Title: Infringement
Series: Infected
Rating: T
Author: SilverSnikle
Character: Clark
Timeline: Around 6 months afer Clark Luthor's Seventeenth Birthday
Warnings: Luthor-verse
Disclaimer: Borrowed characters and some dialogue... No affiliation to CW/WB, DC
Summary: My take on Clark Luthor's descent into darkness. This story focuses on his relationship with Chloe Sullivan.
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| infringe | |
| 1. | ( tr ) to violate or break (a law, an agreement, etc) |
| 2. | ( intr; |
Her skirt was too short, her top was cut too low, her heels were too high, her make-up was gaudy. Yet, she held her head high and kept her eyes level. She'd heard rumors for weeks and there was only one way to verify a source; see it with your own eyes. And that was exactly what she planned to do.
She shivered as the cool night breeze passed over her almost bare shoulders and back. Half a block to go before she would reach her destination, and if she were honest, that shiver might have had something more to do with her intentions than the actual temperature of the air. Okay, that was not true, her intentions were pure enough; it was her fantasies that made her shiver.
Her excessive make-up and scandalous outfit worked, allowing her the access she needed. She stopped at the first bar she came to, leaning against its glass top to give her feet a slight reprieve. Her cousin had the fancy taste in accessories, which came in handy for these types of situations, but she would never get used to dressing this way.
"What can I get for you?" She inclined her head toward the voice to see a young bartender smiling back at her.
"I'm fine, thanks." He shrugged, still smiling, and turned to help another patron.
Lois and Oliver had been to this club every Friday and Saturday night for the past month. Tonight, he'd whisked her away to Star City for the weekend. The idea of a weekend trip away with just a guy made Chloe blush. She'd spent too much of her time chasing stories to chase many boys.
"I'll take a double shot of Ketel One, and a glass of champagne for the lady."
Chloe didn't dare turn her head; she couldn't even shift her eyes. That voice was unmistakable. She heard that voice almost every night in her dreams, the ones before she actually fell asleep. It was deep, and level, and held a power about it like no other voice she'd ever heard. Suddenly she wanted to know if he ever sang, visions of him with slicked back hair throwing around an old metal microphone danced in her head; something told her if he did it would break her heart.
A finger gently slipped under her chin, pulling her face up, her eyes following. She smiled, knowing it didn't reach her eyes. She was mortified, although why, she wasn't sure. There was no way for him to know her intentions. But again, it was her fantasies that were embarrassing.
He offered her the glass of bubbly gold liquid left by the same young bartender from earlier and she accepted.
"Thank you." She lifted the glass to her lips and welcomed the burn that ran down her throat. She focused on the intensity of the carbonation sliding downward toward her stomach. Feeling that physical heat helped to keep her mind clear. If he was planning on standing this close to her for long, she was going to need many more glasses of courage.
He settled onto the stool next to where she was still leaning on the glass top of the bar and cocked his head to the side. Chloe tried to decide if she should follow suit and bounce up onto the stool behind her, but then a hand was on her waist, pulling her. His thighs were spread, hers pressed up against them. He was wearing that famous smile, the one plastered all over the papers and magazines. She didn't like it. She'd once seen his real smile, and she knew she'd do most anything to see it again. A shudder ran through her, and she bit her lip. Damned fantasies.
"Damned air conditioner." Her words were barely even a mumble.
"You just need to move around," He seemed to think about it, his eyes narrowing dangerously, "Or drink more. I suggest a merger of the two." And then he smiled, the real one that twisted her gut. She had to force her legs to keep standing.
"I think it's very interesting, you seemed only too happy to let your siblings front the party life for the family. Until recently. Care to share?" She pushed out her chin and raised an eyebrow, waiting. He obviously remembered her from his party. He had to remember that she worked at the Daily Planet, that she was a reporter just looking for a headline. Part of her worried he'd glare at her, push her away, and leave her there alone. But then, somewhere deep inside, the idea of him man-handling her was all too enticing.
"Guess I finally realized I was missing out." His lips shifted back into their practiced smile, and he broke eye-contact, scanning the crowd. He was slipping away, back to his rehearsed show. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.
