Title: Confessions of a Devious Mind
Author: Jinni (druscilla@cox.net)
Rated: Pg13
Pairing: Chloe/Lex (who else?)
Disclaimer: All things Smallville belong to the WB, DC Comics, et al.
Distribution: The normal places.
Author's Notes: For the 'official challenge' at N-S.net
Summary: When Lex finds something he has no business seeing, he's forced to make a decision - to read it or not to read it.
~*~*~
"Chloe – we’re going to be late.”
Lex looked down the short hallway to her closed bedroom door as he spoke, pitching his voice just loud enough for her to hear.
“Going as fast as I can, Luthor. Next time you need a date for one of these things why don’t you try letting me know in advance so I’m not scurrying around at the last minute?”
He sighed, hating the fact that she was right. The woman that was supposed to be accompanying him tonight, a vapid thing who’s only use was to decorate his arm, had canceled at the last second – right as he was settling into the limo to pick her up for dinner, in fact. Thus his last minute call to Chloe. Thankfully, she’d agreed to do this yet again, though he knew she’d never let him forget this little favor. Then again, he expected nothing less of her. Their friendship was perfect in that manner – a mutual case of give and take for personal gain.
It was a friendship far too precious to ruin, he told himself firmly as he glanced again towards her bedroom door.
“Too precious,” he muttered. How many friendships had he lost since taking control of LuthorCorp? Not that there had been an abundance to begin with, but Chloe was the *only* friend that had stuck by his side – scandals and all. She didn’t look down on him for being ruthless, so long as he didn’t push things with her.
And he didn’t want to lose that by telling her that he thought he might just love her.
In fact, he was damn sure of that simple fact. Hard as he had tried to deny it, love had snuck up and hit him right squarely over the head when it came to Chloe Sullivan.
“Chloe –“
”Five minutes!”
Lex snorted, knowing that five could just as easily mean fifteen or twenty. What did it matter if he was late anyhow? His party or not, the planning staff was more than capable of running things on their own. He pushed aside Chloe’s old, worn quilt, taking its place on the couch.
“Ow!” he cursed softly, reaching behind him to grab the object that had just so rudely poked into his rear.
Journal
Nondescript in a bookish way, he would have known what it was even if the word wasn’t written on its cover. This was Chloe’s journal.
Common decency told him to put it right back where he found it, forget he ever saw it.
Lex smirked. He was anything but ‘common’, even in the area of decency. And wouldn’t she, on some level, be shocked if he didn’t take a look? It was almost expected of him, right? It wasn’t as if she’d ever held back when doing her damndest to hijack his files for her next big story.
With another glance at the bedroom door, cracked it open to the latest entry, eyes widening almost immediately as he read.
He’ll be here any second now…I should get up and get dressed… But really I just want to throw up. Another night on his arm, playing the part of his date… When all I want it to be that girl. The one he loves…
~*~*~
Lex shoved the journal back into his pocket, glancing up and down the back corridor of the hotel before stepping out. Chloe would be getting suspicious if he didn’t get back to her soon. It was bad enough he’d slipped out *again*.
It wasn’t his fault that she’d written those things, however. All of her deepest, darkest fantasies. The things that she wanted to do with him…to him. It was all there in black and white, penned by her own hand. But it was the other things that drew him in. The part where she detailed what she liked about him, how she admired him.
The part where she said she was pretty sure she’d done the worst thing possible – she’d fallen in love with her best friend.
I don’t know how much longer I can stand it. Being around him, not being able to say the words…it hurts. Sometimes I think it would be easier if I never saw him again…
That was what had ended his latest reading session. That one little section in a journal filled with so much more. He was losing her and he’d never even had her.
Not something he planned on letting happen.
Now or ever.
~*~*~
She looked beautiful, dressed in the gown he’d gotten for her after the last time he needed an ‘emergency date’.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” he answered honestly as he pulled her closer. She’d worn the perfume he liked…the jewelry he’d been slowly giving her over the last couple years. Every inch of her reminded him of …himself. She’d wrapped herself up nicely for him, a gesture he now saw as the love it was.
“You’re beautiful,” Lex murmured into her ear, daring to place a featherlight kiss on the lobe as he pulled away.
She pulled back, looking at him curiously. “You sure nothing’s wrong?”
He shrugged. “I realized something tonight.”
“Which would be…?”
“I love you.”
She laughed softly, averting her eyes from his. “I love you, too.”
“I know.” The words slipped from his mouth before he could stop them. He braced himself for the glare that was to come, the speculative look, and then the final indignant outrage when she realized what he’d done.
Only to have her laugh a little harder. “You read it. Didn’t you?”
Lex nearly stumbled. “You’re not mad?”
“Mad?” She shook her head, the smile never leaving her lips. “Why would I be? I’ve been leaving it around for you to read for the last month. Hoping you’d get the hint. Took you long enough, Luthor.”
~*~The End~*~
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