Disclaimer: If it were mine in any capacity, Clark would have been thrown out the window in Kinetic, leaving Our Favorite Couple to make out on the pool table.
Author's Note: This picks up right where six left off. I know I continually use the park thing in my various series, but it works. Besides, every big city has a park or two hidden somewhere. For the record, this park is NOT the same park that's in 'Motives'. That is all I have to say about that.
Author's Note, the second: This is it. I know it's really abrupt and probably rushed, but I had to get it done; the series strayed from the initial point a looong time ago.
Dedicated to: Bridget because 'Jaan Pehecaan Ho' is, officially, the most annoyingly addictive song in the world.
******
"Don't, 'you'll see' me, Lex," Chloe demanded, stomping her foot while still being dragged behind him. (It was quite a feat, but he wasn't surprised that she managed to pull it off; she could do anything she put her mind to.)
His mouth curved into a smile. "If I tell you where we're going, you'll just ask why I'm taking you there. Besides, you're a journaist; use those well-honed skills to figure out our destination. We aren't driving, we're near several big Metropolis landmarks--" he paused to manuever them through a crowd "and that's all the help I'll give you."
She 'hrumph'ed in annoyance, but otherwise kept her mouth shut until he stopped walking and announced that they were at their destination. Frowning, Chloe took in the small park that she often passed on her way to and from school; a bubbling fountain (at night the water glowed blue and purple) stood smack dab in the middle of all the bright green grass. It was one of few places in Metropolis that was still green (the city hired a gardener to keep it nice), and that morning, there were only a handful of people (mostly moms and children) enjoying it.
"Why are we here, Lex?" Chloe asked curiously, fixing her companion with a glance he couldn't interpret.
Before he responded, Lex guided her to the fountain's edge, and they perched carefully; it was made for sitting, but they could, very easily, fall backward. "Starbucks isn't open yet," he said seriously, his eyes boring into hers, "and I had to take you some place where we could be alone." The earlier, playful tone dropped completely.
For some reason, she shivered. "Honestly, Luthor, why are we here?"
He sighed slowly, took her hands in his. "My father is moving me to a different plant, permanently." His voice was flat, and at his words, she started.
"How soon are you leaving?" she whispered. "And where are you going?"
"Day after tomorrow, and Alaska." At her bewildered expression, he clarified: "One of our other huge plants is there. Before you ask, he's sending me there because he believes I'm not doing enough at this location, and he wants to punish me, basically. I have no choice." His eyes pleaded with her to understand, but he wouldn't blame her if she didn't; after all, he didn't understand his father's reasoning himself.
The blonde woman averted her gaze to her hands (which had clenched his). "I know you don't have a choice," she agreed in a whisper. "I don't have a choice, either; but that's okay because these things happen." Despite her maudlin tone, she forced a smile for him.
His arms were around her, and they held each other quietly. What Chloe considered saying, was that it all seemed to be almost too wonderful; over their short but powerful courtship, she'd come to see him as a kindred spirit (even though they didn't have much in common in terms of interests, they looked at the world in the same way). She'd instinctively known that something would come between them eventually.
"We're so pathetic!" she said with false enthusiasm, pulling away from him.
Lex, understanding that she was trying to come to terms with it in her own, cynical, sarcastic way, didn't dispute her claim. "We'll be okay, Clo," he assured her in his normal, firm voice. "I have a private jet, after all."
This amused her; she smirked. "If you've got it, flaunt it." She had managed to stifle her hurt, and it would come back to haunt her later; both had plenty of experience with that coping mechanism, and Lex knew he would have to implement it a few days from then.
"Which is something you do very well," he said with a wry grin.
A pause, then Chloe nodded. "I do, don't I."
The billionaire smiled briefly; she always said the right thing at the right time. "Is there anywhere else you want to go?"
In lieu of any other reply, she kissed him sweetly on the lips. He shifted so he could deepen the kiss, and they spent the rest of the afternoon wrapped up in each other.
