#luthorcorp

- in the early days of your relationship, he seems very interested in you. even more so in your obliviousness (or apathy) to his awful actions. he likes a partner who doesn't tell him what to do, so he thinks.

- as you get to know each other better and the honeymoon phase seems to pass, he gets... bored. but really? he's distracted. how can he think about you when that perfect alien is grabbing the media's attention? it should be him!

- so, perhaps he could stand to be a better partner. he's still more focused on the alien than you. for you, this is obviously a problem. thankfully, you know how to make him focus on you instead. you give him that attention he desperately desires.

- Lex loves to be the object of affection, but especially yours. he likes attention, and moreover, he likes attention from an attractive person. compliment him, tell him how handsome he looks when he's plotting against Superman. better yet? tell him every detail that you adore about him, make him feel like the only man in the world.

- he can be insecure at times, so he requires a great deal of affection and comfort that he won't directly ask you for. you'll have to pick up on the signs and figure it out yourself. if you manage to break through the tough exterior shell he puts on for everybody else, you may get him to come to you and very quietly ask to be held.

- getting through that shell of his is hard, but not impossible. Lex wants deeply to have somebody who he can be vulnerable with, somebody who is just as crazy about him as he is about Superman. not that he'd ever tell you that. you'll need to persevere through his unsavory qualities, but through all that, you'll find that he has a soft spot on the inside.

- after work, provided he's comfortable with you, he loves coming home to have dinner and cuddle in bed. he doesn't cook, so it would be nice if you did. he adores feeling pampered and taken care of by his partner, especially when he's starving and exhausted after a long day of hate-watching big blue.

- the cuddling is the best part. he'll sometimes wrap himself around you, only occasionally letting you be the big spoon. he's not exactly warm, but you can tell he's trying to melt his heart enough for you. Lex wants to make you feel safe in his arms, but he likes being made to feel safe as well.

- Lex wants to be privately affectionate rather than publicly. he'll wrap his arm around you at a gala, kiss you on the cheek, maybe even allow you to kiss his lips around other people. but anything more? anything more intimate than that? no, he'd be embarrassed for weeks if you even tried. he'd rather keep his blushes and quiet pleased noises to himself, thank you very much.

- his favorite way to cuddle consists of him laying his head on your lap or your chest, letting his eyes fall shut and his mind go blank for once in his life as he allows you to wrap your arms around him. kiss his forehead or rub his back, it's clear that he's in need of your love.

You blink, then look down. Lex is holding out a crisp white cup to you.  

“Latte. Plus caramel. With extra cream, just how you like it.” 

Being a pawn… has its perks. 

“Thanks.” You trade it for the paper copy of your latest article, a column about a suspicious phone call concerning a new fighter jet LuthorCorp was designing. Lex had taken a liking to showing off just how expansive his company could be. 

The CEO had finally agreed to stop getting access to your work computer and only reviewed your work that you brought in. 

And you finally stopped all contact with your “source” from the internet. You made up some excuse to them that because of work rules, you couldn’t use their information anymore. Fear of getting them in trouble with Lex led you to cutting them off.

You told yourself it was safer this way, for them. 

What you didn’t know was that your source had stopped being real weeks ago.

Now Lex had complete control of what information you gathered and used for your articles. 

It was difficult, for both of you initially. You’d complain that he’d change too much of the integrity of your articles. He’d argue that you were giving away too much, giving away too little, not positive enough, not negative enough, and on and on. He was a picky editor, and you were highly opinionated and arrogant. 

Eventually patterns were learned and you started to tolerate Lex. You could withstand his egotistical comments and he learned to smooth-talk you when you were resisting. 

Today, was different. 

“This is sharp. I like it.” Lex says softly, placing the paper down on his desk. 

You nearly choke on your latte. “Really?” 

His eyes meet yours, then a sinister smile pulls at the corner of his lips. “Except for the part where-” 

“Oh come on!” You cut him off, plopping your cup on the table. 

“I’m kidding,” He laughs and leans forward. “This is your best work.” 

Rolling your eyes, you pick up your drink again and slowly turn it in your hands. “Whatever. You’re just saying that so I keep writing for you.” 

Lex shrugs. “I don’t mind having a personal connection to the Daily Planet. And I’m sure you don’t mind having your best headline run for your entire career.”

You sigh. It’s true. Both of you mutually benefit from the arrangement. Your work is rising in popularity faster than Lois’ articles now. 

He flips to the last page, skims it for a moment, then passes it back to you. “Publish it.” 

“Yes, sir,” you grin, taking it from him. 

Okay. It was a little satisfying for you to make the article just how Lex Luthor liked them. 

Maybe he got the same satisfaction when he delivered the lattes to you, just how you liked them. 

He stands, and makes his way to the door. “I don’t have anything new for you this week. When you’re finished up with this article, you can work on something else you have.” 

You follow him out the office, heels rapidly clicking against the marble floors to keep up with him. “Nothing? Seriously, nothing Lex?”

He doesn’t stop walking and makes his way down the hallway, turning his head to you and raising a quizzical eyebrow. “Yes, nothing. But I’ll have something for next week. Enjoy the time off.”

“Does this mean I don’t have to come in?” 

You both stop at the elevator and he presses the button to go down. 

“Hm. I guess so.” 

You huff. “Wow. I can have my life back.” 

He smirks. “Careful. You might miss me.”

Crossing your arms, you scoff at him. “Bold of you to assume I enjoy this at all.”

Lex glances sideways as the elevator dings open. “You haven’t quit yet.”

He steps inside, then adds lowly, “and for someone so eager to have her old life back, you look a little… disappointed.” 

“I am not disappointed!” You retort, following suit and entering the elevator. He stifles a laugh. The doors shut. 

After week two, Lex started personally escorting you out of your meetings. It was sort of an unspoken thing, although it surprised you the first time it happened. 

You tell yourself that he walks you out because he’s controlling. Because he likes knowing exactly when you leave. 

But then again, sometimes he lingers at the exit a beat too long. 

Now it was simply part of the routine. 

It’s silent on the descent. You lean against the side, and Lex stands straight and tall, eyes forward. You keep yours trained on him, scrutinizing every fold and pleat of his pinstripe suit, the pressed collar of his shirt down to the gold and obsidian signet ring on his pinky. 

As much as you hated the dynamic between you two, at least Lex wasn’t half bad to look at. His perfectly tailored attire fit perfectly over his tall, strong body. 

You miss when his eyes flick toward you in the reflection of the elevator wall. 

Just once. 

Then forward again, 

Your staring isn’t subtle, at least not to a genius like Lex Luthor. 

But he enjoys the attention. 

Your attention. 

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“Hey, Jimmy! Ooh whatcha got there?” 

Your coworker has dozens of photographs strewn across his desk. They're blurry shots of a man flying in the sky, fighting a strange monster. 

“Another Superman fight this week, I got some shots off of the building next door. So cool, right?” Jimmy glances up to you from his seat. 

You pick up one of the pictures. “Was your camera not focused all the way?” 

“Shut up.” He huffs. Then quieter, “Yeah it was. But I think it adds something. What do you think?” Jimmy pulls up a mockup of the article headline with the picture. It does look admittedly attractive. It’s like one of those “UFO” sighting type pictures. 

“I like it,” you hum, and leave him for your seat. 

As you settle in and start to tidy your desk, Jimmy rolls his chair over to you. “So, your Luthor Leaks…” he starts. 

“Mhmm,” you power on your computer, avoiding his gaze. 

He leans in a little. “How are you getting this stuff? Seriously. The intel’s insane. People are obsessed! Finally some juicy insight into LuthorCorp.”

You shrug, keeping your tone even. “Good sources.”

Jimmy lets out a low whistle. “No kidding. Feels like every piece you drop peels back another layer. Kinda makes you wonder what else he’s hiding.”

He wheels his chair closer to yours and you turn to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “What?” You ask.

“You know, you’ve been disappearing a lot lately. You haven't joined us for drinks in three weeks. Plus you leave work right at five.” he speaks quietly. 

You freeze for a half second, then casually sip your coffee. “I have a life, I go places.” 

“Places like… LuthorCorp tower?” he’s watching your expression carefully, eyes glinting with mischief. “You leave, then Lex Luthor’s name ends up in your column, again.” 

“Jimmy-” you roll your eyes. 

He looks around the room. Then in a loud whisper, “are you… sleeping with him?” 

Your head snaps towards him.

“No!” You blurt, then cover your mouth. 

A few heads swivel. 

“No, I’m not. That’s crazy, Jimmy!” You hiss back to him. 

He throws his hands up in the air defensively. “Sorry! But you’re not denying you’ve been meeting with him.”  

You give him a withering look “I can’t really talk about it. It’s.. complicated.” 

Jimmy leans back in his chair, folding his arms. “Okay, fine. Whatever deal you’ve struck with him, seems like it’s paying off. Your pen name is trending on Twitter these days. Harper McNeil has her own fan club, let me know if he wants to work out a deal with me.”

“Ugh,” you groan. “Trust me, you do not want to,” you manage through gritted teeth. 

He taps his freckled nose. “Taking your word for it. Just… be careful, okay?”

You nod. “Thanks, Jim.” 

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It’s Thursday. 

It had been weeks since you were dragged by Cat Grant to get absolutely hammered before work on Friday. 

And for the first time, you’re actually excited to join your coworkers for cheap happy hour. 

But first, you’re running around the Daily Planet, trying to get a short brief on Hawkgirl, a new metahuman, published before your lunch break. 

Phones are ringing, reporters are typing, and Clark is asking again how to use the printer. 

You’re posted next to the machine, Clark on your left, seconds away from giving it a good kick. You checked the paper tray twice already, but it still won’t budge. 

“Are you kidding me-” 

You’re cut off by a sudden hush in the room, followed by whispers and the scuttling of people going back to their desks. 

Clark is distracted too, no longer helping you solve the printer mystery of the day. 

You stop and stand up straight, looking around the room to see what caused the sudden shift in the typically chaotic atmosphere. 

But before you see him, you recognize the clicking of his shoes on the ground. 

Oh great. 

He’s here. In your territory. 

You blink, hoping it’s a hallucination, But no, Lex Luthor is very real, and very much walking straight toward you. 

The room stills around you. Reporters sit back at their desks, pretending not to stare. Landlines stop ringing. Even the printer decides now is a good time to finally work, humming back to life in the awkward tension.

Lex doesn’t acknowledge anyone. Not Perry White, who hurries to greet him with an outstretched hand and a strained “Mr. Luthor! what a surprise -” only to be breezed past without so much as a glance.

Nope, Lex has a target, and it’s you.

As he nears, Clark shrinks to the side, not completely deserting you, but enough to let you take the limelight of the CEO’s glory. 

He stops and without greeting, pulls a folded copy of the Daily Planet from beneath his coat. 

He slaps it down on the printer beside you. You swear you can hear it shatter like glass inside. It’ll be broken for the next month.

“Care to explain this?”

It’s a seemingly normal copy of the newspaper, but upon skimming the lines, a word circled in red ink on one of the columns stands out to you. 

PlanetWatch. 

Your stomach knots. “I didn’t. That’s not my-”

“Oh, I’m well aware it’s not your byline.” He leans in just enough that you catch the faintest trace of his woodsy cologne, his words meant for you alone. “But you are the only one outside my company who’s ever seen those files. Which means either you’ve been… careless-” his gaze flicks over your entire body like a challenge, “or someone very close to you has been talking.”

Your pulse is racing, and you’re struggling to maintain composure. 

You grit your teeth and manage, “LuthorCorp is huge. There are a thousand ways this could’ve gotten out. Don’t pin this on me.”

He grimaces, and scoffs at you like you just said something naive. 

"Let’s get one thing straight, Lex,  I don’t like being accused of things I didn’t do,” you bite out finally. 

You can’t deny knowing about PlanetWatch. But you would've been senseless to write something about it based on how particular Lex was about what he wanted you to publish. He had never mentioned it, so you kept quiet, secretly hoping one day that you’d learn more. 

Lex straightens, smoothing the front of his jacket, his tone cooling even further. “Careful, Miss McNeil. I only give warnings once.”

As he takes a step back he adds, “and you may not like being accused of things you didn’t do… but I like being lied to even less.”

He turns on his heel and storms away, the circled word “PlanetWatch” still glaring up at you, a silent promise that this conversation isn’t over yet.

“Okay…” Clark chuckles nervously to you once Lex is outside the building. “What was that all about?”

You head towards your desk, painfully aware that the regular commotion of the Daily Planet is back. Everyone was a witness to your public embarrassment. 

“A misunderstanding.” 

Jimmy pipes up now. “You sure? That looked like a threat to me.”

“No-” you cut him off, yanking open your drawer in your desk. You ruffle through some of the files and find the weeks old faxed document there, sitting untouched. 

The exposé was not your fault. 

Your pulse spikes. You shut the drawer, grab your bag and stand. 

Jimmy blinks, “Um, where are you going?” 

You sling the strap over your shoulder. “To get answers.” 

“What about happy hour?” 

Halfway across the bullpen, you toss over your shoulder, “Rain check.” 

The Metropolis city air hits your face warmly. Across the skyline, LuthorCorp tower rises, sleek, glassy, and smug. 

“So much for getting my life back,” you mutter, eyes locked on the building. “I hate this guy.” 

Your heels snap against the pavement as you march, ignoring taxis and bus stops. You want him to hear the anger in every click of your steps. Maybe the walk will burn it out of you. 

It doesn’t.

By the time you shove through LuthorCorp’s revolving doors, you’re a ticking bomb ready to go off. The receptionist at the front desk gives you a knowing look, you’re the girl who comes in every afternoon, the one who leaves with Lex Luthor in an uncharacteristically good mood. She doesn’t stop you, but picks up her phone and dials it right when you’re out of sight. 

You don’t slow down. 

The elevator ride is a blur, your reflection stares back at you in the mirrored walls, with flushed cheeks, wind-tostled hair, and a fire in your eyes. 

Slam.

His office door swings open under your hand, hitting the wall with a satisfying crack. 

Lex looks up from his desk, pen paused mid-signature. That infuriating calm spreads over his features like he’s been waiting for you.

He gestures lazily to the papers in front of him. “You’re not on my schedule today.”

You step forward, planting yourself in front of his desk. Arms crossed. Unmoving. You’re not giving him the satisfaction of sitting. 

“Make room, then.” 

Lex’s mouth curves, just barely. Amusement. 

He sets the pen down with deliberate care. “What are you here for?” 

Your eyes lock on his, steel blue meeting yours. “PlanetWatch.” 

“Hmm. Thought you’d never ask.” Lex leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers together, eyes never leaving yours.“What would you like to know?” 

You plant your hands on the desk. “Everything.” 

“That’s a tall order, especially for someone who can’t keep my name out of gossip at her workplace.” 

Your jaw is clenched, tight. “I didn’t-”

He dismisses you with a wave of his hand. “Shh. I’m not in the mood to fight. Let’s do what we do best, collaborate.” 

You narrow your eyes. “I don’t like to collaborate with people who threaten and accuse me in front of my coworkers.” 

“And yet,” he pauses, and stands. “Here you are.” 

He makes his way over to the coffee table in the corner of the room, and swipes an envelope off of it. 

“I think it’s time for Harper McNeil to make an appearance,” he hands you the letter.

It’s been opened already, and you slide the paper out of it, briefly noticing a military insignia printed at the top corner. 

“What is this?” You ask before reading it. Lex simply nods, allowing you to find out for yourself. 

You freeze. “A press conference? With the United States military?” 

Lex adjusts his tie. “Yes. In Steel City. It’s tomorrow. And you’ll be accompanying me.” 

You blink. “Why?” 

“To watch. Take notes. Get the inside scoop so you can create the perfect leak people won’t be able to stop talking about.” He pulls an itinerary out of his suit jacket and hands it to you, and you take it with a free hand. “Small crowd of around a hundred people. You’ll be Harper McNeil, maybe you’ll meet a few fans.” 

You’re skeptical. “Why do I need to be there in person? Can’t I just-”

“No.” His tone is final. “You need to be in the room. I want the public to hear it from your column, from your mouth. And I want the military press to have the confidence that their plans are confidential.” 

“So you want me to spin it for you,” you say, raising a brow.

He begins to pace the room. “I want you to tell the truth… as I see it.” 

Your gut twists. “So you can control what people believe about PlanetWatch.”

“Control,” he stops at the window, looking out at the view, “isn’t a dirty word. Narratives naturally run wild. People are inevitably going to find out about this. I need you. They trust your words the most.” 

One final stand. “And what if I don’t join you?”

He glances back. “You will. It’ll be fun.”

Lex makes his way, right up to you. “I’ll even get you a new dress to wear. Do you prefer red or black?” 

His eyes sweep over your entire body, as if mentally measuring your size, imagining what you’d look like with it on. 

Your cheeks burn hot under his gaze. “Pick whichever you like, I won’t be smiling for you.” 

He leans in, lips nearly brushing your ear. “Black it is.” 

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