AN: This update is brought to you by Cinnaburst, because I miss that gum. Also, it was the one of the few gums that teachers allowed students to chew if only during standardize tests, something about the cinnamon helping concentration or increasing intelligence. Now that is a super power I can get behind. Buy all the Cinnaburst you can find and ship it off to the Smallville writers. And since it’s now hard to find, Big Red works well too. Also, I have nothing to do with the band One Republic, but I did listen to “Apologize” nonstop as I wrote this.
The Problem
Episode: Hero
Chloe stood just a foot away from Lex as they watched the One Republic concert from backstage at Metropolis’ Concert Hall. The couple was in a private darkened corner away from anyone else standing backstage. No one would see when Chloe casually leaned into Lex’s chest. They couldn’t see as Lex smoothly slid his hands to rest around Chloe’s waist. Didn’t see as the two slowly swayed back and forth to the music.
After a bout of new tests to discover the limitations of Chloe’s power and despite Lex’s constant urging for results, both were told that the information would take some time to gather. So Lex had decided that the two needed a break from thinking about the possible ramifications. Needed to do something where they could be a somewhat normal couple. Thus, the concert.
Lex had been with Chloe during her entire examination, just as he had been the last time. The difference being that she knew of his presence and welcomed it. This time her eyes weren’t full of fear but of gratefulness and Lex stayed near her, even held her hand when she deemed it necessary.
After the kiss in her apartment, they had agreed to some terms. The most important being that, for now, the relationship had to remain a secret. No one, especially not those close to her would understand. Another agreement is that each had to respect the other’s choices. Lex participated in certain acts that Chloe wouldn’t agree with because it was the best way he knew how to live his life. Chloe had her friendship with Clark that she wouldn’t give up because it was important to her. More often than not, moments would occur where they had to be on opposite sides, and they both knew that eventually it would come to a point of no return. But for now, they were going to try to start something. They loved each other. They both knew where the other stood, and still their feelings remained. When the time came, one was going to have to make the huge sacrifice. There was no getting around that inevitability. But neither was willing to forego their desires just because difficult times were ahead. What was the point in loving if one always expected the task to be easy?
Chloe tried to remove Lex’s hands but he was putting up a fight and it turned into a playful struggle. “Lex, it’s sweet that you don’t want to let go and I know we’ve been through a lot, but I don’t want to be one of those couples who follow each other where we go. Especially, when the place I need to go is the bathroom.”
Lex made a show of immediately releasing her, and she laughed as she went to find the nearest restroom. She sensed that Lex’s eyes didn’t leave her until she had turned a corner.
Finding the bathroom through the labyrinth of hallways wasn’t that hard, but when she was done, she was finding it difficult to find her way back toward the stage. She noticed a uniformed roadie speaking to a young man and was about to ask for directions when she recognized the man with whom he was speaking.
“Pete!” At that moment, Pete Ross turned around and immediately smiled when he had seen it was Chloe calling him. He finished his conversation and turned back to her. “What are you doing here?”
Chloe took a moment to come up with a reasonable excuse. “I’m covering an interview with the band for the Daily Planet.”
Pete looked perplexed with an added factor of knowing something she didn’t. “Strange, I don’t remember the band agreeing to an interview.”
Genuinely confused Chloe asked, “How would you know?”
“Because I’m an intern at Interscope Records and I’ve been assigned to work with the band’s publicist. Now, do you want to try again?” He folded his arms in front of his chest and dared her with his eyes to lie to him again.
They had lost touch and she didn’t know about his new job or she would have would have been more careful. In her defense, she didn’t expect to meet up with an old friend while on a date with someone said friend would have hated. She and Lex had talked about what to do if anyone saw them together. They were just two people who knew each other and happened to coincidently be at the same concert because they enjoyed music. “Man it’s been a while since we last spoke. You caught me. I’m trying to get an interview with the band.”
Pete seemed to accept this excuse because he gave her a knowing smile. “Still the same Chloe from the Torch.”
“More or less.” She smiled to keep up the pretense. She didn’t like lying to friends, but she it had to be done. It was about time that she got to do so for her own sake instead of protecting someone else.
“Well, I think I can help you with that interview.”
