappear. For whatever reason and the dark haired girl secretly guessed that a certain young heir to a fortune had something to do with it, Chloe had walked over one day and started up a friendly conversation with her. Ever since they had slowly been broaching the borders of becoming friends and although she had never really understood Chloe, or really wanted to get to know her except for Clark’s sake, Lana had realised that she really was a lovely person.
The public exterior of Chloe was hard and confident. Nobody messed with the blonde because they always knew that they’d never win a verbal argument and that if anything then they’d come out of it feeling considerably worse than she did. But now that she knew the girl better Lana had found that it really was just a public exterior and that there was this whole other, softer side to Chloe. In a way it reminded her of how Lex appeared. Like where Chloe was concerned, no one messed with Lex unless they wanted to come away considerably worse off. Still, she would never have picked them for a couple.
The thought entered her head unbidden; Chloe Sullivan was too sensible to get involved with someone like Lex Luthor. It instantly made her feel guilty. There was no proof that Lex was anything other than a good honest citizen now-a-days. It seemed that he had decided to leave his old Metropolis ways behind him and that he had managed to keep to that decision but sometimes… sometimes when she looked in his eyes it seemed that there was something just beneath the surface waiting to come out. She wondered how Chloe was unable to see it.
“Sure,” the blonde said. “I’ll have another double choc mocha and Mr. Boring over there will have black coffee.” Lana smiled at her and glanced at Lex who had retreated into his newspaper again. “I tried to persuade him to have something else but to no avail. He’s determined to be unadventurous. For someone who owns a coffee house he doesn’t seem it have much interest in coffee.”
The brunette chuckled turning to pour another cup of coffee for Lex having placed Chloe’s down on the counter in front of the girl. “He’s a businessman Chloe; they never make sense to ordinary mortals like you and me.”
“Ain’t that the truth.” She counted out the correct amount in notes and coins onto the counter.
“Need a tray?” Lana asked reaching for one until the blonde shook her head and took hold of the cups. With a farewell smile she turned and wandered back over to where Lex was sitting. The young man pretended not to notice her approach but Lana had seen him glance up when Chloe wasn’t looking and he was somewhat unsuccessfully trying to hide a smile. When the reporter reached the table Lex looked over the top of his newspaper and gave her a look filled with interest. For a second his entire being, mind and all, appeared to be concerned by her presence. Lana wasn’t even sure that Chloe noticed the fact. She sat down and the two immediately restarted their animated conversation.
Maybe they’d be all right. Chloe was a strong individual and she honestly didn’t think that the blonde would let Lex walk all over her. Still, Lex would always be the type of person who would have secrets and those secrets… Well, it might be those that ended up harming Chloe if anything did. Lana gave a little shake of her head. She would never get involved with someone who had secrets. Witney had kept things from her and it had hurt their relationship.
“I’ve got to go,” the Clark said mournfully. There was a pained expression on his face. “Chores, y’know.”
Lana nodded her understanding. Sometimes it seemed that he always had chores to do. Sometimes it seemed he was always rushing off somewhere where she wasn’t. Before he could walk away she reached across the counter top and touched his arm briefly letting it fall away hesitantly when he spun around again to face her again. “Maybe I’ll see you later?” she asked.
He smiled brilliantly. “I’ll do my best to come back. What time do you finish?”
“Not until ten.”
“I’ll be here.”
The brunette girl lowered her eyes slightly. “I… I hear that there’s a party going on. Want to go?”
Clark’s expression was one of surprise. “A party?”
“Yes. I thought we might go – together.”
“I…” He paused and swallowed nervously. “Okay.”
Lana let out a breathy sigh of relief when she realised she’d been holding her breath and laughed a little. “Okay. So I’ll see you later.”
Their eyes met again and Clark smiled causing that same feeling of reassurance she felt around him to ripple through her. “Yeah. Keep safe.”
THE END
