[Completed] Bring Me To Life (NC-17) - Part 2, 'Always With You' series

A/N: Just to clear up any confusion about the timeline—this is taking place about a year after the time of the first chapter. Other than that . . . don't say I didn't warn you.

Chapter Two

Now that I know what I’m without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life

“Well now, you’re all gussied up. Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Liz protested, flopping down onto Chloe’s bed. “I can say ‘gussied up’ if I want to. So where are you off to? Ooh!” she squealed, bouncing on the bed as a possibility occurred to her. “Did you finally agree to go out with that cute guy from your Western Civ class?” Chloe chuckled at her roommate’s enthusiasm and adjusted the halter-top of her dress.

“No, I didn’t.” She grabbed a pair of strappy black shoes from her closet and tugged them on, pausing to pick a piece of lint off of the skirt’s slanted hem. “Lex called today. He’s back in town and wanted to take me out to dinner,” she grinned.

“Ah, so the prodigal boyfriend returns.”

“Liz, for the last time he’s not my boyfriend, and if you call him that one more time I’m going to chop off all your hair in your sleep.” Liz just rolled her eyes at the empty threat.

“Are we at least calling it a date this time?” Seeing that Chloe was about to protest, Liz cut her off with a disbelieving look. “Oh, come on! One,” she started, counting off her points on her fingers, “you’re wearing the sexiest little black dress in your closet.”

“We’re not exactly going to McDonald’s, Liz—I have to look nice.”

“Two,” she continued as if she hadn’t heard Chloe’s objection, “you’re not wearing pantyhose, yet there is nary a panty line in sight, which leads me to the very understandable conclusion that you’re not wearing any underwear.” She smirked when Chloe blushed and picked up a bottle of perfume, spraying a light mist on herself. “And three,” Liz concluded triumphantly, “you just put on that perfume he loves. The last time you wore that around him you came back with a hickey the size of Texas on your neck.”

“I’m just a little excited, ok? We’ve both been really busy, and we haven’t seen each other in over a month. But for the last time, we’re not dating.” Liz sighed.

“Fine, fine.” She shot Chloe a sly glance. “Then you shouldn’t have any problems going out with hot Western Civ guy.”

Chloe was saved from answering by the sound of the doorbell. Catching the mischief in her roommate’s eyes, Chloe scrambled into motion and just barely managed to make it to the door first. She flung it open and was met with the sight of Lex, waiting with a smirk on his face, wearing a finely-tailored suit and looking good enough to eat. Without a second thought her arms flew around him and she found herself pulled close, her feet lifting off of the ground as Lex wrapped her in his embrace. Her feet touched down again and she watched Lex’s eyes sweep appreciatively over her body; when his eyes returned to hers the heat in them belied the casual smirk he gave her.

“Miss me?”

Chloe shrugged and offered a cheeky grin. “Nah. Just didn’t want you to change your mind about feeding me.”

Lex let out a chuckle and nodded towards the hallway. “Well we certainly can’t let your appetite go unappeased. Shall we go?” Chloe turned to Liz, now leaning against the doorframe at the entrance to the hall.

“I’ll see you—”

“When I see you,” Liz finished with a knowing grin before making shooing motions with her hands. “Go. Have fun.”

Chloe flashed a grin of her own and closed the door behind her, letting Lex lead her by the hand to the sleek black limousine parked outside. The driver was waiting to open the door for them and Chloe slipped inside, followed quickly by Lex. As soon as the door was closed, Chloe found herself hauled up against Lex as his mouth plundered hers, and she threw herself into the kiss with all of the pent-up need from this past month without him. They broke apart when air became a necessity, staring into each other’s eyes as they struggled to catch their breath.

“Where to, Mr. Luthor?” The chauffeur’s voice echoed through the car, accentuating the silence that had come before.

“Just drive around for a while, Thomas,” Lex replied, his eyes never leaving Chloe’s. His hand reached out and hit a small button, closing the solid partition between the front and back of the limo. When it was in place, his hand moved to caress Chloe’s thigh through the thin material of her dress. Hot kisses covered her jawline to her ear where he nibbled and sucked until Chloe’s breathing grew ragged. “You’re wearing that perfume again.” His voice was low and husky in her ear before he licked sensually over her jugular, rewarded with Chloe’s gasp of pleasure.

“Yeah, well,” Chloe panted. In one quick move she was straddling him where he sat, her skirt riding up to her thighs as she wiggled slightly, drawing a sharp hiss from the man beneath her. She grinned down at him. “You were gone too long.”

