In the Absence of a Hero *NC-17* Updated: Feb 28, 2009

[Kit Merlot]

I loved these last two updates!

I like that is this story, it's Chloe who is helping Lex to see that Clark is all wrong for him. I especially loved this line:

“You can change all of it. Your life is yours.” She tried to catch his eye but he was looking up at the ceiling. “He can be gotten over, Lex. Trust me on that one. I would do a lot for you, but I wouldn’t lie about this to make you feel better. It hurts like hell but you’ll come out on the other side. I’ll help you.”

Yes it will be painful, but Clark can be gotten over, and Chloe is proof postive of this. I think Lex realizes it, but he just doesn't want to give up.

And I also love how attracted Lex and Chloe are too each other, but they are no where near ready to be in a relationship yet.

Continued great work on this story.

[somethingeasy]

The chapter started out on a very moody, broody and depressing tone, which I rather enjoyed, LOL! It was very interesting how the atmosphere and mood was set with Lex and Chloe discussing Classic Greek Tragedies while contemplating the depressing state of Lex’s collapsing relationship… not to mention his breaking heart. He might be the one calling an end to his match with Clark, but I am quite certain that he felt weak, horrible and guilty for ‘quitting’ and giving up on something so important.

Thank heavens Chloe was here to help him weather through the worst of his depression. I shudder to imagine the kind of state Lex would have dug himself into without her there to allay some of the despair, disappointment and heartbreak he was experiencing. He probably would have drunk himself into a stupor, and then taken from ‘happy pills’ from a long-ago hidden stash to lift his spirits or something… I’m sure he would have done SOMETHING colossally stupid, if not for Chloe’s presence.

The poor man was dressed in SWEATS for heavens’s sake! How low has he sunk?!

Chloe carefully flipped through the pages until she came to the picture he was talking about. It had a great deal of detail and was rather impressive. “I was always more interested in Prometheus,” she remarked. They had a lot in common. Getting into trouble for helping others, for example.

heh, I liked this comparison between Chloe and Prometheus. It fits in very well. I can easily imagine Chloe as a self-sacrificing hero, struggling to deliver truth to the ordinary humans, even as great personal risk and consequences.

He shook his head, trying to put his thoughts into a coherent sentence that would explain it to her. Knew it was time to face the music. “The ironic thing is that I didn't get it. I read every single one of these stories and I still didn't make the connection.”

The smirk on his face felt stretched, like it didn't belong there. “Not until last night.”

“Hey,” she slid over a little and put a hand on his thigh, “it doesn’t always have to end like that.” They were no longer talking about fairy tales and myths.

I really liked this little bit… It’s really such a tragic shame that Clark has come close to destroying what little, tiny, miniscule amount of hope Lex still harboured for ‘happy endings’. How can Lex now EVER hope that ‘love conquers all’ after he’s been screwed over by a super-hero?

Save him, Chloe!

He laughed but there was no humor in the gesture. Chloe knew that she was reversing herself but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to see Lex like this. Maybe Clark could change for him. Maybe if he really tried….

“Not everything has to be a tragedy, Lex.” But they both knew that Clark couldn’t change. They knew it deep down.

I think Lex has been hanging onto Clark with the hope that Clark would get ‘better’, that he would change his behaviour and attitude and start behaving like a worthy partner. This is probably why Lex has tolerated being in this kind of a relationship for so long.

It’s a good thing he’s finally seemed to have realized that Clark is ‘not’ going to change… especially not if he’s unaware on what the problem is in the first place.

“You can change all of it. Your life is yours.” She tried to catch his eye but he was looking up at the ceiling. “He can be gotten over, Lex. Trust me on that one. I would do a lot for you, but I wouldn’t lie about this to make you feel better. It hurts like hell but you’ll come out on the other side. I’ll help you.”

It was this part that REALLY made me happy that Chloe was here to help Lex get through this time of deep depression. All of her words were exactly what Lex needed for reassurance. Her own experience with Clark allowed her to give the perfect words and advice to give Lex ‘some’ semblance of hope for happiness later in his life.

And the bloody fucking kicker about it was that Clark didn't even realize his fate. Not as long as Lex was still there to come home to. Not as long as this pretense of a relationship was still existent. Lex would have to be the one to show Clark his tragic destiny by making the decision to walk away. To save himself, he'd have to sacrifice the hero. It was enough to crack a man's head.

heh, oh well… Clark is about to get a rude awakening very soon. Let’s see how the oblivious manages on his own without having someone dote on him, and reassure him that he’s a wonderful and amazing catch of a boyfriend. He went straight from being worshipped by Chloe to being worshipped by Lex… Let’s see how he deals when he doesn’t have anyone waiting loyally waiting home for him.

Lex started to laugh. It was either that or break out in tears, so laughing it was.

“Why does it all have to be such a fucking drama?” he asked between gales of hysteric laughter.

He shook his head, still laughing. “Why the fuck couldn't I get the fairy tale instead of the goddamn heroic tragedy?”

