The Talon coffee house was expectedly empty when Chloe called in forty-five minutes earlier than usual. She shuffled tiredly towards the coffee bar and rubbing at her bloodshot eyes, she ordered a strong, black coffee.

She carried it over to a small table hidden in the far corner of the Talon and settled her wary body down until the soft cushions of the couch were resting against the back of her head. Her eyes slid closed as the hot coffee cup warmed her winter-kissed hands and she sighed contently as the silence of the Talon washed over her and a comfortable, sleepy warmth replaced the tense wariness that had surrounded her.

She was so very, very tired. She had barely slept these past three nights and never having really been a morning person, sleeping only three or four hours a night was truly killing Chloe. She blamed Lex, of course. It was his fault she was suffering from sleep deprivation. If it wasn't for his outright stubbornness and his righteous sense of morality, she wouldn't have been spending the last few nights asking herself what had gone wrong. There was a noticeable riff between them now, more so than there had been the night she had kissed him. Now they weren't even talking. On the rare occasions they had bumped into each other, Lex had been reluctant to acknowledge her, except for a slight tilt of his head and a polite, formal, "Miss Sullivan". Outside of that there was nothing. No comfortable friendship, no shared moments of laughter or revelations. Things were as they had always been before the weekend they had shared in Metropolis, and Chloe found that she hated it. Because strangely, Chloe missed Lex, though she was reluctant to admit. Not that she could do anything about it. She'd destroyed any chance of salvaging their short-lived friendship the night she had asked him to sleep with her, and looking back on it now she realised how foolish she had truly been. Not that she had changed her mind about her decision. She still wished for Lex to be her first because she knew he would be her best choice. He was experienced, he was gentle and she trusted him more than she'd trusted anyone for a long time, bar Clark and Pete. And she knew, without a doubt, that if Lex had been her first, it would have been an experience she would never forget.

But it was not to be, and in the last few days she had come to realise she had gone about this whole thing the wrong way. In her own quest to satisfy her curiosity she had irrevocably destroyed a friendship which she had come to enjoy. She had not taken the time to consider what an awkward position she would be putting Lex in; a man who, though graced with a wild, playboy side, was still struggling to be accepted in this small, tight-knit community known as Smallville. By asking him to sleep with her - a respected seventeen-year-old of said community - was asking him to risk the small amount of acceptance and respect he had gained during his few short years here. And now, days after the foolish proposition she had originally thought he would not refuse, she had realised just how much damage she had truly caused. And unfortunately, sadly, it wasn't the sort of damage she was sure she could repair.

Gradually, Chloe's comfortable, sleepy warmth melted into agitation and now she was edgy and frustrated. Whenever she thought about the way she had acted in the last week, she cringed inwardly, and this morning was no different. She felt deflated again, and suddenly she felt more than just physically tired. She was wary, in body and in mind and she wished more than anything that she could just sleep for a week and wake up with all of her problems solved and the damage she'd caused fixed. But that was not to be. Right now life interrupted her sleepy little paradise; school beckoned her and Chloe had no choice but to oblige.

Frustrated, she pulled her body up from the couch and took a large swallow from her coffee cup. Feeling the first signs of a headache creeping along her temples, she cupped a hand against her forehead and rubbed her temple with her thumb. A headache was not what she needed right now, especially when she had to spend several after-hours at the Torch tonight, in order to finish the issue she had been delaying for the past few days. Her deadline was tonight and no matter how tempted she was to leave it all to Clark and the rest of the staff, she knew that they couldn't possibly cope without her. And she knew if she trusted them with that responsibility she'd regret it, and she already had enough regrets on her plate as it was.

With that thought in mind she willed her feet to work, and trudged back towards the coffee bar, where she ordered another strong, black coffee - this one to take away. While she waited she downed the cup of coffee she was holding in four heavy gulps, and then accepted the take-away, styrofoam cup from the waitress with a grateful smile. She headed out of the coffee house, into the glaring, morning sun and cupped her forehead again when the sunshine caused pain to stab through her temples, leaving her head throbbing under its onslaught. She froze in front of the doorway and pinched the bridge of her nose, willing the ache to dissolve and melt, and leave her clear-headed and painless for the long day ahead. But despite her ministrations, the headache seemed only to grow in it's intensity and Chloe sniffed back a petty sob, well aware that this was not the time to break down and weep about the high injustices of the world.

So instead she breathed in deeply and opened her eyes, only to see Lex Luthor stood in front of her, looking as he always did; hands buried in the pockets of his long coat, his face a stony, impassive mask. There was no gentle smile, no smug cock of the eyebrow like she had come to expect during their Metropolitan weekend. Now he was just staring down at her like she was a stranger and it made Chloe feel slightly inferior and childlike. Hot tears pricked her eyes, but she blinked them away and instead met his steely-gaze with a cold look of her own.

"You're blocking the doorway, Miss Sullivan," Lex said tersely, his smooth voice hard with forced formality. It caused Chloe to draw a ragged breath in an attempt to quell the rising tears that threatened to spill free.

She squared her shoulders and straightened her back, physically signalling to Lex that she would not be intimidated so easily. He was trying to pull the hard-man act on her, and though secretly her insides were shaking, she would not let him see how his indifference affected her. She struggled to conjure up a biting comeback to prove to the playboy that she was in no way intimidated by him, but right at this moment she was drawing a blank and the tears in her eyes were desperately close to spilling over.

She had nothing to say. She tried to glare at him but she knew her gaze was too heartbroken, too angry to achieve the cold, indifferent look she had been hoping for. Without a word she stepped past his silent form and on to the sidewalk, not bothering to look back as she headed quickly for her car. Once inside she brushed angrily at the tears now decorating her cheeks, and before she could restrain herself she peered into he rear view mirror, hoping to catch a fleeting glance of Lex.

He wasn't there. He'd obviously already entered the coffee shop, unfazed by her presence, it seemed.

Chloe sniffled quietly and with a final swipe of her eyes she started the engine and pulled out into the street.

---

Lex Luthor watched her go from the window of the Talon coffee house. Coffee cup cradled between his large hands, he let out a heavy, drawn-out breath; the only sign to the frustration that tightened his muscles, leaving him tense and rigid.

Lex hated being frustrated. It never failed to set him on edge, which made him agitated, and above all, uncomfortable. This didn't sit well with him, because Lex was not a man that was easily unsettled, and to have his life disrupted by a mere slip of a girl wasn't something he had planned on.

Which is why Chloe's unexpected and outrageous proposition had come as such a surprise. Not many people could render Lex Luthor speechless, but Chloe Sullivan had succeeded in doing just that. He still remembered now the heavy silence that had sucked the life out of the room when she had voiced the one question he had not in any way been prepared for. He hadn't answered for a good ten minutes, and even three days later, he could still hear the outrage and fury that had lilted his voice the second he had rediscovered it.

---

"I want you to be my first."

