great chapter
these two are so much fun
great chapter
these two are so much fun
Malu
Great chapter
They're so much fun lol
Malu
I really love this progression. Can't wait till they figure "it" out!!
A/N: Thank-you, love all three of you!
Chapter Eighteen
“Okay, you have to be kidding me”.
“What’s wrong?” Lex wondered looking around them.
“Lex”, she placed both of her hands on his shoulders, “at the opera, a private box is great. At a football game, it is a disgrace!”
“But it is the best”, he protested. He had no idea how he was going to top this if she didn’t like it. He supposed that he could have a large tent pitched in the middle of the field but that wouldn’t be safe.
“You are so far up in this sky box that you can barely even see the players”, she pointed out.
“Sure you can”, Lex pointed to the large screen TV. They had a great view. He absolutely wasn’t going to allow her to sit in the middle of he field in a tent. That was just absurd.
“If you have to watch a TV screen to see them then doesn’t that rather defeat the point of going to the game live?”
He looked at her in confusion. What other option was there?
“You have to actually be among the fans”, she continued.
“Among the fans”, he repeated, not quite able to process the idea or what she wanted.
“Yes, like when we went to see Clark’s games”, Chloe tried to explain the concept to him.
“But this is the best”.
“No, Lex, it isn’t”, she looked around and found a woolly hat in the Shark’s colours. “Here”, she stuffed it on his head before grabbing his hand, “come on, let’s go”.
“Chloe, what are we doing?”
“You’ll see”, when he still seemed hesitant, she added, “or you can just leave me all by myself to go out there?”
“How many times do you think that that will work before I build up some sort of tolerance?”
“Oh, I would say a good couple of dozen”, she grinned cheekily at him, causing him to roll his eyes but allow her to drag him along behind her for a few steps before catching up and throwing his arm around her shoulders. She lead him down through the stadium to the front where they joined a queue and she started to play with her shoe.
“Are you alright?” He asked in concern.
“Yeah, I’m fine, I’m just, ah ha”, she pulled out several bills.
“What’s that?”
“Money, I know that you don’t recognise anything less than a hundred but trust me, these work for normal people all of the time”, she said as she straightened up and showed him her collection of twenties.
“You don’t need money, I”, he began to reach his hand out and around and Chloe noticed the movement and realised what it implied.
“Oh for goodness’ sake Lex, do you know nothing about looking after yourself?” She glanced down just to double check and observed that there was no prominent bulge. She reached around behind him and stuffed her hand into his back pocket and felt around the firm curve but there was nothing stored in there.
“Chloe”, he almost blushed and looked around, “what are you doing?”
“I’m looking for”, she shoved her hand in his other pocket, “this”, she withdrew his wallet
“You know there are easier ways to get at my money”, he teased her.
She rolled her eyes and gave it to him, “Always keep your wallet in your front pocket when you are somewhere like this. Anyone can get it out of a back one. Well, pick pockets are very talented and might go for it in the front one too, but at least this way you will get more of a thrill if they try it”.
“I think that I am having a bad influence on you”, he shook his head. Jokes like that hadn’t used to just come out of her.
“You don’t know what I was like before, you could be a good influence”, she grinned cheekily.
“True”, he agreed. “But I tend to doubt it”. They finally made their way to the front of the queue and Chloe made her request and got “200 dollars” as a reply. “Here you go”, she handed over the money.
“Chloe, let me”, Lex tried to prevent her but without success.
“No”, she patted the back of his interfering hand, “Lex you have to learn to let other people pay for things”.
“But -”
“But nothing. Now be quite or I won’t buy you a big foam finger”, she warned.
“Chloe”, he tried again.
“No. I’m sorry but I have to put my foot down sometimes”, she announced firmly.
“Meanie”, he used one of Chloe’s favourite words against her.
“Yup”. She managed to pay for their tickets without further mishap. “Great, now, let’s get going”.
“To our seats?” Lex started looking around for a sign directing them to the stalls.
“No, to get slushies, greasy food, ice cream and foam fingers”, she corrected him.
“How are e going to eat all of that? And without a table?” Lex expostulated.
“Poor little neglected rich boy”, she patted him on the shoulder. “Come on”.
~*~
“You are amazing”, Lex said, with no small degree of amazement.
“Yes, very true. But is there anything in particular that has brought this on?” She wondered.
“Other than your ability to demolish a hot dog, French fries, chocolate bar and orange juice in under ten minutes without utensils? In a most elegant manner, I might add”, even knowing Chloe as well as he did, that had been impressive.
“That’s easy, it is normally the slurpie that slows me down a bit, but you wouldn’t let me have one”, she sounded not a little cranky.
“Did you see that machine? It was disgusting!”
“It’s ice, any germs are probably frozen to death”, she said with a shrug although the truth was that she had never given it any thought before and certainly hadn’t demanded - as Lex had - that they open up the back of the machine and let him have a look inside. Apparently it had been filled with fungus. While the thought did turn her stomach, it didn’t sit well with her that someone else making decisions for her. If she wanted to kill herself with a mouldy fungus iced drink then she would! Well, actually she wasn’t but that wasn’t because Lex had prevented her, she just hadn’t felt like it by that point.
