A Simple Request
Smallville PG Fanfiction
Angst
Spoilers: Up to Season Four.
Disclaimer: Smallville, the characters therein, and all affiliated copyrighted materials are owned by the WB. This is a work of fanfiction not intended for profit or infringement, only for the pleasure of fans of the series.
Distribution: I have posted these stories and have control of them on this site. I don't want them to be posted anywhere else unless I'm the one posting them. Please take down my stories if you have them posted on another archive site. I understand I can't stop you from doing this but I hope by asking politely you'll respect my work and my wishes. If anyone has more comfort and convenience saving the text of a story to their own computer, I have no problem with that.
A/N: After a rather tragic strawberry yoghurt spill on my laptop I was too burnt out to finish my updates, but this came to me instead. Chloe’s POV will be up in the second half.
A Simple Request 1/2
“It’s not so much to ask.”
Her voice was sad and resolved, and Lex knew there was little chance he would be running in to Chloe in the future, even in the small town. Even in The Talon, there wouldn’t be any chance encounters.
The humiliation of that moment alone would keep him away from the coffee shop.
“He’s asked for so little over the years, and taken care of me through all the weirdness,” she continued. “I know he hasn’t always been around, but he was when I really needed him. He’s all I’ve got and I love him more than anyone.”
He felt a jealousy that was completely unreasonable, and stopped his fists from clenching under the table. He caught a glimpse of an abysmal fake Egyptian column and wanted to burn his small business endeavour down.
“I understand,” he lied.
It was inconceivable that he was being rejected even before he got the nerve to approach her. He had miscalculated in waiting until her birthday, but he had wanted to show his respect and start things properly. He had thought maybe Chloe might be a woman he could count on having in his life for -
He cut the thought off in his head and smiled at her, gently, because she didn’t know she was cutting him with the things she was telling him so kindly. She was being a good person by doing this, actually trying to spare him insult and hurt feelings. She knew how it felt to be jerked around and didn’t do it to other people.
Chloe was a bright young woman and she deserved happiness, which was why his approach took months of planning. He didn’t want to trick or bribe her, he wanted to win her with himself. The real self he usually hid had been allowed out in tiny, shy doses, and she had liked it. He knew he hadn’t imagined the soft, fond looks he had gotten from her during the summer.
But now they would be for everyone but him, and maybe that was just the universe telling him to set his sights lower. Luthors were historically strong and lonely. For a short while he had been only one of those things, but maybe it wasn’t meant for him.
Her awkward smile told Lex he had paused too long in studying her lovely hair and sweet features. He took a sip of coffee and hated it because it reminded him of her, and he was missing her before she had even finished dumping him. He wanted it to be a scotch instead.
“He’s been so good about all the trouble I’ve caused, and he’s never judged me for any of it. If it were up to me I’d want us to remain . . . friends, but he worries so much already,” she said, rushing through the words.
“He’s a good man and he loves you,” Lex replied, hoping the edge in his voice would be ignored by the blond reporter. "I consider him a friend."
Of course, she caught it and frowned, but thankfully she interpreted it as some lesser emotion than heartbreak. She slid a small, graceful hand over the tabletop to rest on his and he cursed himself for being aroused slightly by the touch.
“It’s not even really about you. He wants me to be safe from Lionel and the best way to do that is to avoid his notice. We’re still more grateful to you than words can say,” she said, her tone careful.
Lex wasn’t mollified. She might care a little for him, but it wouldn’t do him much good in the middle of a sleepless night or a stressful week. The loss of her would hurt for a long time and he was already feeling the bitterness of it. He was in too deep with her to come out unscathed and it made him angry that she wasn’t in for the same kind of pain.
“I understand,” he said again, and this time the tone was modulated pitch perfect. “You’re settled back into the house okay? Is there anything you need?”
She smiled the glowing grin everyone noticed about her, and Lex nearly sighed out loud. He wanted her to look that happy all the time so he could think of her that way, even though he wouldn’t see it firsthand. Surely Clark wouldn’t object to telling him about Chloe on occasion.
“We’re fine, if a bit too mushy and philosophical. There are a lot of spontaneous hugs and heartfelt conversations. It’s a bit too Oprah for even us at times,” she said with an eye roll that didn’t dim her smile.
He smiled, too, and knew it was time to pull his hand away from hers. He did it and the skin felt cold.
“Your father missed you. It’s a good thing.”
She nodded and the blond hair he had once overlooked as being too brassy and punky enthralled him. She was all light and optimism, and she had briefly made him hope he could have some light within himself.
“We’re even doing the father-daughter dinner thing tonight, so I should probably get going if we’re going to have enough time to burn spaghetti and call for take-out,” Chloe said, standing up and putting on her coat.
“Can I at least buy you a coffee for the road?”
It felt like begging and he sneered internally at his stupidity.
You weren’t this much a glutton for punishment during your druggie days.
Chloe paused and he thought she might sit back down and give him another few minutes before the end, but then she shook her head sadly, looking at her feet as she spoke.
“I want to, but I - He wouldn’t like it, and I feel like I’ve gotten another chance that I can’t mess up.”
The crippled hope that had tried to push him into some clumsy confession of love slumped down and waited to die, and Lex waited for her to go away. She must have seen the stiffness in his shoulders because she sighed audibly.
“I’m sorry, but he’s my father,” she said. “I promised him and it’s not so much to ask.”
And she walked away.
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