Memories and a Vineyard

Author: tyffi
Pairing: Lex/other
Rating: R
Spoilers: nah, not really
Warnings: English fic written by a German!
Words: 4,528
Summary: Lex remembers some significant moments that happened recently...
A/N: The story is actually a part of my German SV AU.

Disclaimer: "Smallville" and its characters are copyright of DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Tollin/Robbins and Millar/Gough Ink.

Many thanks to cinderalla81 who was kind enough to beta the story. :)

Chris L. Harris, J.D.

The brass plate on the door was shiny and seemed to be rather new. In fact, Chris Harris had come to Metropolis only six months ago, and from all Lex had heard Harris was an excellent lawyer – quite the right man for LexCorp.

Lex knocked at the door before entering Harris' office. The room was large and bright, the furnishings were made from glass and chromed steel. It looked almost sterile – apart from the huge glass desk that was covered with hundreds of papers, lots of pens and at least three huge mugs. It was quite a mess and Lex raised his brows. He preferred a clean, organized desk.

Over at the windows stood young woman wearing a grey suit that underlined her almost dainty appearance. Her hair was dark as mahogany and reached down to her shoulders, slightly curled.

Lex frowned.

"Oh... I was looking for Mr Harris," he said in surprise. "This is his office, isn't it? We had an appointment."

The woman turned around, smiling.
"Mr Luthor, it's nice to meet you, but I'm afraid there is no Mr Harris," she explained, walking over to him. She had high cheekbones, her eyes were from a blue-greenish colour and sparkling with joy, and her smile was bright and honest. "My first name is a little confusing. Actually it's not –it's Christine, but... Well, it's a long story. I am Chris Harris." Shrugging, but still smiling she held out her hand.

Lex gasped when he looked at her, hearing her voice. That woman looked exactly like someone that had been very important in his life, but it was impossible. That person was dead and he had never expected to see someone else looking like her. Specially not a lawyer he had thought to be a man.

"What... why...?" He was chocking and felt that horrible pain inside of his chest he hadn't felt for years. He wasn't even able to think any more.

Hastily, Chris grabbed him by the arm and steered him on to the white sofa that was sitting in her office.
"Just take a deep breath," she whispered, pouring him a glass of water. "Breathe in and out. It'll be over soon..." Her voice was warm and calming and a few moments later the pain inside of Lex's chest was gone.

"I didn't know that you were an asthmatic, Mr Luthor," Chris said, eyeing him while he was sipping at his glass."Is it better now? Maybe we should rearrange our meeting."

Lex didn't answer at once. That resemblance was astonishing, almost unreal. Yes, it was breath-taking.
He shook his head a bit as if that would change Chris' appearance, before he forced himself into a smile.

"It's Lex," he said, taking another sip of water. "We needn't rearrange the meeting. I'm not asthmatic. Not anymore. I used to be when I was a kid, but..." He trailed off, looking at Chris in disbelief. She was so young and looked almost like the only person that had ever cared for him.

"You needn't justify yourself," she replied and it didn't sound like an empty phrase. Again, she smiled and poured him another glass of water. "But maybe we should rearrange the appointment anyway. It wouldn't be a problem."

"No, no... I'm fine. I was just... I'm fine. And I'm glad that you have some time for me today. Obviously, you're quite busy." Even though he was still kind of shocked by her appearance, he got control over himself again, at last, and he could switch back to business-mode.

****

Attending society events didn't belong to Lex's hobbies anymore – it was all about meeting boring people, drinking too much of too expensive champagne and pretending to enjoy the evening though it was quite the opposite.
Nevertheless, Lex attended the charity auction that was held in Metropolis' City Hall tonight. It was a social duty he knew about, but if he made sure that the photographers took enough pictures of him and if he was able to purchase some kitsch for an incredibly large amount of money at an early point in the evening, maybe then he could get home soon, away from all those hypocrites.

"Lex, what a pleasure to see you here!" Henry Steinberg, the newly elected mayor of Metropolis and an old friend of Lionel Luthor, had spotted Lex, and soon he was trapped in one of those small talks he hated so much. "You made yourself scarce lately. How is business? How is your old man?"

Lex smiled as if he had a toothache and put a good face on the matter. Several minutes passed wherein he chatted with the mayor until Cindy Whitman, gossip columnist of the 'Inquisitor' ran into them and Lex took the chance to escape.