“Sure, that’s how it works”, he rolled his eyes. “You are not swallowing mould just because you like the taste of sugar and colourings”.
“You are so bossy”, she complained.
“This from the woman who would not even let me pay my own way”. He didn’t deny that he was overbearing and authoritative, but she was just as bad. If not worse.
“Hey, I’m a modern girl. I think that when a man brings you to Metropolis for a week, pays your room and board in a fancy hotel, give you a salary, plus buys you thousands of dollars of new clothes then it is only polite that you shell out for one night”, she said.
He shook his head in amusement but had to admit that the small portion of fries he had allowed himself was quite good. Chloe apparently thought so too as she stole one of them. “Is my food to your satisfaction?”
“Yes, much better than mine”, she said as she ate her prize slowly for once.
He held out the packet to her in offer.
“No, they only taste better hen they are stolen”, Chloe imparted her worldly wisdom.
He gave another smile and shake of his head and resumed eating as he surveyed the crowd. They were in the good part of the stands, but they were nevertheless, in the stands, surrounded by people. There as a slight thrill to it though. He had to admit, just not out loud.
“How are Clark and Lana going to find us?” He asked, “I told them to meet us up in the skybox.”
“Oh, I’ll call Clark”, Chloe said, finally remembering their friends. She had brought them tickets along with ones for her and Lex, their argument over her preferred choice of drink had merely put them out of her mind for the moment.
“They might want to stay up there”, Lex pointed out.
Chloe shrugged, “then I will have two extra seats for my tiaras”.
“Friends reference?”
“Exactly”. She really was getting him nicely educated. He opened his mouth to respond only to close it as he saw Chloe grab her phone and make her call.
“What’s with the face?” He asked as she hung up.
“I’m just fortunate”.
“I meant”, he stressed with a smile, “why do you look ... strained”.
“Ah, well that would probably be because it sounded as if Lana and Clark were having a little bit of a discussion”, she said as she slipped her phone back into her pocket. One of the front ones, of course.
“About life the universe and everything?” He asked hopefully.
“Or why Clark was late to pick her up again, why he hadn’t worn something nicer to pick her up in etc”
“Ah, that kind of discussion”, Lex knew those discussions well.
“Yep”.
“Poor Lana”, he sighed. It could not be easy to have a boyfriend like Clark, someone who kept running off every two seconds. Heroes might be noble, but he believed that villains made far superior husbands.
Chloe looked at him in disbelief, “Poor Clark”.
They traded looked.
“Agree to disagree?
“Just like always”.
“Why can’t more couples do that?”
“Love and sexual tension?”
“Both good points”.
A few minutes later, barely in time for the start of the game Lex’s eagle eyes spotted a very familiar, very tall figure loping towards them, scanning the crowd around them. His keen eyes skimmed right over Lex, now that his distinctive bald head was being covered. Lex felt oddly self-consciousness; it had been years since he had worn a hat.
“Over here”, Chloe called to their friends waving them over and Lex observed that they did appear to be in the middle of a fight. Clark’s normally benign features seemed tense and Lana trailed after him her beauty in no way diminished by her apparent anger. Clark looked like something out of a catalogue: Timberlands, jeans, football jacket from college and dark curls peaking out from under a base ball cap. A clean living, well mannered country boy. Something a lot of girls still went weak in the knees over. Lana looked like she had stepped out of a catalogue too, but a completely different one.
Her petite frame was dressed from head to toe in black designer wear - although he as willing to bet that it as all knock off with equally fake jewels hanging from her ear lopes. Her face as carefully painted and her hair brushed to a high shine. She looked as out of place as he felt but there as no denying that she as gorgeous.
“I thought”, she began pointedly, “that we ere supposed to be meeting you in the skybox”.
“Change of plans”, Chloe shrugged, “Lex lost all of his money investing in hair regrowth formula on the stock market”.
Clark smiled, Lex looked amused and Lana scowled. Yes, they were definitely in the middle of a tiff.
“It is a good thing that I know when you are joking”, he teased her back.
“On the contrary I’ve been trying to get rid of you for weeks but you won’t take any of my subtle hints.” she wrapped her arm around his waist and gave him a squeeze.
“That was a hint I take it?”
“Yup”, she agreed.
“So we are watching the game from down here?” Clark tried to get them back on track.
“Yup!”
“Yes”, Lex agreed.
“What is the real reason?” Clark wondered, not that he minded being down amongst the people. He wasn’t entirely sure what he would even have done in a skybox other than sit around feeling uncomfortable and afraid at every moment that he would accidentally break something that cost more than his family’s farm.
“Chloe wanted to”, Lex said as that solved the entire question.
“And my word is law”, Chloe said happily.
“I think that it is great”, Clark smiled whilst Lana only sniffed. “And hello”, Clark put in pointedly realising that they had never actually greeted each other. He hugged Chloe and reached out to shake Lex’s hand. It as more formal than they had used to be, but it as a step in the right direction. “Thanks for inviting us”
“Thanks for coming”, Lex proved that he could be just as polite.
“Yes, thank- you for inviting us Lex”, Lana said, moving over to stand by him.