Lex froze. He opened his mouth to say something but for the first time in a long time, his mind drew a complete blank, and Lex was forced to snap his jaw shut with a quiet click. He blinked; once, twice. His lips pursed as he struggled to regain his infamous Luthor composure but eventually he was forced to sit down on the couch that Chloe had previously been napping on.

He settled himself down onto the leather cushions and ran a tired hand down his face. He clasped his hands together between his knees and peered up at the young blonde, who was still stood in the same place as before, her face open and bright with anxiety. She was knitting her fingers together nervously and bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, obviously waiting for him to say something, anything.

But Lex had nothing to say and he was forced to take in several, deep breaths as the silence grew heavier and heavier. He turned away from Chloe's anxious face and spent several long minutes studying the marble floor of his study, willing his brain and his voice to function properly.

It was Chloe who finally broke the deafening silence, as she begged in a quiet, fearful tone, "Lex, say something."

But what could he say? This girl in front of him, this seventeen-year-old virgin, had just asked him, Lex Luthor, to sleep with her. He'd never heard anything so absurd and right now he was seriously considering the thought that maybe the meteorites were to blame for her irrational behaviour. It was the only logical explanation he could come up with right now, and considering his brain was currently refusing to function properly, he didn't think it was such a bad theory.

But right now he didn't think Chloe would appreciate him voicing this theory, so instead he opted for the blunt, honest approach.

"You're crazy."

He noticed her blanch and tore his eyes away from her face. He couldn't stand to see the open trust he found there, the hopeful gleam in her moss-green eyes. It made this whole situation a little too real and a little too serious, and it shattered Lex's little delusion that maybe this entire thing was nothing but a big joke on Chloe's part; her idea of revenge for the way he'd treated her earlier tonight.

But the painful twist of her features, the brief flash of hurt he had seen grace her face was an obvious sign that this was no joke. Chloe was serious about this whole thing and instead of handling this situation wisely, he had instead managed to damage her ego and her self-esteem with only two words.

Way to go, Lex, he thought to himself. He shook his head angrily and sighed.

"You know what," Chloe said softly, smiling sadly at him, "it doesn't matter. You obviously have a problem taking me seriously, so lets just forget it." She turned away from him then, and headed towards the doors of his study. She didn't bother with goodbyes, and instead slipped silently out of the room and out into the large hallway. She gathered herself there, drew in a ragged breath and let it out slowly.

Lex followed her, refusing to leave things as they were. He'd done that twice already, and he wasn't willing to let the tension build and build until neither of them could bare to speak to each other again.

He stepped out into the hallway and grabbed her elbow gently, spinning her around so she was facing him.

"Chloe--"

"--Lex, don't bother, okay?" she said, and laughed nervously. "We've established that I'm crazy, so lets just leave it at that."

She pulled away and headed for the door, too tired to listen to Lex's poor excuses. She had no doubt that he would be able to convince her what a bad idea this was, but the simple fact was, Lex Luthor didn't want her. And who could blame him? Though a beauty in her own right, Chloe was nothing compared to the women Lex had bedded. What did she have against all those other beauties that had managed to catch the playboys attention? Like Victoria Hardwick, or the sophisticated red head from the club last weekend? She had nothing against them, and as tactful as Lex had tried to be (if you could call calling her crazy tactful), he had made that painfully obvious.

And Chloe was hurt. As much as she liked to pretend that other peoples opinion of her didn't matter, it was still painful to know that none of the males in Smallville found her even remotely attractive enough to sleep with. She had no doubt that she was pretty. She knew she was, in that perky, suburban sort of way, but now she was seriously beginning to doubt her role as a woman. Though pretty, it seemed that Chloe didn't have that special something that was needed when it came to the majority of the male population of Smallville. Not that it necessarily bothered her, but at this rate she was never going to get laid.

Unfortunately for her, Lex wasn't going to give up and now he stood blocking her way, his face an angry mask.

"This is starting to get tedious," he said tightly. "First you kiss me, and then you refuse to talk about it. Now this? I'm sorry, Chloe, but you don't get to just brush this aside." He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You propose that I sleep with you, then you ask me to forget you ever said anything? Easier said than done, Chloe. Now I want an explanation, and I want one now. What's going on with you?"

"Nothing is going on with me!" she yelled angrily. "It's you that seems to be having a problem understanding the situation! And I'm tired of you pulling that damn superiority act on me, Lex! You're twenty-three, for God's sake, not forty. Stop acting like you're the only adult in this whole scenario, because you're not. I'm not a child and I'm quite capable of making my own decisions. I know you like playing the moral crusader when it comes to us lowly teens, but I'm not really in the mood for it right now. So why don't you just get out of the way so I can go home, get a bath, and forget this whole night ever happened. In fact, I want to forget this whole weekend ever happened."

She stormed past him, immensely furious at herself for letting him get to her. She was tired of his damn lectures, tired of his condescending tone and the way he talked to her like she was a six-year-old. It irked her to no end and Chloe wasn't about to stand there and take it.

"You told me you weren't a coward, Chloe," Lex called to her retreating form.

Chloe froze mid-step and turned back to look at him with cold, angry eyes. "I'm not the coward, Lex," she countered softly. "You are."

She turned back towards the door and left silently, leaving behind a stony-faced Lex Luthor, who didn't move until long after she'd gone.

---

They had yet to talk since that night and even now Lex was angry at himself for handling the situation so poorly. He was angry at Chloe, too, for putting him in such an awkward position. He knew his anger was unjustified, but the young Luthor was too proud, too stubborn, to admit that he'd treated the blonde reporter unfairly. He'd treated her like a child who had no clue what she wanted, yet in Metropolis he had learnt that Chloe was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, if not when it came to her future, then when it came to her own personal happiness. He was also aware that Chloe wasn't always the one to take what she wanted - Clark was evidence enough of that - so he knew that it must of taken her more than just courage to proposition him. When she had confronted him, she'd left herself open, inevitably running the risk of getting hurt, and some part of Lex admired her confidence despite of it.

But even though Lex knew she was old enough and intelligent enough to make her own decisions, he also knew that if he accepted her offer, they'd both be risking exclusion from their home, from their families and from the community around them. If anyone were to find out, Chloe would suffer at the hands of the towns people, firstly for being associated with him - an older man and the son of the devil himself - and secondly, for sleeping with a man who was well known for his womanising tendencies. She would inevitably be separated from everything she had come to depend on since her move to the small town, and Lex was not willing to risk that. Chloe was his friend, no matter how reluctant he was to admit it, and he didn't want her getting hurt. Which was exactly what would happen if he were to accept her offer.

So instead he'd opted to distance himself from her. It would not help her if he suddenly decided to reinitiate their friendship and ignore the tension that was undoubtedly putting strain on them both. It couldn't be done, and Lex was well aware of that. So after a night spent contemplating their friendship and all it entailed, he'd finally decided that his best option was to simply cut his losses and move on. He was, after all, a businessman.