******
Chloe had told Lois the whole story when she returned from her outing with Lex (it was near nine when the pair stopped kissing, hugging, talking, and attempting to cheer each other up), then grabbed a quick dinner; a few slices of deli roast beef, an orange, and a bottle of spring water. She didn't feel like worrying about food, when the man she'd grown to love in such a short time was leaving.
The older cousin had simply hugged the sad one, and told her that it would work out in time. Chloe had thanked Lois for her concern, then gone to bed.
******
She awoke around ten in the morning, determined to have one last day with him. Even though it was Sunday, she showered and dressed immediately (dark jeans, a black corset from the 'club wear' section of her closet, and a tan leather coat that she wore whenever the mood struck her.
After half a bagel, a mug of strong, black coffe, and a few pieces of bacon (Lois always made big breakfasts on Sundays), Chloe gave Lex a call on his cell. She couldn't remember when he'd given her the number, not that it mattered. It seemed like she'd always had it.
"Lex Luthor."
"Good morning, Mister Luthor. My name is Ivan Tewe, and I was wondering if I could have a few hours of your time." At the table next to her, Lois wasn't sure whether to roll her eyes or laugh; so, she did both.
Lex, being intelligent, understood immediately. "Well, Miss Ivan, I believe I can pencil you in between my massage and my work out today..."
"Or I could replace both your massage and your workout, if you catch my drift, Mister Luthor." Chloe grinned when she found herself rolling the 'r's in his name; she missed being flirty.
He whistled under his breath. "You drive a hard bargain, but I'll pick you up in fifteen minutes."
"Lovely, da-ling."
Both chuckling, they said 'good bye', and hung up.
******
Chloe had all ready planned their day, but she didn't tell him. It was her turn. “Turn here,” she ordered, leaning across him to point dramatically out the window. “Right there,” she repeated.
He couldn’t help himself; he had to laugh: she was sprawled almost all the way on top of him, and anyone passing by (the windows of his convertible were down) would see them in a particularly compromising position and snicker. “Are you comfy?” He pressed the brake slowly, and glided to a stop in front of a tiny strip mall. They’d been driving for almost forty-five minutes, and he was dying to know where she was taking him.
But first, he had some business to take care of. He grabbed her, and kissed her dramatically. With a squeal of surprise, Chloe kissed him back. Now they were REALLY in a curious position.
“Okay, stud muffin,” Chloe remarked, shoving away from him. “Let’s go.”
Through his purple sunglasses, Lex looked down at her and sighed; she was so beautiful, and she almost didn’t’ see it. “Where are you taking me?” he demanded halfheartedly, getting out of the car.
Her hand slid into his, and she carefully pulled him into the first store. The window read, ‘Tattoos, Piercings, and Hair! Safe, Legal, Affordable!’ Lex, in his snooty ensemble, was a source of amusement for all the overweight, overly-tattooed motorcyclist who were pushing through the tiny revolving door.
“I so hate you right now,” Lex told his girlfriend as she yanked him inside. He tapped his foot anxiously (he really wasn’t into certain kinds of pain) while she announced their business to the wholesome looking receptionist.
“Hi, Chloe & Lex,” she announced, smirking.
“Right, Chloe,” the receptionist muttered, flipping through her appointment book. “Right. Melinda will take you in hair, and Lex, Gerald’s ready in ‘piercings’.”
The shocked billionaire’s eyes grew wide behind his shades. “What?”
Chloe, already yanking him toward the cubicle marked ‘piercings’, giggled. “Darling, this place is completely reputable! I came here with a friend when she got her navel ring; it’s safe and reliable. It even looks normal. You’re only getting your nipples done, anyway; no biggie.”
His feet were planted so firmly to the ground the she stumbled. “My NIPPLES,” he choked, “are not being pierced by anything!” Pause. “I mean, maybe if it was you doing the…” He cut himself off when a handsome, young man with long black hair walked out of the cubicle wearing a pair of doctor’s gloves.
“Hi, Lex, I’m Gerald,” he said in a deep voice, holding out a hand for Lex to shake. “Getting your ears pierced-“ (Chloe winked at Lex, then meandered toward a tall, green-haired woman who was waiting for her by a row of hairstylist sinks) “-really doesn’t hurt.”