Lex and Chloe were sitting in the middle of their four seats, not for any reason in particular, Chloe had just been anxious to sit down and didn’t want to budge over one place until she had regained her energy by consuming her body weight in junk food and Lex had sat next to her. He was about to suggest that they they both moved over one when Lana sat down next to him and placed her hand on his knee.
“I really do appreciate it, we hardly get to see each other any more”. There as a gusty sigh coming from Clark’s direction as she lowered himself into the chair. Apparently they weren’t going to be sitting together.
Lex traded looks with Chloe, this could prove to be a very long night.
“Would anyone care for a French fry?” Lex inquired.
“No thank-you”, Lana answered politely, “Clark already took my out for burgers and fries before we came”.
‘Smooth’, Lex thought to himself, starting to get a much clearer idea of why she was getting mad. Clark really didn’t have any idea about how to romance a woman. They needed wine, soft music and candles not burgers and a drive through.
“I was telling him that you two had probably visited that new restaurant which opened last week”, Lana continued airily.
“What new restaurant?” Chloe wondered, having cottoned to the problem. Clark had been late - as per usual - and Lana had not only been left waiting but had also assumed that Clark had something special planned for ‘taking her to eat’ pre game, not just fast food. Really, after all of this time you would have thought that she would have known him better. It was as if she were in love with the idea of the man she could turn him into rather than the man that he actually as. It as a shame because Clark as great.
“I think that she is talking about the sushi place I told you about”, Lex reminded her. He had been quite looking forward to trying that place out.
“Ah yes, I’m sorry Lex but as much as I adore you I am not putting cold slimy raw fish in my mouth for you”, Chloe apologised. Raw sea creatures were a gastric abomination, not a delicacy.
“I would make it into an aeroplane”, he offered, only half teasing.
“Not even then”, she said, she was being completely serious in spite of the fact that she was laughing as she spoke. The image of Lex trying to make a sushi chopstick aeroplane was too funny.
“I suppose that you are right, first things first, I’ve barely got you back to eating full, balanced, nutritious meals. Sushi can wait”.
“Sushi can wait until hell freezes over and what do you mean just got me back to eating full, balanced, nutritious meals?” She demanded.
“Well, almost”, he corrected himself. This night’s dinner had definitely been a step in the wrong direction, still tomorrow was a new day.
“Of all of the unmitigated cheek!” Chloe protested, her chin jutted out and her hands firmly placed on her hips.
“What are you going to do about it?” He challenged, smirking arrogantly. He kind of wanted to see if she was going to attempt to wrestle him in public.
“Just be thankful that you are in public and you’ve got Clark here to protect you”, she scowled at him.
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on protecting him, I just wanted to see what as going to happen”, Clark rose his hands in a gesture of submission, amused by the display that his two friends were putting on. He found himself progressively less concerned for Chloe as the seconds went by, it was clear that Lex cared deeply about her and wasn’t going to do anything to hurt her. In fact, he gave the distinct impression that he would slaughter anyone who tried to hurt her.
“Maybe we should all settle down”, Lana suggested, diverting everyone’s attention before they could create a scene. “It looks like the game is about to start”.
Clark returned his attention to the pitch but Lex seemed to want to continue arguing with Chloe, and probably would have if Chloe hadn’t turned around and said with delight, “Oh, great Pom Pom Shakers I wonder which ones aren’t wearing any knickers this time!”
“Chloe”, there was a gasp of horror from the end of the row.
“What? Pete swears he saw something once!” Chloe defended herself.
“The correct term is still cheerleader not Pom Pom Shaker”, Lana corrected. It was true that she hadn’t been a cheerleader since her first year in High School but she didn’t like to hear them being disparaged.
“You should be happy she said Pom Pom Shaker, she has cleaned it up from before”, Lex finished his fries and popped it in the bag they were using for trash.
“I was using pom pom as a euphemism”, Chloe disabuse him of the belief that she had changed her opinions so drastically in such a short period of time.
“My mistake”, he grinned at her. He was never going to hear the word in the same way again.
“It is an art form”, Lana reminded them of what had taken them down the pom pom route to start with.
“Well that one is certainly ... um ... artistic”, Chloe pointed one of them out to the boys and turned her head between them to get both of their opinions. Clark stared, apparently mesmerized. “Don’t get too excited, they are obviously fake”, she hoped that she wasn’t deluding him too much.
Clark looked down in embarrassment, he hadn’t realised that he had been staring. He certainly hadn’t meant to.
“You know that I am just teasing”, Chloe gave him a quick side hug. She loved how cute he was. How many men did she knew who blushed? Other than her Dad, Clark and surprisingly Lex, none. She found it sweet.
“Obviously”, Lex agreed, wrapping his arm around Chloe’s shoulder and pulling her back into his side. Just so that Lana wouldn’t get jealous, of course. “Besides more than a handful is a waste”, he repeated an oft heard maxim.
Chloe giggled at that and checked his hands, just out of interest. She took one of his hands away from the arm rest between him and Lana and turned it over, running her fingers across it and pressing her palm against his to make a comparison. They were huge, distinctly masculine, but somehow strangely elegant. It was easy to imagine them flying across a grand piano or stroking across creamy flesh. She coughed. “It’s okay, you can probably get a pair of DDs in those”.
