A/N: Okay, I found this sitting around on my computer half-written, and I'm pretty sure its been there since my first go-around in writing Chlex fic (I left the Smallville fandom in mid-2003 and didn't return til late 2007!) but as I read through it I really thought it deserved finishing. So yeah, please bear in mind this was originally conceived and partially written about five years ago when my fiction was not half so good, but I thought I'd share anyway since you peops are just so cool, I'm sure you'll be nice about it anyway
Sit back and enjoy pure sweet and sugary fluff in an AU Season 2 setting
Every Girl’s Fantasy
“Lex, hi” Lana was surprised to find the man on the porch as she opened the door to leave, “Are you here to see me because...?” she began only for him to shake his head in the negative before she could even start her explanation.
“Actually I dropped by to see Gabe” he told her, “Is he in?”
“He just went out for food for him and Chloe” Lana explained as she stepped outside, “I have a date with Clark” she grinned, all proud of herself apparently, though honestly Lex couldn’t have cared less and it showed on his face.
“You have a nice time, Lana” he said, less than sincerely, “I’ll just go inside and catch up with Miss Sullivan while I wait for her father” he said, heading in to the house and closing the door behind him.
He found Chloe sat alone in the living room, curled up on the couch like a cat as she watched the TV, the look on her face suggesting something tragic was occurring on the screen. Lex was mildly suprised as he was able to move around the room apparently unnoticed and leant over the back of the couch, staring at the TV.
“What is this?” he asked smoothly, and though Chloe looked at a little startled by his presence she did not admit as much.
“Nothing” she said, reaching for the remote to switch off the TV he assumed, which was why Lex had already grabbed it and kept it away from her, shooting her a look that was a pure challenge, “The Princess Diaries” she sighed heavily, knowing she was going red even as she fought against it.
“The Disney movie with Mary Poppins?” Lex smirked as he rounded the couch and sat down beside Chloe, who looked as if she’d be quite happy for the earth to open up and swallow her right now.
“Yes, Julie Andrews is in it, but...” she stopped short of explaining away how a cynical girl liked her enjoyed fairytales when she realised something, “You’ve seen Mary Poppins?” she asked the bald billionaire, whom she sometimes forgot had ever been anything but this man.
“I was a kid once too, y’know” he said, half way between amused and offended that the thought wouldn’t occur to her.
“Sorry” Chloe shook her head at her own dumb realisation that of course Lex had been a boy once.
Sometimes she forgot, what with him being all man these days. The very idea that he was ever childish or had fun seemed ridiculous and yet it had to be true. Turning her focus back to the TV she watched the familiar scenes as Mia and Michael fought over her dating Josh before, and everything went to hell, albeit it temporarily. After all, she knew it would end well, even the first time she saw it, she knew it would, this was a Disney movie. Besides, every princess got their Prince Charming in the end, it was just the way of the world. Of course, the world in question was make believe, she sighed silently. In the real would there were real girls and young women who were not so lucky, who wondered if they’d ever find the kind of happiness that fairytale princesses boasted.
“So you like this movie?” Lex’s voice cut through her melancholy thoughts and Chloe shook her head to clear them.
“No” she said immediately, though the look he threw her way proved what she already knew, that he could tell she was lying, “Okay, yes” she conceded, “So you can go ahead and laugh now if you want” she said, with a random hand gesture as she glued her eyes to the TV, not wishing to face Lex Luthor as he realised what a child she really was.
“Why would I laugh?” he asked instead, as Chloe dared to glance his way.
The look on her face suggested she thought he was crazier for not thinking she was immature than the opposite, despite the fact she’d prefer he see her as the adult she portrayed herself as most of the time.
“It’s a kids movie, Lex” she told him, though that much was clearly evident.
“Being a princess, it’s like every young woman’s fantasy movie, Chloe” he told her, gesturing towards the TV, “It’s no different to men watching action movies and wishing they were a secret agent or a superhero” he said, looking honest as the day was long, and apparently not being at all sarcastic with her.
“Okay, that’s true” Chloe agreed, though her tone was defensive, “but Lana’s really more of a princess than me so... maybe I should just turn this off” she suggested, reaching for the remote that now sat between them on the couch.
Lex’s hand made the same move, landing on top of hers, the pair of them glancing up at the same instant and meeting each others eyes. It was a strangely intense moment for such an innocent act and yet over far too quickly for Chloe’s liking.
“Maybe if you like it so much I should watch it too” he told her, and though Chloe couldn’t for the life of her figure out why Lex Luthor would watch a movie on her recommendation, she didn’t argue.
It would be easy to make a comment back at him, set about some of that verbal judo they were so good at together. Honestly, Chloe would just like to see the end of the movie, and perhaps more importantly, she’d like to watch Lex watching the movie. How exactly would the great businessman react to a teen girl’s fairytale? Chloe didn’t know, but she wanted to find out, a semi-amused smile on her face as she settled back against the sofa cushions and watched the TV.