Chloe stared at Lex. For the first time in all of this she wasn’t just worried about Lex, she was scared for him. He was very close to some sort of breakdown, that much was clear to her.

Heh, it was pretty funny. I should be glad that Lex can see the ironic humour in this situation. But I also share Chloe’s worry about Lex giving into his despair and having a breakdown.

She ran her hand over his back and spoke quietly to him. “Life’s not a fairy tale. Never has been, never will be. No one gets a Prince Charming that sweeps them off their feet. You get some guy who you love and try not to kill when he does or says something dumb. As long as he tries to change, and you do to, you stay with him.”

awwww, wasn’t this a PERFECT assessment on what makes up a good relationship? Chloe’s quite savvy for someone who hasn’t found ‘The Perfect Guy’ in her life as yet.

“Losing Clark will not be the defining moment in your life,” she said, strongly. She wouldn’t let it be. Lex was more than one boyfriend. More than one fucked up relationship. “You’ve got a ton more messed up relationships to look forward to,” she said, ruefully. “Until you find one that works. One that doesn’t turn you into this.”

It was one thing to be vulnerable and open and quite another to define your whole life as tragic just because of Clark.

“I wish I could promise you that things will get easier if you decide to leave him. That he won’t turn this around to you being the bad guy because you can’t possibly understand how hard it is to be him.” Chloe was ashamed to hear the venom in her voice when she spoke. But Clark had used that line on her, even back in Smallville, so she was positive that Lex had heard it a million times.

“But, you either live with knowing the real reason you left him while he sees it as selfishness or you stay with him for the wrong reasons. It’s a bitch of a choice.” She said the last part almost to herself. She didn’t envy Lex one bit.

Chloe is REALLY brilliant, and a perfect friend for Lex. She knew exactly what he needed to hear. She knew that he would probably feel guilt about being a weak quitter for giving up on this relationship, and she’s allaying these feelings.

I can even imagine Clark playing on Lex’s feelings of insecurity and unworthiness. He probably WOULD have turned the situation around blaming Lex for not being strong, loyal and steadfast… and Lex would probably have believed him too, and might have even ended up begging for a second chance. Lex is SO lucky that Chloe is here to bring perspective on the situation and reassure Lex that he did everything possible to make this relationship work… but that it was impossible to fix this without Clark cooperating or compromising.

Lex was already on the couch again, big bowl of popcorn, a bottle of soda and two glasses on the table, waiting for Chloe. He'd figured she'd scampered off to find herself a 'movie blankie', but his brows rose as his eyes fell on her.

She'd raided his closet, again, and his dresser, apparently. The shirt was old, a bit frayed at all ends, but probably the softest cotton you could get. There'd been a print on it once upon a time, but that was hardly visible anymore thanks to a million and one times in the washer. She'd also found his old pair of running sweats. They were about half a mile to long in her ankles, but she made it look kinda cute.

This made for a very cute, intimate, homey visual. I LOVED it! I loved the image of Lex in sweats, with Chloe wearing one of his comfortable shirts, and the two of them cuddled up together on the couch with all kinds of movie snacks surrounding them. It was a beautiful scene for Chlex interaction… and it’s LOVELY to see that Lex gets SOME person to be ‘domestic’ with.

I kept expecting Clark to walk in any moment and take in the scene of domesticity that he was not a part of in any way. Perhaps he would have been oblivious, or perhaps he would have noticed the obvious that HIS boyfriend was getting far too cozy for comfort with a very attractive female.

“Love the outfit, would buy it myself...Oh wait, I forgot it is mine.”

He grinned as she rolled her eyes at him and moved over to plan her nest on the couch. “Thief,” he accused with a smile.

The smile softened further when he noticed she was including him in her blanket nest making.

“You’re just jealous that you can’t fit into any of my super cute outfits,” she grumbled good naturedly. Lex had given up trying to discourage her from going through his things and taking what she liked. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d reproached her for that. Or when he’d stopped doing that. Amazing, when you thought about it. A Luthor not caring that a former reporter was loose in his place.

I also enjoyed the banter between the two of them. It was cute, engaging and also very familiar and comfortable. It’s incredible that the two of them have not realized the intimacy that exists between the two of them.

Lex leaned forward to grab the remote and the popcorn bowl. He placed the latter in her lap leaving his arm around her once it was settled securely. Huh, now that was a smooth move, why hadn't he thought of that one when he was sixteen and trying to make a pass at Hillary Stevenson?

heh, I can see Lex is making ‘some’ of the proper associations in his mind about the position he is in with Chloe… but he’s not following through with that train of thought. Oh well, just a little while longer until the idea of a possible grope enters Lex’s mind in connection with Chloe, LOL!

He relaxed into the cushions and put his feet back up on the table. His fingers started aimlessly stroking back and forth over the fabric of the t-shirt where his hand was. Chloe had dead aim when it came to stealing his favorites. At least she always gave them back.

Pavlov proved that a stimulus was the key to a reaction. Didn’t matter if the food was there or not, the bell set you off. So, it didn’t matter that it was someone else’s boyfriend now stroking the skin at her hip, she was reacting to the touch.