“Thank-you for your vote of confidence”, he laughed at her and her sudden, almost scientific, interest in his hands. The mad scientist in him liked it but tried to ignore the way that her fingers tickled him. He ran the pad of his thumb surreptitiously along her palm making her jump. He shot her a significant look.
“Is this what you two are always life?” Clark asked, after observing the tableau.
“You have known us both for years Clark”, Chloe reminded him.
“Yes, but not togeth -”, he broke off and looked down at his lap.
“What’s the matter?” Chloe asked, dropping Lex’s hand as her head went from Clark to the pitch where he had been looking.
“You were right about the lack of undergarments”, Clark was now absolutely scarlet.
“Undergarments, that’s so cute”, Chloe gave him another hug but then couldn’t resist asking, “Which one?” Deep down she was still an investigative reporter - she just used her powers differently these days.
“The one with the large ... pom poms”. Clark wasn’t actually sure that it was possible for him to get any redder.
Chloe giggled and Lex looked from one side to the other and noticed that he as surrounded by two beautiful women, one who appeared to be having the time of her life and the other who as scowling.
“You know that Chloe’s just teasing, she would never actually judge someone based on their hobby”, he leant over to Lana and tried to whisper conspiratorially, but found it impossible due to the noise. When he finally managed to communicate what he wanted, Chloe was not only interested she was leaning over - practically in his lap - and overheard.
“Not true, fox hunting and do not speak for me”, she put in and poked him in the arm for good measure.
Lex rolled his eyes and gently pushed Chloe back onto her own seat.
“It’s alright Lex”, Lana turned her large green eyes on him and placed her hand on his arm, “I know. I understand”.
“Great”, he gave her a small smile, “so, who are you cheering for? You aren’t wearing red?”
“No, I thought that I would go for something a little more mature, like you”, she ran her hand up the sleeve of his dark coat, “but deep down you know that I am a Metropolis girl”.
“Oh oh the good bit is starting”, Chloe called out, grabbing blindly for Lex’s arm and regaining his attention.
“What’s happening?” Lex wondered.
“They are bringing out the players”, Chloe said simply. Several of them were rather delicious.
“Ah”, Lex said knowingly.
“So, from one to ten, each of their ratings”, the blonde clapped ready to get on with the good part of sports.
“Well, Ford played really well last year”, Clark started to help with the categorising process.
“She means hotness rating”, Lex explained.
“Oh, then I’m not qualified”, Clark dismissed himself from the task. He would do a lot of things for Chloe, saving her life on a weekly basis during their High School years included, but he drew the line at some things. Rating men was one of them.
“Lex?” Chloe refocused her attention.
“I will ignore that remark”, Lex said, considering ruffling her hair just to punish her.
“Neither of you are any fun”, she pouted, “Lana?”
“I don’t know”, she demurred, “I prefer my men a little more intelligent. A little more sophisticated”, her hazel eyes slanted towards the bald billionaire in the seat next to her.
“Honestly, if you are all going to be this boring then I am going to need to find myself some new and better friends”, she decided.
“Good luck with that”, Lex scoffed, not believing her for a second.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chloe demanded.
“That you are demanding”.
“True. So what?”
“Not everyone sees that as a virtue”, he said, redraping his arm around her just to check that she knew that he did.
“Some people are idiots, what can you do?” She rested her head against his shoulder. Lex just shrugged. He and Chloe continued squabbling sporadically (as they always did) but without any heat or animosity. Lana and Clark, however, seemed to be drifting further apart as the night progressed. They were barely looking at each other by the end of the first section of play.
That was when Chloe came up with a plan.
If I was with Lex he'd have the same 'dinner' lol
Love informal situations with Lex, I think if in SV he had more of them he wouldn't be such a bad person
Can't wait to see Chloe's plan
Tks for sharing
Last edited by malugargula; 10th November 2014 at 05:04.
Malu
He he I bet he would have enjoyed that.
I agree, I think that the evil could have been cuddled right out of him. I don't know why but yestarday I saw the clip where he tells Lana about his bad experiences with the press and how he found out about his mother's death and I just couldn't believe that she didn't hug him. I think that there should be a slogan like the one "have you hugged your kids today?" Have you hugged your Lex today?
You're welcome.
Chapter Nineteen
Lex came out of the bathroom in the skybox; there was no way that he was ever going to use the commoner’s one however much Chloe made fun of him for it later.
“I’ve got an idea”, the devil called to him as he made his way into the large rectangular room.
He turned around, unsurprised to find her reclining on one of the black leather couches, looking for all the world completely at home. She was wearing her ‘I’m a super-villain bent on world domination’ mischievous smile. This evening was going to get interesting.
“Well, I’m flattered” he allowed his eyes to rack down her body, hoping to make her squirm and blush, “but ...”
“Not that”, the faintest shade of pink suffused her cheeks, “get your mind out of the gutter Luthor”.
He smirked at her, a slow predatory expression followed by him prowling across the floor to loom over her. “But it’s so much fun”.
“Be that as it may”, she poked him with her foot, “I have come to a decision”.
“You have?”
“Yes. We should help out our friends”.
“We should?”
“Yes, can’t you see that they are in trouble?” She patted the seat next to her to indicate that he should sit down.
“And you think that a touch of Chloe meddling will fix everything?” It didn’t seem particularly likely to him, but it might be fun.
