Games VI:
Truth or Dare
Orithain and Rina
December 2002
Disclaimer: Would that they belonged to us so that we
could watch instead of just writing about it, but they don't.
~ May 2005 ~
Waving a greeting to Lana at the counter, Lex slid into the seat opposite
Chloe at one of the Talon's tables. "Clark had to help his father with
something, but he'll be along in a little while." He took a good look
at her, and his eyebrows rose in surprise.
"You look like hell," he said bluntly. "What's up?"
The last time he'd seen her, only two days previously, the blonde had been
practically bouncing off the walls at being chosen class valedictorian and
babbling excitedly about what her commencement speech should include.
Chloe fidgeted with her notebook, then raked a hand through her hair,
pushing it back out of her face. "I was thinking about talking about
unwed mothers in my speech. Think that would go over well with the
crowd?"
"I think the good people of Smallville might rise up to tar and
feather you," Lex replied dryly, then his eyes widened slightly.
"Chloe... are you trying to tell me something?" He was already
plotting ways to dismember Dave if what he suspected were true.
She ran her hand through her hair again and sat up straighter in the
chair. The fact that she was having this conversation with Lex Luthor would
have shocked her two years ago, but they'd become friends because of his
relationship with Clark and had become better ones because they found they
really liked each other. "Maybe I'm just trying to convince myself that
it might not happen."
"What did Dave say when you told him?" The answer to this
question would determine how long the other man had to live. He reached
across the table to place a hand over hers comfortingly, Lex having slowly
grown used to letting Chloe into his personal space over the last three
years.
She smiled wanly. "That he loved me and he planned on marry me when
I decided to settle down, so moving it up a few years wasn't a problem for
him. I just - I don't even know if I am or not." She gripped Lex's
fingers tightly and wiped at her eyes with her free hand. "Guess it's a
good thing you and Clark don't have to worry about this kind of thing."
"At least you didn't have to worry about his father coming after you
with a shotgun," Lex pointed out wryly, remembering the early days of
his relationship with Clark, surprising a watery chuckle out of Chloe.
"But it's a relief to know I don't have to have Dave killed, since I
happen to like the guy."
"Since I do too, I would have had to be really pissed off at you if
you had."
"If Lex had what?" Clark asked, dropping his backpack next to
Lex's chair and brushing a kiss over the older man's temple before claiming
the empty chair between them.
"Killed Dave," Lex replied calmly, not saying any more than
that. It was up to Chloe if she wanted to tell Clark about this situation or
not.
"Considering that Chloe would then try to kill you, that would be a
bad idea."
She nodded. "That's sad but true, but don't worry, Clark; Lex was
defending my honor, such as it is."
"A little late for that, isn't it?" Clark laughed, though the
humor died out of his voice when he saw Chloe's and Lex's expressions.
"What's going on?"
"Think Smallville's ready for a valedictorian in a maternity
gown?"
Clark tried not to stare and said the first thing that came to his mind.
"How'd it happen?"
"Clark, I know you've never had sex with a girl, but come on!"
Lex nearly choked trying to hold back his laughter, glad when a waitress
brought coffee to the table, all three of them being such frequent customers
that the staff knew and brought their usuals unasked. "Remind me to
tell you about the birds and the bees later, Clark," he snickered once
they were alone again.
"God, that's not what I meant." He glared at them for a minute
before concern for Chloe overrode the annoyance. "I meant, I mean, what
happened?"
Chloe sighed and picked up her drink, holding it between her palms as if
trying to warm herself. "I'm allergic to the pill, and while latex is
your friend, it's also not totally unbreakable and... it broke. We've got to
wait another ten days or so before I can check anything."
"Shit." Clark reached out and rested his hand on her arm.
"You know if you need anything..."
"If I need anything super heavy carried or done super fast, I'll
call you, okay?"
Lex froze in the act of raising his coffee to his mouth. While both he
and Clark knew Chloe was too observant not to have noticed some of the
younger man's abilities, they'd become complacent as she let it go without
saying anything. Apparently, she'd decided to change her policy. The problem
was that Lex found he didn't want to lie to her, not to Chloe, his only
female friend. He darted a glance at Clark.
"Chloe, I..."
"Look, both of you, I'm not stupid. Considering all of the weird
things we've seen in this town because of the rocks, what's a little speed
and strength? I mean, I just sat here and told you about my sex life, so
don't you dare deny this!"
"I wasn't going to." Clark met Lex's gaze and swallowed hard.
"Want to take a ride? I want to show you something."
Lex's gaze darted from Clark to Chloe, and he simply nodded slightly. If
they were going to trust anyone else with Clark's secret, it would be Chloe.
She'd proven time and again over the last few years that she was a true
friend, so she deserved the truth.
"No pictures though," he said, only half-joking but trying to
lighten the mood.
"You aren't just trying to get my mind off all this, are you?"
she asked speculatively, even as she put her notebook in her backpack and
stood, setting her untouched coffee on the table.
"Well, sort of, but it'll help explain some stuff too." Clark's
stomach was in knots, but he knew this was the right thing to do, even if it
wasn't easy.
"And believe me, this is one hell of a distraction," Lex
muttered, letting Chloe precede him to the door. He only hoped Jonathan and
Martha didn't kill them for this.
"I'll just have to trust you then," she sighed. "Who's
driving?"
"Let's take Baby; there's a little more room than in whatever Lex
drove." Clark strode ahead and unlocked the truck, opening the door and
waiting until both Chloe and Lex climbed in before shutting it.
"You are still nuts about this damned truck," Lex observed,
smiling slightly. "Are you ever going to let me replace it with
something newer? Or are you just going to keep borrowing my
cars?" It had reached the point that Lex had an extra set of keys made
for every car he bought and simply handed them over to Clark when the
vehicle arrived.
He glanced at Chloe to make sure she was securely belted in, then looked
back at Clark.
"Clark keeps everything you give him," Chloe said
knowledgeably.
"Chloe!" Clark groaned, climbing in beside her and buckling his
belt, checking hers as well before shutting his door and starting the
engine. "Hello, I told you that after we'd had too much to drink that
night. It was not meant to be repeated!"
Lex snickered. "You'd think you'd have learned by now, Clark. Every
time you drink too much, you tell Chloe things, and they always come back
and bite you on the ass." He remembered a few that had taken him by
surprise in the early days of their relationship, but he was actually used
to it now.
"But even drunk, he never told me about what he could do... that I
had to figure out for myself."
Clark shifted uncomfortably, pulling to a stop at a red light and waiting
for it to change. "It's not like it's something I go around
broadcasting, you know. Only my parents and Lex know about it."
"And he's been taught since he was a child to hide it," Lex
pointed out. "Early childhood conditioning is the hardest to get
past."
"Hey, it was just a comment. I can understand why you wouldn't want
everyone in the world knowing that the rocks did something to you too,
especially considering all the things that have happened because of them. A
lot of things made a lot more sense to me once I figured it out
though."
"Yeah," Clark grimaced, "the rocks..." The light
changed again, and he put the truck in gear, picking up speed as they left
town and headed toward the farm.
Lex slung his arm along the back of the seat, his fingers stroking the
back of Clark's neck comfortingly. Hopefully Chloe's reaction to the truth
wouldn't start Clark on his usual cycle of guilt for the results of the
meteors. He didn't do it as often since learning more from Jor-El, but he
still had an overactive conscience.
"It'll be fine," he said softly.
Chloe looked from one side to the other, studying both men. "You
know, I guess I should be glad that this is getting my mind off my own
problems, but you two are starting to worry me."
Clark gave a lopsided smile, reminding himself that, really, Chloe's
situation was the one he should be concerned about, not what she was going
to think, but... She was his best friend, especially since he and Pete had
drifted apart some over the past years, and he didn't want to lose that.
"Well, let's just say that this ought to take your mind off everything
else," Lex muttered, leaning his head back against the headrest. He
just hoped that Chloe took this the way he thought she would; it would
devastate Clark to lose her friendship. He left his hand where it was,
trying to offer Clark whatever comfort he could.
"Are your parents at home?" he wondered, knowing that the elder
Kents would not approve of this action.
Clark shook his head negatively. "No, Mom's at her class, and Dad
went to pick up some parts in Granville, so he won't be back for a
while." He took a deep breath, then let it out. "It's probably
better that way."
"Okay, you two are really scaring me now."
"Sorry. There's nothing to be scared of," Lex tried to reassure
her. "It's just that Clark's parents aren't really big on him telling
anyone about this. It's better to present them with a fait accompli."
He shrugged a little.
"That's what we did when I told Lex. Of course, the fact that we'd
just told them that we were together sort of offset that some, I
think."
Chloe had to smile at that. "You never do anything by half measures,
do you?"
Clark shrugged, turning on the blinker and pulling into the farm's
driveway. "Is there a point in it?"
Lex chuckled. "Don't waste your time, Chloe; it's part of his charm.
He'd have made a good D'Artagnan.
"Does that make you Porthos or Athos?" she asked.
"Nah, he's Krillin, remember?" Pulling to a stop near the barn,
Clark climbed out of the cab and stood, scuffing his feet against the dirt,
while Lex and Chloe got out as well.
Deciding that there was no good answer to that, Lex just let it go and
led Chloe around the truck to Clark's side. "We should go to the storm
cellar now," he hinted, trying to get Clark moving again.
"The storm cellar? It's a good thing I trust you two, or I'd be
feeling like the main attraction in a slasher movie." Chloe looped her
arm through Clark's and gave him a tug. "C'mon, whatever it is, it
can't be any worse than the fact that I might have a little alien growing
inside me."
At that phrase, Clark raised his eyebrows and looked at Lex over her
head. "Yeah, I guess not." They walked out across the yard toward
the cellar, and he undid the latch, tugging the door open and following the
other two down the stairs after Lex turned on the light.
After glancing around, Chloe looked at them expectantly. "So? It's a
storm cellar."
"Yeah, but it has some fairly unusual contents." Seeing that
Clark was practically immobilized by nerves, Lex walked over to the
tarp-covered spaceship and yanked the canvas off, baring it to gleam in the
dim light of the cellar.
"What the... " Chloe stared at the thing on the ground
in front of her and suddenly found herself on her knees beside it, a hand
hovering over the dark, metallic skin. "It's... oh my God. Is it safe
to touch?"
"Yeah. It won't do anything to you." Clark moved over to Lex's
side, catching hold of his hand and making forcing himself not to squeeze
too tightly.
"And yes, it is a spaceship. Or a least a pod. You see, Clark's not
exactly a mutant," Lex said, getting it out into the open, his gaze
intent upon the young woman staring in fascination at Clark's ship.
"If this wasn't Smallville, I'd think you were fucking with
me," she breathed, tentatively reaching out to touch craft's skin
before looking back over her shoulder. "Clark, you're an..."
"Alien? Yeah." He looked toward the floor, wondering if he was
going to be sick. "That arrived, with me in it, when the rocks
did."
Lex's arm tightened around Clark's waist as he could feel the tension
vibrating through his boyfriend. He watched Chloe carefully, relieved that
she hadn't run away shrieking but still waiting to see how she would react
to Clark now.
"Does it do anything?" she asked, still looking at the ship and
not at Clark because she wasn't quite sure what to say to him regarding all
this.
"If I touch it to wake it up, it does."
"There's a hologram generated by the ship's computer, an artificial
intelligence based on the man who built it," Lex explained, thinking
that Clark's unadorned statement could be a little disturbing. "It
doesn't shoot death rays or anything."
"That's reassuring."
Clark took a half step forward and crouched down to be on the same level
with her. "Chloe? Are - are you okay?"
She finally looked at him, appearing a bit stunned. "I'm fine,
Clark, just having a little difficulty absorbing all this. I mean, this is
more than I ever expected. Not only are you not a mutant, but this is proof
of other life in the universe. Geez, Clark, I..." She trailed off at
the expression on his face.
"You can't tell anyone about this, Chloe," Lex said, suddenly
desperately worried. He couldn't imagine hurting Chloe, but he couldn't let
Clark be harmed either. He found himself praying to a god he didn't even
believe in to make this all work out.
"I won't! I mean, God, I didn't tell anyone about the two of you,
did I, and this is a lot more important than that was." Clark, an
alien. It was so weird!
"I know you didn't. I trust you, Chloe, that's why I told you."
Clark shifted so that he was sitting cross-legged on the dirt floor.
"I'm still me though, you know? Just because I'm... different doesn't
change that."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Lex sank down to sit with the other two,
automatically moving close enough to slide an arm around his lover's waist.
"Told you this would distract you," he said, almost giddy with the
release of tension, smirking at Chloe.
Chloe groaned. "And thank you for reminding me of what you were
distracting me from."
"Here, this will distract you some more." Pushing up onto his
knees, Clark laid his hand on the side of the ship, feeling the low
vibration run through it as it cycled to life. The sides of the dome slid
open, and the hologram appeared, Jor-El seeming appearing unphased by the
appearance of a third person with Clark and Lex.
"Good day, Kal-El. Good day, LexLuthor. You have brought a female
with you today."
Lex snickered at the look on Chloe's face as she gaped up at the
life-size hologram. "Chloe Sullivan, meet Jor-El of Krypton." He
grinned in response to the look of disbelief she turned on him, leaning his
head on Clark's shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, I fell
on my ass when I first met him. It."
Clark managed a smile. "He really did. Hi, Jor-El," he added,
glancing up at the hologram. He'd long ago given up trying to get it to call
him Clark as it seemed pointless. "Jor-El is... well, was my biological
father."
"Was?"
"He's dead. The whole planet's gone; it blew up when the sun went
super-nova."
"Makes for interesting family discussions," Lex put in wryly,
drawing his knees up and wrapping his arms around them as he made himself
comfortable. An idea struck him, and he peered up at the hologram.
"Jor-El, can you tell if Chloe is pregnant?"
The hologram appeared to stare at her, in reality scanning her, then
shook its head, a human mannerism it seemed to have picked up from watching
Clark and Lex. "There are enough differences between Terran and
Kryptonian biology that I could not be certain for another several
weeks."
"Damn. Oh well, it was worth a shot," Lex sighed.
"Gee, Lex, thanks for asking my permission first," Chloe said
wryly, though she was grateful he'd thought of it even though it seemed that
the machine wasn't any better than the tests she could buy at the pharmacy.
Clark smiled and slid his arms around both their shoulders. "Since
when does Lex ever ask permission for anything?"
"Besides, it's not like it could hurt you or anything. Hell, if I
hadn't said anything, you would never have known. It was months before we
figured out he scanned us that first night." Lex was totally
unapologetic.
"What did he scan the two of you for?" Chloe asked, looking
around Clark at Lex. "To see if either one of you was
pregnant?"
"No!" Clark exclaimed, shuddering at the thought before giving
her an apologetic look. "It's sort of because Lex and me, the two of us
are sort of bonded. For life. It's some weird Kryptonian thing."
"Would you care for me to explain it in more detail, ChloeSullivan?"
Jor-El asked politely.
Lex snickered at the expressions on the faces of both the others. "I
don't think that'll be necessary, Jor-El, thanks all the same."
He looked at Chloe. "So, you okay with all this?"
She leaned against Clark, and as she did so, Chloe realized that no
matter what she'd just learned about him, he was Clark, her friend, the guy
who spent half his time helping people and the other half blushing, and even
though her crush on him was long gone, she loved him. "I think it's a
good thing you told me this now because if I could put my full attention to
it, I'd probably have a million questions for you, but right now all I can
say is that it doesn't change anything."
Clark felt the knot of tension slip from his stomach, and he pressed a
kiss against the top of Chloe's head. "You're amazing, do you know
that?"
"Hey! Boyfriend here, I'm the one you're supposed to be
kissing." Lex crossed his arms and glared at the two of them, though
the sparkle in his blue eyes gave him away.
"Excuse me while I placate my grouchy lover," Clark whispered
in Chloe's ear though he pitched his voice loudly enough for Lex to hear.
Pulling sharply with the arm he had around the older man's shoulders, he
tumbled Lex into his lap and kissed him thoroughly, to Chloe's very vocal
amusement.
"Mmm, I'm going to have to complain more often; I like the
results." Lex didn't seem to intend to move out of Clark's lap any time
soon, although he did crane his head around to peer at Chloe. "I don't
suppose I could convince you to run some errand for a few minutes?"
"Hello? I'm the person that you two are supposed to be distracting,
remember?" She paused, and waggled her eyebrows. "But a free show
might do that, so if the two of you want to go for it, don't mind me. I'll
just sit by Jor-El over there."
"Chloe!" Clark's tone was almost a shriek. It was weird; he was
really more embarrassed about doing anything in front of the AI than in
front of her. Now was that mixed up or what?
Lex sputtered, then doubled over, howling with laughter till tears ran
down his face. His body shook, curling in on itself in Clark's lap, until he
finally managed to gasp, "Oh my god, your face! So, shall we sell
tickets or let her watch for free?"
"I really hate you sometimes," Clark sighed.
"You'd better not charge me! Besides, I know way too much dirt on
the two of you, even aside from ol' Jor over there, for you to try to charge
me for anything. That means I'm getting a really good graduation gift from
you, Lex, right?"
"Who said I was getting you anything?" Lex wanted to know,
grinning at her. He wasn't about to tell her about the brand new Ferrari
sitting in his garage, waiting to be delivered to her on graduation day.
Chloe's smile turned sickly sweet. "I have pictures, Luthor. Lots
and lots of pictures that neither of you've seen yet."
"What?" Clark asked. "Why not? Are they good? Come on,
Chloe, give!"
"Listen to the alien, Chloe. You don't want to antagonize the
superstrong," Lex snickered. "And I happen to agree. I thought we
had an agreement that you let us see all the pictures you take of us."
"These are special, and you'll see them, in a few weeks, I
promise." She leaned in to pat Lex's head.
"Why do I get the feeling that I should check the loft out for
hidden cameras?"
"Remind me again why we gave her the security codes for the
castle?" Lex wanted to know, eyeing her smirk warily.
"Because you trust me," she answered.
"Exactly," Clark said, giving her a serious look. "Want to
head up to the house? I mean, this floor isn't the most comfortable thing in
the world, and in your condi-" he broke off, horrified.
Lex sighed and shook his head as he pushed up to his feet, then offered a
hand to Chloe. "Just keep reminding yourself that you love him and that
it's part of his charm. He doesn't mean to be a clod."
"Oh, I learned that years ago," she answered, smiling gamely
and allowing Lex to help her up, very aware of Clark hovering behind her.
"God, it's not like I'm going to break or anything even if I
am..." She stopped and bit her lower lip.
"Everything will work out, Chloe," Clark promised, taking her
in his arms and feeling heat seep through his shirt when she started to cry.
He lifted his head, looking at Lex helplessly, unsure of what to do.
Lex returned an equally helpless look, having even less experience with
weeping females than Clark. All he could think to do was wrap his arms
around both of them and try to comfort her, to let her know that he was
there for her.
"There's so much I want to do. We were so careful. How could this
happen?" she sobbed, giving up trying to be strong and letting her
fears take over for the moment. "We're both supposed to go to school;
how can you do that with a baby?"
"You'd find a way," Clark murmured, stroking her hair and
trying to think of the right thing to say when in fact there wasn't one.
"Nothing's for certain yet, but out of anyone I know, you and Dave
would make it through this, I know it."
"You don't know for sure yet, Chloe," Lex murmured. "But
if you are, I promise I'll do everything to help you... and I'll make you
let me," he added with a small smile. "I can afford a nanny so
that you can still do everything you want to with your lives without
stinting the baby." He hesitated over the final word, but refusing to
acknowledge the possibility wasn't going to change the reality.
"Plus me and Lex will babysit if you need a break." Seeing the
horrified look in Lex's eyes, Clark had to grin, and Chloe lifted her head
from his chest when she felt it shaking with laughter. "Look
quick," he whispered. "Seeing Lex Luthor terrified is something
that only happens every seven years."
"Ha ha. If you're just going to laugh at me, I'm going up to the
house," Lex grumbled, relieved to see Chloe's watery smile. "Come
to think of it, I'm hungry." He eyed Clark suspiciously. "Why
aren't you?"
Clark shrugged. "Maybe I'm finally done with my growth spurt."
"The cookies you were wolfing down after school had nothing to do
with it, right?" Chloe asked, wiping at her eyes and trying to regain
her equilibrium.
"Ah, that explains it," Lex nodded, sliding an arm around
Chloe's shoulders. "Although I have to admit that you don't eat quite
as much as you used to. In that much at least you're a typical teen. Now you
only eat twice your weight every day," he teased, hoping to cheer Chloe
up with the sheer normalcy of the conversation.
"Good thing you can afford me," Clark replied blandly. Seeking
to return to the regular state of affairs as well, he walked over to the
hologram. "Night, Jor-El."
"Good night, Kal-El. Good night, LexLuthor, ChloeSullivan." The
light blinked out, the pod closed up again, and Clark covered it with the
tarp once more.
"So, was that a real guy once upon a time?" Chloe asked,
staring at the cloth-covered lump fixedly.
"Yeah. He and my mother sent me here so that someone would survive
the planet's destruction. I'm just lucky that Mom and Dad found me."
"Just think, Chloe, all these years you've been sharing a classroom
with E.T., and you didn't even know it." Lex smirked at his lover,
making sure to keep Chloe between them.
"I suppose that explains the fascination with Goku..." she
mused. "But why he insists on calling you Krillin... It's not like the
two of them are together that way."
Clark very seriously turned his head so that he wasn't looking at Lex,
his whole body shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Do not get him started on that again, Chloe!" Lex
practically begged, shooting a warning glance at Clark's oblivious back.
"I do not look like Goku, Clarkbar!"
"Umm, no..." Clark explained patiently between gasps for
breath. "You look like Krillin, Lexy, and I have the pictures to prove
it."
"Yup, they're up in his locker at school," Chloe added.
"You really need to clean those out soon, Clark. Don't want to forget
them and have some unsuspecting freshman freaking out next year."
"You know I meant Krillin," Lex growled. "I do not believe
you have pictures of cartoon characters up in your locker... or are you
talking about those horrific pictures from the Halloween party a couple of
years ago?"
"Guess," Chloe grinned as they all headed up the stairs and
into the late afternoon sunlight.
"Both," Clark explained. "But Dave stuck the cartoon one
up there; don't blame me!"
"Yeah, that's because you put the weird Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask
one on the outside of his locker that one day." She looked over at Lex,
flushing with the memory. "All I can say is that they never did
that in any of the shows I saw!"
Lex snickered. "I could get you a copy of the video if you'd
like?" he offered sweetly, then ducked away when she swatted at him.
"Hey, you're an adult now, act like it!"
"I should have known he got it from you," Chloe sighed.
"Clark, you were so sweet and innocent before Lex got a hold of
you."
He grinned. "No, I wasn't; I just pretended to be."
"And he's still sweet. I know, I check frequently." Lex smirked
at both of them, waiting for Clark's blush, although after three years it
was a little harder to trigger.
"God, Lex, you do that to me on purpose, I know it," Clark
groaned, hiding his now scarlet face against Chloe's shoulder.
"It's because you look so cute when you're all red," Chloe said
sagely.
"If you do that to me during graduation, I'm going to have to kill
you."
Chloe chuckled. "That gives you three weeks of life left, Lex. Enjoy
it."
"He wouldn't actually kill me; he loves me. Besides, I can't do it during
graduation, I'm not on the stage. Oh, that's right, they asked me to do the
commencement address." He smiled toothily.
"What?" both teens chorused, though Chloe's exclamation came
out tinged with laughter while Clark's was full of dread. No way was he
going to get through the ceremony without dying of embarrassment now, if
only because staring at Lex's butt for however long he talked was sure to
give him a boner.
"Good thing my speech is first then," Chloe added, "it'll
give you something to try to top."
"I'll do my humble best," Lex replied dryly. "You don't
really think I would embarrass you on your graduation day, do you, Clark? At
least not during the public portions of it." He smiled crookedly,
knowing that there was no way he would get through an entire day without
bringing a blush to his lover's face. Hell, half the time he didn't even
try.
"Why doesn't that make me feel any better?" Clark asked as they
climbed up the steps to the porch. He unlocked the door and held it for them
both to go inside. "Want anything? I think there's some brownies left
over from last night."
"Because you know that you're going to end up beet red at the party
afterwards - probably after the two of you sneak back in from the coat
closet or wherever you manage to sneak off to?" Chloe asked before
dropping down into one of the chairs at the table. "And a brownie and
milk sounds great to me."
"I never sneak," Lex said with dignity, starting to make
coffee. "I merely move with a certain degree of stealth. Not to mention
that Clark's parents wouldn't let us sneak off to a closet," he added
with a laugh. "The dreaded shotgun might reappear."
"Tell that to those of us who were at your place for his eighteenth
birthday and saw you two sneaking out of your office, not once, but
twice over the evening!"
Knowing that there wasn't even any point in him turning around and giving
both Chloe and Lex more to laugh at, Clark busied himself cutting them all
brownies and pouring himself and Chloe glasses of milk.
Thanking whatever kind god was watching over him that she'd missed the
time they snuck out onto the balcony, Lex just made a noncommittal noise as
he turned the coffee maker on and rejoined the others at the table.
"Clark, why is your brownie bigger than mine and Chloe's put
together?" Lex asked, exaggerating slightly for effect.
"It's not mine; it's Chloe's," Clark answered, setting the
plate down in front of her. "I'm being a good host."
Lex eyed him suspiciously. "Did you poison the batter or something?
You never share chocolate of any kind voluntarily, and you especially
don't give away the biggest piece."
"Ooo, you're so funny," Clark snorted. "Brownies are
comfort food, so Chloe gets the biggest one."
"Gee, thanks, I think..."
"Well, it makes sense in a weird sort of way, Chloe. After all, I
have Clark for comfort..." Lex trailed off suggestively, not quite
saying food.
"You're going to make me lose my appetite, you know."
"If you do, can I have your brownie?"
"Aha! I knew you would end up with the biggest brownie
somehow!" Lex laughed at Clark as he got up to get his coffee, pausing
to kiss him in passing and steal a bite of his brownie.
Clark grinned, making a move to steal the bite back. "You're
teaching me to be devious is all."
Holding onto her plate so it didn't vanish too, Chloe shook her head.
"Clark Kent and devious are two words that just don't fit
together."
"Ha!" Lex stared at her as if she'd grown two heads. "I
thought better of you, Chloe, than to be taken in by that wholesome, farm
bred air of innocence. That man is as conniving as they get when it comes to
getting his own way."
"There's a difference between conniving and pouting."
"Are you saying I pout?"
"Clark, I'm not even going to bother answering that." Chloe
took a drink of her milk.
Lex snickered into his coffee, then gave Clark a beatific smile in
response to his pouting look. "Would you like a mirror, love?"
"No. I'm just going to sit here and eat my brownie and let the two
of you make fun of the pouting alien."
"Poor little Clark..." Chloe crooned, leaning over to pinch his
cheek. "So unloved!"
Lex gave Chloe a horrified look. "My god, imagine if all his
people could do that. If there were others here, we'd be doomed."
"World domination through a trembling lip, it would be a horrifying
sight," she agreed, watching Clark with wide eyes. "And they'd be
too cute to kill, so we'd just have to be happy in our servitude."
Clark smirked before swallowing the rest of his brownie. "Keep
going, this is sounding better and better all the time."
"And you wonder why I call you a brat. Chloe, you might want to shut
your eyes. I've learned that there's only one way to deal with him when he
gets that smug." Lex came around the table and plopped himself in
Clark's lap, immediately planting a very intense kiss on him.
Instead of doing as Lex suggested, Chloe bent over and grabbed her camera
out of her bag. Adjusting the focus, she quickly snapped a few shots of the
two of them, laughing to herself at the dazed look on Clark's face when Lex
finally moved away from him.
"Okay, I'll leave the world domination up to you, Lexy," he
murmured, grinning dopily.
"As long as I don't have to choose between that and you, I'll be a
happy man," Lex chuckled, brushing a final kiss over his lips before
stealing another bite of his brownie on his way back to his own seat.
"Not content with Smallville and Metropolis any longer, Lex?"
Chloe asked, her reporter's instincts roused. "What's next?"
"Mayor of Metropolis probably," Lex shrugged. "It's a
necessary first step to the White House." He made no secret of his
ambitions. "I'm not quite sure about Clark in a Jackie O suit
though."
"Better that than a Nancy Reagan gown," Chloe commented.
"How about none of the above," Clark groaned. "I hate to
tell you, Lex, but the day this country elects an openly gay president, I'll
walk down Main Street buck naked."
"Clark, Clark, Clark," Lex sighed. "Haven't you learned
yet that I always get what I want? And I'm going to hold you to that.
Chloe, you're my witness. Lady Godiva here just made me a promise." He
grinned toothily.
"That'll make interesting publicity for you, Lex," she laughed.
"President Luthor's first act of office is to ban anyone from being on
the streets of Smallville while his significant other walks down the streets
naked."
"She's right, you know," Clark added. "No way you're going
to let anyone else see me naked."
Grumbling because he had to admit that they were right, Lex gave Clark
his own version of a pout. "Fine, not Main Street. Our house. All day.
It'll be my celebration for winning."
"Won't you be busy doing presidential things though?" he asked,
hoping Chloe took note of Lex's petulant expression.
"Clark, the election's in November, and the inauguration's not till
January. I think I'll have some time for you. Besides, if I thought being
President would mean not being able to be with you, I'd forget about
running."
"I can be your security detail," Clark murmured after leaning
in to kiss Lex for that statement. "Lots better than the Secret Service
for stopping bullets."
"If you two are going to jump each other on the table, I'm taking
the truck and leaving."
"What, no more pictures?" Lex laughed. "Besides, if you
touched Clark's 'baby', I think he might have to kill you. He doesn't even
like to let me drive it." He sat back, managing to keep his eyes
and hands off Clark, and turned his attention back to Chloe. "What are
your plans for the summer? Another internship or is this going to be your
'last blast'?"
She sobered. "It depends on what happens in the next ten days."
Lex leaned over and took her hand. "Either way, Chloe, it'll still
be early days. Make your plans for the summer and stick with them. It's
either going to be the last time you can be quite that carefree and you
should enjoy it, or it's going to be a celebration of not having any new
responsibilities, and you should enjoy it."
"I... I guess I'll enjoy it then," she said, tightening her
fingers around his and trying to smile.
"Then in the fall we'll all be at Met U, old times at a new
place."
"And I get to watch you all doing all the dumb things that we all do
the first year at college," Lex snickered. "This is going to be
such fun."
"Yeah." Chloe was trying to be positive about it all, but the
fact that she could spend her first semester at college in the last half of
a pregnancy loomed large in her mind. Her phone rang, and she rummaged in
her bag to find it, then had a quick conversation consisting mostly of 'yeahs'.
"That was Dave; he's going to come by and pick me up."
Clark pressed his lips together, concern darkening his eyes. "Chloe,
you know if you need anything..."
"I know," she looked from Clark to Lex. "Really I do. I
just... It's something Dave and I have to deal with right now, okay?"
"Just let us know if you need anything." Lex got up and walked
around the table, then pulled her up into a hug. "Like I told Clark
once, I'll do anything for my friends." He kissed her forehead lightly.
"And tell Dave that if he doesn't make you smile, I'll make his life
miserable." He teased her gently, trying to cheer her up. "Or, I
know, we could stuff him in the pod and send him into space."
"And have Jor-El lecture him all the way to the moon," Clark
smiled, waiting until Lex let Chloe go to hug her himself.
"That'll make him behave." She kept an arm around both their
waists. "You two are the greatest, and I really mean that."
"Hey, it's not every girl who can claim a billionaire and an alien
for her best friends," Lex pointed out. "God, we sound like the
start of the character listing for a new Gilligan's Island. I guess that
makes you Mary Ann."
"I always liked her best anyway, but who does that make Clark then?
Mrs. Howell?"
"No! I'll be Gilligan, or the Professor."
"Definitely Gilligan... little buddy." Lex snickered, promising
himself to add a sailor cap like Gilligan wore to Clark's graduation gifts.
"Although Chloe does have a point. If I'm the rich guy, you should be
Lovey. I refuse to think about Gilligan and the Skipper slash," he
shuddered, remembering a link he'd once seen and not followed.
"Little buddy, huh? That tells me more about Clark than I ever
wanted to know..."
"Chloe!" Clark groaned. "And as for you," he added,
glaring at Lex, "I am not wearing a muumuu or a boa!"
"Clark, I can honestly say that I have never wanted to see
you in a muumuu. The very thought is intensely disturbing. The boa though...
all those feathers have possibilities."
"Hey, you two trying to corrupt my girl?" Dave called in
through the screen door. "No talking about kinky stuff if I'm not
here!"
"She asked us for some ideas. Said you were too vanilla to be
creative," Lex shot back, chuckling. "You're going to have to do
better than that if you want to keep her." He watched Chloe closely and
was relieved to see that she brightened at the sound of Dave's voice.
"Can we help it if we're good?" Clark asked, glancing over at
Lex when Chloe moved away from them and into Dave's arms.
"How ya doing?" he asked quietly, kissing her forehead.
"Okay. A little better now actually since these two gave me a pep
talk."
Dave glanced up at Clark and Lex, his concern apparent even though he was
smiling. "So you know?"
"Yeah," Clark nodded. "And like we told Chloe, if there's
anything we can do..."
"What're friends for, after all?" Lex offered the couple a
supportive smile, never even thinking twice about it or the fact that he
wouldn't do this for anyone else in the world. "Even if it's just to
talk. You have my cell number." He moved closer to Clark, an arm
sliding around his waist as if for comfort.
"And I know where to find you, though if I hear screaming or
moaning, I'll come back later." She sighed and looked at them both.
"Thanks, guys."
"Any time, and you know it." Clark wrapped his arm around Lex
as well. "See you guys tomorrow." After the couple left, he
turned, pulling Lex into a hug and resting his head against the older man's
shoulder. "God, I never expected that one."
"I know. It'll be so unfair if Chloe's future is messed up by one
accident. But clearly she's not even considering abortion." Lex sighed.
"We'll just have to wait and see and be here for her as long as she
needs the support." He glanced up at Clark. "I'm glad that's one
thing we don't have to worry about."
Clark nodded. "Well, you don't have to worry about it now. I seem to
remember a time when you were concerned about just how different my biology
was from yours..."
"Clark, you have to admit, with all the weird shit that happens to
both of us, if it was going to happen to anyone, it would be us." Lex
would never admit just how relieved he'd been when Jor-El had confirmed that
Clark was totally male and could not get pregnant.
"God, do not even joke about that!" Clark moaned. "I'd be
happy to play uncle to your brother if we ever got to meet him or to Chloe
and Dave's kid if it turns out they're having one; no way do I want to have
one myself!"
"Not to mention the whole issue of where it would come out,"
Lex joked, but his heart wasn't in it. The mention of his brother had
reminded him that he'd never even met the boy, the offspring of Lionel and
Victoria. He dreaded to think what kind of life the kid had to look forward
to, but he couldn't think of any way to get close to him.
"That could be a problem." Feeling the tension in Lex's body,
Clark pulled back enough to look him in the eyes. "Want to take a walk?
We could head over to your place, grab Sheri, and wander some."
"Sounds good. Besides, if we don't take her out and use up some of
that energy, she'll never let us sleep tonight. Five right? That's when they
say puppies get less energetic?" Lex shook his head in bemusement. His
life was ruled by a teenaged alien and an adolescent dog. Who would ever
have believed it?
"Let me clean up, and we can go." Reluctantly letting go of
Lex, Clark picked up the plates and glasses and carried them to the sink.
