This Charming Man
Couple(s): Chloe/Lex
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Everything but the plot belongs to someone other than me. The title comes from the Smiths song of the same name.
Spoilers for: The 'Save Me' series
Author's Note: This takes place about seven years after 'SM'. I know very vaguely where I'm taking this, so bear with me. It won't all be schmoop and sensuality; there will be a real plot eventually.
******
Lex rolled over in bed and lazily draped his arm around his slumbering wife's shoulders. She sighed and snuggled closer to him, a smile playing across her lips. Very slowly her crystal blue eyes opened. "Morning," she whispered, kissing his cheek.
With a yawn, he blinked several times to banish the exhaustion he still felt. "'Morning, Clo. Happy anniversary."
At those words, Chloe's face lit up. "You, too, Lex." They kissed quietly and passionately.
The sounds of scampering feet caused them to break apart. The door to their master bedroom was thrown open and two pajama-clad bodies pounced on the bed.
Seven year-old Lena--who had inherited her father's bright red hair--grinned down at her parents. "Good morning!" she yelped.
Lex returned his daughter's grin and began to tickle her mercilessly. "Good morning, sweetie."
Jonathan--Lena's six year-old brother who was graced with his mother's wavy blonde locks--smiled shyly. "Hi, mommy and daddy. Happy anniversary," he whispered.
"Thank you, John," Chloe said softly, hugging him tightly.
"Me, too!" Lena insisted, throwing her short arms around Chloe's neck as best she could. "Happy anniversary, too."
"Can I get in on this?" Lex wondered, embracing his three favorite people warmly. After everyone giggled for a few more minutes, he glanced at his bedside clock. "John, Lena: time to get ready."
His children sighed and reluctantly crawled off the bed. "I don't wanna study," Lena muttered as she padded across the carpeted floor in her bare feet.
"Me neither," her brother echoed.
On the bed, their parents were biting back laughs. "We'll meet you guys downstairs for breakfast, okay?" Lex called.
He received unintelligible mumbling in reply.
Chloe propped herself up on her elbow and simply studied the man with whom she'd been for eleven years. "I wasn't going to get all sappy about this, since I usually don't, but it's been seven years."
Resting one hand on her hip and using the other to play with her hair, Lex nodded. "Seven years ago today you made me the happiest, luckiest man to ever live." He bit his lip thoughtfully then added, "no. The day I first told you that I loved you was the happiest day of my life. The day we got married was the..."
Slowly he trailed off as she pulled him closer. "Shut up," she ordered slyly, her breath hot on his lips. The kiss was just getting heated when she moved away.
"What?" he moaned.
Chloe meandered to her large closet and sifted through several racks of clothes before yanking a few items off their hangars. "Breakfast, kids, work. You know, stuff that, as parents, we do on a daily basis?" She turned to smirk at him before ambling into their private bathroom.
"But, as a married couple, aren't we supposed to fool around on our anniversary?" he shot back, heading to his own closet. Seconds later, a scrap of red silk he recognized as her nightgown hit him in the face. He held it, smirked, then tossed it on the bed.
"No one said we weren't going to, darling," she said teasingly, before stepping into the shower.
Though he was more than tempted to join her, Lex dressed in his usual black suit and white silk shirt then headed to the first floor.
"Good morning again, daddy!" Lena called out, hurtling out of the dining room and crashing into him by the staircase.
Once again he found himself smiling. Lifting her up, he carried her into the kitchen. "Good morning, Lena-dear. Where's that brother of yours?" He kissed her cheek and dropped her onto a chair.
"I'm here, daddy," whispered his son. John--who was very small for his age--was hiding under the table.
Bending down so he was about eye-level with the boy, Lex smiled gently. "Hey, pal; what're you doing down here?"
John's tiny shoulders rose and fell in a shrug. "Dunno. Jus' sittin'."
Lex rocked back on his heels and ruffled John's blond curls. "Want to come out and eat?"
Another shrug.
"What's wrong, John? You can tell me anything; you know that." The Luthors were used to their son's intense shyness, but they still worried on occasion.
Suddenly the boy was in Lex's arms, shaking uncontrollably. Careful not to bump Jonathan's head, Lex scooted out from under the piece of furniture, clutching his son. "It's okay, Johnny-boy. I'm here; you're okay," he whispered, trying vainly to soothe him.
