Chlex Fanfic: Orchestrato, Chapter 14

[babydee1]

Awesome banner by chleansmile.  Thanks again, babes!

Enjoy.


Title:              Orchestrato
Author:         babydee1
Pairing:          Chlex
Rating:           PG13 for now, NC-17 later
Warnings:     Some chronology-shifting with the events of Episode 4.1 (Gone)
Timeline:      Safehouse Summer of Love, End of Season 3/Beginning of 4 
Disclaimer:   All characters belong to the CW & DC comics. 
Summary:     Lex inexplicably bonds with Chloe whilst keeping her survival a secret from the world
Feedback:      …makes me squee. :)


Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.


Chapter 14


Lex felt her stirring beside him, and opened his eyes to see her peering at him through the tousled hair on her forehead. 

He grinned.  “Hi.” 

She smiled bashfully.  “Hi.” 

“Sleep well?” 

“Never better.” 

He gently brushed her hair off her face.  “How do you feel?  You okay?”

She nodded.  “I’m fine.” 

“Sure?” 

“Mmm-hmm.” She sat up and yawned.  “Can I get some breakfast?” 

“In a minute.”  He studied her carefully, looking for any signs of physical trauma.  After how she’d healed him, it was possible she might suffer some latent after-effects. 

“Yesterday, you had some pain in your chest,” he said.  “Is that all gone?”

She rolled her eyes and sighed.  “There’s no need for Twenty Questions, Lex.  I told you, I’m fine — or at least, I will be once I’ve had some food and coffee.”  She frowned.  “Why am I so hungry?”

“Sex does that to a person sometimes,” he drawled.  She blushed and clutched the sheet to her sheet to her chest, and he chuckled lightly. 

“You weren’t this shy yesterday,” he murmured, trailing a finger along the top of the sheet, just above the swell of her breasts.  “In fact, you weren’t shy at all.” 

She lowered her head and took a deep breath.  “Lex, I…I guess you want to talk about what I said yesterday; after we—” 

“Not just yet.”  He swung his legs aside and climbed out of bed, then reached for his robe and belted it around himself.  “You said something about breakfast, and I never let a lady go hungry.” 

She grinned.  “How very noble of you.” 

He returned her smile, then leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead.  “Be right back.” 

***

He headed for the kitchen and quickly set about preparing her breakfast, all the while trying not to think about her final words last night.  But the more he tried to avoid it, the more he was reminded of it.  He couldn’t fool himself; his hasty exit to get her some food had simply been an excuse to leave the room so he could focus on his next move with a clear head. 

He already knew there wasn’t much point pursuing anything with Chloe until the trial was over, so he would field any attempts of discussion on the matter until then.  He also needed to schedule an appointment with his doctor to confirm his miraculous clean bill of health, and hopefully get an assurance that the condition that had plagued him for months wouldn’t suddenly flare up again.

Other than that, there was nothing preventing him and Chloe from starting up a relationship…except perhaps Clark. 

He paused in the act of frying bacon and frowned.  It didn’t really matter to him what Clark might think of his potential relationship with Chloe, but he knew it mattered to her.  For whatever reason, she held Clark in high esteem, and after the way Clark had treated him after Lana’s departure to Paris, he was sure to get an even stronger negative reaction from Clark if he started dating the man’s best friend.  Would she be strong enough to stand up to him if he voiced his disapproval — or worse, made a play for her himself?

The coffee-maker pinged lightly, and he poured a mugful of the dark brew and set it on a tray.  Then he smiled to himself.  No matter what Clark did to try and change Chloe’s mind, Lex knew that he had an advantage here: he knew Chloe more intimately than anyone, even Clark.  She’d been confident enough to put voice to her emotions, surely anything she’d ever felt for Clark romantically was long gone by now. 

Which led to another question: would he, Lex, be able to respond likewise to Chloe’s declaration of love?  Once again, his brow creased in a worried frown and he stirred cream into the coffee with a lot more dedication than was necessary. 

Love.  It was something he’d received precious little of whilst growing up, and once his mother had passed away, it had gone with her.  His father considered any positive emotion a weakness, especially love, and had done everything he could to ensure that Lex felt the same way.  Not that he’d needed much persuading; his two failed marriages were testament to how his emotions could easily be used against him, so it was easy to keep his feelings under wraps. 