"Want to pick your car up on the way over?"
Lex looked at him blankly for a moment before remembering that he'd
driven into town, so his car was still there. "Yeah, no sense tempting
fate by leaving it there. We can take it back to my place, then go for that
walk. Are you still okay to stay over tonight?"
"No notes or calls telling me any different, so, yeah." Clark
looked over his shoulder and smiled. The need to be together every minute
had cooled off over the past three years, but both he and Lex still slept
much better if they were together.
"Just need to get my clothes and my books, and I'll be set."
"Feel free to leave the clothes," Lex leered, making an effort
to shake off his mood. "I'd be happy to turn the castle into a nudist
colony for you."
After drying the dishes and cleaning out the coffee pot, Clark chuckled.
"There's the minor issue of school tomorrow and the fact that if I get
kicked out, I'll never graduate."
"Then you can be my boy-toy forever," Lex offered
magnanimously. "I'll keep you in the style to which you've become
accustomed." He leaned against the doorframe, watching Clark, enjoying
the movement of his body beneath his clothes. "Have I ever told you how
much I love to just look at you?"
Pausing in the midst of putting away a plate, Clark smiled. "Well,
no, not out loud, but I think I've figured it out." He hung the
dishtowel over the edge of the sink and walked back over to Lex, very aware
of the older man's hungry gaze on him. "But considering that watching
you is up there on my favorite things to do too, it's only fair."
"And how did you describe that hobby on your college
application form?" Lex snickered, imagining it. "Bird watching?
Not exactly, sir, I prefer boyfriend watching." He caught Clark's hand,
drawing him after as he went upstairs so they could collect his things. Much
as he liked Jonathan and Martha, he wanted some time alone with Clark, which
meant that they needed to be gone before his parents got home.
"You know very well what was on my applications! Hell, I think I got
into half the schools because you proofed the essays for me." Clark
followed Lex into his room, studying his lover speculatively. "Or did
you just make big donations to all of them?"
"Nope. Not that I wasn't tempted," Lex admitted, "but I
knew you would never forgive me if I did. You wanted to do this on your own
merits, and you did. Just remember that when we go public as we inevitably
will in Metropolis, and they start calling you 'Lex Luthor's
boyfriend'." Lex sometimes wondered if they'd made the right choice by
putting off the public exposure until now, but he couldn't regret letting
Clark have a mostly normal high school experience, even if it did mean that
the gossip rags would be especially vicious now.
"I prefer the term 'Lex Luthor's boy-toy' myself," Clark
chuckled, giving the older man a hug from behind before going over to his
closet and pulling out clothes for tomorrow. "Or just Lex
Luthor's."
"Well, that's a given. Of course, everyone's going to have a field
day with this." Lex raised his left hand, where Clark's class ring
glinted on his ring finger, the ruby striking sparks in the sunlight.
"And why is that? You've only been wearing it for two years now. You
mean no one's noticed it before?" He lifted his right hand to indicate
the ring on his own finger. "Or do you think that they'll notice that
we both have them?"
"I haven't attended very many public functions, Clark, and I've
managed to keep my personal life out of the news to protect you. But the
moment we appear in public together, all bets are off. The ones that had
stories squashed in the past will remember the ring, and they'll start
speculating. I just want you to be prepared for it.
"And yes, they're going to notice that we both have the same
necklaces and that you're wearing my ring."
After folding his clothes into his overnight bag, Clark turned back,
shrugging. "Fuck 'em. I don't care. I don't know any of them. The only
thing that would make me worry about it is if they started to treat you
differently because of it."
"And the only thing that would bother me would be if it upset you,
so I think we can safely ignore them. Hopefully your parents will do the
same." Lex winced, imagining Jonathan and Martha's probable reactions
to the stories that would almost certainly be written about them. "Good
thing your dad doesn't hate me anymore or I'd be worried about the shotgun
again."
Clark smiled grimly. "They can deal with reporters. And speaking of
my dad, if we want to be out of here before he gets home, we'd better
scoot." He grabbed the bag and caught hold of Lex's hand. "Get
your car, then get Sheri out for that walk. It'll clear both our
brains."
Lex nodded, following as Clark led the way out to the truck. "Oh, I
meant to ask you, did you get your passport back yet? It's been long enough
since you applied that you ought to get it any day now. I'm looking forward
to showing you some of my favorite places."
"It came last week. I didn't tell you?" Lex shook his head, and
Clark grimaced. "Sorry, but yeah, it's here, so it looks like I'm ready
for that vacation."
"Oh, this is going to be fun." Lex was practically rubbing his
hands with anticipation. "Traveling, sightseeing, and sex across
Europe. What could be a better graduation present?"
"Just being with you for a month is all the present I need."
Clark scrawled a note for his parents, reminding them that he was spending
the night at Lex's, and they headed outside. "But I'm not going to turn
the rest down, especially the sex."
"Clark," Lex purred, drawing the younger man's eyes to him,
"do you remember that first time we want to Aspen?" He waited for
the wary nod before continuing, "And do you remember telling me that if
I rented a private island, you'd go naked the whole time we were
there?"
Clark froze, his eyes widening. "You didn't. Oh, God, you did."
Lex smiled slowly. "A whole week, Clarkbar."
"No clothes?"
"No clothes. Just you and me and lots of palm oil."
"You aren't going to wear any either? Won't you get a sunburn?"
"You'll have to keep me coated with sunblock then, won't you."
Lex's smile just kept getting wider, like some kind of Cheshire cat.
Clark swallowed, then wet his lips. "Are we going there first?"
"Nope, last. Otherwise I don't think I'd have the willpower to leave
and continue with the rest of the trip. We'll do all the stuff we can tell
your parents about, and then we'll have a week just for us."
"Good," he had to clear his throat. "Good idea."
Tossing his bag in the truck bed along with his backpack, Clark started to
walk around to the driver's side, then grinned and tossed Lex the keys,
"Here, I don't want you whining that I never let you drive Baby."
Lex clutched theatrically at his chest, staggering back a step. "My
god, it's a sign of the end times!"
"Asshole. Keep it up and I'll just come home after we get your car.
You can deal with hyper Sheri on your own!"
"You'd leave me alone to deal with this on my own?" Lex tilted
his head down slightly and peered up through his lashes as he stroked his
groin, biting his lip at the same time.
"If you're going to be that distracted, you aren't driving
Baby." As Clark said this, his gaze shifted to Lex's hand and its slow
movements over his crotch.
Lex chuckled as he slid behind the wheel. "Just giving you a preview
of what you get later, love. I wouldn't dream of endangering your precious
truck. I know it would be worth my life." He shifted a little
uncomfortably, wishing they had time to take care of this, but he knew the
anticipation would just make it even better when they finally did come
together.
"Exactly." While reaching over to fasten Lex's seat belt, Clark
made sure to rub his hand across the older man's crotch, giving an innocent
smile when Lex's eyebrows rose. "Just wanted to check on things
myself."
"Bastard," Lex said without heat. "Just remember that
tease later tonight and know that you brought it on yourself. Think toys,
Clark. Kinky toys." He smiled sweetly as he started the truck and
pulled out, heading into town to pick up his car. "I haven't played
with you in a while; I think it's time to indulge myself."
"Excuse me?" When Lex glanced over at him, Clark put on his
best affronted expression. "Hey, Jor-El and Lara may never have done
the nasty, but they were married, so I am not a bastard!"
"At least not in the literal, classical sense. But don't think
you're going to distract me that easily." Lex glanced at him, a truly
evil smile on his lips. "Think cock ring, E.T."
Clark blinked. "Cock ring? As in a 'playing evil mad scientist
torturing the poor alien until he screams' cock ring? Oh God."
"I knew you were a bright boy," Lex purred sweetly,
concentrating on the road. "You just think about that for a
while."
"You're not the only one who's going to be driving while
distracted," Clark muttered, reaching over and turning on the stereo
before Lex could answer, preferring music to teasing for the rest of the
drive into town.
Lex smirked at the road as he drove, well-pleased with Clark's reaction
and looking forward to that night. He pulled in behind his car at the back
of the Talon and glanced over at the other man. "Do you want to get a
coffee first or head straight out to my place?"
Clark's expression plainly said that he though Lex was out of his mind
for even asking. "Don't we need to walk Sheri?"
"You haven't mastered walking and drinking coffee at the same time?
I realize it's slightly more challenging than chewing gum, but I have
confidence in you. You can do it," he said encouragingly.
"Uh, yeah, right. Never mind the fact that you just had coffee at my
place and if you have much more, you won't be able to sleep tonight..."
Clark looked over at Lex's car. "You want to drive it or want me
to?"
"I'll drive it. I wouldn't want to take responsibility for your baby
without you here to protect it. As for being up all night, why would I want
to sleep when I have you to myself for the night?" He smiled slightly,
a mere quirk of one corner of his mouth, as he slid out of the truck and
unlocked his car.
Clark slid over to the driver's side of the cab and rolled down the
window so that he could lean out. "Just to remind you, I do have school
tomorrow, and even though there's only three weeks left, falling asleep in
class would be a bad thing."
"Details," Lex replied airily, waving a hand dismissively.
"I'll let you get an hour or so... and don't try to tell me that you
can't get by on that; I've seen you do it." He got into his car, a
silver Porsche today, and pulled out, glancing into the rearview to make
sure Clark was with him.
He smiled, thinking of how excited Sheri would be when they took her out.
The dog clearly believed that both of them should spend all their time with
her, preferably outdoors. He wondered what she was going to think of the
move to Metropolis in the fall when Clark started school. They'd have to
take her to parks often, or maybe he should think about buying a house with
a yard. "God, I am domesticated," he muttered aloud.
A short while later they pulled into the castle garage, and Lex got out,
waiting for Clark to join him. He'd decided that he'd broach the idea of a
house while they were on their walk; after all, he could point to Sheri's
excitement and pleasure at being outside as a need for a yard.
"You going to be okay to go out right away, or do you need to grab
something to eat first?"
Clark groaned and climbed out of the truck, hefting his backpack over his
shoulder along with his overnight bag. "You know, you're lucky I know
you love me, or I'd really get a complex about you constantly bringing up my
formerly over-active appetite."
He shoved his keys in his pocket and walked past Lex to open the inner
door, stepping neatly out of the way when a bounding, barking, black and
white dog raced out to greet them, dancing on her hind legs in front of Lex
before rolling to her back in a plea for a belly rub.
Crouching down to give the dog the caresses she demanded, Lex smirked up
at Clark. "It's the one thing about you that's perfectly normal for a
teenager, love, and you're trying to deny it?" Sheri licked his cheek,
letting him know that she'd had enough for the moment, and he stood up,
patting her once she'd rolled to her feet.
"Come on, we'd better dump your stuff and grab the L-E-A-S-H,"
he spelled out, trying to keep the dog from getting too excited till they
were ready to leave.
"Such a comedian..." Clark sighed, setting his bags inside the
door and grabbing the leash from the hook just inside it. "Keep it up
and I'll use it on you instead of her."
"Ohhh, kinky. I'll hold you to that later," Lex purred,
shooting a heated glance at him. Then he was distracted by the excited dog,
barking and jumping in front of them, clearly eager to go out. "But for
now, her highness wants our attention."
"I keep telling you that you should have named her Cleopatra."
As he said this, Clark knelt, catching Sheri by the collar and attaching the
leash to the ring on it. When she squirmed and danced in place, he looked
down at her sternly. "Sit, Sheri."
She did as commanded, though she kept darting looks at Lex as if hoping
that he would relent and let her go. "Good girl," Clark praised,
rubbing her behind the ears. "Heel now."
"She's much classier than a Cleopatra," Lex replied, watching
the two of them. "Ohh, you're so hot when you're giving orders. Gonna
make me heel too?"
"Yeah." Clark smirked as he tossed the leash to Lex. "C'mere,
boy, good boy! Now walk your dog, and don't let her get in the brambles
again, or we'll spend all night picking them out of her fur."
Lex shuddered at the memory. "Don't even joke about that." The
last time he'd thought they'd have to shave her before they got all of the
infernal things out of her long, silky fur. Once outside, he headed in the
exact opposite direction from where they'd run into the bramble patch, not
wanting to go through that again.
As soon as they got far enough away from the driveway that he wasn't
worried about her darting onto it and getting run over, Lex let Sheri off
the leash, smiling as he watched her bound joyously across the grass.
"She loves being outside."
"Can't say I blame her." Clark moved closer to Lex, slipping an
arm around his waist while they watched the dog race across the lawn.
"It's a gorgeous day, and the company is pretty damn good too."
"Flatterer." Lex slid his arm around Clark's waist as well,
leaning into him. "I was thinking though, she's really not going to
like the penthouse in Metropolis, even if I do have servants to walk her
when we can't." He took a fortifying breath, waiting for Clark's reply
to decide how to broach the idea of buying a house.
Brow furrowing as he frowned, Clark looked down at Lex, not quite
understanding what he was getting at. "Are you saying you want to leave
her out here? I guess my folks could take care of her, but won't you miss
her?"
"No!" Lex looked ready to pull her into his arms and prevent
her from being forcibly ripped away from him. "I was just thinking that
she'd be a lot happier someplace more dog-friendly... like a house with a
big yard."
Clark reached up with his free hand and scratched his head. "That
doesn't really describe your place in Metropolis, and my dorm room certainly
won't have space or a yard. Besides, I think Dave is allergic to dogs."
"God, you can be so clueless sometimes, Clark!" Lex groaned.
"I meant, a house for us. That we pick together. Possibly live in
together at some point?"
"A house? For us..." Clark's eyes widened, and color rose in a
rush over his face. "Sorry, I just didn't - didn't think. A house. For
us. That's... cool."
"Well, that's a relief. I was starting to think you weren't
interested." Lex glanced over to be sure Sheri wasn't into anything she
shouldn't be, then turned to face Clark, arms sliding around his waist.
"So you'd be willing to go house-hunting with me? I want something
that's ours."
"Not interested?" For a moment, Clark flashed back to the
argument they had had about his living in a dorm his freshman year and not
with Lex. "Yeah, right. Why would I be interested in finding a house to
share with my hot, gorgeous, sexy, brilliant lover? Gee, I can't
imagine."
"Well, I know you want to live on campus at least the first year. I
thought you might think I was trying to pressure you." Lex knew that
his insecurities about being loved occasionally crept out despite knowing
that Clark did love him.
"We had this discussion, remember? We were both there? Just because
I want a place of my own for a while doesn't mean I don't love you and that
I won't probably be at your place every other night and twice on the
weekends." He paused. "And if it's a place we picked out together,
that'll make it even better."
"Life would be so much easier if you'd just let me make you a kept
man," Lex joked, smiling with relief. "I'll have an agent put
together a list of possible properties that we can look at when we get back
from our trip... or do we want to have something built?" They started
walking again as Sheri barked at them, letting them know that they'd been
standing still too long for her liking.
"Considering that you'll be paying for this house whatever we do, I
think that makes me pretty kept," Clark commented wryly. "And as
for buying or building... no clue. Want to see what's for sale then
decide?"
"Makes sense. And for the record, I don't think I can be considered
to be keeping you when you keep saving my life. It's more like you own me.
Hmm, does that make me your pet?"
Clark reached up and hooked Lex's leather necklace from under his
collared shirt. "Well, you do have a collar; you just need a
leash..."
An eyebrow rising as Clark raised that issue for the second time in a
short while, Lex simply offered him Sheri's leash since it wasn't being used
at the moment. "Here you go. Anything else you need?" He eyed him
challengingly.
Eyeing the leash with an almost frantic look, Clark managed to square his
shoulders and reach out to hook it to Lex's collar. "Maybe that cock
ring you were talking about earlier?"
Lex had to swallow hard before he could force words out of a suddenly dry
mouth. "Wouldn't you get a shock if I pulled one out of my pocket.
Though if you're really determined..." He raised his wrist with the
wider leather collar wrapped around it. "This can be wrapped around
other things in an emergency." He shivered at the thought of Clark
handling him to bind him in it.
Clark eyed the black leather, then met Lex's gaze as he slowly grinned.
"I'm all for inventiveness." He unsnapped the thicker band from
the older man's wrist and stepped back, tugging on the leash to move them to
a little less conspicuous spot, whistling for Sheri to follow as he did so.
A tiny whimper escaped Lex as he followed Clark, his cock hard and
throbbing in his linen pants. He hadn't really thought the younger man would
do this, but he should know by now not to underestimate his lover. He
stopped when Clark did, the leash curving down to brush his chest, making
him shudder when it touched a nipple as he turned slightly.
"Go lay down, Sheri," Clark murmured, sparing a glance to make
sure she did as he commanded before turning his attention back to Lex.
"And you stay, Lexy." He grinned again, licking a kiss over the
older man's mouth before dropping to his knees, rubbing his cheek against
the bulge in Lex's pants.
Lex swayed, and Clark looked up at him. "I said stay." Keeping
the leash looped around one wrist, he undid Lex's pants, drawing his boxer
briefs down and hooking them beneath his erection and balls and lightly
blowing on the aroused flesh.
"Ahhh!" Lex caught his breath sharply. "Could we negotiate
for come instead?" he whispered, staring down at the dark head. Even
after three years Clark could still make him hard as a rock with nothing
more than a glance.
One eyebrow quirked upward when Clark glanced up into Lex's face.
"Eventually," he murmured, beginning to wrap the dark leather
around Lex's cock and balls, stretching it a bit to assure himself that it
would be snug, but not too tight, when wrapped twice around the older man's
thickness.
Lex watched him, biting his lip hard to hold back any more whimpers, but
he couldn't prevent himself from arching forward, thrusting his cock into
Clark's grasp. "Teasing bastard," he rasped, feeling the leather
wrapped around him, knowing that it would keep him hard and aching until
Clark chose to free him.
Clark leaned in and flicked his tongue over the ruddy head of Lex's
erection before rocking back on his haunches and tucking the other man's
shaft back into his clothes. "Look who's talking. I seem to recall you
saying you were going to make me scream tonight. I guess I'll just have to
make you do it first."
"Just remember," Lex panted, fists clenched at his sides as he
tried to gain some control, "I always get even." Oh yes, Clark
would be screaming in pleasure before this night was over... and it would be
as good as Clark making him scream. Lex smiled slowly despite the ache in
his groin.
"If you didn't, I'd think that you were sick," Clark murmured,
stroking a hand over Lex's groin as he slowly got to his feet. "Now
c'mon, Lexy. Sheri needs to be played with." Snickering, he gave the
leash a tug, ignoring Lex's growl as he snapped his fingers for the dog,
picking up a stick and tossing it for her to retrieve.
"Sadistic bastard," Lex muttered darkly, moving very carefully.
He couldn't believe Clark actually expected him to play in this
condition... or even thought it was physically possible. But then Sheri
bounded back with the stick and pranced around his feet, clearly wanting him
to throw it for her. The big brown eyes had the same effect on him as a
certain pair of big green ones--at least so far as it related to getting him
to do things--and he stifled a groan as he bent over to take the stick and
throw it for her.
Clark beamed. "You taught me well," he laughed, sidling up
behind Lex and rubbing against his ass when the older man straightened up.
Lex's hand shot behind him to grasp Clark's thigh and pull him closer as
he flexed his ass against his erection. "Lucky me. Is there any way I
could convince you to do something with that?"
"Like what?" Clark reached around Lex to pluck the stick from
his hand and throw it for Sheri, who was whining and nudging their legs in a
bid for attention. "Get you down on your hands and knees and take you
out here in the woods?"
"Works for me," Lex replied, somehow managing not to whimper as
his cock jumped. He grabbed Clark's hand with his free one, pulling it
around him to press it to his aching erection.
Clark purred, kneading the engorged flesh through the fine linen, and
licked Lex's ear. "Even if I leave that collar around you while we're
doing it?"
"Uhh..." Lex's language skills had suddenly deserted him, and
the whimper he'd been fighting escaped as he thrust into Clark's hand.
"Yes," he moaned abruptly, almost desperate to feel Clark inside
him.
Green eyes darkening with lust, Clark unbuttoned and unzipped Lex's
pants, slipping his hand inside and stroking his cock while sucking on Lex's
earlobe. When the only sound that his lover was making was a continuous
moaning, he pulled back, looking over at Sheri, who had returned with the
stick.
"Down, Sheri. Stay," he commanded, waiting until she did as she
was told and seemed content to chew on her stick before nudging Lex forward
and out of licking range.
"Down, Lex, stay," he purred.
Lex knew he should object to being given the same command as the dog, but
his cock really didn't care. He sank down to all fours on the ground, making
sure not to end up facing Sheri as he really didn't want her coming over and
licking his face in the middle of anything. "Fuck me already," he
whined, or at least something that was meant to be that; it actually sounded
more like a wordless, desperate whimper.
"Now, now, now," Clark crooned, working Lex's pants down over
his hips and taking a deep breath to regain some control at the sight of him
on all fours like that. "You're the pet, no ordering the master
around."
He ran his hands up Lex's back, pushing his shirt up and out of the way
as he did so, then dropped to his knees behind the older man and undid his
jeans so that he could rub his erection against Lex's ass, almost purring as
he did so. "God, you feel good."
"I'm sure I'd feel better from the inside," Lex pointed out in
almost his usual acerbic tone, thrusting back, trying to force Clark into
him. "Stop teasing me!"
"Try that again and I'll just jack myself off back here, and there
won't be anything you can do about it." As he spoke, Clark reached
around and stroked Lex's cock, feeling the wetness of precome against his
palm as he did so. Making himself let go, he searched in the older man's
pocket for the lube and, finding it, ripped open the packet, slicking his
fingers and pressing two into Lex's body.
Lex wailed when Clark finally put something inside him, his back
curving into a deep bow as he tried to open himself more. His fingers dug
into the earth beneath him as he fought not to move, to just take what Clark
decided to give him.
"So fucking hot..." Hissing the words, Clark quickly but
carefully stretched Lex, his own body rocking forward with each move of his
hand until he had to get in the other man or die. Squeezing out the rest of
the lube onto his palm, he stroked it over his erection, then, after pulling
his fingers from the clinging heat of Lex's body, pressed inside.
"Oh god!" Lex shoved back almost violently, forcing
Clark all the way inside him in a single, rapid thrust, then wailed his
pleasure at finally being filled. "Yes, more, please," he begged,
twisting beneath him.
Clark gasped, freezing as he tried to keep from coming because of the way
Lex was writhing on his cock. "Hold still!" he rasped, grabbing
hold of the older man's hips and stilling him bodily, giving him a moment to
catch his breath before he started moving, thrusting in and out of Lex's ass
with long, full-length strokes.
A tiny yelp of pleasure forced its way between Lex's lips with each
thrust that unerringly struck his prostate, and his body trembled with
tension as he locked his muscles, holding himself still despite his urgent
need to move. "Please, more, need to move, Clark, god, touch
me..." An incoherent string of pleas fell from his lips, words he was
barely aware of uttering.
Lex Luthor begging: was there any bigger turn on in the world? Doubting
he could think of any, if only because his brain was in serious primitive
mode, Clark relaxed his hold on Lex's hips just enough to allow the other
man to move and at the same time slid a hand under him, stroking his bound
cock, fingers playing from the dripping head to the leather-wrapped base.
Lex screamed, making the dog's head jerk up, but over the last two and
half years, she'd grown accustomed to the odd noises her humans made, and
she flopped back down with a disgruntled snuffling.
"Please, Clark, fuck, oh god, please, let me come, need to,
please," Lex babbled, thrusting frantically back onto Clark's cock then
forward against his teasing fingers.
In all reality, Clark felt the same way, but he retained just enough
control over himself to continue what he was doing. "What will you do
it I let you come?" he breathed, stroking his fingers over Lex's
tightly drawn up balls, then nipping his way down his back.
"Claaark!" Lex shuddered with arousal, his body arching.
"Anything, whatever you want, please, Clark, now, need it, need
you..."
"You? Forever?"
"Already have that."
Pleased with that answer, Clark rocked his hips forward, striking Lex's
prostate at the exact moment he flipped the snap catch to the makeshift
cockring, loosening it.
A full-throated scream ripped out of Lex as his body convulsed in the
most incredible orgasm. He tore up clods of earth as his fingers clenched in
the sod, his head falling back on his shoulders as he gave himself up to the
overwhelming pleasure.
Catching sight of motion off to their left, Clark whipped his head around
to glare at Sheri. "Down! Stay!" he rasped before losing himself
in the rippling contractions of Lex's body and his own burgeoning climax,
one that was pushed to the edge by the tiny whimpers Lex gave when he
continued moving in him.
As the waves of pleasure ebbed, Lex sagged forward, every muscle going
limp. Only Clark's grip on his hips and cock in his ass held him up. The
last aftershocks were still rippling through his body, milking Clark, and he
tightened his ass, trying to give Clark the same pleasure that had sated
him.
Feeling Lex slump against him, Clark groaned, the rhythmic tightening
around him sending him over the edge and into oblivion. Maintaining just
enough presence of mind not to slump forward and crush his lover, he rested
his head against Lex's back, feeling warm, damp skin under his cheek and
wrinkled cotton bunched up against his forehead. "Good boy," he
whispered, giving a dopey smile and stroking Lex's sides.
"Woof," Lex replied dryly, though it was hard to sound insulted
when you had a guy's cock up your ass and were still dripping semen over his
hand. "Feel free to repeat lessons of that type whenever you
like."
"Positive reinforcement works wonders," Clark answered, opening
an eye to watch Sheri, who was squirming toward them on her belly, plainly
wanting to get in on the cuddling. "Your dog wants your
attention."
Lex made a face as he brushed his hands together to clean them some, then
knelt up and tucked himself back into his pants. "Another pair of pants
destined for the trash," he sighed, looking down at the grass stains on
the pale linen at his knees and knowing that his and Clark's come was
seeping into them as well. "Ah well, they gave their life in a worthy
cause," he chuckled, sinking down to sit cross-legged in front of Clark
and patting his knees to call Sheri.
A moment later, the dog was half in his lap, licking his face
affectionately as he laughed and tried half-heartedly to fend her off.
"Mmm, that they did." After cleaning himself up as well as he
could, Clark did his pants up again and settled down on the ground behind
Lex, wrapping his arms around him, resting one hand on his stomach and
petting Sheri with the other. "And you were a very good pet."
Saying this, he unclipped the leash from Lex's collar and reattached it to
the dog's.
"Smartass," Lex said without heat. "And if you're planning
to hang onto that before she settles back down, I'm going to be
strangled." He leaned back against Clark, smiling when Sheri finally
calmed and flopped back down, this time right across Lex's lap. "I
swear she does that on purpose to make sure I can't go anywhere without
her."
Clark chuckled. "I always knew she was smart, or maybe she learned
it from me."
"You've got that backwards, Clarkbar. I'm usually the one using you
as a mattress. And it does work; I haven't lost you yet."
"Gee, like there's any chance of that happening."
"Well, now that you're an up-and-coming college freshman, I have to
make sure you don't get bored with simple little me and go looking for
greener pastures," Lex teased, twisting around to grin at him.
Clark snorted. "Yeah, being as I'm so worldly and all, a simple
small town boy like you might not do it for me once I get back to the big
city lights."
"Guess I'll just have to try harder to keep you interested
then," Lex replied with a downright terrifying smile. "I'm sure I
can come up with something.
"Uhhh, that's okay, I'm plenty interested in you. Riveted in
fact!" Clark said quickly, concerned about that smile and what it might
mean.
"Oh no, I wouldn't want you to think I was taking you for
granted," Lex purred, smiling like the cat with the canary in its
sights. "I'm sure I can come up with something... out of the
ordinary."
"Oh shit," Clark whispered, knowing that he was in for it for
sure now. "Are you sure you don't want to save it for when we're on
vacation? That way it'll be fresh in my mind when I start school."
"Oh, I wouldn't dream of doing that to you, making you wait that
long. I'll come up with something special then too, but tonight, love, is
going to be a very interesting night." His smile looked feral,
an image only increased when he nipped at Clark's chin.
Clark whimpered. "When you start saying things are going to be
interesting, I get scared. Are you sure you don't want to just go get
cleaned up and go hang out at the Talon or something?"
"I'm going to start thinking that you don't trust me." Lex
smirked as he faced forward again, reclining against the support of Clark's
body. He chuckled softly as he realized what they must look like, him in
Clark's lap and Sheri in his.
"With my life," was the swift answer as Clark rested his head
against Lex's. "It's just my body I'm worrying about right now."
"You can safely leave concern about your body to me. I happen to be
very fond of it." Lex stroked the dozing dog with one hand, his other
reaching for Clark's and linking their fingers together. "Besides, have
I ever done anything to you that you didn't like?"
"Aside from making me eat caviar that one time? Never." Clark
tightened his fingers around Lex's, his other arm sliding from Sheri's head
to rest on the older man's stomach.
"Peasant," Lex scoffed, chuckling as he remembered Clark's
expression when he'd tasted the delicacy. "Don't worry; in future I'll
eat the caviar, and you can have the wieners." He stretched a bit,
prompting a grunt from Sheri. "We should probably head back soon."
Clark grinned. "I like wieners. Something about their shape..."
Hearing Lex's next comment, he nodded. "Yeah, it'll be dark soon, and
we don't need to be chasing Sheri around in it."
Waiting until Lex had prodded the dog to move and risen, Clark stood as
well, brushing them both off as well as possible. "I wonder how Chloe's
doing," he murmured, handing the leash over to Lex and taking his free
hand.
"Can't be too bad or she'd have shown up here by now," Lex
replied wryly, long since used to Chloe's sudden appearances when she needed
to talk to one of them. "At least Dave is being supportive. Things
could be a lot worse."
"I guess. I wouldn't say that around either of them right now
though." As they walked back toward the mansion, Clark sighed.
"Graduation is supposed to be such an exciting time, and they've got to
deal with this. It really sucks."
"Well, it is exciting, just not in a good way." Lex
shrugged slightly. Although he felt for them, there was nothing anyone could
do until they knew for sure one way or the other. He frowned slightly.
"Hmmm, I hope they find out before graduation. If she is, I should
probably change the car I got her for something a bit more family
oriented."
Clark nodded. "She said ten days or so; graduation's in three weeks,
so they should know something by then." He looked toward the darkening
sky and shook his head. "You know, she's going to kill you if you trade
that Ferrari in for a mini-van."
"Only if you tell her. Oh right, this is Clark Kent I'm talking to,
the man who can't keep a secret from Chloe." Lex shook his head.
"It amazes me that you managed not to tell her about you. So far as I
can tell, that's the only thing that you managed to keep from her for more
than five minutes."
"Excuse me? I seem to recall knowing about the car for most of this
year and not telling her. That's a lot more than five minutes!"
"Only because she doesn't want to spoil the surprise and has been
very careful not to ask you what I got her."
"You're so fucking funny..." Clark bumped his hips against
Lex's, being careful not to knock the other man off his feet. "I can
keep secrets, look at Sheri, and remember your birthday party last year?
Hmmm?"
"Oh, I fully admit that you can keep secrets from me and
occasionally even from your parents. You just can't keep a secret from
Chloe. Every single thought that crosses your mind in her presence comes
tripping across your lips."
Clark pouted. "She didn't know about us that whole first
summer." He carefully didn't mention that it was because she'd been out
of town.
Lex had no such constraints. "She was in Metropolis, Clark."
Lex slid an arm around his waist, hugging him. "Don't worry, I love
you, motormouth and all."
"You just love what I do with my mouth," Clark sighed.
"Good thing I'm not planning a career in politics or business, I'd
crash and burn."
Lex laughed. "You're a little too honest and open for those, Clark.
Leave that kind of stuff to me, and I'll leave the heroic savior stuff to
you."
"That and being your conscience."
"You're the only one who can." Lex had no trouble admitting it.
He knew he'd be a much darker person without Clark in his life.
"I know." As much as he hated thinking such things, Clark had
grown up enough over the past three years to be able to see how Lex's
ruthlessness could easily have taken him over the edge of morality and into
the zone his father inhabited. "But you really don't need me to chirp
at you much any more. You do very well on your own."
"Gee, thanks. You'll make me blush with such effusive praise."
Lex made a joke of it, but he really did like knowing that Clark--and his
parents for that matter--approved of his actions, were actually proud
of him. "I wish Pamela could have met you."
Clark nodded. "I wish I could have too. I'm just glad that you were
able to straighten things out with her before she... Between your mother and
her, you had a lot of love."
Lex nodded. "If not for them, I don't think I would have been able
to love you; I wouldn't have known how to give it or trust it. I'm glad
we'll never know what I would have been like. We might even have ended up
enemies."
"Shhh." Clark leaned in and brushed a kiss over Lex's mouth.
"Don't even say that. It didn't happen, and it never will."
"Considering that they couldn't pry us apart with a crowbar most
days, no, I think that's pretty safe to say." Lex started to say
something else, then movement caught his attention, his eyes widened, and he
bellowed, "Scheherazade! Come here!"
The dog skidded to a halt with her nose practically touching a bramble
patch, then slunk back to Lex's side, big brown eyes peering up at him
mournfully.
"Heel, you pest," Lex commanded, petting her briefly to let her
know it was all right. "Okay, okay," he said, seeing Clark's
expression, "you were right and I should have kept her on the
leash."
Biting his lips to keep from saying 'I told you so', Clark simply nodded,
trying not to laugh at Sheri's mournful expression. "Going to put it on
her now?" he asked, still trying to keep a straight face.
Not deigning to answer, Lex simply attached the leash to Sheri's collar,
then they continued back toward the castle. He looked at it, a pensive
expression on his face. "I'd never have believed it four years ago, but
this place has come to feel like home. It's going to be odd not being here
all the time next year."
"Tell me about it." Clark moved closer to Lex's side, resting
their heads together. "But we can come back whenever we want. Matter of
fact, Mom and Dad will come after us if we don't get back at least once a
month." He paused and sighed. "It won't quite be the same though,
will it?"
"No, somehow weekend getaways and home are never quite the same
thing. And since I doubt your eventual career will be better fulfilled in
Smallville than Metropolis, we'll probably never be back here full
time." Lex looked around a bit wistfully. "On the plus side, no
more meteor fragments or mutants, not that either have been much of a
problem since I hunted them down a couple years ago."
"Can't say as I'll miss either of them too much. We'll be together
though, and that's what'll make wherever we are home, isn't it?"
"Good point. I'll just have to keep kidnapping you out of the
dorm."
"Oh damn, what a terrible thing to have happen. Will anyone ever
save me?"
"Nobody'd better even try!" Lex growled at the very idea, then
an idea struck him and he started to laugh. "We're going to make quite
an impression, Clark. We've managed to keep our relationship pretty quiet
till now, so when I show up on campus the first time, it ought to draw some
attention."
"Lex, wherever you go, you draw attention. You're too damn sexy for
your own good." Clark grinned as he said this. "I'm just glad we
were able to work it so that Dave and I are gonna be roommates. It'll help a
lot with the ques... Shit! If Chloe is... they'll be getting their own
place." The instant he said this, Clark felt very selfish and ashamed
of himself. What was the loss of a little privacy compared to what his
friends would be facing?
"Let's not worry about it till it happens," Lex counseled.
"At least you seem to have stopped floating in your sleep since you got
it under your conscious control. That would have been pretty hard to explain
to anyone, including Dave."
"If that was the case, I would have asked for a single, no question
about it." They reached the castle, and Clark pushed open the outer
door, holding it and closing it behind them before Sheri could dart outside
again. "Or I would have just told Dave he'd been smoking too much
pot."