"Don't make me study today," was the feeble plea.
That startled Lex more than John's trembling; John usually loved going to his tutor. "Why not, buddy?"
"I don't wanna go!" He was near tears.
Chloe was in the kitchen, laughing with Martha Kent, who still liked to come over in the mornings and cook breakfast; the women were close friends, anyway, so she frequently came over just to chat.
"There's my boy," the former said cheerfully, holding out her purple silk-clad arms to him. Then she noticed the tears in John's bright blue eyes. "John, what's up?"
Handing John to his wife, Lex held her gaze and sighed. "He doesn't want to see Guy today."
Guy Williamson was the private instructor the Luthors had hired for their children; the couple had decided early on that boarding school wasn't an option, and they didn't like the idea of public schools. And so, every morning, one of them would drop John and Lena off at Guy's Metropolis apartment for four or five hours. He would then bring them home around two in the afternoon. It usually worked out well.
"Why not, sweetie?" Chloe asked softly, her eyes full of concern as she brushed hair off his forehead.
"I. Don't. Wanna. Go." He wasn't about to throw a temper tantrum--that was his sister's territory--but John *was* about to start bawling.
"Aww, sweetie," she murmured, rocking him back and forth. "You'll be okay; you like Guy, don't you?"
Through his sobs, he managed to nod. "I jus'," sniffle "don't wanna be away from you...Mommy." His parents shared a look over his head. Lex was as confused as she was; their son had never shown any tendency toward separation anxiety before.
"I'll be here when you get home, honey," she assured him. She carried him into the dining room and carefully pried his tiny fingers from around her neck.
When she gently wiped the tears from his cheeks, John ventured a slight smile. "I love you, Mommy."
Her heart melted, as it always did when her children said things like that. "I love you, too, Johnny-boy. Are you going to be okay?"
He nodded again, still looking put out. When his father came out of the kitchen and rested a plate in front of him, however, Jonathan grinned. "Chocolate chip pancakes!" he squealed.
Lena marched into the room next, her own plate clenched in her hands. "Martha's the *best*!" she exclaimed, taking her usual seat next to her brother. "Are you feelin' less wussy, John?"
When John pouted, Lex frowned at his daughter. "Lena, we don't say things like that in this house. You know that. Please apologize to John."
Rolling her eyes, she mumbled, "sorry, John."
"'s okay," he returned, digging into his food.
"Thank you, Lena," Lex said with a smile, kissing the top of her head.
"Uh huh."
Satisfied, the contented parents strolled into the large, clean kitchen. Lex greeted Martha with a hug, thanked her profusely for continuing to cook for them, then served himself some pancakes. After he was seated at the huge table, Chloe did the same.
"Join us, Martha," Chloe urged, "please."
She seemed to deliberate for a while, but then Clark's widowed mother relented and slid into the chair next to Lena's. "Are you enjoying your breakfast?"
With an enthusiastic nod, the girl grinned. Her teeth were covered with chocolate. "You're the best cook ever, Martha!"
Martha blushed and smiled. "Thank you, Lena. I appreciate that."
The Luthors went back to their respective meals--Martha had eaten at the farm before driving over--not saying much. Once the last bite of food was consumed, forks dropped against plates and everyone began to move.
Lex helped his children gather their homework, while Chloe started taking care of the dishes. When Martha insisted that she would do it, the younger woman scoffed. "Please, Martha; you're a friend, not a maid. Besides, if I'm going to work at home now, I should learn to get domestic."
Grinning, Martha grabbed a towel and dried the plate that Chloe handed over. "How's that schedule working out?"
Chloe's hands plunged into the full sink as she scrubbed a particularly feisty chocolate stain from another plate. It still amazed her that they used china for everyday eating. She didn't think she'd ever become fully comfortable with such a concept. "It's actually much better than I thought. At first I worried about being away from the office, but then I realized that doing all my writing at home and dropping it off was much simpler for everyone; I can be here when the kids get home, and I can see Lex more than I did before. The only thing I miss is the big, gold plaque on my desk which read, 'Chloe Sullivan'. It made me feel so damn important." She grinned.
"You *are* important, babe," Lex interjected, gliding into the kitchen to assist Lena and John with the making of their afternoon snacks. "You're important to us." He leaned over to kiss the back of her neck before yanking open the door of their black, industrial-sized fridge. "What do you guys want today?" he asked his children who were scrambling to investigate the fridge's contents.
