Quicksand, 1/13

[ladynhero]

Title: Quicksand
Authors: herohunter and ladydreamer
Pairing: Clex
Rating: Generally PG, and NC-17 in parts
Warning: mpreg
Summary: One cold November evening, twelve years after Lex Luthor left Smallville and Clark Kent behind, the two meet in Centennial Park… as Lex is walking home with his daughter.
Thanks to our beta lexalicious, and to lapetite-kiki for the beautiful cover for the fic.


Part One

The cold November air nipped at Lex's ears as he walked through the park with his daughter Athena, he in a dark purple coat and hat, and she in green. She carried a bag with a few dvds in it that they had just rented and looked around at the people in Centennial Park curiously. Smiles didn't always come easy for Lex, but they did for his daughter, and he smiled at her softly as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with clear gray eyes, and curls of black escaping from her wool hat with the two poms framed her slender face.

"What is it, dad?"

"Nothing, kitten. Let's get home."

She smiled and made a light bounce as she continued on. Lex took a deep breath, but froze when he spotted the man on the bench. A man he hadn't seen in twelve years, and who was as handsome as ever, wearing a black overcoat with a red scarf, blue jeans, and white sneakers. His heartbeat sped up considerably, and his daughter was looking at him again with a worried frown.

Clark had done several rescues today, or Superman had, and he had decided to enjoy a little of the winter sun at the park, with a cup of hot cocoa. He had been doing just that when he suddenly heard something he had been trying to avoid for four years, since he had returned to Metropolis. A very particular heartbeat, one that he knew and had once loved. Clark could not help but turn to the sound, and... Lex was right there, looking at him. He sat up slowly and then stood.

Athena looked up at the stranger seriously, then back up to Lex. "Dad?"

"It's okay," Lex whispered to her without taking his eyes off of Clark. "Hello, Clark." He paused for a breath and licked his lips slowly. "You're looking well."

"Lex." Clark took a step forward but then hesitated and withdrew half a step. "So, um, so are you. I... I was just..." He gestured with his hands, but remembered that he was at a public park and not invading Lex's space, so he shut his mouth. "Yeah."

Lex looked up at him for a moment, hardly believing the man Clark had grown into.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?" Athena asked pointedly.

"Oh?" Lex gave her a soft laugh. "Of course. Clark, this is my daughter, Athena." He nodded to her with a fond look. "Athena, this is Clark Kent. He and I were friends once. Years ago. I believe he writes for The Daily Planet, yes?" Lex raised his brows for confirmation.

Clark was mesmerized by Lex's daughter, once he'd torn his eyes away from Lex and looked at her. She had Lex's eyes, sharp and warm at the same time, black hair and cute pouty lips. He smiled softly and took two steps closer, not going back this time. "Yes, I'm a reporter there. It's nice to meet you, Athena." He offered her his right hand.

Athena started to extend her left hand, then switched to her right to meet his. His hand was so big that it engulfed her own. "The pleasure's mine," she replied.

"We were just going out to get a few videos to watch tonight," Lex told him. He felt his cheeks getting warm. It was hard not to think of all those times when he was near Clark, wanting more, especially that one time when he had gotten more...

Sucking in her lower lip for a moment, Athena noticed the pink spots blooming on her father's cheeks and fought a smile. "Do you have any plans for tonight, Clark? Dad's making dinner, and you could watch one of the movies with us."

Lex looked sideways at his daughter with a sharply arched brow.

Clark's eyes went comically wide as he stared at Athena, her father, then back to her. "Oh, um. I doubt that your father, I mean, I wouldn't want to, that is if-" Clark took a deep breath and let go of her small hand. He was no longer a sputtering teenager, damn it. He shook his head. "I don't have any plans, Athena."

"Are you sure, kitten?" Lex asked her. Their father-daughter night had become a longstanding tradition.

She nodded emphatically. "Yes, I am. What kind of movies do you like, Clark? Are you parked close to here, or do you want to walk back with us?"

Lex didn't know if he wanted to shake her or hug her, but the corners of his mouth curved because it seemed like he loved her more every day.

Clark smiled softly, choosing to look at her in case Lex was glaring at him. Lex's heartbeat was going really fast, and Clark just did not know what to make of it. "I walked here, too, Athena. I live on the other side, at an apartment building." He pointed to the west side of the park. Your father knows what kind of movies I like, if he remembers. Adventure, Sci-fi, comedies... How about you?"