"That would have been kind of a hard sell considering that's one
California boy who doesn't do drugs," Lex pointed out, laughing.
"Speaking of that though, if he and Chloe stick together, you may want
to think about letting him in on your secret. He's been a good friend, but
more than that, now that she knows, it'll be hard on her to have to keep it
secret from her boyfriend... or husband."
Clark nodded. "Yeah, eventually. Let's just wait and see what
happens first, okay? It's going to be hard enough telling my folks that
Chloe knows, but telling them that both she and Dave do... Not good."
"No, not really. And I didn't necessarily mean now. In fact, I
wouldn't advise it while we're all still in Smallville. But it's something
to keep in mind for the future." Lex was heading straight up to his
bedroom as he talked, wanting a shower so bad he could taste it.
"Yup." Clark flopped down onto the bed, lying on his back and
snickering as he watched Lex almost frantically peel himself out of his
soiled clothes. Sheri hopped up beside him, and he scratched her head.
"I think he's got enough stuff on his mind without adding my issues
into the mix."
Lex nodded as he tossed his probably unsalvageable clothes onto a chair
for the servants to deal with. "Yeah, he needs to concentrate on Chloe
right now. I don't think she'd appreciate distractions."
"I'm sure that once this is all over, she'll come after me with a
million questions - and probably you too." The fact that she hadn't
asked more was a true sign of how upset she was.
"She'll type up a list," Lex agreed with a chuckle, padding
naked into the bathroom and switching on the shower. "Any chance I
could convince you to wash my back?" he called.
"This after all the threats from earlier?" Clark asked, pushing
up to his elbows and looking toward the bathroom. "I'll think about
it."
A snort echoed oddly in the bathroom. "As if you don't enjoy these
things just as much as I do! Fine, be that way. You can just lie out there
all by yourself while I jerk off alone in here. It'll let me prolong our
games even more later."
"Excuse me?" Clark was off the bed, stripped, and in the
bathroom in under a second. He leaned against the wall next to the shower,
trying to ignore Lex's smirk. "Go ahead, I just wanted to see the
show."
"I ought to charge admission." Lex never looked away from him
as he slowly teased himself, building the sensations slowly rather than just
grabbing for his cock. Since he had an audience, he owed it to himself to
give the best possible show.
One hand traveled up his chest, nails flicking first one nipple then the
other, over and over. "Mmm, gonna have to put the rings in; it's been a
while since I did." His other was between his legs, cupping and rolling
his balls as he widened his stance, giving himself more room.
"Uh - uh huh..." Clark gulped, swallowing thickly while
watching Lex's hands roam over his body and imagining how the show would
look with the bright bits of metal adorning his flesh as well.
Lex smirked, pleased at his ability to render his lover non-verbal.
"Why don't you get them for me and I'll put them in now?" he
suggested in a throaty purr. "Since you seem to like them so
much."
Talking was out of Clark's mental capacity at the time, so he nodded
mutely, backing out of the bathroom, watching Lex the whole while. Once he
was in the bedroom, he turned and fumbled through the box on the dresser,
collecting the assorted studs and rings, carrying them back into the
bathroom and offering them to Lex.
"You don't want to do it for me?" Eyeing Clark's near
trembling, Lex tilted his head slightly. "Perhaps not." He reached
for the two plain rings, fitting them into his nipples while Clark watched.
"I'm sure you can manage to attach the chain to them," he urged,
arching his back a bit to push his chest toward his lover.
"You," Clark swallowed again to wet his mouth. "You should
put the rest of them in so that I don't drop them and lose them."
"Sorry, love, am I getting to you?" Lex inquired with spurious
innocence. "I'll take care of it now." He slid the other barbells
and rings into the various piercings, leaving only the chains in Clark's
hands. Done, he clasped his hands behind his head and faced the younger man,
jewelry glittering in the soft light. "Put on as many or as few as you
like." Though Clark wanted to see Lex with all of the chains on again,
he restrained himself and carefully attached the fine links between the
rings threaded through the older man's nipples. Stepping back, he set the
other chains on the counter and took a deep breath. "Fucking
beautiful."
Lex bowed slightly in acknowledgement of the compliment, then returned
his attention to pleasuring himself, now tugging at the chain to pull on
both his nipples simultaneously while fisting his cock. "Mmmm, feels so
good, almost as good as being in you, that hot, wet mouth or your tight
ass."
"Oh God," Clark whimpered, feeling his own erection throb
urgently as he watched the show Lex was putting on for him. He wanted to
reach down and stroke himself, but he was going to hold out, damnit, just
this once.
"Lex is fine, I don't have delusions of godhood," Lex managed
to chuckle, his hand now moving more rapidly on his cock. His other hand
abandoned his throbbing nipples to reach behind him and press against his
opening, pushing inside and making him cry out with increasing urgency.
Okay, so he was a wuss. Whimpering low in his throat, Clark dropped to
his knees and crawled toward Lex, licking his way up the older man's
erection and then mouthing the head, his tongue tracing patterns around the
ball and loop at the end of the piercing there.
"Ahhhh!" Lex thrust into Clark's mouth, not able to hold back
and not even trying. "God yes, so good, love you, love fucking you,
gonna come in your mouth," he panted, the hand that had been jacking
himself off now clenched in Clark's hair.
Closing his eyes, Clark began sucking on the thick flesh in his mouth,
letting Lex's thrusts and grip dictate the pace and depth, only wanting to
taste and feel his lover's climax at that point.
"Oh Jesus fucking Christ!" Lex wailed, hips snapping back and
forth now as he fucked Clark's face, able to do it hard and fast without any
worries about hurting his lover. A quick swallow massaging the head of his
cock at the right moment and he yelled Clark's name as he came hard, nearly
blacking out from the intense pleasure.
Rocking back onto his haunches once Lex stopped shuddering, Clark looked
up at the older man, blinking against the spray of the shower over them
both. "Mmm, so good," he murmured, steadying Lex by placing his
hands on his hips when he swayed.
"Amazing," Lex panted, smiling down at him, then sinking to his
knees to kiss Clark hungrily. He loved tasting himself in the younger man's
mouth, and he pressed closer, then let out a startled sound. "Whoops,
sorry, forgot." He reached down, curling his hand around Clark's
erection. "Want me to take care of this for you?"
Clark gave a shaky laugh. "It would be nice if you would," he
murmured, rocking his hips forward to press into Lex's hand.
"My pleasure." Lex pushed him back against the marble wall of
the shower, then took him into his mouth with no warning or preliminaries,
sucking strongly while a finger ran along the cleft of Clark's ass.
"I... think it's mine," Clark groaned, trying to spread his
knees wider and to keep himself from collapsing to the floor of the shower.
Lex chuckled around the cock in his mouth, pleased by the tremor that ran
through Clark. His head bobbed up and down, tasting, licking and sucking,
wanting to make the other man come and drink him down.
"God, Lex, like that." Fingers scrabbling at the cool wall,
Clark writhed, arching up into Lex's mouth, then back against the finger
pressed against his ass. When it pressed inside him, he screamed and came,
each contraction of Lex's throat muscles around his shaft pulling another
spasm from him.
Lex stayed with him until the last tremor passed, then sat up, a small
trail of semen trickling from the corner of his mouth. He caught it on his
finger, then sucked it clean, smiling at Clark. "Delicious."
A drugged smile was the only response Clark felt capable of giving, and
he collapsed onto the floor, sprawling against the wall with his legs in
front of him.
Lex stood up and grinned down at him. "Why do I think that the hot
tub is a better idea than a shower right now?"
"'Cause we might drown?"
Chuckling, Lex reached back and turned the shower off, then stepped out
of the enclosure and padded, dripping, over to the sunken tub, starting it
up. "We can't have that. I expect to get years more use out of
you."
Content to simply sit there until Lex made him move, Clark made a vaguely
agreeing noise. "Come with a lifetime warranty."
"Oh good, I like the model I have. I'd hate to have to return it for
an upgrade," Lex teased, stepping into the hot water and sighing
luxuriantly. "Planning to join me, Clarkbar?"
Groaning theatrically, Clark stood and shambled out of the shower.
Dragging his feet, he crossed over to the tub, climbed up the step and slid
in beside Lex, resting his head on the older man's shoulder. "Wake me
up in time for school, 'kay?"
Lex just smiled, an arm around the teenager holding him close. Unable to
resist Clark in a cuddly mood, he tossed out his original plans for the
night without regret, instead deciding that tonight they would just be
together. Clark did seem tired, and it wasn't as if holding and petting his
lover was a hardship. They could play the games he'd planned another night.
"Mmm, best pillow in the world. Missed it like hell when you were
gone last month."
"Missed you too," Lex admitted. "My business trips are a
lot shorter than they used to be now that I have you to come home to. I hate
knowing that you're on the other side of the world when I crawl into bed at
night."
"Hate knowing you're crawling into bed somewhere right about when
I'm crawling out of mine." Clark sighed and stretched, turning to wind
his arm around Lex's body.
Lex rubbed his cheek against the top of Clark's head. "I wonder if
you'll be able to fly as fast as you run once you get it fully under
control?" he mused. "If so, we won't have to worry about being
apart any more. You'll be able to pop over for a few hours whenever you
want."
Clark nodded. "That would be good. It would help knowing that if you
needed me, I could be there in minutes." He turned his face enough to
kiss Lex's neck. "Just have to figure out how to do more than float at
odd times."
"Well, you did manage to float when you wanted to, intentionally,
last week, so I think we're on the right track. Or rather you are. I'm
pretty much as helpful as a cheerleader in this instance. Want me to wave
some pompoms at you?"
Clark cracked one eye open and sat up enough to stare at Lex. "The
image of you in a short skirt and sweater, while interesting, does
absolutely nothing for me."
"I don't think you can possibly imagine what a relief that is to
me." Lex smacked his shoulder lightly, not wanting to bruise his hand.
"Not even for you am I wearing a skirt, Clark."
"And why would I ask you to?"
Lex started to answer, then stopped, shaking his head slightly as if to
knock loose some idea he didn't like. "This is turning into another of
those conversations that makes my head ache. How about instead of wandering
through the twilight zone, we get dressed and go up to the observatory, then
call down for some dinner?"
Waking up somewhat at the thought of that, Clark sat up and stretched.
"And then are you going to torture me? You seem to have forgotten to so
far."
"That would be once we go to bed, assuming you're acting less cuddly
by then. It's very difficult to torture someone who's snuggling up to
you," Lex pointed out, splashing him.
Clark grinned. "I'll have to remember that for the future." He
stood, stretching once again and grinning as Lex's eyes followed his
movements. "If I ever get caught and threatened with torture, of
course."
"Brat." Lex got out of the water as well, smugly satisfied when
Clark's eyes riveted on the droplets of water dripping down his body.
"On second thought, I don't feel like getting dressed... but it's too
hot for a robe. Hmm, boxers?" he mused as he stepped out and reached
for a towel.
A frown creased Clark's brow at that. "Lex, they'll be bringing the
food up with you like that."
"Which is why I said boxers, not skin." He didn't see the
problem.
"Too much skin." Even after this long together, Clark still got
twitchy if he thought people were looking at Lex or too much of Lex.
"Clark, it is late spring in Kansas, and we're in the middle of a
freak heat wave. I am not bundling up." And right on cue, there went
the lip. Lex sighed. "Fine, I'll wear a t-shirt, but only until the
food arrives, then it's off." He was so whipped.
"Okay." Clark nodded, mollified for the time being. "But
if they stare at you, you're keeping it on."
An eyebrow rose. Enough was enough. "Clark, once they bring the food
up, no one else will be there except the two of us and Sheri. I am not
going to sweat all night because you're nuts."
"Last time I checked, there was air conditioning up there."
"Clark, is there some reason you want me bundled up like Nanook of
the North when we're alone? Some new weirdness you have not yet shared with
me?"
Clark sighed. "Maybe I want to tear the clothes off your body. Maybe
I want to be able to eat my meal without drooling all over from staring at
you. Maybe I want to keep anyone else from staring at you."
"Clark, you are a very weird individual. However, I happen to love
you, eccentricities and all, so just for you, I'll wear a shirt. Which means
I should get to dress you the way I want, right?"
"Ummm, is it too late to cuddle more?"
Lex's shark-like grin was sufficient answer. He toweled off briskly, then
headed out to the bedroom to pull on boxers and a loose t-shirt with the
Princeton crest across the front.
Clark followed after drying off as well. "Why do I take that to mean
yes?"
"Smart boy. Here, put this on." 'This' turned out to be an
indecently short pair of cutoffs that would let the head of his cock show
out of one leg if he wasn't careful and a custom-dyed green leather harness
that Lex swore was the exact shade of Clark's eyes.
"But - this - " Clark took the skimpy garments, wondering if
they could even truthfully be called clothes, and held them up, staring.
He'd gotten used to wearing tight pants and shirts when they'd gone out to
clubs in Metropolis, but this? Thank God they were staying in tonight.
"Is it going to fit?"
"Oh yes," Lex purred, eyeing him like a predator. "It's
made for you. And I'm very much looking forward to seeing you in it."
"Oh God." Giving a sickly smile, Clark stepped into the shorts,
carefully pulling them up and trying to find a way to keep his privates
private. That done, he held up the leather straps, staring at them in
confusion. "A little help here?"
"My pleasure." Lex pressed up against him as he untangled the
leather harness and helped Clark into it, rubbing against him as he moved
around to adjust it until it fit perfectly with no danger of chafing.
"Gorgeous," he whispered, heated silver gaze raking over his
lover.
"I feel like an extra from a hoe-down version of Spartacus."
"You look like a wet dream."
Clark managed a smile, feeling somewhat better because of the heat he saw
in Lex's eyes. "I'll take your word for it."
"You'll have to because no one else is ever going to see you like
this. You can put your robe on to go upstairs." To his own bemusement,
Lex could feel a twitch of interest from his groin, even though he should be
down for the count for a while. Then again, all bets seemed to be off in
that area when it came to the two of them.
"Thank you, God," Clark mumbled, darting a gaze heavenward as
he snatched the light terry robe from the hook behind the door and pulled it
on. "Any idea of what we're having for dinner?" he asked, finding
himself grinning when Sheri jumped off the bed and padded over to Lex,
whining for attention.
"Not a clue, aside from the obvious that it's going to be one of
your favorites since Mrs. Jenkins knew you would be here tonight," Lex
replied as he leaned down to pet Sheri, having to kneel down to reach her
belly when she rolled over and whined hopefully.
"She's got you so whipped," Clark chuckled, wishing he had a
camera to take a snapshot of Lex and his dog.
Lex shot him an incredulous look. "She's in good company then...
master."
"Master?" Clark's expression was incredulous. "What are
you talking about?"
"Like you don't get me to do whatever you want," Lex scoffed.
"It's not the dog who's got me whipped. Well, not only the dog,"
he added with a faint chuckle after consideration. "Good thing I love
both of you."
"Good thing we both love you," Clark answered, bending over to
rub Sheri's belly before straightening and bringing Lex up with him.
"And I didn't realize that asking you to put on a shirt was such a
horrible thing to do."
"It's not." Lex shrugged. "I just find it amusing
sometimes when I notice how often you get your own way, and not just with
me. That charm is lethal, Clark. Everyone bends over backwards to keep you
happy, and you honestly don't have the slightest clue."
If anything, Clark's expression turned even more dubious. "Uh, yeah,
right, Lex. Whatever you say. Do you want to call the kitchen before we go
up so they know to get things ready?"
Lex didn't press the point. "Good idea. I'm getting hungry; must be
all the exercise today." He kissed Clark lightly before stepping back
and reaching for the phone to take his advice. That done, he turned back to
the other man. "Ready to head upstairs?"
Glad of the robe, Clark nodded. "Sure, though how you expect me to
do anything dressed like this, I have no idea." He laughed a bit
self-consciously and restrained himself from trying to tug at the hem of the
shorts, knowing there was no point in it.
"I expect you to be eye-candy, Clarkbar," Lex purred. "And
you should be grateful that I didn't go with my first thought, which was you
naked all night."
Clark snorted to himself. "That might be better then this get-up.
Eye-candy nothing, I feel like a rejected Chippendales dancer!" He
laughed at the last and followed Lex out of the bedroom, Sheri trailing
along at their heels.
"As if you'd be rejected. They should be so lucky," Lex
snorted, running a possessive hand up Clark's back as they walked. "But
I'm glad that I'm the only person who gets to see you like this."
"I think you have to be able to dance to be a Chippendales guy, and
mine ranks right up there with my singing."
"Clark, I've heard you sing, and no one who moves the way you
do when you're not pretending to be a klutz could be that bad a
dancer."
"Gee, thanks, I think..." Clark muttered, pushing open the door
to the observatory and walking in ahead of Lex to commandeer the daybed,
stretching his legs out across its length and resting his arms along the
back.
Lex paused only long enough to admire the picture Clark made, splayed out
like his own personal sex-toy before following him, settling on his knees
straddling the younger man. He splayed his fingers across Clark's chest,
pushing the terry robe aside so he could leer down at him and teasingly
knead the muscles. Cocking his head slightly to one side, he smiled at
Clark. "We have forty-five minutes till dinner will be ready. Think we
can find something to do during that time?"
Clearing his throat and shifting underneath Lex's weight, Clark tried to
ignore the heat in his lover's smile. "After what we've done in the
past two hours? Maybe take a nap!"
Lex chuckled. "What, no dance for me? I was looking forward to
tucking hundred dollar bills in your shorts."
"Yeah, like anything else could fit down there!" Clark laughed,
sincerely doubting that even a slip of paper could make it down the
skin-tight shorts.
"Have a little confidence in me," Lex chuckled. He hadn't
brought his wallet up with him, but he reached down to pick up one of
Clark's notebooks and tore a few pages out, tearing them into bill-sized
strips. He then carefully tucked one into the waistband. "If you want
more, you're going to have to show me something."
Clark craned his neck to look down at his chest, still unable to believe
that he was actually dressed in green leather strapping and shorts so short
and tight they should be illegal. "Umm, exactly what can't you see
right now?"
"Dancing. You. Music." Lex gave him his trademark evil smirk.
"Oh darn, no music up here, what a shame," Clark back-peddled
quickly, knowing he'd die of embarrassment if he got up and tried to dance
for Lex.
Eyebrows rising, Lex picked up the remote for the sound system and turned
it on, smiling as the CD they'd been listening to the last time they were
here started up. "Well, it's not exactly typical stripping music, but
I'm sure you can work with it."
"Work with Nine Inch Nails? Lex, that is about as far from dance
music as I can imagine. Besides, I can't get up, you're sitting on me."
"Bitch, bitch, bitch." Lex twisted to one side and tossed the
remote to Clark, then stretched out, arms and ankles crossed. "So pick
something else."
"Look who's talking, the guy who refused to get in my truck while
Creed was playing," Clark snickered, about to push the button to change
the CD when the track advanced, making him pause. "Okay, this is a
little better," he muttered, setting the slim remote down and shaking
his head, not believing that he was going to do this. But then, with Lex,
most everything they did was things he had never dreamed of.
Closing his eyes and hoping that his furious blush didn't look too
horrible, Clark listened to the heavy drumbeat, feeling his body sway with
the pronounced rhythm, sliding his hands down his chest to toy with the tie
holding the robe together.
"Woo hoo, take it off," Lex called, chuckling at the look Clark
gave him. He motioned zipping his lips and pulled another cushion behind his
back, making himself comfortable as he sat back to enjoy the show.
"If I do, I'll never get it on again," Clark laughed, before
thinking that probably wasn't a very smart thing to say. Trying to put the
location out of his mind, he closed his eyes, letting his body sway to the
music, each distinct beat a counterpart for a hip thrust.
Lex swallowed hard, not commenting on Clark's statement, instead just
watching him. If this was what Clark considered bad, good might just kill
him. His eyes heated as Clark moved to the music, motions growing more fluid
as he lost himself in it and grew less self-conscious.
By the first chorus, the robe had fallen to the floor without Clark
consciously noticing. He loved this song, even though it was one he couldn't
play at home because of the language, which may have been part of the
attraction of it for him. It was raw and dirty and actually made him think
of Lex and what he thought of himself. He slid one hand up to rake through
his hair, and the other stroked across his chest, rubbing over hardening
nipples as he licked his lower lip.
Lex reminded himself that their dinner would be arriving in less than an
hour, and Clark would never forgive him if they were fucking when the
servants walked in with it. But god, he looked good.
'I want to fuck you like an animal'
Yeah, that pretty much described what he felt sometimes when he was with
Lex, but there was so much more to their relationship that those raunchy
words didn't cover. The sex was amazing, but best was the total acceptance,
the total trust that was such an anomaly in both their lives.
Without noticing it, Clark's movements had slowed, his hands lingering
over his skin, tracing the lines of the straps crisscrossing his chest and
ghosting down to the waistband of his shorts as he thought about how much
richer his life was with Lex.
Watching him, Lex could almost follow his thoughts, and suddenly watching
wasn't enough. He rose to his feet and moved closer, his hands covering
Clark's. "Love you," he whispered, starting to dance with his
lover.
Green eyes flew open, followed by a blinding smile at Lex's closeness,
and Clark slid his hands to his lover's waist while keeping Lex's hands on
his, their hips rocking together to the music. "I was just thinking the
same thing," he murmured before brushing a kiss across Lex's mouth.
"Oh good. I decided that as fantastic as the show is, we do
everything better together." He smiled, moving to the music with Clark
in his arms. "Have I mentioned recently that I love dancing with
you?"
"Hmm, no. Guess that means we should do it more often, doesn't
it?" They'd missed the formal this year because Lex had been out of
town, but it really hadn't mattered to Clark. They'd gone together his
sophomore and junior years, and that had caused enough talk to last a
lifetime.
"Just wait till you see the clubs in London and Rome. We're going to
have to chain ourselves together to prevent anyone trying to make off with
you," Lex said with a slight laugh. "But they'll all want to watch
us when we dance because we're perfect together." He kissed Clark
lightly, biting at his lower lip.
"Just so long as they don't touch you," Clark murmured, sliding
a hand up under Lex's t-shirt and stroking his back. "They do that and
there won't be a club left standing."
"You're crazy," Lex replied fondly, "but it's cute on you.
You know I'm not interested in anyone but you, and I wouldn't be even
without the bond, you neurotically jealous alien. But if anyone gets
grabby--with either of us--you can do whatever you like to them, so
long as it doesn't end up with either of us in jail."
"Nah, I can be sneaky; I learned from the best." The song
changed to one that really wasn't conducive to dancing, but if Lex didn't
care, then neither did Clark, and he nuzzled the older man's neck as they
moved together.
"I think I resemble that remark." Lex really didn't care what
Clark said as long as they kept dancing, Clark's arms around him and his
lover rubbing and nibbling his throat. Sometimes, the younger man reminded
him of a big cat marking his territory, but as long as that remained limited
to Lex, he was happy to indulge him.
"Gee, someone would think you had a guilty conscience." Clark
slid his other hand to the back of Lex's head, stroking his palm over the
thin skin of his scalp.
"No, just an alien conscience who doesn't let me lie to
myself." Lex laid his head on Clark's shoulder, practically purring
with contentment, his hands stroking over the broad back bared by the
leather harness.
"Always let your conscience be your guide," Clark murmured,
resting his cheek against Lex's temple and enjoying the peaceful feeling of
just being together with his lover. He lost track of time as they swayed
together and looked up, startled, when someone knocked on the door to the
observatory.
"That would be dinner," Lex said lazily, not raising his head,
a small smile curving his lips when he realized that Clark had instinctively
spun them so that his body was between Lex and the door. "The cook's
pretty good; I don't think you need to protect me from it. Though you may
want to grab your robe before they come in," he reminded gently,
knowing Clark would be embarrassed if any of the servants saw him in that
outfit.
"Huh? Oh!" Flushing, Clark dove for his robe, belting it on
before walking over to the door and opening it just enough to pull in the
cart that the servant had brought up.
"Thanks, I'm sure it'll be great," he said hurriedly, keeping
his body between the opening and any chance the woman had of seeing Lex in
his boxers and t-shirt.
"Eat on the floor or at the table?" he asked, shutting the door
once again and pushing the cart over toward his lover.
"Depends what it is. If it's anything we need to cut, the table will
be easier. Otherwise, the floor's good," Lex said, coming over to peer
under the covers. "Gee, cheeseburgers and potato salad, what a
surprise. Do you know that she won't even make any other kind of potato
salad now except your mother's recipe?" Lex said, bemused. "I may
pay the salaries around here, but you're definitely the one in charge."
He picked up a plate and settled cross-legged on the floor, waiting for
Clark to join him. "Oh, I forgot. Hand me a bottle of water?"
"After that remark?" Clark sniffed disdainfully before grabbing
a bottle of Lex's Ty Nant from the mini-fridge as well as a Coke for
himself. "Only the fact that you appreciate Mom's potato salad is
saving you right now."
He dropped to the floor next to Lex, reaching for the ketchup and
slathering it on his burger, then adding relish and onions and finally
biting into the monstrosity.
Lex watched with horrified fascination, three years still not inuring him
to what Clark considered the perfect burger. He picked up his own burger,
perfectly spiced and cooked, the bun lightly brushed with Dijon mustard,
decorative rings of Spanish onion and a single lettuce leaf on top, and took
a bite. "Saving me from what?" he finally asked. "I want to
make sure I'm not missing anything interesting."
"Haha," Clark mumbled around a mouthful, swallowing before he
continued. "Saving you from dehydration because I wouldn't have gotten
you your drink otherwise."
"Boring," Lex proclaimed. "You sure you wouldn't like to
punish me in some way, tie me up maybe?" His eyes danced at Clark over
his burger as he took another neat bite, tongue darting out to catch a bit
of cheese dripping out over the edge.
"Been there, done that, got the cock ring to prove it."
Grinning, he continued to eat, interspersing bites of his burger with the
potato salad.
Eyebrows rising, Lex reached over and stole some of Clark's salad, making
sure to keep his own plate out of the younger man's reach as he did.
"Don't worry, Clark, I haven't forgotten. I still have plans for you
for later." He petted Clark's groin lightly, then slid his fingertips
beneath the ragged hem of one leg, nudging his cock.
Clark's bare toes curled, and he fought to remain still so he wouldn't
dump his food all over the floor. "You're planning on tying me
up?" he croaked, avoiding looking down because he did not want
to see if his cock was exposed.
"Among other things," Lex replied with a sweet smile, thumb
rubbing over the smooth head of Clark's cock as it slowly pushed out the
bottom of his shorts. "Mmm, my favorite part of any meal," he
purred, putting his plate down for a moment to bend over and flick his
tongue over Clark.
"Isn't - aren't you supposed to finish your dinner before having
dessert?" Clark's voice was a hoarse groan, and he leaned back against
the side of the daybed, closing his eyes and trying to control his
breathing.
"Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," Lex replied
loftily, licking him like an ice-cream cone, his tongue delving beneath the
shorts to probe at the shaft, then returning to the more easily accessible
head.
"Huh?" Clark was past the point of trying to understand that
statement, and he whimpered, arching his back and praying that he didn't
split his shorts wide open. Lex licked him again, then sat up, reaching for
his plate. "Yum. But since you want me to finish my main course first,
that'll have to do for now." He smiled sweetly at Clark and took a bite
of his burger.
It took a moment, but when Clark finally realized what was--or
wasn't--happening, he straightened up, staring over at Lex, who was blithely
eating his meal. "Asshole," he growled, shifting uncomfortably and
trying to rearrange himself so that he wasn't hanging out for everyone to
see.
"Don't do that on my account. I happen to like the view." That
probably would have been more comforting if Lex hadn't chosen to follow the
statement with another sharp bite into his burger.
Snarling, Clark tore into his own food, trying to ignore the ache in his
groin. "Tough shit."
Lex snickered. "You don't handle frustration well, do you? Here, let
me help you with that..." He put his plate aside and moved up onto his
knees, unfastening Clark's shorts with difficulty, then carefully freeing
him of the soft, tight denim. While Clark was distracted by his touch, with
his free hand Lex reached behind a cushion for one of the items he'd
secreted earlier, and the next thing the younger man knew, there was a cock
ring snugly wrapped around the base of his cock and balls.
"There," Lex said with satisfaction. "Now you don't have
to worry about anything happening too soon." He sucked briefly on
Clark, lapping away the salty fluid, then sat up again.
"I hope you remember that I didn't leave you in yours too long
earlier," Clark rasped, his voice as tight as his whole body was wound.
"Ah, but you're superhuman, remember?" Lex purred, eating a bit
more of his dinner before putting it aside in favor of the much more
interesting feast sitting beside him.
"I'm also eighteen. You know, peak of my sexual appetite and all?
I'm sure you remember how it was all those years ago."
"Watch it, lover, or we'll find out exactly how much you can
take," Lex growled throatily, nuzzling his erection, rubbing against
him like a cat scent-marking its territory.
Clark took a deep breath but didn't back down. "I have school
tomorrow, remember? You can't do anything too drastic."
"It's not even sunset yet, Clark. We still have hours left that we
can play and still let you get a good night's sleep. You're not going
to get out of it that easily." Lex bit at Clark's lower lip, tugging
gently.
"Ummm... I have homework to do?" Clark tried, squirming back
against the couch as far as he was able to go.
"No, you don't. But I do. I have an assignment to find out what
makes you scream with pleasure, what makes you squirm and writhe and beg me
for more. I'm looking forward to it." Lex moved to straddle Clark's
lap, rubbing sensually against his restrained erection.
Clark's expression was a mix of lust and trepidation. Lex had an
amazingly creative mind, and tonight he was on the receiving end of its
machinations. "I - I thought you'd found all those things out
already," he whimpered, bringing his hands to his lover's waist and
arching up under him.
"I need to make sure I haven't missed anything. After all, you're my
lover; I have to do my best for you." He pressed harder against Clark's
erection, thumbs flicking the younger man's nipples as he kissed him lazily.
"You're Lex Luthor; you always do your best," Clark managed to
get out before he dove back in for Lex's mouth, hoping to coax him into
doing more.
"So glad you noticed," Lex murmured into his mouth before
giving up on words and simply enjoying the kiss, their bodies rocking
together. When he had to pull back to pant for air, he smiled at Clark,
licking his lips and tasting him. "I'm being selfish though. You
haven't finished your dinner. Please, go ahead. I'm sure I can find
something to keep myself busy."
"Lex..." Clark growled, tightening his grip on the other man's
hips. "I'm not hungry for food right now. It'll keep."
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to pass out from hunger or
anything." Lex started nibbling along his throat, apparently finding
his Adam's apple fascinating as he sucked and bit at it. "Mmmm,
delicious."
"I'm not going to pass out from hunger! Got it?" It took Clark
a second to realize he was shouting, but he found he didn't care.
Lex's eyebrows rose, and he actually managed to paste an expression of
concern on his face. "Why, Clark, you sound stressed. Maybe I should
just let you rest for a little while. Or give you a nice massage to relax
you." He started kneading Clark's chest, nails scraping his nipples
every so often, apparently to 'relax' him.
Fine tremors were running through Clark's body, and he twitched every
time Lex's nails abraded his nipples. His cock was leaking, dampening the
fabric of the older man's boxers, and he leaned his head back so that it was
resting on the cushions, staring sightlessly at the ceiling, soft whimpers
emerging from his throat.
"Fuck, you're gorgeous." Lex had to stop what he was doing and
just look at him, a rawly possessive look in his eyes. "So incredible,
so responsive... And. All. Mine." He punctuated each word with an
almost savage bite, working down from Clark's throat to his nipples, intent
on worrying the sensitive buds raw or as close as he could get with Clark.
"Lex..." Clark's ragged whimper changed to a moan of pure need
at each impression of teeth against his skin. It might not mark him, but,
God, it felt good. He wrenched his hands down to his knees, his fingers
digging into his own flesh as he fought to remain still and allow Lex the
freedom to do as he wanted.
"That's me." Lex snapped at each nipple, going back and forth,
biting and tugging, faint sounds of pleasure, almost growls, escaping him as
Clark let him do whatever he wished. His nails ran up and down his lover's
sides, his erection ground against Clark's, and his mouth finally abandoned
the rigid, reddened nipples to start downward again.
"Oh, God," Clark whined, spreading his legs wider under Lex's
weight, shifting the older man as if he weighed no more than a feather. His
erection ached and throbbed, pulsing against the leather band, but he made
no move to try and remove it.
"Not god, just Lex." He delicately traced Clark's belly button
with his tongue, a whisper soft caress more maddening than anything else he
could have done, his fingers now gentling as well as he teased Clark with
more the promise of touch than actual touching.
"Unh!" Clark bucked almost violently, looking for more
sensation and whimpering when Lex rode out the motion, refusing to allow him
any more than he offered.
"Something wrong, love?" Lex asked wickedly, feathering his
fingers over Clark's dripping erection, still teasing.
Clark gasped for breath and managed to lift his head from the cushions to
stare at Lex. "W-why would you think that?" he panted, his whole
body shuddering with the need to come.
"You seem a bit distressed. Oh, and messy too. Let me take care of
that for you." Lex closed his mouth over the tip of Clark's erection,
lashing it with his tongue as he cleaned away every trace of precome and
delved into the slit in search of more.
A sound of pure need escaped from Clark's throat, and he flailed out with
a hand, almost grabbing hold of the day bed's leg before taking hold of his
own hair instead, the pain of each tug a minor distraction compared to the
feeling of Lex suckling on his erection.
A shudder of sheer lust rippled through Lex at the sound that Clark made,
and he raised heated silver eyes to see the look of need on his lover's
face. "I want to fuck you, Clark, fuck you while you keep this
on," he stroked the cock ring and the velvety skin beneath it,
"and then after I come inside you, I want you to fuck me till I come
again. And only then, when you're so hungry you think you'll die from it,
will I take this off and suck you dry."
"Please..." Clark whimpered, managing to wriggle down so that
he was flat on his back, his feet flat on the floor so that he could lift
his hips in an offering, oblivious to the fact that Lex was now straddling
his chest until his lover's cock brushed his lips, and he eagerly latched
onto it.
"Ah!" Lex cried out sharply, his hips driving forward as Clark
sucked him. He rode the pleasure for a short time, his breath coming in
pants as Clark teased his arousal higher, but soon he pulled away, knowing
that if he didn't, he would come in Clark's mouth and be unable to carry out
his plans.
"So good," he rasped, leaning down to kiss Clark hungrily as he
positioned himself between his lover's widespread legs and pushed into him.
"Fuck me fuck me fuck me," the words were a mindless chant, and
Clark arched off the floor with so much force he picked Lex up as well, the
move driving the other man even deeper into his body.
"Christ!" Lex wailed as Clark's move drove him what felt deeper
than he'd ever been, his body almost entirely supported by his cock inside
his lover for a moment before they sank back down. He fucked Clark wildly,
hard and fast, intent upon his own orgasm, yet still not forgetting the
other man. He struck the teenager's prostate with each thrust, and his fist
pumped Clark's bound cock, increasing the sensations wracking his body.
To keep from grabbing and possibly injuring Lex, Clark grasped his wrists
behind his head, writhing and twisting, feeling the pressure build inside
him but knowing there was no release in sight. He had an absurd thought and
began laughing hysterically, even as he arched up into Lex's thrusts,
needing more.
Even in the midst of the mind-numbing pleasure, Lex's curiosity was
roused, and he slowed enough to gasp, "What's so funny?"
"Just... just, oh God, hoping I didn't bust the cock ring because of
my strength." Clark's laughter mingled with his moans, and he tightened
his ass around Lex's cock, trying to get him to move again.
