4th Down and a Longshot (NC-17) finished 4/6/08

[lj715]

Yeah for the update but no...Lex can;t leave. I hope Chloe can get him to stay by telling him how much she loves him. Can;t wait for another update.

[Kit Merlot]

Oh man, I can't believe that Lex and Chloe haven't talked for the past 6 months. I hope he stays so that they can get everything out in the open.

[dagney]

I like how you continued with the football as a plot device. The chapter is so bittersweet. I like how you had some time pass and that you showed the rality of folks relationships growing and changing and both lex and Chloe having time apart to see if the feelings remained. Very nice. Dagney

[karila]

It's good to see Chloe and Lex reunited.
I hope that all will be ok between them.

[lilinny]

Chloe say it loud and proud you love him!! Great chapter.

[blackheart_me]

YAY UPDATE!
i hope lex stays

[Linda]

Thanks for the update. I really missed this one!

I want to say that you fixed them but you left us with such a cliffhanger that I can only hope!

Please update again soon.

[superag]

A/N - Ok, I thought I would finish this but my brain went somewhere else. I'm not going to beat a dead horse like the show and talk about feelings over and over. But this is going to end in the next update, which shouldn't be too far behind this one. If you have left feedback, I love ya'll! If you haven't, please do - it makes me want to write more.

Postgame –


The two sat and stared straight out the window as the last few fans poured out of the stadium. Lex never moved his hand. Sitting dead still, he concentrated on her touch and hoped she would never let go. After thrusting himself into the situation he knew would occur, he didn’t want to leave. He knew in his heart the game had been a set up from the beginning but was so sure after his time with Grace, he could move on. The longer he sat there with her though, the harder it was to let go.

Chloe’s voice cracked but her hand never wavered. “Where should we go?” She looked over at Lex and carefully blinked back the tears collecting in her eyes. Breathing difficultly, she waited for Lex’s response and possibly his leaving.

Lex turned to meet her face and squeezed her fingers into his. Still with no emotion creeping across his face, he reassured her, “I need to go.” Lex swallowed and paused as he watched Chloe’s face drift from his eyes to the floor. Feeling her hand jerk away to the ignition, he quickly continued, “But please come by the penthouse before going back to campus. I just have some things that can’t wait.”

Chloe continued fidgeting with the key waiting to turn it and dart out of the parking lot as soon as Lex left the car. She was embarrassed and confused. Her feelings were twisted and warped. She couldn’t believe that Lex had just once again found a way to make this all her fault. “I have a lot of work before next week’s midterms.” She needed a way out.

Lex pulled his phone out and looked out the passenger window as he dialed. He ached feeling her rattle the keys between her fingers. For two months, he had been passively happy, not ecstatic. Love was there, or so he thought. But Grace could have turned out like all the rest. He still craved for that something more. Glancing over at her, he could see the wells finally ready to drop from her eyelids. “Robert, take the car back and I will call you when I’m on my way in. And take care of all the miscellaneous items tonight.”

Lex absently glanced over at Chloe as he dropped the last line. Robert knew exactly what Lex meant; he hoped Chloe wouldn’t catch the reasoning for the order. Hanging up the phone, he carefully tucked it in his jacket pocket and fastened his seatbelt. Laying his hands delicately in his lap, he turned to Chloe. “Ok, your call.”

Chloe turned back and started the car engine. Silently, she pulled out of the parking space and headed down the highway at random. She could feel her heart trying to beat out of her chest as she visibly shook driving. Her memories of the two of them were crashing around her as words of love and angst dripped into her memory. Glancing over to the passenger seat, she took another breath.

“Chloe, you have to calm down. Pull over and let me drive if you need to.” Lex rubbed his hand down her shoulder and squeezed her neck gently in order to comfort her some. All the while comforting her, Lex wondered exactly where this would all lead to. He wondered if he had made the right decision. He had never been very good in relationships, at least all breaking up. He must have changed since he actually felt somewhat guilty about leaving Robert in charge of getting Grace’s things out of the house. Sadly, though, Lex felt nothing of the loss. Looking over at Chloe while continuing to comfort her, he had more remorse for the relationship that had to be put back together like a broken heirloom.

“How about there? I’m not really in the mood to go back to either one of our places to fight it out. I would hate to have that stigma either in my living room or yours.” Chloe’s voice had cleared and was not shaking as much as before. But the word fight caught his ear; this is not what he expected.

“Fine.” Chloe nodded in agreement and pulled into the hotel valet. Pulling the keys out of the ignition, she waited for the doorman to get to the door. She fought through her purse to pull out a tip, but Lex kindly beat her to it. The valet’s face lit up at the obvious overly paid tip and quickly made off with the car. Smiling down at Chloe, he placed his hand in the small of her back and felt her slight jump at his sudden move. “Ok?”