In response to his sweet gesture, Chloe flicked some soap suds at his bald head. He expertly wiped them off and threw them back at her, all the while pulling food off shelves with his other hand.
"Young love," Martha remarked.
At that, Chloe laughed. "Something like that." They were finished with the dishes, so she let the water drain out of the double-sided, chrome sink, and wiped her damp hands on the back of her husband's shirt. He ignored her.
Apparently the kids were having a tough time choosing their food; at first Lena wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but then she said that yogurt was "so much healthier." John thought it would be really cool to bring celery, mini carrots, and ranch vegetable dip so he could "build stuff before I eat it!" When his father vetoed that idea, John said he'd stick with his usual turkey sandwich on wheat bread with butter. Lena finally decided that she'd have peanut butter at Guy's and eat her yogurt when she got home.
"Alrighty, let's make us some sandwiches!" Lex declared, dragging several handfuls of ingredients to the long, black marble counters that took up the whole right side of the bright kitchen.
Chloe hoisted herself onto another part of the counter and watched her family with a smile. When she and Lex had first met--*was it really sixteen years ago?*--she never would have thought he would be the kind of person to make sandwiches for his children in the morning. She never would have thought he'd even *have* children. And the thought that he could make sandwiches--when he could barely make pizza all those years before--never would have crossed her mind, either.
*So much has changed, but, deep down, he's still the same Lex that I used to find fascinating. Okay, he's still fascinating, but in an entirely different way*
It struck her that, while she'd loved him when they were first together, she was just beginning to realize how special, how fabulous, how *good* a man he was. It seemed every day she loved him more deeply than the day before. That knowledge scared her at first, but then she got used to it. Loving him so indescribably much made her feel safe; she knew she could always count on him.
"Goodbye, mommy." Jonathan was tugging insistently on the hem of her boot cut jeans.
Blinking to focus back on reality, Chloe leaned down and lifted him onto her lap. "Bye, John. Have fun, okay? I love you so much. Gimme a hug." He threw his arms around her waist and didn't let go until Lex pulled him away.
"We have to get going, John," he reminded the boy gently.
"Okay." With one last wave, John meandered out of the kitchen. He looked adorable in his little black shoes, black pants, and white polo shirt.
"See you later, mommy!" Lena managed, after several failed attempts, to pull herself up next to her mother.
With a grin, Chloe hugged and kissed her daughter. "Bye, Lena-girl. I love you. Have a good time, okay?"
The red-headed girl nodded so firmly that her ponytail bounced against her back. "You bet I will. I love you, too, mommy!" She bounced out of the kitchen, wearing fringed jeans and a colorful blouse. On her feet she wore tiny ankle boots.
Lastly, Lex came over. "See you in a little bit," he whispered, sighing as he smiled at her.
"Yeah. Say hi to Guy for me." She kissed him warmly then told him to go. "Don't want to be late on account of me."
He grinned slyly. "Do you know how many awful jokes I could make?"
Rolling her eyes, she playfully pushed him away. "Shut up."
His eyes twinkling, he blew her a kiss and herded Lena and John out the door.
******
Guy was just setting up for that day's lessons when his doorbell rang. His sock-clad feet tapped against his hardwood floors as he headed for the front door. "Luthors, hello!" He greeted the children with hugs, then shook Lex's hand firmly.
"Hi, Guy. How's it going?" Lex trusted the man completely, but something kept him from liking him. Still, he was polite.
"Everything's peachy; yourself?" Guy stuck his hands into the pockets of his khakis and rocked casually on the balls of his large feet.
"Can't complain." Lex peered over the ominously tall man's broad shoulders, hoping to get one last glimpse of his kids.
"Happy anniversary, by the way," Guy said quickly.
Frowning, Lex focused his eyes on Guy's warm, handsome face. *I never mentioned that to him* "Thank you. Did Chloe mention that to you, just out of curiosity?" Why it bothered him so much, he didn't know.
Guy, watching his charges with the eye of a seasoned professional, shrugged. "One of the kids did."
That seemed plausible enough, so Lex let it go. "Guys, I'm going to leave now; come say goodbye!"