Lex gaped at him then started to laugh as well, pushing closer when he
almost slipped out of Clark. "Better not or I'd have to start all
over," he rasped, hips slowly speeding up again until he was slamming
in and out of Clark, his body tightening as his climax crept up on him.
"No!" Clark yelped before recognizing the signs of Lex's
impending orgasm and doing everything in his power to help the older man
over the edge. Lex suddenly arched over him, crying out, then practically
dove into his mouth, kissing him hungrily as his body convulsed with
pleasure. He wailed Clark's name as spasms wracked him, his body shooting
bursts of semen into his lover.
The second that Lex relaxed, Clark flipped them over, cradling the back
of the other man's head in his hand so that it didn't hit the floor when the
rest of his body did. "My turn now," he rasped, grabbing for the
lube in the end table nearby and quickly stretching Lex's ass before finally
pushing into it, groaning all the while at the constriction of the leather
around his erection.
"God yes, fuck me, want to feel you inside me while I still feel
it," Lex moaned, aftershocks of his climax still rippling through him.
"Fuck me hard, Clark," he demanded, raising his head to bite at
him again. "Want you," he growled.
Clark's carefully held control slipped a bit at that moment, and his
fingers dug into Lex's hips, leaving angry red marks behind when he moved
them away. Hooking his arms under Lex's knees, he bent the older man almost
double, powering into him with deep thrusts that rubbed across Lex's
prostate.
"God, yes, like that, fuck, harder!" Lex practically yowled
with every pounding hit against his sensitive gland, his ass pushing upward
to meet every thrust. He loved it when Clark forgot to be so careful, marked
him a bit and gave him an edge of pain with the pleasure.
Turning his head, Clark sucked on the inside of Lex's thigh, raising a
dark bruise there before switching to the other limb and creating its
duplicate. His senses were all on overload, and he'd lost sight of the fact
that he couldn't come because of the cock ring, only knowing that he needed
to get deeper into the tight heat that surrounded him.
Whining and thrashing beneath his lover, Lex whimpered as his body began
painfully to harden again, the stimulation riding the edge of pleasure and
pain, not sure what it was feeling. Clark was giving him exactly what he'd
said he wanted, what he did want, and it was incredible. He'd never been
able to drive the younger man so far out of control before, and he was
loving every moment of it.
Clark shifted his arm and caught one of Lex's nipples between his
fingertips, tugging at the silver ring threaded through it, pulling the
tender flesh taut before letting it go. Hearing Lex's groan, he repeated the
move, then shifted his grip down to the other man's lengthening cock,
spitting into his palm and using the moisture as lube to slick the movements
of his hand up and down the engorging flesh.
"Clark, fuck, yes, so good, hurts, more," Lex whined, writhing
beneath his lover, spread open and helpless, only able to take whatever
Clark wanted to do to him and demand more.
Hurts? The word shook Clark from his lust-induced haze, and he shook his
head, slowing his movements and trying to focus in Lex to determine what was
wrong.
"Don't you dare stop!" Lex snarled, thrusting up violently. He
clawed at Clark, trying to make him speed up again. "It hurts good,
want you harder, want to feel you so deep inside me, don't you fucking dare
stop!"
Hurts good? Clark's baser instincts reared up again, pushing his
conscience to the back of his mind, and he caught Lex's wrist in his free
hand, bringing it to his mouth and sucking on his fingers as he began to
jack him off again, lips, hand and body all moving in time with each other.
Lex wailed again, crying out his pleasure as Clark took him savagely,
overwhelming him with sensation. His cock was hard as steel again, his body
shaking with the sensory overload, and he never wanted it to end.
"Come for me," Clark rasped after letting Lex's fingers fall
from his lips. He started pulling at the rings in the other man's nipples
again, distending the flesh and feeling the tremors that worked their way
through Lex's body as he did so.
Letting out a scream that left his throat raw and sore, Lex convulsed
again in a nearly dry orgasm. He drove upward, fighting to open himself
more, to take Clark deeper, the sensations so intense he couldn't tell
anymore if they were pleasure or pain.
"Yes, good, hot, tight..." Clark lowered his head, continuing
to thrust into the spasming channel, his frustration growing as he reached
for his own climax and was once again denied it.
Lex finally had to push at him, unable to take any more, whimpering with
every stroke into his hyper-sensitized body. "Stop, please, too
much," he panted. "Come here, lemme suck you." He lay beneath
Clark, waiting, too exhausted to move. "Fuck my mouth, Clark."
Once he had Clark in his mouth, he would release the cockring and let him
come. Then he thought of something. "Wipe the lube off first. Want to
taste you, not it."
It took a moment for Clark to realize that Lex's pleasured whimpers had
turned to ones of discomfort and to process what the other man had said.
Once he did, however, he pulled back, allowing Lex's legs to fall from his
shoulders, and crouched over his lover on his hands and knees.
Crawling forward, he stopped with his erection over Lex's face, grabbing
for tissues to clean himself off and a pillow to place under Lex's head
before arching his hips lower, pressing the head of his cock against the
other man's lips, groaning when he felt it slip inside. Lex moaned happily,
suckling on the thick shaft filling his mouth. He was intrigued by the
contrasting textures of the leather and Clark's skin and kept tracing the
lines where they met with his tongue. Clark's tortured moans rang in his
ears, and as he sucked strongly, he pressed two fingers inside him, reaching
for his prostate, and unsnapped the cock ring.
Letting loose with a bellow that trailed off to a low, constant whine,
Clark froze, his whole body going rigid before reacting to the sudden
freedom. He thrust his hips forward, feeling the contractions as Lex
swallowed around him, and came for what felt like an hour.
He swayed, his vision going gray around the edges, then collapsed on his
face, lying half on top of Lex, completely out of it.
Smugly satisfied at having made Clark pass out, Lex squirmed beneath his
weight until he was comfortable, then relaxed to wait for him to wake up
again. He knew it would only last a few moments, but he was very pleased
with his accomplishment. He snickered as a thought struck him. "I can
now say with complete honesty that I'm the only man on the planet to bring
an alien to his knees," he muttered, amused.
Clark came to and groaned as he shifted, then realized that Lex was under
him. "What - what happened?" he rasped, lifting his head and upper
body enough to look down at the older man, amazed that he even had the
strength to move, considering how he felt.
"You passed out," Lex replied smugly, a Cheshire-cat-like grin
on his face. "I think this is where I say I told you so." Just as
sated as Clark, he still managed to radiate superiority. "Told you
you'd like it." He raised his head just enough to kiss his lover.
"Uh... yeah." Clark blinked owlishly before grinning dazedly
and collapsing back on top of Lex. "Mind if I not move for a year or
two?"
"Sounds good to me," Lex admitted, one arm coming up around
Clark. "But I'm pretty sure someone will come looking for you when you
don't show up for your graduation." He chuckled tiredly. "Chloe
would find us and take pictures for the Torch, her farewell issue."
Clark growled at the thought of that. "At least she couldn't see
much of you if she did it," he mumbled.
"No, but she'd have much too good a shot of your ass. For someone
who's dating an actor, that girl spends much too much time taking pictures
of us," Lex grumbled in turn. "This is about the only place we're
safe from her."
"She only does it because she knows it bugs us. Besides, she has a
ton of pictures of Dave too, trust me on that." He stretched and
nuzzled Lex's neck. "Maybe we should spend the next few weeks taking
pictures of them to get back at her."
"Hmm, I like it. I'm just not sure if it would stress her out more
right now or distract her. This is one time we don't want to make things
harder on her." Lex regained a bit of energy and started
absent-mindedly stroking Clark's back.
"Mmm, true. She needs to be taken care of." Sighing, Clark
curled closer around Lex, appreciating the petting. "Maybe a harmless
mutant will pop up and get her mind off stuff."
"No such thing," Lex grumbled. "Every mutant is out to get
me. It's a conspiracy to eat away at our time alone." He conveniently
ignored that there hadn't been any really troublesome mutants in over two
years, not since he'd had all the meteor fragments rounded up.
"Guess you're just a magnet for all thing Kryptonian," Clark
chuckled. "Good thing you have me to save you from the other
ones."
"Good thing you're cute enough to make for the others."
"Ha ha, so funny I forgot to laugh."
"That's okay, I forgive your lack of appreciation for my exemplary
sense of humor. You have other, redeeming values." He kissed Clark
lightly, eyes sparkling with merriment. "Which reminds me, is there any
place in particular that you absolutely want to visit or are you leaving
yourself in my hands... again?"
Clark shrugged. "You've been there before, I haven't, so I'll follow
your lead." He snickered and rolled to his side, grinning down at his
lover. "I'm a Europe virgin, so break me in gently."
"And here I thought I'd very thoroughly made sure that the term
virgin could not be applied to you," Lex chuckled. "I've been
remiss. I'll have to take care of this." He rolled to face Clark,
pushing him over onto his back so he could sprawl atop him, chin propped on
his crossed wrists.
"Lex, if you think either of us are getting anything up again
tonight, you're nuts. As hard as it is to believe, you did me in."
"Wonderful. But that's actually not what I meant. I don't think I
could get it up again tonight if my life depended on it. I was talking about
Europe. We'll have three weeks to travel and see everything, museums and
castles by day, clubs by night, and then a week naked on a nice tropical
island."
"Mmm, sounds good. Do we get to meet the Queen when we're in
England?"
Lex looked startled. "You want to?" He shrugged. "Okay,
that's doable. It won't be a personal, one-on-one meeting, but we can
certainly be at the same party where we would be presented to her."
Clark just stared in response. "I was kidding, you know. Something
tells me that any party the Queen of England would be at would be pretty
damn boring."
"Oh, thank god!" Lex sighed with relief. "Boring wouldn't
begin to describe it, although if Sir Harry happened to be there, it could
be entertaining. He seems to think I'm the devil incarnate." He
snickered. "One would think he'd be more concerned with Lionel... his
son-in-law."
"God, that just sounds so wrong when you say it that way. Aren't he
and Lionel about the same age? Ugh!" Clark shuddered and made a face.
"Uh huh." Lex nodded, looking faintly nauseated himself.
"At least Lionel looks younger. Victoria seems happy enough with her
bargain in the pictures I've seen of them. Better him than me although
perhaps they deserve each other."
Clark shuddered again. "Do me a favor and don't remind me
that you were ever with her 'that way', okay? It's bad enough having to see
her try to get you alone whenever we see them out somewhere."
"Don't worry about it, I'd rather be alone with a barracuda. I'd
have a better chance of survival. Besides, what would I want with her when I
have you?" Lex scoffed.
"Nothing." Clark appeared smug. "Besides, she's probably
got stretch marks and saggy boobs now that she's popped out a kid,
right?"
Not stupid enough to point out the miracle of personal trainers and
extreme unlikelihood of Victoria Hardwick-Luthor breast-feeding, Lex just
murmured noncommittally. "Not something you ever have to worry
about."
Shaking his head, Clark ran his hands down Lex's back. "That really
worried you, didn't it? Wondering if I could somehow get pregnant."
"Not worried exactly, but it did occur to me. Tell me that wouldn't
have been the crowning weirdness in our lives?" Lex challenged.
"Not that I wouldn't have liked a miniature you, just not that way and
not when we were that young, or even this young." He shook his head,
thinking of Chloe.
"Hmm, yeah, it does sound like something that would happen to us.
Thank God it didn't. Having a kid period would be weird enough, but right
now..." He cringed, thinking about Chloe and Dave. "Bad
news."
"Exactly. Who knows, someday we might want a kid. It would certainly
thrill your mother. But right now... no. You might be able to make a
good father, love, but me, not a chance. I would be a terrible thing to do
to an unsuspecting infant." Lex shook his head emphatically.
Clark stayed silent, giving Lex the look that patently said he didn't
believe him.
Easily reading the look, Lex smiled faintly and kissed him. "Thank
you. But we're not going to be putting it to the test anytime soon. Then
again, we couldn't possibly do worse than Lionel. I really feel for Gus.
God, imagine naming your kid Augustus."
"It's just wrong, for every reason you can think of," Clark
sighed. "Are you sure I just can't run there and steal him? I bet my
folks would do a great job raising him."
"I wish we could. But unfortunately Lionel would come after
him, and we'd all end up in jail. He won't ever let us anywhere near that
kid, and he's going to raise him to hate us." Lex sighed heavily.
"I had my mother and Pamela to mitigate Lionel's influence; this poor
kid won't have anyone to love him."
"That really, really sucks." Clark shook his head before
relaxing back onto the floor and staring up at the ceiling. "I wish we
could do something."
"Me too, but I really don't see how. No matter what I think of them,
Lionel and Victoria are his parents, and emotionally bankrupt as they are,
that's not grounds to take their child away from them." Lex was only
glad that the child had been born long enough after the marriage that there
was no room to wonder if he might have been the father.
Clark sighed. "This just really sucks," he repeated before
managing a half smile. "Too bad some more meteors don't fall and squash
them."
"You know, I've wondered occasionally what my life might have been
like if it had been my father who was killed when they hit. I can pretty
much guarantee that, unlike Lana, I wouldn't be having heart to hearts with
him in the cemetery."
"You'd be dancing on his grave?" Clark asked, saddened by the
thought and the fact that Lex's past would drive him to do such a thing but
not denying him the right.
"No, I wouldn't even do that now, and I hadn't reached the point of
hating him when I was eight. No, I just wouldn't be there at all. I can't
imagine anything inspiring me to visit Lionel Luthor's grave."
"I'm sorry." This topic was depressing both of them, and Clark
wondered how they'd gotten onto it, but, considering the strange pathways
their conversations took, he wasn't really surprised by where it ended.
Lex shrugged. "His loss not mine. He got Victoria, and I got the
Kents. Do you hear me complaining?" He brushed a kiss over Clark's
mouth, then eyed him curiously. "Is the floor really not uncomfortable
for you? I mean I know you can't be hurt, but hard is still hard, isn't
it?"
"Well, now that you mention it... yeah. Want to head downstairs,
clean up, and cuddle in that big bed of yours?"
"Excellent idea. But if you ever tell anyone that I cuddle, you
realize that I'll have to kill you, right?" Lex warned solemnly, his
eyes dancing merrily as he pushed to his feet, wobbling slightly.
Clark pouted and slowly got up as well, stretching this way and that
before shaking his head, realizing that he didn't even ache. "Does that
mean I have to send back the 'Cuddly Corporate Raider' shirt I got
you?"
Lex grabbed a cushion and threw it at him.
+++
Tapping her pencil against her lip, Martha Kent looked down at the list
in front of her then up at the young man sitting across from her. "All
right, that's the invitation list. You said you wanted to plan the music,
Lex?"
"I thought I could just hire a band, someone at the top of the
charts now. Clark's pretty easy when it comes to music. And as long as we
can dance to it, I'll be happy. Just don't forget to save me a dance,"
he teased her. "If we can't elope, we can at least dance. Though it
really should be a tango."
Martha arched an eyebrow then smiled. "If they can play it, you're
on. As for a top of the charts band, where exactly are they going to play
out here? In the barn?"
"Well, the barn or we could have it at the castle. If there's one
thing I have, it's space." Lex made a mental note to make sure a tango
was played during the party, even if he and Martha were the only ones who
danced.
"I think you could hold the whole graduation there," she
chuckled, glancing down at the list again. "And don't take this the
wrong way, dear, but Jonathan and I would like to have it here. It's one of
the last things that we can do for Clark before he..." She fell silent
and took a sip of her tea, trying to compose herself. "I'm sorry,
mother hen syndrome is raging out of control here."
Lex reached over and took her hand. "We're only going to Metropolis,
only a couple hours away... and do you really think I won't make him bring
me back often for your cooking?"
She gave a watery smile and tightened her fingers around his. "You
had better. This is like losing two sons instead of just one, and I truly
mean that. You've become a special part of our family, not just because of
how much you mean to Clark, but because of how much you mean to Jonathan and
myself as well."
Lex flushed and stammered, having no idea what to say to that. After a
flustered minute, he drew his composure together and managed to smile.
"Thank you. I don't think you can imagine how much that means to me.
For the first time since my mother died, I feel like I have a family."
Sensing his discomfiture, Martha tried to ease the moment. "Just so
long as you and Clark don't forget where we live. If you go too long without
a visit, we'll have to come track you down in Metropolis."
"Well, I hope you'll visit us regardless, not make us avoid you to
drag you there. I'll even spread hay in the foyer for Jonathan," Lex
joked.
"Won't you need it if you take Bossie with you? If you don't, she'll
be very lonely."
"God, I'm going to have to kill Clark for starting that," Lex
groaned. "No, I'm not taking Bossie; she'd be lonely away from her
other cow friends."
"You can't kill Clark, you love him," Martha reminded him
before changing the subject. "Sheri is still staying here while the two
of you are traveling, right?"
"Yeah, she likes you... and Enrique would quit and put a
contract out on me if I left her with him," Lex chuckled. "The man
was not meant to deal with animals."
"I don't know; he seems to handle you and Clark well."
Lex gaped at her for a moment, then burst into laughter. "I think I
liked distant respect better." He shook his head, getting up to get
them both more coffee.
"Family," she reminded him, taking the mug he handed her and
smiling up at him. "You lose the distance but gain a whole lot
more."
"Nobody mentioned the insults part." He eyed her curiously.
"How did you adapt to... all this?" He waved vaguely. "It's a
big change from Metropolis."
Martha took a sip of her coffee, a far-away look in her eyes. "It
was, but I got so much more than I lost when I came out here with Jonathan.
I had my husband, a home, then a son. It's a different life from what I
thought I would have, but I wouldn't change a thing about it."
She took another sip and looked at Lex. "You seem to have done your
share of adapting as well."
Lex watched her over his coffee, sighing faintly. "But not
voluntarily, not at first anyway. God, I did not want to be 'exiled'
to Smallville when Lionel sent me here. I had no idea how lucky I was. Don't
get me wrong; small town life still isn't for me, but finding Clark... I
wouldn't change that for anything."
"It's been good for both of you. I know it was hard for Jonathan and
I to totally accept everything about your relationship at first, but what we
see when the two of you are together... I couldn't ask for anything more for
my son."
Lex smiled shyly. "I would do anything for him, you know that,
right?"
"Yes, but I also know that he wouldn't ask you to."
"No, he usually asks me not to," Lex admitted.
"It's if he ever stops that you'll have to worry."
"I can't imagine that ever happening. If he's typical of what his
race was like, the universe suffered a loss when their planet was
destroyed... however long ago that was."
Martha nodded. "Yes, it did, but I'm not going to be sorry that it
brought him here."
"No, considering that he's the best thing that ever happened to me,
I'd be lying if I said I was either." Lex took a quick gulp of his
coffee, uncomfortable with the conversation yet somehow glad he was able to
talk to Martha this way.
Pursing her lips together, Martha pondered a question she wanted to ask.
"When the two of you are in Metropolis permanently, do you think that
your father is going to be a problem for you?"
Lex shook his head. This was a question he'd considered long and hard and
discussed with Clark before the younger man decided to go to Metropolis
University. "No, not really. He's going to try to get public digs in
certainly, especially now that Clark's older and we're going to start
appearing publicly, but I have too much power for him to do anything
else."
"Thank God for that." She squeezed his hand and took a deep
breath. "Well, we'd better get back to this planning, or Clark will be
graduated with no party in sight."
"And we can't have that." He darted a sly glance at her.
"Shall I provide the fireworks?"
"Is there even a point in saying 'no'?" she asked.
"Of course there is." He waited a beat. "Then I'd have to
convince you to change your mind."
"Are you trying to steal my wife again, Lex?" Jonathan asked,
coming into the kitchen. "And don't worry, conspirators. I sent Clark
into town for some baling wire we need. He won't be back for a while
yet."
"No, he's trying to talk me into letting him provide fireworks for
the party," Martha chuckled, rising to kiss her husband then pouring
him a cup of coffee.
"I thought that was what he and Clark specialized in?"
"Well, if you really want us to put on a show..." Lex drawled,
then laughingly cringed, an arm shielding his head from the dagger glares
from both parents. "Sorry, sorry, don't kill me. As if I'd actually let
everyone see what they were too stupid to notice and chance one of them
trying to grab him," he snorted. "Bloodshed would put a damper on
the party."
"Considering that you two are almost visibly joined, this insane
jealousy you both suffer from must be another effect of the bond,"
Jonathan observed dryly.
"I don't know about that; I think it's just their
personalities," Martha commented. "They both acted like that even
before they were together." She looked over at Lex. "You were just
more circumspect about it."
Lex managed a sheepish grin, but he couldn't deny that he'd had a
tendency to dislike anyone who had the slightest potential to become
romantically involved with Clark. "I thought I hid it better than
that," he admitted wryly. "Jonathan's shotgun was very
inspirational, not to mention you and that chainsaw. Though I did have a few
fantasies of pushing both Lana and Chloe off a bridge."
Martha just shook her head, not doubting that fact in the least. "At
least you didn't act on the impulse, dear. I think we would have been harder
to convince if you were courting Clark from jail."
"Hell, I think Clark would have been a lot harder to convince
if I'd harmed a hair on either of their heads. But Chloe's very happy with
Dave now... and I can smirk at Lana knowing that I have him," Lex
replied smugly.
Jonathan had to laugh. "If you weren't clearly so insanely in love
with my son, Lex, that comment would have me believing you were with him
just to spite Lana."
"No, but it's a nice fringe benefit." Lex sighed at Martha's
disapproving glance. "I know, I know, but she's just so damn nice!"
"She's a lovely young girl," Martha said diplomatically.
"As is Chloe. Do you know if something's wrong with her? I saw her in
town over the weekend, and she just didn't seem herself."
"You know Chloe, she's probably tracking another mutant or obsessing
about getting her speech perfect." Lex looked down into his coffee,
unable to meet Martha's clear gaze. He'd never mastered lying to his lover's
mother, but he wasn't going to betray Chloe's confidence.
"Probably." Martha glanced at Jonathan, who shrugged his
shoulders a bit. "Well, whatever it is, I hope she works it out. Now
then, we're having barbeque and all the fixings; can you think of anything
else?"
"Pie!" Jonathan put in with a laugh.
"And potato salad and I might even let Clark have some," Lex
added, chuckling as well. "Maybe shrimp? They went pretty fast at
Clark's birthday party, and they go with barbeque."
She jotted a few notes down on the list, nodding all the while. "I
think with you two around I'd better make Clark his own pie as well as his
own bowl of potato salad."
"He can share with the others. I'm the one who needs his own potato
salad!" Lex replied covetously.
"Than I'll be sure to make you your own bowl too, dear." Martha
reached out and patted Lex's arm, her eyes sparkling with laughter.
"Should I arrange to have some shipped to you every week once you
move?"
"Hmm," Lex pretended to consider it, then shook his head
wistfully. "No, Clark would just hog it all, and then I'd have to push him
off a bridge. Better not to chance it." He held the expression for a
moment longer before breaking into laughter.
"You did that once already, why would you want to do it again?"
Clark asked, pushing open the screen door and walking into the kitchen,
Sheri following at his heels and trotting straight over to Lex. "And
what would I hog?"
"Any care packages that your mom sent to us in Metropolis." Lex
greeted the dog, petting and cooing at her till she decided he'd made up for
abandoning her and continued her circuit to the next person. That taken care
of, Lex stood up and greeted Clark as well, kissing him.
"Well, yeah, I mean, she is my mom," Clark grinned,
kissing Lex again when he started to pout. "But I'll share if you're a
good boy."
"Gee, there was no if about it last night as I recall," Lex
started, laughing behind the hand Clark slapped over his mouth. Twisting
free, he grinned at the others. "See the abuse I put up with?"
Martha looked over at Jonathan again, and both of them shook their heads.
"That habit of sharing too much is something I won't miss,"
she said, though she knew it wasn't true. Seeing both Clark and Lex that
happy truly made her content.
"No, that was me the other night," Clark mumbled in Lex's ear.
"Mmm, so it was," Lex purred, pressing closer. He had moods
where he liked to be as close to Clark as possible, and this appeared to be
one of them. He'd growled at his lover one time when Clark called it his
cuddly mode, but in the privacy of his own mind, he had to admit that there
was more than a grain of truth in that.
Keeping his arms wrapped around Lex, Clark backed toward a chair and
dropped into it, pulling the older man into his lap and rubbing Sheri's head
when she abandoned his father to visit. "The baling wire's in the barn;
did you need anything else, Dad?"
Realizing that the lists were still on the table, Martha picked them up
at the same time she gathered up the coffee cups for refills, hoping Clark
didn't ask what they were.
"No, I think that's it for today. Why don't you go ahead and meet
Pete down at the pond? It's a perfect day for a swim, and I know he'd like
it if you spent a bit more time together."
Lex frowned slightly, knowing he was the reason why Clark and Pete had
drifted apart the last couple of years. Pete had tried, he gave him credit
for that, but he'd never been quite comfortable with Clark and Lex's
relationship, whether because they were both men or because Lex was a
Luthor, no one was certain. "You should go. You only have a little
longer before you both leave Smallville, and you probably won't see each
other very often after that."
"Yeah." Clark sobered, and he tried not to fall back into his
old habit of blaming himself for the fact that he and Pete weren't as close
any longer. He knew it wasn't true, but it didn't mean he didn't miss his
friend. "That would be fun." He slid Lex off his lap and onto the
chair as he stood.
"I'll give him a call and you three can go back to your
planning." Giving Lex a kiss, he darted up the stairs just ahead of a
trio of exasperated remarks.
"That boy can be incredibly irritating," Jonathan observed.
"It's part of his charm," Lex sighed. "And you can't get
mad at him about it or he just looks at you."
"It worked when he was five, and it still works today," Martha
sighed, refilling all their cups and setting them on the table then getting
Sheri a Milk-Bone from the cupboard and offering it to her.
The dog took the biscuit daintily, then plopped down on Lex's feet,
making him yelp as an elbow dug into him, and started crunching away
happily.
"Hmmm, maybe I should try that. Think Clark would like a
Milk-Bone?"
"In return for what?"
Upstairs, Clark flopped down on his bed and punched Pete's number in on
his phone, studying the cracks in the ceiling while he waited to see if his
friend would pick up. "Hey, Pete, Clark. I was wondering if you wanted
to head to the pond and take a swim, kind of for old times' sake?"
"Clark, hey. I didn't expect to hear from you." Pete was about
to make a snarky comment about being busy with Lex, but he bit it back.
Clark was making an effort here, and he should meet him halfway. "Sure,
a swim sounds good. I was just kicking back here, not doing much of
anything. I'll head out and meet you there, 'kay?"
Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Clark relaxed. "Sounds great. See
you in about fifteen?"
"Okay, see ya then." Pete hung up with a smile on his face. It
would be good to spend some time with Clark again. He probably should have
asked if Luthor was coming too, but he really didn't want to know.
He quickly changed into his trunks, and pulled his jeans on over them,
grabbed a towel and a couple of beers, and headed for the pond, knowing that
Clark would beat him there since he lived closer.
Clark had his towel spread out and his jeans off and tossed on it by the
time Pete arrived. Looking up from where he was sitting, he gave a hopeful
grin and waved. "It should be warm enough considering the weather we've
been having."
Pete nodded. "Yeah, we used to go swimming earlier than this... but
that was when we were young and foolish." They shared a grin. "And
we can have these afterward." He held up the two bottles of beer he'd
brought along.
"Excellent." Clark pushed up to his feet and waited while Pete
stripped down to his trunks. "Remember the time we went in after
Easter, and there was ice on the water when we came out?"
Pete shuddered theatrically. "God yes! It took a month for my balls
to crawl back down. Why did I ever let you talk me into that?"
Clark grinned. "Because we were young and foolish? It's not like you
were doing anything else with 'em at the time, so did it matter?"
"I'll have you know that the ladies were aware of the Ross charm
even then," Pete replied loftily, then stuck his tongue out at Clark,
laughing. "Last one in's a rotten egg!" he yelled, bolting toward
the water.
"First one eats it!" Clark shot back, chasing after, then
diving into the water alongside Pete, splashing him with a huge wave when he
surfaced above the water.
Pete let out a whoop, and the war was on. They splashed and sprayed each
other, yanked one another beneath the water, and all but drowned themselves,
enjoying every moment of it. When Pete managed to surface right in front of
a surprised Clark and spray him with a huge mouthful of water, he let out a
victory yell.
Clark choked, getting his feet under himself and straightening up,
hacking and coughing theatrically. "Okay, okay, uncle!"
"And Ross wins again," Pete crowed. "I've still got
it." He started to slap Clark on the back before a somewhat
uncomfortable expression crossed his face and he turned to wade out of the
water instead. "Time for those beers, I think."
Clark sobered, sighing when he figured out what had led to Pete fleeing
the water. "Are you sure I can keep from jumping your bones if I have
one?" he asked somewhat sarcastically.
Pete froze, his back to Clark. "That wasn't fair, Clark. I've never
said anything like that."
"No, but can you tell me honestly you haven't thought it or
something like it? I used to wonder if we quit hanging together because you
didn't like Lex, but now I know what the real reason was. It's okay, not
everyone can deal with fags."
"Clark," Pete said helplessly, turning to face him, the beers
held out like some kind of shield. "I... It's just wrong, Clark,
unnatural. You're my friend, but this..."
Clark walked out of the water, keeping a distance between himself and the
other teen so he didn't make Pete any more uncomfortable than he already
was. Bending, he picked up his towel and started to dry himself off, then
pulled his clothes back on. "I get it. And it may be wrong and
unnatural for you, but not for me." He looked over at Pete and gave a
sad smile. "Sorry if you can't see that."
"Clark, I..." Pete took a step toward him, biting his lip.
Clark was his friend, had been his best friend for years, but God,
how could he accept this? Slowly he shook his head. "I'm sorry that you
can't see that it is," he said quietly.
"I'm not going to argue about it with you." Clark looked down
at the beers in Pete's hands, then back at his face. "I hoped that we
could work this out before we all took off, but I guess we can't. Good luck,
Pete. I was always proud to be your friend."
Despite the sadness in his eyes, Pete didn't say a word to stop him, only
watched Clark leave in utter silence.
Once he was out of sight, Clark took off, racing the wind and trying to
put some distance between himself and the ruins of what had once been his
closest friendship. When he finally stopped, he was by a river that probably
didn't run through Kansas. Dropping down to the edge, he folded his arms on
top of his knees and rested his face on them, jaw clenched as he tried to
get control of himself. No way could he walk into the house like this; Lex
and his parents would know something was up, and he didn't want any of them
blowing their tops or suggesting he try one more time to make things work.
He'd been trying 'one more time' for most of the past two years, and he just
couldn't any more.
Lex stood in the Kents' kitchen, staring pensively out the window.
"I hope Clark and Pete manage to work things out. He really misses him.
They were best friends for so long, and he lost that because of me."
"Not because of you, Lex," Martha said quietly. "Don't
think that."
He laughed harshly. "It's either because I'm a Luthor or because I'm
a man. The first is definitely because of me, and the second... well, who
knows if Clark would have had the same reaction to another man? If not for
me and whatever mutation I have, he might be happily dating some corn-fed
prom queen." Lex pressed his forehead against the sun-warmed glass.
"Should I have tried harder to stay away from him?" he whispered
almost soundlessly.
Sharing a worried look with Jonathan, Martha stood and walked up behind
Lex, resting her hands on his shoulders and squeezing them gently.
"Considering what I've heard about the way the two of you got together,
do you think it would have done any good? He loves you, Lex, and you love
him. If Pete or anyone can't accept that, it's their loss, not yours. You
both have friends who accept and love you because of who you are, not in
spite of it."
Lex glanced over his shoulder at her. "How did you get so
wise?" He managed a tiny smile even as he reached down to pet Sheri,
who was whining at his knee, distressed by the upset she could sense in him.
She smiled in return though her eyes were dark. "Being married to
Jonathan for twenty years."
After throwing what must have been a truckload of rocks into the river,
Clark stood up and dusted the seat of his pants off. Sitting out here wasn't
doing any good, and maybe he could avoid letting Lex and his folks know what
had happened. Maybe.
Tucking his towel under his arm, he turned around and headed back the way
he'd come, a fleeting blue and white blur racing through the fields and over
fences.
Still staring out the window, Lex announced, "Either my eyesight is
going or that blur is Clark getting back. I thought he might have brought
Pete back for dinner, but I guess not."
Clark raked a hand through his wind-tousled hair as he climbed the porch
steps, smiling and waving a hand in greeting when he saw his mother and Lex
watching through the window. "I'm back," he said unnecessarily,
walking through the kitchen to drop his towel in the laundry room.
"Going to run upstairs and take a shower. I'll be back down in a
few."
All three of the others stared after him.
"That was not a happy expression," Jonathan said.
"No, something's wrong," Lex agreed. "I'm just not sure if
it would be better to let it slide for now."
Martha closed her eyes and shook her head. "Maybe we should let it
rest for now. He'll tell us when he's ready."
Lex's fists clenched at his sides. "God, I hate it when he's
hurting. I want to do something to make it better, but I can't."
"And that's the hardest part of being in love, son," Jonathan
said, laying a hand on his shoulder.
"You're here," Martha added, "that helps."
"Does it ever get any easier?"
She shook her head. "Not really."
Upstairs in the shower, Clark closed his eyes and leaned against the
wall, trying not to think about what had happened earlier and how he'd
probably never really speak to his former best friend again. Yeah, they'd
see each other around, it was impossible not to in a town the size of
Smallville, but there wouldn't be anything else.
Pete had headed home after Clark left earlier, and he was sitting going
through an old photo album. Funny how Clark was in the pictures of
practically every occasion, birthday parties, Halloween, camping, it had
always been the two of them. How had his friend gotten so messed up? Sadly,
he shook his head and put the pictures away, wishing there was some way he
could help Clark, make him realize how wrong all this was, but there wasn't.
It was for the best that they were going their separate ways; it hurt to see
Clark like this.
Martha heard the water shut off upstairs and slid an arm around both
Jonathan and Lex's waists, hugging them before stepping back. "If you
want to go on up, go ahead, Lex. Dinner should be ready in half an hour if
you can get him down."
Trying to shake off the somber mood, Lex glanced at her. "I'm not
sure, I don't have much experience with trying to get him down..."
"Alexander Joseph Luthor!" Martha put her hands on her hips and
glared at him before chuckling. "Go upstairs before I swat you."
His laughter trailing behind him, Lex got. He was still smiling when he
slipped inside Clark's bedroom, their bedroom actually whenever they were at
the farm, but his expression sobered when he saw Clark. He walked up to him,
wrapped his arms around him, and simply held him.
"Mom and Dad finished with you?" Clark asked, giving a game
smile but holding on to Lex tightly, dropping the pictures he'd been looking
at as he did so.
Lex glanced down, his eyes closing briefly when he saw the pictures of a
much younger Clark and Pete. "I love you," he said softly, trying
to let the other man know that he was there for him without pressuring him
to talk if he didn't want to.
"I love you too." Still holding on to Lex, Clark walked them
over to the bed and sat, curling up around the older man as much as
possible. "Some people just can't understand that."
Lex sighed. So that was it. He petted Clark soothingly. "They would
say that they were right and we were wrong, you know. And who knows, maybe
they're right. I don't happen to believe that, and I wish you didn't have to
deal with this, but there's nothing we can do about it."
Clark nodded. "I know, I just... It hurts. It doesn't make them
right though. They can take their closed little minds and shove them up
their asses."
Lex had to laugh at that mental image. "I think if they could do
that, it wouldn't be an issue," he teased, rubbing his cheek against
Clark's hair, hugging him.
