QUICK FIX
by Dynlubio

E-mail : [email protected]
Rating: PG
Spoiler: Red
Summary: Lex goes for a drive, stops for a drink, falls in love and gets hurt, all in one night.
Distribution: Hazardous is okay. To others, please email me at [email protected] if you wanna archive my stories. thanks!
Feedback: I'm on my knees, you just can't see it. please, please, please!
Disclaimer: I don�t own anybody or anything. I�m just writing this because I want to.

***

He always liked taking long drives at night when most people are tucked safely in their beds or resting in their peaceful homes. He liked the feeling of being carefree and tranquil, only when he�s speeding down a highway at a neck-breaking speed could he truly feel like his problems can no longer catch up with him and he finally wins.

Maybe there was the unspoken promise of an open road, of adventure, of a silent confidant, of unbridled freedom. Maybe it was the voyeuristic power given by the darkness when it was safe to look into strangers" lives and learn how they act when they think no one�s watching. Maybe it was the suffocating vastness of the mansion. Maybe it was simply the presence of his father that made him grab his keys and drive around Smallville.

It was quiet, peaceful, serene" He breathed calmly as he made a turn and almost hit a fire hydrant when he saw a familiar light on. He slowed down the Porsche, turned off the engine and decided to make sure it wasn�t left on accidentally.

He peered inside and saw a young woman wiping off the counter wearing an expression so melancholic he almost felt something within him move. Almost.

"Lana!" he called out, knocking on the glass gently.

She looked up abruptly, shocked to find someone outside, smiled upon recognizing him and dropped the cloth unceremoniously on the counter. She wiped her hands down the front of her jeans and opened the door.

"Lex, what are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing. Why aren�t you home?"

She shrugged as she stepped aside so he could enter. "I told Nell I needed to cram for a test with Chloe."

A quick glance at the empty caf" told him that the other teenager wasn�t there. "Did she cancel on you?"

Her angelic face reddened. "No" I just said that so she�d let me out of the house."

He raised an eyebrow, asking for more information.

But she wouldn�t give it. "What about you? What are you doing here, this time of night?"

"I was driving around, saw the lights on here, checked it out"

She blushed even more. "Sorry I worried you. Can I get you some coffee?"

"A Cappuccino would be fine."

Lana nodded, one of the two dark braids shifting down her shoulder and landing just above her right breast. He cleared his throat when he realized he just made that observation. It�s Lana, for crying out loud! Clark�s Lana!

That seemed to clear his head and he strolled towards the counter, picked up the rag she dropped earlier. "Aren�t we acting a bit compulsive tonight?"

She looked up from scooping beans into the machine and smiled. "Yeah" I was too bored."

Lex let go of the rag and leaned against the counter, watching her graceful movements as she made his coffee. If two minutes ago someone told him he�d find the art of coffee-making enthralling, he would�ve scoffed. There was something about her" something about the way she moves, so certain so confident yet young and na" e" a combination of strength and vulnerability he never found in a woman other than his mother.

Remember Clark Kent? Your friend? The thought erased any other in his mind and he looked away, just before she bent down to pick something off the floor. He walked to the nearest table and sat down, waited patiently for his coffee with his hands clasped in front of him, his thumbs touching in a rhythmic pattern.

She sailed from the counter and set down a steaming cup on the table. "There you go."

"Thanks." He took a cautious sip.

"So? Is it exactly what it says on the sign outside?" she asked him, smiling.

He nodded because the sight of her smile suddenly struck him speechless. What is going on here?

"Best cappuccino in Smallville," she reminded.

"Definitely," he said, finding his voice.

She leaned back on the chair and stared at him, her eyes tinkling playfully. "And Lex Luthor only wants the best."

For the first time in days, no, weeks, he felt totally relaxed and good. Lex Luthor felt good, now that was a miracle. "So you know a lot about me."

"Not a lot" enough, I guess, to know what kind of a person you are."

He mimicked her earlier movement and challenged her. "This I have to hear."

"You�re the kind of guy who doesn�t take no for an answer. You want things done a certain way, every single time. You don�t like surprises and you�re very"

"What?"

"Stable? I can�t think of a term" It�s like when people meet you, you tell them, this is me, I�m Lex Luthor. What you see is what you get."

"I�m not going to say you�re right" but you�re not totally wrong."

She smiled at him.

"So, who are you avoiding?"

