Duet
Duet
Word Count: 966
For Clexmas True Love Drabble Fest, Prompt "Silly Love Songs"
For more lovely Clexmas drabbles and ficlets, go here to read and support the authors!
Lex hated choir. He hated the songs, he hated that they just performed in their school uniforms all the time, and he especially hated that he didn’t get solos, ever. The choir was run by committee rather than by a teacher, and so the upperclassmen chose who got solos and which songs to perform.
He’d only joined because when he’d come to Excelsior the counselor said it would be good for him to join activities with the other boys. Fencing and swimming didn’t count because he didn’t have to interact with anyone. Even matches didn’t really require him to do anything but lay into his opponent. So now he had to stand in the back of the choir, shuffling from side to side, and sing back up. Because somehow, theoretically, this would improve his social skills.
After practice, Lex slipped out of the choir room, tucked himself into the alleyway between buildings, and lit a cigarette. He’d picked them up at his last school, to his father’s complete and utter disgust, and frankly, that was most of the reason that he did it.
“You’ll ruin your voice.”
The voice boomed behind him. Not deep or judgmental, as it might have been. Lex recognized it and looked back.
“You think anyone will notice?”
Clark Kent was one of the upperclassmen. Not on the Council, but one of their darlings. He had a decent voice, yes, but was a terrible dancer.
“You’ll notice when you can’t keep up with the choreography.” Clark towered over Lex like an immovable oak as he leaned on the wall next to him.
“The day I can’t keep up with the White Boy Shuffle, you’ll know it’s time to put me in the ground.” Defiantly, Lex took another drag on his cigarette.
Clark sighed. “What can I do to make you feel more like part of the team?”
“Nothing. I don’t play well with others. That’s why I’m here.”
Crossing his arms, Clark watched Lex for several minutes. “This rebel thing you’ve got going on is really adorable. How old are you?”
Lex dropped his cigarette, stamped it out, and looked up at the older boy incredulously. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Why don’t we go back into the choir room? I have a song I’d like to try out.”
Clark took Lex’s right hand with his left and tugged gently. Lex jogged alongside him through the crunching snow.
The choir room was empty when Clark threw the doors open. He turned back to Lex and gave him a grin as he moved to the front of the room. Lex took a few steps forward and sat on an arm of the plush leather sofa.
“I see you watching me, y’know.” Clark leaned back on the piano and raised his brows, looking impish.
“I- No, I don’t,” Lex protested.
“Nobody knows it,” Clark sang.
Pink spots bloomed on Lex’s cheeks.
Clark pointed at Lex with both hands. “But you’ve got a secret smile, and you use it only for me.” Clark stood up straight and then began dancing toward Lex.
It was as though Lex’s brain had shut down, and all the sarcastic, biting responses that would normally spring to mind fell away as he watched Clark singing, prancing, dancing around him. Clark was doing the unthinkable. He was singing to him, serenading him. Lex almost covered his face, but then Clark dropped to his knees before Lex.
“So saaave me! I’m waaaitin’, I’m neeeedn’, hear me pleadin’!”
“God, Clark...” Lex looked at the floor, but jerked his head up again when Clark took his hand and tried to twirl him.
Lex stumbled backward, and Clark put his hands over his heart.
“When you are flying around and around the world and I’m lying alonely, I know there’s something sacred and free, reserved and received by me only...”
Clark reached out for Lex again. For some reason, Lex took it.
“So use it, and prove it, remove this whirling sadness,” Clark sang.
“I’m losing, I’m bluesing, but you can save me from madness,” Lex answered.
Together they danced and chased one another until Lex felt his heart might leap from his chest. They came to the end of the song and dropped together onto the sofa. Clark’s smile never wavered.
“You think I’m ready?”
“I think... It’s not the same without the duet.”
“Hm. Yeah. I think so, too.”
Lex looked away. “You really think the Council is going to let me participate in any real way?”
“Yeah, if you stop ruining your lungs.” Clark leaned over and touched Lex’s chin.
“Maybe I need some motivation.”
“Well, for starters. You’ll taste like smoke.”
“Taste...?”
When Clark met Lex’s lips with his own, it was no surprise. They’d been moving closer and closer to each other, and it was true. Lex did watch Clark. Clark was like some kind of Greek god stuffed into a private school uniform. Lex was half-convinced that he had hit his head outside and was dreaming all of this. Strong fingers began loosening Lex’s tie, and he leaned into the kiss.
Clark pulled back a little and smiled a little nervously. “Are you okay with this? This isn’t too fast?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually felt wanted here. Until now. So. No, it’s not too fast. It’s just in time.”
Clark took Lex’s hand and laughed. At that moment, Lex realized that this grand gesture was meant to break through the walls Lex put up around himself to keep the other boys from hurting him. He wasn’t sure if Clark could be trusted, but Lex saw in his eyes and rosy cheeks that Clark was just as nervous about this, older or not.
“Let’s practice it again.”
Here's a song for you to enjoy!
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth.
comments posted there. Please comment there using OpenID or your DW account.