But despite his decisions, Lex still felt agitated. Though the only thing he wanted to do was just forget the whole thing, he couldn't help but feel that they'd left things unresolved. And Lex hated leaving things unresolved. It caused unnecessary tension, which he was not in control of, and of course, the young Luthor hated not being in control.

Maybe he'd talk to her, explain to her that their reluctant yet comfortable friendship wasn't such a good idea. He wanted them to part on good terms, and the only way that was going to happen was if he pushed his pride aside for the time being, and confronted the young blonde who had succeeded in disrupting his neat, organised life.

Yes, he was definitely going to talk to her and get this whole thing sorted out. Only then would he be able to move on without having to worry about the welfare of a young, spunky, teenage reporter. And only then would Chloe Sullivan be able to go after what she truly wanted.

---

Chloe didn't notice Lex at first, when he strolled through the open door of the Torch and stood lazily against the doorframe. She was busily engrossed in the editorial she was rushing her way through and it was only when he knocked lightly against the door that she eventually registered his presence.

"Lex," she greeted in surprise. He was the last person she'd ever expected to see, yet here he was, in her office, looking as smug as ever. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk," he said, and stepped further into the office. He headed over towards the Wall of Weird and studied the articles in mild interest.

Chloe eyed him warily. She knew what usually entailed when Lex said he wanted to talk and right at this moment she wasn't in the mood. She was tired, she was agitated, and she had a paper to finish by the end of the night. His dramatic shift in mood was setting her on edge, because not even an hour earlier he had been giving her the cold shoulder, and now he was expecting them to talk like civil friends. She wasn't used to his quick-silver moods, but she could definitely say that she didn't like them.

"I'm a little busy right now," she replied defensively, and dropped her eyes back to the screen. But Lex obviously wasn't taking the hint. Instead he turned away from the Wall of Weird and settled himself down on the corner of the desk beside her own. She didn't know how he did it, but Lex managed to look comfortable anywhere, and an office desk was no different.

"It won't take long," he promised.

Of course, Chloe didn't believe him. Just like she didn't believe that this would be a civil conversation. They couldn't seem to go five minutes without digging into each other lately, and they'd barely known each other a week.

It was funny, how things changed. In the space of one weekend they had grown from distant acquaintances to comfortable friends, and in a further two days they had reverted back to their former relationship, which was now a little more colder, and a little less informal. The change had left her disorientated and uncertain and right at this minute, all Chloe wanted to do was get this whole thing resolved. Which was exactly what she planned to do.

"Fine," she said. "Talk."

He was silent, but Chloe didn't bother to look up from the screen. She carried on typing, knowing full well that Lex would talk when he was ready.

"Look, Chloe, I had a good time in Metropolis," he confessed. "And I enjoyed getting to know you. You're a remarkable woman."

She snorted loudly and continued on with her typing. Lex felt slightly out of his depths, trying to reason with a young woman he knew would not fall for his sugar-coated bullshit. So he opted for the blunt approach instead. He took a deep breath and gazed at the oblivious blonde intently.

"I think--I think it'd be best if we kept our relationship on a more... ah, formal level."

She glanced up at him, and then her eyes darted back to the screen.

"Enough of your shit, Lex. You don't have to pull the formality crap on me," Chloe retorted absently. "Why don't you just said you've had enough of our... ah, friendship."

"Chloe, that's not what I me--"

"That's exactly what you mean." She rose from her desk just as the printer beside Lex hummed to life. Ignoring him, Chloe stepped around him and took her article from the printer, bypassing him yet again as she settled back down at her desk. Lex watched her go, feeling more frustrated as the minutes ticked by. He didn't know how to get through to her, didn't know how to convince her that this was the best option for them. By doing this he was saving her a lot of pain and hassle in the future, but it seemed that Chloe could not understand this.

"I want us to part on good terms, Chloe. Can't you just let this go?"

She peered up at him. "You're right, Mr. Luthor," she said, smiling tightly at him. She reverted her eyes back to the computer screen. "I'm being petty. Everything's fine. You can go now."

He sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're being unreasonable."

"I'm being unreasonable?" she questioned angrily. "You're the one who's demolishing our friendship because you're uncomfortable. Well I'll tell you something, Lex, I'm not the coward in this room. In fact, I don't think I was ever the coward. You're afraid and you know it, and when you're afraid you get defensive, and you cut yourself off from everyone. And you do that because you think it's the only the thing you can do. But I'm not one of your little lackeys, Lex, and I refuse to fall for your little mind games. You don't want anything to do with me? Then say so. But don't expect me to be happy about it and don't expect me to just accept it without a damn good reason."

She glanced back up at him. "Now I think it's about time you were leaving."

Lex stared at her, and noticed the feral gleam in her eye. It seemed Chloe Sullivan was not in the mood for him and his reasoning tonight, and he knew his only option right now was to just admit defeat and go home. He'd try again some other time, when she'd had more than three days to calm down and she was willing to listen to him reasonably. But for now he would leave her to think over what he'd said, and in a couple of more days he was certain she'd see things differently.

"Okay, Chloe," he sighed, clearly exasperated. "If that's the way you want it."

He rose from the desk and glanced at her once last time but she was feigning disinterest again, her eyes glued to the computer screen. So he left the office silently, hands buried in the pockets of his long, black coat, unaware of Chloe's eyes following his retreating form.

---

Chloe hated her father. She hated him with a fiery passion that currently outshone her unavoidable shame and embarrassment regarding matters between herself and Lex.

She hated him, because Gabe Sullivan was dragging his young, impressionable daughter into the very centre of the lion's den. And she wasn't talking figuratively.

She was being forced to attend a mindless LuthorCorp celebration party, which, to her growing horror, was taking place at the very Manor that housed the man she had purposely been avoiding for the past month.

Right now, at this very moment in time, fate was laughing at her. And in a strange, disconcerting way, Chloe wanted to laugh right back.

Because it was funny, in a twisted sort of way, and Chloe knew it. Yet the humor of the whole situation wasn't sitting well with her right now; her stomach was tied into tight, complicated knots, and her skin felt heated with worry and anxiety. All in all, Chloe felt uneasy.

"Dad, you can't be serious," she argued fruitlessly. She knew her father was set on the matter and she knew without a doubt that she wouldn't be able to change his mind. But even though her fate was already decided, she still wanted to know why.

Why was her father forcing her to attend this LuthorCorp event, when in the past he'd never been too concerned about her involvement in anything work-related? And why now? Why had he picked today of all days? In fact, why had he picked this month of all months? Had he done it on purpose? Was he aware of the tension that was currently pushing her and Lex further and further apart? Because if he was (Chloe was pretty sure that he wasn't) then she truly did hate her father.

"I'm deadly serious, Chloe," Gabe countered in a tone that brooked no argument.

"But why? You haven't invited me to one of these things since Metropolis! What's changed?"

He father looked at her with sad eyes and the knots in Chloe's stomach tightened even more.

"I could ask you the same thing."

"What?" Her eyebrows dipped in bewilderment and she gazed at her father uncertainly. "What are you talking about?"