“Well, not with only a touch no, but it will help. Don’t you find that it helps you in your life?”
“Of course, but really I think that it’s best to stay out of lover’s tiffs. They always make it up, normally with angry make up sex”, he added for good measure.
“How do you know that?” She queried, hating herself for the question and not really wanting to know the answer. Neither Clark nor Lana seemed like the type for that; they were both too good and pure.
“I was talking about lovers in general, not those two specific”, actually he couldn’t imagine either of them doing something like that. Not with each other at least. He thought that Lana would take some coaxing, but she would get there in the end.
“Right!” She looked relieved, “Anyway I’m not talking about actually getting in the middle of their fight, I’m just talking about bringing them together”.
“Chloe”, he thought for how to phrase his next question, “I was under the impression that ... Don’t you like Clark?”
“Yes, but he likes Lana”, she said simply, only a slight tightness in her tone. “Don’t you like Lana?”
“Yes, but she likes Clark”, he replied in kind.
“Exactly, it is our duty to help them out”, she said nobly.
“You are the sweetest girl I know”, he said pulling her into a hug. “The most meddlesome too, but that’s neither here nor there”.
“So you’ll help?”
“Of course”. That had never been in question.
~*~
“So”, Chloe whispered on their way back before realising that with the noise around them that wasn’t going to do a blind bit of good. She tried again, shouting this time, and Lex just about heard her. “So the plan is to ostracise Lana and then make sure that she wants to talk to us”, Chloe confirmed.
“Yes”, Lex agreed, pleased to see that the brunette was still sitting by herself and that Clark had not just come back from wherever it was that he had run off to.
They waved at her and made their way down the aisle. Chloe sat where she had before placing her foam hand on what had been Lex’s seat so that Lana couldn’t simply move over one place and Lex sat in what had formally been Clark’s seat. Now when Clark did return he would have to sit by Lana and Lana, if she wanted any part of the conversation would have to lean over Clark or ask him what was going on thus breaking her cycle of ignoring him. Chloe was a genius.
Lana seemed mildly annoyed by the change in seating arrangement and Chloe couldn’t really blame her - Lex was the best person to sit next to - but Lana would have to make do with Clark. Plus this way she would stop hogging him. Chloe had spent most of the last part of the game leaning around Lex trying to hear what he was saying to Lana and she wasn’t having that again. If Lana wanted to monopolise Lex like that she would have to be his girlfriend and make him happy. Chloe’s stomach suddenly didn’t feel too good, maybe all of that food hadn’t been such a good idea.
“Here he comes”, Lex said loud enough so that only Chloe could hear after nudging her to get her attention.
Chloe looked and around just in time to see Clark speeding along to take his seat just before the game commenced once more. He looked a little shocked by the change but didn’t move to complain. Chloe retrieved her foam finger.
“Did you change seats?” She thought that she heard him asking Lana and her responding in the negative. Oh, well at least that was some break in the whole talking thing.
“I’m not so sure that this is going to work”, she said to Lex.
“Really?” He responded dryly, “whatever gave you that idea? Cheer up the cheerleaders are back”.
“Oh good”, Chloe clapped, “come on help me change the words into dirty versions of the cheers. So far all I’ve got is blow team blow!”
“How original”.
After the fun of mocking the cheerleaders was over so was much of the fun of the game. Chloe had hoped that Lana would be interested enough to lean around but she didn’t, she just sat there, pouting. Clark just sat there, watching the game oblivious to Lana or her anger. Lex and Chloe sat there trying to have a conversation but it was much too loud.
“You see, skybox does have its advantages. You could be enjoying a nice relaxing conversation, getting a massage, eating sumptuous foods, watching something other than sports”, Lex tempted her, seeing that she was getting bored and restless. They could always go upstairs.
“That does sound good. You see you have spoilt me so much lately that I am unable to be one of the commoners!” She complained.
“I believe that they prefer the term plebs”, he said, thinking that she was joking.
She elbowed him. “I’m being serious.”
“Chloe”, he turned to her with a sigh, “when was the last time that you attended a football game?”
“Ummmm ...”
“Was it in High School?” He prompted.
“Yes”, now that she thought about it, it must have been.
“And did you have”, his eyes slid in Clark’s direction, “other interests?”
“Yes”, she admitted, colouring up as she did so.
“And did you or did you not still get bored and write stories for the touch?” He hadn’t been to any of those games with Chloe but he could see her sitting there writing as clearly as if he had.
“Some of the time, but mostly I figured that as I was already bored then was the time right to do some maths homework”, she expanded.
He smiled, “Exactly, you have never liked football. Why don’t we just blow it off and go?”
“Because of them”, Chloe continued, glancing back over her shoulder just to check that they were still able to converse without being the noticed.
“Fine, why don’t we all go up to the skybox then. The next time that there is a lull”, Lex offered.
Chloe thought about it, it was a good idea. Everyone would be happier: Clark could still watch the game, Chloe and Lex could talk and Lana would ... hog Lex again.
“I’d rather stay here, if you don’t mind”, she made her eyes large and beseeching.
“Okay, whatever you want”, Lex gave in readily, wondering why she felt the need to use tricks on him. She nodded happily and her companions remained silent. That silence was to remain until the were exiting the stadium.
