Title: “The Way To A Man’s Heart…” (1/1)
Author: BradyGirl_12
Pairings/Characters: Clark/Lex
Continuity: Smallville
Genres: Challenge, Fluff, Slice-Of-Life
Rating: PG-13
Art: Morning Routine (
http://clexmas.livejournal.com/123680.html)
Artist:
lapetite_kikiWarnings: None
Spoilers: None
Summary: Lex can’t boil water…right?
Date Of Completion: August 9, 2016
Date Of Posting: August 17, 2016
Disclaimer: I don’t own ‘em, DC and Warner Brothers do, more’s the pity.
Word Count: 1033
Feedback welcome and appreciated.
Author’s Note: Written for the
clexmas 2016 Spring Fling Reverse Bang. Clark patted Bessie, the faithful family cow. He smiled as the cow nudged his hand. “What’s up, girl? You gave good milk today.” Bessie nudged him again and Clark laughed. “You and I are the only ones up, aside from the chickens. Lazy Lex is still in bed.”
The image of a naked Lex slumbering in his bed brought a happy smile to Clark’s face. His mind drifted to the previous night and passionate lovemaking while the stars twinkled through the bedroom window, country quiet underscoring the sounds of mutual passion.
But, of course, Lex was not an early riser if he had no business meeting to attend. Clark was accustomed to getting up with the sun as there were chores to be done on a farm.
Morning was his favorite time of day. He loved the rising of the sun and the way it painted the world with bright, warm colors. The sky would streak with orange, rose-pink, and lemon-yellow as twilight still lingered, stars faintly winking in a pale, violet sky. Birds were greeting the new day with joyful song and a new day promised anything could happen.
Suddenly he sniffed the air. “That’s funny, smells like…” He gave Bessie a final pat. “C’mon, let’s get you out of this barn and out into the sunshine and fresh air while I investigate.”
Clark brought Bessie out to the pasture behind the house and hurried toward the house. As the smells from the kitchen grew stronger, his anxiety grew. He paused to wash his hands at the outdoor faucet and gave the soles of his work boots a quick run through the water, too. He yanked open the back door, the creak alerting Lex to his arrival.
“Good morning!”
“Good morning.” Clark’s anxiety increased as he watched Lex poke sausages in a skillet. Another skillet held strips of crackling bacon while a third featured fresh eggs. “Um, what are you doing?”
“Cooking.” Lex looked very relaxed in jeans and a cobalt-blue sweatshirt.
Clark tugged on his red-checked flannel shirt, walking over to the sink to get a glass of water. “Cooking.”
“Yes, Clark, cooking. You know, preparing food to be ingested, preferably at a proper table with a proper table setting.”
Clark looked over at the table and saw that Lex had already set it with two plates, glasses, and sets of silverware.
Lex turned the sausages over with his fork. He poised his hand over the egg skillet. “Scrambled?”
“Sure.”
“Ha, I thought you’d pick sunny-side-up.”
“Whatever’s easiest for you.” Clark drank the water. “Lex, you can’t boil water.”
“Who says?”
“You do, all the time!”
The bacon popped and sizzled as Lex began scrambling the eggs with a deft hand. He looked like he belonged in the cheerful, yellow-painted kitchen with the cobalt-blue vases on the counter filled with sunflowers and black-eyed Susans, and vines of greenery growing out of pots on the windowsill.
“Exaggeration,” Lex said dismissively.
“Self-preservation,” Clark muttered.
“I heard that.” He gestured with his head toward the counter. “Pick a couple of juicy apples from that bowl and slice them up, will you?”
“Is that your breakfast?”
“Mine?”
“Yeah.” Clark took out a cutting board and knife and chose two ripe, red apples and began slicing. “Your breakfast, if you have any at all, usually consists of fresh fruit and toast. You don’t eat this kind of hearty American farm breakfast.”
“Who says?”
“Is that all you’ve got to say this morning?” Lex smirked as he continued scrambling the eggs. “Seriously, what is going on? You don’t cook. And do not say, ‘Who says?’”
Lex checked on the bacon and sausages. “No big secret, Clark.” He put the strips of bacon on a paper towel to drain on top of a plate. “Don’t you know how to cook?"
“Sure, Mom said I should learn because I love food.”
“Naturally.”
“Hey, you know my metabolism requires a lot of fuel.” Things were a lot simpler now that Lex knew his Secret. “I’m a growing boy.”
Lex snorted. “You’re a good cook. You had a good teacher.”
“A great one.”
“Well, so did I.”
Clark looked at his companion. “Mom taught you?”
“That’s right.” Lex picked up a small jar of red pepper flakes and shook it over the eggs. “Chop up that green pepper, will you?”
Clark began chopping the pepper with sure strokes. “You once said you never set foot in a kitchen unless it was to get to the back door.”
“Hey, life is all about expanding horizons.”
After Clark had finished chopping the pepper, Lex added it to the eggs. Clark then poured orange juice for Lex and cranberry juice for himself.
“So what grade did Mom give you?”
“A + +.”
“Oh, yeah?” Clark’s tone was definitely skeptical.
“You’ll see.”
“Good thing I have, as you have pointed out on several occasions, a cast-iron stomach.”
“Ha, ha.”
Clark took one of the vases off the counter and put it on the table. He helped Lex bring the food to the table and Lex said cheerfully, “Dig in.”
Clark did after a moment’s hesitation. At least it smelled good. His eyes widened as he took a bite of sausage. Soon he was enjoying juicy sausages, crispy bacon, sweet apple slices, and eggs that combined the bite of red pepper flakes and sweet green pepper, making a mental note to ask his mother to combine the two ingredients in the future.
“This is…”
“Yes?” Lex smirked over the rim of his juice glass.
“Amazing, just amazing!”
“A + +?”
Clark chewed a strip of bacon thoughtfully, “Okay, A + +.”
Lex’s expression was maddeningly smug. “Of course.”
Clark rolled his eyes but cleaned his plate. When he was done, he scooted his chair over close to Lex and put his arms around his lover, nuzzling his neck.
“What inspired you to learn how to cook?” he asked breathlessly, his green eyes sparkling.
Lex pretended nonchalance, checking his phone. “Oh, you know the old saying.”
“What?”
“’The way to a man’s heart…”
“…is through his stomach.’ ”
They both laughed and Lex grabbed Clark. They fell off their chairs yelling, “A + +!” all the way.
spaghetti with meatballs