Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, Part One
Title: Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc, or Being Human (1/4)
Pairing: Clex
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: For the clexmas Spring Fling for tobywolf13
Clarkpreg, old school, Kal-El
I tried to work in an old school feel to the story, even though it's set in S5.
Summary: Stripped of his powers, Clark juggles being human for he first time with the consequences of his relationship with Lex.
Post S5 Mortal
Part One
Consequences. Causality. Events occur, which cause other events. Cause begets cause begets cause, and ultimately, an inevitable, wondrous result.
July
Fury rose up inside of Clark, burning so hotly and so righteously. He never expected it to die so quickly when Lex dropped to the floor. His gray eyes were rolling back in his head, his face pale and fragile. Clark moved over his friend, cradling the man in his arms, rage forgotten.
Dark bangs spilled into Clark's face as he looked over Lex, frightened for a split moment that he had done something he couldn't take back. Then Lex's eyes fluttered, and Clark fell back on his heels in utter, utter relief.
"You scared me," Clark whispered.
Then Lex jumped backward, looking up at Clark as though he were a madman.
"Lex!" Clark reached forward.
"You… You're bleeding," Lex murmured. He looked around the office quickly, almost in confusion.
"So are you." Clark grabbed Lex's shoulder and touched the side of his head, looking over his face carefully.
Lex scanned Clark's face suspiciously. "Clark, are you high?"
"Of course not." Clark froze as he spotted bleeding. "Lex, we need to get you to the hospital."
"I'll be fine. You're the one behaving erratically," Lex argued.
"You have head trauma," Clark snapped.
"Because you punched me in the face six times!" Lex pulled away from Clark and walked around his desk. "Your concern rings a little hollow."
"You… Lana could have been killed, Lex."
"I have to say, Clark, I really adore how being around Lana incites you to violence against me. If she ever let you get all the way, you might even get to put on your big boy pants and choke me to death."
Clark stood there in stunned silence at the level of bitterness evident in Lex's voice. "Were you involved?"
"Insofar as you and Chloe broke into one of my facilities while I was in Washington." Lex turned and narrowed his eyes at Clark. "Clearly the first thing I want to hear when I return from a business trip. Of course, as your friend, I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt before storming into your home and assaulting you for answers."
"Then how do you explain being at Belle Reve when those mutants escaped?"
"My father is being held there for observation. This may come as a surprise to you, but in spite of everything, I do care about the man. He's been catatonic since the last meteor shower." Lex touched the side of his head. "Cum hoc, ergo propter hoc."
"Come… what?" Clark paused and took another step forward. Lex looked like he might be about to pass out again, and if he did, Clark was going to take him to the hospital before he could resist.
"'With this, therefore because of this;' Simultaneity does not prove causality. It's flawed logic, Clark." Bowing over, Lex closed his eyes. "She's poisoned you against me. I don't know what I've done recently to bring on such wild leaps of illogic-"
"Chloe didn't poison anything-"
"I'm not talking about Chloe. She fished information out for you. She didn't tell you what to do with it," Lex snapped. "It's Lana. She's making snide comments about me to you, and you, without even asking for a moment why she'd want to diminish my credibility, eat it up. Why don't you go back to your little princess, Clark, and leave me be."
"I'm not going to do that, Lex," Clark said softly. Lex hadn't yet wiped the blood from his nose; Clark hadn't yet wiped the blood from his lip.
"I thought you were tired of playing games with me?" Lex stumbled over to his bar and pulled out the scotch.
Clark came up behind him and put his hand over Lex's. "Please."
Lex tilted his head and looked up at Clark. "I don't understand what you want from me."
"I want you to get your head checked."
"I'm telling you that I'm going to be fine. And if you don't leave-"
"Are you going to have security see me out?" Clark challenged.
Lex paused, thinning his lips. "I might."
Clark crossed his arms, waiting.
After a moment, Lex rolled his eyes and sighed, looking for all the world like a petulant teenager. He reached for the scotch again, to Clark's dismay, and began to pour himself a healthy glass. "You can ease your guilt trip a little. I received a decent blow to the head earlier today."
"And you think my punches helped?" Clark asked, arching a brow.
Lex smirked as he raised the scotch to his lips. "Maybe."
"You could have cranial hemorrhaging," Clark protested.
"I'll take my chances." Lex strolled over to his desk, sat down and turned off the video. "Tell Chloe to check the guest list for our congressmen in DC. You can accuse me of many things, but I don't happen to have the talent of being in two places at once. Are you leaving?"
"Not until you go to the hospital," Clark said stubbornly.
"Well, I'm not going to the hospital unless you plan on tossing me over your shoulder and carrying me there." Lex sipped his scotch and picked up the phone at his desk.
Clark pushed his lip out a little and squeezed his fingers. "Are you calling security?"
"I'm calling Cook. If you're not leaving, and I'm not going, then I suppose we're staying. We might as well have dinner."
Clark's lips cracked a little smile.
Several hours later, Clark was watching Lex doze intermittently in front of the television.
"You should go to bed."
"Don't want to," Lex muttered. "It's early."
Clark's rough fingers touched the back of Lex's head. He winced slightly. "Here? Is here where you hit your head before?"
"'s fine."
"You have a knot." Clark frowned and scooted closer. "It's funny colored. Kind of yellowish."
"Well, so's your face." Lex opened one eye. "Seriously, though, I'd like it if you'd get some ice for that lip."
"Says he with the shiner and the bump on his noggin."
"Who says noggin these days, anyway?" Lex creased the corners of his mouth as he looked up at Clark. "Why are you looking out for me?"
"Because. It's you." Clark had no other real answer.
***
The next morning, Clark woke beside Lex in an enormous bed, flanked by pillows that made him feel like a small child in his parents' bed. He narrowed his eyes trying to scan Lex's head with his x-ray. It took him a moment to remember that he couldn't do that anymore. Instead, he watched his friend closely as he slept, and wondered if he shouldn't have been more forceful about getting Lex to the hospital.
Clark was jarred out of his thoughts as the alarm clock screamed and Lex turned over, almost automatically, and turned it off. He slipped off the side of the bed without noticing Clark, and headed to the bathroom, stripping off his silk pajamas as he went.
Clark arched a brow very high as he saw the pale backside swishing away from him. He ran a finger over his swollen lower lip and realized that what he was feeling was… Possible. Not like any other time when he'd been on Red K and wanted to slam Lex through a wall with his hips. He stood and walked over to the freestanding mirror.
He knew he was an attractive guy. That much, Clark never considered often. It wasn't the way his facial features were arranged, regularly and pleasing to the eye, or the cut of his muscles, or the way his hair fell in his eyes. The way girls looked at him sometimes reminded him that humans liked the particular arrangement of his physical body. He was a dork, but a good-looking dork.
No, it was that, underneath, beneath the pleasing skin was a body unfamiliar and unquantified. A body that no human should be able to accept. He felt, sometimes, that they should realize that there was something dark and dangerous beneath his pretty smile. There should be something off in his scent that let them know that they couldn't work together, like a wolf cub adopted into a litter of housecats.
Maybe these thoughts were irrational, but Clark could only think back to all the times his parents had cautioned him, all the times that he'd been forced to pull back. Because he could control his powers, but how could he control his DNA? How could he control what was inside of him?
Lex walked out of the shower at a brisk pace and headed to his walk in closet.
"Lex?"
The older man jumped and turned around swiftly, looking like he might attack the intruder in his home.
"Jesus, Clark." Lex shook his head. "I forgot that you stayed over."
Clark ducked his head and looked away. "I uh… Yeah, I wanted to make sure you made it through the night."
"I seem to recall something like that." Lex disappeared into the closet, then called out, "Do you think I made it?"
"You seem… fine. Um. I guess I should go home now." Clark flushed like a schoolgirl. It was a flaw he had come to live with.
"If you'd like. You could stay for breakfast."
"Or you could come over and let my mom make you pancakes."
Lex came out of the closet buttoning up a garnet-colored dress shirt. "I'm not going to beg breakfast off of a woman trying to rebuild her home."
"Your loss." Clark shrugged.
"I suppose it is," Lex said with a smile. Lifting his wrist to eye level so that he could get the button there, he frowned slightly. "Are we okay?"
"I don't know, Lex. I…" Clark slipped his hands into his pockets. "You know, after everything that's happened, I thought I knew what my life would be like now. I thought it would be easier, but things are more complicated than ever." He took in a deep breath. "I guess you can never be certain what will happen tomorrow, can you?"
Lex looked up from dressing himself and met Clark's eyes. "You can only be certain of events if you have a psychic ability, and even then, it's a sketchy game at best. I believe in making my own future. However, you can best lay your plans, and leave yourself open to extreme possibilities. Look at every day through reasonable eyes, and nothing is insurmountable."
"I don't know that's the answer I was looking for." Clark crooked his mouth to the side.
"I'm not a fortune cookie. I can only give the answers that my brain generates at the time, not some semi-comforting platitude."
"I guess not." Clark breathed in slowly, then gave Lex a soft smile. "We're okay."
"Well." Lex nodded. "Okay."
***
"I checked the records like you asked, Clark," Chloe said as she heard him enter her room. She pushed a chunk of blond bangs out of her eyes, momentarily reminded that she needed to either commit to the long locks or go get a chop, and swiveled around in her chair. "It looks like you were right. Lex was in DC. I'm glad we did some more research…"
Chloe blinked in disbelief before discarding the file in her hand and approaching Clark with concern. "What happened to you?"
"You should see the other guy. And by other guy, I mean Lex." Clark gave a sheepish smile.
"…Clark, when I said you should probably go talk to Lex, I didn't mean talk, as in beat to a pulp."
Clark rolled his shoulders and walked over to retrieve the file. "I lost my temper. He's okay, now. I stayed with him last night to make sure he was okay."
"You punched him out, and then had a sleepover?" Chloe cocked her head to the side dubiously.
Clark didn't speak for a moment as he scanned the file. "He wouldn't go to the hospital. I shouldn't have been hitting him like that, Chloe. I don't know… I mean, I've always had to pull my punches, and for the moment it felt good to just let my anger really flow, you know?"
"Even us mere mortals have to exercise restraint," Chloe pointed out. "So he was in DC. Did he say anything about the feed to his office?"
"Hm." Clark set the file down on Chloe's desk. "No. We kind of… didn't get around to talking about that. He was a little loopy after, um…"
Chloe sighed. "Alright. I'll keep looking into it. Maybe it's nothing, but the way that went down was a little weird to me."
"Weirder than Smallville? I have to admit, the fact that they came straight to me isn't the weirdest part. People in Belle Reve do kind of know me."