"Yeah." Clark tried to smile, but he knew it wasn't
particularly convincing and tried to change the subject. "So did the
three of you get the party planned?"
Pulling his lover closer, Lex mentally damned Pete Ross to the lowest
level of hell for the pain he was causing Clark, but none of that showed in
his voice. "What makes you think we're having a party for you? There
are enough of them planned that you don't need one more," he teased. He
promised himself to find time to talk to Martha and see if she thought they
should skip inviting Pete; Lex wasn't sure if it would be worse if he did or
didn't come.
"You weren't going to have a party for me? Geez, some
boyfriend." Clark tried to concentrate on the teasing conversation and
not on what had happened before. "Maybe I'll just go to the one that
Rob's parents are throwing instead."
"I thought you were planning to go to that anyways? It's not as if
you can only go to one grad party, you know." He glanced over at the
clock and nudged Clark. "Dinner's in fifteen minutes. Don't you think
you ought to get dressed? Much as I like the towel look, your parents might
disagree."
"Yeah, I'd better." Straightening up, Clark got off the bed and
rummaged around in his drawers for clothes. Dropping the towel, he dressed
quickly in shorts and a t-shirt, then turned back to Lex. "Am I
presentable now?"
"Always. Of course, I liked the towel--ease of access, you
know." Lex stood up as well and came over to wrap his arms around
Clark, nuzzling his throat. "Mmm, you taste good. Never mind dinner;
I'll just have you."
Clark smiled. "Works by me, I'm not really hungry any way. Want to
risk my parents' wrath and break the no-sex-in-the-house rule?"
Lex sighed. "I suppose it would be pretty stupid to make it through
three years, and then screw up a couple months before we move to Metropolis.
I have to tell you though; we'll be staying at the castle whenever we visit
if that rule's going to continue. It was fine for the teenaged son of the
house, but it doesn't really work for visiting adults."
"That's going to be weird." Clark looked down at Lex,
considering the notion. "Not living here. I mean, I'm excited about
school and being able to be with you whenever we want, but... this is all I
know."
"It'll still be your home, Clark, and we'll visit as often as we
can. But could you really imagine spending the rest of your life in
Smallville? This isn't what you said you wanted." Clark nodded.
"It isn't, for me or you, but it's still weird." He shrugged
before hugging Lex close. "You'll protect me in the big, bad city,
won't you?"
"I'll lock you up in my tower like Rapunzel to keep you safe,"
Lex replied, urging him toward the door with an arm around his waist.
"Come on, your mom is still trying to fatten us both up before we slip
away from her."
"She's going to stuff food down our throats when we get back from
Europe, you know," Clark sighed, walking alongside the older man as
they went out the door and down the stairs. "And every time we come
home too."
"Eating Martha's cooking is not exactly a hardship, Clark. If you're
finding it too difficult, I'd be more than happy to take care of your
share."
Clark froze, eyes wide. "No way!"
"So I guess being stuffed isn't so bad after all, hmm?" Lex
smirked at him.
"Depends on what I'm being stuffed with," Clark muttered before
they entered the kitchen, helping to set the table as Martha placed the food
there.
Lex shot him a look that promised retribution--and stuffing--later, then
smiled seraphically at his lover's parents. "It looks wonderful,
Martha. Thank you." He took a serving of chicken salad and passed the
bowl to Jonathan, then eyed her quizzically. "Just out of curiosity,
are you ever going to stop trying to fatten me up?"
She dished some broccoli onto her own plate and handed the bowl to Clark
before looking at Lex and smiling. "Are you complaining, dear?"
"If he is, can I have his food?" Clark asked, grinning, even
though he wasn't taking nearly as large portions as he normally did.
"Touch it and die, Kent!" Lex warned fiercely, hovering over
his plate like a mother bird over her eggs. "And no, I wasn't
complaining, just wondering. I think you've been feeding me every time you
saw me for the last three years!" he laughed, making Jonathan chuckle.
"At least she didn't dump anything over your head!" The
elder Kent looked amused, remembering some of the incidents caused by his
and Martha's tempers butting heads.
"That was because you deserved it, Jonathan," she answered
mildly. "And you always come over at mealtimes, Lex. If I was the
suspicious sort, I'd begin to wonder if it wasn't planned."
Clark snickered and toyed with his food, eating a bite from time to time.
"Of course it is," Lex admitted easily. "I plot,
remember?" He helped himself to another roll, sighing happily when his
fingers closed over the warm bread. "How am I ever going to survive
without this?"
Martha took a sip of her iced tea and glanced at Jonathan. "If you
can't, you'll just have to make sure the two of you get back here
often."
"Every month, Mom," Clark promised, smiling at her.
"I hope you'll come visit us as well," Lex invited. "I've
sort of gotten used to this whole family thing."
"If you don't, I'll have to carry you there," Clark warned,
looking at his father.
Lex almost choked on his dinner as he tried not to laugh. "If you're
going to do that, let me know so I can get the video camera set up," he
snickered.
"I'll tell Chloe too so she can take pictures."
"Clark..." Martha said sternly, before biting her lips to hide
her smile.
"Is that the respect a son owes his father?" Jonathan intoned,
his own lips twitching suspiciously. "For shame, Clark."
Lex had given up trying to restrain himself and was doubled over,
laughing. "You people are just weird," he gasped out.
Clark grinned. "But you love us anyway. Must be because you feel
right at home."
"Weird does seem a good description of my life some days," Lex
agreed. "I keep wondering what else we'll find contaminated by the
meteor fragments and what new and bizarre mutant will jump me. Good thing I
have my own personal protection system." He slipped a piece of chicken
under the table to Sheri, who was again lying on his feet.
"You know the rules, Lex," Martha admonished. "She can
come in the house, but no feeding her from the table."
"I thought you and Dr. Hamilton collected all the fragments?"
Clark asked, though he knew that getting every bit of the rocks was probably
impossible.
Lex didn't bother arguing with Martha, knowing it was a waste of breath.
Besides, he fed Sheri at the table at home, and it hadn't turned her into
some ravening beast. He'd just make it up to her with a treat when they went
home.
"Collected all of them that we could find. I'm just worried about
some that might have washed into some subterranean creek bed or something.
Someone eats a fish from there, and we end up with Aquaman or god knows
what."
"What was that thing from Saturday Night Live?" Clark asked.
"Land shark?" Even though he was laughing as he said it, the
chance of it happening wasn't funny at all.
Lex shuddered. "Hopefully we won't ever find out. I did try to get
all the fragments, and if we're really lucky, I succeeded. But there's
nothing else we can do. And I find it promising that there hasn't been one
for a while, a mutant that is."
"Much to Chloe's disappointment. At least she won't be asking why
the rocks do things to people any more..." Clark realized what he'd
said and winced. He and Lex hadn't told his folks that Chloe knew or why,
but now they might have to.
Jonathan frowned, eyeing his son. The comment had been perfectly
innocent, and he would have passed it off as referring to the lack of
mutants stirring up her interest or her move to Smallville in the fall. He
would have passed it off, that was, if Clark hadn't winced.
"Why's that, son?"
"She umm... sort of brought up the fact that she knows I'm not quite
normal. She thought it was the rocks until..."
"Until what, Clark?" Martha asked, worry etching lines across
her brow.
"Until we showed her the ship," Lex admitted, reaching over to
take Clark's hand.
"You did what?!?" Jonathan roared.
"She's not stupid, Dad!" Clark retaliated, trying to stay calm
and present the argument in a logical way. "She said flat out she knew
about the speed and strength, and I... I just couldn't lie to her any
more."
"Clark, if people find out about you, son, you could be in danger.
They would want to study you." Seeing the stubborn expression, Jonathan
tried another tack. "Lex would be in danger too. Do you think they
would care about hurting him to get to you?"
Clark sat up straighter in his chair, his whole body tensing. "I
wouldn't let them."
"I know you wouldn't, Clark, but no matter how much you can do, you
do have limits," Martha said gently.
"It was only Chloe," Lex said, springing to Clark's defense.
"I'd trust her with my life. She would never do anything to hurt
Clark."
"Not intentionally, no, but how long is until she tells
someone?"
"God, Mom, I told her because she needed something to think about
other than the fact that she might be pregnant!" Clark exclaimed. Once
he realized what he had said, his eyes widened in horror. "Oh
shit."
Lex sighed, shaking his head. "It is truly a source of amazement to
me that you've managed to keep your secret from almost everyone." He
glanced at the stunned Kents. "I really don't think Chloe wants anyone
else to know about this. It might be nothing."
Martha inhaled sharply and pressed her hand to her lips before nodding.
"Of course. I can imagine how hard this must be for her right now and
for Dave as well."
"Oh God..." Clark pushed his plate out of the way and rested
his forehead on the table, groaning. "I have the biggest mouth in the
world."
Lex rolled his eyes but managed not to agree. "Do you think you can
manage not to tell Chloe that you let it slip? She does not need that
added stress right now. If she gets any more wired, her hair is going to
stand on end."
"You want to staple my lips shut to keep me from blabbing?"
"I doubt it would help. You're lucky you're so lovable. People just
forgive you for blunders that would have them out for anyone else's
blood."
Clark kept his head down on the table. "Gee, thanks. I think."
"Sit up, Clark," Martha sighed. "We can't undo what's been
done, so we'll just have to deal with it."
Jonathan slumped in his seat, then reached over to place a hand on
Clark's shoulder. "Lex is right, son. Chloe cares about you and
wouldn't do anything to hurt you. I'm not pleased that you told anyone
about yourself, but if it was going to be anyone, better her."
Frowning, Lex forbore to comment. This wasn't the right time, but someday
soon they were all going to have to deal with the fact that Clark wasn't a
child anymore, and his parents no longer had the right to make his decisions
for him.
"Yessir." Clark straightened up in his chair but kept his head
bowed. As far as days went, this ranked right up there with his worst ones.
"May I be excused please?" he asked quietly.
Waiting until Clark had disappeared upstairs after Lex assured him that
he'd be right up, the other man turned to face the Kents. "Okay, Clark
is hurting right now, and I am not going to leave it like that. I had
him almost cheered up from whatever happened with Pete, then you came down
on him like a ton of bricks for choosing to tell Chloe about himself. No,
let me finish," he said sharply when Jonathan started to say something.
"You have been extraordinary parents to him--and to me for the last
few years--but Clark isn't a child anymore. If he chooses to trust someone
with his secret, that's his decision to make.
"Right now, however, I intend to make him feel better... in whatever
way will work best," he said distinctly. "The only question is
whether I take him back to the castle or if you're ready to admit that we're
both adults now." Having thrown down the gauntlet, Lex waited for their
decision.
Taken aback, Jonathan could only gape at the young man as he tried to
marshal his thoughts. "Lex, I..." He trailed off, honestly not
sure what to say. Much as he hated to admit it, Lex had made some valid
points.
Martha closed her eyes and reached blindly for Jonathan's hand. Lex's
rebuke stung, doubly so because it was true. "Go be with him,
Lex," she said quietly, feeling the words stick in her throat.
"I'm sure he would rather not see us right now. It's - you spend your
whole life trying to protect them, and then one day they don't need it. Just
because that's true doesn't make it any easier to give up the habit."
Nodding, Lex stood up, then hesitated and came around the table to hug
her quickly. "Just because he doesn't always need it doesn't mean he
doesn't still want it," he whispered, kissing her cheek lightly before
disappearing upstairs.
Watching him vanish, Jonathan's hand tightened on his wife's. "I'm
ashamed of the way that I treated that young man when I first met him, and
I'm proud to have him as a member of this family now."
Lex slipped into the bedroom and shut the door behind him, frowning when
he turned to the bed and didn't immediately see Clark. "Clark?" he
called softly, looking around.
"I'll be out in a minute," Clark called from the bathroom. He
straightened up from where he was leaning over the sink and scrubbed at his
eyes with the heels of his hands before splashing cool water on his face,
obliterating the pair of tear-tracks that had marked his cheeks. He felt
stupid for crying; it was something 'real men' didn't do, but then, he could
do a lot of things that 'real men' couldn't.
After drying his face, he opened the door, crossing back over to his
bedroom and looking at Lex, who was sitting on the bed, watching him.
"Are Mom and Dad any better?"
"Yeah, I think they understand now that you're eighteen not
eight." Lex sighed and held his arms out to his lover. "C'mere."
Taking a step forward, Clark collapsed into Lex's arms, letting himself
be held as if he was even younger than eight. "I should learn to think
before talking," he sighed into Lex's neck.
"It gets you into trouble sometimes, but you wouldn't be you if you
were less open. I just don't want to see you get hurt." Lex's arms
tightened around him, ready to protect Clark from the entire world if
necessary.
"I'm more worried about you getting hurt." Clark shivered
thinking about it. "Do you think someone would really do that? Hurt you
to get to me?"
"Clark, I know I've been playing a nice guy for the last few years,
but do you really think I'd allow anyone to hurt either of us? I told you
once, I'll do anything for my friends. And I'm very self-protective as
well."
Clark nodded against Lex's chest, then sighed. "Yeah, but you aren't
bullet-proof, Lex."
"No, that's true. But I have security, and you, and a gun. And
I'm perfectly willing to use it to protect either of us. Someone comes after
us, I will shoot to kill. Self-defense is a perfectly valid defense. That's
why I have lawyers on retainer." Lex shrugged. "But that's not
going to happen, Clark. You've been careful, and we're going to be
disgustingly happy together for a very long time."
"Promise?" Clark mumbled, feeling very childish for wanting the
reassurance but not caring right then.
"Of course." Lex tilted Clark's head up so he could see his
face. "Do you really think I'd let anyone take you away from me?"
"I'm more worried about them taking you away from me,
but no, I can't see either of us letting that happen." Clark relaxed
more into Lex's arms, absently rubbing his face against the other man's
shirt and chest.
"Now you're getting the idea, love," Lex praised, his stroking
of Clark gradually changing from soothing to sensual. "Nothing's ever
going to keep us apart, Clark. The stuff of legends, remember?" His
hand slowly crept down, fingers delving beneath the waistband of Clark's
short.
"How could I forget with you to remind me?" Sighing, Clark
twisted until he was lying on the bed, his head in Lex's lap, his eyes
half-closed. He put aside the day's events, allowing Lex's touch to soothe
him, but when the older man's hand slid down to cup his penis, his eyes shot
open. "We're in the house, Lexy. Don't tease, not now."
"I'm not teasing," Lex reassured him, his fingers stilling but
not moving away. "Your parents and I talked about that, and they agreed
that we're old enough for that not to be a good idea anymore. So we can stay
right here tonight, love. You can have the comfort of your parents' home and
me."
"They did?" Clark found himself speechless for a moment.
"They really agreed to end the rule?"
"Yes. Think of it as a very belated birthday present. Or an early
grad gift. Your parents have realized that you're not a child any
more."
"For how long?"
Lex eyed him oddly. "Well, unless there's something really odd about
Kryptonian biology, I'm relatively certain that you'll remain an adult for
the rest of your life."
Clark shook his head. "I meant, how long are they going to think
that? And why? After what just happened, I'm surprised they didn't ground me
for life."
"Well, uh, we kind of had it out," Lex admitted almost
sheepishly. "I wasn't happy about the way they were treating you, so I
said some things I've wanted to for some time now. And they realized I was
right. They'll stop treating you like a child... mostly. Just bear with them
at times; you're their only baby after all."
"I know." Clark turned his head to press his face against Lex's
stomach, glad he hadn't been downstairs when that had happened. "I
don't mind most of the time, but I - thanks, Lex." He pressed a kiss
against the soft linen shirt. "Love you."
"You could show me," Lex urged, rolling onto his back and
bringing Clark with him. "I want to watch you ride me," he
whispered, not sure if Clark would be in the right frame of mind for that
tonight.
Feeling his face heat with the force of his blush and giving a quick
prayer that his parents were doing the dishes or had turned on the TV, Clark
nodded, pushing slowly up to his knees, his need to please his lover winning
out over his mortification at the idea of his parents hearing them.
"God, you're so fucking beautiful," Lex breathed prayerfully,
staring at him. Cliched though the phrase might be, Clark really did look
like a Greek god, and he was all his. Keeping his eyes fixed on his lover,
he began to tug at his own clothes, needing them off, needing to feel their
skin touching.
After tugging his shirt over his head, Clark tossed it aside to assist
Lex in getting his own clothing off. "You always say that, but next to
you I feel like a tractor next to a Porsche or something." Bracing his
hands on both sides of the older man's body, he leaned in and licked a path
up his chest from navel to neck.
Coherent thought a thing of the past thanks to what Clark was doing to
him, Lex could only shake his head. It baffled him that Clark had no clue
how incredibly gorgeous he was, but he was perfectly willing to spend the
next seventy years or so convincing him. "As long as you're mine, I
don't care what you are."
Clark sat up enough to flash Lex a brilliant smile. "I'll always be
that," he promised, placing a kiss over his heart, before unbuttoning
and unzipping Lex's slacks, shifting back so that he could help the other
man get them off.
Once naked, Lex hooked a finger in the waistband of Clark's shorts.
"Now yours. Want to enjoy every bit of you tonight."
"And what makes that different from any other night?" Clark
asked, straightening up and allowing Lex's grip on his shorts to pull them
down over his hips along with his boxers. With a quick shimmy, he was out of
them and lying on top Lex, hugging him tightly, still feeling a bit odd
about doing this in his own bedroom.
"That makes this exactly like any other night, which is a very
good thing," Lex mumbled, his words muffled by the earlobe he was
nibbling voraciously. His legs rose to wrap around Clark's waist, drawing
him closer, then he forced himself to let go. "Mmm, I love feeling you
on top of me."
Clark shivered and ground his hips down against Lex's, feeling his
growing erection rubbing against Lex's cock in a tantalizing manner.
"Is that a hint for me to get moving?" he asked, sitting up and
pulling open the drawer on his bedside table before remembering he didn't
have any lube here. "Shit."
Lex looked at him blankly for a moment before realizing what the problem
was. "In my pants pocket," he snickered, not helping Clark's
thought processes any by curling a hand around his cock and pumping him
gently.
"God," Clark rasped, trying to keep his voice low. He looked
around for Lex's pants, cursing again when he saw them half way across the
room. "Got a better idea."
Leaning to the side, he reached under the bed for a bottle of hand cream
and squirted some into his palm, rising up on his knees and pressing two
fingers inside himself, feeling the tight muscle stretch as he did so.
Watching him, Lex moaned harshly and his cock jumped. Watching Clark get
himself ready for him, knowing that his lover was about to climb on and fuck
himself on him... He whimpered and humped the air, his much vaunted control
a thing of the past.
Hearing the noise, Clark looked up, eyes wide. "Shhh!" he
whispered, leaning in to kiss Lex to keep them both quiet while he slicked
up the other man's erection and carefully maneuvered himself down onto it,
gasping as the thick flesh filled him, stretching him even farther than his
fingers had.
Lex shoved a clenched fist against his mouth, knowing that there was no
way in hell he was going to be able to remain silent while seeing and
feeling this. "So good," he whispered, his free hand reaching for
his lover's erection, wanting to pleasure him as well.
"Yes," Clark whimpered, pushing up, feeling Lex's erection
slide inside of him and his grip on his cock tighten before he lowered
himself back down again. "Best thing in the world." He repeated
the motion, feeling sweat slick his skin and watching as the droplets seemed
to glow on Lex's pale flesh.
"Only thing," Lex replied vaguely, his eyes fixed with
unwavering attention on Clark, darting from the pleasure apparent on his
face to his hard and dripping cock clutched in Lex's own hand. Reluctantly,
he drew his hand back, clenching it in the sheets. "Want you to come
from me inside you," he panted.
"Lex?" Clark's eyes widened, and he bit back a loud moan. If
they did that, he wasn't sure he could keep quiet when he did finally come.
Taking a shuddering breath, he locked eyes with his lover and nodded.
"From you in me," he breathed, rocking his hips faster.
Lex disentangled his clutching fingers from the bedding and offered them
to Clark, letting his lover suckle on them to muffle any cries. "You
feel so good, so hot and tight around me, grasping at me to try to pull me
deeper. We belong together." He bit at his fist again, quieting himself
and trying to distract himself from the growing pleasure.
Clark nodded violently, each motion rubbing the head of Lex's cock
against his prostate, making his own erection ache and his balls draw up
tight against his body. Whimpering now, he drove up and down in short,
staccato movements, letting go of Lex's hand to bite down on his own when he
came, his scream muffled by his own flesh in his mouth.
The feeling of Clark clenching down on him, rippling around him, tipped
the balance in the battle Lex was waging against his own climax, making him
come with a scream that would have echoed through the whole house if he
hadn't bitten down on his hand hard enough to draw blood. He thrust upward
into Clark's yielding body hard enough to raise them both off the bed, then
sank down again, tremors of ecstasy visibly shaking his body.
"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." Clark kept repeating the
litany as he collapsed on top of Lex, supporting some of his weight on his
arms. The move made the other man slip out of him and he whimpered in
frustration, but it felt too good to be body to body, so he didn't complain.
"Love you," Lex whispered. He never seemed to tire of saying
that, perhaps because he'd so rarely had the opportunity before Clark.
"I may never move again." He managed to move one arm enough to
wrap it around Clark, holding him close, and he dredged up the energy for a
smile.
"All I ever need," Clark whispered, resting his head on Lex's
chest and closing his eyes for a second, trying not to think of anything but
his lover.
Half dozing, Lex made a contented sound as he stroked Clark's back. They
should get up and shower, but he didn't want to move yet.
"I don't think Pete and I are friends any more." Clark said
this quietly, testing each word as if it was an exotic snake out to bite
him.
Lex tensed slightly, as ever hating it when there was something he
couldn't fix for Clark. "I'm sorry," he offered. "I know it's
because of me, or at least the fact that I'm a guy. I kept hoping, for your
sake..."
Clark nodded. "Me too, but I guess he'd rather choose his prejudice
over our friendship. We aren't as close as we were, but it still sucks. Not
as much as losing you would though." He didn't try to deny what Lex had
said, knowing there wasn't a point. "I think it's the fact that you're
a guy. He actually got over the fact that you're a Luthor."
"Well, not even to save your friendship am I changing that!"
"Like I'd ask you to!" Clark looked horrified at the thought.
"I love every hairless, male inch of you."
"Glad to hear it. I don't think I'd make a very good woman. Can you
imagine having to wear a bra and nylons and heels all day?" He
shuddered. "I'd rather less painful torture." He cocked his head
amongst the pillows. "I might look good though..."
At the suggestion, Clark actually cringed away from Lex. "Uh, yeah.
You want to do that, go ahead, Lex. I'll just find something else to do that
night."
Lex burst into laughter, tears eventually rolling down his face as he
gasped for breath. "Oh my god, your face!" he whooped.
At that, Clark rolled off of Lex to sit on the edge of the bed, almost
falling off it when he forgot that they weren't in Lex's much wider bed.
"For that I should make you wear it and have Chloe there to take
pictures."
Finally regaining control of himself, Lex rolled over and pushed up onto
all fours, crawling toward his lover. "Oh, not that! What can I do to
make it up to you?"
"What can you do?" He appeared to think about it for a moment,
then grinned. "Let me have the shower first!"
"Nope, we can share. Although I think you're going to have to carry
me if you want to do it any time soon," he admitted with a quick
chuckle.
"You want me to carry you after that?"
"Actually I was planning on waiting a while, but if you want to go
now..." Lex twisted, going from hands and knees to sitting cross-legged
in single lithe movement. Propping his elbows on his knees and his chin on
his hands, he eyed Clark, looking very puckish.
Clark considered that, "But if I leave you here, then I get the
shower to myself."
"And no one to wash your back," Lex pointed out, as seriously
as if this was a key negotiation in one of his corporate takeovers.
"You mean no one to hog the hot water," Clark countered.
"I'm more than happy to share with you. You just get distracted
easily."
"Are you saying I have no attention span?"
"Quite the opposite. I still haven't forgotten the time you just
stood there and watched me and never actually got in the shower
yourself."
"Oh, then you're saying I'm obsessed?"
Lex considered that for a moment, then nodded judiciously. "Yes, not
that I'm complaining, mind you. I like it. I just refuse to take
responsibility for you not getting a shower. You're always welcome to join
me."
Clark tried to keep a straight face but gave up and started laughing.
"I wasn't complaining about it either. I can think of worse things to
be obsessed with than you. Of course, your logic was flawed in that
argument. If watching you is why I don't shower in the first place,
shouldn't showering by myself be better?"
"But I want you with me."
"Good enough for me." Clark grinned and grabbed their robes
from the hook on the back of his door. "Ready to get clean?"
Lex's response was to stand up and stretch, back arching like a cat's as
he worked the kinks out. "I'm in your hands."
Clark glanced down at his empty hands, then at Lex. "Really? And
here I thought it was my ass that you were in a while ago."
Lex shook his head, groaning laughingly. "And will be again if you
keep that up." His nude body showed the effects of remembering that,
and he looked down at himself, sighing. "I should be used to being in a
perpetual state of semi-arousal by now, I suppose."
"You mean after almost three years, you still aren't used to
it?" He shook his head sadly. "Slow learner."
"Still enjoying it," Lex corrected, moving across the room and
into the arms that opened to receive him.
Clark pulled Lex in for a hug and nuzzled his temple. "And I intend
on both of us enjoying it for the next hundred years or so." Lifting
Lex's robe, he helped the other man into it, then pulled his on as well.
Lex stepped out of the bedroom, in one of those moments of cosmic bad
timing, at the very moment that Jonathan and Martha were walking down the
hall to their bedroom. A tide of color ran up his cheeks as he stared at
them, but he didn't say a word.
Looking somewhat flushed himself, Jonathan looked from Lex to Clark,
noting with approval the happier expression on his son's face compared to
how he'd looked when he'd gone upstairs earlier. "Good night,
boys," he said simply, acknowledgement and acceptance somehow conveyed
in those three words.
Feeling his face heat in a furious blush, Clark managed a strangled.
"Night, Mom, night, Dad," waiting until they walked down the hall
to their own bedroom before pulling Lex into the bathroom and shutting the
door behind them then hiding his face in his hands.
Also a bit uncomfortable since he hadn't planned on rubbing the elder
Kents' faces in their physical relationship, Lex hugged Clark, rubbing his
back. "Sorry, love, I should have thought and asked you to check before
stepping out. I didn't mean to embarrass you."
"I should have thought to check." Clark sighed and looked up,
managing a sickly grin. "But I guess we had to face it some time,
right? Or they did any way."
"Aside from all of us being embarrassed, it was fine. It's not like
they didn't already know after all." Lex let go of him to turn the
shower on, automatically adjusting it to the right temperature.
"No, but..." Clark shucked off his robe, following Lex into the
shower after the older man had done the same, "I don't want to think
about them 'doing it', and I bet they feel the same about me."
"I'm sure you're right. Lionel seems to be unique in his
attitude," Lex added in a mutter, thinking again of the elder Luthor's
former penchant for bedding his lovers. "But they'll be fine, you'll
see. We'll have breakfast in the morning, and it'll be just like
always."
"Except for having to go out to the barn if we want some
privacy," Clark commented, taking the soap and beginning to wash Lex's
chest. "And what was Lionel's attitude aside from being that of an
asshole?"
Somewhat startled, Lex realized that they'd talked about Lionel
remarkably infrequently over the years, Clark and his parents respecting his
obvious desire to forget the man as much as possible. So Clark really didn't
know. "Ah, well, Victoria was not the first to go from my bed to
his."
Clark blinked in surprise. "Were your old lovers all blind as well
as stupid?"
Lex burst into laughter. "Oh, Clark, I do love you," he
murmured fondly.
"I love you too, but what does that have to do with the fact that
your old lovers were all idiots?"
"They weren't idiots," Lex defended them, "just not really
lovers, simply sex partners. And Lionel had more money and power than I
did." He shrugged, dismissing the horror he'd felt the first time he'd
learned of it and his continuing revulsion.
Clark shuddered. "That's just... gross." He leaned in to kiss
Lex to wipe the image out of his mind, his hands still stroking lather over
the other man's body.
"But not an issue any more." Lex kissed him back, standing
still as his lover cared for him. "If he made a move on you, I'd
destroy him, and he knows it. Not that I believe for a second you would have
anything to do with him," he hastened to explain, "but just for
subjecting you to the innuendo."
"If he ever tried, I'd puke all over him before throwing him to the
Pacific Ocean." He looked ill at the thought. "That's just...
sick!"
"And he's not stupid enough to think otherwise." Lex reached
for the shower gel, starting to wash Clark. "Forget about him. It's
best."
Clark let his hands fall to his sides and leaned back against the wall so
that Lex would wash him. "Sorry, shouldn't have brought him up to begin
with."
"You didn't, I did," Lex pointed out, dismissing him. "But
there are other things I'd much rather bring up." His fingers strayed a
little lower.
"Trying to make up for lost time in here?"
"You know me, I like to be thorough." Lex's silvery eyes smiled
at him through his lashes.
"It's one of the things I admire about you," Clark murmured,
sliding a hand over Lex's hip to cup his ass. "You always cover every
base."
"Covering is such fun. Although being covered can be nice too,"
Lex mused, fingers now gliding along the cleft of Clark's ass. "What do
you think?"
"It falls in the same category as filling and stuffing for me."
Saying this, Clark ran a finger up the cleft in Lex's ass, tracing one
fingertip over the tight muscle.
"And turnabout is fair play," Lex murmured, turning
around to face the shower wall and pushing his ass back. "Think you can
figure out something to do with me?"
Clark chuckled. "I know I can." He dropped to his knees behind
Lex, spreading the other man's cheeks apart and flicking his tongue over the
clenched muscle between them. "How'm I doing so far?"
Lex whimpered, spreading his legs wider to give Clark better access to
his body. His hands clenched on the towel bar, holding him upright.
"N-not bad."
"Just not bad?" Even Clark's voice was pouting. "I'll have
to try harder then." He nipped the firm flesh next to his face, then
lapped at his target, pressing the tip of his tongue into Lex's body once
the muscles relaxed.
Lex bit back a moan of sheer pleasure, wanting to see how creative Clark
would get if he held back. "Always g-good to have a goal," he
panted, somehow maintaining an amused tone even as his body thrust back
uncontrollably, wanting more of Clark.
Clark smacked Lex's hip with one hand, then slid his fingers between the
older man's legs to play with his balls. "I'm highly focused," he
commented before licking at Lex's ass again.
"Something that I've always loved about you." He thrust back
sharply. "Damnit, stop teasing! If we run out of hot water before we
finish, I'm going to kill you!" He writhed on the tip of Clark's
tongue, tiny whines of lust falling from his lips.
"And how are you going to explain that to my folks?"
Snickering, Clark blew a raspberry against the curve of Lex's butt, at the
same time rolling his testicles between his fingers. Surging up the other
man's back, he pressed Lex against the wall, arching against him and rubbing
his erection over Lex's ass and lower back. "Sorry, Jonathan and
Martha, I killed Clark because he wouldn't rim me the way I wanted?"
"Bastard!" Lex groused, somehow managing to laugh and moan at
the same time. He squirmed, pinned between Clark's hard body and the wall,
not able to move enough to take Clark inside himself where he wanted him.
"Please," he begged, ass cheeks clenching around his lover's
shaft.
"Politeness gets you everything," Clark murmured, slicking
himself up with liquid soap before pressing inside, groaning at the
glove-like heat surrounding him. "Gets me everything too."
"Oh yes!" Lex pressed back against him, his head falling to
Clark's shoulder as his back arched, taking his lover as deep inside himself
as humanly possible. "Love you, god, more, Clark, please," he
panted, hips twisting in Clark's iron grip, needing to move.
Supporting Lex with one arm, Clark wrapped his other hand around his
lover's erection, pumping his flesh as he rocked in and out of his body.
"Yeah, good, everything," he rasped, biting down on the side of
Lex's neck, concentrating on that rather than the overwhelming urge he felt
to come right then.
Lex shoved a fist against his mouth to muffle his cry when Clark bit and
marked him, his body tensing as the sensations built. He gasped with every
forceful thrust into him, rocking back to meet each one, then cried out
again when Clark bit down again at the same moment as he struck Lex's sweet
spot. He shook in his lover's embrace as he came, his seed spilling over
Clark's pumping hand.
Retaining enough control so that he didn't break the skin where he was
biting, Clark rode out the waves of Lex's climax, circling his hips
shallowly until he felt Lex slump in his arms. At that signal, he arched
forward, letting go and coming deep within the heat of his lover's body.
Resting his come-slick hand against the wall to support them both, Clark
groaned and shifted, feeling his cock slide out of its warm haven.
"Water's getting cold," he muttered, licking at the bruised flesh
on Lex's neck.
"We should probably get out and get back to bed. I still can't sleep
through your father getting up," Lex sighed, still letting Clark
support his weight... and stay between him and the rapidly cooling water.
Reaching for the washcloth, Clark cleaned Lex up then reached for the
spigot, turning the water off so that Lex didn't get splattered with too
much of the coolness. "I think he clomps extra loud outside the door
when he knows you're here," he chuckled. "At least he doesn't come
in and drag you out of bed like he used to do to me."
"Thank god for small mercies!" Lex replied fervently. "I
don't think I could face that first thing in the morning." As he dried
off, he thought about it. "Maybe I should get up tomorrow morning and
make breakfast or something."
Clark grabbed a towel for himself and started to dry off. "Don't you
mean order breakfast?"
"Ha ha. You've admitted that my omelets are great." Lex swatted
him with the towel.
"You want to cook, cook." Clark grabbed the towel and pulled
Lex in to kiss him. "Just let me sleep in."
"Hmm. On second thought, this'll be the first time we can take
advantage of waking up together here. I wouldn't want to miss an
opportunity."
"You're going to get up before my folks do to do that?" Clark's
expression said more than words how likely he thought that was.
"Uh, no. I'll keep you in bed to do that. I think I'll invite them
over for brunch on Sunday. Your mom would probably enjoy a meal she doesn't
have to cook herself."
"As good as that sounds, I don't think Dad will let me 'sleep'
in." Once they had their robes on, Clark opened the bathroom door, and
they padded back across the hall to his room. He pulled on a pair of boxers
and a t-shirt, then flopped on the bed, waiting for Lex. "But brunch
sounds good. Maybe out on that terrace if the weather's good?"
"That I can do. And if you have to get up to help your father, wake
me up first." Lex smiled wickedly. "I can always go back to sleep
afterward."
"What?"
It was his free period, so Clark headed over to The Torch's office to
finish up his article for the year's last issue. Opening the door, he
glanced in and saw Chloe sitting at her computer, apparently staring at the
monitor much as she'd done every day of the past week. "Hey
Chloe," he said quietly, not wanting to startle her. "How's it
going?"
"I'll let you know in a day or so," she sighed. "God,
Clark, this is driving me nuts. If this is so stressful, what'll I do if...
If." She slumped in her chair, head falling back so she was staring up
at the ceiling. "I'm not ready to be a mom, Clark. But the other
options... I don't think I could."
Closing the door behind him, he walked over behind Chloe and rested his
hands on her shoulders. Bending down, he pressed a kiss against her fair
hair. "It's your choice, Chloe," he said quietly. "You know
Lex was serious when he said he'd do anything to help. If you have a nanny,
you and Dave can go to college and do everything you planned on."
"I know but... I keep feeling like I got myself into this mess and I
shouldn't be relying on Lex to get me out of it, you know?"