“So did you like the game?” Chloe inquired politely of Lana.
“Yes, it was very good”, Lana said with the air of one who had no idea who had actually won.
“Good, we should all do more things like this together”, Chloe announced cheerfully.
“That would be great, although next time maybe we could go somewhere a little less ...” Lana stretched her brain for a word which would not risk offending Chloe, “noisy?”
“What a shame, I was thinking of going to see a monster truck rally”. Her cousin Lois was always going to them and Chloe wondered what the fascination with the large vehicles was.
Lana just stared at her. Apparently she didn’t know either.
“It was a joke”, Chloe assured her before looking around and noting without any tact, “we’ve lost Clark. He was right behind us when we left, wasn’t he?”
“I’m right here”, Clark announced, from a side where she already thought that she had looked.
“Oh”, Chloe shook her head as if trying to clear it, “I must be going mad”.
“Going?” Lex re-entered the conversation and received an elbow to the ribs for his trouble. Fortunately Chloe was very gentle with him.
“I think that your brain is just fine”, Clark said kindly.
“You see, this is why you are my favourite”, Chloe said, before remembering her conversation with Lex earlier and going scarlet, “I didn’t mean ...”
“That’s okay Chloe, we know what you meant”, Lana piped up, working her way to the other side of Lex and her arm into his.
“It’s alright Chloe”, Lex mouthed, letting her know that all was now well and truly forgiven and forgotten.
“I was just saying to Chloe that all four of us need to do things together more often, I haven’t seen enough of you lately”, she stared up at him beseechingly and Chloe wouldn’t help but notice that her look was better than hers. As she always did when uncomfortable, Chloe made an inopportune joke, “Ah, so you had the fortune of missing him walking around the hotel room in the nude”.
“What?” Three pairs of eyes were suddenly fixed on her, all wearing equally horrified expressions.
“Yes, Lex is going through a nudist phase”, she said blithely.
They all exclaimed at once, but Lex was loudest: “I did no such things”.
“Me thinks the gentleman doth protest too much”, she teased. He always used the original line against her. It was about time that she got some payback.
“Right, that’s it”, Lex made a lunge at her.
“We’re in public”, she shrieked.
“I don’t care”, he pursed her but she dashed through a line of people exiting the building, Lex was not quite quick enough.
“You’re going to make a scene”, she called over to him.
“I don’t care”, he dashed around them, he was going to get his hands on that little tease if it was the last thing that he did, all thoughts of Lana temporarily erased from his mind. “Get back over here”, he growled as the crowd moved along and into a bus leaving the four of them alone.
“You must be kidding”, she darted behind Clark, amazed that Lex was acting like this out in public. A night without anyone whispering and pointing at him because of his distinctive bald head really worked wonders. She should force him to wear a had more often. She dodged around someone and dashed back to hide behind Clark who willingly shielded her.
“No I’m not”, he couldn’t believe that he was having this argument with her, “come out here and tell them that I am not going through a nudist phase”.
“But it is true!” She protested mendaciously, her head popping out comically from behind Clark only to disappear only a second later.
“No it - oh for Pete’s sake Chloe!”
“Pete would be on my side”, she called back, unimpressed.
“You’re worse than a two year old”, he complained although he was smiling as he ran around Clark only to have Chloe dart around his other side. This was getting ridiculous, this was ... Something whooshed passed Chloe’s ear causing her to release a startled yelp and suddenly the ground was thick with security.
A/N: So, what do we think?
Loved the slogan, and I totally agree with what you saidOriginally Posted by HotCrossedBunny
He he I bet he would have enjoyed that.
I agree, I think that the evil could have been cuddled right out of him. I don't know why but yestarday I saw the clip where he tells Lana about his bad experiences with the press and how he found out about his mother's death and I just couldn't believe that she didn't hug him. I think that there should be a slogan like the one "have you hugged your kids today?" Have you hugged your Lex today?
You're welcome.
Malu
Oh Chloe, my stomach doesn't feel good after that thought either lol
Really funny, Chloe is such a tease
Last edited by malugargula; 11th November 2014 at 05:29.
Malu
Chapter Twenty
“I’m fine Lex really”, Chloe tried for the umpteenth time to get through his thick skull as he dragged her back up to their hotel suite by the hand.
“You were almost killed Chloe, I don’t call that fine”, he kept a firm hold on her. Her hand felt tiny in his and in spite of her protests, she was trembling slightly.
“You are being over dramatic Lex, I wasn’t almost killed. A football came quite close to hitting me”, she tried once again to make him understand that it really hadn’t been a big deal.
“A football was hurled, I don’t give a fuck what their intention was, it came close to that back of your head. Do you know what could have happened if it had hit you?” The mere thought of it sent a cold shiver of fear down his spine.
“I would have got a bump on the head and have been fine”, she attempted to convince him. Without success.
“Hardly”, he snorted.
“Well then do tell me Oh Wise One. You are, after all, the expert in getting hit on the head around these parts”, she said before she could think better of it.
“This is not funny Chloe”, he growled.
“Actually, the way that you are acting is a little hilarious. It was a ball, Lex. Just a ball!” She didn’t understand why he was making such a big deal out of this.
