Chloe silently cursed herself. Had she been spending that much time sitting down that she couldn’t walk for two hours without feeling like her body was going to shut down for the next couple of weeks to recover from the strain? She kept a steady pace, and let her mind go blank as she approached Luthor Manor. She let herself in and marched straight up the stairs; opening several doors before she found the man she was looking for.
Lex was staring at her envelope with an intense look on his face. She noticed several unopened bottles of alcohol on the table in front of him.
“Hello.” She said quietly.
“Chloe.”
The voice she heard was a mere imitation of what the man sounded like in real life, when he was being his public self. The sound rebounded off the walls and Lex shifted his eyes back down to the letter in his fidgety hands. She half expected him to pull himself together and come shake her hand like she was a business client of his.
“I’m glad you came. I think I might have opened it, if you hadn’t walked in.”
Chloe noted his tone changed and got slightly more real as he went on. Like he understood this was the time to talk to a normal person.
Chloe smiled slightly and walked over to him. She took what was hers and sat down on the floor in a corner of the room to read it.
She stared at the page for at least fifteen minutes before she realized Lex was sitting next to her. The tears streamed down her face without fanfare. She handed the letter to Lex.
“Tell me what it says.”
The young man opened his eyes and slowly took the letter from her shaking hands.
“Dear Miss Sullivan, I regret to inform you that the results are what we feared. You have cervical cancer. Please make an appointment with us as soon as possible so we can discuss treatment options…”
“Don’t read anymore. I know. I just thought that maybe…”
“What I don’t get, is why the hell this guy put this in a letter when he should have told you this in person… It seems really-”
“I told him to. I decided I wanted to have control over the situation and time I found out. It’s better this way.”
“If you say so.”
“So, I guess I better be going,” she said mechanically.
“Okay,” he replied in the same manner.
They both sat there on that floor next to each other, staring ahead and lost in thought, for what seemed like hours. Finally Lex moved his hand to Chloe’s and squeezed.
“Stay,” he whispered. He then cleared his throat and continued louder. “I want you to stay with me, tonight.”
“Tonight?” She asked, turning to look at him.
“Look out the window. It’s getting dark.”
“Oh.”
“I thought you were a women of many words.”
“Oh, well. Not tonight.”
“So would you like something to eat or drink?”
“So, what is it that’s bothering you Lex?”
“Nothing.”
“There you go lying again.”
“It’s The anniversary,” he said, running the hand that was free over his bald scalp. “I always take this day to pause and reflect.”
“Really,” she said, thinking it over. “No, there’s more. What’s wrong?”
“I can’t tell you about it. Anyway, it probably wouldn’t make much sense. I guess you could say I’m confused.”
“About what?”
“Myself, my choices.”
“That’s good.”
“What?”
“Proves you’re still human.”
“Am I?” He said darkly, in that self-deprecating manner she so often heard him use.
Lex rose quickly and pulled Chloe up. He marched her briskly towards the door.
“We should get some food into you,” he explained as they rounded several corners and made their way down the dizzying steps to the industrial kitchen. He bypassed the big refrigerator and the stainless steel appliances and got down on his knees in front of a smaller, white refrigerator.
“This is the staff’s. The ones who bring their own lunches or don’t enjoy eating the type of food we Luthors are known to eat.”
He first got the mustard and mayonnaise, and then three different types of thinly sliced sandwich meats, iceberg lettuce and Swiss cheese. He got what his mother affectionately the ‘crap bread’ out of the cupboard and winked at the women standing next to him.
She watched him work silently, as he peaked up at her affectionately every once in awhile. It made her feel warm inside and that feeling was better than dread, or listlessness, or rage, or numbness. She studied his demeanor. He had done this more than once. He knew what he was doing. He looked much younger and peered at her like he was imparting a huge secret. She couldn’t help but smile at that. Considering he was a Luthor and no doubt had more secrets than half of Smallville, it was kind of humorous.
“So, maybe I should call my story: Lex Luthor made me a baloney sandwich. Or In a darkened kitchen with-”
“This isn’t only bologna you know. There is cooked turkey and ham. You’re going to love these. Among other things, I am the king of sandwiches.”
“Whatever you say.”
“You’re not a vegetarian are you?”
“It’s not my favorite thing, but I do eat some meat.”
“Good. ’Cause I only make two sandwiches. This is the big one, and the small one contains bologna and a Kraft cheese slice. I figured you’d be more impressed with the elaborate version with the fancy cheese.”
“That’s very astute Lex. Nothing gets me going more than a man who breaks out the fancy cheese.”
Lex, who was being playful, now appeared slightly predatory.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
She could practically feel his breath on her he was so close. Her heart skipped a beat and her hand burned where his thumb brushed over it. He looked utterly edible to her and in that moment she wanted to touch him everywhere.
The dinging of the oven signaling the sandwiches had been heated knocked them out of their moment. Chloe stumbled back.