"They should know Lex, too. And on the tape, it doesn't look like those guys recognized him," Chloe pointed out. "I got a copy and looked. Unless they're method actors… But still, it's just really odd that their shackles would just unlock like that, don't you think?"
"It could be a fluke," Clark suggested.
"Could be anything. Well, we'll see." Chloe sat down in her chair and leaned on her hand as she opened up her freshman folder for Metropolis University. "Well, if you don't have anything else for Chloogle to look up for you-"
"Chloogle?" Clark shook with laughter so hard that he had to wipe his eyes.
"-I have to figure out this housing situation. Met U requires all freshmen to stay on campus, which is… great. But I'm trying to convince the housing department that since I'll be doing this Daily Planet internship/work study that I haven't been hired for yet, I can do the apartment thing in Metropolis instead of Smallville."
Clark sat on her bed and put his feet up. "You could get Lana to sign off as a roommate for you. Then the dorms wouldn't be so bad."
"Er… I'll be honest, I've done the living with Lana thing, and the sting still hasn't quite faded." Chloe tightened her lips in a quick grimace before turning her head to look at the paperwork.
"Why sting?" Clark lifted his head with surprise.
"Why not? Look, we're all fine now, but when you and Lana started dating the first time, it was like I disappeared off the planet, and if Lana said anything, then I was automatically the bad guy. I didn't like it then, and it's not an experience I care to repeat. I'll take my chances on Met U's 2005 incoming class of freshmen."
Clark sat up and pulled his left foot closer to him. "I didn't realize you felt that way."
"Really? I was sure my torrential temper tantrums at the Talon and the Torch would have tipped you off," Chloe rattled off in a self-disparaging tone.
"That's a lot of alliteration," Clark joked. He leaned forward when Chloe didn't laugh and folded his hands. "I don't think I was being a very good friend."
Chloe sighed. "I don't begrudge you your Lana-time, okay, Clark? I promise I don't. But I hope you remember this time that your entire life doesn't have to revolve around your significant other."
This was sounding suspiciously close to Lex's complaint from yesterday. Clark got up and hugged around the shoulders from behind. "I'm not going to forget you, Chloe. Promise."
"Well. Good. I'm glad we had this chick flick moment."
Clark chuckled. "I should get going."
"Are you going to be in the dorms, or do you get an exemption because you work on the farm?"
Clark shook his head. "I don't think calling in agriculture is allowed. So I probably have a roommate with everyone else."
"Pity we couldn't pair up," Chloe said, pinching her mouth to the side. "It would save you time. Your information go-getter right there?"
Clark raised his brows. "They have co-ed dorms?"
"No. They have a gay frat. We could slip in undercover, and not have to worry about any of this."
Clark looked upward with a frown. "I think that might raise further problems."
"Might raise something."
Clark laughed and kissed Chloe's temple.
***
The clip of Lana's heeled boots hit Clark's ears keenly, and he turned from the papers he was looking at to see her rising slowly from the stairs.
"I'm starting to think you're avoiding me. Where were you the other night?" Lana rounded the railing slowly as she kept her gaze fixed on him.
"What? Oh…" Clark pressed his lips together and shrugged. "I said I might come over. More of a warning than a promise."
"Why do I feel like you're keeping something from me?"
"Wh- huh?" Clark turned from his desk where he was looking over the housing papers. He had to fill out his paperwork for an early move in/campus tour in July, rather than with the rest of the freshman class.
Lana crossed her arms and watched him with a serious frown. "I wish you'd come over, Clark."
"Lana, don't, please?" Clark stood and walked to her side. "Lex suffered a head injury when he was out of town. I had to stay with him because he refused to go to the hospital."
Lana let out a little huff. "Why am I not surprised? About the head injury or the hospital?"
"He can be difficult," Clark admitted with a fond smile. "But I'm glad he's okay."
"Hm. He got me something. Sent it to me with this note," Lana muttered tersely. She reached into her bag and pulled out a hunk of meteor rock. Clark flinched back before he remembered that they didn't seem to hurt him anymore.
"What did the note say?" Clark asked, gingerly taking the rock from her.
"Said he thought I'd be interested in this. It's interesting, I guess. I've never seen a silver meteor rock," Lana said disinterestedly.
"Neither have I. Just green, red, and black." Clark held the rock close, studying the way it shone. He wasn't entirely sure this was actually one of the meteors.
"There are black ones?" Lana wrinkled her nose. "I don't know, Clark. I'm an artist, not a… meteorologist. I don't study meteors."
"Meteorologists don't study- Ow!" Clark dropped the rock and sucked his throbbing finger into his mouth.
"Did you cut yourself?" Lana looked up curiously before bending down to pick up the meteor rock.
"It hurts," Clark whined.
"Well, go inside and get a Band-Aid," Lana replied, laughing a little.
Clark pouted and looked at his finger, which was red. He could see that something was stuck in the pad, but his fingernails weren't long enough to get it. "Ow!"
"Oh, you big baby. Let me see." Lana set the rock on Clark's desk and took his hand in hers. "Wait…"
"Ow!" Clark exclaimed, jumping back from her pinching fingernails.
"Stop moving!" Lana exclaimed in frustration. She shook her head. "Fine. Go put some ice on it, Clark. It's just a splinter, for goodness sakes."
***
It was hot, so hot. Clark wandered the halls of the mansion, storming into one room after the other, trying to find the only friend he had left in the world. The last few days had been hell.
"Lex!" Clark cried. He raked a hand through his hair and stood there for a moment, feeling the sweat trickle down his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, hearing his father's angry words stinging in his ears, his mother's laughter. He saw Lana smirking slyly, so slyly, her eyes creasing at the corners as she made her pretty lies.
"Clark?"
Lex's voice came down the hallway through the haze of voices. Clark turned to him, then rushed forward.
"She's trying to take you away from me, Lex!" Clark exclaimed, curling his fingers around the slinky black collar of Lex's sweater.
"Who?" Lex's eyes were wide and alarmed, no doubt remembering the event recently when they were in similar positions. He didn't struggle, however, just looked up at Clark and searched his face.
"You know." Clark panted. Anger and frustration welled up inside him. He could see their lips pressing together, Lex craning his neck awkwardly to somehow close the distance from Lex's height to hers. "You know. Please, Lex. Don't choose her."
"Clark," Lex whispered carefully, not breaking eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Choose me. Love me. Not her. Lana doesn't deserve you. Please, don't be scared," Clark begged. He pulled Lex forward so quickly that their teeth clinked together. If he let Lex go, the man might run away, might see inside Clark past the human illusion to the alien that lurked underneath, and Clark couldn't deal with that. He couldn't live if Lex couldn't take him for all that he was.
Only when Lex began kissing Clark back, twining his fingers through Clark's curls, and petting his face, did Clark relax a little bit. He pulled back only to breathe, and met Lex's eyes yet again, and moved his mouth, although the words didn't make it out of the back of his throat.
"It's hot in here. Smallville summer, hm?" Lex smiled up at him softly and took one of Clark's hands away from his collar. "Is this what you need?"
"I'm scared, Lex. Everyone is against me. I can't take it if you are too!" Clark felt tears brimming in his eyes, and Lex squeezed his hand.
"What do you mean everyone is against you?" Lex frowned seriously and pulled Clark toward him.
"No, no, Lex, you have to listen." Clark sniffed. "My mom called me a thing they found in the cornfield-"
"Clark."
"And my dad hates me because I can't help them with the farm when I'm in school-"
"Clark."
"And Lana wants to tear you away from me-"
"Clark!" Lex shook Clark a little. "Your parents love you. And Lana thinks I'm disgusting. She doesn't want me."
"Not disgusting." Clark pressed his face into Lex's shoulder and let out a little sob. "My parents are going to sell me to the government to dissect."
"No! God, Clark, no." Lex kissed the side of Clark's cheek and rubbed his back, trying to guide the large man with him. "Please, Clark, come with me, okay?"
"Ow… Don't squeeze my hand so hard. It hurts." Clark rubbed his cheek against Lex's sweater and sniffed him softly.
"It hurts? Why don't I…?" Lex looked at Clark's hand closely. "Oh."
Pushing Clark's bangs aside, Lex tried to get Clark to lift his head. "Come with me upstairs, okay?"
"Lana hasn't been there, has she?"
"No, Clark. She hasn't been there." Lex turned Clark around slowly and started moving them toward the staircase. "You've been there, remember? Only you've been with me in that bed."
"Only me?" Clark leaned into Lex's side, shaking a little as they made their way up and down the hall.
"Only you."
"What… What about Helen and the Lex girls?"
"I got a new bed after Helen. And the Lex girls never came to my home. How can I trust girls who stalk me? Strictly hotel rooms."
"I hate the Lex girls."
Lex smiled as he moved them into the bedroom. "Do you? C'mon. On the bed, Clark."
"I uh… The bed?"
Clark blinked a few times. The room shifted, and he was looking up at the ceiling dizzily while Lex petted his hair gently and picked up the phone by the bed.
"Don't call my parents!" Clark rolled his head over and looked at Lex with pleading eyes.
"I won't. I promise. I'm just having a few things brought up." Setting down the phone, Lex turned to Clark and cupped his cheek.
Clark couldn't keep track of the things Lex was saying, but his voice was soothing, so velvety and calm and beautiful, and he gave Clark sweet wine. He didn't even notice that Lex was holding his hand until he felt a pinch.
"Unn!"
"It's okay, Clark. It's out." Lex set the needle and pair of tweezers on the nightstand with the hot compress he'd been holding to Clark's hand. "It's out, see?"
Clark narrowed his eyes at his red index finger that Lex was holding to his face and frowned. "It was in pretty deep. That… hardly hurt. My head feels funny."
"Maybe it's the wine." Lex lay down beside him and began petting Clark's hair again.
"Maybe." Clark looked at Lex dreamily then pressed his lips to Lex's again.
***
Waking in Lex's bed for the second time in a matter of days, Clark looked around. His head was pounding and the room seemed brighter than it should. Morning had something against him. He pushed himself up and felt his stomach. Ugh, that wasn't nice.
"Hangovers suck, I'm guessing," Lex said as he came out of the bathroom, this time wearing a towel loosely around his hips. "I've had alcohol poisoning, but oddly no hangovers."
"How… What?"
"It might have been the wine. I admit contributing to the delinquency of a minor wasn't on the top of my to-do list for yesterday, but when stoned out of your mind, sometimes a little wine will help you mellow out," Lex drawled, heading into his closet once again.
Clark swallowed, looking around himself. He was wearing a pair of red silk pajamas. He wondered where his clothes were.
"I was stoned?"
"Like a flower child. Though it wasn't through the traditional means." Lex came out of the closet. "You had a sliver of a meteor rock under your skin."
Clark looked down at his hand and blinked at the Hello Kitty Band-Aid.