Chloe told her body to calm down a little. It was only Lex who had started to move his hand aimlessly over her body. So what if his skin sometimes rubbed against hers under the shirt?

Heh… the choice in movie was terrible… but I’m a LOT more interested in the slow, sneaking seductive mood that’s creeping on the screen in front of me. I LOVE how the mood is developing so softly, slowly and organically that neither Lex nor Chloe are aware on where it’s headed. ANY person who walked in on them would immediately assume that he/she was disturbing an intimate bonding moment between two lovers.

Heh, it’s going to be fun to see both Lex and Chloe come to the realization that they progressed beyond the lines of ‘friendship’ quite a long time ago.

When Lex had moved to get closer to the bowl, he’d also moved her closer to him. Now, his wrist rested on her hip and the center of the palm of his hand was about two inches away from her belly button. His whole hand was placed on her stomach and she could feel her skin contact his every time she breathed.

It took some getting used to but once she did, she enjoyed the contact. Chloe knew that Lex wasn’t coming on to her, that he probably didn’t even realize he’d done it. That made her happy. He was usually always so concerned with etiquette and crap like that.

It was quite amusing to see them both indulging in useless movie trivia, critique and gossip… and all the while, underneath all their shallow, flippant conversation, their bodies are drawing closer together… and Lex’s hands are getting more comfortable and ‘friendlier’ without him even realizing it. At least CHLOE can feel a little but of what’s going on between them… even if she IS determined to remain in denial about it, LOL! Now Lex is the one being oblivious…. I guess it’s a guy-thing, huh? LOL!

Lex's muscles tensed in reflex to the touching and sniffing. “Should I hand you a rolled up twenty?”

I shouldn’t be surprised about the association that Lex made with sniffing, but I seriously LOVED the image of someone trying to snort up Lex Luthor… the world’s most expensive, exclusive drug EVER… available only through LexCorp! Damn I’d like to get a package of that stuff!

Sticking his nose in her hair, he started snuffling exaggeratedly, making his way from the side of her head down to her neck as she squeaked indignantly and tried to fight him off. With all the squealing and tussling going on it took a while for him to actually register the smell.

Do these two people think it’s really ‘normal’ for a pair of friends to be wrestling with each other for the purpose on some intense sniffing? What planet are these people from?! ROTFL!

While she had seen this side of Lex numerous times, it was always a little…a little…a little something that made her melt and tense up at the same time. She couldn’t put her finger on it.

She can’t put her finger on it? Sheeesh! This is a VERY serious case of denial. Someone bring a baseball bat to knock some obvious truth into her… or BOTH of them!

“Yes, it is, Mr. I Violently Smell People Without Their Written Permission and Will Now be Sued.” She decided that being ridiculous would help Lex’s mood. He immediately started laughing. She knew that he would point out that she had started it. But that was hardly the point. Besides…

“I was just delicately sniffing you because you always smell good. It was an involuntary thing. I am a lady and, therefore, would never assault someone like you did.” Very primly, she finished, “I will now accept your apology.” She looked up at him and waited.

It took a moment to stop laughing before he caught the look on her face that meant she was waiting for something. Like an apology, which was not going to happen. “You're the one who got yourself into this, so don't expect me to say sorry. Predators don't say 'sorry' to their prey.”

ROTFLMAO! This was priceless! I loved this banter between the two of them. It was adorable, sweet and lighthearted… and it was a delight seeing Lex being so playful instead of indulging in The Brood. He is SO unbelievably lucky to have Chloe with him during a time like this.

“Fine,” she huffed while smiling, “I’ll make a note to smell less appealing the next time we meet.” She drummed her fingers on his chest. “What do you prefer, land fill or rotting meat?”

“Neither,” he said with sincerity, having gotten to know both smells intimately at one point or another.

ooooh, fabulous! This was an intriguing reference to Lex’s possible activities during his rebellion days. It really raised my eyebrows, and now I’m dying for more details… Elaboration please?

He remembered one night when she'd come to him and snuggled up. Could have been the first time, but he didn't remember if it was. Could have been any of the times since she'd started getting close, really. In any case, that one night he'd caught a whiff of something really nice. “Kind of nutty and flowery at the same time. Smelled really good.”

That left either shampoo or lotion. “I think I know which one you mean,” she said. She remembered the bottle but not the name. “It’s a lotion but I don’t know the name off hand. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to slather it on when I come over the next time.”

Lex smiled back and sunk a bit deeper into the cushions. “Good.”

ROTFL! And now he’s requesting his friend to adjust her perfume according to his wishes? AND she’s actually paying attention and agreeing to indulge his wishes? And they’re STILL going to insist that they’re ‘only friends’?!? ROTFL! It’s equal parts frustrating and fun seeing them both acting clueless. LOL!

It felt good to know that Chloe would always be there. And with a start he realized that he couldn't know that. Well, he couldn't know for sure as far as logic went, his brain told him so. But that didn't change the fact that he just knew. The kind of knowledge that was purely instinct.

