Fiction - Anticipation - R Clark/Lex
Title: Anticipation
Author: GothGirl
Rating: R
Challenge: Written for the CLFF 13 bad sex challenge.
Notes: Thanks to off_that_bridge for all her encouragement. Thanks to off_that_bridge, jfc013 and gothphyle for their beta. All remaining errors are mine. Spoilers for first season. Consider this fiction number one of the 22 I'll be writing for season five.
Disclaimer: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Tollin/Robbins and Millar/Gough Ink own Smallville and its characters. I am just playing.
Summary: Clark finds out Lex likes guys and that sets off his jealous streak that leads to the bedroom. Somebody on LJ had asked for jealous Clark fiction.
Feedback: Yes! Please that would be very nice.
~
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, and Clark didn't have to go to school today. It was noon on Saturday, and all his chores had been finished an hour before. He'd spent that hour lazing in the hammock in his loft, thinking about his new friend.
Just last week, Lex had stopped by the loft to talk to Clark about something. It was the sort of casual visit Clark expected from his close friends. Clark had just met him last fall and already Lex was treating Clark like they had been friends for years. It seemed like they had nothing in common, but something told Clark that they had a lot more in common than either of them realized. That was what had made him decide on impulse to seek out Lex's friendship. He was glad his father had forced him to return the truck. If not for that incident, Clark was sure that Lex Luthor would probably never have talked to him again.
Clark swayed his hips to tease the hammock back into motion. The movement had another effect on him. He glanced down at his crotch, his hand self-consciously drifting down to caress the growing bulge. Lately he'd been overly excitable for no apparent reason. It had begun when Lana had finally started to talk to him. He'd be fine, and then suddenly something would pop up. It always seemed to happen at the most inconvenient moments, but he didn't have time for this today because he had plans.
He swung his long legs over the edge of the hammock and stood, picking up the t-shirt he'd discarded earlier and pulling it on. He paused in front of his full length mirror and turned to the left and then the right. The bulge was way too obvious, so he tugged his shirt down to cover it up just in case he happened to run into his mom or dad on the way out. It didn't really matter though, because by the time he arrived at the mansion, he would probably have tamed it.
The run was just what he needed. Clark loved moments like this when he could hit his fastest speed and not worry about anything at all. His legs blurred underneath him and he pumped his arms hard, hoping that Lex was free to do something. It didn't matter what they did. Clark always had a good time with Lex. He challenged Clark like nobody he'd ever met, always keeping Clark on his toes, and always forcing Clark to think about issues that he'd never even thought about before. Just the other day they'd talked about Roman mythology and Clark had immediately rushed off to the library to borrow as many books on the subject as he could find.
Clark stopped just short of the tree line of the Luthor property. In his excitement he'd almost run at full speed right up to the front door of the mansion. He took a deep breath at the close call and shook his head at his own foolishness.
"Great, let him see you use your abilities," he mumbled to a tree beside him.
Clark smoothed his wind-blown hair and tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans then casually strolled up to the front door. It was already open, probably because of the heat.
He paused and pivoted on the balls of his feet. There was a car in the driveway, a car Clark had never seen. It wasn't the kind of car Clark would imagine Lex driving. This was a big limo-type car. Maybe it was for business, Clark thought as he shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the front door. He practically jogged the rest of the way, a bounce in his step by the time he reached the double doors to Lex's study. One of the doors was wide open.
Clark paused again when he heard voices. He didn't recognize the first voice but the second one belonged to Lex. He hated to interrupt his friend when he was working, so Clark hung back just outside the doors, waiting.
"I don't really think this town is quite my speed," the unfamiliar voice said.
"You'd be surprised. There are some local attractions that have their own appeal," Lex replied.
Clark crinkled his noise and contemplated what local attractions Lex found appealing. He leaned in toward the door, straining to hear Lex's voice.
"Oh?" the other guy said, his tone questioning. Clark didn't want to interrupt, but he didn't want to eavesdrop either. That was rude and his mother had taught him better. He put on his most casual expression and smiled happily, and stepped through the open doorway, ready to act all surprised that Lex wasn't alone. He put on his most casual expression and smiled happily.
Clark imagined that Lex would finish off whatever business he had with this person and then he'd be free for the day. They could play some pool or talk about old dead historical figures. Clark loved to hear Lex expound on world conquerors. It was neat to see that sparkle in Lex's eyes when he talked about something he really enjoyed.
Clark grinned as thoughts of what he and Lex would do together filled his head. He entered the room and looked up with a great big smile on his face and stopped dead, his eyes going wide. Lex stood near the stained glass window. The guy (somebody Clark had never seen before) stood behind Lex and was pressed up against him. Not just pressed up against him, but he was so close to Lex that they could have been...
Clark's mind exploded with thoughts of why this guy was standing so close to Lex. He gulped, and spun around, desperate to get out of the room. They hadn't seen him yet. There was a good chance that Clark could escape before Lex noticed him. Of course if Clark could find the door to escape to, he'd have no trouble making it out before Lex realized that he was ever there, but it seemed as though the door had shifted and Clark scrambled for the exit only to come face to face with the wood paneling of the door. He smashed face first into the double door that was closed. The loud crack of the wood echoed in the large room and Clark spun around to see that Lex was headed right for him.
"Clark, are you okay?" Lex said as he rushed to his side and gripped Clark's elbow.
Clark feigned pain, yelping. He wasn't sure how much pain a normal person would have felt from this kind of accident, but right at that moment the only thought going through his mind was how that guy had been touching Lex's shoulder. It wasn't a platonic touch. It was the kind of touch Clark dreamed about giving to Lana. It looked possessive, too, and Clark did not like that one bit.
Clark reached up to rub his nose. He nodded but somehow he couldn't look up into Lex's eyes. "I'm fine," he mumbled, feeling stupid. "I didn't know you were busy," he added after a short pause. Clark was too embarrassed to look up. He wanted to, but instead he pretended to nurse a bruised nose, and kept his head down, making sure Lex couldn't see his face, which was really hard since he was so tall and Lex was looking right at him. In fact, Lex was trying really hard to look at Clark's face.
Clark managed a quick glance at the door, to make sure he hadn't demolished it (the door was fine), then glanced in the direction of Lex's touchy-feely friend.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lex asked again, lowering his tone, leaning in closer so that his arm pressed right up against Clark. Lex was wearing a really nice shirt that hugged him in all kinds of ways that Clark had never noticed until just this very moment. Clark gulped; a hot flush burned his face as he stared at Lex's left nipple which was peaked and obvious. Clark gulped again and tore his eyes away from Lex' chest. This time he managed to at least glace up into Lex's eyes, and somehow managed to nod and grin.
"I'll live," he said in a low voice. Was that his voice? He hardly recognized it.
That earned him a smile and a pat on the shoulder. Clark followed Lex with his eyes as his friend moved away from him and toward the other man.
"I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine from Metropolis," Lex said. "Clark, this is Karl." Lex's voice was no longer the personal tone he'd taken with Clark. It filled the room as Lex paused near Karl. Clark took in Karl's appearance. He looked about Lex's age. Karl was tall and slim with short dark wavy hair, and deep blue eyes. He wore a pair of dark gray slacks and a white dress shirt. He smiled politely and approached Clark with his hand out.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Karl said as they shook hands. Karl's hand was clammy and Clark had to practically yank his own hand out of Karl's firm grip.
Clark didn't smile back. Instead he turned slightly away from Karl and surreptitiously wiped his hand on his own shirt. He peeked out of the corner of his eyes to make sure Karl hadn't noticed, but Karl had already turned away from Clark and was leaning close to Lex. They were only a few feet away from Clark and he could see Karl's hand come up to caress Lex's shoulder as he whispered something into Lex's ear.
Lex grinned and the tips of his ears turned pink. Clark couldn't move as Karl headed for the door barely acknowledging a good-bye in Clark's direction.
He hated this guy. How could this guy be so rude? How could Lex not notice? At least it seemed like Lex hadn't noticed.
As soon as Karl was gone, Lex walked over to the wet bar and pulled two blue bottles of water from the fridge.
"He had to rush off," Lex explained as he handed one of the bottles to Clark and cracked the other one open for himself. Clark watched as Lex grinned and tilted the bottle up to take a big gulp. He looked down at his own bottle, unsure what to do or say.
Clark's heart was pounding in his chest over what had just happened. He just smiled brightly and bit his lip so he wouldn't blurt out how happy he was at the fact that this person from Lex's past had left as soon as Clark had arrived.
~
The weekend went by in the blink of an eye. Clark spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon over at the mansion with Lex. They either played endless games of pool or Clark listened intently as Lex lectured untiringly on whatever topic Clark had asked Lex about that day. He was content until Sunday late afternoon when Lex's servant escorted a man into the study where Lex and Clark were busy playing a game of chess.
Clark has asked Lex to teach him the finer points of the complex game and Lex had obliged, never once seeming to tire of Clark's endless questions and interruptions. They'd just started their third game when the double doors swung open, Lex's servant announced a Mr. Trent, and a tall, lean well-dressed man was escorted in, interrupting the amazing moment Clark was sure he and Lex were just about to have. Lex had just reached out and picked up a pawn to demonstrate en passant.
As soon as Mr. Trent walked in Lex set the pawn down and stood up a wide smile on his face. Lex walked over to clasp Mr. Trent's hand and vigorously shake it. "Brian, you're early."
Clark, unsure of what to do or say, sat quietly as Brian pulled Lex into a hug. Lex did not pull away. He watched as the hug seemed to go on forever. Lex never hugged anybody else but Clark that way and that long, at least not as far as Clark knew. He'd never seen Lex hug somebody else before besides that one uncomfortable hug with Mr. Luthor after the incident at the plant. Lex hated to be touched, unless Clark was the one doing the touching, or some girl was.
Clark suddenly stood and ducked his head, looking away from the scene before him. When neither Lex nor Brian made any comment about Clark, he finally looked up to find that they were still standing very close together and Brian had his hand on Lex's...
"I should probably get going," Clark said as he stumbled around the chess table. He managed to knock the board and all the marble pieces onto the floor. Clark flinched when he heard some of the delicate pieces smack against the hardwood floor. Lex had said this chess set had been in the family for years and now Clark was destroying it. He almost fell forward when his shins slammed into the table, but somehow managed to remain upright and even reached out to catch the black king.
When he finally looked up, Lex had walked over to help pick up the fallen pieces. Clark knelt down to pick up the ones closest to him. "Sorry," he mumbled under his breath.
Their hands brushed as they reached for the same pawn. Clark gulped and pulled his hand back as though burned. When he looked up into his friend's eyes, Lex was smiling warmly with reassurance.
"It's okay, Clark. They can be replaced." The piece Lex had picked up was chipped on the top. Clark was sure Lex was only saying this for his benefit. He wasn't even going to ask how much it would cost for Clark to pay Lex back.
Clark felt his face heat up and he looked away, too ashamed to look his friend in the face. He felt like a clumsy ox.
"Don't worry about it," Lex said lightly.
They finished picking up the fallen pieces and stood, setting them down haphazardly on the table.
Clark hung his head in shame and once again Lex gave him a reassuring smile.
"I better go. Mom's expecting me home," he finally said when the silence in the room threatened to go on for too long. Neither Lex nor his friend said anything to that, so Clark turned away, suddenly feeling glum when just a half hour ago he'd been on top of the world. Lex followed Clark out of the room, placing his hand on Clark's shoulder and leaning in close. Distantly he heard Lex thank Clark for stopping by. Lex touched Clark a lot, only Clark hadn't thought much of it until just recently. After that chance encounter with the first man who Clark had seen touching Lex, a lot of things that Clark had never paid much attention to had suddenly become very clear.