“Great! But right now I just need to find my way back to the stage. I think the article would be a lot better if I actually listen to the concert. So I’ll meet up with you when it’s over.” She had to get back to Lex. He knew she could handle herself, but he would worry, especially in this city. If nothing else, he would wonder if she had some kidney disease.
“I’ll escort you, and we can catch up until the band is done.” Pete looped his arm in hers and started walking down a corridor.
Chloe knew she’d have to accept or risk explaining everything. “Sounds good.”
When they arrived backstage, they were across the way from where Lex had remained. She caught his eye and gave him a silent apology as she jerked her head toward Pete. He saw her companion and obviously wasn’t pleased that there date had to abruptly end but he gave a slight nod. He didn’t remove his frown as he tried to pretend to watch the concert. Every few seconds he would look back at Chloe and Pete.
Chloe had caught Lex staring a few times. He often looked as if he wanted to come over and punch Pete out before taking her back in his arms. At this point, she wasn’t so sure she’d object. She loved Pete dearly, but she knew her time with Lex would be far and few in between if they were going to be successful in keeping quiet about the change in their status.
Pete had noticed Lex staring as well because he pulled Chloe closer to him so he could mention it to her. “What doe Luthor keep staring at you?”
Chloe turned back to look at Lex as if this was the first time she had even noticed he was around. By that time, Lex had his eyes on the band. “Um, I don’t know. Are you sure he was?”
Pete’s voice was urgent as he said, “Yes and he didn’t look to happy.”
“Well, you know Lex and Clark aren’t friends anymore.” That was the truth and she didn’t need to say anymore. He would come to his own conclusions.
Pete nodded his head in understanding. “Probably disgusted that the little people got the same privileges as him.”
She knew that she couldn’t give away anything yet, and she was trying to calm Pete’s suspicions, but it would be good if one friend was at least okay with Lex. “I don’t think Lex is that petty. The lighting isn’t the best back here. He was probably trying to figure out why we looked familiar and who we were.” That made some sense. Why couldn’t she have thought of that excuse first?
Pete scrunched his forehead in thought. “I bet I’m right. But just in case he’s up to something, I’ll stand on the other side to block his view of you.”
Chloe tried to protest but knew it was futile. She watched the rest of the concert with Pete and tried to sound as him with they spoke about the past. But her mind was with Lex. She got an interview with the band, and the resulting article couldn’t make up for the fact that Lex wasn’t the one who took her home.
She said goodbye to Pete at her door and agreed to meet up for lunch the next day. As she turned to open her door, Lex made her aware of his presence behind her. She let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry. That wasn’t how I wanted the night to end.”
Lex agreed with a soft smile. “I know but we agreed to keep this between us for now.”
She opened door and didn’t have to ask for Lex to follow her. As she shut the door, she said, “Pete saw you staring at me.”
“What did he say?” Lex asked even though he pretty much knew the answer.
“He believes you were disgusted with our mere existence in your space.” Chloe followed with a ‘What can you do?’ shrug.
Yep, that was more or less what he had expected. “Well, he wasn’t entirely wrong about himself.”
“I don’t want think about Pete right now and what he may or may not think. And I know you don’t. I just want to salvage the rest of this night.” She put her arms around his back and pulled him close.
He ran his fingers through her hair before lowering his head toward hers. When he was close to her lips, he quietly said “Agreed.” Then, he kissed her and lowered his arms to her back. Together they awkwardly walked to her bedroom as they kissed.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The next day, Pete made an early morning trip to the Kent farm. He wasn’t pleased to see Lionel there. He was surprised to learn that Lionel, Lana, and Chloe all knew Clark’s secret. While he and Clark played basketball, he let his feelings known.
“Look, I don’t trust Lionel and I don’t think you should either. I’d list several reasons why but I should think they’d already be obvious.” Pete said as he threw Clark the ball.
Clark knew Pete was looking out for him, and if Clark had to admit that he was never absolutely certain where Lionel’s loyalties lied, but he needed the man’s help from time to time. “Things have changed since you left Smallville. You can’t expect any of us to be the same people you left.”
“Amen to that. I never thought Lana would have married Lex, and I’d certainly never thought you would take her back after she did.” Pete grabbed the ball back from Clark and made a shot as Clark stared in disbelief.