He found himself studying the tutor while he waited for his children; it was something he usually caught himself doing on days he drove them. Guy was built like an athlete--tall, muscular--and had short, straight reddish hair that contrasted with his spicy green eyes. He dressed like a typical business man; khakis and button-down shirts were apparent staples of his wardrobe.
Guy was warm and friendly; he was extremely good with kids, and they seemed to adore him. Despite the fact that he was a good friend of the Luthors' late private investigator, Kyle, they did a complete background check before hiring him. The only thing on his record was a ticket he'd gotten for going fifty-seven in a fifty mile zone.
He was so perfect, and as Chloe had remarked, handsome, that Lex was sure there had to be something wrong. He wanted there to be *something* not-so-right about Guy; that way he'd have a logical reason to not like him. Still, the kids and Chloe loved him, so Lex didn't bother to find another tutor. He wrote the discomfort off as a clash of personalities; there was nothing abnormal about that, especially in Lex's line of work.
Two pairs of arms tightened around his unsuspecting legs, jolting Lex out of his thoughts. He grinned down at his children and hugged them as best he could while standing. "I love you, guys," he assured them, kissing their foreheads. "Guy will drive you home later today. Behave and have fun."
"Love you, too, daddy!" Lena replied then bounced away. She had a tendency to end every sentence with an exclamation, Lex noted with a smirk.
"Love you, daddy," John whispered.
Bending down, Lex gazed at his son firmly. "You'll be okay, John. Don't worry." He smiled to soften his words, hugged the boy again, then straightened up.
Guy was smiling as well, most likely from the affection father and children obviously felt for each other. "See you later, Lex. Say hello to Chloe for me."
"Will do. Thanks again."
He headed down the stone porch steps, only looking back to wave at Lena and John before zooming away in his Jaguar.
******
Chloe let out a sigh of relief when she held the final draft of her most recent article in her hands; she'd been hacking away at the story--about several mysterious car accidents--for days, and it finally came together.
She stood up from her extremely comfortable desk chair and stretched. Deciding that her husband needed a break, she left her first floor office and marched into his without knocking.
As she usually found him around lunchtime, he was standing with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the floor length window. Creeping up behind him, she wound her arms loosely around his waist and nuzzled his neck.
"Time for a break, babe," she murmured, kissed his shoulder, felt his pulse quicken.
He spun around and smirked at her. "Is it, now?"
She played with the top button of his shirt, teasing him. "Yes. Since you're obviously working extremely hard..."
Lex grinned, letting her remark--which he could have interpreted in a much different way than she'd intended--slide. "What should we do?"
Chloe tightened her grip on his waist, pressed her lips against his neck again. "Oh, I don't know, Mister Luthor. What do you suggest?"
"Well, gee, Misses Luthor, that over there's a really comfy couch..." he teased between deep, breathless kisses.
Her eyebrows raised at this. He'd never been one for...doing intimate things in his office; said it cheapened the whole concept. "The couch?"
"My dear, if you'd like we can move upstairs." As he spoke, Lex was slowly carrying her toward the door.
"You just about read my mind, Sexy Lexy," she shot back, feigning helplessness as he climbed the stairs. "Thank goodness I have a big, strong man to take me there."
When he reached the top of the staircase, he set her down, grinning. "Not anymore you don't."
And then they no longer had time or need to speak; they were too caught up in the vow they'd made seven years earlier to love and cherish each other.
About two hours later they laid across the bed, tangled up together, just smiling. It amazed Chloe how much she had grown to enjoy post-coital cuddling; prior to her relationship with Lex, she had loathed sitting around holding someone. Years later, she couldn't imagine *not* simply gazing at the beauty that was him.
"You're so beautiful it scares me," she remarked, picking up one of his hands and kissing each fingertip.
His eyes twinkled and he gave her the smile that he saved for moments such as the one they were sharing. "You sure know how to make a guy feel warm and fuzzy all over, Clo," he said softly, looking uncharacteristically shy.
The fact that she had used the same phrase many years earlier, in a more sarcastic vein, however, didn't slip her mind. She brought her mouth to his for the kind of kiss that made him tremble all over. It still amused her that she could have such power over the most important man in Kansas.
When he pulled back, he gazed down at her and his breath hitched. She was lying back on her pillow, her blonde hair spilling around her. Her lithe body glistened, and her contented grin made the entire room feel sunny, despite the fact that it was getting overcast outside.