Clark dragged his heels as he left the mansion, unsure exactly what that man Brian was there for. The only thing he knew was that it bothered him that his time with Lex had been cut short by some stranger.
~
It was another three days before Clark saw Lex again. Clark was hyped up. He and Pete had spent the last two hours trying to help Chloe put the Torch to bed. They'd given up when they both realized that nothing they did would convince her that the layout for the front page was fine. Pete had gone home and Clark had decided to go to the Beanery in the hopes that he would run into Lana. He kept telling himself it was Lana he wanted to run into, but for most of the last few days he'd wondered where Lex had gone. He hadn't seen Lex around, and Lex hadn't called him or stopped by the way he usually did.
As soon as Clark walked into the coffee shop and spotted his friend near the front counter Clark's heart leaped in his chest. He smiled and ducked his head, feeling his face flush. Lex had turned around and smiled and waved, only he wasn't quite looking in Clark's direction. Clark turned his head around enough to see who Lex was waving at. It was some guy he'd never seen before.
A sudden unexplainable flash of anger burst in Clark's chest. Lex should have been waving at him, not some stranger.
Clark backed away into the shadows, hiding behind a potted plant. He watched as this guy approached Lex, who smiled and handed him two cups of coffee to go. They walked toward the exit away from Clark.
There was no way Clark was going to let this happen. The guy could be dangerous. It had already happened to Lex a few times where somebody who seemed perfectly harmless had turned out to be out for Lex's head. Clark waited for the two men to leave, and then followed after them.
By the time Clark was out the door of the Beanery, Lex's silver Porsche had already peeled out of its parking spot. Clark jogged around the building, watching for any bystanders. As soon as he saw that the coast was clear, he kicked into high speed. He ran through corn fields and forested areas. It was only moments before he overtook Lex and arrived at the mansion, skidding to a halt. He glanced around to be sure nobody had seen him and quickly rushed up to the front door, slapping the dust off of his jeans and flannel shirt.
Lex drove up just as Clark reached for the front doorknob. Clark spun around and grinned brightly, practically hopping down the steps to stop right by the driver's side door.
"Lex, I was just about to knock," Clark said, with barely a glance at the guy in the passenger seat. He could have sworn the guy's hand had been on Lex's knee just seconds ago. Luckily he'd removed his hand.
Clark reached for the handle of Lex's door, but it was already swinging open. He tucked his hands into his back pockets and grinned into the glare of the sun. Lex slithered out of the car, his hips doing this twist that made Clark take notice. He looked away from Lex's ass to find the other guy was watching him. Clark turned away, his cheeks heating up. He was not staring at Lex's ass. There was no way. He was just watching to make sure Lex didn't trip on his way out of the car.
The other guy stepped out of the car and slid fancy shades off his face.
Clark grinned brightly. "I thought we could do something," he said, trying to sound confident. The guy was dressed in a really nice dark suit with no tie or jacket. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone and Clark wondered idly why this guy would need to dress like that for a meeting. Lex must have been having a meeting with this guy. That could be the only explanation for his presence.
Lex looked from Clark to his friend. "I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check on that," he said to Clark. Then something unbelievable happened. The guy nodded at Lex and walked past them both to enter the mansion without a word. Clark was stunned. His jaw dropped open and he watched the door close.
He turned back to Lex unable to speak.
Lex reached up and removed his Ray-Ban sunglasses, tapping them against his hand. The pause was going on way too long.
Clark decided to take a leap. "Are you ..." He really wasn't sure what he was trying to say. He wasn't sure what words to use. Everything that came to mind was too personal, and broke boundaries that he and Lex had just never talked about, but had always made very sure to steer clear of no matter what. Lex had never once asked Clark what he intended to do with Lana once he caught her. Did Clark have any right to ask if Lex had been doing those kinds of things with all these guys?
Lex reached out and placed a hand on Clark's shoulder giving him a gentle squeeze. "We'll talk soon, Clark." With those words Lex walked up the steps to his house. He turned and smiled and waved to Clark.
Clark wasn't dumb. He could take a hint and knew when he wasn't wanted. But just in case that guy did something underhanded, he decided to pretend he was leaving, and then backtracked to the rear of the mansion. He managed to speed into an open door and past a security guard without detection. Clark stopped when he was just outside the door of Lex's office.
He leaned in close, almost placing his ear against the door. He couldn't hear a thing. Clark looked around to be sure he was alone and moved closer to the door, pressing his ear to the door, which promptly swung forward. He lost his balance and fell into the room. His keys went flying out of his pocket, skidded across the floor and landed in a tangled heap in the center of the room. Clark threw his arms out in front of himself to break his fall and spare the floor his hard head. He begged silently that Lex wasn't even in this room, but begging never helped. He'd learned that the hard way last fall when Whitney and his friends had strung him up in a field.
He caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye, but Clark was too busy trying to pick himself up off of the floor to see who it was. A thousand excuses to explain his presence when only moments ago Lex had told him to go home went through his mind. Clark was great at coming up with excuses. He had to be. How else was he going to explain all those moments where he'd been there just in time to save his friends from some crazy meteor mutant?
"Clark," Lex said just as Clark stood up.
Clark couldn't look up into his friend's eyes. He was too embarrassed. He really needed to get better at this spying thing. He had to look up and he had to stop looking embarrassed. If he acted like he was supposed to be there or maybe like he was there for a reason other than watching what Lex was going to do with that guy...
"Was there something you wanted?" Lex asked. He held out his hand, Clark's keys dangling in front of Clark's eyes. "I believe you dropped these."
Clark reached out slowly and took the keys, mumbling a thank you. There was no way he was going to be able to squirm his way out of this one. "I forgot to ask you something really important." Clark looked up through his long bangs. He really needed a haircut. Chloe always told him that when he looked at her this way, she couldn't resist him. Maybe the same ploy would work on Lex. It was worth a shot.
Lex stared at him, jaw moving, blue eyes staring into Clark's eyes. Clark knew that Lex was going to give in. Lex sighed and spun around to tell his friend that he would have to reschedule their meeting.
Clark managed to sneak a peek at this guy and noted that Lex's guest had dark hair and blue eyes. He nodded and walked past them to leave. As soon as he was out the door Clark breathed a sigh of relief. Lex caught it.
"Okay," he threw his arms up. "What was so important that you had to interrupt a business meeting?" Lex turned and headed straight for the bar. He retrieved two bottles of water from the mini-bar fridge and walked over to hand one to Clark.
Clark took the offered drink and whispered a thank you. He followed Lex over to the low-backed leather sofa and sat down, enjoying the feel of the soft leather under his fingers.
Once he'd uncapped his own drink and taken a gulp - during what felt like hours of silence - Clark finally looked at Lex. His friend had set the cap of his bottle down on the low wooden coffee table in front of them and was fingering the label. Clark stared, but nothing came to mind.
Finally Lex looked away, shaking his head and placing the mouth of the bottle to his lips to take a gulp.
"Once I have her, what do I do with her?" Clark finally blurted out. It was the first question that came to mind, because asking Lex if he liked guys and if that guy was here to do things with Lex was out of the question. He wasn't sure what that would entail since Clark had never thought of the idea of two guys together until just recently, but the thought of some guy touching Lex made Clark feel jealous. He didn't want any other guy to touch Lex that way. Strangely, Clark had never felt jealous when he'd seen Lex with women.
Lex leaned back against the sofa and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, Clark, can't this wait... couldn't this have waited for another time?" He sounded upset. Clark had to think of something fast.
"I thought you wanted to be saved from your meeting with that guy," he blurted, eyes wide and concerned. He waited for Lex to look up at him to see if he bought this. When Lex finally did look up at him, he didn't look convinced. Clark tilted his head and smiled. "Was I wrong?" he asked as innocently as he could.
Lex opened his mouth but closed it without saying anything. Finally after almost a minute of silence, he said, "Since you're here, we might as well play a game of pool." He stood and finished his drink. When Lex bent to set the bottle down on the table, Clark's eyes drifted down to catch a quick glimpse of his ass. Clark gulped. There was a slight chance that he was maybe possibly a tiny bit gay and lusting after his best friend.
~
Deception was something Clark had lived with his entire life. He'd had to. Look where he was from. His special abilities made it impossible for him to live a normal life. Recently he'd discovered a few facts about his own body. He may have looked human, but his body did not act like a human's. That would have been an obvious statement because of the fact that he could outrun Lex's fastest car, or jump from the roof of the barn without ever getting a single bump or scratch, and just this fall he'd developed the ability to see through objects.
Clark was putting this new ability to use at this very moment. He was x-raying through the wall of the Beanery to see where Lex was. He'd seen his friend go inside and had tried to catch up to him, but Lex must not have heard Clark because Lex had continued walking like he hadn't heard his name called out. There was no way Lex had ignored Clark on purpose.
Inside Clark could see that Lex was at a table, sipping from an espresso cup. He was alone. There was nobody with him -- no strange guys hanging out so this was the perfect chance for Clark to approach his friend about the other day. After they'd played a few games of pool with Lex explaining to Clark about how a girl like Lana wanted to be treated, Clark had politely thanked his friend and gone home to think about other things. The one thing that Clark could not get out of his mind was the way Lex's touch had made Clark feel when his fingers had brushed up against Clark's neck.
It had been one of those moments when Lex had placed his hand on Clark's shoulder and squeezed it. When Lex withdrew his hand, he'd accidentally brushed up against Clark's neck. He'd touched bare skin. Clark had been hard almost immediately when it had happened.
Clark jumped when a firm hand grabbed his arm. He spun around to find his father behind him.
"I was thinking of getting a coffee," Clark blurted. He managed not to blush at getting caught by one of the only two people who knew what it meant when Clark stared at a brick wall.
"Help me with the feed delivery," Jonathan said firmly, his hand squeezing Clark's arm to emphasize his point.
"Yes, sir." There was no arguing with his father. Clark spun around and allowed his father to drag him down the street to the red family pickup truck. Clark climbed into the passenger's seat, keeping his eyes on the entrance to the coffee shop. When Lex exited the shop and headed straight for his Porsche, Clark's heart leaped in his chest.
His father elbowed him and started the engine. When he had the truck in gear, Jonathan tore out of his parking spot so hard and so fast, Clark was sure they would sideswipe Lex. He turned his head to make sure they hadn't. His eyes locked with Lex's, and Lex half-waved. Clark smiled back. Now that he knew Lex was fine, Clark took the time to notice that he was wearing a pale lavender shirt. Nobody in Smallville ever dressed the way Lex dressed, but Clark liked that. It made Lex unique. Clark wished he was unique in a way that others could see instead of his uniqueness that he was forced to hide from everybody.
He turned to see that his father was glaring at the road as he drove to the feed store. He must have been angry about something, but Clark wasn't sure what.
~
The next week was difficult. Clark had been so busy but he hadn't had much time for anything but chores. Now it was later Friday afternoon and he was standing in the kitchen, sifting through the basket of clean laundry his mother had just brought up from the basement. His parents were going out to dinner tonight, and Clark had a plan. He was going over to see Lex. He hadn't had any time to see Lex this week, and the longer he went without seeing Lex, the more he thought about his friend.
Jonathan walked into the house with his muddy boots and a piece of the tractor in his hand. He handed it to Clark and grinned.
"Spend some time fixing this, will you?" he said as Martha walked into the kitchen. Jonathan saw the look on her face and smiled crookedly. "I'm off to the showers right now." With those words he headed up to the second floor. Martha pulled the basket away from Clark and scooped up all the clean shirts, briefs, and panties that Clark had pulled out onto the kitchen table.
"Stop that," she ordered with a smile. "If you want a clean shirt, I set some on your bed."