++++++
They had finished their (absolutely wonderful) sandwiches and drinks in companiable silence and had found their way back to the room Chloe had found Lex in. During their dinner, their legs had frequently brushed up against each other, and every time she looked at him, he was watching her. Watching her mouth as she ate his sandwich. Watching her with an intense gaze that spoke of sex. She had a permanent blush on and her head pounded from all the crying. She didn’t feel like herself at all.
She scanned the space and found a table and chair by the window, a modern looking king size bed and an entertainment center.
“Is this your room… Mr. Luthor?” She asked, distracted.
“We’re back to that are we? Do you want me to call you miss Sullivan?” he asked, letting go of her hand to turn to her.
As much as Chloe had decided it would be best for her to keep her distance from Lex, she couldn’t bring herself to keep up the formalities.
“No. I’m Chloe, you’re Sex… I mean Lex, and I did not just say that. What the hell did you put in my drink?”
Lex smiled a knowing smile and cast his eyes down, almost shyly.
“I didn’t put anything in your can of 7UP, you opened it yourself and yes. This is one of my rooms. I don’t use if very often, because it’s comfortable and I-”
“Don’t like to be.”
“Yes. You’re right, I don’t.”
“Is that the bathroom? I’d like to go wash my face, maybe get some aspirin?”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lex couldn’t believe what he had done, what he was doing at this very moment. In actuality, all he was doing was waiting for Chloe Sullivan to immerge from the bathroom. He could hear her sobs over the running tap water, and imagined the sandwich couldn’t obliterate the cancer diagnosis from her memory.
This was not him, this was not what he was supposed to be. Lex Luthor was supposed to guard his answers, especially in front of a journalist. Lex Luthor was supposed to think on his feet at all times. Lex Luthor was a man of many secrets, many faces, and more going on in his head than anyone ever suspected. He always had an angle, a plan and several sub-plans. He always had someone watching, he was always being watched, and he had to fight against his own humanity to stay alive in his father’s world.
Lex Luthor was not a friend. He was not a normal person. He could not just leave the gates and doors unlocked and make bologna sandwiches for… well, anyone.
Clark was his only true friend, and even that friendship was twisted. Lex had discovered long ago what was so special about the man he coveted. He had studied him, he had other people bring him proof… He had been mad enough to want to do harm to the man. The man he wanted more than he had ever wanted anything. The man he would give anything up for, the man who had dominated most of his fantasies since he had met him. The man who had changed him, in spite of himself. The man he could never have.
Lex didn’t know what the hell he had been doing with Chloe. A part of him reached out to her so as to not be alone on this night of all nights. A part of him was intrigued by the thought of comforting someone. Another part of him liked the idea he could comfort someone close to Clark. A part of him realized that he was interested in her because of her personality, her spunk, her tireless quest to tell the truth no matter how ridicules it sounded to the rest of the world among other things. A part of him wanted nothing more than to make a connection with her, make her feel wanted and desired. Make her want him. Quite simply, the part of him that was down south wanted to fuck her into the mattress ever since he had walked into her office and found her cursing at the top of her lungs.
Now, that last one was interesting because although he had a very well developed sexual appetite, no one but Clark had done it for him since he had gotten to town. Yes, there had been people in his bed, but no one that made him forget everything except the want.
So, what would it be? Did it matter? Were there reasons he shouldn’t do any of those things? Yes. He should ask her to leave right away. He should call her a cab and thank her for coming over. He should make sure her father heard about his help to boost his standing with the plant workers. He should subtly let Clark know that she wasn’t doing so well so that-
“Chloe?” He repeated out loud, his voice cracking.
17-year-old Chloe Sullivan was standing in the bathroom door, tear tracks on her red cheeks, naked as the day she was born. Lex burned the image into his mind, vowing never to forget the intense feelings he experienced at that moment, and how utterly luscious she looked.
“Am I still a women?” She asked, pleaded for an answer.
Lex stood up and put his hand on his groin, squeezing the aching organ.
“Does this answer your question?” He croaked, letting her see the bulge in his pants. “My god Chloe, what are you doing?”
“Make me a women Lex, please.”
She was begging him with her eyes, with her whole body, to take what he wanted. He liked it when people begged.
Still, the part of his brain that was still working shouted to stop before it progressed any further. This wasn’t going to be robot sex, and that was a very dangerous thing.
“Chloe. You’ve had a shock. Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”
She looked up at his menacingly.
“All I mean is that, I was told I may never produce heirs and I’ve gotten over it.”
“I very much doubt that…” She said to herself. “Lex, don’t you like the way I look?”
The old light switch went on in Lex’s brain. She wasn’t backing down.
“Baby, I could watch you all night. Just standing there. You’re so fucking hot.”
“Then what are you waiting for? I’m yours.”
Lex was afraid he would literally explode from the hotness coursing through his body now. He wasn’t sure he could get to her without stumbling, so he stayed put, taking off each item of clothing slowly, as he caressed her with his eyes.
The lights were dim, but he could see she liked what she saw.
They kept looking at each other, and like magnets, they both took unconscious steps towards each other.
When they met in the middle of that room, it was electric.
They were both completely disarmed. He could see into her soul, and she could see in his.