"Seems you've turned into quite the ladies’ man." Her heart twisted at her own words. He was not hers, there was no reason for her pain. Still, she ached at the thought of him pleasing himself with the help of some random woman. And that's what it would be. Pleasing himself. She didn't deny the truth that he didn't care about pleasing anyone else. He was a Luthor. Selfish.
"Sounds like you're here on business." He ordered another shot and with his head still turned toward the bartender, he let his eyes focus on her. His eyes were smiling, whether his lips wanted to be honest or not. "Don't you ever party for real? Or do you have to have an excuse to talk yourself into looking sexy and showing off your true talents?"
Her jaw dropped, and her eyes were so wide she momentarily worried they might just pop out into her champagne flute. And then she recovered, as quickly as if nothing had changed. She knew he'd seen it though, her honest reaction. She didn't appreciate the comment. She knew she was very talented. How many seventeen year olds do you know who graduate high school early and get an internship at the number one newspaper in the country? Something told her his word choice was meant to get a reaction. She thought about correcting him, letting him know that the word he was looking for was most likely 'assets', but decided against it. She didn't exactly want to end this, whatever it was.
"I'm a busy girl." She turned abruptly, setting her glass on the bar and leaning into the glass top again for support. Selfish. It was also what she was being now. In all honesty, it was the sole reason she was here. A chance to live out even a fraction of one of those many fantasies.
"Girl huh? Could've fooled me." He leaned forward, his solid chest pressing against her arm, his lips inches from her ear. His words made her flesh burn. It had been a compliment, whether he had meant it that way or not, that was how she was choosing to see it. "Finish that drink, and I'll show you what you've missed since our last meeting."
...
Somewhere between buying her a drink, and attempting to insult her Clark realized there was something alluring about Lois's cousin. She had caught his attention at the birthday party, even if his interacting with her had been more to upset his father. There had been something about her that pulled him in. So much so that he had gone after her wearing the red kryptonite ring. That was all before her cousin had made a grand entrance onto the balcony and into his life.
After the tall, beauty had dragged her cousin away from him, she had been all he could think about. Lois Lane was the sole object of his desire. He had spent the better part of his free time devising a plan to win her affections.
Upon first spotting the blonde cousin at the bar, Clark had moved toward her in hopes to find Lois. He had taken a closer look at Chloe's appearance and realized that she was on a mission. He was a very perceptive person. It didn't take him any longer than than downing his shot to realize why she was there. He had made certain that Lois had watched him leaving the clubs with countless blondes. The plan was to make her jealous. She had taken his actions to mean something different.
So while conversing with Chloe after buying her a drink, Clark thought maybe a new plan should me implemented. What would make a girl more jealous than sleeping with her roommate/cousin/best friend? By the looks of her, Chloe wasn't going to argue. He had been about to kiss her on that balcony, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to get that kiss, and more.
He watched her swallow the last drops of her champagne and grabbed her small hand. He was careful not to walk to fast, mindful of her insanely high heels. He wanted her to be on her feet for a long time, twisting her ankle wouldn't help further his purpose.
...
Chloe was dizzy, her legs jelly, her feet pounding for release. She excused herself to the ladies’ room, and he walked her to the door. Something told her he was standing right outside it, waiting. The thought both terrified and intrigued her. He hadn't been more than a few feet away from her since he'd come to her at the bar.
She pulled up the short skirt and sank onto the cool porcelain, thankful to be off her feet. Lois's shoes were gorgeous, and they'd done wonders for Chloe's slightly shorter legs, but damn they hurt! She sighed as she slipped her heels out and let the pumps dangle on her toes. She stayed that way for what had to have been a full five minutes. Her mind was numb as her body raged, angry at the abuse she'd pushed it through on the dance floor.
"You okay, Blondie?" She rolled her eyes as his voice broke into her daze. Of course he didn't understand personal space. She exhaled and attempted to slip her feet back into the heels.
"Trying to figure out which of these perfumes I should use, that's all." Taking off the shoes had proven a bad idea, it seemed her feet had swollen and now the shoes were a full size too small. She winced as she stepped gingerly toward the row of sinks to wash her hands, cursing the blisters that were already swelling up, and the ones she knew where yet to come.