Clark was gone before she finished the sentence. He stopped in front of his bed and picked up the first shirt from the pile. It was a light blue t-shirt. He tossed it aside, dejected. The next one was dark blue. That wasn't the one he was looking for. Clark tossed that one aside so that it landed on top of the first reject. The next one was red. Perfect. Clark picked it up and yanked off the shirt he was wearing. He threw it in the corner of his room, and pulled the clean shirt over his head, inhaling the fresh scent of detergent as he slipped it on.
Running back downstairs, he called out to his mom, who already had his favorite blue flannel shirt in her hand and was holding it out for him to take. Clark pulled it from her hand and slipped his arms into the sleeves, rolling and straightening the collar as he called out that he'd be home later tonight. He ran out the kitchen door and hit his top speed within seconds.
Moments later he was in front of the Luthor family ancestral home. He grinned brightly and entered through the front door. He could hear the sound of metal clashing. Lex must have been sparring with his fencing coach. Clark grinned and remembered the time when Lex had almost thrown a sword through him after he'd interrupted one of his fencing matches.
Cautious, Clark entered the room where the sounds were loudest and, sure enough, two people in fencing whites were sparring. Clark tried to guess which one was Lex, but the two people were about the same build and height. He stood in the doorway and watched as one of the fighters gained ground on the other and pushed him down onto the ground, tagging him with the tip of his sword.
The loser swiped his leg out and unbalanced the winner, sending him tumbling on top of the man who was already down. Swords clanked to the wooden floor and the two rolled over as headgear was torn off and tossed aside. Clark expected a cry of outrage from the winner but that wasn't what happened. Once the fencing masks were off Clark could see that it was Lex who had fallen first and now Lex had the winner pinned to the floor.
"I guess this means I bottom," Lex said breathlessly.
From where he stood, Clark couldn't see the other person's face. He walked into the room and stopped when he saw that it was that guy from a few weeks ago. That guy Brian -- this time Clark was not going to fall on himself. He could handle this.
"Hey, Lex," Clark said loud enough to be heard. The two men on the floor rolled away from each other. Clark ignored Brian's groan. "Hi," Clark said with a wave. "That looked really cool." Clark placed his hands behind his back and smiled as Lex and Brian both stood.
Lex stalked over to a stack of folded white towels and slung one over his shoulder. He tossed one in Brian's direction and smirked.
"Sorry, but we'll have to continue this another time," Lex said with a shrug. Brian quirked a brow and left without a word.
When Lex spun to face Clark, he was sure he'd seen anger in his eyes, but he must have imagined it because Lex looked pleased to see him. He smiled brightly and Clark's heart did a little skip.
After Lex returned from a quick shower and change, they moved to Lex's office. Clark sat quietly on the leather sofa as Lex poured himself a drink. Glass clinked, filling the silence.
Lex walked over to sit down beside Clark. He sipped his drink and settled into the sofa, turning to stare into the fire. It wasn't cold out but the mansion could get cool at night.
"What did you mean when you said 'I bottom'?" Clark finally asked. He wasn't sure what this conversation would yield but he had to know. He had to find out what Brian had won from Lex.
Lex froze, his glass midway to his lips. He held it there for a moment until he lowered it, setting it down on his thigh. Clark swore Lex's hand was shaking just a little.
"You heard that," Lex muttered. Clark watched him carefully, unsure how to read his reaction. Was Lex unhappy that Clark had asked this question? Was it something personal, or something that Clark should already know about? By the length of the silence between them, Clark was sure he'd somehow messed up. He waited, his gaze moving from Lex's mouth to his eyes, watching for any sign of what to say or do next.
"Oh, right: bottom. I get it," Clark said nodding slowly. He smiled to show that he meant it, but Lex was frowning.
"You know about bottoming?" Lex asked with a puzzled look on his face. His eyebrows crept up and his brow wrinkled.
Clark's eyes went wide. "Sure. Everybody does, right?" He didn't want to look foolish. But his wasn't something he could bluff his way out of. Lex clearly knew what it was since he was the one who had said it to that other guy.
Lex smirked. He raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. "I know what it means in the city, but enlighten me, Clark -- what does it mean out here in Smallville?" Lex slung his free arm across the back of the sofa, his hand coming to rest just behind Clark, near his shoulder blades.
Clark cleared his throat. "Well, it's kind of complicated," he said slowly.
Lex nodded, encouraging Clark to continue. He took a sip and lowered his glass, a serious expression crossing his face.
Clark rubbed his sweaty palms on his thighs. He was too aware of Lex's left hand, so close to his back. It was close enough that Lex could touch him. Clark leaned back and bumped Lex's hand.
"It is very complicated," Lex finally broke the tension. Clark almost sighed with relief then turned his head when Lex leaned in so close that Clark thought for sure he was going to kiss him. "It's a sexual position," Lex whispered. Clark could smell alcohol on his breath, but he didn't move away. He leaned in closer to Lex and looked up into Lex's eyes with anticipation, swallowing hard.
They both froze and Clark made a choice. He closed his eyes and tilted his head, his lips gently brushing Lex's mouth. Lex didn't move, but Clark wasn't going to stop there. His body hummed and felt electric, like nothing ever before. He'd never felt this way when Lana had kissed him. There was also that time on the riverbank when he'd saved Lex's life. But this... this was something else entirely. Distantly Clark heard the clink of glass on glass.
Clark parted his lips and grew brave. He pressed his open mouth against Lex's mouth, feeling Lex's wet tongue lick out. Then suddenly Lex was pushing him into the sofa and his mouth surrounded Clark's mouth, tongue plunged deep inside. A hand was wound in Clark's hair, gripped it tightly, yanked his head back until Clark's neck arched and his head tilted so he would be looking up at the ceiling if he had opened his eyes, but he didn't open his eyes. He savored the feel of Lex's hands and lips and tongue and the fact that Lex had flung a leg over Clark's thighs. He was almost straddling him and Clark was so hard, his erection pulsing in his jeans.
Just as Clark was getting into the tangle of tongues and figuring out where to put his nose, Lex was gone. Clark opened his eyes, his arms still in the air where Lex should have been. Only Lex wasn't on top of him, kissing him. He was on the other end of the sofa, panting heavily.
Wide-eyed, Clark shifted and slid closer to Lex. "Why did you stop?" he cried. He wanted to scream but it came out more like a squeak. Lex wasn't looking at Clark; instead he was staring at his own hands.
"You should go home," Lex finally said after a long silence.
Clark started to shake his head. "No... no. I'm not going home. Please, Lex." Clark moved closer, and Lex slid away, but there was nowhere else to go. He was already at the end of the sofa.
"Go home, Clark," Lex said quietly. By the tone of his voice, Clark knew Lex meant business. Clark gulped and froze on the spot. He didn't want to leave. Not now that he'd finally made a move. Clark wanted to stay and be touched and kissed by Lex. His body felt alive, like it never had before with someone else.
"I don't want to go home," Clark whispered. His voice sounded meek even to his ears.
Lex turned to face him and smiled, but Clark knew it wasn't a genuine smile. It was the smiled Lex reserved for everybody else but Clark. "I promise everything will be fine." Lex stared Clark straight in the eyes and smiled that fake smile.
Clark knew he wasn't going to get anywhere. Once Lex had made up his mind about something there was no changing it.
Clark stood and walked out of the room without another word. He was too afraid of what he'd say.
~
The next week was even worse than the week before. Clark couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. No matter what he was doing, his mind would always wander back to the feel of Lex's hands on his arms, the touch of his mouth on Clark's lips, the way Lex's tongue felt. Clark shook his head as he listened to Chloe speculate on the latest meteor mutant. He should have been listening to her, not thinking about Lex Luthor's firm touch.
Fingers snapped in front of his eyes, pulling him back into the room.
"Clark, the least you could do is pretend you're not thinking about Lana Lang," Chloe sniped.
"I wasn't thinking about Lana," he protested. It was actually the truth, but Chloe rolled her eyes and handed him the piece of paper that the printer had just spewed out.
"Go check out Brad," she said as she gathered her books and stuffed them in her bag. Clark stared blankly down at the piece of paper.
Later that day he fell twenty feet when Brad hurled him through the air. Clark's shirt was torn to shreds before he finally subdued his fellow schoolmate.
He didn't bother to stick around for the police, and by the time he was walking along the road back to his house, the sun had set. Clark yanked the last few scraps of his t-shirt off and tossed them into the ditch. He'd have to walk home shirtless. At least he still had his pants and shoes. Clark could have run, but he was feeling weary. He hadn't seen Lex once over the past week. He desperately wanted to talk to him about what had happened between them. He desperately wanted to repeat what had happened between them.
Clark ignored the bright headlights behind him and kept walking. He'd be home in a few miles and if the driver stopped to offer him a ride, he'd turn them down. He wasn't in the mood to explain why he was shirtless and covered in grime, but he couldn't be so lucky that somebody in this town would just keep driving past and leave him alone.
Clark turned and squinted into the bright lights. He lifted his hand up to block the light from his eyes. "I'm fine," he started to say.
"Clark?" Lex walked around the car and stopped in front of him.
It would have to be Lex that would find him at night, dirty, and shirtless. That was the kind of luck Clark had.
Lex's gaze traveled over Clark's body, making Clark shiver. There was a chill in the air and Lex must have thought Clark was cold. He reached out and grasped Clark's elbow. Clark allowed Lex to drag him to the passenger's side door.
"You'll catch something out here," Lex said, concern in his voice.
For effect, Clark chattered his teeth and shivered again. "Is it okay if we go back to your place so I can clean up? I can call my parents from there to let them know I'm okay?"
Lex opened the passenger door and nodded as he urged Clark into the low bucket seat of his Ferrari. Clark slid in wordlessly, his legs spread wide, bent awkwardly, with his knees bumping against the glove compartment. He froze, too afraid he'd accidentally break something to try and settle more comfortably in the tight space. He watched as Lex jogged around the car to the driver's side and slid in behind the wheel. Clark jumped in his seat when Lex shoved his arm between Clark's legs and reached down under his seat.
"Push your seat back," Lex instructed.
Clark lowered his head and felt his face flush as he pushed back gently. The seat slid back smoothly, and suddenly he had more legroom. Lex straightened up, shifted gears and was rolling the car back onto the road before Clark could blink.
"Thanks," he mumbled, hugging himself. They rode in silence all the way back to the mansion. Lex parked in front and glanced at Clark before getting out. The night had been so odd already that Clark almost expected Lex to open the car door for him, but Lex did not.
Clark followed Lex into the mansion, his arms still wrapped around his bare chest. He felt naked and exposed, and he was thankful for the darkness. Clark stayed close behind Lex as they went up to the second floor and entered Lex's bedroom. The last time Clark had been up here was back when Victoria had been living here. The room hadn't looked nearly this nice. Soft light spilled from a table lamp by the bed, bathing the room in a warm glow that made Clark feel safe. He noted the large four-poster bed that dominated the center of the room, making the room itself look small. The only other furniture in the room was a chair that sat opposite the bed and a big wooden wardrobe in a far corner.
"Sit down," Lex said as he pointed to the really nice, fancy-looking antique chair. Clark wordlessly sat down on the edge of the chair, afraid to dirty it, but Lex seemed unconcerned. He walked across the room to the large wooden wardrobe and opened the left door. Before Clark could blink, Lex stood in front of him and dropped a maroon colored t-shirt in Clark's lap. Clark accepted the shirt, a thank you going unspoken between them. He stood and moved as quickly as he could to the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Clark stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed from the shower he'd just taken. He found Lex sitting on the bed, his face lit by the glow of his laptop. Lex had changed into a long-sleeved deep purple shirt and dark slacks. As soon as Clark cleared his throat to let Lex know he was there, Lex closed the screen and moved the laptop off of the bed onto a low table.