"I had to use a needle and tweezers to get it out." Lex grimaced. "That may hurt for awhile. You should probably call your parents, by the way. I'm going to guess that you didn't let them know where you were running off to."
Clark nodded and swung his feet over the side of the bed. "Did… we…?"
"Did we what?" Lex folded his collar properly and began to fix his tie.
"Um." Clark closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We were kissing."
"…Yes, Clark. We kissed. That happens sometimes when you are intoxicated, even by extra-terrestrial means." Lex kept his voice light as he walked over to the bed with his shoes and socks.
Clark sat with his back to Lex, looking down at the red pajama bottoms.
"It's alright, Clark. We're still friends," Lex said in his best avoidant, noncommittal tone.
If it hadn't been for that tone, Clark might have picked up his clothes and left. Instead, he stood and walked around the side of the bed. Lex lifted his chin slightly and frowned up at Clark.
"I didn't take advantage of you, Clark. I wouldn't do that."
"I know. You… I don't know what that was, Lex, but it felt awful." Clark leaned over, watching Lex's eyes.
"I had the bit of the meteor rock sent to the lab. Hopefully we'll be able to determine whether there will be any other consequences of your exposure to-"
"Shut up, Lex," Clark ordered. He pressed his hands to either side of Lex's face and kissed him forcefully.
When they broke apart, Lex seemed a bit dazed. "How do you feel, Clark?"
"I'm not high, Lex."
Clark kissed him again, then pushed Lex back onto the bed. Lex didn't resist as Clark began to loosen his tie, and with a smile, Lex's hands moved down the front of Clark's pajamas.
Once relieved of their clothes, Clark really had no idea what to do. He'd never had sex before, but Lex seemed much more certain, rolling them over and beginning to cover every inch of Clark's sun-kissed skin with his mouth. Clark shuddered as Lex went lower.
Lex paused a moment and kissed Clark's inner thigh. "Are you sure, Clark?"
Clark wasn't, but he made a noise and nodded his head quickly. He knew he didn't want Lex to stop.
***
"Clark!" Martha exclaimed as Clark came through the kitchen door. She rushed him to give her son a big hug and a kiss. "You had us worried sick!"
"I'm fine, Mom." Clark hugged her back and looked up as Chloe and his father rushed into the room.
"What happened?" Jonathan asked.
Chloe stepped forward. "We thought the meteor rock that Lex sent Lana-"
"Lex didn't send that. Not his handwriting. And anyway, I went to him last night. He got the splinter out." Clark shrugged. "It was the rock, though."
"You went to Lex?" Jonathan demanded.
"Yeah, I went to Lex, and he got it out and gave me a bed for the night." Clark ruffled his hair. "Lex helped me-no questions asked. You need to lay off of him."
"Then who sent the rock?" Chloe wondered. She crossed her arms. "I wish you'd called. We were searching everywhere for you."
"Not everywhere, obviously," Clark muttered. "I don't know who sent it, but they had to have known what would happen. You think?"
Chloe sighed. "I don't know. Look, are you ready to go?"
"Where?" Clark frowned.
Chloe leaned forward a little. "Freshman Preview? We were planning to leave about two hours ago?"
"Preview? Oh!" Clark ran upstairs to get changed.
***
Clark walked with Chloe through the crowd of incoming freshmen toward the large auditorium where the initiation was occurring. He fumbled with the folder he'd gotten in the line they'd had to go through before following the crowd of students, and looked around nervously. Chloe was too excited by all of this to be normal. She babbled on about all the classes they could try, and the interesting books they would be reading, and apparently she'd had the opportunity to interview some of the professors each year for an spring editorial to get the graduating seniors motivated about their new 'adventure' in college.
All Clark felt was butterflies in his stomach.
"This isn't so bad," Clark commented as they managed to get a seat at the back of the auditorium. He rubbed the side of his head and sighed.
"Yeah, if you have telescope vision. Oh, well. I guess this won't be the important part." Chloe straightened her collar and craned her neck to see over the tall fellow in front of her.
"Why are you so dressed up?"
"I have an interview during the break. With The Daily Planet." Chloe sighed softly. "I hope I get the internship, but I don't know."
"Are you kidding? They'll be lucky to get you." Clark raised a brow at her. It was hard to imagine The Planet refusing Chloe.
"They're not fond of me, Clark. My deal with Lionel rubbed a lot of people the wrong way." Chloe twisted her fingers. "I've published a few things under Lois's name, and she doesn't mind, but…"
Clark reached over and squeezed Chloe's shoulders. "I don't see Lana?"
"She decided not to come. Um, has she talked to you about New York?"
"New York?"
Chloe kept her eyes on the stage. "She just got accepted to an art school in New York."
"She didn't even tell me she was applying!"
There were several speakers before the head of the University College came up to talk to them. She was a young looking woman with a head full of gray hair, who put her hands on her hips and directed the Gateway teachers to stand at the front of the auditorium holding a colored flag. Clark looked down at his folder, and saw that his small flag was a different color than Chloe's purple flag, and had "H-L" printed across the front.
"Why don't we have the same flag?" Clark asked.
"Because I've declared journalism as a major. Actually, I'll probably double-majoring, but I wanted to get to know the other people in my class, since obviously journalism is the focus." Chloe looked at Clark's folder. She pointed to Clark's red flag, then up to a teacher to the side. "You're undeclared, so you're over there."
"We won't be in the same class?"
"No. I told you to declare journalism. You could always declare a different major later if you change your mind. If I wrote down 'undeclared,' we still wouldn't be in the same class because S is so far from K," Chloe explained in a reasonable tone.
"You just want me in your journalism classes," Clark accused with a smile.
Chloe leaned her head back. "Yes, I dooo."
Clark laughed and stood with her as the other students sorted themselves into line. "So I won't even see you at lunch?"
"No. Well, not for the first couple of days. I have to get my work study in order. Paperwork and stuff. If I get the job today, we could have lunch tomorrow."
Clark nodded, thinking that he should get on finding a job himself, but he didn't know how he'd be able to help his dad at the farm without his powers and still work a job.
***
There were nineteen students in the classroom. Clark slipped in the back. Instead of normal desks like in high school, there were several tables where two students could sit each. The chairs were attached to the floor, but could swivel, so Clark set his backpack on the floor, set out his folder and a notepad, and swiveled back and forth as he waited for the class to start.
The "Gateway" portion of preview was a shorter, and cheaper, version of a first semester course that the University College offered ostensibly to help transition students from high school to college. Jonathan seemed to believe that it was a means to get parents to pay for an extra class in tuition. 'Preview' overall only cost fifty dollars, so Clark's parents had agreed to have him do this instead of wasting an entire semester in the class.
As the course packet was passed out and Clark began to flip through it, he sort of agreed that this might be a waste of time. The instructor began to speak, and Clark tapped the end of his pen on the front of his packet.
A rough, broad tongue lapped over Clark's sensitive skin, lavishly bathing him, then exploring, digging deeper…
"It's your turn." The redheaded girl next to him poked his side. When Clark blinked dumbly, she whispered, "Name, etc.? It's on the board."
"Oh, uh…" Clark squinted at the board, thinking he might need some glasses as a human, and followed the list of things he was supposed to tell about himself. "Um, I'm Clark Kent. I'm from Smallville. That's like two hours away. The name is kind of all the description you need."
A few people chuckled. Clark didn't see anyone he recognized in the group.
"I'm undeclared, but thinking about majoring in maybe journalism. And um…" Clark frowned, looking at the next item on the list: 'Something interesting about you.'
Clark tilted his head and thought about that one.
I'm an alien from another planet without any powers?
I lost my virginity this morning.
I have an ice palace in the arctic.
"Uh, my family owns a farm, and I've worked on it since I was a kid," Clark offered.
"Oh, that's neat," his instructor said with a smile.
"Nice, farmboy," said a tall, big-boned guy across the room.
"Right, go on," the instructor encouraged.
"Okay, uh, I guess I like alternative rock, and some classical music. My favorite book is Native Son, and um… if I could be an animal, I'd be a… dog. Like a lab, or something."
The guy who had spoken before howled. Their instructor hushed them.
"Alright, what I want to talk about right now is expectations! We all come into college with expectations of what's going to happen, so why don't you shoot some of your expectations at me, and we can talk about them." She approached the board and began writing people's responses on it.
Clark sighed and started to daydream again.
Clark's eyes widened as he felt himself stretching around the hard, thick shaft moving slowly into him. Lex's hands cradled Clark's body tenderly, and he pressed their lips together over and over. At no moment did Clark have reason to think that Lex considered him anything but precious, and at no moment did he doubt that Lex had been thinking about this for a long, long time.
When the group got up to go on a campus tour, Clark sighed and picked up his bag. This was going to be a long four weeks.
***
Clark spotted Chloe at the end of the day, sitting on one of the covered tables outside of the Union and moodily sucking on a chocolate shake while picking at a plate of curly fries.
"Hey, Chlo." Clark walked straight up to her table and sat down across from her. He stole a fry. "I take it your day has been great."
"I'm not getting into The Daily Planet while that woman is editor. There's no way. Well, there's no ethical way, and I've done the easy way thing, and look how that turned out," Chloe said quietly.
"Well, there's more than one newspaper in Metropolis," Clark said with some forced cheerfulness. How did you talk someone down from losing their dream? "I bet Lex could still get you something at The Inquisitor-"
"I am not a tabloid reporter, Clark!" Chloe snapped. She wiped her cheek and sighed. "I scheduled an interview with The Metropolis Journal tomorrow. Maybe they won't hate me."
"The Daily Planet doesn't hate you, Chloe-"
"Yeah, they do. You weren’t there. They had a cake in the office when I got fired. I know my local editor didn't hate me, and the chief editor at the time seemed interested in a younger perspective at The Daily Planet, just for a small monthly column…" Chloe raked a hand through her hair. "I'm not giving up. The Daily Planet is the best, and I'm going to get there, no matter what it takes. The hard way this time. But I'm going to get there, Clark."
Clark took her hand and squeezed it. "That's the Sullivan I know."
Chloe gave Clark a little smile.
"So where can I get a chocolate shake?"
***
That evening, Clark returned to the temporary dorms where they would be staying during Preview before being sorted into regular dorms with everyone else. With a heavy sigh, he jogged up the stairs. He wanted to go visit his parents, and he really wanted to see Lex.
"Why now?" Clark asked, looking up at Lex. He had rested his head on Lex's hairless chest and was still breathing heavily.
"Because you let me. Because you're legal now." Lex's eyes were over brimming with affection as they met Clark's.
A few of the guys were slapping each other's arms and backs as the settled into their rooms. Clark looked behind him, then opened his door.
"Farmboy!" a boisterous voice exclaimed.
