Smallville: Telekinetic (Lex Luthor/OFC fanfic)

Souvenir

'I think, Rosenbaum, you're mistaking me for someone who gives a damn.'

Lex leaned back in the chair, one leg crossed over the other. In one hand his cell phone, in the other a glass of scotch. As he listened to Tom Rosenbaum droning on he lifted the glass to his lips and took a long drink. He was in his study, the TV was tuned to the Bloomberg channel, but the volume was muted. In the background music was playing from the stereo system in the corner of the room.

'I asked for those reports to be sent to me this afternoon.' Lex waited a beat. 'Fine,' he said with a careless sigh. 'Just get on it and make sure I have them for first thing in the morning. I don't want any more glitches,' he said staring at the TV screen. The reporter on the channel was informing the viewer and the buyer that the LexCorp stocks had gone up 3% in the last week. LuthorCorp had gone up by 10%.

Lex punched the call end button and looked back at the screen. His father was doing something right and it seemed that there were a lot of people out there who were just as interested in his company as they were his father's. Three percent wasn't good, but he wasn't complaining.

He picked up the TV remote and turned off the set, then leaned back in his chair and allowed his eyes to close. He had to make arrangements for his upcoming business meeting in Metropolis, but he would wait until after his father got back from Washington. There was Kennedy to think about too. He opened his eyes and stared straight ahead. Usually when he had business in Metropolis he spent the night in the LuthorCorp apartments to save him flying back the same day, but with Kennedy here and his father coming back, he wasn't so sure if that would be such a good idea.

The idea of Kennedy alone in the mansion with his father didn't bode well with Lex. He knew exactly what his father would think of her being here. Not that Lex cared what his father thought. He had decided a long time ago not to let what his father did or didn't think of him to rattle him anymore. There had been times in the past when his snubs and constant criticism had hurt. Just like there had been times when Lex wondered if his father wasn't around how he would cope without that constant struggle for acceptance, without someone strong to push against; while forever trying to prove to his father that he was worthy of his love. Now he no longer cared.

He had built a life and a successful business for himself here in Smallville. And his father knew that. A long time ago he had asked him to come back to Metropolis with him, his exile to Smallville was over, his father was satisfied with the work he had done. Lex had refused. Even the new title he would have earned at his father's company hadn't been enough to sway him. And for the first time Lex realised that his father was scared of how well he was doing. He wanted him back in Metropolis so he could keep an eye on him. Gone were the wild clubbing nights and the early morning arrests. And his father knew it. He was scared of the new, resurgent Lex.

His father had told him he was making a mistake by not returning with him. Lex had come back with he would return when he was ready and maybe even with an army of his own. Lionel was growing tired of the games. Lex reminded him the games they played were all they had left. An achingly sad statement on the coldness of their relationship.

Lex lifted the scotch to his lips and drank it down in one go before going over to the drinks cabinet and refilling his glass.

His father never used to spend much time at the mansion, he preferred to stay at the Metropolis apartments. But since the tornado that had ripped through Smallville last year leading to the accident which had ultimately lead to the surgery that had caused his father's blindness, he had been spending more and more time at the mansion. He had even gone so far as to set up his own office down the hall to Lex.

Lex changed the CD on the player to something a little more relaxing. Then he went back to his chair by the fire. He pondered over the idea of inviting Kennedy along with him on the business trip. Then quickly dismissed that idea when he was reminded that Metropolis was the very place she had ran away from and most probably the last place on earth that she would ever want to return to. Besides, the last time he had invited her somewhere he had gotten his fingers burned. He didn't care for a repeat performance.