CHAPTER SEVEN
Chloe sank back into a stuffed chair in a corner of The Talon, sipping at her stupid decaf machiatto. As much as she thought the very idea of decaf coffee was pointless, she knew that she'd be up all night if she had another drop of caffeine today. Besides all that, she liked the taste. But she'd rather there was a Dairy Queen open this time of night. She could go for ice cream.
She glanced at the ceiling. It was silly, really. It wasn't like she could see.
She'd left Lois alone with her ice cream, especially since she wasn't sharing. Neither the why nor the ice cream. Chloe knew the why. It was Ollie. She'd commiserate with Lois, but it would take a world of explaining as to how she knew Ollie's secret identity. Lois would be even more upset if she knew about Grant. But Chloe would keep those secrets.
In a way, she had her own secret identity. She was a secret-keeper. She held all that truth close and she could never let it out. She couldn't write up half the amazing things she saw at Clark's side. Not truthfully. Not if she wanted his activities to stay secret. She couldn't expose Lex. That could mean... She wasn't sure what. She didn't think one night in bed had changed them on any level. Apparantly, those files were from Lex. If she'd known... She still would have done it. And she doubted that Lex had gone soft on her, either. And she'd better not forget that with Lex's money and power, he could make her and all those close to her pay. Even her mother.
She missed her mother. All the more for never having her, really. Ollie had someone looking after her in Star City still. She owed him more than light hacking. If Ollie didn't insist on tossing money at her, she might work pro-bono for Ollie as she did for Clark.
Clark. She had another secret identity there. She was a sidekick. The best sidekick in town, apparently. She smiled, thinking of the warmth in his eyes when he said it. It seemed like he hadn't said something like that in so long. She'd been distracted. She hadn't tried hard enough to help him. It wasn't just helping Clark. It was helping herself, everyone, the whole damn world. She'd do better from here on out.
And not just with the helping. She'd keep on track. Her mind had been so many places and many of those places were a dark room with none other than Lex Luthor. Lois wasn't the only one with man troubles right now. She hadn't acted on it, but she was tempted, even now. But she had to keep pushing it away. If Lex had a hand in Grant Gabriel's death... She didn't know for sure, but if he did... And if she chose to go to him, to do it again, she'd be doing this with a monster, not just a man. It was suspect, to say the least, that it was not front page news that an editor at that very paper was killed. She had to face the idea that it wasn't just a routine mugging. It was Lex or it was Lionel. Either way, it was a Luthor.
It was best to stay away from Luthors. If she could learn that from anyone, it was Lana. Not even a year with Lex and she'd become so dark, so...
Her phone trilled and some high-schooler poring over a textbook glared at her. She grasped her purse and dug for it, her eyes widening as she read the call screen. "Speak of the devil," she muttered, flipping it open and pressing talk. "Hi, Lana."
There was silence on the other end. She just waited, having nothing to fill it with, either.
"Hi," Lana finally said, slightly shaky. "We haven't talked in so long and... How have you been?"
"Fine," she said, recognizing how clipped her voice was.
Lana must have felt it, too. There was another long pause before she responded. "Uh... Clark's been gone a while. Didn't see him when I got back to the house."
"Well, he had some things to take care of."
"So you saw him?" It wasn't a question.
"Yes. I've been helping him out with a few things."
"Good. I'm... glad he always has you to help him."
"Yes. I'm sure you are."
"No. Chloe, I... I mean it. I... There's been so much going on with Clark and all I could think about was myself and this idea that Lex had to pay and it just took me over and... You were right, Chloe. You were right to cut off my feed on Lex and... I was going somewhere dark and I just... I don't want to be that girl anymore." She heard a watery sigh. "And you were there for him. I mean, even with the phantom... You knew. You know him in ways I don't and I... I don't want to resent that anymore because I... I was wrong to tell you to let him go, Chloe. He needs you. You've been there for years and I... God, you've been there for me, too and I just threw it away and... Chloe, I... I hate that we've become this because I need you, too." She heard sobs on the other end. "And I've treated you like an enemy when you're really my closest... my only..."
"Lana, stop." Chloe closed her eyes and leaned back in her comfy chair, letting out a long breath. "I never thought I was your enemy," she finally said. "I have had... concerns about how you've spent your time. But..." She paused, still hearing sniffles on the other end. "I'd... I'd never stop being there for you."
"You were there for me. I just didn't see it and... Oh, Chloe... You don't how it's been. I've... I've ruined everything. Clark can't even look at me. For weeks, I was with that... that phantom and I didn't even know. Maybe I didn't want to know because he was saying all the right things and..."
"I can relate," Chloe cut in. Of course, not really. Her own bedroom foibles had been with a man who didn't say anywhere near the right thing. It was all wrong. Very, very wrong. And she would never do it again. Ever. For real. And even if he stormed in here without a stitch of clothes on this minute, she'd tell him just that.
"...and that's why maybe if we just had some space... Maybe we just need to get some perspective."