Clark's face fell. "Uh, hi."
The young man got up, and Clark realized that he was about as tall as Clark himself. And that was tall. They shook hands roughly and then Clark's roommate pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He didn't light up, though.
"Guess they think we'll feel more like sticking around if we get to know people before school starts. Not that it'll matter, if we rush." He dropped down on the bed on the left side of the room. Although big boned, he was fairly lean. His face was somewhat apple-shaped and had high cheekbones. His hair, a long straight mane of tough black, was tied back at the nape of his neck.
"Rush? Oh. Well, I probably won't be doing any Greek stuff. My friend told me all the skull and bones stuff they do, and I don't have time for that," Clark said. He set his bag down on the other bed and looked around.
"You think Met U has secret societies like Harvard or Princeton? I dunno." He shook his head and shrugged. "I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, farmboy. You wanna come?"
"My name's Clark. And I don't smoke."
"Charlie," his roommate replied. "See ya in a few."
The big guy stood and headed out. Clark sat on his bed and looked around, feeling odd to be in a room that was so uncluttered. He wouldn't even be here after Preview. He'd be assigned a real dorm after about two weeks break, and then that would be it. This small space would be his and Charlie's home for most of the school year.
Clark flopped back on his bed and pulled his phone out. After staring at it for a moment, he dialed Lex's number.
"Clark?" Lex sounded pleased. "I didn't realize you'd be leaving today."
"Sorry, it slipped my mind. Chloe and I just decided to do this last week."
"I'd think with that meteor rock affecting you, it wouldn't be the first thing you wanted to share," Lex said with a bit of amusement. "How was it?"
"Kind of boring. My roommate calls me 'farmboy.'"
"Well, that's unfair." Lex paused. "I'm supposed to call you farmboy."
Clark laughed and bit his lip. "I didn't mean to run away after… this morning."
"It's okay, Clark. I uh… maybe a little bit of space is good."
Clark took in a sharp breath. Lex sounded nervous, though.
"Why?"
"We… This happened so suddenly. Maybe a step back would be beneficial. I don't want to smother you. Anyway, I work in Metropolis. You go to school there. Surely we can meet up?"
"You think you'll smother me?"
"I have a bad habit of that. Consider yourself lucky that you got out the door."
"Heh. I had to let my parents know I was okay. Did you find anything else about that meteor rock?"
"Not much. From the sliver I took from you, I've determined that the composition of the rock is similar to the other meteors, but it doesn't emit the same kind of radiation that the green ones do. That's what makes them dangerous."
"Yeah?"
"And I'd imagine that when in contact with solar radiation, the mixture changes. I'd have to do more research. I don't know. Want me to keep you updated?"
"For sure. Oh, um. Lex?"
"What is it, Clark?"
"Do you know of anyone who would send that rock to Lana? Someone gave it to her, but they signed your name on the card."
Lex was quiet for a moment. "That's strange."
"Yeah. I know. I told them it couldn't be yours, because I know your handwriting. I just don't know who would be jerking around with us like that."
"You think that someone meant for Lana to get infected with that?"
"I don't know that it would have made her react the same way," Clark mused. They were quiet for a long moment as Clark stared up at the ceiling. "I um… Lex?"
"Yes, Clark?"
"Can we see each other tomorrow? Is that smothering?"
"No. I think that would be fine."
Clark grinned and looked over a the door as Charlie came back in. "Good. We have our break at eleven. I could meet you somewhere."
"I'll come pick you up. Where should I wait for you?"
"Do you know where the student union is?"
"I do, actually. I'll wait for you in the cul-de-sac beside the entrance."
"I can't wait!" Clark flushed, realizing how eager he sounded. "I mean, should be fun."
"I'm looking forward to it myself," Lex admitted. "I was feeling a little like a one night stand there. I didn't want to push."
"No way. I… I miss you. Is that bad to say?"
"It's exactly the right thing to say." The relief was apparent in Lex's voice.
Clark grinned happily and sat up, pulling his foot close to his body. "Yeah? Okay. Um. I should probably call my parents, too."
"You really should. I'm sure after yesterday, having you gone so soon must be making them nervous."
"There's another piece of the meteor rock on my desk in the barn. Maybe they can let you take a look at it."
"I went over there around noon. They said it had disappeared."
"Oh." Clark wasn't sure if that meant it was gone or that his parents were hiding it. "Okay. Well, we'll figure it out."
"Yes."
"Well. Um."
"I don’t quiet want to hang up."
"Neither do I… I'll call you back when I'm done with Mom and Dad, okay?"
"That sounds good."
"I wish I could see your smile right now." Clark grinned even wider when he heard Lex's self-conscious chuckle. Such a sweet man.
"I'll talk to you later, Clark."
"Bye." Clark ended the call and sighed.
"Girlfriend?"
Clark jumped at Charlie's voice. He'd forgotten that Charlie was there. "Um, not… really."
"Ha HA, you've got a girlfriend!" Charlie came over and slapped Clark's back. "She cute?"
"She's not… It's none of your business," Clark ducked his head and slipped over the other side of the bed to escape Charlie's knowing gaze. "Shut up."
Charlie just laughed, long and loud.
***
The sun was high in the sky as Clark stood with his backpack hanging off of one shoulder and his thumb hanging on his front pocket. He'd slipped away from the group as soon as he could, knowing that Lex would probably be early. It was strange to be so eager and nervous. It was just Lex, after all. Like any other time he and Lex had gone to hang out.
Only now… just Lex included just sex, and nervous voices and the 'noncommittal' tone, and Lex's bashful smiles that Clark could practically hear over the phone. Just this one little thing, and everything changed with it.
Lex drove up in a black Lamborghini and leaned out the window, wearing his expensive sunglasses and smiling up at Clark, who was hit by a wave of nostalgia as he jogged around to get into the passenger seat. It reminded him of being dropped off at school, and how much Principal Reynolds had hated Lex. The man seemed to have guessed what was brimming under the surface of their friendship before they themselves had.
"How was your day?" Lex asked calmly. It was a false calm, but it was there, nonetheless. Lex had worn something very sleek today. He looked like a panther, lounging there and awaiting his prey.
"Kind of boring, so far. They've been talking to us about study habits this morning." Clark shrugged. "I know how to study."
"Hm. Well, in college it can be difficult. Not that you don't know how, but the workload is much heavier than high school. You may have been able to reread your book the night before a test in high school, but in college, there's just too much material to do that." Lex tilted his head and turned around in the cul-de-sac to get them on their way.
Clark thought about that for a moment. In high school, he really had been able to read things the night before. Homework was never a problem, because he'd been able to superspeed through all of it. He could read five times as much as anyone else. Now… he didn't have a choice.
"Didn't scare you, did I?" Lex asked.
Clark shook his head. "No, I think you just put it in a way I hadn't thought about before. I hope I didn't overload my schedule."
"The semester hasn't even started yet. You can drop some courses, at least a few weeks into the semester, and still get your money back," Lex pointed out.
"Did you do that sometimes?" Clark laid his head back and put his hand on his leg.
"Oh, Hell, no. I always took too many hours in college. It was the only way to keep me out of trouble." Lex chuckled softly and took them into the business district.
"Where are we going for lunch?" Clark asked. He looked up at the enormous skyscrapers.
"Le Petit Fleur," Lex replied.
Clark frowned, thinking about that. He'd heard of that restaurant once before. "French, I guess?"
"French, mostly, but their cuisine is a little more innovative than most. You'll like it."
"Probably. I'm starving." Clark hugged his chest and watched the cars passing. "Wait."
"What?" Lex slipped into the left lane and hit the gas pedal.
"Wasn't Le Petit Fleur the 'romantic' restaurant that you were going to send my mom and dad to?"
"Hmm." Lex thinned his lips, but just drove.
Clark chuckled and leaned over to give Lex a kiss.
***
Two long, slender fingers snuck across the table and intertwined with Clark's.
Clark licked the sauced off his fork and looked up at Lex. "Hey."
"Hey," Lex whispered. His smile widened slowly, watching Clark take another mouthful. "I thought a five course dinner would cheer you up."
"I didn't need cheering, Lex." Clark swirled pasta around his fork.
"You sounded a bit overwhelmed. Are you not liking the program?"
"It's okay. I guess it's a nice way to get your feet wet for college. At least I'm familiar with the campus. Chloe's getting to know everyone in her field." Clark shrugged. "She's been busy at the breaks, though, and I haven't gotten to see her."
"Must be tough. "
"I guess I could have it worse." Clark's lips pinched to the side, then spread into a toothy grin.
Lex squeezed his fingers. "I don't want to… pressure you."
"No pressure felt!" Clark promised.
"Good. I would just… I thought I might move into my loft for a while. Come visit you whenever you have the time," Lex suggested. His brows rose.
"I'd like that." Clark dipped his head for a moment, then laughed. "So we jump in the sack and then decide to take it slow?"
"Clark, I've been waiting since you were fifteen. If we took it any slower, we'd be going backward," Lex replied with a bit of exasperation.
"I want to stay over one of these weekends. Get to know the loft?" Clark suggested.
"Hmm, wonder how that will end." Lex nudged the delicate cut of meat on his plate. "Don't you have to go home and visit your parents?"
"Yeah, well. Yeah." Clark sighed.
"Every weekend?"
"Maybe… when school starts…" Clark looked up and sighed, trying to look innocent. "I'll just have to stay at school and study more."
Lex chuckled. Clark set his fork down as he heard his phone and checked the text message. "Oh! Chloe got the job at the Journal… Better paid than at The Daily Planet, too."
"Well, that isn't bad, actually. I know she had her heart set on The Planet, but I think she'll find a more diverse portfolio will result in employers considering her a more desirable asset," Lex pointed out, breaking off a piece of bread. "And an internship elsewhere doesn't mean she won't be able to work her way up to the position and newspaper she wants."
Clark nodded as he continued to write out his text. "I'll tell her that. Thanks, Lex."
"None needed. Chloe's a bit naïve about the politics of reporting, but she's a good journalist herself. I'd hate for her to short shrift herself on experience, just to wake up in a few years after they've used her for grunt work to realize that people with half her talent are getting all of the attention." Lex raised his wineglass. "To fools who don't know what they're missing."
"You didn't call the Journal, did you?" Clark asked warily.
"Well, I did, but they hung up on me." Lex smirked and shrugged.
"You're great." Clark laughed and sent the message. He slipped his phone back in his pocket and looked up. "This is a nice lunch."
"We haven't even gotten to dessert yet," Lex teased. He licked his lips slowly. "Clark?"
"Yeah?"
"Want to have that wrapped up? We could see the loft before you have to get back."
Clark sucked some sweet, creamy sauce off his finger as he met Lex's mischievous eyes.