He smirked at himself and leaned down to press a kiss to her temple. “Thank you.”

I loved this moment. I really liked how Lex appreciated what an amazing source of comfort, loyalty and support Chloe is… and how he knows that he can depend on HER like he can depend on no other person (up to and including his own lacklustre boyfriend).

Her eyes lit up as she looked back at him with a big smile, next snarky comeback just waiting to spill out. It struck him how pretty she looked when she smiled. Pretty and kind of sexy. That thought brought back the memory of their night at the club. More than kind of sexy. Clark was a complete moron.

Lex swallowed.

He was suddenly very conscious of all her luscious curves that were pressed against him.

Heee He’s not only realized what an amazing person she is, but he’s also finally noted that she’s quite a sexily, luscious babe too, LOL! Perfect! Now put both of those revelations together, Lex, and perhaps you’ll see that your perfect match is sitting right there beside you!

Lex managed a smirk, but it felt a little thin. With the consciousness of the curves obviously came the awareness of touch. She'd petted him like this a thousand times, but it had never had that much effect on him. Instead of merely feeling warm, he felt like he was starting a fever.

“Yea, stupid h...genes.”

He took a deep breath. He'd almost slipped up there and cursed his hormones, which would have required an explanation that he'd rather not give.

ROTFLMAO! Oh what an interesting slip THAT would have been! ROTFL! It was really fun seeing Lex’s awareness slip to a new level as he realized that all that intimate cuddling taking place could be construed as something a little ‘more’ than just friends. About time!

Okay, so he was apparently attracted to Chloe. Not good. In fact, horribly inconvenient. But he could work through this, make it go away. Somehow. Chloe was his friend, not a fuck. And she was looking at him weird.

Right, insert snappy comeback here.

*sigh* I guess it’s time for Luthor to go into ‘denial mode’ now. Is it SO much to ask that someone takes note of the attraction between them and voices it out loud?!?

Heh, oh well, the cuddling session taking place between the two of them is not over YET! Perhaps there will be a kiss before the movie’s ending credits come rolling in?

It would be interesting to see how Chloe and Lex deal with the possibility that this ‘thing’ arising between them might be a rebound reaction on Lex’s part? He HAS just recently been having serious problems with his former relationship, and he’s RIGHT on the verge of a breakup… Any new relationship being formed at this fragile, emotionally tensed moment would be highly suspect. And Chloe’s just too smart not to question about how valid and genuine Lex’s emotions might be while he’s on the verge of an breakdown.

I look forward to seeing future chapter. Good luck.

[BlueSabby]

A/N: Blue: Some more snuggling...and a tad bit more.

A/N: Sabby: You know what they say about good intentions...


Lex closed the bedroom door behind them and went to the bathroom as Chloe started to straighten out the bed and pull back the covers.

They'd ended up watching another movie after School of Rock, which ended up being stupid enough to snark away. The much needed release of sarcasm had allowed Lex to calm down and get used to the feeling of her hand on his stomach all over again.

Also, somewhere during the movie, she'd made it clear that she was staying the night, again. Lex was glad for that, even with the odd feeling still making room for themselves inside of him. He didn't want to be alone.

Returning to the bedroom, he found Chloe already snuggled under the covers on her...Clark's side of the bed. Lex wondered why he even still made the distinction. It wasn't like Clark still slept in the bed much.

He slipped in next to her and held his arms open before his brain could tell him that maybe that wasn't such a good idea. But it wasn't like anything would happen. He wasn't even really aroused yet. At all, he wasn't aroused at all and wouldn't be, because Chloe was his friend, not a fuck.

Chloe sighed contentedly against Lex. She’d gotten into bed before him hoping that she could warm her feet up, even a little bit, before Lex came in. He seemed a little stiff to her for a moment before he relaxed. Must have been thinking about Clark.

It had occurred to her that it was weird that she was on Clark’s side of the bed, maybe Lex had just had that same thought. She moved her head up to say goodnight, not knowing that Lex had been moving his head down to rest on hers, and she felt their bones connecting.

“God, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t believe that she’d done that. His body relaxed even more as he held his jaw with a hand and chuckled down at her.

He was looking at her with that look. That look that meant he was a millisecond away from making fun of her. “Oh, shove it where the sun doesn’t shine.”

Lex laughed. And Chloe’s body reacted. She felt a physical tug both in her chest and between her legs.

“Good night, Lex,” she said in a no nonsense tone of voice, telling him in no uncertain terms, without saying it, that he was to shut up.

It was dark and her eyes hadn’t adjusted. That’s why it had happened.

Lex was still chuckling. He couldn't see very well in the darkness, but he didn't need to see her in detail to know which kind of expression was on her face right now. “You're...” Adorable, cute, funny, and quite a few other things that she probably didn't want to hear right now.

He brought a hand up and stroked it gently over her head, cradled her cheek and carefully leaned down to press a kiss against her mouth.

Got whammied by the rush of something as their lips connected and froze after he pulled back about an inch. Couldn't figure out why he'd done that, just that it had felt right and he definitely hadn't meant to come on to her.

