Clex Fanfic: Gravity, Chapter 10
Hey, everyone!
Some more Clex before I go underground for a while, with a side of Chlolle for those so inclined.
Enjoy! :-)
PS: Check out the awesome banner of awesomeness that that ctbn60 made for me!!! Thanks a million, Carol, for doing this for me whilst you're recovering from surgery. I love it, and I shall treasure it always! *hugs* :-D
Title: Gravity
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Clex
Rating: NC-17, this chapter PG13
Warnings: None for this chapter
Timeline: Season 9 (Saviour and beyond)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark’s thinks his relationship with Lex is keeping him grounded - and not in a good way.
Feedback: …makes the world go round :-)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 10
Lex turned to Chloe and fixed her uncertain gaze with an honest one of his own.
“I never hated you, Chloe,” he said decisively. “You may not have been my favourite person in the world, but I never hated you.”
She raised a disbelieving brow. “Never?”
“Well, you did piss me off on occasion, teaming up with Goody Two-Shoes here and costing me millions of dollars in your efforts to thwart my business empire,” he admitted with a wry smile. “But you don’t need me to tell you that you were an irritating little thorn in my side, do you?”
“I admit, we were some really meddling kids,” she said sheepishly. “But I’ve seen today why you’ve had to take a hard-line approach to protect our planet, and I understand.”
“You do?”
“Mmm-hmm. Besides, you’re on Team Good now, so we’re even.”
He grinned. “It never hurts to make new alliances,” he replied.
“True. And, er…” she glanced slyly at the sleeping man in the hospital bed. “Looks like you two have formed a very friendly alliance all your own.”
Lex smiled slyly to himself. He’d known Chloe wouldn’t be able to keep quiet about her suspicions of his and Clark’s relationship.
“If you have something to say, then just say it,” he said bluntly.
Chloe folded her arms. “Very well. Do you love him?”
He answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
She nodded. “Does he love you?”
Lex sighed and reached out to stroke a finger down Clark’s cheek. “He said he does…”
“…but he’s fighting it, isn’t he?” she said with a wry smile.
He nodded, insecurity flickering in his stormy gaze. “He worries he can’t be the hero the world needs if he’s with me.”
She frowned. “Because you’re a man, or because you’re Lex Luthor?”
He gave a mirthless smile. “Probably a combination of both. I haven’t been squeaky clean in my dealings. Clark questions my methods and rightly so. And accepting how he feels about me has been…difficult for him.”
“It’s nothing personal, Lex; it’s just one of the things that makes Clark ‘Clark’,” she assured him. “Aside from the fact that he was raised by purist parents, he has a very strong moral code. Of course he’s going to subject your methods to scrutiny and he’s not going to agree with all of them; but you did what you had to do to save the world, and at the end of the day, he knows that.
“And coming to terms with one’s sexuality is a struggle for everyone, and not just Kryptonians with a saviour-slash-guilt complex,” she added with a smile. “Just give him time to adjust to the reality of who he is and how he feels. He’ll come around.”
He stared at her in surprise. “You’re taking this pretty well,” he said, surprised. “Clark’s sexual orientation, that is.”
She raised her brows and grinned. “Why, you thought I’d be wailing and tearing my hair out?”
He sighed. “Chloe, it’s no secret that you loved Clark for years.”
“Mmm, I did,” she agreed. “Until I realised and accepted that he would never feel the same way about me - and not because of Lana, but because of you.”
Lex’s jaw dropped and he stared at Chloe in wide-eyed shock. “Me?” he exclaimed. “Clark had feelings for me and you knew?”
“I suspected,” she corrected him. “He and Lana were terrible for each other, and they only slept together a grand total of…what was it, three times? Yet he clung to her fiercely regardless. I finally concluded that he was trying to get over his feelings for you.”
He continued staring at her, and finally his lips curved in a sly smile. “I knew it,” he finally said. “Earlier I accused Clark of avoiding you because if you spent five minutes with him, you would know that he and I had been together.”
Her eyes widened as realisation dawned. “Aaah, so that’s why he’s been treating me like a leper for the past few months,” she mused. “I can’t say I’m surprised, though I am disappointed that he felt like he couldn’t talk to me about it. Surely he knows his sexual orientation makes no difference to me.”