Pairing: Clex
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: For the clexmas Spring Fling for tobywolf13
Clarkpreg, old school, Kal-El
I tried to work in an old school feel to the story, even though it's set in S5.
Summary: Stripped of his powers, Clark juggles being human for he first time with the consequences of his relationship with Lex.
Post S5 Mortal
Part One
Consequences. Causality. Events occur, which cause other events. Cause begets cause begets cause, and ultimately, an inevitable, wondrous result.
July
Fury rose up inside of Clark, burning so hotly and so righteously. He never expected it to die so quickly when Lex dropped to the floor. His gray eyes were rolling back in his head, his face pale and fragile. Clark moved over his friend, cradling the man in his arms, rage forgotten.
Dark bangs spilled into Clark's face as he looked over Lex, frightened for a split moment that he had done something he couldn't take back. Then Lex's eyes fluttered, and Clark fell back on his heels in utter, utter relief.
"You scared me," Clark whispered.
Then Lex jumped backward, looking up at Clark as though he were a madman.
"Lex!" Clark reached forward.
"You… You're bleeding," Lex murmured. He looked around the office quickly, almost in confusion.
"So are you." Clark grabbed Lex's shoulder and touched the side of his head, looking over his face carefully.
Lex scanned Clark's face suspiciously. "Clark, are you high?"
"Of course not." Clark froze as he spotted bleeding. "Lex, we need to get you to the hospital."
"I'll be fine. You're the one behaving erratically," Lex argued.
"You have head trauma," Clark snapped.
"Because you punched me in the face six times!" Lex pulled away from Clark and walked around his desk. "Your concern rings a little hollow."
"You… Lana could have been killed, Lex."
"I have to say, Clark, I really adore how being around Lana incites you to violence against me. If she ever let you get all the way, you might even get to put on your big boy pants and choke me to death."
Clark stood there in stunned silence at the level of bitterness evident in Lex's voice. "Were you involved?"
"Insofar as you and Chloe broke into one of my facilities while I was in Washington." Lex turned and narrowed his eyes at Clark. "Clearly the first thing I want to hear when I return from a business trip. Of course, as your friend, I thought I'd give you the benefit of the doubt before storming into your home and assaulting you for answers."
"Then how do you explain being at Belle Reve when those mutants escaped?"
"My father is being held there for observation. This may come as a surprise to you, but in spite of everything, I do care about the man. He's been catatonic since the last meteor shower." Lex touched the side of his head. "Cum hoc, ergo propter hoc."
"Come… what?" Clark paused and took another step forward. Lex looked like he might be about to pass out again, and if he did, Clark was going to take him to the hospital before he could resist.
"'With this, therefore because of this;' Simultaneity does not prove causality. It's flawed logic, Clark." Bowing over, Lex closed his eyes. "She's poisoned you against me. I don't know what I've done recently to bring on such wild leaps of illogic-"
"Chloe didn't poison anything-"
"I'm not talking about Chloe. She fished information out for you. She didn't tell you what to do with it," Lex snapped. "It's Lana. She's making snide comments about me to you, and you, without even asking for a moment why she'd want to diminish my credibility, eat it up. Why don't you go back to your little princess, Clark, and leave me be."
"I'm not going to do that, Lex," Clark said softly. Lex hadn't yet wiped the blood from his nose; Clark hadn't yet wiped the blood from his lip.
"I thought you were tired of playing games with me?" Lex stumbled over to his bar and pulled out the scotch.
Clark came up behind him and put his hand over Lex's. "Please."
Lex tilted his head and looked up at Clark. "I don't understand what you want from me."
"I want you to get your head checked."
"I'm telling you that I'm going to be fine. And if you don't leave-"
"Are you going to have security see me out?" Clark challenged.
Lex paused, thinning his lips. "I might."
Clark crossed his arms, waiting.
After a moment, Lex rolled his eyes and sighed, looking for all the world like a petulant teenager. He reached for the scotch again, to Clark's dismay, and began to pour himself a healthy glass. "You can ease your guilt trip a little. I received a decent blow to the head earlier today."
"And you think my punches helped?" Clark asked, arching a brow.
Lex smirked as he raised the scotch to his lips. "Maybe."
"You could have cranial hemorrhaging," Clark protested.
"I'll take my chances." Lex strolled over to his desk, sat down and turned off the video. "Tell Chloe to check the guest list for our congressmen in DC. You can accuse me of many things, but I don't happen to have the talent of being in two places at once. Are you leaving?"
"Not until you go to the hospital," Clark said stubbornly.
"Well, I'm not going to the hospital unless you plan on tossing me over your shoulder and carrying me there." Lex sipped his scotch and picked up the phone at his desk.
Clark pushed his lip out a little and squeezed his fingers. "Are you calling security?"
"I'm calling Cook. If you're not leaving, and I'm not going, then I suppose we're staying. We might as well have dinner."
Clark's lips cracked a little smile.
Several hours later, Clark was watching Lex doze intermittently in front of the television.
"You should go to bed."
"Don't want to," Lex muttered. "It's early."
Clark's rough fingers touched the back of Lex's head. He winced slightly. "Here? Is here where you hit your head before?"
"'s fine."
"You have a knot." Clark frowned and scooted closer. "It's funny colored. Kind of yellowish."
"Well, so's your face." Lex opened one eye. "Seriously, though, I'd like it if you'd get some ice for that lip."
"Says he with the shiner and the bump on his noggin."
"Who says noggin these days, anyway?" Lex creased the corners of his mouth as he looked up at Clark. "Why are you looking out for me?"
"Because. It's you." Clark had no other real answer.
***
The next morning, Clark woke beside Lex in an enormous bed, flanked by pillows that made him feel like a small child in his parents' bed. He narrowed his eyes trying to scan Lex's head with his x-ray. It took him a moment to remember that he couldn't do that anymore. Instead, he watched his friend closely as he slept, and wondered if he shouldn't have been more forceful about getting Lex to the hospital.
Clark was jarred out of his thoughts as the alarm clock screamed and Lex turned over, almost automatically, and turned it off. He slipped off the side of the bed without noticing Clark, and headed to the bathroom, stripping off his silk pajamas as he went.
Clark arched a brow very high as he saw the pale backside swishing away from him. He ran a finger over his swollen lower lip and realized that what he was feeling was… Possible. Not like any other time when he'd been on Red K and wanted to slam Lex through a wall with his hips. He stood and walked over to the freestanding mirror.
He knew he was an attractive guy. That much, Clark never considered often. It wasn't the way his facial features were arranged, regularly and pleasing to the eye, or the cut of his muscles, or the way his hair fell in his eyes. The way girls looked at him sometimes reminded him that humans liked the particular arrangement of his physical body. He was a dork, but a good-looking dork.
No, it was that, underneath, beneath the pleasing skin was a body unfamiliar and unquantified. A body that no human should be able to accept. He felt, sometimes, that they should realize that there was something dark and dangerous beneath his pretty smile. There should be something off in his scent that let them know that they couldn't work together, like a wolf cub adopted into a litter of housecats.
Maybe these thoughts were irrational, but Clark could only think back to all the times his parents had cautioned him, all the times that he'd been forced to pull back. Because he could control his powers, but how could he control his DNA? How could he control what was inside of him?
Lex walked out of the shower at a brisk pace and headed to his walk in closet.
"Lex?"
The older man jumped and turned around swiftly, looking like he might attack the intruder in his home.
"Jesus, Clark." Lex shook his head. "I forgot that you stayed over."
Clark ducked his head and looked away. "I uh… Yeah, I wanted to make sure you made it through the night."
"I seem to recall something like that." Lex disappeared into the closet, then called out, "Do you think I made it?"
"You seem… fine. Um. I guess I should go home now." Clark flushed like a schoolgirl. It was a flaw he had come to live with.
"If you'd like. You could stay for breakfast."
"Or you could come over and let my mom make you pancakes."
Lex came out of the closet buttoning up a garnet-colored dress shirt. "I'm not going to beg breakfast off of a woman trying to rebuild her home."
"Your loss." Clark shrugged.
"I suppose it is," Lex said with a smile. Lifting his wrist to eye level so that he could get the button there, he frowned slightly. "Are we okay?"
"I don't know, Lex. I…" Clark slipped his hands into his pockets. "You know, after everything that's happened, I thought I knew what my life would be like now. I thought it would be easier, but things are more complicated than ever." He took in a deep breath. "I guess you can never be certain what will happen tomorrow, can you?"
Lex looked up from dressing himself and met Clark's eyes. "You can only be certain of events if you have a psychic ability, and even then, it's a sketchy game at best. I believe in making my own future. However, you can best lay your plans, and leave yourself open to extreme possibilities. Look at every day through reasonable eyes, and nothing is insurmountable."
"I don't know that's the answer I was looking for." Clark crooked his mouth to the side.
"I'm not a fortune cookie. I can only give the answers that my brain generates at the time, not some semi-comforting platitude."
"I guess not." Clark breathed in slowly, then gave Lex a soft smile. "We're okay."
"Well." Lex nodded. "Okay."
***
"I checked the records like you asked, Clark," Chloe said as she heard him enter her room. She pushed a chunk of blond bangs out of her eyes, momentarily reminded that she needed to either commit to the long locks or go get a chop, and swiveled around in her chair. "It looks like you were right. Lex was in DC. I'm glad we did some more research…"
Chloe blinked in disbelief before discarding the file in her hand and approaching Clark with concern. "What happened to you?"
"You should see the other guy. And by other guy, I mean Lex." Clark gave a sheepish smile.
"…Clark, when I said you should probably go talk to Lex, I didn't mean talk, as in beat to a pulp."
Clark rolled his shoulders and walked over to retrieve the file. "I lost my temper. He's okay, now. I stayed with him last night to make sure he was okay."
"You punched him out, and then had a sleepover?" Chloe cocked her head to the side dubiously.
Clark didn't speak for a moment as he scanned the file. "He wouldn't go to the hospital. I shouldn't have been hitting him like that, Chloe. I don't know… I mean, I've always had to pull my punches, and for the moment it felt good to just let my anger really flow, you know?"
"Even us mere mortals have to exercise restraint," Chloe pointed out. "So he was in DC. Did he say anything about the feed to his office?"
"Hm." Clark set the file down on Chloe's desk. "No. We kind of… didn't get around to talking about that. He was a little loopy after, um…"
Chloe sighed. "Alright. I'll keep looking into it. Maybe it's nothing, but the way that went down was a little weird to me."
"Weirder than Smallville? I have to admit, the fact that they came straight to me isn't the weirdest part. People in Belle Reve do kind of know me."
"They should know Lex, too. And on the tape, it doesn't look like those guys recognized him," Chloe pointed out. "I got a copy and looked. Unless they're method actors… But still, it's just really odd that their shackles would just unlock like that, don't you think?"