She'd kissed him on the mouth before, so if he didn't move now, it'd be okay, right? Right.

Chloe could hear both of them breathing when Lex pulled back. Rather heavily, in her opinion, but it could have just been because the room was so quiet.

Her palms were sweating and her heart was working overtime. Before she knew what was good for her, she’d leaned up a little and kissed Lex again. She hadn’t paid proper attention the first time.

The firm pressure of his lips coupled with the surprising softness of them made her want to moan. But she trapped the noise in her throat. Her hand tentatively came to rest on his shoulder. She had to stop. He had a boyfriend. They were just friends. God, she was damned.

She pulled back, ashamed that she’d taken advantage of the situation, of him. “Night.” Her traitorous body wanted more contact but she wouldn’t give in to her urges.

“G'night,” he croaked out.

What had just happened?

Because he was sure something had just happened. That had not just been one of her innocent I'm here, I'm your friend kisses. It had felt different. More like, I'm here, I'm your friend and if it's alright with you, I'd like to jump your bones.

No, he had to be projecting. Which wasn't good either. He really shouldn't be having these kinds of thoughts to project in the first place.

Lex closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He had a boyfriend, he was in a relationship with someone. He shouldn't have done this, shouldn't be thinking about doing more. Which he wasn't. Thinking.

Another deep breath. He could work past this. No more inappropriate feelings for the girl who was just being his friend and trying to make things better for him.
~~
While Chloe had slept well, she’d had strange dreams. She couldn’t remember any of them but still felt odd upon waking. As usual, she and Lex were wrapped up in one another. She wouldn’t mind staying that way but her bladder had other ideas.

But getting out of bed was easier said then done. She smiled softly at just how clingy Lex was and felt a surge of triumph when she was able to break free.

She scurried over to the bathroom and quietly shut the door.

Lex's eyes popped open upon the click.

He cursed his Pavlovian conditioning and wondered if he'd ever be able to get rid of it again.

Unlike last time, his brain was still kind of fuzzy. He rolled over onto his stomach, grabbed the nearest pillow and shoved it under his head, burrowing his nose in. Chloe hadn't left, she was just in the bathroom. She could make the coffee this morning.

The bed was still warmer than the outside, even without the additional warmth that Chloe provided. Lex's eyes closed on their own volition as his body relaxed back into the sheets.

The door to the bathroom clicked again and Lex smirked into the pillow against his face. He was so not getting up.

Chloe opened the door and was halfway back to the bed before she noticed what Lex had done. The greedy pig had stolen her pillow.

Her eyes narrowed. He’d pay for that. She’d obviously washed and dried her hands. But they were still a good ten degrees colder than the bed was.

She could tell by how he held himself that he was fully awake so the thievery was no mistake. She continued on to the bed, slid in and then placed her cool hands on his lower back.

Lex's muscles tensed, but he managed to keep in the indignant sound that was trying to come out of his mouth.

Instead he growled at Chloe for a moment and moved his head just enough to glare at her. “'S not a nice way of saying good morning.”

Her hands were slowly warming up against his skin now, so the sensation became rather pleasant. “Wanna give me a backrub while you're there?”

“It’s not nice to steal my stuff, either,” she pointed out as she tried to pry her pillow away from Lex. It wasn’t as easy as it looked.

She knew why he was doing it. Because he thought it was fun to see the faces she made when she was annoyed or angry or concentrating or anything really. After a minute of tug of war, she gave up.

“You weren’t serious about that were you,” she asked. She hadn’t had any coffee, was worried about her reaction to Lex and now was the time he wanted to annoy her? Perfect.

Lex looked at her, leaving her dangling for a moment. He just liked to see her all frazzled. Hair mussed, shirt askew, face all scrunched up and puppyish in frustration. Too cute.

“Nah,” he finally said as he slung an arm around her middle. “C'mere.”

It took one hearty tug from him to get her flat on the mattress beside him and she thought she could outwrestle him for a pillow. Adorable.

He shifted until she had some space on the pillow too, then buried his face in her neck and placed a kiss on her jaw. “There, wouldn't wanna take away what you rightfully stole in the first place.”

Lex’s voice was husky from nonuse. He was close to her ear when he spoke. This wasn’t her fault, she was only human after all.

The heat that started to permeate her body was partly from the heat she was stealing from Lex and partly from something else…

Chloe had herself under control, she really did, until she felt him nuzzling at her neck. She’d told Lex she was sensitive there, a number of times, was he trying to kill her?

“Lex…” Her voice should have been strong or put off or brisk or ironic or anything other than that weak, whimpery sound that it was.

It was then that she noticed she was clutching at his shoulders. When he looked up at her, his face unveiled, she could see that he was shocked at what he’d heard. And she thought she saw something else.

Not thinking about what she was doing, or thinking about what could happen if she did what she was doing, her hands moved to the sides of his face. She brought his mouth down to hers and kissed him.

At first, just a brush of their lips against each other’s. When he didn’t pull away, she kissed him with more force.