Making his way through the crowd of people, he passed one of the waiters and helped himself for another glass of champagne. Then he looked for a place to hide till the auction finally began. He didn't feel quite talkative tonight.

Over at the window side of the ball room, Lex spotted a niche which was almost hidden by a huge stony statue. He smiled. The perfect place to get some rest from Metropolis' high society.
Inconspicuously, Lex moved toward the statue and slipped behind it into the niche. He sighed in relief.

"Aren't you a little too old for hide-and-seek?"

Lex turned around, surprised that someone else had had the idea to use that niche as a hideout, and his face lit up when he saw Chris Harris, the young, brunette lawyer he had hired only a couple of weeks before. Amused, he eyed her for a moment. She was wearing a bright, shoulder-free dress and her hair was put up into a loose bun.

"Well, I could say the same about you," he replied, smiling.

"But I'm not hiding. I check the crowd for prospective clients." She nodded, earnestly, but her eyes were sparkling with joy.

Lex laughed. "I bet, you'll be successful tonight. It's the high society of Metropolis out there. Most of them need all juridical help they can get."

"But you're hiding here." Chris sipped at her drink, watching him. "That either means you don't count yourself to the high society, or you don't need a lawyer. And that would make me unemployed."

"Don't worry about that. I don't wanna miss your skills when it comes to contract negotiations."

"That's good. That means I can finally afford a new car."

"Always a pleasure," Lex grinned, watching her. Maybe it wasn't such a waste of time to attend the auction tonight. At least that conversation with Chris was the best he had had so far.

****

Lex was sitting in Chris' office, waiting for the young lawyer. They didn't have an appointment today but Lex was in Metropolis anyway and he couldn't resist but stopping by at Chris'. Besides, she was still working for him and he kept telling himself that he just wanted to see her because of business. That was the only reason. He was a business man and she was his legal adviser. Nothing else.

"Rachel, I need the Robertson file. And coffee, lots of coffee. And would you be so nice and bring me the draft agreements for LexCorp? I'd like to have another look at them. Did I mention coffee?" Chris was standing in the doorframe and spoke to her secretary while she was balancing a staple of folders and her briefcase in her arms. Then she noticed Lex.

"Oh, Mr Luthor... uh... Lex... We had an appointment? Today?" She looked puzzled and asked her secretary to bring two cups of coffee.

"I don't want to be any trouble," Lex said, standing. "We actually don't even have an appointment. I... uhm... I was in Metropolis today and -"

"Oh, you're here because of the contracts," Chris interrupted, moving slowly and carefully over to her desk. "They're done so far. I just want to make some changes. For your advantage, of course. And for mine," she added, laughing. "I hope you recommend me to all your business partners."

"That would be a bad idea," Lex returned, smirking. "I would cut my own throat. It would be stupid to recommend you to anyone else. You're my joker."

Chris blushed a little. "And you are a smooth talker. But hold your breath, it won't work on me anyway." She had just put the folders on her desk when suddenly the handle of her purse tore off and the entire content fell on the floor.
"Damn it," Chris cussed, rolling her eyes "Not again. First the wallet, now the purse..."

She stooped just at the same moment Lex did and they bumped their heads.

"Ouch," she half-grinned, rubbing her forehead.

"I should've warned you. I'm very thick-headed."

Chris looked at him for a second, raising a brow but then she began to laugh. "That's what people say about me, too." Hastily, she began to put her things back into her bag and blushed again when Lex handed her a small box of tampons.

She looked cute and Lex couldn't resist any longer. Carefully, he brushed a strand of hair from out of her face and smiled at her. Her hair was warm and soft, almost silky and he liked the feeling.
"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" he quietly asked.

She shook her head. "No, I'm fine. What about you?"

"I can't complain," he replied. Their faces were so close that the tips of their noses almost touched each other.

Lex inclined his head a bit when suddenly the door opened and Rachel, Chris' secretary, entered the room, carrying a tray with two cups and a pot of coffee.

"Do you want to have the coffee down there on the floor?" she asked, grinning.

****

They were standing in Chris' kitchen, facing each other without saying a word. There was a certain tenseness between them until Lex suddenly bent down to Chris, kissing her. And to his great surprise – and relief – she returned his kiss.
Her mouth slightly opened, and she welcomed his tongue while placing her arms on his shoulders.