"Please don't. I like your citrus body wash just fine." She stopped applying her lip gloss, the stick still pressed to the center of her lips. How could he pick up on her body wash in a place full of awful smells like this? She shook her head and finished her task, tossing the tube back into her clutch. Maybe he'd noticed it the first time they met and assumed she was still using the same one. That required her to believe that not only had he paid that much attention to her on their first meeting, but that he had cared enough to remember it. She rolled her eyes at herself. Not possible.
He was leaning back against the wall, next to the door, when she exited, and he pulled her to him. Her breath left her lungs and she forgot to refill them for a few moments.
"I wondered if you'd show up again." He lightly ran a finger down her face and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She didn't dare let herself indulge the idea that he was talking about what she hoped he was. "I'm glad you did."
For a moment Chloe wondered if he'd expected her to use the bathroom as an escape. But really, she knew better. If he was in fact referring to her coming out to find him, he had a point; she'd had no plans to find him, initially. Not until Lois had come home tipsy one night, blabbing about the younger Luthor boy's dramatic change. That had piqued Chloe's interest. The girl did have a tendency to see his smile when she closed her eyes at night.
"And the weird part?" ‘Cause for Lois to be telling a story there had to be a 'weird part,' "he only arrives, dances, or leaves with blondes. And not just any blondes, golden blondes." She paused there, plopping onto the couch and beginning an attempt at taking off her strappy heals. "Like you! Mostly short hair; the longest I personally have seen was just past the girl's shoulders.” Lois dropped her shoes to the floor and her head back against the couch staring pointedly at Chloe.
Chloe let herself be dragged back toward the dance floor, even though she was pretty sure her feet were literally bleeding by now. It was a soft, sensual song. So far any time a slower song had been played he'd dragged them to the bar for another drink. Now he seemed in a hurry to get back on the floor. Finally stopping, he pulled her close, pressing their bodies together from shoulders to knees. Well, from her shoulders to his knees. He was so doggone tall, even with her in Lois's heels.
His breath tickled her ear as he whispered against her hair. "I know you are not used to those shoes. Why are you torturing yourself still?" He was swaying her gently in time with the music, her cheek pressed against his firm chest.
She smacked playfully at him, and smiled. "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not going to stick around here much longer." Chloe reflexively tightened her arms around his neck. She was nowhere near ready for this night to end. If it meant blisters and bruises on her feet, so be it.
"But I was just starting to really enjoy myself." She pulled her cheek off his chest just long enough to give him her perfectly practiced pout. She didn't miss the small change in his eyes before he blinked them back to normal. She was getting good at that.
"I never said anything about ending your fun." He let out a short laugh and his chest rumbled slightly.
"Don't think you'll be too easy to replace." Her words were mumbled, but he evidently picked up on them just fine.
"Who said anything about having to replace me? I was hoping you might be ready to go as well?" The song came to a finish, but he made no move to change their position. His request was as obvious to her as red ink on a first draft.
Chloe simply nodded against him, smiling. She had no idea where this night might lead, but she was sure going to find out. She was freshman in college at seventeen, and already interning for the Planet. She was way mature for her age! She could handle a Friday night out on the town in Metropolis with Clark Luthor.
…
As he walked through the crowds, Chloe's hand in his, Clark focused on the task at hand. He was only doing this for the results it should produce. The lightness that seemed to swell in his chest had to be from thoughts of what was to come later, pun intended. Taking girls back to his loft was nothing unusual. He left the clubs with a different girl almost ever night. This was no different. Except for the fact that Chloe was his ticket to getting Lois's attention, she meant nothing.
He forced a smile on his face, ignoring the way his stomach twisted at that last thought. Now was not the time for him to waver in his devotion. He would not let his random human emotions get in the way of his prize. Chloe would serve her purpose and then be out of his life.
Her fingers tightened around his and he glanced over at her. Her chin was level, her eyes focused ahead as they stepped out into the night. He could tell already that she was a strong woman. She was independent and proud. He let the knowledge that she had come looking for him with her own selfish intentions quell his slight unease.
Chapter 2 >
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