"He's not really getting you out of it; you'll still have plenty of
sleepless nights and all those good things." Thinking about what he was
saying, Clark winced. "If it even happens."
"God, I wonder if I could sue the condom company," Chloe
sighed. "I do want kids... someday. Just not yet. I don't want to end
up blaming the poor thing for all the things I don't get to do. So yeah, if
it is true, I'll take all the help Lex can give. For all our sakes."
"Do you really want to end up on the news because of that?"
Clark gave Chloe's shoulders a squeeze before pulling a chair up to sit next
to her. "If you are... are you and Dave gonna get married?"
"I can't even think about that. I mean, I know it's better to have a
family and all, but I don't want to get married because I have to. I want...
what you and Lex have. I want that kind of love. It sounds so selfish when I
say that," she groaned. "I think Dave and I could have that
if we have time, but we're not ready for it yet. God, I'm only
eighteen!"
"Yeah, you have to do what you feel is right for you. Just know that
I'll be here for you, and so will Lex, and Dave will too. Whatever you need,
even if it's just someone to hit because you're frustrated." He gave a
small smile. "Hey, the big guy has to be good for something,
right?"
Chloe managed a watery chuckle, turning to hug him. "Thanks, Clark.
I don't know what I would do without you. You're my best friend, you
know."
He wrapped his arms around her, holding on tight. "You are too. I
never forget that, and I never will."
"So does that mean you're going to tell me what's going on with you
and Pete?" She'd noticed the strain between them the last while, and it
had gotten really bad in the last week or so.
Clark sat back, looking at the floor before raising his eyes to meet
Chloe's. "He just... He isn't comfortable with Lex and me, and I'm not
comfortable with him thinking it's wrong, so... we aren't friends any
more."
"Oh, Clark." Chloe moved out of her chair and into his lap to
hug him tightly. "I'm so sorry. I kept thinking he'd come around; I
couldn't believe that he was really that narrow-minded."
He closed his eyes and rested his head against hers for a moment. "I
hoped he would too, but he made it clear what he thinks about me and about
me being with Lex and..." He stopped speaking, his throat closing down
on the words. "I guess this all showed me who my real friends
are."
Chloe kissed his cheek just as a laughing voice demanded, "Should I
be worried about this?" and Lex came around to face them. The amusement
dropped from his face when he saw their expressions, and he instantly
reached for Clark's hand, asking what was wrong.
Keeping one arm around Chloe, Clark tightened his fingers around Lex's.
"We were talking about Pete," he said quietly, doubting he could
keep that from Lex.
"Ah. Would you prefer that I leave?" Lex offered quietly,
knowing that in this instance, Chloe might be able to comfort Clark more.
She too had been Pete's friend, something that Lex had never managed despite
his efforts for Clark's sake.
Clark shook his head, letting go of Lex only long enough to grab him a
chair too. "No, it's a dead end subject, I guess. No point in you
going." He glanced at the clock, then at Lex. "What are you
doing here anyway?"
"The principal asked me to meet her to discuss the timing for the
big event. She also seemed to want to make sure that I wouldn't be driving
myself that day, though she managed not to say it in so many words. It seems
that since you'll be busy, people are assuming I'll drive off a bridge and
not have anyone around to save me," Lex said wryly.
Clark had to chuckle at that. "Well, she does have a point... And
why is she worried about how you're getting to the ceremony?"
"Apparently it would put a damper on the day for all you cute little
kiddies if they have to scramble at the last moment for someone else to give
a speech because I've managed to kill myself."
"Speech?" Clark's eyes widened in horror. "You're giving
the commencement speech? Why didn't you tell me?" He turned to stare at
Chloe. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Uh, Clark, I did tell you. Although admittedly, considering
Chloe's... announcement a few minutes earlier, I suppose you could be
forgiven for forgetting."
Chloe nodded. "He did, Clark."
"When?"
"Right after you showed Chloe your ship."
Clark thought about that for a minute. "Oh. Sorry I forgot, Lex.
Umm, what are you going to talk about?"
Lex shrugged. "The usual. Starting a new life, forging destinies,
making a great future for yourselves and your posterity... oh wait, that's
been done." He smiled faintly.
"Only a million times," Chloe remarked dryly.
"What about tolerance?" Clark asked, giving a wicked grin.
"I'd really prefer not to be stoned at a high school graduation, if
it's all the same to you, Clark," Lex retorted. "Although I
suppose I could go on about the unspoiled beauty of today's youth and how it
will blossom..."
"No!" Clark and Chloe both yelled simultaneously.
Lex snickered. "Oh, I think I have a winner. Hmmm, let's
see..."
"Do it and you'll be celibate the whole time we're on
vacation," Clark growled.
"And I'll print those pictures of you from last Halloween
poster-sized and hang them up at The Talon!"
Lex burst into laughter. "You two have no sense of humor, you know
that? Calm yourselves. My speech is already written, but you're just going
to have to wait till graduation day along with everyone else to hear
it."
Chloe turned in Clark's lap to catch his gaze. "You keep him busy,
and I'll riffle his drawers?"
"I think that's how I'll be keeping him busy."
"Better watch it, Chloe. Clark's very possessive of my drawers. You
might draw back a bloody stump." He stood up, picked Chloe up and
dumped her onto a chair, then took the now vacated spot on Clark's lap.
"And he's not the only one. Mine," he said emphatically.
"Hey! Be careful with her!" Clark demanded though his arms
automatically went around Lex's waist the moment the other man sat in his
lap. Lex rolled his eyes. "Clark, she might possibly be a couple weeks
pregnant. Picking her up and putting her down on a chair is not going to
harm her or any potential offspring. And if you try treating Chloe like
she's breakable, I'm not the one you're going to have to worry about."
He was under no illusions that Chloe would suddenly develop Lana's
personality just because she might be having a baby.
"Actually, I'd prefer to be treated somewhere between 'fragile as
crystal' and 'one of the boys'," she commented, picking up her feet and
resting them in Lex's lap, causing Clark to snicker.
"Chloe, I'll treat you any way you please so long as you stick to
sitting in Dave's lap. This one's mine, and I'm a little possessive of
it," Lex retorted, though the amusement in his eyes let her know that
he wasn't totally serious. In fact, she was probably the only person he
wouldn't growl at for touching Clark, but he'd still rather be the one doing
the touching.
"But Dave would let you sit in his lap," she pouted, trying not
to laugh.
"Which I wouldn't like."
"But I don't want to sit in his lap," Lex pointed
out. "See, Clark doesn't like the idea either. We'll all stick to our
designated laps, and life will flow smoothly."
Chloe looked at the chair she was sitting in. "My lap is in Drama 3
right now."
"Sure you won't share?" Clark asked Lex. "You can each
have a leg if you want."
"Well, I suppose, in the interests of equity," Lex said,
sounding much put upon as he shifted to one side, making room for the
blonde. "Don't say I never did anything for you."
"Would I ever say such a thing to you?" Chloe asked, scooting
over and settling onto Clark's lap next to Lex.
As he slid his arm around Chloe's waist, Clark had to laugh. "I feel
like Santa Claus here."
"Hmmm, anything you want to tell me about you and the elves?"
"No, but I can tell you about Rudolph's red... nose."
"You two!" Chloe laughed, trying to smack them both but ending
up giving them as much of a hug as was possible giving the way they were
situated.
"Thank you for stopping him," Lex said fervently. "I
cannot tell you how much I don't want to be thinking about Santa and
Rudolph." He shuddered. "You are a sick and twisted individual,
Clark Kent." He paused a beat. "Must be why I love you." He
grinned and hugged the other two as well, then blinked.
"Uh, Clark? Are you feeling particularly happy? I only ask because
we might get some odd looks if anyone else comes in and notices the foot or
so of empty air between you and the chair."
"Shit."
"Clark," Chloe said calmly, "you're floating."
"It happens every so often," he sighed. "I've gotten
better at controlling it, but I guess I wasn't paying attention. Hang
on." Biting down on his lower lip, he closed his eyes and was relieved
to feel them settle back into the chair.
Lex tried, he really did, but he couldn't help himself. "You should
be honored, Chloe. Up till now that's only happened when he was dreaming
about me or fucking me."
"Umm, gee, thanks, I think."
"Lex!" Clark hissed, hiding his face against Chloe's back.
"I cannot believe you said that!"
"Well, it's true," Lex replied innocently, smiling sweetly at
his blushing lover. "Besides, it's gotten much harder to make you blush
lately." He chuckled and pried Clark's face up so he could kiss him.
"That just makes you try harder," Clark sighed.
Chloe shook her head and was about to move when the bell rang. "I
won't say the appropriate cliche, but I'm out of here, and you should be
too, Clark. Don't touch the computer, Lex!"
Reluctantly getting out of Clark's lap, Lex watched him get his things
together. "Will I see you later, or do you have stuff to do at
home?"
"Chores, but after that I'm free. Be over around six?"
Lex nodded. "I'll see you then." What with everything that was
going on in preparation for graduation, he hadn't seen all that much of
Clark recently, and it was starting to get to him. He kissed Clark lightly,
not trusting himself to do more, then stepped back. "Go, it would be
silly to screw up and not graduate at this late date."
"Ain't that the truth!" Clark grinned even as he quickly
adjusted his jeans after checking to see that Chloe wasn't looking.
"Calc... right. Time to concentrate, right."
Chloe reached back and grabbed Clark by his backpack strap. "C'mon,
Wonderboy, five more hours and you can float all you want."
Lex snickered. "I'll look forward to it." He waved as they
left, then headed out to his car, pleased with his hit-and-run visit. Both
of them were much more cheerful than they'd been when he'd arrived.
Sighing in disgust, Lex leaned back in his chair, eyes closed and fingers
pinching the bridge of his nose. That was the fourth time he'd run that
simulation, and it was the fourth different answer he'd gotten. At this rate
he might as well invite Lionel to return as CEO. He'd never admit it to
Clark, but moving to Metropolis was going to make things a lot easier on
him. He really should have been more on the spot as Lexcorp expanded, but
he'd been determined to stay with Clark.
His inheritance from Pamela had made it possible for him to stage a
hostile takeover of LuthorCorp only months after he'd barely been able to
swing Lexcorp's startup, and a trust fund from his mother's family had
allowed him to continue his lifestyle, but it was Clark who'd made him
finally enjoy his life. And now he was going to have it all, Clark, wealth,
power... and fun. He smiled.
"Okay, let's try this again." He opened his eyes and started in
surprise. "How long have you been standing there?" he asked Clark.
"Long enough to see that things aren't going well in the land of
corporate America." He set his backpack down on the floor and hopped up
onto the edge of Lex's desk, peering around at the computer screen.
"What's up?"
"I think I'm just tired. I've reached the point of getting a
different answer every time I try this," Lex sighed in frustration. He
rolled his head, trying to unkink his neck. "I think I'm going to do
what I should have done in the first place and send this damn thing to my
assistant. Let him figure it out and report back to me.
"What about you, all set for this weekend?" While they'd kept
the details from him, Lex and Clark's parents had realized that a surprise
grad party wasn't going to work, not if they expected anyone to be able to
attend. Lex was also hoping that Chloe would have something to celebrate by
then, but either way, it would do them all good to relax and have some fun.
Clark slid off the desk and moved around behind Lex, setting his hands on
the older man's shoulders and working at relieving some of the tension he
could feel there. "Ready as I'm gonna be," he chuckled.
"Dad's had me cleaning out the barn. I thought there was some rule
about making a guy help set up his own party?"
"Yup, that he has to do as much of the work as possible so he can
truly enjoy the results." Lex groaned happily as Clark worked some of
the knots out. "You've gotten very good at that, love. Best masseur
I've ever had." It had taken some convincing to make Clark believe that
he wouldn't hurt Lex, but once he had, his strength plus Lex's inclination
to relax around him anyhow had made for some wonderful massages. "I may
have to move into your dorm room myself just to stay close to these
hands."
"If it keeps strange women and men from getting their hands on your
nude body, I'll come over to your place every day and rub you down." He
wiggled his eyebrows lasciviously as he said this. "All over."
"Promises, promises." Lex let his head fall back against Clark,
peering up at him upside down. "Besides, you know perfectly well that
you're the only person who's had their hands on me in three years. Crazy,
jealous alien," he muttered fondly. "But do tell me more about
what you would do to distract me from the legions wanting to get their hands
on me."
"You forgot useful and decorative," Clark grinned, bending down
to plant a kiss on Lex's mouth. "And as far as distracting you
goes," he popped open a button on Lex's shirt and slid a hand beneath
it to stroke the older man's chest, "how about I just keep doing what
I'm doing?"
"I think that might do it," Lex agreed contentedly. "I
won't even remember anyone else exists never mind notice them." He gave
himself up to Clark, closing and pushing the laptop farther away on the desk
while he all but purred under his lover's hands.
"Good." Clark smiled, bringing his hand back up to knead Lex's
shoulders, relaxing himself when he felt the tight muscles loosen under his
palms. "Oh, Mom wanted you to call her--she said you'd know what it was
about--and I'll even leave the room so you can make your plans in
secret."
"Are you planning to leave the state as well?" Lex asked dryly,
knowing perfectly well how far Clark could hear. He had, after all, been the
one to keep him distracted when he was trying to learn how to control his
hearing. He rolled his head, unkinking his neck and relaxing, wanting to
enjoy this a bit longer before calling Martha.
"I'll put on my headphones." Clark's tone was dry, and he
tightened his fingers just slightly to punctuate his point. "I know
when not to listen in, you know."
"I know. I also know you could listen--or not listen--as
easily in the next room as you could from right beside me." Lex turned
his head to brush a kiss against Clark's wrist. "After I'm done, do you
want to go for a swim? Or maybe invite Chloe over? Or do you just want to
laze around and do nothing?"
Brushing his thumb over Lex's cheek, Clark smiled. "It's a little
hard to not listen when I'm sitting right here, so I'll go in the other
room." He went back to massaging Lex's shoulders. "Swimming sounds
good; we haven't done that in a while. Chloe was going over to Dave's, but
we can invite them both if you want."
"If you don't mind. I'm still trying to get the hang of this
friendship thing, but I'm pretty sure that distracting a couple who are
worrying about whether they're about to become parents falls into that
category. Why don't you call them while I'm talking to your mom? They can
come over for a while, then we can have some time for ourselves. Or do you
have to be home early?"
"Will do." Bending in to kiss the top of Lex's head, Clark then
released his shoulders and walked around the desk. "As for tonight, I
just have to be home at the regular time, so we'll have a little quiet
depending on when they leave." He grabbed his backpack and pulled his
cell phone from one of the pockets. "Be back in a few."
"Have I mentioned how much I'm looking forward to our vacation and
this fall when there's no more curfew?" Lex muttered, though he still
looked relaxed. "If you finish up first, call down and get us something
to eat? I think I missed lunch again." He was already reaching for the
phone to call Martha, wondering what had come up. He'd thought all their
plans were finalized; after all, it was only three days till the party.
"Will do," Clark called back through the doorway, already
dialing Dave's number.
"Hi, Martha," Lex said as his lover's mother picked up the
phone. "What's up? Clark said you wanted me to call?" He leaned
back in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk, ankles neatly crossed
as he listened, a tiny part of his attention on the indistinct drone of
Clark's voice from the other room.
"Hello, Lex, and yes, I did. I wanted to get your opinion on
something. Charlene Ross called and said that they wouldn't be able to come
to the party after all. Considering what happened between Clark and Pete, I
think it's for the best, but I'm undecided about telling him now or just
letting him find out later. He'll dwell on it either way, I know, but I
don't want to spoil his last few days of school."
Lex frowned, tongue rubbing absently at his scar as he often did when
deep in thought, and stared at the wall between him and Clark as if he were
the one with X-ray vision. "I think," he said slowly, "that
it would be best not to tell him yet. There's nothing that he could do about
it if he knew now, and it would only reopen the wound. I don't think he
actually expects Pete to come after what happened, but we don't need to make
him think about it until he has to."
She sighed. "That's what I thought too. I hate that this has
happened to them, but I hate the fact that Pete and his parents can't get
over their homophobia more." She sighed again. "Anyway. You are
spending Friday night here, aren't you? We'll have a lot to do in the
morning; I'll need someone to sample the potato salad."
Lex chuckled, his mood instantly improving. "It's a tough job, but
I'll do my best to help out. We wouldn't want to serve anything less than
perfection." They chatted for a few more minutes before Lex hung up and
went in search of Clark.
Hearing footsteps, Clark looked up from the floor where he'd been playing
with Sheri. "Get things settled?" At Lex's nod, he grinned.
"Cool. Chloe and Dave are on their way over. They're bringing pizza; I
said we'd do the drinks, okay by you?"
"Sounds good. They going to be here soon?" Lex's stomach
grumbled, making it clear why he was asking. He dropped down to the floor as
well, joining the game to Sheri's pleasure. She had decided some time ago
that they were both hers, and she was happiest when both men were with her.
"Half an hour or so." As Clark spoke, he tugged at the knotted
rope that was clamped between Sheri's jaws, pulling the dog closer to them.
"So the next question is, do you want to play with Sheri or with
me?" Lex gave him a sultry look from heavy-lidded eyes even as he
tugged on the rope.
Clark snickered even as he felt a familiar stirring in his groin.
"Well, babe, with my superspeed and all, I could be done before
Dave and Chloe get here, but what about you?"
"Ow! Does the phrase 'friction burns' mean anything to you?"
Lex winced theatrically. "I was thinking more of a quickie, but not
after that! Play with the dog. Anything else can wait till later."
"Wimp," Clark laughed, rolling Sheri to her back and rubbing
her belly, sending the dog into fits of delight.
"You burn it, you don't get to use it." Lex smirked at him.
"Mmm, that looks like fun. Wanna rub me later?"
"If you squirm like this, sure." Clark leaned over to kiss Lex,
looking toward the front of the mansion when the doorbell sounded.
"Looks like they're here already; must not have been a line at the
pizza place. Eat first, then a swim?"
Lex's stomach answered for him, making them both laugh. "I think so.
Go let them in." Lex pushed to his feet, eyeing Clark with pleasure.
"Have I mentioned how good you look at my feet?"
"Is this when I say 'Yes, Master' and kiss your feet?" Clark
laughed.
"Sounds interesting to me," Chloe put in from the doorway,
Enrique having let them in. "Hey, Lex, let me in on your training
techniques? I still can't get Dave to do that yet."
"Don't say a word! I don't want to end up like Clark!" Dave
yelped while Clark rolled his eyes at all of them from the floor.
"The abuse I put up with..." Clark sighed, climbing to his
feet, catching Sheri by the collar before she could jump on the newcomers.
"There had better be sausage and peppers on one of those pizzas or you
won't be forgiven for what you just said." In almost perfect
synchronization, Lex and Chloe ducked their heads and peered mournfully up
at him through their lashes while Dave laughed at them all. Two pairs of
blue eyes blinked sadly, and Lex and Chloe each claimed one of Clark's arms,
hanging on to him.
Clark's expression turned mournful. "No sausage and peppers?"
"Forgotten for food again," Lex sighed. "The honeymoon is
definitely over."
Chloe laughed. "Would I dare bring pizza and not have sausage and
peppers? You'd both toss me out on my ass."
"They'd have to go through me first," Dave said grandly,
stopping and fisting his hips in a heroic pose.
"Oooo, that scares me! Lex, save me?" Clark laughed, leaning
against the older man's side.
"From what?" Lex wanted to know, eyeing Dave.
"Look, even Sheri's laughing at him."
"Hey, don't insult Dave!" Chloe ordered. "Only I'm allowed
to do that," she added with a giggle.
"You insult Lex; I can insult Dave!" Clark protested.
"Not if you want pizza!"
"Uh, guys? My house, my rules. Everybody be quiet and hand over
those pizzas or you're all out on your asses." Lex stared them into
silence, then reached for the top box, making a face when he peered inside.
"Oh, Chloe, Hawaiian?"
"Are you going to argue with a woman and her cravings?" she
asked blandly.
"Cravings?" Clark's eyes got wide.
"Geeze, Clark, can't you take a joke? Dave wanted it; you know those
strange California types."
"To know me is to love me," Dave chuckled, closing the pizza
box and almost catching Lex's nose with the edge of the cardboard. "And
if you two don't like it, that leaves more for me."
"You are a very sick man," Lex observed, a small part of his
mind wondering if there was any other person on the planet aside from the
three in the room with him who would dare slam a box shut in his face and
deciding not. He smiled, glad that he'd found such good friends.
"Chloe, he's your boyfriend, you can share that with him and deal with
picking pineapple off pizza. Clark and I will have the other one."
"I'll give it to Sheri," she laughed, petting the dog on the
head when she came over after hearing her name.
Clark shook his head. "Do that and Lex will freak." He grabbed
the boxes from Dave and started walking down the hall toward the pool.
"C'mon slow pokes! We can eat then swim, but not if you don't hurry
up!"
"You might as well," Lex recommended as they all followed Clark
and the food. "She'll beg for it anyways since she loves the
stuff." He grinned down at the dog padding along beside him. "Hey,
Clark," he called, "make sure you don't put the pizza boxes down
too low. Remember what happened last time!"
"Argh! Don't remind me!" Clark laughed, pushing open the door
to the pool house, holding it until the others caught up with him, then
heading over to the table to set the food down. "She ate a whole loaded
pie and then was up all night puking! Had us up all night too, talk about
gross!"
"I still think he was more upset about the loss of the pizza than
dealing with her being sick," Lex murmured confidentially. "If he
ever leaves me, it's going to be for a chef. Or the owner of a grocery
chain."
"Tell us something we didn't know," Chloe laughed, settling
herself into a chair and reaching for one of the paper plates they'd brought
with the pizza. "Okay, where are the drinks?"
"Nag, nag, nag," Clark sighed, walking over to the wet bar to
grab a couple of bottles of soda from the mini-fridge and a bottle of water
for Lex as well. "Dave, how do you stand it?"
"I have certain advantages: I can shut her up," Dave laughed,
glancing at Lex. "I'm sure you understand what I mean."
"Why don't you explain it to me then?" Chloe suggested
dangerously, eyeing her erstwhile boyfriend.
"Now aren't you glad I have so many guest rooms?" Lex
snickered, not seeing any way for Dave to get himself out the hole he'd dug.
Clark laughed as he set the bottles on the table. "So Dave can hide
in them while Chloe tries to find him to strangle him?" he asked,
serving the others their pizza before getting himself two slices.
"No witnesses that way," she murmured. "I can blame it on
a meteor mutant."
"Been nice knowing you, Dave," Lex said calmly, taking a bite
of his pizza and stealing a piece of sausage from Clark's. "Would you
prefer flowers or a donation to your favorite charity?"
Knowing there was no way to win, Dave fell to his knees in front of
Chloe's chair and pressed his head against her legs, staring up at her
soulfully. "Please forgive me, honey? I'm sorry, I'll never do it
again, I swear!"
"Gee, and to think that I always thought never was longer than a
commercial intermission," Chloe snorted. "Get me a slice of their
pizza, and I'll think about forgiving you."
"And what makes you think we're going to share?" Lex wanted to
know. "We're not the ones in trouble." Dave looked from Clark and
Lex, who were plainly ready to do battle for their pizza, to Chloe, then
swallowed hard. "If I die doing this, remember, I did it for you,
baby."
"God! Talk about bad; here, take the pizza!" Clark groaned,
opening the box and handing a slice over to Dave, who proudly presented it
to Chloe.
"And just how are you going to get out of the doghouse now?
That was mine." Lex looked from the slice that Chloe was already
biting into to Clark, eyebrows raised in challenge.
Clark smirked. "Like this." He leaned over the table and kissed
Lex, his tongue making a leisurely journey around the other man's mouth
before sliding over his lower lip as he moved back again to Chloe and Dave's
applause.
"Damn, Kent! Good thing you like boys or us het guys might have some
serious problems keeping our ladies around with you kissing like that,"
Dave laughed, settling into his own seat and digging into 'his' pizza.
Lex blinked at Clark, looking dazed, then blinked again. "Want to
give away any more of my pizza?"
Clark grinned widely. "Nah, I'll just eat it myself."
"Well, as long as I keep getting payments like that. But what am I
supposed to eat?" Lex leaned toward him, one hand now sliding up
Clark's thigh.
"I can think of something," Clark murmured before hearing the
rustle of Chloe's hand in her purse and turning a heated gaze on his two
friends. "Chloe and Dave won't mind borrowing a guest room, will
they?"
"Oh no!" Chloe laughed. "I've missed out on too much over
the last three years. If you two are going for it, we're staying!"
Dave groaned. "God, I've got a voyeur for a girlfriend."
"I think we need to start charging admission," Lex muttered,
though he seemed much more interested in nibbling on the soft underside of
Clark's jaw than in any possible financial benefits.
"Don't knock it," Chloe retorted. "We might learn
something new. This is Lex Luthor after all, whose exploits in the
Metropolis clubs are still legendary."
"And they don't know the half of it," Clark groaned forcing
himself to sit back before he did something he'd really regret, if only
because Chloe would tease him about it forever.
"Coward," Lex muttered, amused. That was the one area where
Clark had held firm for the last few years, never going past a certain point
in public, or even in private if friends were around. To the young man who'd
fucked and been fucked in front of an audience of dozens if not hundreds of
strangers in various clubs in Metropolis, it was... cute.
"Exhibitionist," Clark shot back, picking up his pizza and
taking a bite while the other couple laughed at them both.
"Don't knock it till you've tried it." Lex leaned closer to
steal a bite of Clark's pizza. "As long as no one touches, it can be
hot to know they're watching and getting off on your pleasure." He
smiled reminiscently, the tip of his tongue appearing to moisten his lips.
"Damn, it got hot in here all of a sudden," Chloe breathed,
watching them. Even after three years, sometimes the heat that Clark and Lex
generated took her by surprise.
"Hey! Chill, you two, or I'm going get jealous that my girlfriend is
more interested in you than in me!" Dave complained, tossing a piece of
pineapple at Clark and hitting him on the cheek. Making a face as the warm
fruit slid down his face, Clark grabbed a napkin and wiped the sauce away.
"With manners like that, I can see why! Do it again, Anders, and you're
going in the pool like that!"
Not one to waste an opportunity, Lex licked Clark's cheek clean, then
frowned thoughtfully. "Hmm, I may need to rethink the advantages of
pineapple on pizza. If I pick it all off and put it on Clark, it has
possibilities. What do you think, Clarkbar, you willing to lie still while I
drape you in pineapple chunks and nibble it off you?"
Easily able to picture that, Chloe whimpered faintly. "We may need
one of those guestrooms after all!"
"My girl gets turned on more by the two of you than by me; where's
the justice in the world?" Dave muttered.
"That's because we're just a hell of a lot sexier than you
are," Clark laughed. "And don't tell me she doesn't find you sexy;
I've heard stories!"
"Besides, if Chloe didn't like you better than she likes us, you
wouldn't have your current problem," Lex pointed out delicately.
"Or do you?" He'd tried to be patient, but concern for Chloe had
taken over, and he waited anxiously for the reply.
Chloe shook her head, looking pensive. "Tomorrow. I don't want to
check today and think everything's okay then find out something was messed
up because I did it too early."
Dave moved over beside her, hugging her tightly. "Love you," he
murmured, kissing her gently.
"So, tonight we relax and have fun and don't worry about anything.
Except for the lack of pizza," Lex muttered, eying the box.
"Clark, if that was the last piece you just took, I swear I'll drown
you!"
He blinked, looking totally innocent. "But Lex, you said you liked
pineapple and pizza sauce!"
"Good news!" Clark shouted the second Lex picked up the phone.
"You don't need to pay for a nanny after all!"
"Oh, thank god!" Lex exclaimed, a huge smile breaking over his
face. "Chloe and Dave must be so relieved! I think we need to
celebrate." Then he remembered that it was only two days till Clark's
party. "Well, we'll have an extra reason to party on Saturday."
"Seriously," Clark laughed. "Think Dave and Chloe would
take it as a joke if I bought them a package of super-strong rubbers?"
Lex burst into laughter. "Well, in case they don't, I'm glad you're
invulnerable. Though you may find out first hand how they taste," he
chuckled. His business line rang, and he made a quick apology to Clark so he
could take the call. When he came back a few moments later, he sounded oddly
apologetic.
"Clark... I'm going to have to go to Japan to meet with a supplier.
But I'll be back in time for your party, I promise."
Clark's grin faded away to nothing. "Oh, okay. When are you
leaving?" He knew it had been hard for Lex, running the businesses from
Smallville when he really needed to be in Metropolis, and he understood the
older man's need to travel from time to time, but why did this have to
happen now?
Lex sighed. "Right away. That way I can get the business taken care
of and be back in time for the party. A situation has arisen, and I can't
afford to let it continue. I'm sorry, love, I wanted to be with you for
everything, but I will be back for the party."
Nodding even though Lex couldn't see him, Clark shifted the phone to his
other ear. "I know you will, Lex, and I know you wouldn't go if you
didn't have to. So you get on that plane, kick some righteous butt and get
back here fast, okay? If you don't, I'll end up seeing just how fast I can
swim and come over there and get you."
"That would make for interesting international relations," Lex
observed dryly. "Thanks for understanding. I'll see you on Saturday,
love."
"Kay. Love you and I'll miss you."
Cursing up a storm, Lex broke every speed limit and traffic law--and
possibly some air traffic control regulations--as he drove from the airport
to the Kents' home. Shooting a glance at the clock, he groaned and stepped a
little harder on the gas. Clark's party had started half an hour ago.
"C'mon, mopey, cheer up! He'll be here soon, and besides, aren't we
good enough company?"
Clark managed a grin for Chloe, but it was plain his heart wasn't in it.
"Good food, good music, good friends, who could ask for anything more,
right?" he said, looking around the yard at the spread his parents and
Lex had put on and somewhat amazed at the number of people who had shown up.
Only problem was, Lex wasn't here yet.
Lex pulled into the yard with a squeal of tires and a cloud of dust and
jumped out, looking around frantically for Clark.
"Well, you could always dance with me," Dave laughed, before
frowning. "But then that would leave Chloe alone, and who would she
dance with? Lana?"
"We could always have a threesome," Clark suggested gamely.
Chloe laughed. "Kinky, Kent, and you wish!"
"Hey, can't blame a guy for... Lex!" Giving a whoop, Clark
raced through the crowd, catching his boyfriend around the waist and
swinging him in a circle while kissing him soundly. "You made it!"
Clutching at Clark as he wavered dizzily, Lex returned the kiss, smiling.
"Told you I would. Sorry I was a bit late. We ran into a
headwind." More precisely, the situation in Japan had been a lot worse
than he'd expected, and he'd been negotiating with his supplier much longer
than anticipated. In fact, he'd brought the woman back with him on the plane
so they could complete their deal and still let him keep his promise. Even
now the plane was on its way back to Japan to take her home.
Dark eyebrows furrowed as Clark frowned. "Did you get what you had
to do, done? Lex, if you had to stay, you should have. I mean, that's your
business, you can't blow it off for me."
"I'm Lex Luthor; do you really think I would let anything interfere
with business?" Lex sidestepped the question.
"I'm Clark Kent, the reason some would answer yes to that
question."
"Well, they'd be right," Lex admitted, "but not in this
case. I finalized the deal before I came back." Or at least before I
got off the plane.
Clark still looked skeptical but relented. "God, you're here! Want a
shower? I brought a change of clothes over for you earlier, want to change?
Something to eat? Something to drink?"
"Yeah, a quick shower and change would be good. I've been in these
clothes for about twenty hours. Give me a few minutes, and I'll be back out
to join you." He waved to Chloe and Dave.
Clark moved to follow but was hauled back by the other couple.
"Oh no!" Chloe admonished. "You follow him in there, and
we won't see either of you for the rest of the day!"
"I hate to admit it, but they have a point." Lex paused to pet
Sheri, who'd just discovered his arrival, then headed inside. "Back in
a few," he called back.
Seeing Clark's expression, Dave sighed. "God, you'd think it had
been a year instead of three days. Go dance with Chloe, Kent; I'll find
something to do."
"Don't spike the punch!" Chloe called, grinning as Clark just
shook his head and escorted her onto the makeshift dance area.
"Kind of like old times, eh?" he asked, smiling down at her.
"At least there's no tornado today." She grinned up at him
wryly. "Not that I think you'd go anywhere when Lex is here."
"If I did, I'd take you with me to help save him, unless Dave
objected, of course."
"We could be your Scooby gang. Dave, Lex and I can follow behind,
and Sheri can be Scooby." Chloe snickered. "So Lex would be
Daphne, the pretty one, and I'd be Velma, the smart one."
He snickered at the comparison. "And would Dave and I be Fred and
Shaggy or the reverse? How about I compare us to Buffy and her crew instead?
Lex can be Cordelia."
"And you can be celibate if Lex hears you call him that. I think
he'd be Spike to your Buffy. And he'd probably like the comparison,"
Chloe laughed.
"Gee, Buffy, thanks, dear. Remind me why we're friends? Can't I be
Angel and be all dark and broody and stuff?"
"Clark, you are the least broody person on the planet. Stick with
being the super-powered slayer. Though I guess you'd be Buff instead of
Buffy."
"Watch it or I'm going to give you a hot-foot," he muttered,
before snickering. "So would that make Dave Tara to your Willow?"
As he asked this, he dipped her dramatically over his arm, waggling his
eyebrows at Dave, who was watching from the edge of the open space.
"Okay, Kent, hands off my girl," Dave demanded, joining them.
"Save the moves for Lex; Chloe's taken." He grinned at the other
man, not in the least threatened by Clark and Chloe's friendship.
Clark pouted and straightened Chloe up again. "Man, take all the fun
out of everything..." he muttered before snagging Dave around the waist
and performing the same maneuver on him. "You don't mind, do you,
Chloe? He's just so cute..."
"Kent, if you kiss me, I'm gonna punch you in the nose!"
"I won't like it much either," Lex put in. "I leave you
alone for five minutes and already I'm replaced. Chloe, shall we console
ourselves together?"
"No way!" Clark immediately straightened up, resulting in Dave
on his butt in the dirt and himself with his arms wrapped around Lex.
"Feeling better?"
Chloe bent to help Dave to his feet. "I guess I shouldn't feel bad
about getting dumped by him now that you've had it done to you too."
"I get the feeling that anyone but Lex would end up in the same
situation," Dave replied laughingly. "You'd didn't have to dump me
literally, you know. I didn't need the bruises."
Lex smirked at him. "Better than what I'd do to you for stealing
him."
"Now, now, Lex, no hurting our nice friends," Clark murmured
moving around behind the shorter man and grinning at Dave and Chloe over his
shoulder. "And I'm sure Chloe will kiss the bruises for you."
"Maybe later," she laughed, dusting her boyfriend's back and
butt off.
"Good idea. I'm pretty sure there are laws against that sort of
thing in public. And for the record, I wouldn't have to hurt our little
friend here. Chloe would do it for me." Lex grinned wickedly, starting
to move to the music since Clark was so conveniently positioned behind him.
"Clark would save me," Dave called out even as Chloe turned him
around and kissed him.
"That a hint that you want to dance?" Clark asked, hugging Lex
close as tightly as possible while still allowing for movement. "God, I
missed you."
"Clark, I am dancing. Follow my lead already." Lex
leaned his head back against Clark's shoulder and turned slightly so he
could kiss the underside of his jaw.
"God, they're at it again!"
"Someone turn the hose on Kent!"
"Geez, get a room!"
A chorus of friendly insults and catcalls rose around them, making Lex
laugh.