Her lips descended on his and swiftly took him under in a hot, needy kiss. Their tongues wove together, stroking and retreating until Chloe was nearly crazed with want. Lex’s hands moved from stroking over the bare skin at her back to the nape of her neck. The cool, conditioned air had Chloe’s nipples tightening as Lex unhooked the straps at her neck, letting the top of the dress fall down. Her head fell back when Lex’s fingers began to dance over her swollen breasts, his thumbs brushing over her nipples. She let out a whimper and Lex repeated the action, causing Chloe’s hips to move against his hardened cock, rocking hard against him. The shocking heat of Lex’s mouth closing over one breast had her moaning loudly, long past the point of caring if the driver heard or not.

“Oh, God, that feels so good.” Chloe almost didn’t recognize her own voice, breathless and husky with desire. She felt a hand on her inner thigh, pushing up her skirt as it stroked higher and higher. The area between her thighs was soaked and throbbing, aching for his touch. Fingers brushed against her bare folds, and Lex groaned against her breast when he discovered her lack of underwear. One of Chloe’s hands moved to open his pants, and he moaned in relief when his cock was freed from its confines. As Chloe stroked him he began to reach for his wallet, only to find his hand stilled when she grabbed his wrist. She leaned down to speak in his ear and a bolt of pleasure shot through him at the rasp of her voice.

“I went to see my doctor after you left.” She drew his earlobe into her mouth and sucked gently before she continued. “And she gave me some wonderful little pills to take.” Her mouth moved to his, licking and nibbling at his lips. “I want to feel you, Lex. I want to feel all of you.”

With that she slipped her tongue between Lex’s parted lips, stroking over the roof of his mouth before letting her tongue intertwine with his. She felt Lex’s hands gripping her hips, lifting her up until she was poised over his erection, the tip of it pressing against her. Leaning back, she forced her eyes to remain open as she slid down onto him, watching him close his own eyes, his head pressed back into the seat behind him. Soon he was completely buried in her, and Chloe moved her hands to his shoulders, using them for leverage as she began to ride him. A loud moan escaped her at the exquisite friction of having Lex bare inside of her. His hands were squeezing her hips, helping her move, and his eyes finally opened to meet hers. Their movements became faster, harder, as their breathing grew rougher. Chloe’s orgasm hit her like a truck and her back arched, her loud cry mingling with the sound of her name tumbling from Lex’s lips as he followed her over the edge. He emptied himself into her, and Chloe felt herself tingling as the heat poured through her.

When her limbs regained some of their strength, Chloe lifted her head from where she had collapsed against Lex and slowly, reluctantly, climbed off of him. She drew her dress back up, and Lex closed his pants again and tucked her against his side, brushing a soft kiss to the top of her head before grinning down at her.

“Dinner?” At Chloe’s languorous nod, Lex reached over and activated the intercom. “Thomas, you can head to the restaurant now.” When he received an affirmative answer he returned his attention to Chloe, pulling her closer against him and resting his head on top of hers. They stayed that way for the rest of the short ride to the restaurant, content to simply rest in the afterglow of their passion. The limo finally slowed, and Chloe drew a small mirror from her purse, making sure that the evidence of their activities was unnoticeable. The door opened and Lex climbed out, offering her a hand. Standing next to him a moment later, Chloe brushed her hands over her dress and grinned up at him.

“Come on, Lex. I’m famished.” Lex’s sharp bark of laughter drew startled looks from the valets, but Lex and Chloe both ignored them as they made their way into the restaurant.

An hour later they sat in a small corner booth covered in a crisp white tablecloth, their entrees steadily disappearing along with the full red wine that Lex had ordered. Every so often Chloe’s fork would reach out to steal a bite of Lex’s food, and each time it did he sent her a half-exasperated, half-amused glance.

“You know, Chloe, if you wanted the chicken, all you had to do was order it.” Chloe slipped the bite she had taken into her mouth, closing her eyes and savoring the rich sauce with a tiny hum. When she opened her eyes again she saw that her actions had had the desired effect—Lex was now watching her with darkened eyes, staring at her lips as if entranced. She grinned at his response and picked up her wineglass.

“But I didn’t want the chicken—I wanted the ravioli. I just like stealing your food.” Her eyes sparkled at him over the edge of her glass as she drank, and Lex couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Tell me what you’ve been doing this past month, Chloe.”

“You mean besides pining hopelessly over your absence?” Lex smirked at her response.

“Well of course, besides that.”

“Not too much, actually. At least, not much that’s interesting. My schedule’s still pretty full with all of my classes; but it’s looking like I’ll get to graduate a semester early after all. That and avoiding Liz’s attempts at matchmaking is pretty much my full-time job.” Lex’s eyebrow arched.