Chloe looked up in his blue eyes and nearly fainted. Her heart was too heavy to let her body leave the ground. “Yeah, just startled.” She regained her composure and walked toward the check in desk.

“Mr. Luthor, what a pleasure to see again,” the man behind the elegant marble check in desk said with a positive tone. Chloe couldn’t decide whether the man knowing Lex was a good sign as he kept up with the news or that Lex had been in the same hotel one too many times.

“Mr. Thames, I am hoping that you have something available to my liking.” The man behind the counter that apparently was someone that Lex knew went flipping through several books and clicked the computer keys several times.

“Yes sir.” The man handed Lex a card, which Chloe watched Lex simply initial and hand back to the man. “Yes, we have the tower two double penthouse available. I’m sure that might be to your liking although the floor is quite expansive.” Lex took the key card and nodded at the man.

“Mr. Thames, you never disappoint. Thank you. There will be a late check out and absolutely no visitors.” Chloe watched Lex play the buisness card with such perfect unaired arrogance she couldn’t help but smile. She loved this about him. Lex was able to turn on a dime. Sometimes that was a bad thing. She realized that Lex’s ability of switching from a relaxed, thoughtful lover to a shrewd businessman so quickly could spell bad news if they ever fought. But their passions for the upper hand made them the perfect couple and the perfect enemies.

Lex looked back at Chloe standing in the middle of the elegantly decorated atrium, he waited. “Mr. Luthor, you have the room as long to your liking without interruptions. Breakfast will be served to the floor’s hallway elevator promptly at 6 as always.” Lex nodded and turned to look at Chloe.

Guiding her to an elevator around the corner from the throng of elevators, he pressed the button and waited silently in the hallway. Chloe stood holding her purse and closed her eyes in anticipation of what she had set up. Getting on the elevator, the two stood across from each other and stared at each other.

“You know this hotel?”

“Yes.”

The two remained silent as the doors opened to a fantastic room with what Chloe could see was two bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and small kitchen. She pulled her jacket off and laid it over the side of the couch as she drug her fingers along the top of the marble countertop bar and tinkered on the piano keys. “How?”

Lex set his coat on top of hers and watched as she marveled at the room. The place was more like an apartment and as much for one night as Chloe’s tuition. But she had wanted something away from the privacies of their places and somewhere she never had to return to. This was it. “How what?”

Chloe turned and looked at Lex accusingly. “How did you know the man at the front desk and how did he know of your preferences. Please don’t tell me that I just picked one of your regular rendezvous for you and your former you know.” Chloe trailed off trying not to picture what could have possibly been done on the different pieces of furniture in the room.

Lex internalized the accusatory question and moved closer to Chloe. “Let me reassure that I have not done anything in this room but sleep and work.” He paused. “And maybe play the piano drunk.”

He watched as a smile crept across Chloe’s face at the last remark and he placed both hands on her arms. “Truth?” She almost pouted at the question of his seriousness.

Squeezing her arms a little tighter, he closed his eyes at his lip quivering, “Truth.” Letting go, Lex walked over to the bar and opened the fridge to reveal a bottle of wine. “Shall we celebrate the superkid’s debut?”

Chloe covered her mouth in embarrassment. “Crap, I forgot all about him.” She started pacing the living room and wondered if she should call him. Lex watched with slight amusement as he sauntered across the room to her.

“Here,” he stated as he handed her a glass, “drink this, calm down, and call him tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll understand. Besides, he’s probably celebrating with his new girlfriend and his folks.” Lex hunkered into the couch and tossed the extra pillows aside. “Now, we have some things we need to take care of.”

Chloe stared at him across the room and moved toward the couch and threw back the contents of the glass. “I’m going to need more of that for this conversation.” Flopping into the cushions, she threw her shoes off and leaned her head back and looked at the ceiling. “I wonder why they ever take the time to decorate the ceiling. It’s not like people are actually looking up there all the time, unless you’re bored.”

Lex handed her glass to her and stared at the ceiling. “Or trying to avoid something.” Chloe turned her head and saw Lex staring right at her. Still holding her glass, she sat up and swigged another glass back as Lex finished his first. Taking the glass from her, he sat both on the table. “I think that’s enough for now.”

The two sat in silence staring at the bottle for more minutes than Chloe could comprehend. Her body quivered in nervousness. She didn’t know how to start. She couldn’t remember the reason they were here. She hadn’t dated anyone since Lex. She couldn’t get rid of his grip even if he had freely let go of her. The agony of possibly not being able to return to the way it was too much for her to continue. Lois, Clark, even new friends at school had tried blind dates, but this scene played repeatedly over in her mind.