Lex nodded. “Which I also told him, but for some reason he likes to feel guilty.”
“Well, you have to work on that with him,” she said with a smile. “You’re his best friend now.”
“I am, aren’t I?” he said, feeling his heart warm at Chloe’s straightforward acceptance of his relationship with Clark. “I would say I were worried about how you’d manage without your best bud, but I think you’ve made other friendships in his absence.”
Immediately she averted her gaze. “What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
He snorted. “Oh, Chloe. Everyone in that room knows you’re doing the dirty with Oliver Queen.”
Her eyes popped open. “What?”
“Yup. The sexual tension between you two?” He wiggled his fingers. “Radiating in waves.”
Chloe blushed bright red. “I guess my secret affair isn’t as secret as I’d hoped or thought.”
“What I don’t understand is why it’s a secret in the first place,” Lex challenged. “You’re both adults, and you like each other’s company. What’s with all the sneaking around?” He folded his arms. “Or is the whole secrets thing just force of habit with you?”
She ignored the obvious barb and sighed. “Oliver and I…this isn’t some epic romance, Lex. We’re just…having fun, and…well, I thought it would be best if we kept it to ourselves lest anyone got the wrong idea.”
He raised a sardonic brow. “So basically, you’re afraid to love again, and you don’t want to get your hopes up by wanting more from Oliver than just a sexual relationship.”
Her shoulders slumped and she folded her arms defensively. “I hate you sometimes,” she mumbled.
He smiled and regarded her with a softer gaze. “How does he feel about you?”
“He, uh…very tender with me,” she said with a shy smile. “Patient and sensitive. And yes, I’m worried that he might be falling for me.”
“And are you falling for him back?”
She hesitated. “I want to, but I…I’m afraid to let myself get close to him,” she whispered. “It’s never worked out for me, so I just can’t take that risk, not again.”
Lex shook his head in wonder. “You and Clark are so damned stubborn with your hearts, it’s unbelievable,” he remarked. “No wonder you get on so well.”
For once Chloe Sullivan didn’t snap back with a sharp retort. She clasped her hands together and looked positively worried.
Lex crouched in front of her chair and took her hands. “Life’s too short to waste it worrying about mundane things, not when you could be in the arms of someone you love, Chloe,” he said seriously. “I nearly lost Clark today. He was bleeding to death in my arms, and the only thing I could think was that I’d wasted so much time, and now I’d never get the chance to love him like I’d always wanted to.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Take some of your own advice, Chloe,” he said sincerely. “Open your heart to the idea of you and Oliver. You could be a great couple, but you have to be willing to try and make it work. Think you can do that?”
She looked uncertain, but she gave him a nod. “I’ll…I’ll try.”
He smiled. “Good answer. I’m sure Oliver will be pleased to hear that.”
“You think so?”
“I’m sure,” he insisted. “He’s right behind you.”
***
Chloe’s eyes widened and she slowly turned around and lifted her gaze to meet Oliver’s.
“Hey,” she said meekly, rising to her feet. “Um…how much did you hear?”
Oliver grinned. “Enough. Did you mean what you said, about having feelings for me?”
She blushed and nodded. “Every word.”
Lex smiled as Oliver leaned forward and brushed his nose gently over Chloe’s. “What do you say we give these two some privacy?” Oliver whispered.
She smiled. “Good idea.” Quickly she crossed to Clark’s side and dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead, and then straightened and turned to Lex.
“Take care of him for me,” she said, and Lex had a distinct feeling there’d been a handing over of the reins with those few words.
“I will.” He fixed his gaze on Oliver, and his eyes narrowed. “You and I have unfinished business,” he said quietly. “But we’ll address that later.”
Oliver gave a brief nod, and he and Chloe exited the room. Lex spent several seconds just staring at Clark, before leaning over and brushing a soft kiss on his lips.
“”I’ve got my work cut out for me with you, haven’t I?” he whispered stroking Clark’s thick, wavy locks. Clark inhaled deeply and relaxed, sleeping on in complete contentment.
Lex smiled and sat beside him, linking his fingers with Clark’s. He’d be here when Clark awoke. After the shock and horror of almost losing him, he would never leave his side again.
***
Chapter 11…
Some more Clex before I go underground for a while, with a side of Chlolle for those so inclined.