"Thanks," he said, running fingers through his damp hair. Lex motioned for Clark to join him on the bed and Clark took the opportunity to turn away from Lex so he could hide his excitement. Clark knew he couldn't hide his feelings to save his life. He sat down across from Lex and managed to look his friend in the eyes.
"So Clark, why were you..." Lex motioned with a sweep of his hand at Clark's chest.
Clark glanced down then back up into Lex's eyes. A million explanations ran through his mind. He sighed and relaxed back into the pillow, his head close to Lex's arm. Clark closed his eyes. He felt tired. He always felt tired after fighting a meteor mutant. Brad had been like all the others Clark had fought, and his encounters with the green meteor rocks always left Clark feeling drained physically and emotionally.
"I had a fight with somebody who used to be a friend," he finally whispered. Clark rolled onto his side and curled up, tucking his hands under his head. His whole body sighed with relief when Lex reached out to smooth his wet bangs with a gentle caress.
"I called your mother to let her know you're okay," Lex said as he leaned in closer. "I told her you can spend the night in a spare room."
Clark nodded and leaned into Lex's touch, snuggling in closer when Lex moved closer and wrapped an arm around Clark's shoulders. Clark tilted his head up and opened his eyes to stare into Lex's deep blue gaze. The soft light made Lex's eyes look dark and intense and shiny. Lex was brushing his thumb across the back of Clark's neck, sending shivers through Clark's entire body. Clark self-consciously moved his hips away from Lex, hyperaware of the tightening in his jeans.
Clark was harder than he'd ever been before. He'd never gotten so excited by anybody. He could feel Lex's gaze pin him to the bed. Lex pulled back to get a better view of Clark. The silence stretched out for what seemed like hours. Clark wanted to say something, but he felt frozen in place, his hands trapped under his head.
"You have no idea, do you," Lex whispered, his breath caressed Clark's cheek. Clark shuddered when Lex reached up with his free hand and touched Clark's lips. "This mouth..." Lex didn't finish what he was going to say about Clark's mouth. Instead he leaned in and kissed Clark, lips parted and tongue pushing its way in, demanding to take possession. Clark gladly gave in, allowing Lex to push him back so that Clark was lying on his back with Lex almost on top of him, their chests pressed close together.
Clark couldn't take much more of this. Lex's hands were all over him, tugging the borrowed t-shirt up to touch Clark's bare chest, their mouths never parted. Clark's hands were free but he wasn't sure what to do with them so he kept them at his side. When Lex's thigh brushed up against Clark's erection Clark couldn't stifle the moan. Nobody else had ever touched him like that. Now there was a chance that somebody other than him would venture into uncharted territory.
"Do you want me to touch you, Clark?" Lex finally asked when he broke the kiss.
Clark nodded without hesitation and closed his eyes. His body hummed in a way he'd never experienced before. It felt exciting and scary all at the same time. Clark opened his eyes wide not wanting to miss a second of this amazing moment.
"Relax," Lex smirked and slid his hands down to Clark's belt. He quickly unbuckled and unzipped Clark's pants.
Clark stared down with a mixture of shock, horror and amazement as Lex's fingers brushed against the fabric of his white cotton briefs right on the tip of his cock. He clenched his hands into fists, his heart thumping in his chest. Clark watched as Lex slid a thumb under the elastic of his underwear and shot Clark a teasing grin. Clark's entire body tensed and his cock pulsed as his orgasm overtook him even before Lex had lifted his briefs up to touch him.
Beside him, Lex froze, his thumb slid out of Clark's briefs, the elastic snapped back into place even as Clark rode out the last of the very first orgasm he'd ever experienced with somebody else.
Neither he nor Lex moved and by the dim light Clark thought he caught a look of regret on Lex's face, but he must have imagined it because Lex was petting his hair and leaning in to kiss Clark on the forehead.
"You should go clean up," Lex whispered. His hand went down to close the open flaps of Clark's jeans and he tugged down Clark's t-shirt, straightening it unnecessarily.
Clark swallowed hard, unable to say anything. He'd just had the most amazing orgasm, only it had happened way too fast, and now he wasn't going to get to touch Lex in return. He stood and held onto his jeans as he quickly walked to the door to the hallway, trying not to look like he was rushing out of there as fast as possible. He didn't bother to stop to clean up. He quickly zipped up and, without even buckling his belt, Clark ran out of the mansion. He vaguely heard Lex call out to him, but there was no way he was going back there.
By the time Clark reached the farm, he felt sick to his stomach. His first time had sucked. Clark knew Lex had been disappointed, and why wouldn't he be? Lex had probably had so many amazing lovers. He wouldn't be surprised if Lex never called or talked to him ever again.
~
The next morning Clark woke up bright and early. It was Friday which meant he'd still have to go to school some time soon, but for now Clark would just work mindlessly at every chore he was supposed to do. It was working out fine until his dad joined him. Jonathan stopped Clark in mid swing as he was about to toss yet another bale of hay.
"Son, we need that hay to stay on the farm, not up in orbit," he said with a grin.
Clark lowered his arms and looked over at the house to find bales on the roof. He dropped the bail, his shoulders slumped. This wasn't even something he could talk to his dad about. The first time they had talked about sex had been hard enough. Clark couldn't handle the stammering and the trapped look on his father's face yet again. There was no way he could ever tell his father what had happened with Lex last night. His father would probably explode in a bad way.
Jonathan slapped Clark on the shoulder, sending dust everywhere, and nudged him toward the house. "Why don't you get those bales down from the roof and come in for breakfast? It's almost time for you to get to school anyway."
Clark did as he was told, and half an hour later, he was rushing off to school, having missed the bus yet again. Once he had arrived, it took two minutes for Chloe to start harassing him about the events of the previous night. Not the events with Lex, which Chloe knew nothing about (though Clark wasn't putting anything past her since she seemed to know everything that went on in this town) but the events that had led to a Clark and Brad scuffle. By now, the whole town knew that something had been odd about Brad. Nobody said anything out loud about it, but from the looks Clark was getting in the hallway as he made his way to his locker, he knew that word had gotten around. It was that, or they knew Clark was gay just by looking at him.
The whole day went by so fast, Clark wasn't even sure he remembered a word of what his teachers had said. After classes ended he skipped the bus and decided to walk home. By the time he did get home his parents were getting into the truck to go do some shopping in Grandville. They waved good-bye to him, shouting that he should do his homework before he did the chores.
Clark tossed his backpack on the floor and collapsed on the sofa in his loft, stretching out with his arms behind his head. He needed to recharge. He needed time to think about what had happened. What exactly had happened? He'd been overly excited, and had exploded even before Lex could touch him. He couldn't even think about it without feeling such embarrassment that he never wanted to show his face to Lex again.
"Knock, knock," Lex interrupted Clark's train of thought. Clark quickly sat up, keeping his head low, unable to look up at his friend. Instead he watched Lex's legs as Lex walked over and stopped near the sofa. "Mind if I join you?" Lex asked, tone neutral and polite.
Clark moved over enough to give Lex room to sit on the sofa, and finally gazed up into soft blue eyes. Lex looked so good. He smiled warmly and straightened his dark gray suit jacket, settling his hands on his knees. Clark's eyes fell on Lex's hands, remembering when they had touched Clark's bare chest. It was like life was mocking him. How was it possible that just a look from Lex could send tingles through Clark's thighs and make his throat dry up?
They sat in silence, the distant sound of wind whistling through the loft. Clark shifted a leg, and the boards under his feet creaked so loudly, he had to stop himself from cringing. He shifted his leg back and brushed knees with Lex, and his whole body stilled.
"I came here to apologize for acting inappropriately with you the other night," Lex said.
Clark didn't know what to say, so he sat quietly, listening to the inflection of Lex's voice. He tried not to think about the possibilities of where this could lead. He'd thought enough already about how this could cost him his friend. The truth was Clark didn't have many friends. People thought he did, but his oddness had always kept him on the fringes of most social cliques. He didn't want the special bond he'd developed so quickly with Lex to be severed, but already Clark could feel the cold steel of an invisible knife poised over the remnants of their friendship.
"It was my fault," Clark suddenly blurted out. "I did something wrong. If I'd held on longer..."
Lex's hand shot out and gripped Clark's knee. Their eyes locked and for a second Clark saw anger and frustration flare in Lex's eyes.
"No! Clark, don't ever think that! I can't believe I took..." Lex suddenly released his grip and stood, stalking across the loft with his back to Clark. Lex nervously ran his hand over his smooth scalp. From behind, with his exposed neck, Lex looked so vulnerable. Clark stared at the bump at the base of Lex's skull. Lex shook his head and spun around to face Clark. His gaze fixed on Clark, and pinned him to the sofa.
"Except I feel like I took advantage of you," Lex finally finished. He looked so unhappy and Clark couldn't stand that.
Clark stood, unsure of what to do or say next. "I'm sorry," he finally said, resolving from that moment to make sure Lex did not take the burden for what had happened. Besides, Clark was pretty sure Lex was trying to stay away from the topic of how abysmally Clark had performed.
Lex shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned back against the wooden railing. "I'm the one who should apologize for allowing things to get that out of hand."
Clark nodded, realizing that he should take the 'out' that his friend was giving him, but he couldn't. He wasn't going to be able to walk down Main Street and run into Lex without feeling uncomfortable. He wanted things back the way they were. He wanted Lex to stare straight into Clark's eyes. He knew now that Lex had been flirting with him all that time, and there was no way Clark was going to lose that. Lex was the only person who had ever thought Clark was worth that kind of attention.
"I know what you're trying to do," Clark said his voice catching in his throat. This wasn't going to be easy. Clark could see that Lex was just as tense as he was. For some reason, that made him feel safer and surer of himself.
"Well, I'm not used to saying I'm sorry, but I think that's pretty much how it goes," Lex said with a slight grin. His shoulders relaxed imperceptibly.
They could salvage this. Things could go back to normal or almost normal with a few changes where Lex touched Clark and Clark touched Lex back. Only Clark didn't want the touches to be just everyday normal-guy touches. He still hadn't gotten the chance to touch Lex, and there was no way Clark could go back to not feeling this way and not wanting these things that had been awakened in him. There was no way he was going to let Lex go now.
Clark let out the breath he'd been holding and smiled, shuffling on the spot, eager to sit back down so they could relax and talk like normal again. "I heard practicing can help," he said, feeling his cheeks heat despite the fact that he felt safe saying the words out loud.
Lex's eyes widened in mock surprise as he finally moved close again. "There's a rumor about something like that," he leaned in closer to Clark, their eyes meeting. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Clark's body hummed with that same feeling again. He nodded and reached out to tentatively touch Lex's hand. He played with the pads on the tips of Lex's fingers, stroking them gently. It had taken Clark years to learn how to apply just the right amount of pressure when he touched somebody, and he was just starting to enjoy the sensation of touching Lex's skin.
"You shouldn't have so many guys hanging around you," Clark suddenly blurted.
"Are you the jealous type?" Lex asked with a teasing voice.
Clark nodded and leaned in closer still, hypnotized by the depths of Lex's blue irises. "Are you the type to date just one person?"
"No," Lex's sudden rejection shocked Clark into pulling away, eyes searching Lex's face. "But there's always a first time for everything."
The kiss was sweet, and when Lex reached up and grabbed Clark to pull him closer, Clark willingly allowed himself to be dragged forward.
They had plenty of time before his parents returned.
End
Challenge: First Time - Premature ejaculation
Author: GothGirl
Rating: R
Challenge: Written for the CLFF 13 bad sex challenge.