Gabe sighed heavily. "I'm talking about you, Chloe.." He paused to glance at his daughter, who was still staring at him curiously.. Concern clearly evident in his voice, he continued. "Ever since you came back from Metropolis you haven't been yourself. You mope around the house all the time, you're behind in some of your classes, and whenever I ask you what's wrong, you tell me it's nothing."

"Dad, I swear--"

"--well it's not nothing," he cut in sternly. �And I know it�s not.�

He paused again and took a breath, and in that small slice of silence Chloe took the chance to truly look at her father. His shoulders were sagging, almost as if he was shouldering some unbearable weight. Tired shadows darkened his eyes and the lines of his face were suddenly so much more defined than they had ever been. To her horror, Chloe realised that her father looked old. And not only that, he looked weary.

Fatherhood, it seemed, had finally taken its toll on Gabe Sullivan.

It saddened Chloe to see him like this, and all of a sudden her petty problems seemed to melt away. Here was a man who knew the true injustices of the world. Here was a man who had faced many a difficult decision, who had loved and lost, struggled and gained, wept and laughed, all the while pushing his way through the years, which he had spent nurturing a little girl who loved him unconditionally just for being the very man he was.

It brought tears to her eyes; tears of pride and love and devotion. Because Chloe Sullivan loved her father without a doubt and for one sickening second, her heart seized up at the thought that maybe one day she would have to live without him.

But she couldn't think about that. The thought was just too much to bear right now and instead she centred her gaze on her father's drawn face, blinking the unshed tears from her eyes.

"Look, Chloe, I know you're going through a hard time right now--"

--Chloe snorted inwardly. That was an understatement. In the last month she had single-handedly befriended a stubborn billionaire, destroyed any trust he might have had in her with a kiss, and irrevocably ended their friendship by proposing he sleep with her.

All in all, not a bad month�s work, she thought to herself, and then shook her head grimly.

"--especially with the whole Clark and Lana situation, but sweetheart, you can't let them get you down."

"Dad, this has nothing to do with Clark and Lana," she reassured him, smiling sadly at his concerned look. "In fact, I'm happy for them. They deserve this chance and who am I to get in the way of that?"

Gabe's blink of surprise pretty much matched her own internal shock. Not only was she surprised at herself for saying it, but she was also surprised at herself for believing it. Chloe Sullivan was happy for them both, and though she still loved Clark fiercely, she knew that he felt just as strongly for Lana. And Lana deserved that kind of devotion. She deserved someone who not only admired her outer beauty, but her inner beauty too, and she knew, without a doubt, that Clark was that someone. He didn't love her because she was beautiful or popular. He loved her because he saw the good in her that nobody else seemed to notice, and because of that Chloe could not condemn them. Because of that, she had consciously opted to step down and step back so that her two friends could have the chance to grow and blossom; the chance she would have wanted if the roles had been reversed.

"Then what's bothering you, Chloe? What's so bad that you can't talk to me about it?" her father asked. He sounded worried now and Chloe knew it was because he honestly didn't know what was going on with her. When it came to Clark-related problems, her father knew exactly what to say and do, knew exactly what she needed. He never failed to cheer her up when it came to the woes of the heart, but right at this moment in time, he didn't know what was bothering his little girl. And because he didn't know what was going on, he didn't know what to say or do to cheer her up and make it better. He didn't know how to put that hundred-watt smile back on her face.

"Dad... " she sighed softly and dropped her eyes to the floor. She felt ashamed, because her father had always been there for her. She'd always been able to tell him anything and he was always understanding. But this--this was different. There was no way Chloe could talk to him about this, and a part of her felt bad about keeping secrets from him. But she also knew that in the mean time she was protecting her father. She was protecting his safe, little dreams of his innocent, baby girl; dreams he was entitled to because he'd earned them through years of sweat and tears. And Chloe may not have been that same innocent, baby girl, but she was not evil enough, not cruel enough to tarnish his comfortable dreams of a happy family.

Because they were a happy family, and Chloe had no doubt that they were. But the young blonde was well aware that she was growing up faster than she had planned to, and growing up meant growing apart. It was inevitable. Soon Chloe would be chasing after her own dreams, setting out into the world to discover a life for herself, and though she would not be separated permanently from her father, from her family, she would not be so intricately woven into his life as much as she had been as a child. Not even as much as she was now.

She heard her father echo her sigh, but strangely he sounded more tired than exasperated. She glanced at him; he was rubbing a hand down his face, massaging his temple as if he were warding off a headache.

Chloe felt even worse now, because through her secrecy she had only served to cause her father even more distress.

But what was bothering the young blonde more than anything was his sudden change in character. She'd never seen her father so tired and detached and it worried her. It couldn't have happened the in the past few weeks, could it? Had her constant moping finally gotten to her father? She didn't know, and like him she was growing even more concerned.

"Dad?" she probed gently. "What is it?"

Gabe turned to look at her. "It looks like you're finally outgrowing me," he said, and he smiled a sad, proud, watery smile that Chloe returned with her own.

"I could never outgrow you, Daddy," she reassured him affectionately. "But this--this is something I have to do alone. If you help me now, I'll never learn to help myself, and you've always taught me to take control of my own life. And that's what I'm doing, Daddy. I'm taking control of my own life, and I'm taking responsibility for my own actions."

Her father smiled and squeezed her hand in an endearing act of pride. "I can't believe you're using my own parental skills against me," Gabe joked and Chloe laughed softly. "But if that's what you want, Chloe, then I trust you'll work through this on your own."

Chloe smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Daddy." She sighed. "Now let's go."

"Go?" Gabe questioned, bewildered. "Go where?"

"Dad!" Chloe cried in mock-horror. "You should know by now that no Sullivan willingly attends a LuthorCorp event without the promise of new attire. Now get your credit cards out, we're going shopping!"

Gabe Sullivan chuckled heartily at his daughter as she tugged playfully on his hand. He stood up from the couch and grabbed his wallet and keys from the table, knowing full well that his little girl would not take no for an answer.

Chloe headed for the door and her father followed close behind her, oblivious to his daughter's mounting distress. A nauseous feeling of apprehension had long since settled in the pit of her stomach but she'd paid it no mind. Her anxiety about seeing Lex again had been pushed aside in light of her father's distress, but now it was flaring up again and Chloe couldn't ignore it. She was slightly afraid of what might happen at the party; afraid that their already crumbling friendship would undergo even more damage, just like it always did whenever they clashed.

But she couldn't back out now; she wouldn't back out now. And if one night in the presence of Lex Luthor was all it took to make her father happy, than so be it. It was a sacrifice Chloe was willing to make.

---

Of course, the moment Chloe Sullivan stepped across the threshold of the Luthor Manor and into the very centre of the festivities, she hated her father all over again.

And then he smiled at her, and Chloe's hatred melted away into warm adoration.

