Bittersweet Reunion

Disclaimer: I own abso-posilutely nothing.

Author's Note: I needed to write something kinda sad, but happy. Dang 'Meet Joe Black' soundtrack getting me all choked up.

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He had to come; for her, to be there in case she needed a shoulder. Sweet words won't work; not not. A shoulder, though, a hug, he can do that; it won't be near enough, but it would suffice for the time. His dress shoes squish as he steps softly toward the cemetery, the recent rainfall making everything look even more depressing.

The priest is just finishing as he takes a spot near the back. He spies her by the coffin, blonde head bent in sorrow as she cries silently. His heart aches just watching her, but he can't approach now. It would be wrong; and so he resigns himself to studying her, remembering.

Their parting had been a mutual 'maybe we should see if we're better off apart' situation, but it had still been hard for them both. She'd gone away to Europe for a year, he'd thrown himself back into work. He'd missed her terribly; it killed him to not see her, to not listen to her laugh every day. Evidently, she'd missed him, too; or, at least, wanted his presence at the worst day of her life. That had to mean she still cared.

Gabe Sullivan had been a great man. He'd learned to grudgingly accept his daughter's relationship with his boss; even gave them his blessing on their one-year anniversary. His death had surprised Lex, until he heard that it was caused by a plant accident. He'd been on the phone with the Sullivans' lawyers immediately, wondering if Chloe would sue. The lawyer said she wouldn't; she knew her father was getting older, and his health was failing. It was only a matter of time, her lawyer had said. (They were her words, but she refused to speak to her ex.)

The crowd breaks up, and Lex is jolted back to reality; bodies are gliding past him, bodies drenched in black, faces somber. Several (such as Clark and Pete) glance up at him in shock, but they press on, and Lex keeps his head held high. He waits until Chloe is alone before he strides purposefully toward her.

In lieu of a verbal greeting, he wraps her in backwards hug, resting his chin on top of her beret-clad head. Chloe starts, but then he whispers that he's there for her; that she'll be fine. They rock slowly, the woman crying (perhaps, now, for a different reason), the man murmuring nonsensical phrases.

Her tears subside after a while, as the rain begins to sprinkle down again. In his arms, she rotates, so she can see him. Her face is streaked with dampness, her eyes are red-rimmed, but she's still the most amazingly beautiful person he's ever laid eyes on. She, almost inaudibly, thanks him for being there. He says that he'll always come if she needs him. They both know he means it.

He brushes hair off her forehead tenderly, his eyes bore into her soul. She says she misses him more everyday, he tells her the same. Then, before he can react, she kisses him lightly. His lips mold to hers immediately, and they sink together. He knows she hurting fiercely, that she needs support more than a lover, but kissing her feels so right.

They break away slowly, gasping. She says she's never stopped loving him, he says the same. Their hands slid together comfortably, and he slowly leads her to his waiting car.

As soon as he begins to drive, her eyes close, and she sleeps; her hand is still clenched in his, but he doesn't try to move it. He glances at her every so often, unable to keep from smiling softly.

He promises himself, then and there, that he'll support, protect, love, and adore her today, tomorrow, and forever. He'll never, ever let her go again.

They reach his home, and he carries her inside. She stirs and wraps her arms snugly around his neck. So as not to wake her further, Lex carefully places her on the couch in his office, where a fire is already burning. When he goes to leave, she quietly asks him to stay. He doesn't need to be asked twice; he holds her, watches her sleep, for another half an hour; just before he himself drifts off, he hears her ask him to never let her go. He promises he won't, and he means it this time.

FINIS