Notes: Thanks to off_that_bridge for all her encouragement. Thanks to off_that_bridge, jfc013 and gothphyle for their beta. All remaining errors are mine. Spoilers for first season. Consider this fiction number one of the 22 I'll be writing for season five.
Disclaimer: DC Comics, Warner Brothers, Tollin/Robbins and Millar/Gough Ink own Smallville and its characters. I am just playing.
Summary: Clark finds out Lex likes guys and that sets off his jealous streak that leads to the bedroom. Somebody on LJ had asked for jealous Clark fiction.
Feedback: Yes! Please that would be very nice.
~
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly, and Clark didn't have to go to school today. It was noon on Saturday, and all his chores had been finished an hour before. He'd spent that hour lazing in the hammock in his loft, thinking about his new friend.
Just last week, Lex had stopped by the loft to talk to Clark about something. It was the sort of casual visit Clark expected from his close friends. Clark had just met him last fall and already Lex was treating Clark like they had been friends for years. It seemed like they had nothing in common, but something told Clark that they had a lot more in common than either of them realized. That was what had made him decide on impulse to seek out Lex's friendship. He was glad his father had forced him to return the truck. If not for that incident, Clark was sure that Lex Luthor would probably never have talked to him again.
Clark swayed his hips to tease the hammock back into motion. The movement had another effect on him. He glanced down at his crotch, his hand self-consciously drifting down to caress the growing bulge. Lately he'd been overly excitable for no apparent reason. It had begun when Lana had finally started to talk to him. He'd be fine, and then suddenly something would pop up. It always seemed to happen at the most inconvenient moments, but he didn't have time for this today because he had plans.
He swung his long legs over the edge of the hammock and stood, picking up the t-shirt he'd discarded earlier and pulling it on. He paused in front of his full length mirror and turned to the left and then the right. The bulge was way too obvious, so he tugged his shirt down to cover it up just in case he happened to run into his mom or dad on the way out. It didn't really matter though, because by the time he arrived at the mansion, he would probably have tamed it.
The run was just what he needed. Clark loved moments like this when he could hit his fastest speed and not worry about anything at all. His legs blurred underneath him and he pumped his arms hard, hoping that Lex was free to do something. It didn't matter what they did. Clark always had a good time with Lex. He challenged Clark like nobody he'd ever met, always keeping Clark on his toes, and always forcing Clark to think about issues that he'd never even thought about before. Just the other day they'd talked about Roman mythology and Clark had immediately rushed off to the library to borrow as many books on the subject as he could find.
Clark stopped just short of the tree line of the Luthor property. In his excitement he'd almost run at full speed right up to the front door of the mansion. He took a deep breath at the close call and shook his head at his own foolishness.
"Great, let him see you use your abilities," he mumbled to a tree beside him.
Clark smoothed his wind-blown hair and tucked his hands into the back pockets of his jeans then casually strolled up to the front door. It was already open, probably because of the heat.
He paused and pivoted on the balls of his feet. There was a car in the driveway, a car Clark had never seen. It wasn't the kind of car Clark would imagine Lex driving. This was a big limo-type car. Maybe it was for business, Clark thought as he shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the front door. He practically jogged the rest of the way, a bounce in his step by the time he reached the double doors to Lex's study. One of the doors was wide open.
Clark paused again when he heard voices. He didn't recognize the first voice but the second one belonged to Lex. He hated to interrupt his friend when he was working, so Clark hung back just outside the doors, waiting.
"I don't really think this town is quite my speed," the unfamiliar voice said.
"You'd be surprised. There are some local attractions that have their own appeal," Lex replied.
Clark crinkled his noise and contemplated what local attractions Lex found appealing. He leaned in toward the door, straining to hear Lex's voice.
"Oh?" the other guy said, his tone questioning. Clark didn't want to interrupt, but he didn't want to eavesdrop either. That was rude and his mother had taught him better. He put on his most casual expression and smiled happily, and stepped through the open doorway, ready to act all surprised that Lex wasn't alone. He put on his most casual expression and smiled happily.
Clark imagined that Lex would finish off whatever business he had with this person and then he'd be free for the day. They could play some pool or talk about old dead historical figures. Clark loved to hear Lex expound on world conquerors. It was neat to see that sparkle in Lex's eyes when he talked about something he really enjoyed.
Clark grinned as thoughts of what he and Lex would do together filled his head. He entered the room and looked up with a great big smile on his face and stopped dead, his eyes going wide. Lex stood near the stained glass window. The guy (somebody Clark had never seen before) stood behind Lex and was pressed up against him. Not just pressed up against him, but he was so close to Lex that they could have been...
Clark's mind exploded with thoughts of why this guy was standing so close to Lex. He gulped, and spun around, desperate to get out of the room. They hadn't seen him yet. There was a good chance that Clark could escape before Lex noticed him. Of course if Clark could find the door to escape to, he'd have no trouble making it out before Lex realized that he was ever there, but it seemed as though the door had shifted and Clark scrambled for the exit only to come face to face with the wood paneling of the door. He smashed face first into the double door that was closed. The loud crack of the wood echoed in the large room and Clark spun around to see that Lex was headed right for him.
"Clark, are you okay?" Lex said as he rushed to his side and gripped Clark's elbow.
Clark feigned pain, yelping. He wasn't sure how much pain a normal person would have felt from this kind of accident, but right at that moment the only thought going through his mind was how that guy had been touching Lex's shoulder. It wasn't a platonic touch. It was the kind of touch Clark dreamed about giving to Lana. It looked possessive, too, and Clark did not like that one bit.
Clark reached up to rub his nose. He nodded but somehow he couldn't look up into Lex's eyes. "I'm fine," he mumbled, feeling stupid. "I didn't know you were busy," he added after a short pause. Clark was too embarrassed to look up. He wanted to, but instead he pretended to nurse a bruised nose, and kept his head down, making sure Lex couldn't see his face, which was really hard since he was so tall and Lex was looking right at him. In fact, Lex was trying really hard to look at Clark's face.
Clark managed a quick glance at the door, to make sure he hadn't demolished it (the door was fine), then glanced in the direction of Lex's touchy-feely friend.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Lex asked again, lowering his tone, leaning in closer so that his arm pressed right up against Clark. Lex was wearing a really nice shirt that hugged him in all kinds of ways that Clark had never noticed until just this very moment. Clark gulped; a hot flush burned his face as he stared at Lex's left nipple which was peaked and obvious. Clark gulped again and tore his eyes away from Lex' chest. This time he managed to at least glace up into Lex's eyes, and somehow managed to nod and grin.
"I'll live," he said in a low voice. Was that his voice? He hardly recognized it.
That earned him a smile and a pat on the shoulder. Clark followed Lex with his eyes as his friend moved away from him and toward the other man.
"I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine from Metropolis," Lex said. "Clark, this is Karl." Lex's voice was no longer the personal tone he'd taken with Clark. It filled the room as Lex paused near Karl. Clark took in Karl's appearance. He looked about Lex's age. Karl was tall and slim with short dark wavy hair, and deep blue eyes. He wore a pair of dark gray slacks and a white dress shirt. He smiled politely and approached Clark with his hand out.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Karl said as they shook hands. Karl's hand was clammy and Clark had to practically yank his own hand out of Karl's firm grip.
Clark didn't smile back. Instead he turned slightly away from Karl and surreptitiously wiped his hand on his own shirt. He peeked out of the corner of his eyes to make sure Karl hadn't noticed, but Karl had already turned away from Clark and was leaning close to Lex. They were only a few feet away from Clark and he could see Karl's hand come up to caress Lex's shoulder as he whispered something into Lex's ear.
Lex grinned and the tips of his ears turned pink. Clark couldn't move as Karl headed for the door barely acknowledging a good-bye in Clark's direction.
He hated this guy. How could this guy be so rude? How could Lex not notice? At least it seemed like Lex hadn't noticed.
As soon as Karl was gone, Lex walked over to the wet bar and pulled two blue bottles of water from the fridge.
"He had to rush off," Lex explained as he handed one of the bottles to Clark and cracked the other one open for himself. Clark watched as Lex grinned and tilted the bottle up to take a big gulp. He looked down at his own bottle, unsure what to do or say.
Clark's heart was pounding in his chest over what had just happened. He just smiled brightly and bit his lip so he wouldn't blurt out how happy he was at the fact that this person from Lex's past had left as soon as Clark had arrived.
~
The weekend went by in the blink of an eye. Clark spent Saturday and Sunday afternoon over at the mansion with Lex. They either played endless games of pool or Clark listened intently as Lex lectured untiringly on whatever topic Clark had asked Lex about that day. He was content until Sunday late afternoon when Lex's servant escorted a man into the study where Lex and Clark were busy playing a game of chess.
Clark has asked Lex to teach him the finer points of the complex game and Lex had obliged, never once seeming to tire of Clark's endless questions and interruptions. They'd just started their third game when the double doors swung open, Lex's servant announced a Mr. Trent, and a tall, lean well-dressed man was escorted in, interrupting the amazing moment Clark was sure he and Lex were just about to have. Lex had just reached out and picked up a pawn to demonstrate en passant.
As soon as Mr. Trent walked in Lex set the pawn down and stood up a wide smile on his face. Lex walked over to clasp Mr. Trent's hand and vigorously shake it. "Brian, you're early."
Clark, unsure of what to do or say, sat quietly as Brian pulled Lex into a hug. Lex did not pull away. He watched as the hug seemed to go on forever. Lex never hugged anybody else but Clark that way and that long, at least not as far as Clark knew. He'd never seen Lex hug somebody else before besides that one uncomfortable hug with Mr. Luthor after the incident at the plant. Lex hated to be touched, unless Clark was the one doing the touching, or some girl was.
Clark suddenly stood and ducked his head, looking away from the scene before him. When neither Lex nor Brian made any comment about Clark, he finally looked up to find that they were still standing very close together and Brian had his hand on Lex's...
"I should probably get going," Clark said as he stumbled around the chess table. He managed to knock the board and all the marble pieces onto the floor. Clark flinched when he heard some of the delicate pieces smack against the hardwood floor. Lex had said this chess set had been in the family for years and now Clark was destroying it. He almost fell forward when his shins slammed into the table, but somehow managed to remain upright and even reached out to catch the black king.
When he finally looked up, Lex had walked over to help pick up the fallen pieces. Clark knelt down to pick up the ones closest to him. "Sorry," he mumbled under his breath.
Their hands brushed as they reached for the same pawn. Clark gulped and pulled his hand back as though burned. When he looked up into his friend's eyes, Lex was smiling warmly with reassurance.
"It's okay, Clark. They can be replaced." The piece Lex had picked up was chipped on the top. Clark was sure Lex was only saying this for his benefit. He wasn't even going to ask how much it would cost for Clark to pay Lex back.
Clark felt his face heat up and he looked away, too ashamed to look his friend in the face. He felt like a clumsy ox.
"Don't worry about it," Lex said lightly.
They finished picking up the fallen pieces and stood, setting them down haphazardly on the table.
Clark hung his head in shame and once again Lex gave him a reassuring smile.
"I better go. Mom's expecting me home," he finally said when the silence in the room threatened to go on for too long. Neither Lex nor his friend said anything to that, so Clark turned away, suddenly feeling glum when just a half hour ago he'd been on top of the world. Lex followed Clark out of the room, placing his hand on Clark's shoulder and leaning in close. Distantly he heard Lex thank Clark for stopping by. Lex touched Clark a lot, only Clark hadn't thought much of it until just recently. After that chance encounter with the first man who Clark had seen touching Lex, a lot of things that Clark had never paid much attention to had suddenly become very clear.