They sauntered proudly across the Luthor ballroom, Gabe attired in a simple, black tux and Chloe a vision in a daring red dress that clung to her curves and enhanced her small bosom. Of course, her father had had some say in what she wore, which was precisely why the dress fell elegantly over her knees and towards her ankles; ankles that were decorated with simple, red laces that spiralled down into classic, scarlet heels.

Those heels now clicked rhythmically against the marble floor, occasionally pausing as Gabe stopped to talk to his fellow colleagues.

Chloe immediately spotted Clark and Lana, who waved at her enthusiastically. She waved back, offering them a bright smile from across the room, and then turned back to her father, who was currently informing one of his colleagues that his little girl had finally grown into a beautiful young woman with the brains and the brawn to make it in the journalism world.

Chloe laughed softly at him and shook her head. The movement resulted in a glimpse of Lex out of the corner of her eye, who was currently approaching her and her father. With a choked gasp and a quiet whisper in Gabe's ear informing him that she was going to visit the ladies, she was off before Lex could catch her. She disappeared out of the ballroom and into one of the Manor's many hallways; hallways she was in no way familiar with.

Not that she cared. In fact she could do with getting lost for a few hours while this whole event played out. At least this way she would be able to avoid Lex without too much effort.

With a long, drawn-out sigh she began her trek down a well-lit hallway, letting her eyes graze over the numerous portraits and famous paintings that covered the walls. Her heels clicked hypnotically against the polished oak of the floor, and the sound echoed harshly against the stony walls of the Manor, setting her slightly on edge. She remembered the last time she had taken it upon herself to wander the numerous hallways of the Luthor Manor. She'd ended up getting thrown violently through a window and had spent way too much time in the hospital for her liking. She had no desire to repeat that little performance, so tonight she was making sure she stayed away from any near-by windows.

She carried on down the hallway and then paused at one of the paintings that took up a great deal of the left-hand wall. She recognised it immediately as the painting "Ophelia". It was one of her favourites and a part of her wondered if this was the original. Something told her it was.

Despite having seen it a hundred times before in Metropolis, she remained standing there for several, long minutes studying the image. It always managed to strike something in her, no matter how many times she had seen it, and even now the despairing picture of a drowning Ophelia made her draw an involuntary breath.

She took a step back and continued onwards down the hallway. She turned sharply to the left when she noticed a stained-glass window directly ahead of her, and found herself in a much darker hallway. This one wasn't lit and the dusky gloom of the sky outside cast grey shadows across the stony walls. Another hour and the shadows would darken the halls even further until she'd be left wandering the Luthor Manor in pitch-black darkness.

So she had two choices. She could either carry on down the hall and find a room in which she could hide for the night. Or she could return to the party and back to avoiding Lex Luthor at all costs. The former seemed immensely appealing, but she wasn't sure Lex would appreciate her roaming the halls of his mansion and violating his privacy without his knowledge. It looked like she had no choice but to swallow her pride and go back. She had no doubt her father would be wondering where she was.

She took another left back towards the ballroom and slowed when she passed a large mirror that adorned the full length of the wall. She took a step backwards and turned towards the mirror, watching as her dress flared slightly at the movement. She glanced at herself and smoothed her hands down her stomach absently. She took a moment to truly study herself and was surprised to find that she was glowing. Her skin was flushed a dusty pink, a result of her earlier burst of adrenaline and panic, and heat boiled beneath her skin; unusual in the winter chill of the hallways. She felt inexplicably beautiful tonight. The red dress complimented her creamy white skin perfectly, and Chloe couldn't help but think of strawberries and cream when she saw herself. Even her make-up and hair seemed flawless and she couldn't resist raising a hand to run it through her shining locks. She smiled to herself and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"Very nice, Miss Sullivan," Lex Luthor's smooth voice sounded out. Chloe whirled sharply to face him, and saw him standing there with his hands buried in his pockets and a stoic expression gracing his face.

Chloe swallowed and asked, "what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

She blushed shamelessly and stepped away from the mirror. "I was--I was just looking for the bathroom," she offered nervously, and tucked another lock of hair behind her ear.

"The bathroom is back towards the ballroom, Chloe."

She tensed at his condescending tone, fists clenched tightly against her sides. Her earlier confidence evaporated and now she was back to feeling like a six-year-old child. But she didn't let her discomfort show and instead stepped past him with a soft, tight, "thanks".

"Chloe," she heard him call after her, and she turned to look at him. She gazed at him silently and waited for him to speak. It seemed to her as if he wasn't sure what to say or how to say it, and when it looked like he wasn't going to speak at all, she made to turn back.

"You look beautiful tonight," she heard him say, and her eyes shot up to meet his. He was smiling, a small smile that barely curved his lips, but she noticed it and offered her own in return.

"Thanks," she said, and continued down the hallway.

---

Soon after Chloe had returned to the party, Lex found himself standing before the painting of Ophelia. He studied the haunting image absently, his thoughts preoccupied with a certain green-eyed reporter. Over the past month he had begun to doubt his decision to cut her out of his life, because he found that despite the strain between them, he missed her immensely. He missed her dry humor and sharp wit, and the way she would force a smile out of him despite his stubbornness. He missed her optimism and her refreshing presence, her intelligence and her worldly knowledge. But most of all he simply missed having a friend, a companion he could talk to about anything and everything. He missed her because she was one of the very few people who was interested him as a person, and not as a boy-billionaire and soon-to-be heir to his father's company.

But there was nothing he could do to change that now. He'd already made it clear to her that their friendship was not a good idea, and it wasn't as if he could go back in there and tell her that he'd made a big mistake; that in actual fact he still wanted them to remain good friends. Somehow he had a feeling that wouldn't sit well with Chloe. She deserved much more than a part-time friend, and he knew that's exactly what she would be getting if he were to admit to her that he'd made a mistake. He couldn't be there for her all the time, not like Clark and Pete and Lana were. He wouldn't be able to divulge his deepest secrets to her because he knew that if he did, he would be placing her in unnecessary danger. And that was something he wasn't willing to do.

But on top of that, on top of the fact that he could offer her nothing as a friend, he would inevitably be fuelling her attraction towards him. And that was the last thing Lex wanted. Chloe was a beautiful, young woman with the potential to do great things, and he knew that getting involved with a Luthor would only serve to hinder her. And he knew that if her feelings for him were to blossom, if she were to grow more attached to him, it would only end in misery. Her misery.

Lex would not allow that to happen and if the only way to save Chloe from any future pain was to sacrifice their short yet fulfilling friendship, then it was a sacrifice he would have to make.

---

Lex was still standing in front of the painting when he heard the sharp pounding of heels on the oak floor of the hallway. He tilted his head slightly to see Chloe running towards him at full-pelt, her hair flying wildly behind her. She was sobbing, and her red dress was torn roughly around the abdomen. Her lip was cut and blood was smeared across her cheeks and her chin.

Alarmed, Lex headed towards her. "Chloe? Chloe, what happened?"