“Matchmaking?” Chloe rolled her eyes and set her glass back down.

“She’s convinced that I should go out with this guy in my Western Civilization class.”

“Why’s that?”

She shrugged. “Probably because he keeps asking me out. And I’m sure the fact that he’s really hot has something to do with it.” Lex nodded and picked up his own glass to take a drink of wine. His eyes met hers when he set the glass back down.

“So why aren’t you going out with him?” When Chloe simply blinked at him, unable to provide an answer, Lex smirked. “Come on, Chloe. There must be some reason you keep turning the poor guy down.” Chloe just shook her head.

“I don’t . . . I guess I just . . .” She trailed off, and Lex smirked again.

“Maybe you should give him a shot. You might end up really liking him. But you’ll never really know unless you try.”

“I guess not.” Chloe tried to shake off the strange feeling that was trying to take a hold of her, forcing a smile onto her face. “So tell me what you’ve been up to this past month. Did the business deal go well?”

They stayed at the restaurant for a couple more hours, filling each other in on the month they had been apart. Back in the limo they continued to talk, but Chloe’s mind was only partially on their conversation, unable to completely shake the feeling still creeping over her. The sudden apologetic tone in Lex’s voice had her coming back to herself, tuning in on what he was saying.

“I wish I didn’t have to go, but I have to get those papers finalized. I should have done them as soon as I got back, but I wanted to spend some time with you tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it. I think I’ll be able to hold myself together through the long, cold night without you,” she teased. Lex grinned as the limousine pulled to a stop outside of Chloe’s apartment building. Chloe climbed out and leaned down in the door when Lex tried to follow. “You don’t need to walk me up, Lex; I’ll be fine. You have paperwork to get finished, and we both know you’d end up staying too long if I let you come up.”

“Chloe—”

“I mean it, Lex!” she grinned at him. “I’m doing this for your own good.” Lex sighed and nodded.

“All right. Call me up when you get a free moment.” He lifted her hand and brushed a kiss across her knuckles; she smiled and closed the limo door, turning to walk up to her apartment. With each step she took, the feeling she had been suppressing grew, and this time Chloe recognized it. The hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach began to grow, slowly but surely spreading to encompass her entire being. She slipped the key into the lock and pushed her front door open to enter the apartment, barely noticing Liz sitting on the couch or the startled look she gave her.

“You’re back awfully early.” Liz frowned when Chloe didn’t answer, only walked to her room with an almost trance-like expression. “Chloe?” The door to Chloe’s room shut, and Liz sat, unsure of what to do. After a few minutes Chloe reemerged, her sleek black dress traded for her pajamas. “Chloe?” Liz called again, and this time her friend turned towards her. “Is everything alright?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Everything’s fine.”

“Uh huh,” Liz said disbelievingly, unconvinced by Chloe’s fake smile. “Did you and Lex have a fight?” Chloe shook her head, walking over to sit at the other end of the couch.

“No, we didn’t have a fight. We had a really nice time.”

“Ok . . . so what’s got you all dazed, then?” Chloe shook her head again, trying to clear it.

“We were talking, and I mentioned that I kept getting asked out by that guy from Western Civ. And he said . . . he said that maybe I should give him a chance. I don’t know why I . . . but I started wondering if he was dating other women, and I . . .” The space that had felt empty before was suddenly filled with a blinding pain, so intense that Chloe grabbed at her chest, almost doubled over on the couch as she pictured Lex with another, faceless woman. Her eyes flew up to stare into space, and Liz felt her heart breaking at the sight of Chloe’s wide, frightened eyes filled with tears. “Oh fuck,” Chloe whispered, shaking her head in denial. The motion had the tears slipping down her face, but she hardly seemed aware of them. “No, no, no.”

“Chloe, what is it?” Liz was becoming genuinely concerned about her friend; she reached out a hand and held on to Chloe’s shoulder. Chloe turned her eyes towards Liz, the hazel orbs now filled with a kind of distraught realization. “Chloe?”

“I love him.” She shook her head once more, but the feeling wouldn’t go away. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way. We were just helping each other; just two friends helping each other. But I . . .” She clutched her stomach as a fresh wave of pain swept through her. “Oh, God, I love him so much. But he doesn’t . . .” The sobs that had been building finally broke free, and she found herself being held as she let them wrack her body, unable to stop them if she tried.