"It could be a fluke," Clark suggested.
"Could be anything. Well, we'll see." Chloe sat down in her chair and leaned on her hand as she opened up her freshman folder for Metropolis University. "Well, if you don't have anything else for Chloogle to look up for you-"
"Chloogle?" Clark shook with laughter so hard that he had to wipe his eyes.
"-I have to figure out this housing situation. Met U requires all freshmen to stay on campus, which is… great. But I'm trying to convince the housing department that since I'll be doing this Daily Planet internship/work study that I haven't been hired for yet, I can do the apartment thing in Metropolis instead of Smallville."
Clark sat on her bed and put his feet up. "You could get Lana to sign off as a roommate for you. Then the dorms wouldn't be so bad."
"Er… I'll be honest, I've done the living with Lana thing, and the sting still hasn't quite faded." Chloe tightened her lips in a quick grimace before turning her head to look at the paperwork.
"Why sting?" Clark lifted his head with surprise.
"Why not? Look, we're all fine now, but when you and Lana started dating the first time, it was like I disappeared off the planet, and if Lana said anything, then I was automatically the bad guy. I didn't like it then, and it's not an experience I care to repeat. I'll take my chances on Met U's 2005 incoming class of freshmen."
Clark sat up and pulled his left foot closer to him. "I didn't realize you felt that way."
"Really? I was sure my torrential temper tantrums at the Talon and the Torch would have tipped you off," Chloe rattled off in a self-disparaging tone.
"That's a lot of alliteration," Clark joked. He leaned forward when Chloe didn't laugh and folded his hands. "I don't think I was being a very good friend."
Chloe sighed. "I don't begrudge you your Lana-time, okay, Clark? I promise I don't. But I hope you remember this time that your entire life doesn't have to revolve around your significant other."
This was sounding suspiciously close to Lex's complaint from yesterday. Clark got up and hugged around the shoulders from behind. "I'm not going to forget you, Chloe. Promise."
"Well. Good. I'm glad we had this chick flick moment."
Clark chuckled. "I should get going."
"Are you going to be in the dorms, or do you get an exemption because you work on the farm?"
Clark shook his head. "I don't think calling in agriculture is allowed. So I probably have a roommate with everyone else."
"Pity we couldn't pair up," Chloe said, pinching her mouth to the side. "It would save you time. Your information go-getter right there?"
Clark raised his brows. "They have co-ed dorms?"
"No. They have a gay frat. We could slip in undercover, and not have to worry about any of this."
Clark looked upward with a frown. "I think that might raise further problems."
"Might raise something."
Clark laughed and kissed Chloe's temple.
***
The clip of Lana's heeled boots hit Clark's ears keenly, and he turned from the papers he was looking at to see her rising slowly from the stairs.
"I'm starting to think you're avoiding me. Where were you the other night?" Lana rounded the railing slowly as she kept her gaze fixed on him.
"What? Oh…" Clark pressed his lips together and shrugged. "I said I might come over. More of a warning than a promise."
"Why do I feel like you're keeping something from me?"
"Wh- huh?" Clark turned from his desk where he was looking over the housing papers. He had to fill out his paperwork for an early move in/campus tour in July, rather than with the rest of the freshman class.
Lana crossed her arms and watched him with a serious frown. "I wish you'd come over, Clark."
"Lana, don't, please?" Clark stood and walked to her side. "Lex suffered a head injury when he was out of town. I had to stay with him because he refused to go to the hospital."
Lana let out a little huff. "Why am I not surprised? About the head injury or the hospital?"
"He can be difficult," Clark admitted with a fond smile. "But I'm glad he's okay."
"Hm. He got me something. Sent it to me with this note," Lana muttered tersely. She reached into her bag and pulled out a hunk of meteor rock. Clark flinched back before he remembered that they didn't seem to hurt him anymore.
"What did the note say?" Clark asked, gingerly taking the rock from her.
"Said he thought I'd be interested in this. It's interesting, I guess. I've never seen a silver meteor rock," Lana said disinterestedly.
"Neither have I. Just green, red, and black." Clark held the rock close, studying the way it shone. He wasn't entirely sure this was actually one of the meteors.
"There are black ones?" Lana wrinkled her nose. "I don't know, Clark. I'm an artist, not a… meteorologist. I don't study meteors."
"Meteorologists don't study- Ow!" Clark dropped the rock and sucked his throbbing finger into his mouth.
"Did you cut yourself?" Lana looked up curiously before bending down to pick up the meteor rock.
"It hurts," Clark whined.
"Well, go inside and get a Band-Aid," Lana replied, laughing a little.
Clark pouted and looked at his finger, which was red. He could see that something was stuck in the pad, but his fingernails weren't long enough to get it. "Ow!"
"Oh, you big baby. Let me see." Lana set the rock on Clark's desk and took his hand in hers. "Wait…"
"Ow!" Clark exclaimed, jumping back from her pinching fingernails.
"Stop moving!" Lana exclaimed in frustration. She shook her head. "Fine. Go put some ice on it, Clark. It's just a splinter, for goodness sakes."
***
It was hot, so hot. Clark wandered the halls of the mansion, storming into one room after the other, trying to find the only friend he had left in the world. The last few days had been hell.
"Lex!" Clark cried. He raked a hand through his hair and stood there for a moment, feeling the sweat trickle down his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, hearing his father's angry words stinging in his ears, his mother's laughter. He saw Lana smirking slyly, so slyly, her eyes creasing at the corners as she made her pretty lies.
"Clark?"
Lex's voice came down the hallway through the haze of voices. Clark turned to him, then rushed forward.
"She's trying to take you away from me, Lex!" Clark exclaimed, curling his fingers around the slinky black collar of Lex's sweater.
"Who?" Lex's eyes were wide and alarmed, no doubt remembering the event recently when they were in similar positions. He didn't struggle, however, just looked up at Clark and searched his face.
"You know." Clark panted. Anger and frustration welled up inside him. He could see their lips pressing together, Lex craning his neck awkwardly to somehow close the distance from Lex's height to hers. "You know. Please, Lex. Don't choose her."
"Clark," Lex whispered carefully, not breaking eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Choose me. Love me. Not her. Lana doesn't deserve you. Please, don't be scared," Clark begged. He pulled Lex forward so quickly that their teeth clinked together. If he let Lex go, the man might run away, might see inside Clark past the human illusion to the alien that lurked underneath, and Clark couldn't deal with that. He couldn't live if Lex couldn't take him for all that he was.
Only when Lex began kissing Clark back, twining his fingers through Clark's curls, and petting his face, did Clark relax a little bit. He pulled back only to breathe, and met Lex's eyes yet again, and moved his mouth, although the words didn't make it out of the back of his throat.
"It's hot in here. Smallville summer, hm?" Lex smiled up at him softly and took one of Clark's hands away from his collar. "Is this what you need?"
"I'm scared, Lex. Everyone is against me. I can't take it if you are too!" Clark felt tears brimming in his eyes, and Lex squeezed his hand.
"What do you mean everyone is against you?" Lex frowned seriously and pulled Clark toward him.
"No, no, Lex, you have to listen." Clark sniffed. "My mom called me a thing they found in the cornfield-"
"Clark."
"And my dad hates me because I can't help them with the farm when I'm in school-"
"Clark."
"And Lana wants to tear you away from me-"
"Clark!" Lex shook Clark a little. "Your parents love you. And Lana thinks I'm disgusting. She doesn't want me."
"Not disgusting." Clark pressed his face into Lex's shoulder and let out a little sob. "My parents are going to sell me to the government to dissect."
"No! God, Clark, no." Lex kissed the side of Clark's cheek and rubbed his back, trying to guide the large man with him. "Please, Clark, come with me, okay?"
"Ow… Don't squeeze my hand so hard. It hurts." Clark rubbed his cheek against Lex's sweater and sniffed him softly.
"It hurts? Why don't I…?" Lex looked at Clark's hand closely. "Oh."
Pushing Clark's bangs aside, Lex tried to get Clark to lift his head. "Come with me upstairs, okay?"
"Lana hasn't been there, has she?"
"No, Clark. She hasn't been there." Lex turned Clark around slowly and started moving them toward the staircase. "You've been there, remember? Only you've been with me in that bed."
"Only me?" Clark leaned into Lex's side, shaking a little as they made their way up and down the hall.
"Only you."
"What… What about Helen and the Lex girls?"
"I got a new bed after Helen. And the Lex girls never came to my home. How can I trust girls who stalk me? Strictly hotel rooms."
"I hate the Lex girls."
Lex smiled as he moved them into the bedroom. "Do you? C'mon. On the bed, Clark."
"I uh… The bed?"
Clark blinked a few times. The room shifted, and he was looking up at the ceiling dizzily while Lex petted his hair gently and picked up the phone by the bed.
"Don't call my parents!" Clark rolled his head over and looked at Lex with pleading eyes.
"I won't. I promise. I'm just having a few things brought up." Setting down the phone, Lex turned to Clark and cupped his cheek.
Clark couldn't keep track of the things Lex was saying, but his voice was soothing, so velvety and calm and beautiful, and he gave Clark sweet wine. He didn't even notice that Lex was holding his hand until he felt a pinch.
"Unn!"
"It's okay, Clark. It's out." Lex set the needle and pair of tweezers on the nightstand with the hot compress he'd been holding to Clark's hand. "It's out, see?"
Clark narrowed his eyes at his red index finger that Lex was holding to his face and frowned. "It was in pretty deep. That… hardly hurt. My head feels funny."
"Maybe it's the wine." Lex lay down beside him and began petting Clark's hair again.
"Maybe." Clark looked at Lex dreamily then pressed his lips to Lex's again.
***
Waking in Lex's bed for the second time in a matter of days, Clark looked around. His head was pounding and the room seemed brighter than it should. Morning had something against him. He pushed himself up and felt his stomach. Ugh, that wasn't nice.
"Hangovers suck, I'm guessing," Lex said as he came out of the bathroom, this time wearing a towel loosely around his hips. "I've had alcohol poisoning, but oddly no hangovers."
"How… What?"
"It might have been the wine. I admit contributing to the delinquency of a minor wasn't on the top of my to-do list for yesterday, but when stoned out of your mind, sometimes a little wine will help you mellow out," Lex drawled, heading into his closet once again.
Clark swallowed, looking around himself. He was wearing a pair of red silk pajamas. He wondered where his clothes were.
"I was stoned?"
"Like a flower child. Though it wasn't through the traditional means." Lex came out of the closet. "You had a sliver of a meteor rock under your skin."
Clark looked down at his hand and blinked at the Hello Kitty Band-Aid.
