Simply because I’m in a writing frame but can’t write Nano at the moment.
Title: New Beginnings
Author: Fancyspinner
Ladybard@bellsouth.net
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: 13 up
Reality? What’s that!?
Summary: Lex gets out of Prison and Clark is waiting. They talk, stuff starts being resolved.
Disclaimers: Not mine belong to superman holders.
Bruce had told him not to come, but he’d had too. He needed to see Lex just once. He wasn’t sure what it would accomplish because they had said all that needed saying long ago. Then he saw him immerge from the stark building and all rational thought fled.
Lex looked tired and he had dark circles under his eyes. Clark was completely focused on the older man; all his extra senses scanning for anything to give him a clue on what to do, on how to act
He watched Lex look around but no one waited. He held a small duffle bag in one hand his head held high, eyes alert and Clark Kent, superhero, felt more helpless than he had in years.
He moved silently to stand beside the older man and held back a gasp at the emaciated look to the other man’s features. Prison had not been kind to Lex Luther. It had been harsh to a man that had lost wealth and status, harsh to a man that had dealt with cruelty most of his life.
The words that popped out of his mouth reminded him of an awkward farm boy that hadn’t really existed in years and made him blush.
“Hey Lex, need a ride?” Warm smile brightening his features, trying to bridge distance that could probably never be closed, trying to shut out hurt and desolation. A sharp quick jab that made him catch his breath.
“Clark Kent, it has been a while.” Sarcasm, easy and quick, but there was no glimmer of humor for Clark in the hard Blue eyes.
Clark tried not to ache for the days when Lex would have shot him a secret little grin or when he would have known Lex was teasing. It had been years since anything like that had been directed at him. They had fought for too many years and no ease could exist.
He found himself fidgeting. Lex’s eyes raked over his form appraisal and Lust clear.
“So you’re offering me a ride?”
“In my car, Lex!” He blushed again.
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt.” “He strolled off like some king holding court expecting for Clark to follow, witch he did.
Clark’s old truck got a raised brow. “Did you expect a Porsche?”
“Why,” tone measured and cold, “do you still have this thing?”
“A long time ago I had this bald rich guy as a friend and he gave me the truck because I saved his life.” Clark smiled as the engine purred to life.
Clark saw a flash of, something, in Lex’s eyes. It was so brief that he almost dismissed it
But the entire morning was turning out to have a surreal quality to it. Beginning with Bruce’s call imploring him not to go and Pete’s call telling him to just get it over with. Pete who had left a meeting at his law firm to call his still dorky best friend.
“Because, all these years and you’re still more than a little in love with him, because Clark, if you don’t do this you’ll never find any sort of peace.” Clark had opened his mouth to say something but Pete had rolled right over him
“Because your parents should have given you the respect you deserved and allowed you to choose who should know. Because, as much as it hurts, he should have been the one to know, not me. He would have kept you safe and made you happy. “
“Pete,--“
“He loves you. In his dreams he calls out your name!” Clark had dropped the phone and grabbed for it.
“Ok, I think I know what I need to do.” Clark had hung up and left.
He had driven hands shaking thoughts a whirl. And now, here he was and Lex was sitting beside him and all he could do was wonder what to say.
“Lex, would you like to stop somewhere to eat?”
”If you’d like.”
Clark felt frustrated by the dry cold tone. He was trying; couldn’t Lex see that.
“Lex, what can I say to you?”
”When have you answered my questions?”
“I was just a kid, Lex!” It had always been the lying that had hurt Lex, that had driven Lex to extremes. The lies had just become more elaborate until he couldn’t see the way out.
“And when you weren’t? When you were an adult and Smallville wasn’t where we were anymore?” Lex spoke quietly as though any sudden noise would destroy the moment.
“I couldn’t trust you.” Clark found himself blinking away moisture.
“You never did!”
“I did, Lex. God you don’t know how I did, how I tried.” He swerved to the side of the road.
“You never told me the truth!”
“I couldn’t.” He leaned towards Lex his entire body trying to back up his words. His voice was intense quiet.
“What does this matter now? Just drop me off at a motel. I don’t want to have this conversation.”
“No, I won’t do that. It does matter because I needed you but you gave up on me.”
“And you were never there for me!”
“I’m a fucking alien, Lex! They were going to take me away and cut me open and, and cell me!” Clark understood how irrational his fears were but he couldn’t control them.
Lex spluttered out a laugh against his will.
“It’s not funny! You wanted to know!” Lex nodded.
“…. And all the things that happened in Smallville were my fault and you having no hair my fault too! It’s all my fault. Clark only realized he was gripping the wheel too hard when a peace crumbled in his hand.
“Now you know! Are you happy! Are you, Lex? Is it what you wanted to know.”
“Yes Clark, it is what I wanted to know and you know what? I never would have let anyone cut you open.”
“You could have fooled me.” He hadn’t known he was still that bitter.
His emotions were running hi; of course, he had always had strong emotions when it came to Lex. The flinched to his last comment was satisfying on a visceral level. He supposed he wanted to hurt Lex but Pete’s words wouldn’t leave him alone.
“Do you love me, Lex?” He hoped the comment coming out of the blue would force Lex to answer truthfully.
“What?”
“Just answer!”
“Do I love you as a friend? Get serious Clark”” Then a cruel little smile. “As more, There was a time I was so in love with you that I couldn’t see straight.” A sharp ugly laugh. “I even killed for you. Now? You locked me up. You took everything away from me, everything.” Lex was yelling now and Clark couldn’t stop the tears.
He was staring at Lex his eyes shimmering. It was by chance his eyes found Lex’s and the words Lex spoke next devastated Clark.
“And with all that Clark. With all we’ve done to one another, yes, I am still in love with you. I still ache for you. I still wake up calling for you. I hate you in ways I didn’t know were possible and I want nothing more than to turn back the clock.”
“Lex, no you don’t understand.” He couldn’t stop the sob that escaped him. “I wanted to tell you a million times. I even told you at Bell Reeve but-“he closed his eyes Clark suddenly found himself in Lex’s arms.
“Shh. Shh. It’s over! Clark, it’s over.”
“It will never be over.” Clark tried to keep the anguish out of his voice because Lex hated him and loved him and wanted to turn back time.
“Yes it will. Yes, I think it really can be.” There was wonder in Lex’s tone.
“”I didn’t know where I’d go. I had made some ah contacts and I was going to track some people down.”
“God Lex you would have just ended up back in prison.” Clark’s exasperation was something he couldn’t hide.
“You know Clark; through out history people tend to make the same mistakes. Wars are a perfect example. They have always been fought over the same things. Troy? Over a woman Wars over slavery? Countless.” Clark burst into peals of infectious laughter and Lex joined him.
Oh Lex. I’ve missed you so very, very much” and then before he could chicken out, he pressed a quick kiss to Lex’s mouth.
Time seemed to stop and then Lex kissed him back.
“I don’t know where we go.”
“I thought you wanted to eat?”
“You’ll come home with me, right? Just until I see how much of your money Superman can unfreeze.” Lex stared.
“You’d do that?”
“Lex I know you had some businesses that were legal. That’s what I want you to have.” Lex smiled.
“I’d like that!” They shared a smile and Clark vowed to get Pete a very good Christmas present. He had after all,given Clark the chance to right the worse mistake of his life.
End
Copyright November 3rd, 2005 Fancyspinner
I’m obviously on crack. I spent every moment not working writing this. Well it wrote itself I just allowed it to come out through my fingers.