She didn’t know how long she stayed there, curled up on the couch and crying until there were no tears left. Eventually, exhausted, she let Liz lead her to bed, tucking her in and turning out the light. She slept in spurts that night, unable to keep her eyes closed for very long. The darkness of her room seemed to be mocking her, magnifying the empty space she felt inside. Eventually the darkness fled in place of dawn and Chloe rose, unwilling to stay in bed any longer. The apartment seemed surreal in the pale, early light, and she found herself half-wondering if it had all been some kind of dream. She dressed quietly and slipped out, her footsteps on the pavement the only sound in the crisp morning air.

She made her way to Metropolis’ main park, wandering the footpaths as the day grew brighter. The early-morning joggers soon gave way to deserted paths, then to wandering crowds of children visiting the park on a daycare field trip. The business crowd was next, sitting on benches and loitering around hot dog vendors, enjoying the beautiful spring weather for the forty minutes they were allowed for lunch. More young children then, this time with young, energetic mothers pushing their children’s strollers as they gossiped about the latest neighborhood scandal. Finally she settled on a bench beside the small pond where families had gathered, tossing bread to the ducks that floated on the water. As the sun began to set she headed back home, a young woman’s fear of the park at night driving her back to safer ground. Liz ambushed her as soon as she walked in the door, leaping up off of the couch and walking towards her with frightened, angry steps.

“Where the hell have you been?” she demanded, worry clear in her eyes. “I got up this morning and you were gone, and you don’t come back until now? I was scared out of my mind! And I was about five seconds away from calling Lex.” At Chloe’s horrorstruck expression Liz relented slightly. “Don’t worry, I didn’t call him.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry I worried you, and I wouldn’t want him freaking out, too. I went for a walk; I had to think about things.” Liz raised an eyebrow and followed Chloe into her room.

“You’ve been on a walk all this time?”

“I went to the park and wandered around, people-watched.” She began to gather some things into a small bag, and Liz furrowed her brow.

“What are you doing?” Chloe glanced up and walked out of the room, leaving Liz to trail after her again.

“I’m going to see Lex.”

“You’re what? Chloe . . .” Liz let out a sigh. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

“To be fair, it’s probably not,” Chloe answered. She paused in the middle of the living room, turning to face her friend. She saw the lines of worry creasing Liz’s face and hated that she had put them there. “Don’t worry, Liz. I’ll be ok.” And with that Chloe left the apartment again, leaving her friend to hope that she was right.

As she drove to Lex’s apartment Chloe continued to question her decision. In any other situation, Lex would be the first person she would go to when she was feeling this way. But this time was different. This time, he was the reason she was feeling so empty. Even so, every fiber of her being was crying out for Lex, sure that he would be able to fix things, to fill the empty space inside of her. And so she found herself exiting the elevator in front of his penthouse, her knuckles rapping on the door before she could have any more second thoughts. Seconds later the door opened and Lex was there in front of her, looking surprised but pleased to see her.

“Chloe. I wasn’t expecting to see you. Come on in.” He stepped aside to let her in, and Chloe dropped her bag on the floor near Lex’s bare feet before she turned again to face him.

“Are you busy, Lex?”

“No,” he grinned. “I would have to describe myself as blissfully free at the moment.” Chloe nodded.

“Good.” She stepped towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him down to claim his mouth. Lex’s arms, in turn, wove around her back to pull her closer, responding wholeheartedly to the frantic heat Chloe was pouring into the kiss. Tongues met and dueled, weaving together and apart until they parted, gasping for breath.

“Bad day?” Lex teased breathlessly, his hands stroking over Chloe’s back. Chloe shook her head at the question.

“Shut up and kiss me.” He smirked at her demand even as his mouth moved closer.

“If you insist . . .”

His lips were back on hers then, moving in all the ways he knew would heat her blood to boiling. With a low moan Chloe grabbed hold of the tie Lex had yet to take off, pulling him back with her towards his bedroom. They stumbled inside and Chloe’s hands immediately began yanking at his tie, unknotting it quickly and throwing it to the floor. Lex’s mouth moved to her ear, then her neck, as if he were trying to devour her an inch at a time. Small hands worked at the buttons of his shirt, popping off several in their haste. Lex shrugged out of the shirt and Chloe’s hands were immediately on his skin, pulling him closer as they skimmed over every inch of him that she could reach.

She toed off her tennis shoes and socks and wrapped one leg around Lex’s in an effort to get closer. His mouth left her neck and her shirt was pulled over her head, following Lex’s clothes to the floor. Then heat on her breasts, Lex’s hot breath before his mouth closed over her through her bra. One hand moved to unclasp the lace and satin barrier; letting it slip to the floor, he soon replaced it with the hot velvet of his tongue. Her hands held his head in place as he lifted her and laid her on the bed, long fingers working at the button and zipper of her jeans. He rained kisses over her stomach, drawing down the denim along with her panties until she was bare under his gaze. She reached a hand out to him, need radiating from her eyes.