The billionaire dropped onto the swiveling chair that was tucked inside the bright, clean space, and tried not to look at the shiny, sterilized implements that rested on a table next to him. “Okay.”
“Now,” As he spoke, Gerald picked up something that resembled a staple gun, and began to snap it together, “your girlfriend set this all up, and she picked out your studs. Just take a deep breath, and relax.” Something cold was dabbed on Lex’s earlobes, and he caught something the other man said.
“You’re not doing BOTH ears, are you?” (Chloe was in big trouble.)
“Yes, we are. Take a deep breath, it’ll all be over soon.” Gerald promised. Metal was against his earlobe, and something was squeezing his flesh—
Lex swore and gripped the armrests to keep from screaming.
******
“So,” Melinda said cheerfully as she scrubbed purple dye into certain chunks of Chloe’s hair, “was that your boyfriend?”
Chloe leaned back and closed her eyes; she was so relaxed. “Yeah, he can be a baby.”
A chuckle. “Oh, aren’t they all! Why are you doing that to the poor guy, anyway?”
The warm water was turned on. “He’s moving tomorrow, and I wanted to do something he’d remember for our last day together.”
The hair stylist clucked her tongue, and vigorously rubbed Chloe’s scalp to make sure all the purple shampoo was out. She reached for a bottle of conditioner, and kept talking. “That’s so sweet! He’s lucky to have a girlfriend who will do something like that.”
The now mostly-blonde girl grinned. “Ah, well, he probably hates me right this second.”
A muffled yelp reached the women, and they smirked. (The shop was quite small, but Lex had to have been in a lot of pain for his sound of annoyance to travel as far as it did.)
******
Ten minutes later, Chloe had paid, and the couple left the parlor. Lex was massaging his ears briskly, the gold studs and single gold hoop looking a bit out of place on him. “I’m still not happy, eeven if you do look sexy with purple highlights,” he mutterd, opening her car door for her.
She batted her eyelashes. “Aww, thanks, Lexy.”
They settled into their seats, and Lex waited for a man in a business suit to push a stroller across the street before starting the car. After a second, his face lit up (the scowl vanishing), and he turned the ignition off again. “Forgot something. Open the glove compartment.” He smiled smugly as she flipped the little switch in frot of her, and pulled a long jewelry box from the otherwise-empty space.
Sucking in a breath, she popped it open, revealing a pale pink, heart-shaped pendant on a thin black chain. “It’s beautiful…” she whispered, looking at him fondly. “Thank you.”
With careful fingers, he lifted it from the box and fastened it around her neck. It worked well with her new hair, and the all-black outfit she wore. “It belonged to my mother,” he told her softly. “When she knew it was getting close, she told me it was willed to me, and that I was supposed to give it to the first woman that I felt was worthy of it.” His hands rested against her shoulders, and he stared at Chloe firmly.
She met his gaze, and smiled slightly. “Thank you, Lex,” she said again, her voice catching.
A nod, and he set his jaw. “Come with me.”
The woman next to him frowned. “What?”
“Come with me!” he repeated, warming up to the idea.
Her heart stopped for a second. “I can’t, Lex.”
“Yes, you can!” Lex insisted. “We can transfer credits, you only have a few months of school left, whatever it takes! Say ‘yes’, Chloe!”
It would be so easy… “We barely know each other!”
“We know each other WELL! And besides, that doesn’t matter! We just have to want to be together!” Never had she heard him so enthusiastic.
“Okay,” Chloe said finally, falling into his arms for a hug.
******
The next day, she and Lois hugged (the latter telling her to ‘be careful’, and that, if she and Lex ever realized that it wouldn’t work ‘to call, and you’ll be able to move back in). Then, Chloe grabbed her two suitcases, and waited for Lex to get her.
He arrived five minutes later, beaming as he loaded her bags into his trunk. The couple kissed, then jumped into the car, ready to show the world what they were made of.