Finally he turned around and stopped, causing Chloe to walk straight into him. His hands automatically reached out to steady her and hold her. “If that had hit you”, the words stuck in his throat for a second, “you could have ended up in hospital”.
“I did end up in hospital”, she reminded him.
“I meant for more than just a check up”, he replied tiredly, sure that she knew what he had meant. She rolled her eyes and Lex saw red. “Don’t roll your eyes at me. You don’t take anywhere near good enough care of yourself. You have a history of getting into trouble, over working, under eating, when you do eat you eat crap and today you decided to go into the stands. And I let you”, those last words were crackled with barely leashed fury.
“You let me?” She repeated, her own ire rising.
“Yes, I knew that it was a mistake. I had it all planned out we were going to be in the skybox, you would have been nice and safe but no you have to have your own way, don’t you? You have to have this ridiculous reverse snobbery as if money were somehow a bad thing. You don’t get a prize for suffering you know Chloe.”
“I wasn’t aware that being in the stands was suffering. If it was such torture being with me without the trappings of luxury then why did you stay? No one was forcing you You could have sidled back up to the skybox and prowled around there all by yourself for hours on end”, she retaliated.
“I stayed down there because of you and look what happened”, he was more than just irritated now. Anger oozed from him.
“What did happen?” She demanded, quickly approaching the end of her tether.
“You tried to drink mould. You sat amongst people who could have all sorts of communicable diseases. You ran around outside”, he started to list her offences.
“So did you”, she protested.
“Yes, and look what happened.”
“Nothing”, she exploded.
He shook his head.
“What is wrong with you Lex? I thought that you were having fun. For once you weren’t Lex Luthor, for once you didn’t have to think about what the press was going to say, you didn’t have to be so guarded”.
“And look what happens when I’m not”, he knew that he shouldn’t have let himself get carried away, this was all his fault.
“Some stupid teenagers came out and were tossing a ball around, it almost hit me”, she resumed the events, it really hadn’t been a big deal. Until Lex had made it into one.
“You could have been paralysed!”
“Unlikely”, she responded dryly.
“You could have been”, he swallowed, “you could have spent the rest of your life brain dead, or in a wheelchair or ...”
“Don’t do this to yourself Lex”, her voice suddenly softened as she responded to his pain. She tightened her arms around his waist, squeezing him tightly. She felt a shiver go through him, and felt that he should stroke his face or something but couldn’t bare to release him. She clung to him like she had to her Dad’s leg on the first day of school - before she had noticed something to investigate.
~*~
Lex had been on the other side of Clark when the Chloe had almost been hit. He knocked his former friend out of the way in his haste to get to Chloe, immediately covering her body with his own before he realised that it had only been a football.
“Are you alright? What’s the matter? Were you hit?”
“No, no I’m fine”, Chloe assured him, looking around to work out what was actually going on. Lex’s arms were around her, a football was sat only a few metres from her, Clark was picking himself up off the floor, Lana was standing there looking confused and men dressed in black suites were suddenly roaming the area, one of them had a young man in a choke hold.
“What on earth is he doing?” She demanded.
“There is no need to fear Miss”, one of the men said, coming up to stand next to her. She had to crane her head back to look at him, he was as big as Clark. “We have the situation under control. The suspect was apprehended”.
“He’s just a kid with a football”, Chloe said, as she saw that the other few boys were now similarly held.
“Let me handle this Chloe”, Lex said, a little roughly.
Chloe raised an eyebrow and was about to give him a mouthful when she saw him going to remove his hat. “Better not if you don’t want this to be in all of the papers”, she pointed out.
“Good point”, he noted. “You deal with them,” he told his men, “and see that Clark and Lana get home safely. Also call head to Metropolis general”.
“Why do we ...” The penny dropped, “Lex you can’t be serious. I do not need to go to hospital just because I almost, hey”.
Lex had lifted her up into his arms bridal style, “I said that we are going to the hospital”.
~*~
“Come back to me Lex”, she whispered.
He blinked, but did appear to realise that she was before him.
“Look at me”, she commanded, “I’m fine. Not a hair out of place. The only thing that is upsetting me is you. You”.
“I’ll go then”, he said stiffly, going to head into his room, but she wouldn’t let him go.Her arms remained tightly wrapped around his middle. “I mean, because I know that you are scared and unhappy”.
“I’m not scared”, he protested.
“Sure you are”, she rested her cheek against his warm chest. “Come on”, she allowed him to rub her back. “Let’s go sit down. I promise that you can make sure that I don’t fall off the sofa”.
“Don’t patronise me”, he snapped.
“I’m not, I genuinely believe that I need help staying on the sofa”, she kept one arm around his waist as they moved over to the settee. “Besides, if you annoy me I might continue to spread rumours about you going through a nudist phase”, she giggled.
He shook his head. “What ever possessed you to say that in the first place?”
“I haven’t the faintest idea”, she smiled again at the memory.
“Chloe -”
“Argh, according to you I narrowly escaped death you shouldn't use that look or tone on me. It’s not fair”, she gave a pouty look, which broke into a grin again.
“Chloe -”
“Damn you Lex Luthor”.
“Chl-”
“Fine, I’ll tell you”, she pouted for real this time.
