DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters, they're the property of too many people to mention including Gough and Miller.
SPOILERS: This takes place during and after the series three episode 'Truth' though it can stand alone without knowledge of that. So spoilers up to series three.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Intimate Truths
By CharmedLassie
Chloe stared at the girl opposite her. Lana's lips were tight, her eyes darting backwards and forwards. You didn't have to be a reporter to realise there was something wrong. Since her friend had only started her contortionist act after she'd noticed her walk in Chloe figured it was safe to assume the issue was most definitely to do with her. 'Lana, what's your problem?'
This effect of truth-telling worked its magic on Lana. 'You,' she said instantly, then her eyes flicked back and forth- she hadn't really meant to say that.
Slightly deflated, Chloe lifted her chin. 'Why, what have I done?'
Again, the truth serum kicked in. 'It's not what you've done, Chloe. It's just who you are.'
'What's that supposed to mean?'
'I'm in love with you!' Lana burst out then backed off a few steps. 'I'm… I'm sorry. I've got to…'
When she fled into the back room Chloe stood still for a moment, trying to digest what had just happened. Then she disappeared- Clark needed her at the hospital.
The house was quiet when she got in. Dropping her keys on the table she scanned the note there briefly- her father was out job-hunting apparently, though where he expected to find a job at this time of night was a mystery. There was nothing to suggest Lana had been back; she was probably still working at The Talon.
It had been one hell of a day. Being infected with something that makes everyone tell the truth had been fun at first but, in the end, it had led to more problems than solutions, not least the fact that she nearly died because of it. Then there was her pathetic attempt at blackmailing Lionel Luthor, she was even more at his mercy now. Of course, the highlight of the day had to be the double whammy from Lana and then Pete. It seemed she was a little more attractive than she'd given herself credit for.
She felt dirty, still infected perhaps. She needed to bathe.
Half an hour later she felt suitably cleansed. Pulling out the plug she tightened the towels around her body and head then left the bathroom, only to collide with Lana at the top of the stairs. When her towel made to slip they both made to rescue it. The blush that leapt onto her friend's face when she accidentally scraped her nails against the skin on her thigh gave Chloe, if she'd needed it, confirmation that the truth serum had actually forced Lana to tell… Well, the truth.
'Sorry!' Lana mumbled quietly before she fled into her bedroom and closed the door with a thud.
Chloe stood for a minute or more, gazing at the space vacated by the coffee-shop owner. She wasn't completely certain but she could've sworn Lana's face wasn't the only one to blush dramatically when they'd touched. Sure, it could just be the embarrassment of knowing what her friend actually felt for her but she wasn't convinced that embarrassment was all she was feeling. Pete had kissed her earlier and though it was sweet she hadn't felt anything akin to what she had when she and Lara had shared the briefest of touches.
Swallowing, she went into her own bedroom, closing the door behind her. Settled on her bed she thought back over the little things that could've betrayed Lana's feelings before now. There didn't seem to be anything that she, supposedly a star reporter, had picked up on. Then again, Lana did seem to be brilliant at hiding her feelings. Chloe had just assumed they were feelings for Clark. How could she have got it so wrong?
Quickly she dried her hair and jumped into her most unflattering pyjamas. Then, taking the bull by the horns as was her speciality, she proceeded the few feet down the hallway and knocked on Lana's door. When there was no answer after a few seconds, she asked, 'Can I come in?'
'Um, Chloe, I'm kind of…'
'Please,' she interrupted. 'I don't feel comfortable talking to a door.'
A pause and then, 'Okay. Come in.'
Lana was rearranging the perfume bottles on her dresser when Chloe entered, something she took as a sign of nervousness. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she cleared her throat. 'Good day?'
Her friend didn't turn around. 'Depends how you define good.'
'Defining things just complicates them, if you don't mind my saying.'
Stopping her fiddling, Lana said, 'Well, in that case, I don't know how my day was.'
Chloe couldn't keep the smile out of her voice. 'You know what? Me neither.'
'Oh.'
'Lana,' Chloe said after a few moments of silence. 'Are we gonna talk about it or just brush it under the carpet?'
'I don't know what you mean.'
'Come on! I know I was a little out of it today but it didn't get as far as hallucinations. What you told me earlier…'
Finally, her friend and roommate turned towards her. 'Chloe, I don't want to debate this, okay? This isn't something I want to talk about.'
Examining the smooth face all the way up to the brown eyes sparkling with tears, Chloe managed to shake her head. 'I don't want a debate either. I just need to know whether you meant it.'
There was a lengthy silence, during which Lana looked everywhere but at her. 'Yes,' she said eventually. 'I meant it.'
When her friend turned away again, Chloe stood and approached her. 'You know, Pete kissed me today, said he was in love with me. Suppose it's been the day for it.' Lana didn't say anything. 'The trouble is, I didn't want to kiss him. Not like I want to kiss you now.'
It took Lana an age to look back towards her. 'What?'
'Yeah,' she said with a strangled chuckle. 'Crazy, isn't it?'
Unsure, she watched Lana's lips part, probably with surprise, and her tongue flick over them. She raised her gaze to those crystallised eyes already trained on her. She'd never considered herself the shy and retiring type but she couldn't seem to muster the necessary courage to do what she'd just said she wanted to. Luckily, Lana apparently had unlimited resources of the stuff. It was Lana who lifted a hand up to Chloe's cheek, Lana who slipped an arm hesitantly around her waist and Lana who pressed their lips together gently.
Thanks to an accident in fourth grade Chloe knew pretty well what constituted electricity. She'd had a run in with a rather live wire which had given her a slight fear of sparks; she'd always assumed she'd run a mile from this kind of electricity. She'd braced herself when she'd kissed Clark, but it hadn't happened. Part of her had thought she'd just gotten over that kind of fear yet now she was kissing Lana she felt the electric tension between them building up and overflowing. There was nervousness there, mild anger, irritation, desire and uninhibited emotions which she couldn't place. All she really knew was that she didn't want to break away, just in case the spell was broken.
Lana pulled away briefly, Chloe looked hungrily at her, unable to prevent her outward expression of desire. The barely-audible sigh led Lana to draw them back together for another lengthy kiss. When it ended Chloe stepped back a few paces, feeling a little overwhelmed and willing a coherent thought to come to mind. 'Um… I…' It wasn't happening.
Her friend was breathing heavily. 'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be!' Chloe managed quickly, moving back towards her. 'That was…' The only way she could express it was by leaning forward again and brushing their lips together once more. 'Should I be sorry?'
'Saying sorry just complicates things, if you don't mind my saying so.'
Laughing aloud, she pulled Lana down to sit beside her on the bed. Then she reached up, removing a stray hair from the vicinity of the enchanting brown eyes. Lifting her chin carefully, Chloe ran a thumb over it. 'Why didn't you tell me sooner?'
'I didn't want to ruin our friendship,' Lana offered weakly. 'I didn't think for a minute you'd…'
'You know, neither did I. Funny how things work out.'
Biting her lip, Lana smiled. 'Yeah, funny.'
Chloe raised her thumb to trace a line over her roommate's lips. When she felt a tongue flick out gently she almost melted. 'You've gotta do that more often.'
'I think I intend to.'
The End