But no-one had ever made him feel the way Chloe did.  No-one had ever wholeheartedly accepted him just as he was, until Chloe.  She didn’t want anything from him in return, except perhaps to know that he felt the same way.  And going from her history with Clark, even if he told her he didn’t return her feelings, she was unlikely to fly into a fit of jealous hysterics.  She would be happy to remain friends with him and keep a lid on her own feelings with dignity. 

So technically, there was nothing stopping him from admitting that he loved her.  Because he did love her, he suddenly realised.  He felt so comfortable with her, and genuinely enjoyed her presence. He loved being with her, whether they were making love or playing scrabble, and he hadn't had that with anyone, ever.

Oh, the flame of 'love' had burned bright and hot with Desiree, but he'd been under the influence of a mind-controlling substance, and she'd only wanted his money.  He'd thought Helen had genuinely loved him, and had dropped his guard and shown her a lot of himself; but she'd betrayed him by joining forces with his father and trying to kill him on their wedding day. Yep, he really knew how to pick 'em.

But with Chloe, it was all completely different because aside from a strong physical attraction, this time he had something more: trust. He trusted Chloe implicitly, and even though he wasn't too thrilled at her loyalty to Clark, he knew that she would never betray him.

Smiling broadly, he picked up the tray and left the kitchen. Yes; he and Chloe ha a lot to talk about...after the trial, of course.

***

“Here you go,” he announced as he re-entered the room.  “I remembered how you like your coffee.” 

She took a tentative sip, and smiled.  “Mmm…it’s perfect.  Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her keenly as she enjoyed her breakfast, taking the time to savour her meal, especially the coffee.  Once again an errant lock of her hair had fallen forward, giving her a windswept look; he brushed it gently away from her face and she glanced up at him and smiled, then promptly held a slice of buttered toast to his lips. 

A grin spread over his face as he opened his mouth and let her feed him from his plate, brushing away the crumbs on his cheek just as she’d done yesterday.  It was all incredibly intimate, and he swallowed hard as he realised just how hard he had fallen for this girl; how her enthusiasm, intelligence and plain honesty all appealed to him on a level that no other person had attained.  Not to mention the fact that she was sexy as hell, and he had been the first to explore the depths of her passion. 

He tenderly caressed her cheek and decided to throw caution to the winds.  Screw the trial.  He might wait until after his father was convicted before making things official, but he couldn’t hide how he felt about her any longer. She at least deserved to know that they were emotionally on the same page.

“Lex?” she was saying, gently shaking his arm.  “Is everything okay?”

He cleared his throat loudly, and began.  “Listen, Chloe…about you and me…”  She nodded, her eyes widening curiously, and he continued.  “I just want you to know that—”

His phone rang shrilly, shattering the tender mood.  Lex clenched his fist in annoyance, and Chloe smiled. 

“It’s okay; you can get that.” 

“Thanks.”  He checked his messages, and exhaled roughly.  “Damn.” 

“What is it?” 

“My father wants to see me right away,” he replied.  “One last-minute attempt to try and intimidate me, I guess.  Either that, or he wants to cut a deal.” 

“He knows you have him over a barrel on this one, so don’t let him get to you,” she advised.

He smiled, touched by her obvious concern for him.  “I won’t.”

He headed for the bathroom and had a quick shower.  By the time he returned, she had finished her breakfast, donned her robe on and had a thoughtful expression on her face. 

He took a deep breath and walked over to her. 

“Earlier,” he said.  “I was going to say—”

“It’s alright; it can wait,” she assured him. 

He nodded.  “Thanks for understanding.  We’ll talk when I get back,” he promised.  “Alright?” 

She nodded and her lips lifted in a small smile. “Okay.” 

“I mean it,” he insisted. He cupped the back of her neck gently and guided her mouth to his for a tender, languorous kiss, saying with his lips and tongue everything that his heart wanted to express.  His other hand went around her waist and held her close, so close that he could feel the contours of her body against him. 

By the time he lifted his head, her lips were flushed, her breathing had quickened and he was as hard as tempered steel.  She tilted her head back slightly, bringing their lower bodies into more intimate contact, and he chuckled and gently grasped her shoulders.  “Down, girl.” 

