A/N: Who knew that this weeks installment of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing would inspire a Chlex fic? Well, it was more a song played on the show than the thing itself, but thats really irrelevant. The song in question comes more in Part 2 of 2, but here is Part 1, with the rest hopefully to follow tomorrow. I have literally just written this and it hasn't been beta-ed or anything, so please excuse any errors. PG is for safety on the second half. This is an AU futurefic - make of it what you will
Always a Woman
Part 1 of 2
What she’d done hadn’t made her popular, Chloe Sullivan knew that. Exposing a local business tycoon for what he really was rarely gained friends, as the man in question faced the time that followed his crime, and all those connected to him suffered the significant loss. Investments now worth nothing, employees laid off, and despite the fact all guilt should be laid at said billionaires door, the reporter to blame for his illicit liaisons and dodgy dealings being made public was the person who bore the brunt of their wrath.
The easy option was to take cover and wait out the storm, but that just wasn’t our Miss Sullivan’s style. Besides which, the event tonight was for charity and to not attend wouldn’t just make her a coward but a selfish bitch too, and that title she was found even less appealing. She had volunteered, or rather Perry had volunteered her, as a lot in a date auction. It was tacky and degrading and she hated it, but since it was for charity and she owed her boss more than one favour, Chloe had graciously agreed to the task. Now she really wished she’d have stuck to her guns with a definite no.
Beyond the next door she would find a room full of people who despised her, and yet would be asked to bid on the chance to take her to dinner. She’d be lucky if she made a dollar for charity and the instinct to run a mile from this event stirred within the pit of her stomach, but Chloe didn’t show her worry or fear. She was well-practised at keeping her feelings in check these days. Ten years on from her high school self that was in love with her best friend and giddy with the joyous news of being the new editor of The Smallville High Torch, she now held a great secret about one of the worlds biggest heroes, and held her head high as one of the greatest and youngest hot-shot reporters on the Daily Planet pay-roll.
Thoughts of these things gave the brief boost her confidence needed, as did the glance in the large gilt-framed mirror by the door. She looked good; over the years she taught herself to see it and believe it, even if there was no-one permanent in her life to remind her these days.
Patting her blonde hair that was piled up on her head and smoothing the edge of her specially chosen flowing lilac dress, Chloe took one more deep breath and glided into the room. To say all eyes turned to see her entrance would be ridiculously untrue and incredibly egotistical, though many a glare was cast in the direction of the young woman guilty only of doing her job to the very best of her ability.
Thankfully, her fashionably late entrance meant she wouldn’t have to mingle too long before the main event began, and with a little luck she could cover her embarrassment at not being too highly bid on with a gracious smile as she hurried back out of the building into the night.
In fact, by the time she’d picked up her complimentary champagne from one of the many waiters, and felt sufficiently awkward at standing alone with too many whispers about her flying around, the charity spokesman was up on the makeshift stage demanding quiet.
As Chloe attempted to hold her head high and ignore the world around her, every eligible young woman in Metropolis seemed to be brought up onto the stage and offered to the room as a potential partner for an evening of fun and entertainment. Hundreds of dollars were spent, one particular beauty made thousands, and though Chloe smiled and applauded awkwardly around her glass, she was by now feeling nauseous.
She was only glad that Lois wasn’t here, for as much as she might make good moral support, she would surely have only made her cousin look much worse in the auction by gaining infinite amounts of cash. Lois was much more the family beauty than Chloe, which would make this ordeal bad enough. The current situation of being hated by almost the entire room only made it ten times more tragic, if not more.
“And our final young lady on offer tonight” the man on the stage smiled, as he squinted down at the card in his hand, “Oh... Chloe Sullivan” he said awkwardly, his expression now that of forced pleasantry as Chloe steeled herself against whatever was about to come her way, put her glass down on a nearby table and walked confidently as she could up to the stage.
She barely heard the little blurb being read from the card that explained just how wonderful she apparently was. All the blonde could hear was whispers of names she’d rather not have applied to herself, and feel the icy stares of the other guests burning holes in her back. As she stepped up beside the man who had introduced her, she forced the smile to stay on her face, despite the fact she received nothing like a friendly response.
