A.N. RAAR! GO TRUTH! Think way back, to a galaxy long ago, when Smallville didn't suck and Chloe used to have half-way decent plot-lines. Think of this as nostalgic dreaming.
Lex’s eyes opened wide and child-like, gray and slightly hypnotized. "I want him to love me." A small gasp echoed in Chloe’s throat, leaving her truly speechless for the first time all day.
Lex blinked a few times in a stunned state of shock before turning on his heels and walking toward his desk. He sat down stiffly before lifting his head to Chloe.
“Well, I hope you’re satisfied with your interview. I’m sure the readers of the Torch will eat it up. In fact, you should consider taking this directly to the Daily Planet, they’d probably offer you a position on the payroll, if you play your cards right.” He stared coldly at his guest.
“Lex, I wouldn’t do that.” And yet she couldn’t deny that the thought had immediately crossed her mind. Chloe knew her methods weren’t right or fair, but who could resist the power of truth for the dull threat of its consequences? “I’m…sorry.”
“The door, Ms. Sullivan.” Lex nodded curtly toward the exit. “Goodbye.”
Chloe prepared to leave, sparing a quick look at the multifaceted emotions playing out on Lex’s face despite his desperate attempts to retain his composure. Doubting every step she took, she walked back toward Lex. “I don’t know if you know this...well, I’m sure you do. When you hired my father you probably did more background checking than if he were applying for a job with the CIA...but my mom left me. When I was twelve. She um...she didn’t really love me either. Well, she couldn’t have, because I guess then, you know, she wouldn’t have left.” Her face blushed bright red as Lex just kept on staring appraisingly at her in silence. “I’m babbling. I’m sorry. I’m going to shut up now.” He didn’t encourage her, but he didn’t tell her to leave again either, just kept staring at her with that weird look on his face. Taking this as encouragement, she continued. “I am sorry, Lex. I’m sorry that you’re hurt. But I don’t-”
“Who says I’m ‘hurt’?” He cut in thickly. “Save your nursing instincts, Ms. Sullivan. I’ve been through enough in my life to know better than to allow some teenage girl who’s more busybody than hard-hitting reporter material personal access to my emotions.”
Chloe clenched her fists to restrain her anger, trying to remind herself that she had been actually trying to comfort the cold, obnoxious man in front of her. “But I don’t regret asking. It was the million dollar question for the million dollar man.” She felt her anger softening a little as a slight quirk in his mouth signified his appreciation of the wordplay. But still. “You’ve really done nothing but cause trouble since you’ve moved out here. Well, either you cause it or it follows you around like a fangirl groupie, and not only that but now my best friend seems to enjoy nothing more than hanging out with you in your giant castle to watch you drink your scotch and talk shop with you about who knows what. And I wanted to know why. Why you’re doing any of this.”
He rose from his seat and pulled himself to his most imposing stature. With Lex stepping closer only to look down at her from his new height, she found herself shrinking back a little despite herself. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous.”
Chloe sputtered with forced incredulity. “I don’t think so. And don’t get me started on whatever weird relationship you think you have with Lana....” A thought crossed her mind suddenly, and caused a sick smile to curl across her lips. “Lex, was renovating the Talon really all that profitable of a business venture?”
The familiar glazed-over look filled his eyes, as if he had walked into a cloud, and his voice became dull and tired. “No.”
“No,” she repeated, thinking this over. “So did you invest because she was a friend of Clark’s?”
“Partly.”
Interesting. She quickly formulated one last question, wording it carefully so he couldn’t sneak his way around it. “Why else did you invest in the Talon?”
“I wanted Lana to think I was a good person.” Lex answered simply, and through the fog of honesty, his eyes snapped to alertness. He raised his hand to his head as if he had a headache and groaned. “Chloe, please, just cut it out.”
Chloe felt the heat of irrational tears building up behind her eyes. Not that she liked Lex, she didn’t. In fact, her feelings for him had never extended beyond pity and grudging admiration. But this wasn’t just Lex. This apparently was the true feeling of just about every male specimen in Smallville. And here even the mighty Lex Luthor was no different.
“Well, you’re after the wrong person.” She snapped spitefully, running off on an instinct. “She’ll never figure out his secret. Hell, she could hardly figure out how to work the television remote control.”
This comment raised an immediate eyebrow. “Secret?” Bull's-eye. He moved in to her and grabbed her forearm tightly in his hand. “Do you know, Chloe?”
She didn’t. She had her suspicions of course, but cold hard evidence? No. But that was only a few miles away, and she had all the time in the world with her newfound reporter’s...luck. “I ask the questions, but nice try. Have a good day.” She shook off his arm and turned to the door. “And, please, it’s Ms. Sullivan.”
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