She came to a grinding halt in front of him and he gripped her forearms firmly to steady her. Her sobs were loud and heavy and her words were forced out between short, gasping breaths.

"I was---I was walking back to the party," she breathed, "and I heard someone in your study, so I--I went to look and there were--there were these men in there, and they had guns, Lex! They had guns!" She paused and took a breath, shaking her head wildly. And then she looked up at him with wide, fearful eyes. "My Dad!" she cried. "My Dad's still--we have to get everybody out, Lex. We--we have to call the police!"

"Chloe!" Lex shouted over her frantic words. "Chloe, I need you to calm down. I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

"We don't have time!" she hissed. She whirled to look behind her and then she turned her wild eyes back on him. "They--they're looking for me. We have to get everybody out. Now, Lex!"

He gazed at her intensely, noted the panic in her wide, tear-glazed eyes, and knew that she was serious. He glanced over her shoulder into the darkness, his eyes searching the shadows for the men Chloe was talking about, and then he turned and headed down the hallway, calling to her from over his shoulder, "come on!"

Chloe quickly unlaced her heels and slipped them off. There would be no point in running if each step she took only served to signal to the men exactly where they were.

She followed close behind Lex as they weaved their way through the intricate hallways of the Luthor Manor. Panic erupted in her chest every time he disappeared around a sharp corner, but it soon gave way to simple, primal fear when she realised just how grave their situation was.

Occasionally the moonlight from the windows cast a milky-white glow over Lex, and Chloe would glimpse his figure moving gracefully through the halls. He moved with his shoulders tilted towards her, one hand pointed in her direction in a subconscious act of protection. If anyone were to attack from his direction, Lex could easily twist so that his large frame was protecting her own. If anyone were to attack from the back, Chloe would be able to step forward and grab his proffered hand.

That simple thought made Chloe feel a little better, but fear still ran rampant in her veins, spiking her blood with a familiar surge of adrenaline.

Her muscles screamed and the faint coppery taste of blood lingered in the back of her throat; her body�s way of telling her that she could run no longer. Chloe was forced to stop. She took several, deep breaths as she leaned against the stone wall of the hallway. She peered up from beneath lowered lashes as she heard Lex�s footsteps slow and then stop. But she couldn�t see him in the darkness and she couldn�t force his name out past the heavy breaths that tightened her chest.

�Chloe,� she heard him call tentatively, and she swallowed heavily, sucking back heavy gulps of air.

She called out to him, and just as his name slipped from her lips, a hand wrapped itself around her thin, pale neck. She choked, and Lex's name died on her lips as she was pulled back against a hard chest. She felt the cold steel of a gun against her temple and a small, irrational whimper escaped her.

"Lex," she choked out as the grip on her throat tightened. Tears burned her eyes and she struggled to see the young Luthor in the darkness. She heard him call her name softly, hesitantly, but she couldn't reply as she was jerked roughly against the man�s chest again. The air was forced from her lungs and spots danced before her eyes.

"Chloe?"

She tried to call out but her vision was growing black. She faintly heard someone talking, but she didn't know whether it was Lex or the man who was holding her. She struggled to identify the voice but before she had a chance to, the blackness erupted violently around her, stealing away all her senses until there was nothing but blessed darkness.

---

Lex Luthor woke up to pitch-black darkness and a headache that left his ears screaming. He barely managed to suppress a sob of pain as he pushed himself up from the cold ground and raised a hand to prod gently at his temple. It was bleeding slightly from where he'd been knocked out with the butt of a gun, but apart from that he had no other major injuries except a few cuts and bruises.

He remembered everything clearly. He remembered the men in the hallway; men he had not recognised. One of them - a well-built youngster with a scar running through his eyebrow - had wrapped his large hand around Chloe's small, pale neck and when Lex had seen the .44 Magnum resting against her temple, his heart had twisted painfully and bile had risen in his throat. The other man, who had looked to be twice the age of the youngster, had stepped forward and informed him that if he wished to keep Chloe alive he was to follow them out of the building silently, without alarming security. He had done so, and they had lead him out of the Manor, smiling all the while at the guests that had passed them by; guests that had not given a second thought to the two smartly-dressed men, the drunken blonde and the boy-billionaire who had nodded curtly at them as they headed out into the bitter, winter air.

They had bundled Chloe's unconscious form into a black, unregistered limo and before he'd had the chance to see if she was okay, he'd felt the sharp pain of cold metal against his temple, and then nothing.

And now he had no idea where they where or how long they had been trapped for. All he knew was that he had to find Chloe and fast. He had no doubt that she would be panicking right about now.

Lex pushed himself up from the cold, hard floor. His sudden movements caused his head to pound fiercely and he brought a hand up to massage scalp.

He stood still for a brief minute and allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Faint rays of moonlight seeped through the cracks in their prison and Lex could just make out the etched lines of the building.

It looked, to Lex, to be an old warehouse; a simply designed shed made of brick and steel. It was separated into numerous sections, which were divided by rotting wooden fences that rose up towards the ceiling. He assumed by the design of the building that it was quite spacious, but Lex wasn't sure, unable to see more than a few metres in front of him. All he could tell of his surroundings was that he was stood in a large, empty section of the warehouse and Chloe was nowhere in sight.

He took several, hesitant steps forward, unsure of what was directly in front of him. He kept moving and soon spotted another wooden fence a little to his left. He stepped around it as he called Chloe's name softly, but there was no reply and Lex could not see her in the gloom.

And then, just as he rounded another fence, his eyes caught a glimpse of a dark, silhouetted heap on the floor of the warehouse.

He moved quickly towards it and and as he grew nearer, the heap sharpened into Chloe's unconscious form. He knelt down beside her and touched a hand to her blonde tresses; tresses that were fanned out upon the cold, concrete floor. He ran his hand through her hair, feeling her head for blood or injuries and finding none, he gently lifted her from the ground and into his arms. Her head lolled back and Lex brushed her locks away from her face, noticing the familiar bruising on her temple that he knew had come from the butt of a gun. He checked her over for any other injuries, and then, as his eyes caught sight of the bruising that marred the pale skin of her neck, he froze. The outline of a hand was clearly visible; the prints of large, vicious fingers a sickening splash of purple against her milky-white flesh. It angered Lex and his body grew tense and rigid. Yet the long, graceful fingers that came up to caress the horrifying bruises were contradictingly gentle and soft.

She stirred a little when he brushed his fingertips across her throat, and a painful whimper echoed harshly in the dead silence of the warehouse. He pulled her tighter against him and called her name.

"Chloe?"

Nothing. Her eyes remained closed as she curled her body around his, burying her head in the side of his neck.

He pulled her away from his body and called her name again and again.

"Chloe. Chloe, c'mon, wake up. Chloe!"

Her eyelids cracked open a little and Lex caught a glimpse of cloudy, green orbs. He brushed stray strands of hair from her face and slapped at her cheek gently with one hand.

"Chloe," he called again. "Come on, Chloe, look at me."