As the movie continued, Lex and Chloe glanced between the fairytale and each other though neither looked when the other did. It was like a weird kind of date, the way they sat in semi-comfortbale surroundings, watching each other as much as the movie just to see their reactions to certain moments, jokes, circumstances, and characters. Eventually they reached the happily ever after moment, where Princess Mia got her man, and travelled off to see Genovia. Chloe felt ridiculously emotional as she always did during the last few moments, despite the fact she knew she was being silly. It was just a movie, and even then a fantasy. These things didn’t happen in real life, no-one was coming to tell her she was actually a Princess of a small European country. She’d be lucky if she even got a boyfriend who wanted to stick around for more than two dates without killing her!
“So” she said, shutting off the TV and turning sideways to look at Lex, “What’s the verdict?”
“I think the term is chick flick” Lex told her after a few moments thought, “but I’ve seen worse” he shrugged, as Chloe narrowed her eyes at him, “Really, Chloe, it wasn’t a bad movie. The ending was actually romantic in its way” he said and watched her expression soften at those words.
“Oh yeah” she sighed, “When her foot popped” she said as she moved to remove the DVD and put it away.
“So, when did you get your first real foot-popping kiss, Chloe?” Lex asked her with a smirk, which she couldn’t see whilst crouched on the carpet with her back to him.
“I don’t know” she said quickly, hoping the blush she felt rise in her cheeks went away before she had to turn around again.
She could not be telling Lex Luthor about her love life or lack of same. Not only was it none of his business but she really had no answer to his question, and that was perhaps the most embarrassing part of this.
“C’mon, tell me” he urged her as she stood up and faced him.
He was serious it seemed, he really wanted to know, and honestly Chloe didn’t see what she had to hide. There was no shame in admitting she’d yet to find the man for her, especially to a man that had proved that finding the perfect partner was no easier with riches and power.
“I don’t think anybody ever made me feel like that” she admitted as she flopped back down on to the couch barely a foot from him, “not even Clark” she added thoughtfully, though she was unsure the very next moment why she’d had to admit that.
“Ah, yes, Clark” Lex nodded once, the look on his face shifting immediately, much to Chloe’s confusion.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, and though he shook his head as he scrambled to his feet, promising her it was nothing, the blonde reporter didn’t believe a word of it.
Something was different, wrong even, though Chloe had no clue why. One minute they were talking like the friends they kind of were, the next he was apologising and leaving, asking her to get her father to call him the moment he got home. She said he was welcome to wait, even offered to make him a coffee or something but Lex refused and seemed in a huge hurry to get out the door.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you” she said as they stood either side of the front door step.
“Sure” Lex nodded once, and turned to go, cursing himself to Hades on the inside.
She looked so confused, almost hurt that he suddenly wanted to get away from her so fast. Of course, Lex’s real problem was that he didn’t want to get away at all, on the contrary he’d like to get as close to her as he could, despite the fact she was only sixteen and the daughter of an employee! Any relationship between them would be all kinds of inappropriate, but that didn’t make the stab of pain he felt any the less real when she’d mentioned her affection for Clark. Chloe was never going to see him as anything but a friend of a friend, and yet Lex wondered if she might if only he gave her the chance.
Against his better judgement, or so he told himself, Lex turned back around just before she closed the front door.
“Chloe” he said catching her attention, “Someday you will meet the right guy” he told her, knowing right now anything else would be inappropriate, no matter how sorely he was tempted to make some kind of move right now.
“Sometimes I wonder” Chloe sighed, “I mean Mia didn’t notice Michael right away because he was right in front of her” she said as she stared over at him, “I’d hate for that to happen in my life” she said, eyes locked on to his own and looking at him in such a way that Lex started to wonder if he was imagining things or if she might be talking about him, if she might really mean what he wished she did.
“I’m going straight to hell” he muttered to himself as he closed the gap between them, pulled her to him and kissed her.
It was a sweet yet intense moment, not the most passionate kiss perhaps but the most special Chloe had ever experienced as her eyes fell shut and she savoured the few seconds of heaven she was granted. She really didn’t want it to end and yet she knew it must, her eyes fluttering open as she took a much needed breath and just looked at the man whose arms held her still.
“So” he said with a hint of a smirk at his lips, “did your foot pop?”
“You really wanna ruin this moment?” Chloe challenged him, hardly able to believe that Lex seemed to actually return the feelings she’d been harbouring for a while now, and more so that he would dare to spoil such a perfect moment with such an insane question.
“Sorry” he apologised immediately, though his smile wouldn’t face, “but did it?” he tried again, causing Chloe to roll her eyes.
“I don’t know” she said softly leaning in close, “Maybe you should try it again, just to be sure” she suggested, and Lex was only too happy to oblige her.
In that moment, as she felt her foot involuntarily kick up like Mia’s had done in the movie, Chloe didn’t really know how it felt to be a princess, but she did know what it was to fall hopelessly in love with a man she wished to live happily ever after with.
- The End -
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks