#trvstbroken

' get the interview, kent! that’s final. ' perry white's words landed like a slammed door, leaving him powerless, defeated. he didn't want to do it, especially given his biased perspective on the matter. how ironic, karmic even : he had crossed the bias line before when he began interviewing SUPERMAN ... and while he had many more compelling reasons to be reluctant about interviewing him, he couldn't disclose any of them to his editor ... which led clark to BELLE REEVE.

"Welcome, how can i - " It's not a face she actually expected to see around here before, dark brows rising up in swift surprise for a moment. " - help?"

"Because he won't give me the only thing I've ever wanted from him..."

"And that would be?"

"I want him to love me."

The blonde replays the words back in her head to make sure she heard them right - but really, Chloe rarely hears things wrong. And if the surprise on Lex's face is anything to go by she'd definitely heard him correctly.

Something in her chest aches as she lets that very simple truth settle within her. For someone with all the power and money in the world - it was such a simple thing to want. A relatable thing to want. And yet the way he turned away from her makes Chloe think he might very well be ashamed of the words he'd shared.

But he knew she was infected - knew any questions she asked would garner her the truth. Yet he hadn't pushed her aside or shyed away from her asking questions. Almost as if a part of him wanted - no needed to get that weight off his shoulders.

It takes Chloe a minute to realize she's been silent for a while - digesting, her mind busy with dozens of thoughts. She takes down a hard swallow and steps toward Lex hesitantly.

"Isn't that what we all want?"

Her tone is soft when the question comes out unbidden and it's meant to be nothing more than a comforting comment - an attempt to show him he's not alone in how he feels. But...it's a question nonetheless. She gnaws on her bottom lip briefly and waits for the answer she knows will come.

↣ JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

the pen that's been taking notes during the interview stops at the rather intriguing statement from . . . well , someone they'll tolerate upon perry's request. ( hotaru still hasn't the faintest clue why their boss would trust them to do this , but maybe it's a test on how journalistically neutral they can actually be? that , or clark & lois was a lot busier than they thought. there's no way they'd pass on this! )

" hm. " pen records the quote in elegant script - despite the recorder next to them, there's a certain comfort in real - time note - taking . something to occupy them , to keep them grounded & focused as the doctor twirls the pen in their hand. " if i may be . . . off - the - record amounts of honest, i would be inclined to agree - i'll even commend you for such a .. profound sentiment. but i find that if things are worth keeping , they're worth fighting for. & even if it's still lost , well --- " their voice drops to something more conspiratorial : ever the storyteller with an affinity to weaving webs of narratives & prose: " to quote the story of kafka & the doll - ' everything you love is very likely to be lost, but in the end, love will return in a different way. ' ”