Her eyes were revealed to him slowly but surely, and her body tensed sharply in his arms. A retching sob was torn from her chest and for a split second her teenage face melted into that of a vulnerable, young child. But her childlike features soon hardened as her confusion and frustration mounted. She was agitated and inexplicably angry, and Lex watched as her eyes sparked with life.

Then she was gazing up at him, a pained expression twisting her young, smooth features. Another sob escaped her and he heard her whisper his name hoarsely.

"Lex... "

Bewilderment. Fear. Horror. Her face was a mixture of each. Subconsciously he brushed his hand across her forehead and down her left cheek, almost as if he longed to smooth out the hard lines of her face.

It worked. Her features immediately softened and her pursed lips parted slightly, though the underlining glimmer of fear was still faint in her moss-green eyes.

Lex smiled down at her reassuringly. "Are you with me?"

Chloe nodded weakly. "Yeah,"she rasped, "I'm with you." She pushed herself up a little in his arms and flinched. She brought a hand up to the side of her head and pressed the heel against her temple. "Jesus... "

"Take it easy," he said, one arm still curled around her waist, the other resting against her left shoulder. His hand lay against the bruised skin of her throat, unnoticed by either of them.

It took her a moment to notice their surroundings, but when she did, she froze in his arms. "Where are we?" she asked, panicked, scrambling in his arms and kicking her heels against the hard ground in an attempt to stand. Her eyes were wild as they darted around in the darkness.

"Chloe, calm down," Lex soothed, tightening his hold on her flaying body.

She stilled and swallowed heavily. Her eyelids fluttered closed and she was silent for a moment. "This isn't happening," she croaked, opening her eyes to him. "Tell me this isn't happening."

Lex sighed warily and dropped his head. "I'm sorry, Chloe. This is my fault."

And he was right. It was his fault. The men Chloe had discovered in his library had had no personal vendetta against her. It had been him they were looking for--it was his files they had obviously been looking through. Reasons why were unclear, but it was safe enough to assume that they had not planned on Chloe's sudden interruption. In fact, he was guessing they hadn't planned on his interruption either. Their hasty and dangerous getaway made it clear that the two men had not been ordered to take captives.

And he also had no doubt that they had been taking orders from someone. They were unlikely to be working alone. They would not have been so bold as to break into his library on a night when there were several hundred guests present; a few of which were guaranteed to stray from the ballroom to wander the intricate hallways of the Luthor Manor.

Not only that, but any being brave enough to break into a Luthor's home would have been intelligent enough to wear a mask or a disguise, unless, of course, it would not have mattered if their identities had been revealed.

Neither men had bothered to conceal themselves when they had caught them in the hallway, so it was obvious that the two were working for someone else. Someone else who was looking to bring him - or LuthorCorp - down. Why, he didn't know, but it still did not change the fact that he was to blame for his and Chloe's current predicament.

He felt Chloe shift in his arms and tilted his head to gaze at her.

"How is this your fault?" she was asking him, pushing herself up and out of his arms.

"You wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me," he said, watched guiltily as Chloe massaged her temple, flinching everytime her fingertips prodded the sensitive bruise. He pulled her hand away with a soft "leave it."

She sighed tiredly and shook her head. "And you wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me."

Lex's brow furrowed. "What? Why do you think that?"

"Because," she said, "it was me who interrupted those guys. If I hadn't--well, I'm assuming that neither of us would be here right now."

"That's Chloe-logic if I ever did hear it," Lex joked lightly, smiling at her.

Chloe laughed softly. "Lets just say that this is as much my fault as it is yours."

He didn't answer her. He simply smiled sadly and then pushed himself up from the hard ground.

"Come on," he said, reaching down to help her up, "let's see if there's a way out of here."

"Ohhhhh, Lex, you never learn," Chloe said dramatically, shaking her head and clicking her tongue as she rose.

"What?" he asked, bewildered.

"Don't you watch action movies, Lex?"

She paused, took in his blank expression, and sighed. She took a breath and commentated in a bored voice, "young girl and big, bad-ass protector get kidnapped. Big, bad-ass protector cuddles young, quivering damsel and declares, in his big, bad-ass tone," her voice dropped several octaves, "'c'mon babe, we'll be outta here in no time', and proceeds to flaunt his masculinity whilst combing every inch of their rotting, stinking prison. And do you know what they find, Lex?" Another pause. "Nothing. They find nothing."

Lex stared at her and smiled faintly. "It's worth a try."

Chloe huffed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. But don't say I never told you so."

"Wouldn't dream of it," he teased, stepping hesitantly into the darkness, eyes trained and searching for any possible sign of an escape.

Chloe followed close to his side, her breathing heavy and shallow in the silence of the warehouse. Her footsteps remained cautious as they pushed their way through the inky blackness, heading aimlessly in one direction, in hopes that it would lead them to one of the corners of their prison.

"So," Lex broke the silence, "you think I'm a big, bad-ass protector, huh?"

Chloe rolled her eyes again and snorted. "Yes, Lex," she drawled, "of course."

Lex smirked. He slowed as they reached the far end of the warehouse and knelt down to run a hand along the wooden wall, searching for a loose plank. Finding none he turned to his left, noticing that Chloe was already combing the area. He smiled faintly.

---

An hour later found the pair sat against one of the wooden fences, exhausted and drained, and no better off than they had been earlier.

"I told you so," Chloe murmured absently, rubbing at her temple with a grimace. She let out a tired sigh and dropped her head onto her raised knees.

They'd found nothing. All the doors were locked and chained and no amount of pushing and ramming was enough to budge the steel contraptions. There was nothing to use as a makeshift weapon and nothing to use to pry out the wooden planks. They had found no windows and no openings, apart from the small hole in the steely roof of the warehouse, which was currently letting in the late winter air. But the roof - their only means of escape - was too far to reach.

After an hour they had finally resigned to the fact that they would not be escaping their little prison any time soon and with an exhausted sigh, they had collapsed tiredly into a heap.

"I'd kill for a pint of Ben and Jerry's right now."

Lex tilted his head to smirk at her. He shifted, pulling his knees up so he could rest his hands on them. "I can't believe you're craving ice cream at a time like this," he said, amused.

She snorted. Her head lolled back against the wooden face and her eyes slid shut.

"Maybe you should get some rest," Lex suggested. "It doesn't look like we'll be getting out of here anytime soon."

Chloe nodded her agreement and shuffled down to lay on the hard ground, grimacing when her bare legs came to rest against the cold stone. She turned on to her side and curled herself up in an attempt to ward off the winter air that brought goosebumps to the exposed skin of her legs, arms and abdomen. She tried to pull her ruined dress over her legs to no avail and with a disgruntled sigh she pulled her arms to her chest and her knees up to her chin.

"Comfortable?" Lex commented dryly, tilting his head to glance down at her.

She glared at him. "No."

"Here," he said, and Chloe glanced up again to see him slipping his black dress jacket off. He offered it out to her. "Use this."

"And what about you? You'll freeze to death."