“Fuck me, Lex.”

His own pants were soon gone, and Chloe’s longing look was answered with his body returning to hers. Smooth legs wrapped around his waist and before he had a chance to realize it, he was inside of her. They moved together, strong, sure movements so perfectly balanced that it was difficult to tell where he ended and she began. Chloe arched towards him, sharp teeth biting into her lip to prevent her cries. Lex felt her pulsing around him and followed her, pouring into her as he came.

Chloe felt Lex collapse on top of her and roll to the side, careful not to crush her. He pulled her back against him, his body spooning hers as his hand gently stroked her arm. The more care he showed her the more hollow she felt inside, knowing that it was only a reflection of friendship, that he wanted to make his friend feel better as he had so many times before. But she had had to bite her lip to keep from crying out how much she loved him.

His face nuzzled against the back of her neck, and Chloe waited until she felt his body relax into sleep before she let herself go, knowing that her tears would dry from the pillow by morning.

********************************

“Are you sure about this?” Liz’s face was a study in concern as she watched Chloe shrug on a jacket, car keys in hand.

“I have to. After last night . . .” Chloe took a deep breath, willing herself to be strong. “I know now. I have to do this.”

“Well, good luck.” Liz crossed the room and wrapped her friend in a tight hug. “You’ll be fine,” she whispered in her ear, and Chloe squeezed her eyes closed against the tears that wanted to form. She pulled back and gave a small wave before she opened the door and walked out, chin set in determination.

The drive to the coffee shop was a short one, and Chloe arrived with fifteen minutes to spare before she was due to meet Lex. It was all a part of her plan—show up early and have time to collect herself before Lex arrived. Standing at the counter about to pay for the largest coffee her imagination could handle, the last thing Chloe expected was the elegant hand that reached around her, handing several bills to the cashier before she got the chance to. Her eyes flew up to see Lex smirking down at her.

“You always show up early, Chloe,” he explained once he had ordered his coffee. “I didn’t have anything pressing keeping me at the office, so I thought I’d join you.”

Chloe gave what she hoped was a not-too-nervous smile and made her way to a small booth, isolated from the rest of the customers. Lex slid into the seat across from her, watched as she sipped at her coffee and avoided eye contact. They usually called each other when they had some kind of problem; but this seemed different somehow, and Lex was beginning to worry.

“Chloe, whatever it is, you know you can tell me, right? You’ve helped me so many times; let me help you now.” She finally let her eyes meet his and saw the genuine concern there. She let herself get lost for a moment in his eyes, basking in the warmth she saw there.

“You’re my best friend, Lex. Have I ever told you that?” Lex looked startled at her soft words, but a smile soon overtook his face.

“Lucky me.” He grinned. “You don’t think Clark will be too upset that his place has been usurped, do you?” Chloe shook her head, unable to help a small grin.

“Clark hasn’t really been my best friend for a while.”

“No.” Lex’s eyes held hers in place as he spoke. “But he’s been mine.”

Another stab of pain shot through her at the truth behind his words. She was his friend . . . and that was all. With a deep breath she strengthened her resolve again. There was no way she could let herself back down now, no way the could let herself give in and soak in the balm of his eyes on hers.

“And that’s why . . .” Chloe swallowed, fighting back the tears that threatened to surface at what she was about to say.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(I can’t wake up)
Wake me up inside

“Can’t do . . . what do you mean?” Lex was staring at her, realization dawning over his face, though he tried to fight it off. “Can’t do what anymore?”

“Be with you as anything other than just friends. I know that’s how it started out—a way for two friends to find some comfort when they needed it. And we made it work for almost a year. But now . . .” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Everything’s different now. It wouldn’t be fair to you, Lex. And I care about you too much to do that to you.” She began to rise when Lex’s voice stopped her.

(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark

“Chloe.” She chanced a glance back at him, her heart tearing at the confusion written so clearly on his face.

“Lex, please—” Her voice cut off when she felt Lex’s hand close over hers.

(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(I can’t wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)

Her blood still raced at his touch, no matter how much she tried to quell her reaction. She could feel the tears gathering in her throat, and she knew it wouldn’t be much longer before she lost all control.

“Lex, I have to go. Do you really want to risk a public scene that’ll end up in all the papers by the evening edition?”

When Lex only sat there, shocked, Chloe gently extricated her hand from his and stood. She walked from the building to her car, never looking back, and hoping that the pain inside wouldn’t last too long.

Save me from the nothing I’ve become

TBC . . .