Word Count: 966
For Clexmas True Love Drabble Fest, Prompt "Silly Love Songs"
For more lovely Clexmas drabbles and ficlets, go here to read and support the authors!
Lex hated choir. He hated the songs, he hated that they just performed in their school uniforms all the time, and he especially hated that he didn’t get solos, ever. The choir was run by committee rather than by a teacher, and so the upperclassmen chose who got solos and which songs to perform.
He’d only joined because when he’d come to Excelsior the counselor said it would be good for him to join activities with the other boys. Fencing and swimming didn’t count because he didn’t have to interact with anyone. Even matches didn’t really require him to do anything but lay into his opponent. So now he had to stand in the back of the choir, shuffling from side to side, and sing back up. Because somehow, theoretically, this would improve his social skills.
After practice, Lex slipped out of the choir room, tucked himself into the alleyway between buildings, and lit a cigarette. He’d picked them up at his last school, to his father’s complete and utter disgust, and frankly, that was most of the reason that he did it.
“You’ll ruin your voice.”
The voice boomed behind him. Not deep or judgmental, as it might have been. Lex recognized it and looked back.
“You think anyone will notice?”
Clark Kent was one of the upperclassmen. Not on the Council, but one of their darlings. He had a decent voice, yes, but was a terrible dancer.
“You’ll notice when you can’t keep up with the choreography.” Clark towered over Lex like an immovable oak as he leaned on the wall next to him.
“The day I can’t keep up with the White Boy Shuffle, you’ll know it’s time to put me in the ground.” Defiantly, Lex took another drag on his cigarette.
Clark sighed. “What can I do to make you feel more like part of the team?”
“Nothing. I don’t play well with others. That’s why I’m here.”
Crossing his arms, Clark watched Lex for several minutes. “This rebel thing you’ve got going on is really adorable. How old are you?”
Lex dropped his cigarette, stamped it out, and looked up at the older boy incredulously. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Why don’t we go back into the choir room? I have a song I’d like to try out.”
Clark took Lex’s right hand with his left and tugged gently. Lex jogged alongside him through the crunching snow.
The choir room was empty when Clark threw the doors open. He turned back to Lex and gave him a grin as he moved to the front of the room. Lex took a few steps forward and sat on an arm of the plush leather sofa.
“I see you watching me, y’know.” Clark leaned back on the piano and raised his brows, looking impish.
“I- No, I don’t,” Lex protested.
“Nobody knows it,” Clark sang.
Pink spots bloomed on Lex’s cheeks.
Clark pointed at Lex with both hands. “But you’ve got a secret smile, and you use it only for me.” Clark stood up straight and then began dancing toward Lex.
It was as though Lex’s brain had shut down, and all the sarcastic, biting responses that would normally spring to mind fell away as he watched Clark singing, prancing, dancing around him. Clark was doing the unthinkable. He was singing to him, serenading him. Lex almost covered his face, but then Clark dropped to his knees before Lex.
“So saaave me! I’m waaaitin’, I’m neeeedn’, hear me pleadin’!”
“God, Clark...” Lex looked at the floor, but jerked his head up again when Clark took his hand and tried to twirl him.
Lex stumbled backward, and Clark put his hands over his heart.
“When you are flying around and around the world and I’m lying alonely, I know there’s something sacred and free, reserved and received by me only...”
Clark reached out for Lex again. For some reason, Lex took it.
“So use it, and prove it, remove this whirling sadness,” Clark sang.
“I’m losing, I’m bluesing, but you can save me from madness,” Lex answered.
Together they danced and chased one another until Lex felt his heart might leap from his chest. They came to the end of the song and dropped together onto the sofa. Clark’s smile never wavered.
“You think I’m ready?”
“I think... It’s not the same without the duet.”
“Hm. Yeah. I think so, too.”
Lex looked away. “You really think the Council is going to let me participate in any real way?”
“Yeah, if you stop ruining your lungs.” Clark leaned over and touched Lex’s chin.
“Maybe I need some motivation.”
“Well, for starters. You’ll taste like smoke.”
“Taste...?”
When Clark met Lex’s lips with his own, it was no surprise. They’d been moving closer and closer to each other, and it was true. Lex did watch Clark. Clark was like some kind of Greek god stuffed into a private school uniform. Lex was half-convinced that he had hit his head outside and was dreaming all of this. Strong fingers began loosening Lex’s tie, and he leaned into the kiss.
Clark pulled back a little and smiled a little nervously. “Are you okay with this? This isn’t too fast?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever actually felt wanted here. Until now. So. No, it’s not too fast. It’s just in time.”
Clark took Lex’s hand and laughed. At that moment, Lex realized that this grand gesture was meant to break through the walls Lex put up around himself to keep the other boys from hurting him. He wasn’t sure if Clark could be trusted, but Lex saw in his eyes and rosy cheeks that Clark was just as nervous about this, older or not.
“Let’s practice it again.”
Here's a song for you to enjoy!
This entry was originally posted at Dreamwidth.
comments posted there. Please comment there using OpenID or your DW account.