"I had to use a needle and tweezers to get it out." Lex grimaced. "That may hurt for awhile. You should probably call your parents, by the way. I'm going to guess that you didn't let them know where you were running off to."
Clark nodded and swung his feet over the side of the bed. "Did… we…?"
"Did we what?" Lex folded his collar properly and began to fix his tie.
"Um." Clark closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We were kissing."
"…Yes, Clark. We kissed. That happens sometimes when you are intoxicated, even by extra-terrestrial means." Lex kept his voice light as he walked over to the bed with his shoes and socks.
Clark sat with his back to Lex, looking down at the red pajama bottoms.
"It's alright, Clark. We're still friends," Lex said in his best avoidant, noncommittal tone.
If it hadn't been for that tone, Clark might have picked up his clothes and left. Instead, he stood and walked around the side of the bed. Lex lifted his chin slightly and frowned up at Clark.
"I didn't take advantage of you, Clark. I wouldn't do that."
"I know. You… I don't know what that was, Lex, but it felt awful." Clark leaned over, watching Lex's eyes.
"I had the bit of the meteor rock sent to the lab. Hopefully we'll be able to determine whether there will be any other consequences of your exposure to-"
"Shut up, Lex," Clark ordered. He pressed his hands to either side of Lex's face and kissed him forcefully.
When they broke apart, Lex seemed a bit dazed. "How do you feel, Clark?"
"I'm not high, Lex."
Clark kissed him again, then pushed Lex back onto the bed. Lex didn't resist as Clark began to loosen his tie, and with a smile, Lex's hands moved down the front of Clark's pajamas.
Once relieved of their clothes, Clark really had no idea what to do. He'd never had sex before, but Lex seemed much more certain, rolling them over and beginning to cover every inch of Clark's sun-kissed skin with his mouth. Clark shuddered as Lex went lower.
Lex paused a moment and kissed Clark's inner thigh. "Are you sure, Clark?"
Clark wasn't, but he made a noise and nodded his head quickly. He knew he didn't want Lex to stop.
***
"Clark!" Martha exclaimed as Clark came through the kitchen door. She rushed him to give her son a big hug and a kiss. "You had us worried sick!"
"I'm fine, Mom." Clark hugged her back and looked up as Chloe and his father rushed into the room.
"What happened?" Jonathan asked.
Chloe stepped forward. "We thought the meteor rock that Lex sent Lana-"
"Lex didn't send that. Not his handwriting. And anyway, I went to him last night. He got the splinter out." Clark shrugged. "It was the rock, though."
"You went to Lex?" Jonathan demanded.
"Yeah, I went to Lex, and he got it out and gave me a bed for the night." Clark ruffled his hair. "Lex helped me-no questions asked. You need to lay off of him."
"Then who sent the rock?" Chloe wondered. She crossed her arms. "I wish you'd called. We were searching everywhere for you."
"Not everywhere, obviously," Clark muttered. "I don't know who sent it, but they had to have known what would happen. You think?"
Chloe sighed. "I don't know. Look, are you ready to go?"
"Where?" Clark frowned.
Chloe leaned forward a little. "Freshman Preview? We were planning to leave about two hours ago?"
"Preview? Oh!" Clark ran upstairs to get changed.
***
Clark walked with Chloe through the crowd of incoming freshmen toward the large auditorium where the initiation was occurring. He fumbled with the folder he'd gotten in the line they'd had to go through before following the crowd of students, and looked around nervously. Chloe was too excited by all of this to be normal. She babbled on about all the classes they could try, and the interesting books they would be reading, and apparently she'd had the opportunity to interview some of the professors each year for an spring editorial to get the graduating seniors motivated about their new 'adventure' in college.
All Clark felt was butterflies in his stomach.
"This isn't so bad," Clark commented as they managed to get a seat at the back of the auditorium. He rubbed the side of his head and sighed.
"Yeah, if you have telescope vision. Oh, well. I guess this won't be the important part." Chloe straightened her collar and craned her neck to see over the tall fellow in front of her.
"Why are you so dressed up?"
"I have an interview during the break. With The Daily Planet." Chloe sighed softly. "I hope I get the internship, but I don't know."
"Are you kidding? They'll be lucky to get you." Clark raised a brow at her. It was hard to imagine The Planet refusing Chloe.
"They're not fond of me, Clark. My deal with Lionel rubbed a lot of people the wrong way." Chloe twisted her fingers. "I've published a few things under Lois's name, and she doesn't mind, but…"
Clark reached over and squeezed Chloe's shoulders. "I don't see Lana?"
"She decided not to come. Um, has she talked to you about New York?"
"New York?"
Chloe kept her eyes on the stage. "She just got accepted to an art school in New York."
"She didn't even tell me she was applying!"
There were several speakers before the head of the University College came up to talk to them. She was a young looking woman with a head full of gray hair, who put her hands on her hips and directed the Gateway teachers to stand at the front of the auditorium holding a colored flag. Clark looked down at his folder, and saw that his small flag was a different color than Chloe's purple flag, and had "H-L" printed across the front.
"Why don't we have the same flag?" Clark asked.
"Because I've declared journalism as a major. Actually, I'll probably double-majoring, but I wanted to get to know the other people in my class, since obviously journalism is the focus." Chloe looked at Clark's folder. She pointed to Clark's red flag, then up to a teacher to the side. "You're undeclared, so you're over there."
"We won't be in the same class?"
"No. I told you to declare journalism. You could always declare a different major later if you change your mind. If I wrote down 'undeclared,' we still wouldn't be in the same class because S is so far from K," Chloe explained in a reasonable tone.
"You just want me in your journalism classes," Clark accused with a smile.
Chloe leaned her head back. "Yes, I dooo."
Clark laughed and stood with her as the other students sorted themselves into line. "So I won't even see you at lunch?"
"No. Well, not for the first couple of days. I have to get my work study in order. Paperwork and stuff. If I get the job today, we could have lunch tomorrow."
Clark nodded, thinking that he should get on finding a job himself, but he didn't know how he'd be able to help his dad at the farm without his powers and still work a job.
***
There were nineteen students in the classroom. Clark slipped in the back. Instead of normal desks like in high school, there were several tables where two students could sit each. The chairs were attached to the floor, but could swivel, so Clark set his backpack on the floor, set out his folder and a notepad, and swiveled back and forth as he waited for the class to start.
The "Gateway" portion of preview was a shorter, and cheaper, version of a first semester course that the University College offered ostensibly to help transition students from high school to college. Jonathan seemed to believe that it was a means to get parents to pay for an extra class in tuition. 'Preview' overall only cost fifty dollars, so Clark's parents had agreed to have him do this instead of wasting an entire semester in the class.
As the course packet was passed out and Clark began to flip through it, he sort of agreed that this might be a waste of time. The instructor began to speak, and Clark tapped the end of his pen on the front of his packet.
A rough, broad tongue lapped over Clark's sensitive skin, lavishly bathing him, then exploring, digging deeper…
"It's your turn." The redheaded girl next to him poked his side. When Clark blinked dumbly, she whispered, "Name, etc.? It's on the board."
"Oh, uh…" Clark squinted at the board, thinking he might need some glasses as a human, and followed the list of things he was supposed to tell about himself. "Um, I'm Clark Kent. I'm from Smallville. That's like two hours away. The name is kind of all the description you need."
A few people chuckled. Clark didn't see anyone he recognized in the group.
"I'm undeclared, but thinking about majoring in maybe journalism. And um…" Clark frowned, looking at the next item on the list: 'Something interesting about you.'
Clark tilted his head and thought about that one.
I'm an alien from another planet without any powers?
I lost my virginity this morning.
I have an ice palace in the arctic.
"Uh, my family owns a farm, and I've worked on it since I was a kid," Clark offered.
"Oh, that's neat," his instructor said with a smile.
"Nice, farmboy," said a tall, big-boned guy across the room.
"Right, go on," the instructor encouraged.
"Okay, uh, I guess I like alternative rock, and some classical music. My favorite book is Native Son, and um… if I could be an animal, I'd be a… dog. Like a lab, or something."
The guy who had spoken before howled. Their instructor hushed them.
"Alright, what I want to talk about right now is expectations! We all come into college with expectations of what's going to happen, so why don't you shoot some of your expectations at me, and we can talk about them." She approached the board and began writing people's responses on it.
Clark sighed and started to daydream again.
Clark's eyes widened as he felt himself stretching around the hard, thick shaft moving slowly into him. Lex's hands cradled Clark's body tenderly, and he pressed their lips together over and over. At no moment did Clark have reason to think that Lex considered him anything but precious, and at no moment did he doubt that Lex had been thinking about this for a long, long time.
When the group got up to go on a campus tour, Clark sighed and picked up his bag. This was going to be a long four weeks.
***
Clark spotted Chloe at the end of the day, sitting on one of the covered tables outside of the Union and moodily sucking on a chocolate shake while picking at a plate of curly fries.
"Hey, Chlo." Clark walked straight up to her table and sat down across from her. He stole a fry. "I take it your day has been great."
"I'm not getting into The Daily Planet while that woman is editor. There's no way. Well, there's no ethical way, and I've done the easy way thing, and look how that turned out," Chloe said quietly.
"Well, there's more than one newspaper in Metropolis," Clark said with some forced cheerfulness. How did you talk someone down from losing their dream? "I bet Lex could still get you something at The Inquisitor-"
"I am not a tabloid reporter, Clark!" Chloe snapped. She wiped her cheek and sighed. "I scheduled an interview with The Metropolis Journal tomorrow. Maybe they won't hate me."
"The Daily Planet doesn't hate you, Chloe-"
"Yeah, they do. You weren’t there. They had a cake in the office when I got fired. I know my local editor didn't hate me, and the chief editor at the time seemed interested in a younger perspective at The Daily Planet, just for a small monthly column…" Chloe raked a hand through her hair. "I'm not giving up. The Daily Planet is the best, and I'm going to get there, no matter what it takes. The hard way this time. But I'm going to get there, Clark."
Clark took her hand and squeezed it. "That's the Sullivan I know."
Chloe gave Clark a little smile.
"So where can I get a chocolate shake?"
***
That evening, Clark returned to the temporary dorms where they would be staying during Preview before being sorted into regular dorms with everyone else. With a heavy sigh, he jogged up the stairs. He wanted to go visit his parents, and he really wanted to see Lex.
"Why now?" Clark asked, looking up at Lex. He had rested his head on Lex's hairless chest and was still breathing heavily.
"Because you let me. Because you're legal now." Lex's eyes were over brimming with affection as they met Clark's.
A few of the guys were slapping each other's arms and backs as the settled into their rooms. Clark looked behind him, then opened his door.
"Farmboy!" a boisterous voice exclaimed.
Clark's face fell. "Uh, hi."