Lex pulled her a little closer when she began to caress his scalp and the little bump at the back of his head. Involuntary, the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile and Chris dropped her hands at her side, watching him confused and insecure.
Still smiling, Lex reached out for her hands and moved them back at his head.

"Don't stop," he whispered. "I like that."

Chris giggled, small dimples showed up on the bridge of her nose, but she caressed the bump at his head again. However, the insecure expression on her face remained.
"I'm dreaming!? It is a dream, isn't it?!"

"Then we must be having the same dream," Lex answered in a low voice, placing small kisses at the corners of her mouth. "It's no dream. We are both awake."

His hand moved through her soft mahogany hair, twirling it around his fingers. It smelled a little like Metropolis, a little like peaches and a lot like Chris. Lex immediately knew he would get addicted to that smell.
He buried his face in her hair, closing his eyes. Just a second later he brushed his lips over her neck, nibbling at her warm skin. His left hand was skirting beneath her shirt to caress her back. Again, Chris giggled.

"Ticklish?" He raised his brows, slightly amused.

"A little... but don't stop. I like that!" She became bolder and more comfortable with the situation and Lex couldn't help but laugh. Chris was definitely different from the other women in his life and even though he knew that she was an excellent lawyer, he liked that she was nothing like a little girl. An unexperienced little girl that stormed into his life like a whirlwind.

Still laughing, he let his right hand follow his left to feel the warm skin and the soft fuzz at her back. Then he claimed her lips for another kiss while his hands moved the fabrics of her shirt until Chris suddenly lifted up her arms and allowed him to pull it over her head.
Grinning, Lex tossed her shirt on to the floor and began to explore her cleavage with his lips. Even her skin tasted liked peaches and he cupped her breasts that were small and firm in his hands.

Meanwhile, Chris' hands were moving beneath his jersey, touching him in a way that made his skin tingle. She pressed herself against him and kissed him again. This time with much more passion.
Finally! Almost a year after they had first met; Lex hardly realized how much he had been craving that moment until now.

"Bedroom?" Lex asked hoarsely, without breaking the contact to her lips.

"That way!" She pointed in a certain direction and Lex lifted her up.

She was as light as a feather and he almost feared to break any of her bones when suddenly she wrapped her legs around him, tight. He grinned.
Their lips barely broke contact while Lex was groping his way through the unknown apartment.
Once they reached her bed, Lex sank down on the mattress, Chris sitting astride his lap. She looked at him, blushing.

"This is my bedroom," she mumbled and Lex nodded.

"A nice one." He watched her and couldn't help but grin again when he realized she was examining him. And suddenly, almost impatiently, she tugged his jersey over his head, her hands roaming over his shoulders, his upper arms over to his chest. Slowly, her fingers trailed down to his stomach and a surprised sound escaped her lips.

Lex looked at her quizzically.

"You look less muscular when you're dressed," she whispered, blushing.

"Was that a compliment?"

"I don't know... but you feel good," she breathed without stopping to caress his chest. "Your skin is so soft and... hairless." She blushed once more and screwed up her face. "I didn't say that aloud, did I?!"

"I take it as another compliment," Lex smirked, playing with the straps of her bra. It could be a lot of fun with Chris. He had already experienced that she usually vocalized her thoughts, and that was quite amusing.

Lex kissed her again while his hands were working at the hooks of her bra. "You feel good, too. And you taste good..."

****

Lex was waiting in front of the courtroom, sipping at the cup of cheap coffee he had gotten himself from the coffee dispenser down the hall, and checked his watch again.
He felt stupid for standing here, staring at the closed doors to the courtroom. Inside was Chris, making her plea to convince the jury of her client's innocence.

It was a public hearing and Lex would have loved to go in, watching Chris as the hard, tough and unscrupulous lawyer she was in front of court, but he knew it was better to wait outside. Chris always became nervous and fidgety with him around, and Lex didn't want to be the reason why she might fail in front of the jury.
Instead, he wanted to be the first person she saw when she got out, the person whom she could celebrate her triumph with. Or who comforted her if she should lose the trial. Even though Lex doubted the latter.

He smirked. Chris would hate him if he tried to console her, and she would be furious if he didn't try. Those contrasts of her personality made him enjoy the time he had with her so much.

At that moment the court ushers opened the wide double doors to the courtroom and the first people came out. Some of them looked satisfied, others didn't and a few didn't show any kind of emotion at all.