“Shall we start the bidding at a hundred dollars?” he suggested, as he had with every girl, and yet nobody jumped in at all quickly this time around, in fact Chloe was sure a full hour past in which nobody spoke at all.
In reality just a few seconds past, before the host looked awkward and tried again to get some positive answer from the crowd.
“Surely somebody will offer something for the young lady?” he said, laughing lightly but without humour as he found himself feeling embarrassed.
He really spared no thought for the young woman beside him who was far more humiliated by the expected turn of events. Fighting the urge to cry and/or run away, Chloe kept her smile in place just long enough before her expression shifted to shock.
“Ten thousand dollars” said a voice that she knew oh so well, and yet she and this man had not had a real conversation in years now.
“Ten thousand?” the man beside her gasped as all eyes now shifted from Chloe to the person who would dare offer such a sum for one date with this jezebel.
“I believe the words you’re looking for, Mr Thompson” Lex Luthor told him with a smirk, “Are ‘Any advance on ten thousand?’” he prompted, shifting his eyes from him the young woman at his side.
Chloe locked eyes with her saviour and gave him the most genuine smile she had managed all night as he was declared the winner of this particular auction, and the best sport of the whole night. Chloe didn’t dare to wonder if that was because he’d dared to bid on the social leper that she was, or if it was just because he’d donated the largest amount of cash. Instead, she just took the hand Lex offered her and stepped gracefully down onto the dancefloor as the auction was declared over and the assembled party were encouraged to dance.
“Well, Mr Luthor” Chloe smiled at the man who wore a shirt so similar in colour to her dress it was almost as if they were destined to be a couple tonight, “If you were so eager to spend an evening in my company, you could have just called and asked you know?” she told him.
“And where would the fun be in that, Miss Sullivan?” he countered, spinning her into his arms so they could dance, without ever actually asking if she wanted to.
“Could it be possible that the famous Lex Luthor, who always knows everything before anybody else, actually hasn’t heard of the heinous social crime I’ve committed?” she asked as he led her around the floor with ease and she kept up quite well.
“I would hope, Chloe, that we know each other well enough by now that you realise I gave up worrying about everybody else’s opinion of me a very long time ago” he told her, formalities dropped without a thought as he reverted to the use of her first name.
“Lex, thank you” she said sincerely then, “You kind of saved me tonight”
“I’m hardly in the league with the town superhero” he smirked, “but I have my moments. In any case, knowing me as well as I hope you do, Chloe, you know that I wouldn’t spend so much money, even on a charity auction, if the prize were not worth the winning”Chloe wasn’t really sure how to take that. She’d never been great with compliments, and tonight’s event was the last place she ever expected to receive one, least of all from the bald billionaire playboy that she’d assumed was a million miles away from her life now.
“You seriously want to take me out on a date?” she checked, not sure whether she was more shocked or embarrassed by that, “What am I saying?” she shook her head rapidly, “As if a guy like you ever does anything without being completely serious” she said as the song ended and Lex relinquished his hold on her body.
Chloe was perhaps even more surprised to realise she felt disappointed at the loss of contact, and how good it had felt to be close to him like that.
“I think, Miss Sullivan” he smiled as he kept a hold of her hand and raised it to his lips, “That I may surprise you yet” he said as he kissed her knuckles.
Chloe stared at him, taking in his expression that was somehow playful and yet deadly serious at the same time. When he turned to walk away she called behind him.
“I’m not easily shocked” she said simply as he turned back to glance at her.
“Evidently, Miss Sullivan, you could not see your own expression when I bid on you” he smirked, before walking away at last.
Alone in the centre of the dance floor, the smile on Chloe’s face was genuine enough by now, and she had a distinct feeling it wasn’t going to shift any time soon.
End of Part 1
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I just really hope the end of this fic lives up to all your expectations! (Please note, this part is also un-beta-ed!)
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