The young man got up, and Clark realized that he was about as tall as Clark himself. And that was tall. They shook hands roughly and then Clark's roommate pulled out a pack of cigarettes. He didn't light up, though.
"Guess they think we'll feel more like sticking around if we get to know people before school starts. Not that it'll matter, if we rush." He dropped down on the bed on the left side of the room. Although big boned, he was fairly lean. His face was somewhat apple-shaped and had high cheekbones. His hair, a long straight mane of tough black, was tied back at the nape of his neck.
"Rush? Oh. Well, I probably won't be doing any Greek stuff. My friend told me all the skull and bones stuff they do, and I don't have time for that," Clark said. He set his bag down on the other bed and looked around.
"You think Met U has secret societies like Harvard or Princeton? I dunno." He shook his head and shrugged. "I'm gonna go outside for a smoke, farmboy. You wanna come?"
"My name's Clark. And I don't smoke."
"Charlie," his roommate replied. "See ya in a few."
The big guy stood and headed out. Clark sat on his bed and looked around, feeling odd to be in a room that was so uncluttered. He wouldn't even be here after Preview. He'd be assigned a real dorm after about two weeks break, and then that would be it. This small space would be his and Charlie's home for most of the school year.
Clark flopped back on his bed and pulled his phone out. After staring at it for a moment, he dialed Lex's number.
"Clark?" Lex sounded pleased. "I didn't realize you'd be leaving today."
"Sorry, it slipped my mind. Chloe and I just decided to do this last week."
"I'd think with that meteor rock affecting you, it wouldn't be the first thing you wanted to share," Lex said with a bit of amusement. "How was it?"
"Kind of boring. My roommate calls me 'farmboy.'"
"Well, that's unfair." Lex paused. "I'm supposed to call you farmboy."
Clark laughed and bit his lip. "I didn't mean to run away after… this morning."
"It's okay, Clark. I uh… maybe a little bit of space is good."
Clark took in a sharp breath. Lex sounded nervous, though.
"Why?"
"We… This happened so suddenly. Maybe a step back would be beneficial. I don't want to smother you. Anyway, I work in Metropolis. You go to school there. Surely we can meet up?"
"You think you'll smother me?"
"I have a bad habit of that. Consider yourself lucky that you got out the door."
"Heh. I had to let my parents know I was okay. Did you find anything else about that meteor rock?"
"Not much. From the sliver I took from you, I've determined that the composition of the rock is similar to the other meteors, but it doesn't emit the same kind of radiation that the green ones do. That's what makes them dangerous."
"Yeah?"
"And I'd imagine that when in contact with solar radiation, the mixture changes. I'd have to do more research. I don't know. Want me to keep you updated?"
"For sure. Oh, um. Lex?"
"What is it, Clark?"
"Do you know of anyone who would send that rock to Lana? Someone gave it to her, but they signed your name on the card."
Lex was quiet for a moment. "That's strange."
"Yeah. I know. I told them it couldn't be yours, because I know your handwriting. I just don't know who would be jerking around with us like that."
"You think that someone meant for Lana to get infected with that?"
"I don't know that it would have made her react the same way," Clark mused. They were quiet for a long moment as Clark stared up at the ceiling. "I um… Lex?"
"Yes, Clark?"
"Can we see each other tomorrow? Is that smothering?"
"No. I think that would be fine."
Clark grinned and looked over a the door as Charlie came back in. "Good. We have our break at eleven. I could meet you somewhere."
"I'll come pick you up. Where should I wait for you?"
"Do you know where the student union is?"
"I do, actually. I'll wait for you in the cul-de-sac beside the entrance."
"I can't wait!" Clark flushed, realizing how eager he sounded. "I mean, should be fun."
"I'm looking forward to it myself," Lex admitted. "I was feeling a little like a one night stand there. I didn't want to push."
"No way. I… I miss you. Is that bad to say?"
"It's exactly the right thing to say." The relief was apparent in Lex's voice.
Clark grinned happily and sat up, pulling his foot close to his body. "Yeah? Okay. Um. I should probably call my parents, too."
"You really should. I'm sure after yesterday, having you gone so soon must be making them nervous."
"There's another piece of the meteor rock on my desk in the barn. Maybe they can let you take a look at it."
"I went over there around noon. They said it had disappeared."
"Oh." Clark wasn't sure if that meant it was gone or that his parents were hiding it. "Okay. Well, we'll figure it out."
"Yes."
"Well. Um."
"I don’t quiet want to hang up."
"Neither do I… I'll call you back when I'm done with Mom and Dad, okay?"
"That sounds good."
"I wish I could see your smile right now." Clark grinned even wider when he heard Lex's self-conscious chuckle. Such a sweet man.
"I'll talk to you later, Clark."
"Bye." Clark ended the call and sighed.
"Girlfriend?"
Clark jumped at Charlie's voice. He'd forgotten that Charlie was there. "Um, not… really."
"Ha HA, you've got a girlfriend!" Charlie came over and slapped Clark's back. "She cute?"
"She's not… It's none of your business," Clark ducked his head and slipped over the other side of the bed to escape Charlie's knowing gaze. "Shut up."
Charlie just laughed, long and loud.
***
The sun was high in the sky as Clark stood with his backpack hanging off of one shoulder and his thumb hanging on his front pocket. He'd slipped away from the group as soon as he could, knowing that Lex would probably be early. It was strange to be so eager and nervous. It was just Lex, after all. Like any other time he and Lex had gone to hang out.
Only now… just Lex included just sex, and nervous voices and the 'noncommittal' tone, and Lex's bashful smiles that Clark could practically hear over the phone. Just this one little thing, and everything changed with it.
Lex drove up in a black Lamborghini and leaned out the window, wearing his expensive sunglasses and smiling up at Clark, who was hit by a wave of nostalgia as he jogged around to get into the passenger seat. It reminded him of being dropped off at school, and how much Principal Reynolds had hated Lex. The man seemed to have guessed what was brimming under the surface of their friendship before they themselves had.
"How was your day?" Lex asked calmly. It was a false calm, but it was there, nonetheless. Lex had worn something very sleek today. He looked like a panther, lounging there and awaiting his prey.
"Kind of boring, so far. They've been talking to us about study habits this morning." Clark shrugged. "I know how to study."
"Hm. Well, in college it can be difficult. Not that you don't know how, but the workload is much heavier than high school. You may have been able to reread your book the night before a test in high school, but in college, there's just too much material to do that." Lex tilted his head and turned around in the cul-de-sac to get them on their way.
Clark thought about that for a moment. In high school, he really had been able to read things the night before. Homework was never a problem, because he'd been able to superspeed through all of it. He could read five times as much as anyone else. Now… he didn't have a choice.
"Didn't scare you, did I?" Lex asked.
Clark shook his head. "No, I think you just put it in a way I hadn't thought about before. I hope I didn't overload my schedule."
"The semester hasn't even started yet. You can drop some courses, at least a few weeks into the semester, and still get your money back," Lex pointed out.
"Did you do that sometimes?" Clark laid his head back and put his hand on his leg.
"Oh, Hell, no. I always took too many hours in college. It was the only way to keep me out of trouble." Lex chuckled softly and took them into the business district.
"Where are we going for lunch?" Clark asked. He looked up at the enormous skyscrapers.
"Le Petit Fleur," Lex replied.
Clark frowned, thinking about that. He'd heard of that restaurant once before. "French, I guess?"
"French, mostly, but their cuisine is a little more innovative than most. You'll like it."
"Probably. I'm starving." Clark hugged his chest and watched the cars passing. "Wait."
"What?" Lex slipped into the left lane and hit the gas pedal.
"Wasn't Le Petit Fleur the 'romantic' restaurant that you were going to send my mom and dad to?"
"Hmm." Lex thinned his lips, but just drove.
Clark chuckled and leaned over to give Lex a kiss.
***
Two long, slender fingers snuck across the table and intertwined with Clark's.
Clark licked the sauced off his fork and looked up at Lex. "Hey."
"Hey," Lex whispered. His smile widened slowly, watching Clark take another mouthful. "I thought a five course dinner would cheer you up."
"I didn't need cheering, Lex." Clark swirled pasta around his fork.
"You sounded a bit overwhelmed. Are you not liking the program?"
"It's okay. I guess it's a nice way to get your feet wet for college. At least I'm familiar with the campus. Chloe's getting to know everyone in her field." Clark shrugged. "She's been busy at the breaks, though, and I haven't gotten to see her."
"Must be tough. "
"I guess I could have it worse." Clark's lips pinched to the side, then spread into a toothy grin.
Lex squeezed his fingers. "I don't want to… pressure you."
"No pressure felt!" Clark promised.
"Good. I would just… I thought I might move into my loft for a while. Come visit you whenever you have the time," Lex suggested. His brows rose.
"I'd like that." Clark dipped his head for a moment, then laughed. "So we jump in the sack and then decide to take it slow?"
"Clark, I've been waiting since you were fifteen. If we took it any slower, we'd be going backward," Lex replied with a bit of exasperation.
"I want to stay over one of these weekends. Get to know the loft?" Clark suggested.
"Hmm, wonder how that will end." Lex nudged the delicate cut of meat on his plate. "Don't you have to go home and visit your parents?"
"Yeah, well. Yeah." Clark sighed.
"Every weekend?"
"Maybe… when school starts…" Clark looked up and sighed, trying to look innocent. "I'll just have to stay at school and study more."
Lex chuckled. Clark set his fork down as he heard his phone and checked the text message. "Oh! Chloe got the job at the Journal… Better paid than at The Daily Planet, too."
"Well, that isn't bad, actually. I know she had her heart set on The Planet, but I think she'll find a more diverse portfolio will result in employers considering her a more desirable asset," Lex pointed out, breaking off a piece of bread. "And an internship elsewhere doesn't mean she won't be able to work her way up to the position and newspaper she wants."
Clark nodded as he continued to write out his text. "I'll tell her that. Thanks, Lex."
"None needed. Chloe's a bit naïve about the politics of reporting, but she's a good journalist herself. I'd hate for her to short shrift herself on experience, just to wake up in a few years after they've used her for grunt work to realize that people with half her talent are getting all of the attention." Lex raised his wineglass. "To fools who don't know what they're missing."
"You didn't call the Journal, did you?" Clark asked warily.
"Well, I did, but they hung up on me." Lex smirked and shrugged.
"You're great." Clark laughed and sent the message. He slipped his phone back in his pocket and looked up. "This is a nice lunch."
"We haven't even gotten to dessert yet," Lex teased. He licked his lips slowly. "Clark?"
"Yeah?"
"Want to have that wrapped up? We could see the loft before you have to get back."
Clark sucked some sweet, creamy sauce off his finger as he met Lex's mischievous eyes.