He still wasn’t going anywhere. Scooting closer, she wrapped her arms around him as much as she could and kissed him again. Between her groping him, she murmured, “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. God, you’re so…” Kissed him again and again. Felt like she couldn’t stop.

Lex was confused and off-balanced and getting very turned on very fast. There was a reason why he should protest this and why they should both be sorry and...It didn't matter. It absolutely didn't matter one bit because this felt too good, and it felt right. So screw reasoning out the window. Literally.

His arm around her waist tightened at they continued kissing and he rolled them over until Chloe was on top of him. Brought his other hand up to move her hair out of her face and keep her head just were it was, in the perfect position to devour her mouth with tongue, teeth and lips.

“'S okay. Want this. Want you.” Half sentences to assure her this was more than okay, really, between kissing and groping.

He felt her hands pressing against his chest, sliding down to his stomach. Warmth was quickly replaced with heat again as he ran his fingers down her back and under her shirt. Felt his way around, exploring the skin and feeling the muscles shift as she pressed into his hands.

Sensory overload hit her. She didn’t know what to do first. Lex touching her felt…felt…Chloe couldn’t come up with a word that meant what she felt as his hands wandered over her back and up her spine. Wanted to feel more of him. All of him.

“Good,” she breathlessly said. “Cause I can’t stop.” Her hands were shaking a little, what was wrong with her?, as they continued to play over his body. She’d shucked up his shirt to midway up his chest. But she wanted to feel and see more.

His mouth was fused to hers again, his tongue doing something to her that had to be illegal in both the US and Canada. Chloe was usually in control and suave, now she felt herself lost in what Lex was doing as she moved almost helplessly against and on top of him.

As Lex’s hand came up to tangle in her hair and hold her in place, Chloe’s hand traveled in a southern direction. Back past his belly button and then below the waistband of his boxers.

His hips bucked into the touch of her hand and he made some kind of noise that he'd deny until his dying day when her fingers circled his cock for the first time.

The hand in her hair flexed before he moved it down again, clawing at the shirt to get it off her. He wanted to feel her skin against his, touch her without all that cotton in the way. She was rocking against his leg as they kept kissing. The bottom of her panties was slowly growing damp.

Lex managed to somehow get his free hand between them and slip it inside her underwear. His fingers slid through her wet folds and inside. He moved them in counterpoint to her hips as she rode them.

Chloe moaned into his mouth and tightened her fingers around his cock, making him moan in turn.

They needed to get out of those damn clothes, now.

The groping they were both partaking in might have been embarrassing for two grown adults if they weren’t both so needy and close. Chloe now knew that she wasn’t the only one who desperately needed this.

She didn’t think that they’d get there, though, if one of them didn’t take some advancing steps. Like getting off her panties. And Lex’s boxers.

But his mouth was so skilled that she didn’t want to stop kissing him. She also didn’t want to let go of the evidence of what she was doing to him. Chloe whimpered and Lex swallowed the noise as his hand worked between her legs.

An orgasm was quickly rising in her body. It was that sensation that made her stop and think.

Chloe didn’t want to come with Lex like that. She wanted him inside.

Finally, she broke away from his mouth and immediately started to gasp for air. Her lower half kept grinding against him while her hand stroked over his cock. Panting, she looked down at Lex…and almost lost it at what she saw.

Lips looking swollen and moist, eyes focused on hers and dilated by arousal. He was flushed and gorgeous and she found herself swooping down for another kiss. She stopped herself…barely.

“Want you inside,” she explained as best she could. She regretfully took her hand away from his cock and leaned up a little before she was able, with Lex’s help, to divest her of her shirt. The panties had to go next. Then they’d work on him.

Lex pulled her into another kiss the moment she'd lost the shirt. He turned them around and moved from her mouth to her jaw, down her neck, kissing, nipping and licking a path across her upper body. With a last caress to her clit he pulled his fingers away so he could get rid of the panties.

They went down in one swift motion and Lex made his way back up, licking and kissing at random spots on the way. Got a little distracted around her belly button as his hands explored every bit of her body they could reach. Cupped her breasts in his hands, feeling the soft skin and hard little nipples poking out.

Chloe's hands were at his shoulders, trying to pull him up, but he was reluctant to let go of this already.

“Let me,” he said between kisses, “indulge.” He just wanted to take everything he could for as long as he could get it.

“Kay,” she breathed out. She took her hands away from Lex’s body and let them fall back onto the mattress. She was already moaning and shaking and felt like she’d come just from his touch but whatever Lex wanted, she’d give him.

She turned her head and tried to muffle her voice in the pillow. She was being kinda loud. It was a little embarrassing.

Problem was, she wanted to watch and touch Lex. Just because he was ‘indulging’ didn’t mean she couldn’t, too. She was so dumb. Her brain wasn’t working properly or else she would have thought of it before.

His hands were running over and then under her thighs and she let her legs part as he applied gentle pressure. Lex was looking between her thighs and the look on his face made her breath quicken. His hands kept moving up over her skin until they had worked their way under her body and were cupping her ass.