She looked at him, shocked at his question. "I take it back" you are full of surprises." She tried to cover her nervousness with a giggle. "Am I that transparent?"

Yes, she was and her purple blouse was translucent and sitting the way she was he couldn�t keep her eyes off her. "Yes, you are," he told her.

"How�d you know I was avoiding someone?"

"Only a thief can spot another thief," he explained.

She exhaled, giving up. "Nell�s new boyfriend, Dean. They�re engaged. And I can�t walk around the house without seeing them making out on the couch or acting all couple-ly."

"You miss the quarterback then?"

She looked at him with mock annoyance. "The quarterback has a name. Whitney. And no" I broke up with him."

The sudden surge of happiness that coursed inside him was unexplainable. No, he was happy for Clark, his friend. "I know someone who might be interested in that piece of information," he told her, smiling.

The melancholic look from before returned. "I don�t."

"Did something happen between you and Clark?"

"Nope. Nothing did."

Something told him she would want it another way yet he couldn�t help but feel" giddy?

"Why are you avoiding him?"

She laughed out loud. "God! It�s no wonder people think I�m naive! Is everything I�m thinking written on my face?" she asked him, a little pissed off now.

He reached out and placed his hand on tops of hers to calm her down. "I�m just a good observer. What happened?"

She sighed. "Clark has been acting strange for the past few days" riding a bike to school, talking back to teachers" dressing differently" and then he" told me he has feelings for me. But today, he said everything that happened, everything he said wasn�t true" that it wasn�t him"

"I talked to Mrs. Kent about it. Clark wasn�t feeling well. They were worried about him."

"Yeah" but I just hate it" he keeps on doing this" it�s like he�s one person today, another one tomorrow. And when I ask him stuff, he doesn�t give me a straight answer, or even a good explanation. He�s full of secrets" She sighed, giving up on trying to make him understand.

And he did. He also felt the same way about Clark. But he wasn�t impatient about it. He knew that if Clark thought it was time he could tell Lex everything, he would. Lex knew it was difficult for people to trust him, even Clark.

And why would he when he�s sitting here with the girl of his friend�s dreams thinking less than innocent thoughts?

Focus! "I know," he whispered. "But that doesn�t mean he doesn�t care about you. Because I know for a fact that he does."

"I don�t know" I guess I just got fed up, you know?"

Her eyes were huge and misty, like she was about to cry and he grabbed the mug in front of him and finished his coffee. He had to get out of there. Since when did Lana Lang�s company become filled with sexual tension?

"I should drive you home. Nell must be worried."

Lana sat up and looked at him. "You�re right" I should go home. I�ll grab my coat and lock up."

He helped her make sure everything was secured before they entered his car. He drove fast because he didn�t want to prolong being with her anymore. Especially now that her light cologne seemed to fill up every space of his car and he can�t take a breath without it saturating his senses.

The conversation was light and within minutes he parked the car and turned to face her. "Listen, Lana. I know Clark and he really cares about you. He wouldn�t hurt you intentionally, you know that."

Her smile brightened up her face. "I know, Lex."

There was something about the way she talks that leaves him yearning inside. The way the last syllables of her sentences seem to collapse into tiny exhaling breaths. The way her voice lowers down a notch, making it even huskier. The way his name rolls off her tongue, so smoothly, so perfectly.

"Thanks for stopping by the coffee shop and for listening." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Also for being sweet."

He couldn�t speak. Her kiss was soft and unexpected" and nice. He nodded.

She got out of the car. "Goodnight, Lex."

He found his voice long enough to say, "Goodnight, Lana. Tell your Aunt I said hi and congratulations on her engagement."

"I will. Drive carefully."

He watched her walk up the porch and get inside. He waited until the lights in her bedroom were turned on before he started the engine.

He rolled down the windows so that her scent would be forgotten. And it wasn�t.

He cursed himself angrily. What is wrong with you, Luthor? He asked angrily.

She�s Lana. Lana Lang. Clark loves her! She�s sweet and nice" she could be"

He stopped himself, shook his head and stepped down on the accelerator. The car sped towards the mansion.

The question you have to ask yourself, Lex Luthor, is this: is it worth risking your friendship with the only man you called a friend for a chance with the only woman you think you could love?

All the highways in the world aren�t enough to answer that question, he knew.

*dynlubio 4/23/2003 5:34 PM