Lex grinned, “You would make a rubbish spy”.
“I am so good I would never get caught”, she informed him.
He scoffed, “I doubt that very much, now stop trying to change the subject”.
“Fine, what was I talking about?”
He fixed her with a look, “You know very well, not stop procrastinating”.
“It just came out, I wanted to say something to break the tension and ...”
“You thought of me in the nude”, his eyebrow quirked up.
“I’m sure that many women have before”, she said dismissively.
“Dozens and dozens”, he confirmed.
“Well then, that is why I did it. A combination of diarrhoea of the mouth and”, her eyes slanted up to his face, “a dirty mind coupled with my secret desires for your body”.
He smiled, knowing her too well to take that last part seriously. He knew that she had never been attracted to him, without being arrogant he could probably say that that was the first time that that had ever happened to him.
“Your plan to get Lana and Clark talking again didn’t really work, did it?” He tried to make casual conversation.
“No, but I blame them for that”. Her plan - like all of her plans - were brilliant.
“Me too”, he nodded and stroked her hair soothingly.
“It’s just so sad”, she said a little tiredly.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Clark has been in love with her forever. He had done everything that he possibly could to make her see that but the few times that they have been together it has imploded. This time there is nothing in there way, no boyfriends, no girlfriends, no magic, no school, no ...”
“Chemistry?”
“That’s not the point”, she poked him in the chest. Chemistry wasn’t everything.
“That is kind of the point. You can’t force two people to be together if they don’t want to be, you should know that”, his fingers tangled in her hair and gently coaxed her head back so that she was staring up at him.
“But they do want to be, that’s the point”, she tried to make him see, “And I never tried to force Clark to be with me”.
“I know that you didn’t and it is kind of the point”, he kissed her forehead. “You and Clark were good friends but you weren’t a good match”, she looked as if she might be about to respond to that but he continued, “You never would have been, so it didn’t work out. He and Lana aren’t a good match either. It is not enough for things to work on paper it has to be more than that”.
“And you are suddenly the expert on relationships?”
“I know all about screwing them up, I promise you”. He smiled, “Clark does not love Lana”.
“But ...”
“No, listen to me”, he allowed her hair to slip through his fingers and cupped her face, “Circumstances don’t matter. Strange intervening forces are unimportant. If you love someone the however stupid you feel doing it, however afraid you are that they were going to rip your heart out, you tell them.”
“But what if ....”
“You tell them”, he stated slowly and firmly. “It is as simple as that. If you really love them, if you think that you have found the one person in all of the world you want to spend the rest of your life with, for whom you would give your life, then you tell them. You hold onto them like a possessive freak and you never let them go”.
Chloe swallowed, the intensity in his eyes. The feel of his grip. This was a mere fraction of what he felt - they were just friends -; no woman would be bale to resist him if he loved them and decided to make them his. “Is that how you feel about Lana?” She asked cautiously.
He released her. “No”.
“Then why pursue her like you do?” She sat back on her knees to be on his eye line.
“Because ... Habit”, he admitted after a few seconds.
“Come on, there has to be a better reason”, she bugged him.
“Not really. When it started”, he lifted one shoulder, “I was tired of worldly women who were only using me for my money, who couldn’t be trusted. I would have sworn off them all together if it weren’t for my libido and the fact that I really want a wife and kids”.
Chloe smiled softly at him.
“Lana was, is, beautiful, she isn’t dumb, she is good at being the centre of attention, she would photograph well, she is interested in money but no more than most, and she needed my help. She looks up to me. And she reminds me of old times. It was a turn on”, he stated his reasons simply.
“So basically you are pining away over convenience and nostalgia?” She summed up.
“Not pining”, he corrected her.
“Fine, you’re not pining. But you are not living your life as fully as you could, all for what? Some memories?” That sounded insane to her.
“Memories are very powerful things, especially once that have been edited”, he sighed, realising that Chloe wasn’t going to drop this. “I remember so vividly the conversations that I had with Clark, the games of basket ball, the warm smiles over dinner”.
“Wait, when did you have dinner with the Kents?”
“Oh, I didn’t, like I said, memories are powerful things. I only played one game of basket ball with Clark and that was aborted. We didn’t spend that much time together - not as much as I would have liked at any rate - and the Kents hated me. Most of the memories I have are entirely fictitious or how I imagined things would be”.
She reached over and gave him a hug, wishing that she had invited him to dinner with her and her father.
“I hate pity”, he growled and reached for her arms to disentangle himself from them but Chloe wouldn’t be budged and he wouldn’t hurt her.
“This isn’t pity, it is a cuddle learn to tell the difference. Besides, are you really going to deny comfort to a woman who had a near death experience tonight?” She played her winning card. She wondered what he would let her get away just because she had almost been hit by a football.
“No, I guess not”, he chuckled softly and kissed the top of her blonde head as he squeezed her tightly.
“So”, she asked his chest, her words muffled but still audible, “what are we going to do about Mr and Mrs Oblivious?”
“We could leave them alone?” He suggested.
“I was being serious”.
“So was I”, feeling her pull a face against his chest, he offered, “Or we can come up with a set of zany plans to get them together which probably won’t work. But hey, if it doesn’t we can always break them up and keep the pieces for ourselves”.
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