"Looking at you makes me crazy sometimes," he told her sincerely, his voice lowering.
"In a good way, I hope," she returned, her face glowing.
"In a very, very good way," Lex assured her. "You have absolutely no idea how much I love and adore you."
Her inviting mouth was near his again. "I think I have *some* idea..."
"I don't think you do."
She was serious when she leaned back, kisses momentarily forgotten. "Then tell me. Tell me why you love me."
Her husband was impressed; back when Lena was missing, he'd requested the same thing of Chloe, hoping to get rid of the despair they'd been feeling at the time. Those days were, thankfully, long gone; it had never occurred to him that she might, one day, 'turn the tables', so to speak. But she had, and he was thrilled.
"How much time do you have?"
Glancing behind her, she checked the time. "The kids shouldn't be home for half an hour. Let's see how many 'lines' you can fit in during that time."
Lex took a deep breath. "I love you, Chloe Sullivan--that's what you'll always be to me, by the way--because, first of all, you're the most physically perfect woman that I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. Secondly, I love you because I *know* you're so amazingly beautiful inwardly; hell, you managed to change me."
His wife made a face; she believed that he changed himself. She had told him that so frequently, however, that she knew it was understood.
He was quiet for several moments, looking down at her. "That's it?" she teased.
Biting his lip, Lex shook his head. "Not by a long shot. I'm thinking about how to put everything into words."
"My husband, the amateur poet."
He smirked then spoke. "I'll let the 'amateur' part go this time."
Chloe rolled her eyes in mock exasperation. "Yeah, yeah; get on with your little declaration of never-ending love and passion."
"Patience has never been a virtue of yours, has it, my dear?" He laughed at her bewilderment before, finally, continuing.
"I also love you because when I wake up in the morning, I know that you'll be lying next to me, and that thought is, basically, what keeps me going during the day; I love you because you're still so damn passionate about whatever issues manage to catch your fancy; I love you because you're so frank and honest; I love you because you aren't afraid to tell me when I upset or disappoint you; I love you because you trust and respect people until they give you reason to feel otherwise; I love you because of the smile that lights up your face whenever Lena and John walk in the room; I love you because of the way you look whenever we're alone; I love you because of the way your eyes sparkle when I say that I love you; I love you because, let's face it, you're so bloody sexy that, sometimes, it hurts to touch you; I love you because you never cease to surprise me with the things you say; I love you because you can cheer me up just by smiling; I love you because--"
He cut himself off when her lips pressed, softly, against his throat. "That's enough, sweetheart," she purred, enjoying, obviously, the way she was affecting him.
"Okay," he replied, his voice trembling as her kisses moved to his ear. "The kids are going to be home soon."
"Mmm hmm." Her hands gripped his arms when she grinned down at him coyly. "We'd better get dressed then, hadn't we?"
"You going to stop kissing me like that?" he asked when her lips captured his again.
"Do you want me to?"
"Not particularly, but you have to if you actually want me to make it downstairs again."
"Or..." she prompted him knowing the answer full well, but wanting to hear him say it.
"Or we're never leaving the room."
Chloe shifted away from him, pretending to be considering his statement. "As much as I'd love to, I love the kids too much to not see them ever again."
Before she could get off the bed, Lex lowered his mouth to her neck and gave her a tender kiss just below her earlobe. "I'm inclined to agree. I love you."
Her eyes shone. "Seems I've heard that before. I love you, too, babe."
The sound of several car doors slamming made them start. In a flash they were dressed and bolting downstairs.
When Chloe opened the door, she was breathless. Guy simply smiled at her. "Hello, Chloe. Happy anniversary."
*Did Lex mention it to him?* She returned his warm smile and told him to come in. He declined, saying that he had to hurry.
Then she was kneeling down and her children were in her arms. Kisses, hugs, and 'I missed you's' were exchanged before she remembered that their tutor was still standing on the doorstep, smiling strangely.
Chloe cleared her throat. Something about the look on his face made her slightly nervous. "Your check for the month is in the mail."
Guy nodded. "Yes, I got it yesterday, thank you."
"Okay. See you tomorrow, then."
"You bet. Bye, guys. Bye, Chloe." He gave her one last, lingering glance before heading down the steps.
"Come on; let's go see what you're father's doing." Taking her children's hands, she wrote the paranoid feeling off as nothing