Clark dragged his heels as he left the mansion, unsure exactly what that man Brian was there for. The only thing he knew was that it bothered him that his time with Lex had been cut short by some stranger.
~
It was another three days before Clark saw Lex again. Clark was hyped up. He and Pete had spent the last two hours trying to help Chloe put the Torch to bed. They'd given up when they both realized that nothing they did would convince her that the layout for the front page was fine. Pete had gone home and Clark had decided to go to the Beanery in the hopes that he would run into Lana. He kept telling himself it was Lana he wanted to run into, but for most of the last few days he'd wondered where Lex had gone. He hadn't seen Lex around, and Lex hadn't called him or stopped by the way he usually did.
As soon as Clark walked into the coffee shop and spotted his friend near the front counter Clark's heart leaped in his chest. He smiled and ducked his head, feeling his face flush. Lex had turned around and smiled and waved, only he wasn't quite looking in Clark's direction. Clark turned his head around enough to see who Lex was waving at. It was some guy he'd never seen before.
A sudden unexplainable flash of anger burst in Clark's chest. Lex should have been waving at him, not some stranger.
Clark backed away into the shadows, hiding behind a potted plant. He watched as this guy approached Lex, who smiled and handed him two cups of coffee to go. They walked toward the exit away from Clark.
There was no way Clark was going to let this happen. The guy could be dangerous. It had already happened to Lex a few times where somebody who seemed perfectly harmless had turned out to be out for Lex's head. Clark waited for the two men to leave, and then followed after them.
By the time Clark was out the door of the Beanery, Lex's silver Porsche had already peeled out of its parking spot. Clark jogged around the building, watching for any bystanders. As soon as he saw that the coast was clear, he kicked into high speed. He ran through corn fields and forested areas. It was only moments before he overtook Lex and arrived at the mansion, skidding to a halt. He glanced around to be sure nobody had seen him and quickly rushed up to the front door, slapping the dust off of his jeans and flannel shirt.
Lex drove up just as Clark reached for the front doorknob. Clark spun around and grinned brightly, practically hopping down the steps to stop right by the driver's side door.
"Lex, I was just about to knock," Clark said, with barely a glance at the guy in the passenger seat. He could have sworn the guy's hand had been on Lex's knee just seconds ago. Luckily he'd removed his hand.
Clark reached for the handle of Lex's door, but it was already swinging open. He tucked his hands into his back pockets and grinned into the glare of the sun. Lex slithered out of the car, his hips doing this twist that made Clark take notice. He looked away from Lex's ass to find the other guy was watching him. Clark turned away, his cheeks heating up. He was not staring at Lex's ass. There was no way. He was just watching to make sure Lex didn't trip on his way out of the car.
The other guy stepped out of the car and slid fancy shades off his face.
Clark grinned brightly. "I thought we could do something," he said, trying to sound confident. The guy was dressed in a really nice dark suit with no tie or jacket. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone and Clark wondered idly why this guy would need to dress like that for a meeting. Lex must have been having a meeting with this guy. That could be the only explanation for his presence.
Lex looked from Clark to his friend. "I'm afraid I'll have to take a rain check on that," he said to Clark. Then something unbelievable happened. The guy nodded at Lex and walked past them both to enter the mansion without a word. Clark was stunned. His jaw dropped open and he watched the door close.
He turned back to Lex unable to speak.
Lex reached up and removed his Ray-Ban sunglasses, tapping them against his hand. The pause was going on way too long.
Clark decided to take a leap. "Are you ..." He really wasn't sure what he was trying to say. He wasn't sure what words to use. Everything that came to mind was too personal, and broke boundaries that he and Lex had just never talked about, but had always made very sure to steer clear of no matter what. Lex had never once asked Clark what he intended to do with Lana once he caught her. Did Clark have any right to ask if Lex had been doing those kinds of things with all these guys?
Lex reached out and placed a hand on Clark's shoulder giving him a gentle squeeze. "We'll talk soon, Clark." With those words Lex walked up the steps to his house. He turned and smiled and waved to Clark.
Clark wasn't dumb. He could take a hint and knew when he wasn't wanted. But just in case that guy did something underhanded, he decided to pretend he was leaving, and then backtracked to the rear of the mansion. He managed to speed into an open door and past a security guard without detection. Clark stopped when he was just outside the door of Lex's office.
He leaned in close, almost placing his ear against the door. He couldn't hear a thing. Clark looked around to be sure he was alone and moved closer to the door, pressing his ear to the door, which promptly swung forward. He lost his balance and fell into the room. His keys went flying out of his pocket, skidded across the floor and landed in a tangled heap in the center of the room. Clark threw his arms out in front of himself to break his fall and spare the floor his hard head. He begged silently that Lex wasn't even in this room, but begging never helped. He'd learned that the hard way last fall when Whitney and his friends had strung him up in a field.
He caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye, but Clark was too busy trying to pick himself up off of the floor to see who it was. A thousand excuses to explain his presence when only moments ago Lex had told him to go home went through his mind. Clark was great at coming up with excuses. He had to be. How else was he going to explain all those moments where he'd been there just in time to save his friends from some crazy meteor mutant?
"Clark," Lex said just as Clark stood up.
Clark couldn't look up into his friend's eyes. He was too embarrassed. He really needed to get better at this spying thing. He had to look up and he had to stop looking embarrassed. If he acted like he was supposed to be there or maybe like he was there for a reason other than watching what Lex was going to do with that guy...
"Was there something you wanted?" Lex asked. He held out his hand, Clark's keys dangling in front of Clark's eyes. "I believe you dropped these."
Clark reached out slowly and took the keys, mumbling a thank you. There was no way he was going to be able to squirm his way out of this one. "I forgot to ask you something really important." Clark looked up through his long bangs. He really needed a haircut. Chloe always told him that when he looked at her this way, she couldn't resist him. Maybe the same ploy would work on Lex. It was worth a shot.
Lex stared at him, jaw moving, blue eyes staring into Clark's eyes. Clark knew that Lex was going to give in. Lex sighed and spun around to tell his friend that he would have to reschedule their meeting.
Clark managed to sneak a peek at this guy and noted that Lex's guest had dark hair and blue eyes. He nodded and walked past them to leave. As soon as he was out the door Clark breathed a sigh of relief. Lex caught it.
"Okay," he threw his arms up. "What was so important that you had to interrupt a business meeting?" Lex turned and headed straight for the bar. He retrieved two bottles of water from the mini-bar fridge and walked over to hand one to Clark.
Clark took the offered drink and whispered a thank you. He followed Lex over to the low-backed leather sofa and sat down, enjoying the feel of the soft leather under his fingers.
Once he'd uncapped his own drink and taken a gulp - during what felt like hours of silence - Clark finally looked at Lex. His friend had set the cap of his bottle down on the low wooden coffee table in front of them and was fingering the label. Clark stared, but nothing came to mind.
Finally Lex looked away, shaking his head and placing the mouth of the bottle to his lips to take a gulp.
"Once I have her, what do I do with her?" Clark finally blurted out. It was the first question that came to mind, because asking Lex if he liked guys and if that guy was here to do things with Lex was out of the question. He wasn't sure what that would entail since Clark had never thought of the idea of two guys together until just recently, but the thought of some guy touching Lex made Clark feel jealous. He didn't want any other guy to touch Lex that way. Strangely, Clark had never felt jealous when he'd seen Lex with women.
Lex leaned back against the sofa and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, Clark, can't this wait... couldn't this have waited for another time?" He sounded upset. Clark had to think of something fast.
"I thought you wanted to be saved from your meeting with that guy," he blurted, eyes wide and concerned. He waited for Lex to look up at him to see if he bought this. When Lex finally did look up at him, he didn't look convinced. Clark tilted his head and smiled. "Was I wrong?" he asked as innocently as he could.
Lex opened his mouth but closed it without saying anything. Finally after almost a minute of silence, he said, "Since you're here, we might as well play a game of pool." He stood and finished his drink. When Lex bent to set the bottle down on the table, Clark's eyes drifted down to catch a quick glimpse of his ass. Clark gulped. There was a slight chance that he was maybe possibly a tiny bit gay and lusting after his best friend.
~
Deception was something Clark had lived with his entire life. He'd had to. Look where he was from. His special abilities made it impossible for him to live a normal life. Recently he'd discovered a few facts about his own body. He may have looked human, but his body did not act like a human's. That would have been an obvious statement because of the fact that he could outrun Lex's fastest car, or jump from the roof of the barn without ever getting a single bump or scratch, and just this fall he'd developed the ability to see through objects.
Clark was putting this new ability to use at this very moment. He was x-raying through the wall of the Beanery to see where Lex was. He'd seen his friend go inside and had tried to catch up to him, but Lex must not have heard Clark because Lex had continued walking like he hadn't heard his name called out. There was no way Lex had ignored Clark on purpose.
Inside Clark could see that Lex was at a table, sipping from an espresso cup. He was alone. There was nobody with him -- no strange guys hanging out so this was the perfect chance for Clark to approach his friend about the other day. After they'd played a few games of pool with Lex explaining to Clark about how a girl like Lana wanted to be treated, Clark had politely thanked his friend and gone home to think about other things. The one thing that Clark could not get out of his mind was the way Lex's touch had made Clark feel when his fingers had brushed up against Clark's neck.
It had been one of those moments when Lex had placed his hand on Clark's shoulder and squeezed it. When Lex withdrew his hand, he'd accidentally brushed up against Clark's neck. He'd touched bare skin. Clark had been hard almost immediately when it had happened.
Clark jumped when a firm hand grabbed his arm. He spun around to find his father behind him.
"I was thinking of getting a coffee," Clark blurted. He managed not to blush at getting caught by one of the only two people who knew what it meant when Clark stared at a brick wall.
"Help me with the feed delivery," Jonathan said firmly, his hand squeezing Clark's arm to emphasize his point.
"Yes, sir." There was no arguing with his father. Clark spun around and allowed his father to drag him down the street to the red family pickup truck. Clark climbed into the passenger's seat, keeping his eyes on the entrance to the coffee shop. When Lex exited the shop and headed straight for his Porsche, Clark's heart leaped in his chest.
His father elbowed him and started the engine. When he had the truck in gear, Jonathan tore out of his parking spot so hard and so fast, Clark was sure they would sideswipe Lex. He turned his head to make sure they hadn't. His eyes locked with Lex's, and Lex half-waved. Clark smiled back. Now that he knew Lex was fine, Clark took the time to notice that he was wearing a pale lavender shirt. Nobody in Smallville ever dressed the way Lex dressed, but Clark liked that. It made Lex unique. Clark wished he was unique in a way that others could see instead of his uniqueness that he was forced to hide from everybody.
He turned to see that his father was glaring at the road as he drove to the feed store. He must have been angry about something, but Clark wasn't sure what.
~
The next week was difficult. Clark had been so busy but he hadn't had much time for anything but chores. Now it was later Friday afternoon and he was standing in the kitchen, sifting through the basket of clean laundry his mother had just brought up from the basement. His parents were going out to dinner tonight, and Clark had a plan. He was going over to see Lex. He hadn't had any time to see Lex this week, and the longer he went without seeing Lex, the more he thought about his friend.
Jonathan walked into the house with his muddy boots and a piece of the tractor in his hand. He handed it to Clark and grinned.
"Spend some time fixing this, will you?" he said as Martha walked into the kitchen. Jonathan saw the look on her face and smiled crookedly. "I'm off to the showers right now." With those words he headed up to the second floor. Martha pulled the basket away from Clark and scooped up all the clean shirts, briefs, and panties that Clark had pulled out onto the kitchen table.
"Stop that," she ordered with a smile. "If you want a clean shirt, I set some on your bed."
