Chlex Fanfic: Orchestrato, Chapter 9
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. :) Awesome banner by ctbn60
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 9
Chloe didn’t come down for dinner.
Lex served up a second plate in anticipation of her arrival nonetheless, but it remained untouched on the table as the evening wore on. He ate his own meal and still hoped she’d appear, but when the clock chimed gently at ten o’clock, he finally gave up and tossed the congealed food in the trash before heading to his study. With a sigh, he sat down at his baby grand piano and lifted the lid.
The sheet music on the stand was Schubert, but he wasn’t in the mood for regimented play. Slowly, his fingers glanced over the keys as he played one of his favourite pieces by ear, letting the music soothe and unwind him.
He must have played for at least ten minutes when he sensed a presence behind him. He didn’t turn around to acknowledge her; he just kept playing, allowing the music to be his guide.
Eventually he got to the end of the piece and his fingers stilled. Chloe cleared her throat and spoke.
“I checked the early edition of tomorrow’s paper online,” she said quietly. “The sewer project is now the subject of an official financial enquiry.”
Well. That was very good news. If the contract selection process was found to have been compromised, then the contract would automatically default to the next highest bid - which was his. He had no doubt that the truth would be uncovered, and he had Chloe to thank for her tireless pursuit of the matter.
He turned towards her and smiled. “Thank you, Chloe,” he said. “I really appreciate all you did to bring this to light. That said, I’m still worried that the media exposure might lead to people speculating on the identity of the mysterious Sentinel.”
“You needn’t worry,” she replied. “The trial’s just a few days away, and after that my identity or anonymity won’t be an issue.”
“And we can officially bring you back to life,” he said. “Are you looking forward to it?”
“Oh, definitely,” she replied. “Being unable to contact the people that I love has been the hardest thing for me, and I’ve missed my dad so much. Of course, I’m happy to do my civic duty and testify in your father’s trial, but I’ll be so relieved when it’s all over.”
“I can imagine.” He tilted his head and regarded her carefully. “You missed dinner.”
She lowered her head. “I know.”
“I cooked.”
He eyes widened. “What did you make?”
“Veal,” he replied. “Unfortunately it doesn’t keep very well, so I had to toss it.”
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “I was…embarrassed.”
“About what?”
She closed her eyes. “About being such a pushover when it comes to my friends,” she whispered. “Especially Clark.”
He sighed. “I shouldn’t have said what I said,” he began, but she shook her head.
“There’s nothing wrong with putting voice to the truth, Lex; I know that more than anyone,” she replied. “I guess that’s why it hurt so much, knowing it was all true.”
“Maybe, but I could have been a bit more diplomatic,” he offered gently.
“Nah…sometimes you have a rip off a Band-Aid knowing it’s going to hurt, and this was one of those times,” she replied dryly. “I’m okay, really. And I’m gonna do things differently once I’m back in the real world; stand up for me more, stuff like that.”
“Good for you,” he said, feeling a touch of pride at her decision. Owning up to her feelings for Clark was a big deal for her, and he was glad that his little outburst had achieved something in that respect. He liked to think that perhaps he was a reason for her recent resolution; they had, after all, spent a great deal of time together with only each other for company, which had stirred feelings within him of more than just friendship for her, and he hoped the same was true from her end.
Not that there was anything he could do about it in his current state of health, he thought with a touch of regret. Besides, she was way too young to delve into the delights of the flesh. He knew that should stop him wanting her, but it didn’t; not in the slightest.
He dismissed his errant thoughts and smiled at her. “You hungry?”
She shook her head. “Not really; I had a sandwich while I was upstairs.”
“Well, how about an after-dinner snack?” he offered. “I put a little something out for you by the fire.”
Chloe frowned and padded towards the fireplace, then her eyes lit up in delight.
“Marshmallows and crackers!” she said excitedly. “Cool! I haven’t had s’mores for ages!”
Lex smiled. “Knock yourself out,” he said. “One small favour, though; could you bring one over to me? I want to see what they taste like.”
Her brows went up in surprise. “You never had s’mores before?”
“My father wasn’t quite the marshmallow-roasting type, as I’m sure you can imagine,” he said dryly. “The other boys used to do it at school, but I was never invited, and after hearing one too many comments about how much my hairless head resembled a marshmallow in need of a good roasting, I stayed well away.”
Her eyes softened. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright,” he replied with a smile. “You can’t miss what you never knew, right?”
“You shouldn’t have to miss out on a major milestone of life because of a deadbeat dad and a bunch of bullies,” she retorted. She picked up a roasting stick and threaded two marshmallows onto it. “Get ready for the experience of a lifetime, Lex Luthor.”
Lex’s eyes widened as she turned and bent over the fire with the marshmallows, the slight movement causing her nightgown to ride up precariously high in the back. The light from the fire shone through the thin gown, giving him a clear silhouette of the shapely body beneath it.
Heat pooled in his groin as his blood automatically pumped faster through his body. Quickly he reached into his pocket for his medication and popped a pill into his mouth, swallowing it down with a swig of water.
Chloe straightened and crossed over to his side with two browned marshmallows and some crackers on a plate. “Scoot over,” she instructed.
He did as she asked and made room for her on the piano stool. She sat beside him and he watched in fascination as she carefully placed one of the marshmallows between the crackers and pressed them together.
“Here you go,” she said, holding it up to his mouth. He raised a curious brow and bit into it, savouring the sticky-sweet warmth of the roasted marshmallow tempered with the crispness of the cracker around it.
“Mmm...”
She grinned. “Good, huh?”
He nodded as he chewed and swallowed the morsel. “Delicious.”
“Do you have any chocolate?” she asked excitedly. “You just have to try it with melted chocolate. I’m told it’s better than-” she stopped and blushed, her cheeks turning bright pink as both his mind and hers supplied the missing word with ease.
Sex.
“Better than…?” he prompted, his eyes glinting mischievously.
“Anything else you’ve ever tasted,” she finished in a rush. “So, where’s your chocolate?”
He grinned. “Cupboard next to the fridge.”
She headed off towards the kitchen, and his eyes automatically dropped to her rear. The gentle sway of her hips accentuated by the silky fabric clinging softly to her curves was a thing of beauty to behold.
Quickly took a second pill while her back was turned. If he was going to spend all night staring at her lush behind, he was going to need all the help he could get.
***
“It’s her,” Lionel said to his visitor, tapping the newspaper article.
The young man glanced at the article and frowned. “The Sentinel? How do you know?”
“She had a weekly column at the Daily Planet for months - ‘news from the young person’s perspective,’ I believe it was called,” Lionel replied smugly. “The acerbic tone favoured by the anonymous writer of this piece sounds remarkably familiar.”
He paused and allowed a slow smile to spread across his face. It had seemed like an excessive indulgence at the time, providing a job for Chloe along with the computers he’d supplied to her school newspaper…but his gut instinct had told him that the job would one day come in handy, and now he had been proven right.
“So how do I find her?” the young man snarled from the other side of the prison cell bars. “Every time I get close, she somehow manages to get spirited away. I’m getting really frustrated here, Luthor. You promised it would be an open and shut job!”
“Patience, Tyler,” Lionel replied smoothly. “Just…relax, and stay by your phone. I believe I may be able to find a chink in the armour surrounding young Ms Sullivan.”
***
Chapter 10…