Enjoy! :-)
PS: Check out the awesome banner of awesomeness that that ctbn60 made for me!!! Thanks a million, Carol, for doing this for me whilst you're recovering from surgery. I love it, and I shall treasure it always! *hugs* :-D
Title: Gravity
Author: BabyDee
Pairing: Clex
Rating: NC-17, this chapter PG13
Warnings: None for this chapter
Timeline: Season 9 (Saviour and beyond)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to the CW & DC comics.
Summary: Clark’s thinks his relationship with Lex is keeping him grounded - and not in a good way.
Feedback: …makes the world go round :-)
Read previous chapter here.
Read story from the beginning here.
Chapter 10
Lex turned to Chloe and fixed her uncertain gaze with an honest one of his own.
“I never hated you, Chloe,” he said decisively. “You may not have been my favourite person in the world, but I never hated you.”
She raised a disbelieving brow. “Never?”
“Well, you did piss me off on occasion, teaming up with Goody Two-Shoes here and costing me millions of dollars in your efforts to thwart my business empire,” he admitted with a wry smile. “But you don’t need me to tell you that you were an irritating little thorn in my side, do you?”
“I admit, we were some really meddling kids,” she said sheepishly. “But I’ve seen today why you’ve had to take a hard-line approach to protect our planet, and I understand.”
“You do?”
“Mmm-hmm. Besides, you’re on Team Good now, so we’re even.”
He grinned. “It never hurts to make new alliances,” he replied.
“True. And, er…” she glanced slyly at the sleeping man in the hospital bed. “Looks like you two have formed a very friendly alliance all your own.”
Lex smiled slyly to himself. He’d known Chloe wouldn’t be able to keep quiet about her suspicions of his and Clark’s relationship.
“If you have something to say, then just say it,” he said bluntly.
Chloe folded her arms. “Very well. Do you love him?”
He answered without hesitation. “Yes.”
She nodded. “Does he love you?”
Lex sighed and reached out to stroke a finger down Clark’s cheek. “He said he does…”
“…but he’s fighting it, isn’t he?” she said with a wry smile.
He nodded, insecurity flickering in his stormy gaze. “He worries he can’t be the hero the world needs if he’s with me.”
She frowned. “Because you’re a man, or because you’re Lex Luthor?”
He gave a mirthless smile. “Probably a combination of both. I haven’t been squeaky clean in my dealings. Clark questions my methods and rightly so. And accepting how he feels about me has been…difficult for him.”
“It’s nothing personal, Lex; it’s just one of the things that makes Clark ‘Clark’,” she assured him. “Aside from the fact that he was raised by purist parents, he has a very strong moral code. Of course he’s going to subject your methods to scrutiny and he’s not going to agree with all of them; but you did what you had to do to save the world, and at the end of the day, he knows that.
“And coming to terms with one’s sexuality is a struggle for everyone, and not just Kryptonians with a saviour-slash-guilt complex,” she added with a smile. “Just give him time to adjust to the reality of who he is and how he feels. He’ll come around.”
He stared at her in surprise. “You’re taking this pretty well,” he said, surprised. “Clark’s sexual orientation, that is.”
She raised her brows and grinned. “Why, you thought I’d be wailing and tearing my hair out?”
He sighed. “Chloe, it’s no secret that you loved Clark for years.”
“Mmm, I did,” she agreed. “Until I realised and accepted that he would never feel the same way about me - and not because of Lana, but because of you.”
Lex’s jaw dropped and he stared at Chloe in wide-eyed shock. “Me?” he exclaimed. “Clark had feelings for me and you knew?”
“I suspected,” she corrected him. “He and Lana were terrible for each other, and they only slept together a grand total of…what was it, three times? Yet he clung to her fiercely regardless. I finally concluded that he was trying to get over his feelings for you.”
He continued staring at her, and finally his lips curved in a sly smile. “I knew it,” he finally said. “Earlier I accused Clark of avoiding you because if you spent five minutes with him, you would know that he and I had been together.”
Her eyes widened as realisation dawned. “Aaah, so that’s why he’s been treating me like a leper for the past few months,” she mused. “I can’t say I’m surprised, though I am disappointed that he felt like he couldn’t talk to me about it. Surely he knows his sexual orientation makes no difference to me.”