Clark groaned and shook his head, catching his parents' eyes and grinning
when they didn't look at all sympathetic toward his plight. "Yeah,
yeah, give me a party so I can be publicly embarrassed," he muttered
before shrugging. "What the hell, if you're going to go, go big."
Saying that, he caught Lex's mouth with his, giving him a proper welcome
home kiss.
Surprised and pleased, Lex turned in Clark's arms so that they were
face-to-face, the kiss deepening until the need for air forced him to pull
back slightly. "Mmm, if that's the welcome I get, I may have to go away
more often."
"No fucking way," Clark growled. "Got it? If you have to,
you have to. Just don't make it a weekly occurrence, okay?"
"As if I would," Lex scoffed. "If I had to travel that
often, I'd be stuffing you in my suitcase."
"Might be interesting trying to get me through customs that
way."
"Don't think claiming you were my security blanket would work, huh?
Damn, I guess I'll just have to stay home then. Think you can make the loss
of world travel up to me?" Arms looped around Clark's waist, Lex was
again moving to the music.
Clark chuckled and pulled Lex even closer against him. "I'll do my
best. How about I try to make you see stars later on?"
"It's a date! I do like the way you think." Lex practically
beamed at him, pressing closer still to hide his erection. "You know,
someday I may be able to get through a public event in your company without
a hard-on. Why do I have the feeling that you and I are an exhibit in the
alternate sexuality module of the local sex ed classes?"
"Because we're the most visible example of 'aberrant behavior'
within a hundred miles? No contest," Clark laughed. "And when you
stop getting hard around me, I'll know the magic's gone. Can't have that
now, can we?" he asked, circling Lex's waist with his hands and rocking
against him to the slow beat.
"That just means you have to keep my interest up," Lex said
somewhat breathlessly. "Get back here!" he almost yelped when
Clark took a step back, yanking him firmly back against him. "I'm not
exactly fit for public viewing at the moment, and there are kids here. Why
are there kids here, Clark?"
Clark glanced at the youngsters racing around the perimeter of the
gathering, their mouths and shirts stained from ribs and watermelon juice.
"People do have brothers and sisters, Lex. Those two over there are
Dave's little sisters," he added, pointing to a pair of tow-headed
girls who were trying to entice Sheri to do tricks.
Lex glanced over, wondering if he could pay his dog to distract the kids.
"That family is disturbingly blond. It's not normal." He eyed the
children with suspicion, steering Clark farther away from them.
"How can someone be disturbingly blond? Is it the blond part that's
disturbing or the fact that they're all that way?"
"Both. It's unnatural, as if a Clairol factory exploded on them. And
we all know about the IQs of blonds," he added in a louder tone as they
passed near Chloe and Dave.
"Higher than that of baldies!" Chloe shot back, while Dave
nodded in agreement.
"You're on your own for this one, babe," Clark laughed.
"You started it, after all."
"Well, since this is in honor of your graduation, I suppose I should
go easy on them," Lex mused, smirking into Clark's shoulder. "Go
play, children. Make merry." He waved at them, giving them an indulgent
avuncular smile, hamming it up as he relaxed, his fatigue making him a bit
punchy.
"Wimp!" Dave called even as Chloe pulled him away just in case.
Clark snickered. "I think you need something to eat. Should I even
ask how much sleep you have over the past three days?"
"Sleep? I think I've heard of that. It involves closing your eyes
and being still for a few hours, doesn't it?" Lex made a joke of it,
but he really hadn't had more than a couple hours sleep snatched here and
there while he'd been away. "And yes, food would be good."
"C'mon." Clark let go of Lex with one arm, leaving the other
one around his waist, and walked him over to the long tables that were
groaning with food.
"Welcome back, Lex," Martha smiled, leaning in to kiss his
cheek before reaching into a cooler and handing him a large mixing bowl.
"This is your bowl, just liked you asked for."
Clark glanced down at the potato salad and started to laugh. "That
should do you for fifteen minutes or so."
Lex gaped in disbelief at the bowl he'd automatically taken, then looked
back up to meet Martha's sparkling eyes, and he burst into laughter.
"How on earth did you manage to hide it from Clark?" Smirking at
the younger man, he grabbed a fork and dug in.
"Haha, and to think, I actually missed this while you were
gone."
"I bribed him," Martha laughed. "Strawberry rhubarb pie is
a wonderful enticement."
"Strawberry rhubarb pie?" Lex's head came up like a dog on a
scent, and he looked around. "He didn't eat it all, did
he?" His expression didn't bode well for his lover if the answer was
yes.
Clark ducked his head and edged around behind his mother, figuring that
she was better protection than anything else in the world. "Ummm...
there's angelfood cake with strawberries and ice cream..."
"You ate the whole thing?" Lex glared, looking smug when Martha
stepped away from Clark, not about to get in the middle of that. "You,
Clark Kent, are a pig. You could have saved me some," he grumbled.
"This from the guy hoarding a gallon-sized bowl of potato salad.
Doesn't work, Krillin, not at all." Clark laughed and leaned in to
whisper in Lex's ear. "There's pie for you; you'll just have to wait
until later to get it."
"Mmm, sounds good. I'll have to be especially nice to you to make
sure I get some. Want some of my potato salad?" Lex offered, grinning
as he held a forkful toward Clark.
"Who are you and what did you do to my boyfriend?" Clark
demanded, looking at Lex strangely. "The Lex Luthor I know never
shares his potato salad with anyone."
"I'm trying to bribe you so I can seduce you later. Or convince you
to seduce me." Lex smirked, waving the fork enticingly in front of
Clark. "I only share my food with the ones I love."
Clark couldn't help but blush, knowing his parents were standing behind
Lex, but that didn't stop him from catching Lex's hand and eating the food
off of it. "Works for me, but I'll need more then one forkful - and
that's if you don't crash out the second you lie down later."
"Clark, as tired as I am," Lex admitted, digging into the bowl
and offering Clark another bite, "I probably won't be able to sleep at
all tonight. You'll be the one trying to keep up." Suddenly realizing
how that sounded, he flushed as the Kents looked at him with raised
eyebrows.
"We'll keep them both busy, Mr. and Mrs. Kent," Chloe piped up
quickly. "Hope you don't mind if a bunch of us crash in the loft
tonight."
Martha, who had placed a chip that was loaded with dip between Jonathan's
lips when he'd tried to comment on Lex's statement, smiled. "Just so
long as you don't tear the place down or set it on fire, we don't."
"I think I can keep from doing that," Clark muttered.
"Damn, I must be losing my touch," Lex murmured, deciding he
might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. "I'll have to work on
that." This time Lex ended up with food stuffed in his mouth to keep
him quiet.
"You need a muzzle," Clark sighed, only to flush a deeper red
when Lex grinned around his mouthful of food and waggled his eyebrows.
"Mom, some help here?"
"I'm too busy with your father, dear," Martha laughed, patting
Jonathan on the back as he seemed about to choke.
"They're conspiring against us, Jonathan," Lex managed to say,
swallowing the last of the potato salad Clark had shoveled into his mouth.
"And I don't think we have a hope against them."
Laughing and nodding, Jonathan pulled Martha into his arms, dipping her
back to kiss her.
Chuckling at the expression on Clark's face, Lex put his bowl down and
tugged on Clark's arm. "Let's dance some more."
Clark shook his head but followed obediently along. "I thought you
were starving?" he asked, purposefully bumping into his friend Rob as
they walked back into the group of teens dancing and snickering at the scowl
it earned him. "And don't tell me you want to be dipped like Dad dipped
Mom, okay? The music's all wrong for it!"
"I am starving... just not necessarily for food." Lex
moved back into Clark's arms, feeling the tension slowly seeping out of him
with every touch. "Have I mentioned recently how much I hate that you
can't come with me on these trips?" he sighed, barely aware of what he
was saying as he unwound.
Nodding in commiseration, Clark sighed. "Don't need to tell me that,
I agree totally, but if I went along, I doubt you'd get much business done,
and that's the whole point of the trips." He smiled, and rested his
face against Lex's for a moment. "I'm starving for that too, but,
unlike my birthday party, we can't vanish until later since it's a mixed
crowd."
"I suppose your parents would object if I offered them all money to
leave?" Lex sighed. "Think we could bring the old Roman custom of
orgies back into vogue? Not that anyone else would touch you, but they could
watch if it would get me you sooner." He moved closer, needing to feel
Clark against him from head to toe.
Clark shook his head mournfully, spreading his hands across the small of
Lex's back and kneading his flesh through his shirt. "No can do;
besides, you know Chloe would take pictures if we did that, and Dave would
probably provide commentary on our technique."
"God, they would, wouldn't they," Lex groaned. "My life
was ever so much simpler without friends." He glanced over, seeing
Chloe and Dave dancing together, the two blond heads easy to spot. He
shrugged slightly. "At least I get you later after everyone else has
left.
"But let me guess... after most of these people have left, your best
friends are going to stick around for a private celebration?" Lex bit
back a sigh, imagining extra hours of waiting to be alone with Clark, spent
in the company of Chloe, Dave, Lana, and a few others... though not Pete.
Remembering Clark's expression a few days earlier, he promised himself to
smile and be patient.
"Yeah." Clark looked rueful, hoping Lex wasn't annoyed over the
fact. "Chloe, Dave, Rob, Lana, maybe a few others... We were gonna
crash out in the barn with a cooler and some snacks and recall our glory
days." He hugged Lex close and kissed him. "But after everyone
goes to sleep..."
"Little Clarkie'll wake up?" Lex teased, nibbling on Clark's
chin as they danced. "Just how are you planning to manage this? You're
not exactly quiet, Clark."
Clark snorted. "I'll chew on a corncob to keep quiet. Geeze, Lex,
what did you think? I'd jump you in the loft right next to Lana? I meant we
could sneak out and get back to nature some!"
"And this is the boy who turned ten shades of red the first time I
suggested anything outdoors. I'm so proud of you." Lex smirked at him.
"Yeah, you trained me right well, Mr. Luthor, sir." Clark
arched an eyebrow in a perfect imitation of Lex's expression before sticking
his tongue out at him.
Lex immediately caught and sucked on it, rubbing against Clark as they
danced. "Mmm, was that an offer, Clarkbar?" he chuckled, his hands
resting on his lover's ass.
Ignoring Rob's snicker from behind him where he was dancing with Lana,
Clark grinned. "More like a promise for later, Lexy. Feel like getting
down and dirty in the toolshed?"
"Depends. Are you going to drop me on the tools again? Those handles
are not what I want impaling me."
"I have never dropped you," Clark said indignantly.
"Then how do you explain those bruises on my ass?" Lex wanted
to know, managing to keep a straight face. He knew perfectly well that Clark
would do anything to keep from hurting him in the slightest, but he enjoyed
teasing the other man... and he had been bruised a few times as they
got overly eager.
"Fingers?" Clark asked sorrowfully, knowing that Lex hadn't
minded the marks, but he still didn't like having put them on him.
"Stop that right now! You know perfectly well that I love it when
you mark me." Lex rubbed his leather-wrapped wrist against the small of
Clark's back after working his hand beneath his shirt.
It was Clark's turn to smirk. "I know," he snickered, closing
his eyes and taking a deep breath when he felt the rub of Lex's hand and
wrist against his skin, not wanting to drag him out of there.
Clark caught a flicker of movement off to his side, then the collar of
his shirt was pulled out, and he felt something wet slide down his spine -
something that probably would have felt cold to anyone else on the planet.
Making himself jump and yelp, Clark spun around to glare at the totally
innocent looking duo of Dave and Rob, then at Chloe and Lana who both had
'it wasn't us' expressions.
"Uh, guys," Lex said, "if you think that I want Clark
cooled down... you're wrong! Go concentrate on your own dates and leave mine
alone." He glanced at the two girls. "Come on, ladies, can't you
control the Neanderthals?"
Chloe and Lana shared a look, and both broke into laughter.
"You must be kidding, right?" Chloe laughed.
"Maybe if you loan us Sheri's leash," Lana added.
"Ooo, kinky, Lana," Dave grinned. "I didn't know she had
it in her, Rob."
"Neither did I." Rob ducked when Lana gave him a killer look,
then grinned sheepishly.
"We'll be good," Clark sighed, wiggling his shoulders as if
trying to dry his back before managing to neatly dump the ice cube down
Dave's shirt before the other teen could stop him.
"Hey!" Dave howled, dancing around as he tried to get the ice
out, finally succeeding and giving Clark a dirty look. "You are so
gonna pay for that, Kent."
Lex snickered. "Looked like payback to me and not even with
interest. I'd call it even if I were you, Dave."
"It was Rob's idea," Dave pouted, looking at Chloe, who just
shook her head.
"Then I'll just have to get Rob back later, won't I?" Clark
asked sweetly.
"Sounds like there may be some excitement around here later on.
Should I bother sticking around?" Lex asked, eyeing Clark. "Maybe
you three guys would like to be alone."
"Touch my boyfriend and I'll break your arm, Clark," Chloe shot
back.
"Here, Clark, take Rob," Lana laughed, pushing her redheaded
boyfriend toward Clark.
"Sorry, Rob, only one I want to touch is Lex." Clark lowered
his voice conspiratorially. "He gets really jealous."
"Not exactly a secret, Kent," Rob snorted, eyeing the two men.
"You two are the poster children for rabid possessiveness."
"Hmmm, maybe it's the meteors," Chloe mused, making Lex growl.
"We are not candidates for your Wall of Weird, Miss
Sullivan!"
"Naw, they're candidates for the Wall of Bad Romantic Cliches,"
Dave laughed. "Rich bad boy steals away the poor but sweet farmer's
son."
Lana shook her head. "That's a different version than the romances
Nell had lying around."
"She just buys them in the wrong section of the store," Clark
laughed.
Lex groaned. "Are you telling me that I'm starring in a sappy
romance novel? God, someone kill me now!" Suddenly remembering how
often that had been tried in Smallville, his eyes widened. "Wait, no, I
take that back!"
"Worried some mutant might hear you and take you up on it?"
Chloe asked as she leaned against Dave's side.
Clark looked around quickly before reaching out and rapping on Rob's
skull. "Knock on wood," he explained, seeing the others' perplexed
looks.
"Yes!" Lex replied emphatically. "I've had more near death
experiences since moving to Smallville than in my whole life before that...
and that includes my vacation in Israel! It amazes me that anyone survives
this town."
"We manage," Clark said quickly.
"Somehow," Rob chimed in, hugging Lana to him.
Lex swore that if Lana said one word about her parents, he would scream.
Deciding that discretion was definitely the better part of valor in this
case, he moved back into Clark's arms. "Think we can manage a whole
dance without interruption, or should we run away and hide?"
"They'd find us," Clark intoned sadly.
"You bet," Chloe grinned.
"Are you sure that having them all killed would be bad?"
Lex sighed. "Or I could just have them kidnapped and sold into white
slavery. We could buy them back in a few weeks."
Clark just looked at him.
"Have I mentioned that you never let me have any fun?"
"Significant other abuse," Chloe said sagely.
"You should write an editorial about it in the Torch," Lana
told her while Dave and Rob tried to keep from laughing.
"They're making fun of me again," Lex sighed, dropping his head
to Clark's shoulder. "Aren't you supposed to protect my honor or
something?"
Clark shook his head. "Not when you started it."
"I did not," Lex replied indignantly. "This all started
with an ice cube, and I had nothing to do with that. Hmph. I think I'd be
better off going back to my potato salad."
"If Mr. Kent didn't eat it all," Rob said before breaking into
laughter as Lex spun to look toward the table with the food on it.
"Don't worry, baby," Clark crooned, "I'm sure Mom is
protecting your potato salad."
"You're as bad about that as Clark is about pie," Chloe
commented.
Lex shrugged. "I know what I like, and the Kents produce the best of
everything."
Dave and Rob shared a look over Chloe and Lana's heads.
"Not even gonna touch that, man."
"No way, no how."
"Like anyone wants you to," Clark responded, kissing Lex on the
side of his head in thanks.
"Touching would be a very bad idea," Lex agreed with a
shark-like smile.
"I think Lex had the right idea. Do you want to dance with me, Rob,
or should Lex and I leave you and Clark alone?" Lana asked sweetly.
"I danced with him at Homecoming; it's Dave's turn this time,"
Rob protested.
"Sure!" Saying this, Dave grabbed Clark, and the two of them
performed an impromptu waltz around the others.
"We've been dumped," Lex said mournfully. "Shall we
console ourselves together?" He offered Chloe his hand.
"I think so. Those two are way too fickle. Besides, you could keep
me in the style I want to become accustomed to," Chloe teased, making
Lex chuckle.
Clark sighed. "We just can't win against those two, you know?"
Dave nodded. "I never thought we could."
"Does that mean you're going to behave?" Chloe wanted to know,
while Lex snorted at the very idea.
"I think we should quit while we're ahead, reclaim our men, and
enjoy the party."
"And then enjoy our men?" she murmured wickedly before neatly
cutting in between Clark and Dave.
Lex was still laughing as he moved back into Clark's arms. "I like
the way she thinks," he said in response to Clark's questioning look,
knowing the younger man would have heard Chloe's comment.
"Pervert," Clark responded with a laugh.
Just then, the music changed to a hot Latin beat, and with a smirk, Lex
headed toward the Kents. "Oh, Martha," he called sweetly,
"I'm here to claim my tango!"
"We're heading to bed now, dear. If you all need anything, you know
where we'll be."
Clark nodded and gave his mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"We'll leave the barn in one piece, promise," he grinned. "No
fires inside either."
"That would be appreciated," Jonathan replied dryly.
"Putting you and Lex in a flammable area has been interesting since
your heat vision manifested itself."
"Da-ad," Clark groaned, ducking his head and glad that it was
dark out so that his blush didn't show.
Lex found himself equally glad for the darkness as he remembered the
problems they'd had before Clark got that new power under control. "No
fires of any kind indoors," he promised. "Good night."
"Good night, Lex," Martha gave him a kiss as well. "We're
glad you're back."
Clark waited until his parents walked back toward the house, taking Sheri
with them, then tugged Lex into the shadows of the barn so that he could
kiss the older man like he'd been wanting to all day.
Lex followed willingly, a soft moan of contentment escaping his lips as
Clark's mouth covered his, and he pressed close to his lover's length. When
they paused for air, he murmured, "Are you sure we have to go back
right away?"
"They'll come looking for us if we don't," Clark sighed in
between his exploration of the skin underneath Lex's jaw. "Do you
really want them walking in on us in the middle of things?"
"No." Lex was quite certain of that. Bad enough phones and
Sheri interrupted them at inopportune moments, they didn't need an audience
as well. "Okay, I'll go be sociable, but once they're gone, you're all
mine, Clarkbar."
"If you wait until that happens, it'll be morning. You stay awake
until they all go to sleep, and I'll do the rest."
"Clark? Lex? You two get eaten by a cow down there?"
With a heated look at his lover that promised a lot more than simply
being awake later, Lex started toward the barn, knowing Clark would follow.
They climbed the stairs to see the other four sprawled out on the floor
around old copies of yearbooks, reminiscing about their high school years
and friends who had moved away.
Clark stepped over Dave's legs and settled against the couch, pulling Lex
into his lap as he did so. Glancing at the picture Chloe was pointing to, he
gagged. "Joe-Bob Morton, God, that guy was the biggest asshole! I hear
he's on parole in Missouri somewhere."
"Joe-Bob," Lex replied in disbelief. "You actually knew
someone named Joe-Bob? That alone should be on the Wall of Weird." He
shuddered faintly, hoping to distract Clark from the picture on the next
page, one of Clark, Chloe and Pete laughing together in the Torch office.
"Major caveman attitude," Rob commented. "Hey, too bad
Pete couldn't make it." He groaned as he was elbowed in the ribs by
both Lana and Chloe.
Clark shrugged though he held Lex a little tighter. "Guess he had
something else to do."
Lex stroked Clark's arm comfortingly. "So other than various
deceased mutants, some people actually just moved away like normal people?
How out of character for Smallville."
"People actually want to move away from the Meteor Capitol of the
World, be still my heart," Lana murmured.
"Amazing how we're all leaving for school then, isn't it?" Dave
asked.
"And who's planning on coming back after college?" Clark added.
The resounding silence made it clear that none of them expected their
futures to lie in Smallville.
"It's not just Smallville, you know," Lex said. "A lot of
kids from small towns move away after college. There are more opportunities
in the city unless you're planning an agricultural career."
The teenagers nodded, and Chloe flipped the yearbook to another page.
"Chloe, I love you, but there is no way I'm getting up on the couch
and singing *NSync songs, not even for you!" Dave laughed before taking
a swig of his beer, still snickering.
"Hey, those are the rules," Rob pointed out. "You picked
dare, so you gotta do whatever she tells you to." He snickered.
"Chloe, get the camera ready."
Lex chuckled as well, but he wondered just how much he'd had to drink
that he'd gotten roped into playing Truth or Dare with a bunch of teenagers.
And if he chose truth, they might be getting quite an education before the
night was over.
"Better you than Clark," Lana commented, covering her mouth and
giggling after she gave a lady-like belch.
"Hey! I resemble that remark!"
"The things I do for love - and to preserve said love's
modesty," Dave sighed, getting to his feet and finishing off his beer
before climbing up onto the couch and belting out 'Bye Bye Bye' complete
with the appropriate boy-band dance moves.
"What modesty?" Lex wanted to know, laughing, then ducked
against Clark when Chloe started pummeling him with a pillow. "Ow!"
He tackled her to get her to stop, ending with the two of them in a tangled
heap on the floor, Lex victoriously on top.
"Dave, they're at it again," Clark sighed. "Good thing I'm
not the jealous type."
"Oh, please!" the others chorused.
Groaning, Clark tapped Lex on the shoulder, waiting until he turned his
head to take a picture of him and Chloe. "Gotcha."
"Et tu, Clark?" Lex groaned, disentangling himself from the
blonde and getting up to move back into his lover's lap. "You have a
great future as a gossip columnist." Not giving Clark a chance to
reply, he looked around. "Whose turn is it?"
"Yours!" Rob said quickly. "Truth or Dare."
Lex frowned slightly as he considered it, then shrugged. Either way, he
was pretty sure they'd find a way to get what they wanted from him, and he
was well aware of how interesting his club reputation sounded to teenagers.
"Truth."
"What's the weirdest place you've ever done it?"
"Geez, Rob, ask something interesting," Clark moaned.
Lex groaned mentally, knowing Clark wasn't going to be pleased. "At
the top of the Eiffel Tower."
"The top of the... Whoa!" Both Dave and Rob looked impressed
while Lana and Chloe exchanged amused looks.
Clark shook his head. "I don't want to know. I do not want to
know."
Lex kissed Clark quickly. "Chloe, your turn. Truth or dare?"
"What the hell, truth."
Lex smiled wickedly. "How many people in this room have you ever
been attracted to?"
"Lex..." Clark muttered, glad that he hadn't been asked
that question.
Chloe smiled sweetly. "Four," she answered, not elaborating any
more than that.
The eyes of the five other people in the room widened, and all but Lex
darted glances at each other, wondering which one was the one who didn't
interest Chloe. Lex chuckled, bowing to her slightly. "Pick your
victim, Miss Sullivan."
She looked around the circle slowly. "Clark."
"Oh, Go.. Da-" He winced when Lex elbowed him in the ribs.
"Truth."
"That's my brave boy," Lex murmured, smirking faintly as he
took a mouthful of his beer.
Clark's glare could have melted stone.
"Where and when did you and Lex do it for the first time?" Lana
asked, her inhibitions clearly lowered by the alcohol.
Clark's jaw dropped, and his eyes widened as he blushed furiously. He
would have expected this from Chloe or Rob, but Lana? "Oh,
God..." he mumbled, trying to sink down behind Lex and hide. Lex jabbed
back with an elbow.
"You heard the lady, Clarkbar, now answer the question." He
glanced over his shoulder, not wanting to miss the view of a bright scarlet
Clark.
Clark reached for a fresh beer and chugged half of it down before
answering. "Lex's place, summer after freshman year," he said in a
garbled rush, finishing the beer the second he was done.
Chloe glanced at Lana, and they both frowned. "Saying Lex's place is
like saying the state of Kansas," Lana groused. "Specifics, Clark.
Answer the question properly."
Leaning his head against Lex's shoulder, Clark muttered something in the
older man's ear, trying to ignore the other teens' chortles.
Trying not to laugh, which might get him incinerated on the spot, Lex
managed to repeat Clark's question. "What, exactly, do you mean by
doing it?"
"Use your imagination, Clark. I know I have," Lana replied.
Stunned by Lana's answer, Clark answered without thinking. "First
kiss was in his pool, first blowjobs were by the pool, first time he fucked
me was in his bed, first time I fucked him, same place, and, oh fuck, I'll
shut up now." Beet red, he hid his face against Lex's back, knowing the
other man could feel the heat of his blush through his shirt.
Rob looked at Lana, who was almost as red as Clark. "That was
thorough."
Chloe had to fan herself and drink some of her beer before she could say
anything. "Well, that's just fueled my imagination for a while. Ahem.
Your turn to pick the victim, Clark."
"Don' wanna," he mumbled, still hiding behind Lex.
"In that case," Lex spoke up, "Lana. Truth or dare?"
Not quite trusting the glint in Lex's eye, Lana tossed her hair over her
shoulder and grinned. "Dare."
Pleased that she'd done exactly what he hoped, Lex smirked. "In that
case, I want to see you kiss Chloe. Properly." He darted a glance at
the blonde to make sure she was okay with it, then relaxed when she didn't
seem about to kill him.
Clark peeked out from behind Lex's shoulder to see Lana blinking in
shock. "Hey, that's easy compared to what I just did."
"Let's hope Lana doesn't go as overboard as you did, Clark,"
Dave snickered.
"Afraid of a little competition, lover?" Chloe asked brassily,
shooting a glance at her boyfriend before sitting up straight and waiting
for Lana to do something.
Buoyed by the alcoholic buzz, Lana smirked at Dave. "She did say
four of us earlier, didn't she?" With that, she leaned in and kissed
Chloe long enough that all the guys were staring at them when they broke
apart.
Chloe blinked a couple of times, then leaned back against Dave.
"Definite competition, surfer-boy."
Lex burst into laughter, for the first time really liking Lana.
"Impressive performance." He toasted her with his beer.
"Hey, Lana, you could always kiss Clark next if you want," Dave
shot back.
"Or me, you know; boyfriend? President of the student council? Beat
out for valedictorian by a hundredth of a point by the intrepid reporter
over there," Rob added.
Laughing, Lana moved to straddle Rob's lap and give him an even more
thorough kiss than she'd given Chloe. "Happy now?" she whispered.
"I know I am now that no one's talking about kissing Clark,"
Lex put in.
"Not even you?" It was Clark's turn to pout.
"Only me," Lex clarified, turning to face him, and covering
Clark's mouth in a kiss that made all the others look like ones given to a
maiden aunt.
Chloe fanned a hand in front of her fact. "I think I need a breath
of cool air."
Dave frowned. "I hate to say it, but I think I do too."
Clark's only reply was a sappy grin.
"Wow," Lana murmured, watching the two men. "They
definitely were showing the wrong videos in sex ed at school!" She
squirmed a bit in Rob's lap.
"Get your own," Lex replied. "This one's all mine."
"Mmm hmm..." Clark murmured happily.
"We're back in romance-land again," Rob groaned to Dave.
"Who's next?"
"You are!" the others responded, making him groan.
"Truth," he said quickly, in case anyone got any ideas of
making him kiss one of the guys.
"When was the first time you and Lana kissed?" Chloe asked.
"Second grade," he replied promptly. "I kissed her, Brad
Matts punched me in the eye, and we both got sent home for the day."
"Cop out!" Dave scoffed.
"But it answered the letter of the question if not the intent,"
Chloe pointed out. "We'll just remember that Rob's a wuss and phrase
the question more carefully next time." She shook her head at him.
"So, who's next?"
"Dave's turn again," Clark chuckled, digging into a bag of
potato chips and crunching them down. "Who wants to ask?"
"I will!" Chloe replied instantly. "And you're doing truth
whether you like it or not. Do you get turned on by seeing Clark and Lex
together?" she challenged.
"Is that fair?" Dave whined, looking at the other men for
sympathy and sighing when he didn't get any from any of them.
"I dunno - I guess, in a weird, abstract sort of way. You and Lana
kissing did more for me though."
"Sexist," Chloe sighed. "But don't worry, I won't make you
admit how hot they make you, baby," she cooed, grinning at him.
"Pick the next victim."
"You're all heart," he sighed. "Your turn again,
Clark."
"Dare," he replied before Lex could elbow him again.
"Well, telling you to kiss one of the girls would be really
daring," Dave chuckled, seeing Lex's glare, "but since we got to
watch them, turnabout's fair play as they say. Let's see you really
kiss Lex."
Chloe eyed her boyfriend. "I thought this was supposed to be
something he wouldn't do normally?"
"They kiss in front of us, but they don't kiss, you know. I
want to see what it's really like," Dave shrugged. "And I doubt
you or Lana would be complaining."
"Wake me up if I fall asleep," Rob sighed.
"You two really have way too much interest in our sex life,"
Clark sighed before turning Lex in his lap, and, after a look at the others,
licking his mouth open before taking his lover's mouth in a kiss that left
Lex breathless and himself feeling the same way.
"Okay, yeah, that was hot," Dave admitted. "And it's been
a while since Lex had a turn. Truth or dare, Luthor?"
"You think I can move after that?" Lex laughed.
"Truth."
"I've got one," Lana said quickly, "why Clark?"
Seeing the looks the others were giving her, she elaborated. "I mean
considering how you wanted to get out of here when you first moved here, why
choose someone who would tie you to Smallville?"
Lex looked over his shoulder at Clark, his gaze softening. "What
choice? I fell in love with him. That's not something you choose, Lana, not
when it's real."
"Good answer," Clark murmured, tightening his arms around Lex's
waist and kissing him. "Besides, I jumped him; he didn't have a
chance," he added in a voice loud enough for the others to hear.
"Don't remind him that I'd been trying to seduce him for
months," Lex told the others. "Ignorance is bliss."
"God, don't get started on that again," Chloe groaned, not
wanting to sit through another round of who seduced whom. "Pick the
next person, Lex."
"I think it should be... Chloe." Lex smirked at her.
"Truth or dare, blondie?"
"Unlike some of the chickens in my class, I'll say truth," she
smiled.
"Boys are wimps," Lana laughed, snuggling closer to Rob.
"Excuse me, Miss Lang? Just who took dare last time?" Dave
pointed out.
Lana wrinkled her nose at him and concentrated on stroking Rob's chest.
"Okay, Chloe, have you ever done anything with a girl?"
"Well, this one time, at band camp..." She waited until the
others caught the reference to 'American Pie' and laughed before continuing.
"Not any more than we just did."
"Damn, there go all my teenaged fantasies of the girls getting it on
in the locker room," Dave mourned. "So, who's your victim, Chlo?"
"Boys and their over-active libidos..." She shook her head
sadly. "Not that it's a bad thing, some of the time. Lana, you're
it."
"Overactive libidos?" Clark frowned. "What does she mean
by that?"
Lex snorted. "Like you don't know. Or if you don't consider this
overactive, I don't want to know what is. My ass wouldn't survive it."
He smirked at his blushing lover.
"Okay," Lana said, ignoring Clark and Lex with the ease of long
practice. "Truth."
Chloe arched her eyebrows and leaned forward within the circle of Dave's
arms, unable to resist asking this question. "You asked Lex, 'why
Clark', so I've got to ask you, why not Clark? You had to be blind not to
see how he was drooling over you before Lex came along."
Lana flushed and looked away, taking a long swallow of her beer to
postpone the inevitable. "Because... because I thought he'd still be
there whenever I decided to say yes," she admitted. "And I wanted
the truth about the secrets he was keeping first."
Clark sighed and gave Lana a sympathetic smile, though in truth, he
couldn't quite remember the almost obsessive feelings he'd had for Lana when
he was younger. "Sorry, Lana," he murmured. "I'm not,"
Lex said emphatically, his hand tightening on Clark's in a possessive
display. "Anyone foolish enough to let you get away deserves exactly
what they don't get. Unlike me who gets you." He added the last smugly,
making everyone, Lana included, laugh.
"Do you always get what you want, Lex?" Rob asked, feeling a
bit of his own tension ease when Lana smiled up at him.
"Yes." Lex looked surprised that he'd had to ask. "I
thought that much was obvious by now."
"Sometimes he has to beg though," Clark snickered after taking
another drink.
"Now that I'd pay to see," Dave called.
"I'm definitely taking truth for the rest of the night," Lex
said emphatically.
Chloe burst into laughter. "Ah, come on, Lex, you won't let us
watch? It would be educational."
Lex flipped her off.
"Such a crude gesture from such a gentleman!" Rob gasped.
"He doesn't know you very well, does he?" Clark sing-songed
into Lex's ear before giving in to temptation and nipping at the lobe.
Lex moaned and pressed closer, fingers stroking over Clark's shoulder as
he shivered. "No one does. Only you," he gasped, back arching as
he fought not to beg Clark for more.
Chloe leaned over to Lana. "Five bucks says Clark has him begging if
he does that again."
Lana glanced over at the couple and wet her lips. "No bet."
Dave sighed. "Does it disturb you that your girl gets turned on more
from watching Clark and Lex than by you?" he asked Rob.
"Naw, that's just in public. She's happy with me in private,"
Rob boasted, not about to tell his friend that Lana was still holding out,
even if she had been giving him some signs lately that that might change.
"You know I love you," Chloe laughed, leaning over to kiss
Dave.
Clark chuckled in Lex's ear. "Can't blame them; I get more turned on
by you than either Rob or Dave too."
"Well, that's a relief," Lex said dryly. "I don't think
our bed is big enough for them too. And I'm long past the threesome
stage." He winced the moment the words left his mouth, hoping no one
would call him on them.
Rob eyed Dave. "Should we?"
The blond teen shrugged. "Think it could top the Eiffel Tower
story?"
"Probably not, damn it."
"Good choice, Robby," Lana murmured.
"I've heard about 'em; they weren't that exciting," Clark
added.
Lex didn't say a word, and after a look at him, Chloe didn't point out
that Lex might have toned down the details of his past escapades to make
them sound less interesting to his present-day lover. "Are we still
playing this game?" Lex demanded, trying to get the attention away from
his past. "If so, whose turn is it?"
"Lana went last, so she can ask someone, or do we want to take a
nature break and get more beer?" Clark asked, noting the cooler was
empty.
"Oh, we definitely can't run out of beer," Dave replied
instantly. "But where are we going to get more? No way any of us should
be driving."
"Lex could have some flown in for us, right?" Chloe laughed,
extricating herself from Dave's arms and standing, wobbling a bit before she
got her balance.
"There's more downstairs in the other cooler." Clark wasn't
commenting on the fact that his dad had bought the cases only after his
swearing they weren't going anywhere that night.
"Excellent. Nature break and grab the beer, then Lana can pick the
next victim. You know how to throw a party, Kent," Dave laughed.
Not moving, Lex murmured, "I'm sure we can amuse ourselves for a few
minutes while your friends are gone."
Clark waited until everyone else went downstairs before replying. "Lexy,
I'm fast, but I'm not that fast, not if you don't want friction burns
anyway."
Lex burst into laughter. "That's not what I meant, you lunatic! But
we can have a few minutes of 'heavy petting' before we're interrupted. It's
not like any of them don't know what we do together."
"If you ask me, they're all too interested in what we do when we're
together," Clark answered while picking Lex up off his lap and turning
him around so that they were face to face, chest to chest, groin to groin.