Chloe shook herself, realizing she was supposed to be talking to Lana, not thinking about Lex. "Perspective is... a good thing," she finally got out, hoping that made it sound like she definitely wasn't thinking of naked billionaires.
"So I can?"
Chloe held the phone closer to her ear. "Can what?"
"Stay with you."
"Uh..." Three women in a one bedroom apartment. Just she and Lois were already pushing the limits of the space.
"Clark and I are just... existing together and I think... I know it's no good for either of us. I don't know if we need time apart or if this is really the end and I..."
But isn't this what you wanted? It was a petty thought. Deep down, this part of her knew that Clark was kidding himself about Lana and Lana was kidding herself if she thought she could truly deal with who Clark was, who he really was... But she wasn't exactly happy about it. She never thought she would be, when it came to it. She wasn't, not really. Not rejoicing. Only relieved. Maybe now Clark would see that what he did, what she helped him to do... That was the life he belonged to.
It was tempered with a small amount of smug satisfaction, however. Because she knew. She knew all along.
"Maybe just some time with you, with a friend," Lana was saying. "There's so much tied up in Clark and I feel like I can't even relax around him. Like I'm walking on eggshells and..."
Friend? Were they friends? She didn't know what they were anymore. But she knew what she was supposed to say, to do. "Lana, it's fine," she cut in. Of course you stay with me... if you want." Yes. She was getting much better at saying and doing what she was supposed to.
During Lana's effusive promises about how it could be just like before, she chuckled along. When she hung up, she dropped the act, letting her head fall into her hands. She wasn't sure what to feel right now. Was she supposed to go with that relief that it might finally end? Should she be mourning over the fact that a girl she once treated as a sister was such a stranger to her now? Maybe it should be head-spinning confusion over the fact that she was now supposed to be a reporter, sidekick, watchtower, and a sister. And she wasn't really up to any of them at the moment.
When she saw Clark come into The Talon, she decided to go with a new feeling - the tense knot now forming in her stomach at the thought that she would be smack in the middle, just like last year. Clark would ask about Lana. Lana would ask about Clark. And what was she to do? What else? Try to make the both of them look good to the other, all the while knowing that it was all wrong.
She shrank back in her chair as he approached the stairs, trying not to breathe until he was out of sight. He probably wanted to talk, maybe about Lana or Ollie or the blonde screamer. And she just wasn't in the mood. Whatever she'd have to do later, she was not on duty yet. When he came down, she was not about to gently break it to him that Lana was probably writing a "Dear Clark" letter now. On the other hand, she was not about to make smalltalk knowing what she did. She was not going to talk to him at all. Not tonight.
She put her coffee on a small accent table between the chairs. It was sour in her stomach. Either that or the churning was just a physical manifestaion of her emotional state. She was sick. Sick to death of keeping of being what everyone needed. Save a life? Sure thing. Heal a finger? No problem. Of course I'll hack for you, Clark. Ollie, too. While I'm at it, I'll listen to everyone's problems. Keep all of their secrets. Never mind my problems. Never mind my... secrets.
"Oh, God," she whispered, staring at the front door of the Talon.
And now Lex. She groaned and grabbed a bit of today's paper, left behind on the table next to her, holding it in front of her face. She'd be trapped in this chair forever. Between Clark upstairs and Lex waltzing in and Lana on her way. She grabbed her bag, still holding the paper up. There was no rule that said she had to wait here. She stood and glanced behind her at the side door. Maybe just a little fresh air.
She leaned against the side door, closing her eyes and taking a breath. It wasn't exactly fresh air. It smelled like mildew and rotting lettuce from the deli next store. But it was possibly better than being trapped in a chair. Still, she'd rather take a walk then just stand here. She moved down the small step and into the alleyway, groaning as she saw a car parked smack in the middle, hardly any room on either side. The passenger side looked doable, since it, unlike the front, wasn't an inch from the corner of a dumpster. She moved toward it, holding her bag in front of her. In the middle of negotiating her way around the sideview mirror, her coat rubbed against the dirty wall. "Hope they get a hefty ticket," she muttered.
"Oh, I won't. Don't worry."
She stilled. "Of course." She turned to Lex and sidestepped back. "You couldn't just park in the street like the rest of us plebeians."
"Owning the place does come with its perks." He put his coffee on the roof, then leaned on it, effectively blocking her way. He wasn't wearing a suit. He was wearing an open trench over dark pants and a sweater, Lex's version of casual. She wondered if he'd be caught dead in sweatpants. He reached forward and she flinched back slightly. He just smiled and pushed at the sideview mirror. It folded in. "That might help," he said.
"You moving might help more." She dropped her purse to her side when he still stood there. "How'd you even get out?"
He nodded to her right. "Little more room on the driver's side."
She rolled her eyes. "That and a dumpster. I didn't want to vault over the hood." She moved backwards into the alley. "Can you just move this thing?"
He came forward instead. "Running away from me?"
"Don't flatter yourself. I have many more interesting things to run away from."
He raised an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"
She stopped in the middle of the alleyway, tired of backing away like a scared girl. "Not to you."
