Role Reversal
Author: RuaFair (AKA Fiona)
Email: redwitchire@yahoo.co.uk
Rating: R-NC17
Spoilers: Everything to date to be safe, but I will be twisting them
Disclaimer: Smallville, its characters, all belong to someone else. (Sigh) I’m just borrowing them.
Feedback: Please, let me know what you think, the muse craves it.
Summery: A good deed performed by Lex and Chloe at the same time in different cities leads to some very unexpected results. While Lex and Chloe both know something is wrong, everyone else is oblivious. For this Lex is 22, Chloe is 17. Everyone else is present. Lucas will probably make an appearance. Lionel can see, Martha is still working for him and there is no Helen.
Chapter One – The Good Deeds
METROPOLIS
‘Could this day be anymore boring?’ thought Lex. He hated these board meetings, especially when his father chaired them. Since the *miraculous* return of his sight, Lionel had made sure that everyone in the business world knew he was back. And so for his trouble Lex was dragged along to the Luthor-Corp general meeting. For the last three hours he had sat there while his father prattled on and on about how great he was and how he was going to make Luthor-Corp even bigger and better.
‘Dad’s really going off the wall with his God-complex,’ he thought. ‘This is almost as boring as listening to Clark whine on and on about Lana or Lana just whining full stop.’ He liked Clark; they were friends but sometimes he was convinced the boy had hay for brains. Yes Lana was attractive, but that was pretty much it, she had no substance, not like Chloe.
A small grin appeared on Lex’s face, which he soon covered with his hand lest his father caught sight of it. Now Chloe Sullivan was a lot of things all wrapped up in a very sexy bundle. And the most incredible thing about her was that she had no idea of the effect she had on men. Oh the jock brigade in her school had no idea what to look for in a woman, which is why she probably felt like the preverbal ugly duckling. But Lex had seen enough women to know that Chloe Sullivan was one of those rare women, she was one that had everything. Brains, looks, intelligence and not afraid to speak her mind. ‘Except where her beloved farm boy is concerned,’ he thought.
Lionel was talking about profit margins and glanced briefly at his son. Although Lex gave all the outward appearance that he was listening, Lionel knew quite well he wasn’t. His son’s mind was as far away from the business as it could be. While Lionel continued with his speech, inside he was fuming. Lex needed to take the business more seriously. There was no one else to take the reins from him; Lucas was too wild. No Lex had to be the one to continue on the Luthor name. But unfortunately his eldest son seemed to have more important things on his mind.
Lex could feel his father’s eyes on him, and it snapped him out of his mental wanderings. He looked at his father and smirked. The only indication of any displeasure from him was the slight change in the tone of Lionel’s voice as he finished his speech.
With an internal sigh Lex forced himself to pay attention and mentally prepared himself for the lecture he was sure to get from his father later. Sometimes Lex longed for a simpler life, one where Lionel Luthor wasn’t related to him.
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SMALLVILLE
Chloe sat in a corner of the Talon. She watched as Pete tried to chat up some girl at another table. She watched as Lana served the customers. She watched as Clark leaned on the counter and watched Lana. ‘And people watching use to be so much more exciting,’ she thought. ‘Now it’s just the usual crap day in day out.’ The only time it got any way exciting was when Lex would make an appearance.
He would stroll in, all arrogance and swagger. Even though he wasn’t really like that, he still gave off that air of superiority. All eyes would look at him, if only for a second. Unless Clark was there, he tended to sit on his own. H would sip his coffee, read the paper and act like nothing was going on around him. But Chloe knew better, she knew he was very aware of what was going on around him.
‘Lex Luthor is a puzzle,’ she thought. ‘One I would not mind solving.’ She continued drinking her coffee, wishing he’d walk through the doors. At least it would give her something interesting to look at. But he was in Metropolis, according to Clark, who managed to drag his eyes away from Lana for ten seconds to acknowledge her presence.
She was sick and tired of how Clark was treating her. Unless he needed something he tended to stay away. His time was spent Lana-gazing, helping out his folks, or doing things with Pete. There was some secret between them and Chloe was pissed off that they didn’t deem it necessary to include their other best friend in whatever it was.
And then there was the most tiring thing of all, pretending to be all friendly and nice to Lana Lang. Everyone thought how nice it was of Chloe to ask Smallville’s resident princess to move in with her and dad when Nell decided to move away. What they didn’t know was that it was mostly Clark’s idea, and foolishly Chloe did it because Clark was her best friend. And that act was pretty much the final nail in the coffin of her crush on him.
But instead of being the usual straightforward Chloe who spoke her mind, she bit her tongue and pretended to worship Lana like everyone else. It’s not that she disliked the girl; she was ok in very small doses. But there was only so much of the whining about how everyone left her she could take. Hey maybe if she didn’t whine so much and turn every conversation so that it was about her then people wouldn’t leave her.
Sometimes Chloe longed to be someone who people listened to and were slightly afraid off.
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METROPOLIS 9.00PM
Lex and Lionel were walking across the main hall of the Luthor-Corp building towards the exit. For the last hour Lionel had been berating Lex about his lack of professionalism during the meeting. And how on earth was he going to learn how to run a multi-million dollar corporation if he didn’t take it seriously.
‘I’ll take it seriously,’ thought Lex, ‘when you are six-feet under.’
“Are you listening to me Alexander?” Lionel’s voice sounded.
“Yes I am,” replied Lex. “I couldn’t ignore you if I tried.”
“Have a good evening Mr Luthor, Mr Luthor,” said the security guard as he held open the door for them. Lionel just walked out. “Thank you Robert,” said Lex, “you have a good evening too.”
Lex caught up with his father and they made their way to the waiting limo.
“Any spare change,” a very old and dishevelled man asked, holding his hand out. “Get out of my way,” said Lionel pushing the man.
He fell to the ground. Lex shook his head at his father and helped the old man up. “Thank you son,” he said, smiling at Lex. Lex reached into his pocket and drew out the only cash he had, a hundred dollar bill. “Here you go,” he said, putting it in the old man’s hand, “get yourself something to eat.” With that he walked off to the limo.
The old man smiled and put the money in his pocket. “You have a good soul Lex Luthor,” he whispered as the car drove off. “A good soul.”
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SMALLVILLE 9.00PM
“See you guys later,” said Chloe as headed towards the exit. Neither Pete nor Clark said anything. “See you at home later Lana,” she added. But she didn’t hear Chloe or she was ignoring her. “Whatever,” muttered Chloe, and left the Talon.
As she headed to her car she saw a group of kids teasing an old woman who was begging. “Hey,” she shouted out to them, “leave her alone.”
The kids ignore her. “NOW,” she said, “or I’ll call the police.” They all ran away and Chloe made her way over to the woman. “Are you ok?” she asked, helping her to her feet.
“Oh thank you dear,” she said. “I was looking for food,” indicating to the trashcans.
Chloe reached into her pocket and pulled out the only cash she had, a twenty-dollar bill. “Here,” she said, handing it to her, “buy yourself something to eat.”
“You’re a good girl," said the old woman, “thank you.”
Chloe waved at her and headed back to her car. The old woman smiled and put the money into her pocket. “You have a good soul Chloe Sullivan,” she whispered as the car drove off. “A good soul.”
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I'd also like to add (yet again) that Clark's an idiot.
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