Lex ducked his head and Chloe arched her body up. Her legs and arms wound around him as his tongue started to tease at one of her nipples. Eyes rolling back in her head and trying not to grind against him, Chloe started to speak. Hoped some of the words made sense. She held his head in place, moaned when he let go of her flesh and then sighed when he took the neglected nipple in his mouth.

“God, Lex, so good.”

Hands now running over his back, nails digging in a little. Trailed a path down his spine and down further below the waist of his boxers. Stopped just above his ass.

Another flutter of his tongue sent Chloe on a cursing fit as her head lolled back and whipped to the side.

She dimly felt the material of his shirt on the back of her hands as she held tight to his body. “Lex…shirt…off.”

Lex released the bit of skin he'd sucked on to rear up. Pulled his shirt off as fast as humanly possible without breaking his neck and threw it aside, then went right back to what he'd been concentrating on.

When he felt her hands on his skin, stroking, scratching and holding on, he arched into the touch as his mouth moved over her upper body, kissing and nipping at random spots until he reached her neck.

She still smelled faintly of coconut as he buried his nose in the crook of her neck and licked at the skin. Latched on for just a moment, not long enough to leave a mark, and fluttered the tip of his tongue in a trail up to that spot behind her ear. Caught her earlobe between his teeth and grinned as she bucked into him and moaned long and loud. Returned to kissing and licking her neck.

Her hips rolled up, grinding into him steadily now. His cock was throbbing, begging for some attention. Lex moved one hand down to pull down his boxers and wriggled out of them as quickly as possible.

The moment he felt his dick slide against her wetness, a thought hit like a ton of bricks.

“Shit, I don't have any...”

And he didn't want to think of the reason why he didn't have any condoms in the apartment, because that would lead to other thoughts that he didn't want to have right now.

“Wha’?” Good, Chloe, very understandable and cohesive use of the English language.

She pushed some hair out of her face and looked at him. Really looked at him. Fully naked. And panting. And covered with a light sheen of sweat on some spots of his body. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”

But Lex had said something.

When her eyes wandered down to his cock, she knew what he was talking about.

Chloe also knew a few other things.

Knew that she was on the pill.

Knew that Lex had been faithful, until now, for five years.

Knew that his boyfriend had insisted on three STD tests before they’d been together.

Knew that she trusted Lex.

She shook her head. “Don’t need it. I trust you.” Held out her hands like she’d done so many times over the past few months and beckoned him closer. As usual, he came to her.

Lex hovered above her body and she spread her legs wider, making room for him. Then she thought of something else. He didn’t know where she’d been. But she’d been tested two years ago and had been safe ever since. She kissed him softly. “I’m clean. But if you want to wait until I can get another…”

Then his mouth was on hers. And she felt his cock sliding against her pussy but still not inside.

He pulled out of the kiss once he was sure she wouldn't try to finish her sentence anymore. The trust she placed in him meant more than she could probably imagine. It just added to all the things she did for him as his best friend. “I believe you,” he whispered against her lips. “And I trust you, too.”

Her legs closed around his waist, pulling him closer. They both wanted this and Lex didn't want to wait anymore.

His eyes remained on her face as he shifted his hips and slowly pushed inside. The feeling was so different, so much better than he'd remembered. Soft, hot and tight around him. His breathing became heavier as his eyes grew wide.

Her face was priceless, mouth open and eyes fixed on him as he slowly started to move. So incredibly open and close. Right there with him.

Lex closed the distance between them and kissed her with every last bit of the consuming passion she woke in him.

For a moment, Chloe couldn’t believe this was happening. Literally. Thought it might be all a figment of her imagination. She and Lex couldn’t be doing this.

Then she felt him. In her, around her, on top of her. Everywhere.

She responded as much as she could to his kiss while trying not to come. She’d been so worked up that it was hard not to just let herself go. But she wanted to wait.

Lex’s cock was moving slowly in and out of her but, with every thrust, his pace was picking up. She knew that he hadn’t been with a woman in over five years. And he hadn’t been with Clark in at least a month. He was probably about to pop. Figuratively and literally.

His technique obviously hadn’t suffered, though.

Chloe broke their kiss and rested her forehead against his shoulder as she pumped her hips up.

“Wanna see.” Lex’s voice was gravelly and deep. But not exactly demanding. He was asking for this.

After another few seconds, Chloe moved her body again until her head was resting on the pillow so Lex could watch her face.

When she looked up at him, she felt more naked. If that was possible. This was Lex. Not some random guy that didn’t know her insides as well as her outsides. When their eyes locked, she squeezed her internal muscles around him. Something she guessed that the fairer sex had better control over.

Lex reached down one hand to find hers, linking their fingers together to move their joined hands up beside her head.

He couldn't tear his eyes from her face, couldn't get enough of that open, trusting look. Chloe's face was always so full of expression, showing everything. “Thank you,” rasped the words out before he kissed her again.