"Maybe I can conk 'em all on the head so they go to sleep, think
that'll work?" he asked, arching up into Lex's weight and nuzzling his
throat.
"Don't tempt me," Lex groaned, pressing down against Clark
hungrily. "As for the other, how many teenagers actually have a
same-sex couple they can see in real life? It's like permanent show and
tell. But can we forget your friends for a few minutes?" He moaned as
Clark bit at his throat, knowing that the younger man was marking him.
"Think they'd notice if I sat in your lap a little differently?"
he laughed shakily.
"Like how?" Clark mumbled around the warm flesh under his lips.
He slid his hands under Lex's shirt, stroking his back and pulling them even
closer together.
"Like you inside me. Can you imagine it, sitting here talking and
all the while your cock is buried in my ass and we're both feeling it,
holding back from coming till we're alone again," Lex rasped.
Clark stiffened, on the edge of coming just from the description and the
feel of Lex moving against him. "Fuck! God, Lex." He was on the
verge of agreeing, but caught himself and took a deep breath to clear his
lust-addled mind. "I want you, but I can't, not like that, not with our
friends here."
"Well, not that I wouldn't have loved it if you'd agreed and I
wouldn't already be sitting on you, but I didn't really think you
would," Lex admitted. "But I hope you know that once we are alone,
you aren't getting any sleep tonight."
"I'm not the one who's been half-way round the world and is running
on pure energy right now, Lexy," he purred. "Once everyone's
asleep, we'll see how long we can hold out."
"I've been celibate for three days, Clark. And we've been talking
about sex for hours. Do you really think that I have the slightest interest
in sleep?"
Clark nodded and pulled back to admire the mark he'd left on Lex's throat
just above his collar. "Good."
"Hey! You two decent up there?"
"Unfortunately, yes!" Lex yelled back, twisting in Clark's lap
so he was leaning on his lover's chest and facing the others as they climbed
back up the stairs into the loft.
"Nice hickey, Lex," Chloe snickered.
"Jealousy will get you nowhere."
"Okay, sounds like Lex should be next," Lana put in hastily.
"Truth or dare, Lex?" She sank back down to the sleeping bag on
the floor with a fresh beer, waiting for his reply.
"Truth, of course. I don't trust you juvenile peeping toms."
"Besides, giving you dares is no fun since you've done it all,"
Dave laughed.
Lana had had time to think about her question when she and Chloe had gone
to the bathroom. "Had you been with guys before Clark or just
girls?"
"Guys, girls, men, women, and some that I wasn't quite sure how to
classify," Lex laughed. "Made it easy for me to recognize
something special when I saw him."
"Slut," Clark chuckled, stroking Lex's chest through his shirt.
"Not that I mind unless they try to touch you again."
"Your turn, Lex." Dave tossed a piece of popcorn in the air and
caught it. "Who are you going to skewer now?"
"Since you spoke up, you of course." Lex smirked at Dave.
"Name your choice."
Dave ate another piece of popcorn and fed one to Chloe. "Truth; if I
had to get up and sing again, I'd fall on my face."
"Well, that could be funny..." Rob said, stopping when Lana
elbowed him.
"Let's see..." Lex mused. "Ah, I know. If you couldn't
have Chloe, and ignoring any existing boy or girlfriends, who would you want
to be with?"
"Reese Witherspoon," he answered without missing a beat.
"Apparently the young men of Smallville are masters of the
copout," Lex said wryly before chuckling. "Though it's probably
wise, considering the young women of Smallville."
"Hey, you didn't say they had to live here," Dave protested.
"Or that you had a chance in hell with them," Chloe snarked.
"I'll be more careful in my phrasing next time," Lex purred,
making Dave's eyes widen nervously.
"Uh, yeah. Lana, truth or dare?" he asked quickly.
"I just went!" she protested. "Ask Rob or Clark!"
"There's nothing in the rules about how long it has to be. But...
one of you guys want to rescue her?"
Lana looked over her shoulder at Rob and he visibly melted.
"Me," he murmured.
"Wuss," Dave muttered. "Okay, truth or dare then?"
Rob shrugged. "Since I'm a wuss, I'll go with dare."
"Okay, I dare you to tell Lana how you really feel about her."
Dave smirked, knowing that the other couple still tried to pretend that they
were more friends than dating half the time.
Clark saw a flash of panic streak across Rob's face and tried to
intervene. "Hey, isn't that more like truth than dare?"
Dave shrugged. "It sounded like a dare to me, but if you've got a
better idea..."
"I love you," Rob blurted, causing the others to stare at him.
"Lana, I mean. I love Lana."
"Oh." Lana stared at him for a long moment until Rob, looking
panicked, started trying to take it back. Then she moved closer to him, slid
her arms around his neck and kissed him. "I love you too," she
whispered when she finally broke the kiss.
"That's so sweet," Chloe murmured, resting her head on Dave's
shoulder.
"Not a word, Lexy," Clark whispered, smiling at the other
couple as he hugged Lex close.
"Not even I love you?" Lex whispered back, smiling. "It's
about time they admitted it. I think they took longer than we did, and
neither of them has to worry about going to jail."
"Or about someone coming after them with a shotgun."
"Mr. Kent did that to you, Lex?" Chloe asked.
"Well, only under meteor influence. But he certainly threatened
it more than once!" Lex sighed, glad again that the awkward, early days
were long over and the Kents accepted him as part of their family.
"But then again, you tried to shoot me under meteor influence, so
it's all excusable," Clark laughed. "Want to play more or go back
to talking about the good old days?"
Lex shrugged. "Majority rules. I'm open to either... just so long as
everyone realizes that there won't be any exhibitions tonight!" he
added with a laughing glance at Chloe.
Various catcalls and boos greeted that remark, and Clark yawned,
stretching his arms up over his head and grabbing a bag of popcorn off the
seat of the couch. "Sick, sick people."
"Which is why we're your friends," Rob answered, finally
looking away from Lana.
"Which is why I'm going to be paying for therapy for years,"
Lex shot back. After stealing some of the popcorn, he looked around.
"So, which is it? More of the game or reminiscing?"
"What were we playing anyway?" Dave asked, only to be pelted
with popcorn and cheese puffs.
"Sounds like one vote to call an end to the game... though
personally I think he's just afraid of what we'll ask him. You have him so
cowed, Chloe," Lex said reprovingly, his eyes sparkling with laughter.
"I'm good, aren't I?"
Dave waggled his eyebrows. "I'll have to agree with that."
"Sounds like it's our turn to demand details about someone else's
sex life," Lex snickered. "So, Chloe, is Dave good too?"
"Is that truth or dare?"
"Why? Are you going to show us?" Clark called.
"Kinky. I've never seen an orgy in a barn. Actually, it sounds like
a porn flick, but hey, don't let me interfere," Lex laughed. "And
answer the question or I'm going to have to assume that he's not and find
someone better for you."
"Chloe!" Dave demanded, outraged.
"Calm down, Diva," she laughed, patting his leg. "He's
good; he's better than good; he's great!"
"Should we start calling him Tony then?" Clark snickered.
"God, someone please just shoot me now!" Dave moaned while the
others all laughed.
"Geez, Lex, who knew you were a matchmaker?" Rob realized,
looking amused.
"I'm not," Lex replied indignantly. "I just watch out for
my friends."
"And watch it, Rob, or we'll start asking you two about your
sex life!"
"Ask us tomorrow," Lana said suddenly, staring down at her
hands after darting a quick glance at Rob.
"Lana?" he asked, shocked, before wisely shutting up.
Clark started to wonder just what they were going to do here in the barn
around the rest of them, but that got him thinking about Rob and Lana having
sex period, and for a moment, he let his mind wander back to the old
fantasies he had had about her.
"You'd better be thinking about me," Lex hissed at him,
shooting a challenging glance over his shoulder. "We'll have to move
some of the hay bales up when we're ready to sleep. We can make dividers
with them." And create the appearance of privacy if not the reality.
And since we're all going to be doing the same thing, I don't think any of
us are going to be overly picky about it.
"If we move that many hay bales up here, there won't be room for
us!" Dave protested, looking around the loft space which was already
crowded with all of them on the floor.
"If we hadn't been drinking, I'd say we could all go over to the
castle, plenty of room there," Clark snickered. "And yes I was
thinking about you," he whispered in Lex's ear, "...
eventually."
"Brat," Lex murmured. "And you know, comfort is good. All
I have to do is make a single call on my cell, and I can have a limo here in
a few minutes to take us back to the castle with separate rooms, queen size
beds, and showers."
"But our folks all think we're here, and so do Mr. and Mrs.
Kent," Rob said, torn between wanting privacy with Lana and the chance
of his parents grounding him for life.
Lex shrugged. "We can leave a note for Clark's parents. I really
doubt that it makes much difference whether you sleep in a barn or a bed.
It's not like we're going to drive or do anything stupid."
"We can take hay bales if you want to feel like you're sleeping out
here," Dave laughed.
"You think you parents would mind, Clark?" Lana asked
hopefully.
He shook his head. "Not if we don't drive, but, Lex, it's three in
the morning; do we want to wake up Enrique and have him come get us at this
time? He's going to be pissy, and you can't afford to give him another
raise."
"God no!" Lex looked horrified at the idea. "I'll call my
chauffeur directly. A bonus will content him." He suddenly thought of
Sheri and reminded himself to have Clark get her in the morning or she'd be
mad at both of them. "So, we moving to the comforts of the
castle?"
Rob looked at Lana, who nodded even as she hugged him. "Looks like
castle it is."
"Gee, sleep on the floor or in a nice, expensive bed, hard choice
there!" Chloe laughed, standing and shaking her head at the mess of
bottles and empty bags around them. I guess we'd better clean up before we
leave though."
"I can get it tomorrow," Clark offered, pulling Lex's phone out
of the jacket he'd draped over the couch arm and handing it to him.
"Go leave a note for your parents while I call," Lex suggested.
"As long as they know where we are, everything will be fine."
Turning away as someone picked up on the other end, he quickly gave orders
for a car to come pick them up, one big enough for six people and their
overnight bags.
"It'll be here in about twenty minutes," he announced, turning
back to the others. "And I have to admit that my bed sounds wonderful
to me compared to a blanket over hay."
"Why do I think you were never a boy scout, Lex?" Rob chuckled.
"Because first I had asthma that made it impossible, and then I was
bald." Lex shrugged, long accustomed to his status as a freak when a
child.
"Hrmmm, and I thought it was because you tried to seduce your fellow
scouts," Chloe grinned, giving Lex a hug.
"Nah, that was the girl scouts. He liked the skirts," Clark
called, climbing back up the stairs. "I left the note on the table and
told them to call if there was a problem, so we should be set."
"Great. Want to wait downstairs for the limo? We're likely to lose
track of time if we stay up here." Lex grabbed his jacket and moved to
Clark's side.
"Head 'em up and move 'em out. Yo mules!" Clark called,
grabbing the girls' bags and leading the way down the stairs.
"Mules, such respect."
"Shut up or he'll make us carry the girls' bags too!" Dave
hissed at Rob as he picked up his own.
"Are you saying that you don't want to help us?" Chloe asked
sweetly.
"Clark doesn't have anything to carry," Dave explained.
"Uh huh. Watch it, David, or you'll be on the floor no matter where
we stay!"
Dave cast himself to the ground at Chloe's feet and peered up at her
adoringly, hands clasped together. "Forgive me, my goddess, I live to
serve you."
She smiled in triumph. "That's how you train them, Lana."
Lana squeezed Rob's hand and shook her head. "Maybe it works for
you, Chloe, but not me."
"I like the pick 'em up and throw 'em over your shoulder routine
myself," Clark offered.
"Don't even think about it!" Lex said warningly, eyeing the
other man narrowly.
"I dunno, could be fun to watch," Dave mused, earning himself
the Luthor glare of death.
"I think we need to lock the doors between us and them once we get
there," Rob murmured to Lana. "They're all nuts."
"Yes, they are!" Lana whispered, watching wide-eyed while Clark
hoisted Lex onto his shoulder and carried him around, leaving Chloe and Dave
in hysterics on the ground.
"One picture and you're a dead woman, Chloe!" Lex yelled as
Clark carted him away.
"Oh, I think I need a poster of this for the dorm room,"
Dave laughed.
Once they were safely in the shadows, Clark set Lex down, his hands
roaming over the older man's body as he did so. "You're a good guy,
Lex," he murmured, wondering if he was going to survive the limo ride
back and thinking it would be so much easier to run them both to the castle.
"Just remember that when I'm sitting in your lap in the limo. You
remember how much I like you and limos?" Lex purred, pressing closer as
he smirked at his lover.
"No. Just... no, Lex, please," Clark whimpered, remembering
their trip to Gotham City and the first time they'd gone clubbing in
Metropolis. "It'll take fifteen minutes to get to your place, then you
can do anything you want with me, just not in front of Lana and Chloe."
"Like Chloe hasn't seen it before. But since I don't want any of us
having to do CPR on Lana, you win. But I'm holding you to that once we're
securely locked in our room."
"I hope you're doing more than holding it."
"Actually I was planning to fuck it till you scream."
Clark swallowed hard. "They're all going to be far away from your
room, right?"
"I'll put them in other wings if it'll make you happy. Of course,
we'll have to send search and rescue parties to find them again," Lex
replied.
"Of course, they'll be busy too, so maybe they won't notice..."
"I doubt any of them would notice if we were all sharing the same
bed. Everyone's pretty focused." Lex grinned as he watched Chloe and
Dave wrap themselves around each other nearby.
Clark suddenly frowned. "Can you make sure there are, ummm, rubbers
in their rooms? I don't want - you know - happening again."
"There always are, in the nightstands and bathroom cabinets. I
consider it part of being a good host. Though guests have to provide their
own partners nowadays. I'm only interested in one person."
"Damn right!" Clark growled and nipped at Lex's lower lip just
as they were lit by the harsh glow of the limo's headlights as it pulled
into the drive.
"Timing is everything," Chloe called.
"And he told me I have to behave in the car," Lex replied
mournfully. "Can you imagine?"
"Cry me a river," Clark sighed, grabbing the bags and helping
the driver load them in the trunk. He wasn't worried that he didn't have
anything; enough of his clothes had migrated to Lex's over the years that it
wasn't a problem, just as the opposite was true as well.
They all climbed inside and arranged themselves, Chloe and Lana on Dave
and Rob's laps and Lex on Clark's. The driver shut the door and headed
around the car to get in and take them back to Lex's.
"Just a few more minutes and we'll be comfortable. Snacks and drinks
are available if anyone's interested," Lex offered, hoping no one would
take him up on it since he thought that if he didn't get somewhere alone
with Clark soon he might scream.
Noting the look that Rob and Lana exchanged and the one Chloe was giving
him, Dave shook his head. "Thanks, Lex, but I think we're all going to
be set once we get there."
"I think privacy's all we need," Rob echoed, much to the
others' amusement.
"Oh thank god," Lex said fervently, getting smiles from
everyone. "You are true friends. And now I won't have to drug your
drinks." That brought a round of laughter, and they all chatted about
nothing during the short drive to the castle.
Once there, Lex showed the other two couple to their rooms, giving them a
quick rundown of which numbers to call to reach the kitchen or him and
managing to point out the condoms discreetly. That done, he bid them all
good-night and practically dragged Clark to their room.
"God, I thought we'd never be alone!"
"Are you saying I'm not worth waiting for?" Clark mumbled even
as he worked at stripping them both out of their clothes, eager to get his
hands on Lex.
"I'm saying I'd rather not have to wait so long, especially after
having been away for a few days," Lex grumbled, then let out a breath
of satisfaction when they were finally able to press their naked bodies
together. "Missed you."
"Missed you too." Impatient for more, Clark picked Lex up and
walked them both over to his bed where he tumbled them down onto the duvet
together. The feel of Lex under him was almost too much, and Clark ground
down hard against his lover's body, the feel of Lex's hardness rubbing
against his a total turn on.
"God, I want you in me, then I want to be in you, then I want to
taste you all over..." he mumbled, licking his way down Lex's throat to
his chest before fastening his lips on one small, peaked nipple.
"Th-that can be arranged," Lex managed breathlessly, his body
twisting under Clark's as he sought more stimulation. His back arched, and
his legs wound around Clark's waist as the younger man teased and tormented
him, making him whine hungrily. "Damnit, Clark, no teasing! I want you
too much. Fuck now, play later," he demanded.
Clark wasn't about to argue that point so he grabbed for the lube,
stretched Lex with lightning speed, and slid home. The tight heat had him
groaning and just wanting to wallow in the feeling, but he knew Lex wanted
it hard and hot this time, so he gave his lover what he wanted. Hips
snapping back and forth, Clark took Lex hard and fast, each stroke a full
length ramming into the other man's body.
"Oh fuck yeah!" Lex groaned, thrusting up to meet every stroke.
"Love you, love this, so fucking good, the best," he rambled, his
body already tensing with his imminent climax. He forced his eyes open,
wanting to see Clark as he came, hazy silver-blue eyes focused on his lover.
"Mmm hmm." Unable to say more than that, Clark gasped,
shuddering, before coming the instant he felt Lex's body clench around him.
"Fuck, oh fuck, that felt good," he rasped, half-collapsing on
top of the older man and licking at a droplet of sweat standing out on his
forehead.
"Mmm, amazing," Lex agreed in a breathless whisper, eyes shut
as he luxuriated in the sensations filling his body. "Sorry I jumped
the line, love, but I promise you can have me in you just as soon my bones
resolidify."
Clark chuckled low in his throat and rolled off of Lex to stretch out on
the bed next to him. "Do you really think I'm going to complain about
what we just did? And you call me a nut!"
"Just checking. You sounded pretty emphatic about the order you
wanted things to happen," Lex replied, rolling to his side so he could
nestle against Clark. He lazily petted his lover, simply enjoying their
closeness for the moment.
"Just so long as it all happens some time tonight, I don't care what
order it is, though licking you all over will probably go best at the
end."
"If you're waiting for me to object, you're going to have a long
wait," Lex replied lazily, even as he reached over Clark for his
t-shirt on the floor, intending to wipe himself off.
Clark snickered and stretched again, catching Lex's wrist once he was
done and pulling the other man on top of him. "Glad to hear it."
He smiled more tenderly and stroked Lex's back. "Did I tell you I'm
glad you're back?"
"Only as often as I said how glad I was to be back. We may not need
constant proximity any more, but I swear I could feel every mile between
us." Lex shuddered faintly.
"I know." Clark nodded wearily. "I had really weird
dreams."
"God, so did I. Sounds like we may need to have another chat with
Jor-El. I thought we were supposed to be past being joined at the hip by
now... not that I mind, under most circumstances," Lex hastened to add.
"Me either. Maybe it goes in phases, or maybe it's because we hadn't
been that far apart." Clark sighed. "I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry about," Lex said fiercely.
"Don't start going all 'I'm an alien, everything's my fault' on me
again." He shook the younger man. "I happen to think that the
benefits of being with you so far outweigh the few drawbacks that they might
as well not exist. Now kiss me, you ridiculous angsting alien."
"I'm not ridiculous," Clark muttered before doing as Lex
ordered. "That's one adjective I don't want."
"How about beautiful, sexy, gorgeous, mine? Like those
adjectives?"
"Much better. Those I'll take."
"And I'll take you." Lex moved a little closer, bracing his
head on his hand as he turned his attention to Clark's chest, first licking
it then blowing on the damp flesh. "Mmm, tasty."
"Damn fast recovery time you have there, Lexy," Clark purred,
arching up under the other man's weight like a cat. "What do they put
in that Japanese food?"
"More to the point is what was missing from my diet... namely
you," Lex muttered as his free hand snaked down to Clark's groin,
petting the soft but rapidly hardening flesh there. "I need my Clark
fix."
Clark gave a laughing groan. "Didn't you just get an injection of
Clark?"
"Ah, but I was in withdrawal. That stopped the pain, but I still
want the high." He bit down sharply on a nipple, knowing that it would
simply arouse Clark. "Or are you saying that you can't keep up?"
Shuddering with pleasure at the feel of Lex's teeth on him, Clark licked
his lips, eyes locked with Lex's. "Do your worst, Lexy; I'll stay with
you every step of the way." He wound a leg over Lex's thighs and rubbed
his calf against the smooth skin.
"I'll do my best instead," Lex purred, stringing a line of
bites along the outer edge of the thin leather collar lying against his
lover's collarbone, then slowly working his way down the center of Clark's
body only to stop when he reached his navel. He'd discovered some time back
that if he bit exactly the right spot with just the right pressure, Clark
was actually a bit ticklish there, and he loved making him jump.
"Le-ex," Clark whined, squirming and trying not to choke when
his laughter mixed with a moan when Lex bit him harder, not hurting him, as
there was no way that could happen, but making him feel the pressure.
"You're teasing me."
"Why, yes, Clarkbar, I am." Lex gave him a sunny smile and bit
him again, making him squirm. "Mmm, very nice," he purred.
"That shimmy looks even better naked in bed than it does on the dance
floor. Think I can make you do it again?" He leaned close, this time
plunging his tongue into Clark's belly button instead of biting him.
Clark whimpered and felt his stomach muscles contract into a solid wall
as Lex's torture sent tremors of pleasure through him.
"Yes, I like that," Lex purred, nipping at the thin skin before
moving down again, bypassing the straining erection to lave the sensitive
skin where his leg met his torso. "You taste so good, salty but a
little sweet too."
"Like kettle corn?" Clark panted, twisting his hips to try and
get his cock closer to Lex's darting tongue.
Lex wrinkled his nose. "That's your taste, not mine. Nasty stuff.
I'd much rather have you. In fact, I think I will." That was all the
warning Clark got before Lex had swallowed him whole, his mouth sliding
right down over him until Lex's nose was pressed to his belly and the head
of his cock was firmly lodged in Lex's throat. While Lex swallowed. Over and
over.
"Lex!" Clark screamed, bucking up off the bed, his hands
fisting in the duvet as he struggled not to come. "Oh God, please. Want
to come with you in me, please, don't... Stop..."
Clark's words finally made it past the lust hazing Lex's brain, and he
paused. In him. Right. Okay. He sat up, lips swollen and glistening with
moisture, staring down at Clark as he moved between the younger man's legs,
pushing them back until Clark caught hold of his own knees and watched him
position himself. Blue eyes met green as Lex pushed forward the barest
fraction of an inch, the head of his cock pressing against Clark's entrance,
hovering there for an instant before popping inside him. Both men gasped
sharply, and unable to resist, Lex pressed forward again, slowly filling his
lover.
Letting out a sigh of complete contentment, Clark let his head fall back
against the pillow, concentrating on the feeling of being stretched and
taken and the sight of Lex over him, causing those sensations.
"Gorgeous..." he whispered, rocking his hips slightly to shift Lex
within him.
"You," Lex managed, hips moving slightly more rapidly now,
unable to maintain the initial lazy pace despite their recent climaxes.
"So good, Clark, only you," he murmured, watching the expression
of pleasure twist his lover's face, needing to see him.
"Uh huh." Letting go of his legs, Clark wrapped his arms around
Lex's body, pulling him closer so that his erection rubbed against Lex's
stomach, painting his skin with streaks of precome. Wanting to hold out
longer this time, he closed his eyes, arching up against Lex with each
stroke, small whimpers and moans escaping his lips.
"God," Lex groaned, shutting his eyes as he fought for control,
the sight of Clark nearly making him lose it. "So fucking
gorgeous," he rasped, lowering his head to capture his lover's mouth,
tongue pressing inside in the same rhythm as their lower bodies.
Clark tried, he really did, but the combination of Lex filling him
everywhere did him in, and, with a low groan that reverberated around his
lover's tongue, he came, wetting both their stomachs with his semen.
Lex lasted through Clark's climax, watching every nuance of his
expression as he came, and he waited until the hazed eyes opened to begin to
move again. Staring into the sated gaze, he groaned as his hips rocked
faster and faster, and he gasped Clark's name as he came.
Savoring the feeling of Lex spasming inside him and loving the complete
trust the other man exhibited when he collapsed on top of him, boneless and
relaxed, Clark smiled and stroked Lex's back. "Get some rest, Lexy,"
he murmured, flipping the corner of the duvet over both of them and kissing
Lex's temple. "You're going to need it once everyone gets up
tomorrow."
"God, I have to face Lana over the breakfast table. And Chloe."
Lex groaned pitifully and buried his face against Clark. "I'm just
going to hide in here. Enrique can let them out."
"Imagine 'em naked," Clark yawned, closing his eyes and
snuggling closer to the other man, falling asleep easily, knowing that Lex
was with him.
Repulsed, Lex almost hit him with a pillow before he noticed that the
younger man was dozing off. Sighing, he shook his head and closed his eyes,
promising himself that under no circumstances was he going to picture Lana
Lang naked!
"...and so, in conclusion, I ask for you not only to challenge
yourselves in the future, but to challenge your beliefs as well. We are the
future; let's make it an open one."
Clark surged to his feet, applauding along with the rest of the
graduating class as Chloe stepped away from the lectern and walked back to
her seat, her speech finished.
The auditorium was packed with graduates, their friends and families, and
it was standing room only in the back. Rob and Chloe had given their
speeches; next was Lex, then the handing out of the diplomas, and that was
it; high school was over. It was an almost scary moment.
Nodding to Chloe as she passed him, Lex waited until the principal
introduced him, then rose to his feet and paced toward the lectern, aware of
every eye on him. "Thank you, Principal Mitchell. It's an honor to be
here today... especially since a few short years ago I was more likely to be
ridden out of town on a rail." He let the polite laughter die down.
"But that just goes to prove how big a difference each and every one of
you can make. If one high school student could reform me, just imagine what
an impact you can have on the world." He grinned and waited for the
wave of genuine laughter to pass, his eyes seeking Clark's.
A rush of love and pride swept over Clark, and he smiled up at Lex,
mouthing 'I love you' as the audience quieted down once again. Once Lex
began speaking again, though, he grinned, and slipped a hand in his pants
pocket, and pulled out a Blow Pop. After quickly unwrapping it, he pulled it
out and popped it in his mouth, grinning when he saw Lex's eyes cut toward
him and then widen.
Feeling his body swell and vowing to get revenge on a certain high school
graduate later, Lex cut his speech short. He had no recollection of what he
said, most of his attention focused on Clark, who every so often would take
the sucker out of his mouth and lick it intently, but he must have made
sense since the applause was more than perfunctory as he returned to his
seat.
Crossing his legs to hide his problem, Lex shot a look at his lover
promising retaliation and pretended to pay polite attention to the remaining
speeches and awards being presented.
Clark had to bite his lip to keep from laughing and quickly stuffed the
sucker back in its wrapper and in his pocket when Principal Mitchell took
the podium again, this time to announce the graduates.
As one the class rose and began to file forward, each walking across the
stage to accept their diploma and shake the principal's hand. The line
inched slowly forward until...
"Clark Jerome Kent."
Beaming, Clark crossed the stage, winking at Lex before he accepted the
folder, looking out over the crowd to spot his parents standing and
applauding.
Watching, Lex felt Clark's pride and joy as if it were his own, and he
smiled, glancing over at Jonathan and Martha to share the moment with them.
From now on, everyone would have to acknowledge Clark as an adult. 'Love
you,' he mouthed when Clark looked back at him, students still moving across
the stage.
Finally, the diplomas were all handed out, and after the principal
welcomed them as Smallville High's newest graduates, they stood and whooped,
tossing their caps in the air and hugging each other.
As the ceremony broke up, Lex moved toward Clark, wending his way through
the crowd, knowing that Jonathan and Martha would be doing the same. Their
eyes met, and they shared a smile, then he had his arms around his lover,
and they were laughing together.
"You did it, Clarkbar."
"They let me loose on the world," Clark laughed, "scary
thought, eh?"
Martha and Jonathan made it to them at that point, and they both joined
in the hug. "I'm so proud of you, honey," Martha exclaimed,
kissing Clark on the cheek, then rubbing away the lipstick that stained his
cheek.
"Congratulations, son," Jonathan said, a hand on his shoulder.
"I can hardly believe that you're a man now; I keep remembering the
little boy we brought home years ago."
Lex hid a grin, having no trouble remembering how adult Clark was.
Clark ducked his head and grinned. "Gee, Dad, that's the same thing
you said when I turned eighteen!"
"It's a good line," Jonathan replied calmly, then laughed.
"Be kind to your old man, son. It's not only mothers who have a hard
time seeing their only chick leave the nest."
"Why am I suddenly picturing Clark with yellow feathers?" Lex
snickered. "Very big bird."
"Where's the love?" Clark moaned, hiding his face in his
mother's shoulder.
"You show respect, dear, you get it," she laughed softly.
Chloe and Dave joined them, hugging Clark, and then Chloe flung her arms
around Lex excitedly, smiling as he hugged her back.
"Congratulations to both of you," Lex said. "Oh, by the
way, Chloe, I got you a little something to celebrate the occasion."
Stepping back, he tossed her a keyring.
She studied the platinum chain and grinned before hugging Lex again.
"It's gorgeous! The Volvo keys will look smashing on it!"
Clark hid his face again and snickered, trying not to give away the
surprise. He looked up in time to see Pete walking by with some of the other
members of the football team and pushed down the sadness when his former
friend didn't even glance his way.
"This might look better," Lex said and tossed her the
electronic key.
Now Chloe looked perplexed. "Lex, this is great, but I don't think
an electronic key will work on an old Volvo."
Lex had to laugh. "Chloe, there are times you prove the blonde
stereotypes. What does it say on the key?"
"Excuse me?" she sputtered before looking down at the logo on
the key. Her eyes widened, and her head shot up so that she could stare at
Lex. "A Ferrari? Are you telling me that a car goes with this
key?"
"And the light dawns." Lex shook his head, chuckling.
"Graduation is a once in a lifetime thing, so I think it's
justified."
"Oh my God!" she shrieked, pushing past her father and Dave to
race out of the auditorium. The shrieks rose in volume when she saw the car,
causing most of the people in the entry area to stare at her curiously.
"I think she liked it, Lex," Clark commented.
"How could you tell?" Lex winced as she shrieked again.
"That's our Chloe, so quiet and demure you can never tell how she
feels."
Dave shook his head. "You gave Chloe a Ferrari? God, how will I live
down the fact that my girl has a cooler car than I do?"
"You'll just have to be nice to her so she'll let you ride in
it," Lex replied heartlessly. "And you'd better go admire her in
it, or you'll be in deep trouble."
Dave nodded and ducked away from his parents, racing outside. "Chloeeeee!
I want a ride!!!!"
"How long do you think I should wait to tell him about the
Porsche?" Lex laughed, leaning into Clark.
"Not too long or he might flood Chloe's drooling on it," Clark
murmured, kissing Lex's temple. "You're amazing."
"No, you're amazing. I'm just rich. That doesn't really mean a whole
lot, though it is fun to give things to friends when they don't expect
it."
"What's amazing is the fact that Clark kept those cars a secret for
as long as he did," Martha laughed, leaning against Jonathan's side.
"I found the right threat to keep him quiet," Lex chuckled, not
elaborating.
"He promised me one of each if I didn't tell."
"What?" both his parents chorused, making Clark break into
laughter.
"Don't worry, I haven't lost my mind," Lex laughed. "I
just mentioned that he'd be sleeping alone for a month if he blew it."
He gave Clark a toothy smile.
Martha arched her eyebrows and looked over at Jonathan. "That's
probably as effective as us telling him no pie for a month."
"Don't mind me while I sink into the floor here," Clark sighed.
"We love you despite your addictions," Lex soothed. "But
we'd better get out there to admire Chloe's car and tell Dave about
his."
"Whoa, Lex," Clark said loudly, pointing toward a dark blue
Porsche, "so this one's mine? Cool!"
"'Fraid not, Clark," Lex replied, playing along as Chloe and
Dave looked over. "This one's Dave's."
"What?!" Dave spun around so quickly he landed on his ass.
"Geez, Lex, everyone gets a car but me," Clark whined.
"You have your truck. And me. Don't be greedy."
"True."
"Who wants the first ride?" Chloe and Dave called
simultaneously.
Lex looked from one to the other and hid behind Clark. "No way I'm
getting in the middle of that," he said emphatically.
"I think Mr. Sullivan needs the first ride with Chloe and Mrs.
Anders with Dave," Martha said quickly.
"Wonderful diplomatic skills," Lex muttered, peering around
Clark's shoulder at her and heaving a sigh of relief when her suggestion was
followed. "Remind me not to do that again," he chuckled. "I
think my life passed before my eyes."
"They would have hated me if I blew up their cars to keep them from
fighting over you," Clark whispered back, waving at Lana and Rob when
they passed by with his parents and Nell.
"We would have had to flee the country," Lex agreed. "Wait
a minute... get them back here!" he said to general laughter.
"I thought the two of you were fleeing the country on
Monday?" Martha commented wryly. "Let them go; this way you can
come back when your trip is over."
"But what if I don't want to give him back?" Lex replied,
glancing up at Clark. "Oh well, it's not like I don't get my daily
fix."
"Lex..." Martha looked stern. "You will bring Clark back,
understand? I know your weakness too, remember."
Clark gasped, looking horrified. "No, Mom, not that! Not... holding
out on the potato salad!"
Bursting into laughter, Lex had to lean on Clark for support to keep his
feet. "You play dirty, Martha," he finally managed. "Fine, I
won't kidnap your son into white slavery... kind of hard to do anyway when
all he has to do is look at me and I fold."
"Clark Kent, Sheri and potato salad, Lex's three weaknesses,"
Jonathan laughed.
Clark snickered. "Could be worse."
"Yeah, it could be money, power, and world domination," Lex
retorted.
"Or wine, women and song."
"I prefer scotch, man, and song."
Martha looked stunned. "You mean you actually like Clark's singing?
If I ever doubted it was true love, it's gone now!"
"Now wait a minute," Lex exclaimed. "I said song,
not Clark's singing. I love you dearly, Clarkbar, but I swear you're tone
deaf."
Clark folded his arms over his chest and pouted.
"Mmm, you look adorable when you do that." Lex turned to face
him fully and caught the protruding lower lip in his teeth, tugging lightly.
Martha shook her head and smiled when Clark immediately wrapped his arms
around Lex and kissed him. "Boys, before you vanish, do you think we
could get some pictures with both of you?"
Lex blinked. "Chloe should take lessons from you. She just starts
snapping away without bothering to ask."
"I'd like something that would be suitable for display,"
she responded, giving both of them the eye.
"Yes, Mom," Clark grinned. "But who's going to take the
pictures so we all can be in them?"
"I would be pleased to offer my services in that regard as well as
my congratulations upon your achievement, Master Clark," Enrique said,
appearing out of the crowd.
Clark's jaw dropped, and he couldn't help but stare at Lex's manservant
as he took the camera out of his mother's hands. "I've never seen him
away from your place," Clark hissed into Lex's ear as his parents
joined them. "I didn't think he could!"
Lex looked at him strangely as they moved into position. "He's not a
ghost chained to a location, you know. And I don't lock the staff in the
dungeon when they aren't working."
Clark blushed. "I know. I just... never thought about it," he
finished lamely.
"Boys, hush and smile for the camera," Martha murmured.
"Cheese," Lex muttered, then smiled, wanting a good picture of
them, of his family. His smile widened at the thought, and his eyes rose to
Clark's face even as he continued to face the camera.
"Cheese," the Kents chorused, arms around each other and Lex as
Enrique snapped the picture, saving the moment forever.
END
since 02-03-07
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