"I'll be fine."

Chloe pushed herself up from the floor and took the jacket from his hand. "Come here," she said, patting the ground beside her. At Lex's uncertain look she added, "do I need to give you the whole body warmth spiel or are you gonna trust me?"

Lex smirked and shook his head. "I think you're about the only woman I know who can make me feel like I have the IQ of a dying squirrel."

"Lex," she huffed, "stop insulting squirrels and just get down here."

Resigned to the fact that there was no arguing with Chloe Sullivan, he shuffled down on to the hard floor. He instinctively tensed when he felt Chloe's head come to rest on his shoulder, but soon relaxed when she pulled his body-warmed jacket over them both. She curled into his side with a tired sigh and fanned her hands against his chest. He could feel the light pressure of them through his thin shirt and found the sensation almost disconcerting in it's context. For Lex Luthor hugging wasn't a simple necessity, it was a requirement in a mechanical routine that was part and parcel of the Luthor name. Simple gestures like this, though romantic in nature, were never savoured or enjoyed. They were merely a means to an end; an end that was usually business-related.

Gestures like these, he thought, were expected of him, because the women who dated Lex Luthor knew of his reputation. It was one of the reasons, bar money and fame, why women found him attractive.

Lex Luthor. Boy billionaire. Seduction guaranteed. Snort.

To say that Lex was unaccustomed to such gestures would be wrong, because Lex Luthor had hugged, kissed, caressed and bedded enough women to know exactly how they worked. It was easy enough to push comfort into the boundaries of seduction (though most of the women he dated didn't need such a push) and sex inevitably eliminated any awkward moments in which the women would often try to "figure him out", usually by asking inappropriate questions about his inner self that he was not willing to share. Seduction was not a defense mechanism, per se, more of a buffer. It kept unwanted guests out of his personal life and safe-guarded his sanity.

He found it increasingly ironic that he used one of the most intimate acts to keep people out. Sex was the closest a person could get to another, yet Lex used it to separate himself completely from the women he dated. He did not use it to physically push them away (usually he required them to remain intensely interested in him until they'd served their purpose) but to emotionally untangle himself from the women that threatened his inner "bad ass". There had been the occasional woman who had gotten that close. After all, he wasn't completely immune, just a little jaded. Though the majority of people found it hard to believe, Lex Luthor did in fact have feelings. Just because he chose not to wear them on his sleeve did not change the fact that they were there, hidden but accessible. He was, after all, only mortal.

That fact wasn't the only thing people failed to remember. Most of the people who were familiar with him (and even those who weren't) tended to forget that Lex was only twenty-three. He was not old enough, despite his upbringing, to have achieved the same level of apathy as his father, and even then it had taken the death of his mother to push Lionel Luthor into the realm of unfeeling bastard.

Maybe in a couple of years time he would have suffered enough loss and heartache to easily achieve that cold, apathetic state. Maybe then it would be more than just a protective act, but a natural inner immunity that would allow him to deflect the simplest of emotions without any effort. Strangely, he hoped not.

But the simple fact was that Lex Luthor was not emotionally apathetic. He was a contradiction in himself; openly affectionate for a limited time, abusing the most intimate of acts because of his own need for distance, all the while trying to separate himself from the most intense of emotions, the same ones he craved as a reminder that he was nothing like his father.

Sometimes he confused even himself.

But it was moments like this that truly threw him through a loop. This small gesture was not an act of seduction and it would not lead to sex like it often did. Instead it was simple necessity that drove them together and Lex found the feeling alien.

The fact was that Lex could easily take this further. The fact that he chose not to was what confused him the most. Chloe Sullivan had offered herself to him on a silver platter and he had turned her away, not because he lacked interest in the young blonde, but because he actually considered her a friend. She was fast catching up to Clark in that sense but whereas Clark's dedication and loyalty lie with Smallville and it's many residents, Chloe was an oddball like him. She didn't belong in Smallville and neither did he, and because of that they shared a strangely perceptive view of the world that came from living in a big city where anything could happen.

In Smallville it seemed that anything pertaining to sex was forbidden. Sexy lingerie was unheard of, making out in public was a crime punishable by law and virgin's were a dime-a-dozen. It seemed that whenever anyone even mentioned the word sex the whole community blushed and as a result the mere thought of it was considered taboo.

It was probably the reason why he had caused such a fuss among the towns folk when he had first moved to Smallville. The tales of his previous "conquests" were big news in the small town and to them he was nothing more than a hedonist. They considered him a sexual predator, a man who used women for his own personal gain and then discarded them without a thought. They were partly true, most of the women he dated he did so for business reasons, and the women he bedded he did so because he could. But the fact was that these women were no shrinking violets. Most of them were as ruthless and cold as him, using him to boost their own egos or even to jump-start a non-existent reputation. The very few genuine women he had dated had been well aware of who he was and they had each been intelligent enough to know that Lex could not be kept. Most let go but it was the occasional wide-eyed damsel that tried to unravel the mystery that was Lex Luthor. None succeeded. None ever would.

He supposed it was why he liked Chloe. Her interest in him was genuine (or so he hoped) and she did not claim to know him. She wished to learn about him for selfless reasons and there was never an underlining need to penetrate his defences and manipulate him to her liking. He was not an ego boost or a money box and Lex was not used to being anything else. The fact was, Chloe Sullivan was attracted to him for the simplest of reasons. She'd said so herself, in her own blunt, unique way, and though at the time her confession had unsettled him, he had admired her for telling it the way it was. It was not the practical factors of his life that had drawn her in, but simple chemistry. She had not stared at him doey-eyed and confessed her undying love for him, which more often than not was the route that most of the women he knew had tried.

Her confession had been matter-of-fact; to the point and logical. That was the way he liked things and though he was unlikely to admit it, he had found her offer appealing and more than a little tempting. But self-control was his middle name and it would remain so for as long as he was a Luthor.

It was for the same reasons that he bedded most of the women in his life that he had chosen not to sleep with Chloe. He had known why she'd asked. He was experienced; a guarantee that she was in safe hands. His reputation unfortunately preceded him and he had no doubt that Chloe had been influenced by the idea of being romanced, wooed and swept off her feet. After all, wasn't that what most women wanted?

Of course, Chloe had never struck him as the wooing type. She'd told him herself on the first night in Metropolis that she did not do "sweeping" and Lex had no doubt that she was being serious. It seemed that Chloe Sullivan was not the kind to be seduced if she did not wish to be. It just so happened that in this case she did wish to be seduced and she had graced Lex with the honour of being said seducer.

It was an honour he did not wish to fulfill. Seduction was a game to him, a tool, and Chloe deserved more. She deserved sincerity and devotion, not the empty warmth of a man that considered sex a calculating game of chess. He couldn't help but feel that Chloe would be cheated if she were to give up her last shred of innocence to him. He wouldn't know how to cherish it, respect it, and he knew that she, more than anyone, was entitled to that respect. He only hoped that one day someone else would realise it, too.