Clark was gone before she finished the sentence. He stopped in front of his bed and picked up the first shirt from the pile. It was a light blue t-shirt. He tossed it aside, dejected. The next one was dark blue. That wasn't the one he was looking for. Clark tossed that one aside so that it landed on top of the first reject. The next one was red. Perfect. Clark picked it up and yanked off the shirt he was wearing. He threw it in the corner of his room, and pulled the clean shirt over his head, inhaling the fresh scent of detergent as he slipped it on.
Running back downstairs, he called out to his mom, who already had his favorite blue flannel shirt in her hand and was holding it out for him to take. Clark pulled it from her hand and slipped his arms into the sleeves, rolling and straightening the collar as he called out that he'd be home later tonight. He ran out the kitchen door and hit his top speed within seconds.
Moments later he was in front of the Luthor family ancestral home. He grinned brightly and entered through the front door. He could hear the sound of metal clashing. Lex must have been sparring with his fencing coach. Clark grinned and remembered the time when Lex had almost thrown a sword through him after he'd interrupted one of his fencing matches.
Cautious, Clark entered the room where the sounds were loudest and, sure enough, two people in fencing whites were sparring. Clark tried to guess which one was Lex, but the two people were about the same build and height. He stood in the doorway and watched as one of the fighters gained ground on the other and pushed him down onto the ground, tagging him with the tip of his sword.
The loser swiped his leg out and unbalanced the winner, sending him tumbling on top of the man who was already down. Swords clanked to the wooden floor and the two rolled over as headgear was torn off and tossed aside. Clark expected a cry of outrage from the winner but that wasn't what happened. Once the fencing masks were off Clark could see that it was Lex who had fallen first and now Lex had the winner pinned to the floor.
"I guess this means I bottom," Lex said breathlessly.
From where he stood, Clark couldn't see the other person's face. He walked into the room and stopped when he saw that it was that guy from a few weeks ago. That guy Brian -- this time Clark was not going to fall on himself. He could handle this.
"Hey, Lex," Clark said loud enough to be heard. The two men on the floor rolled away from each other. Clark ignored Brian's groan. "Hi," Clark said with a wave. "That looked really cool." Clark placed his hands behind his back and smiled as Lex and Brian both stood.
Lex stalked over to a stack of folded white towels and slung one over his shoulder. He tossed one in Brian's direction and smirked.
"Sorry, but we'll have to continue this another time," Lex said with a shrug. Brian quirked a brow and left without a word.
When Lex spun to face Clark, he was sure he'd seen anger in his eyes, but he must have imagined it because Lex looked pleased to see him. He smiled brightly and Clark's heart did a little skip.
After Lex returned from a quick shower and change, they moved to Lex's office. Clark sat quietly on the leather sofa as Lex poured himself a drink. Glass clinked, filling the silence.
Lex walked over to sit down beside Clark. He sipped his drink and settled into the sofa, turning to stare into the fire. It wasn't cold out but the mansion could get cool at night.
"What did you mean when you said 'I bottom'?" Clark finally asked. He wasn't sure what this conversation would yield but he had to know. He had to find out what Brian had won from Lex.
Lex froze, his glass midway to his lips. He held it there for a moment until he lowered it, setting it down on his thigh. Clark swore Lex's hand was shaking just a little.
"You heard that," Lex muttered. Clark watched him carefully, unsure how to read his reaction. Was Lex unhappy that Clark had asked this question? Was it something personal, or something that Clark should already know about? By the length of the silence between them, Clark was sure he'd somehow messed up. He waited, his gaze moving from Lex's mouth to his eyes, watching for any sign of what to say or do next.
"Oh, right: bottom. I get it," Clark said nodding slowly. He smiled to show that he meant it, but Lex was frowning.
"You know about bottoming?" Lex asked with a puzzled look on his face. His eyebrows crept up and his brow wrinkled.
Clark's eyes went wide. "Sure. Everybody does, right?" He didn't want to look foolish. But his wasn't something he could bluff his way out of. Lex clearly knew what it was since he was the one who had said it to that other guy.
Lex smirked. He raised his glass to his lips and took a sip. "I know what it means in the city, but enlighten me, Clark -- what does it mean out here in Smallville?" Lex slung his free arm across the back of the sofa, his hand coming to rest just behind Clark, near his shoulder blades.
Clark cleared his throat. "Well, it's kind of complicated," he said slowly.
Lex nodded, encouraging Clark to continue. He took a sip and lowered his glass, a serious expression crossing his face.
Clark rubbed his sweaty palms on his thighs. He was too aware of Lex's left hand, so close to his back. It was close enough that Lex could touch him. Clark leaned back and bumped Lex's hand.
"It is very complicated," Lex finally broke the tension. Clark almost sighed with relief then turned his head when Lex leaned in so close that Clark thought for sure he was going to kiss him. "It's a sexual position," Lex whispered. Clark could smell alcohol on his breath, but he didn't move away. He leaned in closer to Lex and looked up into Lex's eyes with anticipation, swallowing hard.
They both froze and Clark made a choice. He closed his eyes and tilted his head, his lips gently brushing Lex's mouth. Lex didn't move, but Clark wasn't going to stop there. His body hummed and felt electric, like nothing ever before. He'd never felt this way when Lana had kissed him. There was also that time on the riverbank when he'd saved Lex's life. But this... this was something else entirely. Distantly Clark heard the clink of glass on glass.
Clark parted his lips and grew brave. He pressed his open mouth against Lex's mouth, feeling Lex's wet tongue lick out. Then suddenly Lex was pushing him into the sofa and his mouth surrounded Clark's mouth, tongue plunged deep inside. A hand was wound in Clark's hair, gripped it tightly, yanked his head back until Clark's neck arched and his head tilted so he would be looking up at the ceiling if he had opened his eyes, but he didn't open his eyes. He savored the feel of Lex's hands and lips and tongue and the fact that Lex had flung a leg over Clark's thighs. He was almost straddling him and Clark was so hard, his erection pulsing in his jeans.
Just as Clark was getting into the tangle of tongues and figuring out where to put his nose, Lex was gone. Clark opened his eyes, his arms still in the air where Lex should have been. Only Lex wasn't on top of him, kissing him. He was on the other end of the sofa, panting heavily.
Wide-eyed, Clark shifted and slid closer to Lex. "Why did you stop?" he cried. He wanted to scream but it came out more like a squeak. Lex wasn't looking at Clark; instead he was staring at his own hands.
"You should go home," Lex finally said after a long silence.
Clark started to shake his head. "No... no. I'm not going home. Please, Lex." Clark moved closer, and Lex slid away, but there was nowhere else to go. He was already at the end of the sofa.
"Go home, Clark," Lex said quietly. By the tone of his voice, Clark knew Lex meant business. Clark gulped and froze on the spot. He didn't want to leave. Not now that he'd finally made a move. Clark wanted to stay and be touched and kissed by Lex. His body felt alive, like it never had before with someone else.
"I don't want to go home," Clark whispered. His voice sounded meek even to his ears.
Lex turned to face him and smiled, but Clark knew it wasn't a genuine smile. It was the smiled Lex reserved for everybody else but Clark. "I promise everything will be fine." Lex stared Clark straight in the eyes and smiled that fake smile.
Clark knew he wasn't going to get anywhere. Once Lex had made up his mind about something there was no changing it.
Clark stood and walked out of the room without another word. He was too afraid of what he'd say.
~
The next week was even worse than the week before. Clark couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. No matter what he was doing, his mind would always wander back to the feel of Lex's hands on his arms, the touch of his mouth on Clark's lips, the way Lex's tongue felt. Clark shook his head as he listened to Chloe speculate on the latest meteor mutant. He should have been listening to her, not thinking about Lex Luthor's firm touch.
Fingers snapped in front of his eyes, pulling him back into the room.
"Clark, the least you could do is pretend you're not thinking about Lana Lang," Chloe sniped.
"I wasn't thinking about Lana," he protested. It was actually the truth, but Chloe rolled her eyes and handed him the piece of paper that the printer had just spewed out.
"Go check out Brad," she said as she gathered her books and stuffed them in her bag. Clark stared blankly down at the piece of paper.
Later that day he fell twenty feet when Brad hurled him through the air. Clark's shirt was torn to shreds before he finally subdued his fellow schoolmate.
He didn't bother to stick around for the police, and by the time he was walking along the road back to his house, the sun had set. Clark yanked the last few scraps of his t-shirt off and tossed them into the ditch. He'd have to walk home shirtless. At least he still had his pants and shoes. Clark could have run, but he was feeling weary. He hadn't seen Lex once over the past week. He desperately wanted to talk to him about what had happened between them. He desperately wanted to repeat what had happened between them.
Clark ignored the bright headlights behind him and kept walking. He'd be home in a few miles and if the driver stopped to offer him a ride, he'd turn them down. He wasn't in the mood to explain why he was shirtless and covered in grime, but he couldn't be so lucky that somebody in this town would just keep driving past and leave him alone.
Clark turned and squinted into the bright lights. He lifted his hand up to block the light from his eyes. "I'm fine," he started to say.
"Clark?" Lex walked around the car and stopped in front of him.
It would have to be Lex that would find him at night, dirty, and shirtless. That was the kind of luck Clark had.
Lex's gaze traveled over Clark's body, making Clark shiver. There was a chill in the air and Lex must have thought Clark was cold. He reached out and grasped Clark's elbow. Clark allowed Lex to drag him to the passenger's side door.
"You'll catch something out here," Lex said, concern in his voice.
For effect, Clark chattered his teeth and shivered again. "Is it okay if we go back to your place so I can clean up? I can call my parents from there to let them know I'm okay?"
Lex opened the passenger door and nodded as he urged Clark into the low bucket seat of his Ferrari. Clark slid in wordlessly, his legs spread wide, bent awkwardly, with his knees bumping against the glove compartment. He froze, too afraid he'd accidentally break something to try and settle more comfortably in the tight space. He watched as Lex jogged around the car to the driver's side and slid in behind the wheel. Clark jumped in his seat when Lex shoved his arm between Clark's legs and reached down under his seat.
"Push your seat back," Lex instructed.
Clark lowered his head and felt his face flush as he pushed back gently. The seat slid back smoothly, and suddenly he had more legroom. Lex straightened up, shifted gears and was rolling the car back onto the road before Clark could blink.
"Thanks," he mumbled, hugging himself. They rode in silence all the way back to the mansion. Lex parked in front and glanced at Clark before getting out. The night had been so odd already that Clark almost expected Lex to open the car door for him, but Lex did not.
Clark followed Lex into the mansion, his arms still wrapped around his bare chest. He felt naked and exposed, and he was thankful for the darkness. Clark stayed close behind Lex as they went up to the second floor and entered Lex's bedroom. The last time Clark had been up here was back when Victoria had been living here. The room hadn't looked nearly this nice. Soft light spilled from a table lamp by the bed, bathing the room in a warm glow that made Clark feel safe. He noted the large four-poster bed that dominated the center of the room, making the room itself look small. The only other furniture in the room was a chair that sat opposite the bed and a big wooden wardrobe in a far corner.
"Sit down," Lex said as he pointed to the really nice, fancy-looking antique chair. Clark wordlessly sat down on the edge of the chair, afraid to dirty it, but Lex seemed unconcerned. He walked across the room to the large wooden wardrobe and opened the left door. Before Clark could blink, Lex stood in front of him and dropped a maroon colored t-shirt in Clark's lap. Clark accepted the shirt, a thank you going unspoken between them. He stood and moved as quickly as he could to the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Clark stepped out of the bathroom, feeling refreshed from the shower he'd just taken. He found Lex sitting on the bed, his face lit by the glow of his laptop. Lex had changed into a long-sleeved deep purple shirt and dark slacks. As soon as Clark cleared his throat to let Lex know he was there, Lex closed the screen and moved the laptop off of the bed onto a low table.