“Lex did some bad things to Lana that I won’t discuss with you, but she’s not at fault at here.” If he were honest, it got more and more difficult to say that each time the subject came up.
“I don’t want anyone saying that I stood up for baldy, but what could he have possibly done that was so bad and made her want to date him at the same time. I am assuming they dated before she married.” Pete stared Clark down as he waited for an answer.
“Yes, they dated. But I push her to him.” He tried to finish that sentence as if he fully believed it.
“How did you do that?”
“I wasn’t honest about my secret.” That was true. He was certain of that.
Pete nodded his head as if to contemplate this answer, but he didn’t hide the cynicism in his voice. “And she became so pissed at your dishonesty that she ran right into the arms of your greatest enemy?”
That always seemed to be the point where Clark had trouble rationalizing Lana’s actions as well. He stiltedly answered, “Yes.”
“But she still loved you?”
Clark balked, “Yes…well I think…yes!” He finished with more intensity then he actually felt.
“So she loved you, but her love for you wasn’t greater than her disgust for you lying to her? Not even a lie, you just didn’t tell her everything about yourself.” Pete didn’t even try to hide his displeasure. He intended to make his point.
“Pete, why do you have to come here and drudge up stuff that has been dealt with?”
He knew that an outside perspective was exactly what Clark needed now. He wasn’t there for all of the mess and could see everything with fresh eyes. “Because I’m not convinced that it has. I know that all you ever wanted was Lana Lang, but is it all that you thought it would be? I’ve just spent twenty minutes with you two, and I felt more love between my parents right before they announced their divorce.”
Clark took the ball back from Pete. “We love each other. We are happy. Yes, we have problems but what relationship doesn’t.” He may have lost his advantage in believability because in his anger, he slammed the ball into the ground and it burst on impact.
Pete let what happened to the ball go, but he wasn’t going to drop this argument. “And when you have to do something that she doesn’t like, she’s not going to run off to someone else?”
Truthfully, the thought scared him. Clark was almost certain that that was exactly what Lana would do. Still he answered, “No.”
Pete knew the truth and he knew that Clark knew it too. But if Clark didn’t want to say it just yet, then they’d move on. He had something else he wanted to discuss at the moment. “If that belief makes you feel good, then fine. I’m just trying to help. There might be something else that you need to be more concerned about.”
“What’s that?”
“I was at a concert last night, and I reunited with Chloe. While we watched the band, I noticed Lex there and he seemed…angry about me be there.”
Chloe hadn’t said anything to him about going to a concert, but that wasn’t anything to be worried about. She had her own life. And he knew all about Lex’s intentions with him and his loved ones. “That’s not odd. Chloe and I aren’t his favorite people. But we are careful and keeping a close eye on his dealings.”
“No, I’m saying. He seemed more upset with the fact that I was with Chloe, then that she was there at all. I didn’t want to alarm her, but I swear it almost seemed as if he was jealous. Is it at all possible that Lex is after Chloe for some reason other than you?”
Clark had been worried about the possibility since he walked in on Lex’s memory. But that time was before everything that had happened in the last few years. It was possible that Lex also had some pleasant memories of their friendship as well. It didn’t mean anything. And the anger from the Lex in his mind could have been residual from any of the problems that he and Lex had. It just didn’t make sense for Lex to have romantic feelings for Chloe. He was certain that Lex still harbored a love for Lana. And he had to worry about Lex trying to get his secret from an amnesiac Kara. That’s what he’d seen from Lex over the last few months. That made sense. A love for Chloe didn’t, and he couldn’t risk splitting his focus three ways. He worried for Chloe. He worried she would over-exhaust her power. He knew Lex would want her for that power, for his secret, for a chance to hurt him, but not for anything else. “I’m sure that it wasn’t what you think. Yes, Chloe is at risk as long as Lex is after my secret, but so is everyone else who knows, and Chloe isn’t scared. She’s not going to stop living her life while we wait for Lex to take action. None of us are. And don’t worry; I’m sure Lex doesn’t want to do anything personal with Chloe.”
He could almost say with complete certainty that he had nothing to fear when it came to Lex and Chloe becoming involved.
TBC
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