She pouted and made a small whiny sound, but stepped back so he could retrieve his jacket from the back of the chair.  He slipped it on and quickly headed out the door, turning to blow her a goodbye kiss.  

“Won’t be long,” he promised.  “I’ll see you later.”

***

To be continued…

Comments

[madlenita.livejournal.com]

Thank you for new chapter, their morning was so sweet, and what Lex thought.... And now i have really bad felling about this metting, i mean my first thoght was that kryptonian stone and switch bodies how Lionel indended....
Can;t wait for new chapter....

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

Ooh, the Transference crystal would have been a nice touch! But I'm saving that for another story. :-)

So glad you liked it, hun! *huggles*

[eternal-moonie.livejournal.com]

*Cuddles You/Shows You Lurve*

AWESOME new chapter of Orchestrato!!!

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

And I'm so thrilled you like it, Jan! :-)

[sheliana.livejournal.com]

This update reminded me that the only person who has worse taste in women than Clark is Lex. *shakes head*

At least in this fic he wisened up!:) It's so sad that he has to talk himself into accepting his love for Chloe because he's too scarred by his previous experiences. But at least he's not damaged irrevocably here: he's able to put the past hurts behind him and consider entering a new relationship. I wonder what Chloe thinks of all this.:) With her insecurities and her crush on Clark, is she ready for something more serious with Lex?

Now, what is Lionel up to? I can't wait to find out!

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

"This update reminded me that the only person who has worse taste in women than Clark is Lex. *shakes head*"

I beg to differ. At least Lionel got rid of The Squirrel when he had the chance! :-D

"At least in this fic he wisened up!:)"

That, too! :-)

"It's so sad that he has to talk himself into accepting his love for Chloe because he's too scarred by his previous experiences. But at least he's not damaged irrevocably here: he's able to put the past hurts behind him and consider entering a new relationship. I wonder what Chloe thinks of all this.:) With her insecurities and her crush on Clark, is she ready for something more serious with Lex?"

Who knows? I think she is; she's had three good months with Lex, and has enjoyed a more grounded and mature relationship with him, even before the sex came along. I think at the very least she'll value herself more, and not allow herself to be such a doormat where Clark's concerned. :-)

"Now, what is Lionel up to?"

Oh, you'll soon find out! ;-)

Thanks for the fantastic review, Shel! :-)

[hawkeyegal.livejournal.com]

Glad to see that Lex could be honest with himself and what he could have with Chloe....smart man! Lionel has the worst timing! I am worried about what he is planning against Chlex.....my first thought is divide and conquer by getting Lex out of the house. Great job as usual, Girl! You Rock!!

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

"Glad to see that Lex could be honest with himself and what he could have with Chloe....smart man!"

He's no BDA, that's for sure. ;-)

"Lionel has the worst timing!"

Like you wouldn't believe!

"I am worried about what he is planning against Chlex.....my first thought is divide and conquer by getting Lex out of the house."

Well, that's a start; what he actually has planned is much, much darker. Eep. :-/

"Great job as usual, Girl! You Rock!!"

*blushes* You're too kind, babes. Thanks so much, I really appreciate all your brilliant comments! *huggles* :-)

[ctbn60.livejournal.com]

I love that Lex really wants to be sure and clear that he and Chloe can make a go of it. There are a lot of things that could get between them. And Clark is a big one of those things. Personally I think he will give them the benefit of a doubt once he gets over his initial shock! lol The fact that Lex is thinking this way means he really has it bad for her. I think Lex should NOT go to lionel thats for sure!

[babydee1.livejournal.com]

"I love that Lex really wants to be sure and clear that he and Chloe can make a go of it. There are a lot of things that could get between them. And Clark is a big one of those things. Personally I think he will give them the benefit of a doubt once he gets over his initial shock! lol The fact that Lex is thinking this way means he really has it bad for her."

Of course Clark will have something to say if he knows just how, um...'connected' Chloe and Lex have become. ;-) And as we all know, he can be more than a bit clingy when it comes to his close friends, especially Chloe...we'll see. :-)

"I think Lex should NOT go to lionel thats for sure!"

Indeed you're correct. Lex is going to regret that decision, I tell ya. :-/

Glad you like, Carol, and thanks for commenting! :-D