Title: "Slow Dancing" Author: PMD Rating: PG-13 Category: Chlex, futurefic, angst, friendship, Lexīs POV, AU Spoilers: The Pilot, Vortex Summary: Itīs Spring Formal time again. Disclaimer: To whomever owns Smallville and the characters, Iīm just borrowing, will give them back, not making any money with their use in this story, so donīt sue me. As to the song title ‘Slow Dancingī being used as the title of the story and in the story itself, to whomever owns it, Iīm just borrowing, will give it back, not making any money with itīs use in the story and as the title, so donīt sue me. Archive: At The_BaldTruth and SmallvilleFanFiction. And to my page on Wendyīs site. If anybody else wants it, all they have to do is ask. Author Notes: This is a b-gift story to my friend, sallie, first and formost---for encouraging me to write in Smallville and in the X-Files. And for being my friend. And to all my friends on The_BaldTruth and SmallvilleFanFiction whom welcomed this lowly writer, with open arms. And to David for checking this piece over---actually taking the time to do it since he is in the middle of a wonderful epic himself. Enjoy sallie and everybody. "Slow Dancing" – by PMD Why did I agree to do this for Clark? Why couldnīt he be here himself? I guess because he didnīt have anybody else to ask. Pete was going with Lana and I was the only other person he trusted his best friend with. As to his absence, he did mention a promise he made to Chloe about taking her cousin, Lois, to her Spring Formal. Iīm honored to be the one taking Chloe but Iīm also a little nervous or, heaven forbid my father ever found out, scared. Yes---Lex Luthor is scared---not of the girl but of the feelings he has for this girl. "Hey, are you okay?" I turn towards the door and see her standing there. Radiant doesnīt even come close to describing the beauty before me. I let out a sigh. "Hey, Luthor, Iīm talking to you. Have you gone deaf or something?" More like blind, I think, because her beauty has done that to me. No mere mortal deserves to look at this angel; this goddess. And she doesnīt even know what she does to men---or the boys at school. Clark was even struck once, two years ago. Since then, theyīve decided to just be friends. Pete---he was struck once too but he overcame her by falling in love with Lana, another beauty whom no mere mortal deserves to look at. Now---is it my turn to be struck and then get over it? Or it is something more; something stronger than lust or infatuation? And if it is, do I deserve her or does she even feel the same way? This is what scares me; maybe itīs more than attraction--- maybe itīs love. I feel a slight touch and I look at her. "Are you okay?" I nod yes. "Well, then lets get going before my final Spring Formal dance is over. Oh, I bought something for you." I watch as she goes out of the room and brings back a boutonniere for my lapel. She pins it on, the white flower, stark against my black jacket and smiles. "There, now theyīll know youīre one of the good guys. Come on." I follow her, resigned to my fate and yet---happy too. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Hey, Pete, Lana. Good to see you guys." "Chloe we saw you two hours ago." "Iīm just doing the niceties, Petey. Donīt blow me off." "All right. Hey, Lex---youīre looking good." "Thanks---so are you, Petey." Pete gets that look on his face. "Sorry. I forgot that only Chloe gets to call you that." "Thatīs all right. Weīre all friends tonight and----always, I hope." "I hope that too, my friend." I really did. It took a long two years to crack the nut know as Pete Ross. And his friendship is as precious to me as Clarkīs and the others. Maybe even more so because it was hard fought for and won. "So, are you going to ask your date to dance or should your date do the asking?" she asks me. "Iīm a liberated man---you do the asking," I reply. "All right, I will. Pete, want to dance with me?" She laughs at the look on my face. "Iīm kidding. Come on, Luthor----letīs show the young people how to dance." She leads me to the dance floor and I pull her into my arms. Weīre swaying to some 70īs music; the theme of this years Spring Formal is the disco era. I donīt know which song is playing----all that I can sense is Chloe. Her scent is overwhelming. Her hands touching mine; her smile as she backs away; her voice as she mentions that she hasnīt stepped on my toes once---I must be a good teacher. I now know the truth about my feelings for her. She is my focus---now and forever, my heart and soul tells me. But does she feel the same? As the dance ends we hear it---"What is she doing with him?" She backs away and turns around. "What Iīm doing with him is having a good time. Which is definitely not what your date is having with you." The guyīs date hits him on the arm and walks away. "Guess I was right." She turns back to me. "Lex, Iīm---" "Itīs okay. Iīm used to it." "Well you shouldnīt be. Damn it; why canīt the otherīs see you as we see you." "How do you see me?" "Come on----weīre going to go talk in private." She leads me away. A few minutes later weīre outside, staring up at the stars. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx "Itīs hard to imagine those lights up there are long since dead," she says, breaking the silence. "Yes it is. Theyīre so beautiful---just like---" "Yes?" she asks. I turn to her. "Chloe, how do you see me?" "How do I see the great Alexander Luthor?" I cringe at that. "Oh, Iīm sorry, Lex. I forgot---you donīt like that name." "Itīs okay." "No itīs not!" "What?" "Lex, itīs not okay that I called you Alexander. I forgot---itīs my mistake and you calling me on it---itīs okay. You wonīt lose my friendship for doing that." "So, you see me as a friend?" I ask her, sadness seeping into my heart. "No, I actually asked Clark to ask an enemy to take me to the dance," she says, sarcasm dripping from the words. Most of those words are lost to me. What becomes my focus is the fact that---she wanted to go with me. Not Pete or anybody else---me. "What? You asked Clark to ask me to take you to the dance?" "Yes I did." "Why?" "Because---because---because I wanted you to take me. Because---" "---because you like me?" "No! I mean, yes I like you, but it was more than that." "Was this a reward for helping you all these years?" "No! No reward---itīs because---damn it, why canīt I say what I feel about you right now, Lex. I usually can but right now, I feel the way Clark used to when he got too close to Lana." "Like youīre about to fall on your face." "Yes!" I move close to her and pull her into my arms. "Donīt worry. If you fall, Iīll pick you up and kiss you where it hurts." She backs away. "Thatīs what I love about you Lex. You always know the right thing to say." Iīm stunned into silence. And sheīs flustered. "What? Oh My God---I said I loved you. Iīm---not sorry unless---you donīt feel the same way. Why the hell would you? Iīm not even your type. Just forget---" I stop her ramblings by kissing her fears away. She moans and we deepen the kiss, both of us lost in our own little world. We finally part and I pull her back into my arms. "What makes you think youīre not my type?" She backs away again. "My hair isnīt brown and I donīt have a seductive bone in my body." "Hair doesnīt interest me. And about that last part---my God, Chloe---you are the supreme seductress for me and others." "Really?" "You can out seduce Victoria any old day." "I didnīt know that. Others? What others?" "Oh no, Iīm not telling you. I want you all to myself." "I can live with that," she answers snuggling into me again. We sway together, dancing to the song coming from inside. I recognize it---it was the song we practiced to a couple of days ago---"Slow Dancing". I smile at that and lead her in the dance, enjoying this last one for the night but not the last dance---for the rest of our lives. For our journey has just begun. The End.