He smiled. "As your employer, I have an open door policy. Really. You can tell me anything."
"Aren't you progressive?"
"How are things at work? I hear you're there at all hours."
"It's not on the clock, Luthor, so I don't think you should worry."
"Maybe I'm exactly the person who should worry."
She tilted her head. "Would you care to elaborate?" she asked.
"Of course not." Honestly, how could he? He'd have to admit it, then. And her off-the-clock activities paled to his, though they had a common thread. He wasn't any more ready to say it aloud than she was, but there it was. That subtle current that ran under every exchange they'd had. One false step and she'd ruin him. And vice versa. He stepped forward again, but she stood her ground.
"Thought you weren't chasing me down," she said.
His eyes widened. "Not chasing you at all. Just having a pleasant..." A ringing cut in and he pursed his lips and pulled a cell phone from his coat. He opened it, still standing there. "Yes?" he barked. "Yes. And it's in the morning. Why are you calling me now?" His voice lowered. "Gina, it's my jet. I'd like to believe it will leave when I'm ready." He snapped the phone closed. "Where were we?"
"We were done." She moved toward the car, then sidestepped toward mouth of the alleyway. She couldn't deal with this right now. She was about to jump out of her skin, she was so stressed.
She heard him right behind her. "Really? Because I thought we were just getting warmed up."
"Maybe you want to play cat and mouse, but I'm..." She gasped as she cleared the corner. It was Clark, nearly alone in the darkened street, looking to either side. She knew what that usually preceded. She ducked back and whirled around, grabbing Lex by the shoulders and pushing him to the car.
He looked to the side. "What's the matter with..."
She grabbed the side of his head and did the only thing she could in hopes he wouldn't notice a familiar red and blue figure about to blur by.
Of course, she probably could have thought of something better than kissing him. Punching him would have been a good one. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it for at least one of the things he'd done to her. Could have just pushed him down. But no. She just had to kiss him. And that wasn't the worst part.
No. With the limited space, it wasn't just his mouth she felt against her. Breasts rubbed right below his chest. An erection (God! Already?) poked into her stomach. Even their legs touched. She had to stop it.
Before she could pull way, he did... his mouth, at least. "So I take it you're... making a choice?"
She pushed him back and squeezed to the side. "No." The wrong side, apparently, as she was in the alleyway again. She leaned against the wall and faced away from him, breathing heavily.
"Then what the hell was that?" she heard behind her.
That was just me protecting Clark, of course. But was it? Was that all it was? Because she could have done nay number of things, but she picked that. "That was... just goodbye," she said, not having anything better.
"Oh, Chloe..." She felt his breath on her neck. "I seriously doubt a goodbye between me and you would be anything so tame as a little kiss." She felt his hand on her hip. Her body froze, but her stomach muscles contracted as it moved to her waistband... moved inside. "Fucking pants again," he grunted.
She found herself leaning back against him as his hand slipped further in, under pants, under panties, all over her... "I... I thought you said you were done playing."
"Well..." His lips brushed her ear. "It was your move. You made a move. I'm just answering it." His fingers made slow circles over her clit.
"It wasn't a move," she panted. "And I don't want you to ans... Ahhh... Faster..."
His breathing suddenly sped up, but his fingers kept up their slow rhythm. "Not unless you say it."
"Say what?" Right now, she might tell him he was the damned Sultan of Smallville if he just moved faster. So much pressure... always so much pressure. If it would just break...
"That this happened." He bit her earlobe, a little too hard to be a nibble. "And it was all because of you, Chloe. Because you wanted it. You asked for it."
"I... won't... Uhhh..." His fingers sped up, then slowed down again.
"Say it."
She gripped his arm and turned into the wall, wantonly rubbing agianst his fingers. "I... want this."
He pressed against her. "You asking for it?"
"God, just..." She pushed an elbow back into his stomach. "I don't know. I'm about to change my mind, Lex."
He pulled his hand out, but she felt it warm on her waist, pulling her backwards. She felt the side of that stupid mirror brush aginst her hip as he kept pulling her. Then he turned her, clear of the alleyway, of the car. "Mine hasn't changed, Chloe. I'm... I just want..."
She grabbed the lapels of his coat and pulled, catching his lips again, thanking God it was Smallville and nearing nine or the public, or the press, would have a field day. She wondered if, somewhere on the other side of the good/evil spectrum, Lex just needed what she did. Release. From the eager way his lips and body pressed into hers, she knew it must be true. She pulled away, taking in his hooded eyes and moist lips. "Fuck me," she whispered.
He only stared, his choppy breaths hitting her lips.
"I want you to fuck me," she said clearly, hoping there was no room for doubt. It didn't have to mean anything. It didn't have to change anything. He'd still be my enemy. I'd still be his. But if she needed it, if he needed it... Or did he? She drew back, wondering if this was all some elaborate game. Get her to say it, then laugh in her face as he...
He swallowed hard. "Get in the car," he said in a choked voice.
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