"Thanks," he said, running fingers through his damp hair. Lex motioned for Clark to join him on the bed and Clark took the opportunity to turn away from Lex so he could hide his excitement. Clark knew he couldn't hide his feelings to save his life. He sat down across from Lex and managed to look his friend in the eyes.
"So Clark, why were you..." Lex motioned with a sweep of his hand at Clark's chest.
Clark glanced down then back up into Lex's eyes. A million explanations ran through his mind. He sighed and relaxed back into the pillow, his head close to Lex's arm. Clark closed his eyes. He felt tired. He always felt tired after fighting a meteor mutant. Brad had been like all the others Clark had fought, and his encounters with the green meteor rocks always left Clark feeling drained physically and emotionally.
"I had a fight with somebody who used to be a friend," he finally whispered. Clark rolled onto his side and curled up, tucking his hands under his head. His whole body sighed with relief when Lex reached out to smooth his wet bangs with a gentle caress.
"I called your mother to let her know you're okay," Lex said as he leaned in closer. "I told her you can spend the night in a spare room."
Clark nodded and leaned into Lex's touch, snuggling in closer when Lex moved closer and wrapped an arm around Clark's shoulders. Clark tilted his head up and opened his eyes to stare into Lex's deep blue gaze. The soft light made Lex's eyes look dark and intense and shiny. Lex was brushing his thumb across the back of Clark's neck, sending shivers through Clark's entire body. Clark self-consciously moved his hips away from Lex, hyperaware of the tightening in his jeans.
Clark was harder than he'd ever been before. He'd never gotten so excited by anybody. He could feel Lex's gaze pin him to the bed. Lex pulled back to get a better view of Clark. The silence stretched out for what seemed like hours. Clark wanted to say something, but he felt frozen in place, his hands trapped under his head.
"You have no idea, do you," Lex whispered, his breath caressed Clark's cheek. Clark shuddered when Lex reached up with his free hand and touched Clark's lips. "This mouth..." Lex didn't finish what he was going to say about Clark's mouth. Instead he leaned in and kissed Clark, lips parted and tongue pushing its way in, demanding to take possession. Clark gladly gave in, allowing Lex to push him back so that Clark was lying on his back with Lex almost on top of him, their chests pressed close together.
Clark couldn't take much more of this. Lex's hands were all over him, tugging the borrowed t-shirt up to touch Clark's bare chest, their mouths never parted. Clark's hands were free but he wasn't sure what to do with them so he kept them at his side. When Lex's thigh brushed up against Clark's erection Clark couldn't stifle the moan. Nobody else had ever touched him like that. Now there was a chance that somebody other than him would venture into uncharted territory.
"Do you want me to touch you, Clark?" Lex finally asked when he broke the kiss.
Clark nodded without hesitation and closed his eyes. His body hummed in a way he'd never experienced before. It felt exciting and scary all at the same time. Clark opened his eyes wide not wanting to miss a second of this amazing moment.
"Relax," Lex smirked and slid his hands down to Clark's belt. He quickly unbuckled and unzipped Clark's pants.
Clark stared down with a mixture of shock, horror and amazement as Lex's fingers brushed against the fabric of his white cotton briefs right on the tip of his cock. He clenched his hands into fists, his heart thumping in his chest. Clark watched as Lex slid a thumb under the elastic of his underwear and shot Clark a teasing grin. Clark's entire body tensed and his cock pulsed as his orgasm overtook him even before Lex had lifted his briefs up to touch him.
Beside him, Lex froze, his thumb slid out of Clark's briefs, the elastic snapped back into place even as Clark rode out the last of the very first orgasm he'd ever experienced with somebody else.
Neither he nor Lex moved and by the dim light Clark thought he caught a look of regret on Lex's face, but he must have imagined it because Lex was petting his hair and leaning in to kiss Clark on the forehead.
"You should go clean up," Lex whispered. His hand went down to close the open flaps of Clark's jeans and he tugged down Clark's t-shirt, straightening it unnecessarily.
Clark swallowed hard, unable to say anything. He'd just had the most amazing orgasm, only it had happened way too fast, and now he wasn't going to get to touch Lex in return. He stood and held onto his jeans as he quickly walked to the door to the hallway, trying not to look like he was rushing out of there as fast as possible. He didn't bother to stop to clean up. He quickly zipped up and, without even buckling his belt, Clark ran out of the mansion. He vaguely heard Lex call out to him, but there was no way he was going back there.
By the time Clark reached the farm, he felt sick to his stomach. His first time had sucked. Clark knew Lex had been disappointed, and why wouldn't he be? Lex had probably had so many amazing lovers. He wouldn't be surprised if Lex never called or talked to him ever again.
~
The next morning Clark woke up bright and early. It was Friday which meant he'd still have to go to school some time soon, but for now Clark would just work mindlessly at every chore he was supposed to do. It was working out fine until his dad joined him. Jonathan stopped Clark in mid swing as he was about to toss yet another bale of hay.
"Son, we need that hay to stay on the farm, not up in orbit," he said with a grin.
Clark lowered his arms and looked over at the house to find bales on the roof. He dropped the bail, his shoulders slumped. This wasn't even something he could talk to his dad about. The first time they had talked about sex had been hard enough. Clark couldn't handle the stammering and the trapped look on his father's face yet again. There was no way he could ever tell his father what had happened with Lex last night. His father would probably explode in a bad way.
Jonathan slapped Clark on the shoulder, sending dust everywhere, and nudged him toward the house. "Why don't you get those bales down from the roof and come in for breakfast? It's almost time for you to get to school anyway."
Clark did as he was told, and half an hour later, he was rushing off to school, having missed the bus yet again. Once he had arrived, it took two minutes for Chloe to start harassing him about the events of the previous night. Not the events with Lex, which Chloe knew nothing about (though Clark wasn't putting anything past her since she seemed to know everything that went on in this town) but the events that had led to a Clark and Brad scuffle. By now, the whole town knew that something had been odd about Brad. Nobody said anything out loud about it, but from the looks Clark was getting in the hallway as he made his way to his locker, he knew that word had gotten around. It was that, or they knew Clark was gay just by looking at him.
The whole day went by so fast, Clark wasn't even sure he remembered a word of what his teachers had said. After classes ended he skipped the bus and decided to walk home. By the time he did get home his parents were getting into the truck to go do some shopping in Grandville. They waved good-bye to him, shouting that he should do his homework before he did the chores.
Clark tossed his backpack on the floor and collapsed on the sofa in his loft, stretching out with his arms behind his head. He needed to recharge. He needed time to think about what had happened. What exactly had happened? He'd been overly excited, and had exploded even before Lex could touch him. He couldn't even think about it without feeling such embarrassment that he never wanted to show his face to Lex again.
"Knock, knock," Lex interrupted Clark's train of thought. Clark quickly sat up, keeping his head low, unable to look up at his friend. Instead he watched Lex's legs as Lex walked over and stopped near the sofa. "Mind if I join you?" Lex asked, tone neutral and polite.
Clark moved over enough to give Lex room to sit on the sofa, and finally gazed up into soft blue eyes. Lex looked so good. He smiled warmly and straightened his dark gray suit jacket, settling his hands on his knees. Clark's eyes fell on Lex's hands, remembering when they had touched Clark's bare chest. It was like life was mocking him. How was it possible that just a look from Lex could send tingles through Clark's thighs and make his throat dry up?
They sat in silence, the distant sound of wind whistling through the loft. Clark shifted a leg, and the boards under his feet creaked so loudly, he had to stop himself from cringing. He shifted his leg back and brushed knees with Lex, and his whole body stilled.
"I came here to apologize for acting inappropriately with you the other night," Lex said.
Clark didn't know what to say, so he sat quietly, listening to the inflection of Lex's voice. He tried not to think about the possibilities of where this could lead. He'd thought enough already about how this could cost him his friend. The truth was Clark didn't have many friends. People thought he did, but his oddness had always kept him on the fringes of most social cliques. He didn't want the special bond he'd developed so quickly with Lex to be severed, but already Clark could feel the cold steel of an invisible knife poised over the remnants of their friendship.
"It was my fault," Clark suddenly blurted out. "I did something wrong. If I'd held on longer..."
Lex's hand shot out and gripped Clark's knee. Their eyes locked and for a second Clark saw anger and frustration flare in Lex's eyes.
"No! Clark, don't ever think that! I can't believe I took..." Lex suddenly released his grip and stood, stalking across the loft with his back to Clark. Lex nervously ran his hand over his smooth scalp. From behind, with his exposed neck, Lex looked so vulnerable. Clark stared at the bump at the base of Lex's skull. Lex shook his head and spun around to face Clark. His gaze fixed on Clark, and pinned him to the sofa.
"Except I feel like I took advantage of you," Lex finally finished. He looked so unhappy and Clark couldn't stand that.
Clark stood, unsure of what to do or say next. "I'm sorry," he finally said, resolving from that moment to make sure Lex did not take the burden for what had happened. Besides, Clark was pretty sure Lex was trying to stay away from the topic of how abysmally Clark had performed.
Lex shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned back against the wooden railing. "I'm the one who should apologize for allowing things to get that out of hand."
Clark nodded, realizing that he should take the 'out' that his friend was giving him, but he couldn't. He wasn't going to be able to walk down Main Street and run into Lex without feeling uncomfortable. He wanted things back the way they were. He wanted Lex to stare straight into Clark's eyes. He knew now that Lex had been flirting with him all that time, and there was no way Clark was going to lose that. Lex was the only person who had ever thought Clark was worth that kind of attention.
"I know what you're trying to do," Clark said his voice catching in his throat. This wasn't going to be easy. Clark could see that Lex was just as tense as he was. For some reason, that made him feel safer and surer of himself.
"Well, I'm not used to saying I'm sorry, but I think that's pretty much how it goes," Lex said with a slight grin. His shoulders relaxed imperceptibly.
They could salvage this. Things could go back to normal or almost normal with a few changes where Lex touched Clark and Clark touched Lex back. Only Clark didn't want the touches to be just everyday normal-guy touches. He still hadn't gotten the chance to touch Lex, and there was no way Clark could go back to not feeling this way and not wanting these things that had been awakened in him. There was no way he was going to let Lex go now.
Clark let out the breath he'd been holding and smiled, shuffling on the spot, eager to sit back down so they could relax and talk like normal again. "I heard practicing can help," he said, feeling his cheeks heat despite the fact that he felt safe saying the words out loud.
Lex's eyes widened in mock surprise as he finally moved close again. "There's a rumor about something like that," he leaned in closer to Clark, their eyes meeting. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
Clark's body hummed with that same feeling again. He nodded and reached out to tentatively touch Lex's hand. He played with the pads on the tips of Lex's fingers, stroking them gently. It had taken Clark years to learn how to apply just the right amount of pressure when he touched somebody, and he was just starting to enjoy the sensation of touching Lex's skin.
"You shouldn't have so many guys hanging around you," Clark suddenly blurted.
"Are you the jealous type?" Lex asked with a teasing voice.
Clark nodded and leaned in closer still, hypnotized by the depths of Lex's blue irises. "Are you the type to date just one person?"
"No," Lex's sudden rejection shocked Clark into pulling away, eyes searching Lex's face. "But there's always a first time for everything."
The kiss was sweet, and when Lex reached up and grabbed Clark to pull him closer, Clark willingly allowed himself to be dragged forward.
They had plenty of time before his parents returned.
End
Challenge: First Time - Premature ejaculation