“Chloe?”

Snapping out of her daze, she halfway smiled at him and leaned over to his shoulder. It was warm and oddly comforting. Closing her eyes, she didn’t want to talk. Just leave her this way. Lex looked down and saw her eyes close, and pulled her into his arm. “Lex, how did we get here?”

“We were stubborn.” Lex couldn’t think of a more rosy term for their actions. He had been as much to blame as she had been. “And something about a jealous superfreak, but I digress.”

Chloe sighed and kept her eyes closed, burying herself further in his arms. “I know. Clark and I have talked. That was stupid thing I did. But you left me.”

“I know, but I wasn’t going to win any arguments with you then.” Chloe sat up and looked at him.

“And now?”

Sitting up next to her, Lex laid his hand on top of hers, barely running his thumb across her knee. “It’s in the past. It was damn foolish and it’s over.”

“And how about Grace? I mean you are in great relationship right now, or at least that’s what the papers state. Lex is finally stable.”

Lex got up and walked around the sofa, spinning casually on the piano bench. “Grace is … gone. Come here.”

Chloe leaned over the side of the couch as Lex started tinkering on the piano in the room. Chloe couldn’t move from her vantage point. Watching Lex play was as close to a sensual act as she had experienced since their last time together. She could feel her body shake slightly as he hummed along with the notes he hit. She smiled at him when he looked at her. “What?”

“Come here,” he repeated as he stopped playing. Chloe got up from the couch and straddled the piano bench. Lex moved back and pushed her hair out of her face. “I thought we were going to fight.”

“I’m too tired to fight tonight, or any night.”

“So where does this leave us?” Lex stared at her green eyes and nearly felt his heart hit the back of his throat. Nervousness was not becoming of him and yet he felt unafraid of Chloe seeing the uneasiness. Cupping Chloe’s chin, he moved closer to her, enough to feel her breath heavy on his face. “I want to start over, from the day in your office.” Chloe looked confused and then her eyes widened.

“I haven’t since…” Her words sunk into the depths of Lex’s mouth. Opening her lips to let him in, she felt his hand reach around her neck and pull her further in. Matching his pull, she caressed his face as the kiss deepened. Moving his hands down her body, he slid her gently across the bench and wrapped her legs around his body and carefully lifted her up.

Chloe couldn’t concentrate on Lex’s movements. His taste was what she remembered. He was sweet with just a touch of leftover alcohol staining the very back of his jaw. She shivered in his arms as she hit the edge of the couch and felt him run his tongue along the roof of her mouth. Whimpering, she felt his body cover hers on the length of the couch and leaned her head further back.

Lex took shallow breaths without letting his lips part from Chloe. Desperately and secretly, he was afraid that the moment he let himself part from her, she would leave. He knew nothing had been resolved, but stupidity was something the two would just have to work on. He guided her hand down his face to his heart where she could feel her effect on him. His heart shook the folds of his finely sewn shirt.

Feeling her hand against his chest, he took another deep breath and deepened the kiss once more until he felt her push against him once more. Pulling out of the kiss, he balanced above her and stared down at the woman he had tried to replace with his first blonde bimbo. “Lex, a breath.”

Chloe panted as she continued running her hands up and down his face and chest. “Sorry. I just missed you.”

Chloe stopped and undid one button on his shirt and touched his fiery hot skin and closed her eyes. “I know I’m going to regret this, but I want to sleep on this, separately.” Lex stared at her and sat up.

“We’re both tired and drained.” Chloe nodded and poured one more glass of wine for both of them. Handing the glass to Lex, she smiled.

“To …to be continued…”

Lex partly laughed and smiled for it seemed the first time since the football game. “My turn. To Chloe, the one who broke me.”

Chloe looked at him questioningly.

“You took a man who said he could never love and screwed that demon all to hell. I love you Chloe.” He waited and no response. He was strangely ok with her lack of response. He wanted nothing forced and her response in the car seemed that, almost desperate.

Leaning back into the couch, he once again felt her body curl up in his arms as she sighed and kissed him on the cheek. He would keep her this time, and they would be happy. There was only one option. Leaning over to look at her once more, he watched her body rise and fall in a quiet pattern.

Slipping his arms around her, he walked to the master bedroom and carefully pulled the covers back while still holding her. He laid her gently down and combed her hair out of her face. “Goodnight honey.” He pulled the covers over her and kissed her cheek.

Stopping at the door, he watched as she turned over and pulled the covers up around her. He closed the door and went to bed in the other room.

TBC

[lj715]

ACK!!! Omg, that was an excellent update. So glad Lex finally said he loved Chloe & that he would keep her. I hope you update again soon, want more please.

[karila]

Good update.
I 'm glad to see that they try to resolve their problems.