Lex nodded. “Which I also told him, but for some reason he likes to feel guilty.”
“Well, you have to work on that with him,” she said with a smile. “You’re his best friend now.”
“I am, aren’t I?” he said, feeling his heart warm at Chloe’s straightforward acceptance of his relationship with Clark. “I would say I were worried about how you’d manage without your best bud, but I think you’ve made other friendships in his absence.”
Immediately she averted her gaze. “What do you mean?” she asked innocently.
He snorted. “Oh, Chloe. Everyone in that room knows you’re doing the dirty with Oliver Queen.”
Her eyes popped open. “What?”
“Yup. The sexual tension between you two?” He wiggled his fingers. “Radiating in waves.”
Chloe blushed bright red. “I guess my secret affair isn’t as secret as I’d hoped or thought.”
“What I don’t understand is why it’s a secret in the first place,” Lex challenged. “You’re both adults, and you like each other’s company. What’s with all the sneaking around?” He folded his arms. “Or is the whole secrets thing just force of habit with you?”
She ignored the obvious barb and sighed. “Oliver and I…this isn’t some epic romance, Lex. We’re just…having fun, and…well, I thought it would be best if we kept it to ourselves lest anyone got the wrong idea.”
He raised a sardonic brow. “So basically, you’re afraid to love again, and you don’t want to get your hopes up by wanting more from Oliver than just a sexual relationship.”
Her shoulders slumped and she folded her arms defensively. “I hate you sometimes,” she mumbled.
He smiled and regarded her with a softer gaze. “How does he feel about you?”
“He, uh…very tender with me,” she said with a shy smile. “Patient and sensitive. And yes, I’m worried that he might be falling for me.”
“And are you falling for him back?”
She hesitated. “I want to, but I…I’m afraid to let myself get close to him,” she whispered. “It’s never worked out for me, so I just can’t take that risk, not again.”
Lex shook his head in wonder. “You and Clark are so damned stubborn with your hearts, it’s unbelievable,” he remarked. “No wonder you get on so well.”
For once Chloe Sullivan didn’t snap back with a sharp retort. She clasped her hands together and looked positively worried.
Lex crouched in front of her chair and took her hands. “Life’s too short to waste it worrying about mundane things, not when you could be in the arms of someone you love, Chloe,” he said seriously. “I nearly lost Clark today. He was bleeding to death in my arms, and the only thing I could think was that I’d wasted so much time, and now I’d never get the chance to love him like I’d always wanted to.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Take some of your own advice, Chloe,” he said sincerely. “Open your heart to the idea of you and Oliver. You could be a great couple, but you have to be willing to try and make it work. Think you can do that?”
She looked uncertain, but she gave him a nod. “I’ll…I’ll try.”
He smiled. “Good answer. I’m sure Oliver will be pleased to hear that.”
“You think so?”
“I’m sure,” he insisted. “He’s right behind you.”
***
Chloe’s eyes widened and she slowly turned around and lifted her gaze to meet Oliver’s.
“Hey,” she said meekly, rising to her feet. “Um…how much did you hear?”
Oliver grinned. “Enough. Did you mean what you said, about having feelings for me?”
She blushed and nodded. “Every word.”
Lex smiled as Oliver leaned forward and brushed his nose gently over Chloe’s. “What do you say we give these two some privacy?” Oliver whispered.
She smiled. “Good idea.” Quickly she crossed to Clark’s side and dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead, and then straightened and turned to Lex.
“Take care of him for me,” she said, and Lex had a distinct feeling there’d been a handing over of the reins with those few words.
“I will.” He fixed his gaze on Oliver, and his eyes narrowed. “You and I have unfinished business,” he said quietly. “But we’ll address that later.”
Oliver gave a brief nod, and he and Chloe exited the room. Lex spent several seconds just staring at Clark, before leaning over and brushing a soft kiss on his lips.
“”I’ve got my work cut out for me with you, haven’t I?” he whispered stroking Clark’s thick, wavy locks. Clark inhaled deeply and relaxed, sleeping on in complete contentment.
Lex smiled and sat beside him, linking his fingers with Clark’s. He’d be here when Clark awoke. After the shock and horror of almost losing him, he would never leave his side again.
***
Chapter 11…