Lex moved back to the opposite wall, checking the crowd until he spotted Chris. Today, she was wearing a dark-green skirt with a matching blazer and a pale blouse underneath, her brown hair twisted into a tight bun. She looked older than she actually was and Lex decided that he liked her better when she was more his Chris and less the lawyer Harris, she was still attractive to him.

He watched her speaking to an older man next to her. That had to be her client and according to his gesticulation he was rather pleased with Chris. Obviously, they had won the trial and Lex couldn't help but feel proud of her. He was lucky to date such a beautiful, clever and successful woman.

He smiled when her eyes met his and she hastened to take leave of her client. Waving, she paced toward Lex and gave him a bright smile.
"Waiting for me?"

"Actually, I was admiring the architecture," Lex replied dryly, a slight smirk on his lips. "I never realized that the courthouse was such a neoclassical building."

"That's because you've spent too much time in Smallville and in your father's ugly tower. - Oh, coffee!" Chris grabbed at his cup and took a sip, just to screw up her face a second later. "Holy... what's that? Are you trying to kill me?"

"With coffee?" Lex raised his brows. "Is that even possible? You live on it!"

"I like coffee, yes, but you gave me dishwater," she snapped back, still a disgusted expression on her face.

"Well, you grabbed the cup without asking. I wouldn't say I gave it to you," he replied amused.

"Oh, whatever. But next time you're here, waiting for me or admiring the architecture, please make sure you have a proper coffee with you. Specially, since I've won my case!" She beamed at him and Lex could tell that it was difficult for her not to jump up and down like an excited child on Christmas.

"Of course you won," Lex smiled, taking the cup from her to throw it in a garbage can that was standing near him. "You spent the last nights working on your plea and ignored all my calls."

"No, I took one -"

"And said you'd do nasty things to certain parts of my body if I called you again," Lex finished.

"I'm sorry. But that case was really, really important and -" She broke off, slanted her head and watched him suspicious. "You're making fun of me! And I told Marc that I have an important meeting and that's why I couldn't have dinner with him tonight to celebrate." She made a face at him and raked around in her bag for her cell phone. "Maybe I can still get him..."

Lex smirked and watched her for a moment, well aware that she was waiting for him to stop her. "Maybe you'll get lucky. At least then I won't have to pay the bill. Your wolfish appetite will ruin me one day."

Chris stopped dead and watched him, one brow raised. Then she pushed him in a niche and kissed him. "I missed you, too!"

****

"Knock, knock!"

The door to Lex's office at LuthorCorp plaza had opened and Chris' face showed up between door and doorframe. She was smiling, as always.
"I hope I'm not interrupting but either you don't have a secretary yet, or he or she has already abandoned you. Are you such a bad boss?"

Lex looked up and returned her smile. It was a nice surprise to see her today – at his first day back in his father's company. Actually, he had thought that day wouldn't hold anything else but filling out insurance forms, so he was pleased to see Chris.

"I'm the nice Luthor and my secretary's name is Jenny. She's probably having her lunch break now," he said and stood to meet her halfway. For some reason his mood always lightened up when he saw Chris. She was such a joyful, optimistic person that it was hard to be moody with her around.

Still smiling, he kissed her hello. "So, to what do I owe the honour of your visit?"

"Hey, I thought you were the nice Luthor? Am I not allowed to see you? Now that I'm officially the woman at your side? No wait, it was 'Lex's new doll'." She rolled her eyes and Lex slightly sighed.

The Inquisitor's headlines got worse with each issue and unfortunately Chris had been on the front page this week. Lex was underwhelmed by that but he couldn't change it anymore. Luckily, Chris had a great sense of humor and the article hadn't affected her career yet.

"It's good to see you, but I thought you were at court all day..."

"The hearing was cancelled", Chris replied, beaming at him. "And I decided that we should have lunch together." She raised a white plastic bag she was holding in her right hand.

"Oh, you decided... and obviously, you've ordered the menu up and down," Lex smirked, watching Chris as she walked around him over to the coffee table where she began to get several food boxes out of the plastic bag.

"Nah, today I ordered across. Way more fun," she replied dryly, causing Lex to smirk again. She was quick-witted and it was always fun to talk to her.

Following Chris, he sat down on the black couch and took one of the boxes Chris was handing him.

"Thirty-five, extra spicy," she grinned, putting a pair of chopsticks into his left hand before she sat down next to him, helping herself to another box. "And don't say you're not hungry. I know that you would kill for Ling's bamboo beef!"