Loosing himself in the movement, the rhythm as natural as breathing in and out, feeling her surrounding him, one arm still slung around his shoulders, holding on, holding him to her.

Arousal built up warm and slow at the base of his spine and low in his belly, he wouldn't last long, not like this. Not if he let himself go like this. But it felt so good, so much more than...

“God.” His voice shuddered and broke as he drew out the syllable, nose to nose, so close he could feel their breaths mingling between them and heating both their faces.

It felt like she didn't just look at him, she really saw him, right through to the places no one else wanted to know about. The things he'd done, the reasons why he'd done them, the way they'd changed him, made him who he was.

Frantic rhythm below the waist now, thrusting faster and harder, but their faces remained still. Couldn't see more than her huge, trusting eyes looking back at him, holding his gaze. Right there with him. Could feel her muscles starting to flutter around his cock as a wave of pleasure crashed over him and pulled him under.

Usually, Chloe was a screamer. In college, those who she lived with always knew when she’d gotten lucky. It had been a big joke between them. She didn’t know why, but she could never keep her mouth shut with all of the frantic gyrating and grinding that went on. Always had been loud, always knew she would be.

But she wasn’t this time. Not that she hadn’t come. Not that she didn’t feel that same pressure that snapped viciously. But her usual antics would have spoiled the mood.

Lex was being no less passionate with her, if anything, the look on his face was the most intense thing she’d ever experienced when she was with another person, so it didn’t make any sense.

Instead of screaming at the top of her lungs and thrashing about, she’d just held him tighter and his name passed her lips on a drawn out groan. He felt closer to her than any other man she’d been with.

She could feel his weight on top of her, his eyes searching her face, their fingers laced, his come inside of her, smell their combined scent.

And he still didn’t pull away. There was no quick smile and then the eventual feeling of coldness when they left her. Lex stayed put, his other hand now brushing some hair out of her face.

Chloe ran her thumb over his cheekbone and smiled up at him before drawing him down for a lazy kiss.

Lex's hand tangled in her hair, cradling her head as the kiss drew on. His other hand let go of hers to move under her back and hold her to him as he turned them over, settling her securely on top of him.

When the kiss eventually broke he tightened his hold on her and moved just enough to allow her to tuck her head under his chin. His mind was still somewhere not quite in the real world, imagining what it would be like to just stay here. If things were always like this, perfectly peaceful and silent.

His fingers carded through her hair and his eyes closed, letting his mind drift further from reality, just for a few moments. Just now, just here, just this.

Her body was warm and slick, skin on skin and their breathing oddly synchronic. She inhaled as he exhaled and with every breath he took, he could feel a puff of air against his shoulder. Her fingers scratched lightly at his upper arm and he was somehow still inside her, didn't want to disconnect.

Lex was the perfect pillow which was very unexpected. He was all angles and not very fleshy. He had a better body than she’d even imagined. It was odd that he was so cushiony. Odd, but very nice.

He held her tightly to him and Chloe didn’t feel suffocated or trapped or like she needed to run. Huh. Guess that sometimes happened when you had some really amazing sex with your best friend.

She ran her fingertips over whatever expanse of skin she could find. Lex placed another gentle kiss on top of her head and Chloe could hear herself practically purring in contentment. They should have done this much earlier.

By now, Lex was totally soft inside of her and she could feel wetness between her thighs. That needed to be taken care of but she felt too boneless and lazy to even move all that much.

She yawned against his skin. Sure, she’d just woken up from a dead sleep but she’d also just used up a lot of energy. Lex’s steady heartbeat, his giving body beneath her and the sound of his even breathing had her in a trance. She felt her eyelids flutter shut.

Lex felt her yawn against his shoulder and couldn't stifle his own matching one. He shouldn't be tired, he'd had enough sleep. He should get up and start the coffee or something. In a minute, just another minute.

His hand in her hair stilled as sleep pulled him under without much difficulty at all.

[Kit Merlot]

This was an excellently smutty chapter!

I just hope that neither Chloe nor Lex pulls away from their friendship because they slept together. In fact, I hope this is a wake up call to Lex that he needs a passionate relationship in his life, one where two people care for each other, and that he isn't getting that from Clark. But he does have it with Chloe

[dagney]

so beautiful and passionate, They love one another so much and know one another so well and now know how great the sex is... but this is in the angst section and I expect Clark to spoil the afterglow and the angst will commence again. LOOOVE this. dagney

[pipersmum]

Another great update and fully of delicious smut I loved Lex wanting to see Chloe's face as she came. They fit so perfectly together I just hope Clark doesn't come home and catch them cuddled up together. PPMS

[lj715]

Finally! I just hope they don;t start regretting what they did. They should move forward with their relationship & tell Clark to take off. Love this fic!

[hfce]

Wow what an amazing update. I had to read two other chapters to catch up. It was great that they got together but please I hope they don't let this ruin their friendship. They need each other to much to let that happen.

[tatie87]

WoW great chapter, I'm so glad Chloe and Lex got together. I love their relationship. Update soon!!!

[lilinny]

How did I miss this story? I love it, more please.