"I haven't said anything. But I have a hunch that you're a mind reader," he said, kissing her temple. "How could you know that I saw a portion of bamboo beef in front of my inner eye for hours!"

Chris turned her head and watched him sceptically before she start to grin. "Well, it's because I'm a witch. I cast a spell on you so that I always know what you're thinking and what you're doing. Oh, and if you should ever kiss another girl, your dick will rot away." Nodding, she put some Chop suey into her mouth while Lex choked on his beef.

His eyes wide open, he stared at Chris. He coughed a few times before he was able to clear his throat and shook his head.

"Thanks for the warning," he laughed, still shaking his head. "Then I have to kiss men in future times."

"Well, as long as they're handsome..." she mumbled, chewing. "Just like Clark. But they should be legal, of course."

"Of course," Lex agreed, exaggerated seriously but raising his brows. "That's probably the strangest conversation we've ever had, Chris."

She looked at him and shook her head. "No, personally, I guess the conversation about your preferred female lingerie was definitely stranger. And even now it's still sounding like you'd like to wear women's underwear." She began to laugh so hard that she choked on a piece of chicken and Lex had to tap her back and bring her a glass of water.
"Thanks," she said, tears in her eyes. "Maybe we should change the topic before either of us dies on laughter... So how was your first day back at LuziferCorp so far?"

****

"Hey, stop ignoring me! I'm precious and adorable and deserve all your attention," Chris pouted, causing Lex to blink.
He was standing at the French window in the bedroom of their vacation home on Martha's Vineyard, watching the sea.

During the last few minutes he had been lost in his memories, without noticing Chris had woken up. The last time he had checked she had been fast asleep, looking like an angel.

Smiling, he looked at her, cupping her face in his hands and kissed her forehead.
"You're the most conceited person I've ever met!"

"Is that so? Then go into the bathroom and check out the mirror. You'd be surprised," Chris replied, grinning, before she wrapped her arms around his waist and cuddled up against him.
"Why aren't you in bed? I woke up all alone... Have you been thinking again? Hey, you promised me. It's our weekend, remember?! Just you and me on this cold island. Well, you and me and some of the tribal people, but... it's still our weekend."

She looked up at him and Lex felt that pleasant tingle in his belly, he always felt when he was with Chris.
There was something special about the way she looked at him, and talked to him, and touched him. It was full of affection and honesty, and it made him feel good. In a way he had thought he would be never able to feel.

He pulled her a little closer, holding her tight. "I was thinking about you and me. About us," he quietly said.

"Uh... you're not going to dump me, are you? I mean, you didn't bring me to this island where nobody will hear my screams just to dump me?"

Firmly, Lex shook his head, but he was grinning. "I won't dump you. Do I look that stupid?"

Chris slanted her head and eyed him suspiciously.

"Angel, it was a rhetorical question. You needn't answer that. And... we're still on an island where no one would hear your screams." Smirking, he grabbed the back of her neck with one hand and playfully squeezed it a little.

"I'd never call you stupid," she whispered, kissing his chin, before flashing him a devilish smile. "Everyone knows you're a fool!"

Lex rolled his eyes. "I hate you!"

"Not as much as I hate you." Chris wrapped her arms around his neck and gently, she stroke the little bump at the back of his head. "So, you've been thinking about us? It was only good thinking, wasn't it?"

Lex closed his eyes, enjoying her touch for a moment, and nodded. It was amazing how happy Chris made him. Even when she was teasing him and playing silly buggers – or because she was doing exactly that.
Kissing the tip of her nose, he smiled at her.

"I was thinking of how we met... and those moments we had so far. That's all. I'm not going to dump you. Though it would be better for my nerves."

"Oh, you're so mean!" Gently, she slapped his shoulder, but her eyes were sparkling with joy. "You only remembered the good moments, right?!"

"The good and the funny ones. Mostly the funny ones, since you've been major part of those memories."

"Stop being so mean!" She looked at him indignantly, and slapped him again. Her eyes were still sparkling, and firmly she pushed him back to the bed. "I want retrieval, or I'll never join you on your fancy weekend trips again."

Laughing, Lex folded her in his arms and together, they fell down on to the mattress. He took her face between his hands and watched her, happily.

"Have I already told you how glad I am to have you here with me?"

Chris blushed a little and nuzzled his nose. "I love to be with you," she whispered and leant in to kiss him.

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Memories and a Vineyard

~fin~