"We like those. Only we like classics and film noir, too. We didn't get those this time, though." She nodded and handed the movies to Clark to check out. "Have you seen Enemy Mine? And Galaxy Quest?"

Lex pretended to listen with interest, but he was really sneaking a look over Clark. How the man had managed to look so like a male model and still stay in the shadows, Lex had no idea.

Well..." Clark tilted his head from one side to the other. "I like time travel better than aliens, but Enemy Mine was good. Your father was the one who showed it to me the first and only time I saw it, which means I haven't seen it in..." He looked up at Lex and tried to pretend his heart did not stop as he met Lex's eyes. "How long, Lex? Twelve years?"

"Uh... about that long, yeah," Lex replied. He swallowed and forced his breathing to remain calm and his heart to start to do the same. Clark would notice if he started sweating. As it was, his hat was starting to itch.

"Dennis Quaid is in it..." Athena said, looking at the case. "He was pretty cute when he was young. Don't you think so?"

Lex bit his lip. "Yeah, he's kind of pretty. Though you might not like how he looks all the way through the movie. He has a beard."

"Ew." Athena wrinkled her nose.

"The movie itself is pretty good, though," Lex told her. "It has an important underlying message."

Clark nodded. "I remember we discussed it for maybe a week after we saw it.” Clark also remembered he had had nightmares about birthing babies and dying for about a month after that movie, but was not going to mention that. “I'd love to see it again, yes." He smiled wider at Lex and his daughter. "If you're sure it's okay."

"It's okay. I finished all my homework yesterday night." Athena jumped in place and pulled Clark closer to them. She looked up at her father and widened her eyes.

Lex couldn't say no to that look. Well, he had but only over something that was very important. "Really, Clark, it's fine. Normally Saturdays are our family time together, but if she's fine with it and doesn't feel pushed aside, then it's perfectly all right. How have you been?"

"Okay, I guess," Clark told Lex, looking at him again. He did not look twelve years older, but a little more mature and even more handsome than Clark remembered or than the few pictures Clark had left of him. "I wasn't sure you were living here, and I didn't know-" He looked at Athena again. "Oh. I'm sorry; shouldn't we ask Mrs. Luthor if that's okay that I tag along, too?"

"I've made an effort to stay under the radar," Lex said, then pulled his lips slightly to the side. "There is no Mrs. Luthor. I learned the first time to be more reflective on relationships before entering them." He looked down to Athena and squeezed her shoulders. "Just us."

"Oh. Sorry. I mean, not sorry about that because you both look pretty happy, but sorry I asked." He ducked his head and blushed slightly. "I have a habit of putting my foot in my mouth, Athena. I should warn you because your father already knows that."

"You don't have to apologize so much, Clark. It's an honest question," Lex told him. "We'd better get going, so my helper and I can get started on dinner."

Athena nodded and followed alongside her father.

Clark rushed to the bench where he had been sitting to pick up his Styrofoam cup and throw it into the nearest trashcan. He then joined Athena's other side and smiled again. "What's on the menu? I feel like I should be bringing something."

"Got some red wine?" Athena asked.

"No," Lex said immediately. "I'm making spaghetti. You'll love my tomato and spicy sausage sauce, Clark. It's from scratch."

"Is it?" Clark smiled brightly at the thought of Lex cooking anything from scratch. "Wow, Lex. I don't think you even knew where the kitchen was at the mansion," he joked, then turned to Athena again. "I did, though; I was a very hungry teenager."

"What mansion?" Athena asked. She narrowed her eyes. "How old were you when you and my dad knew each other?"

"Oh, I was twenty-two. He was seventeen," Lex said, thinking back. "This was back when I was living in Smallville."

"Did he really live in a castle?" Athena asked. She wasn't sure she believed that story. Sometimes her father told her ridiculous things.

"Oh, yes!" Clark nodded emphatically. "A huge castle that his father had brought from Scotland stone by stone 'because he could'! It was drafty and cold, but the grounds were gorgeous. Lex had a pool table, and I'd go there to play with him, or do my homework..." He deflated a little and looked up at Lex through his lashes. "I cried when they tore it down, Lex. Literally. Silly, huh?"

Lex let out a breath through his lips slowly and met Clark's eyes. He looked almost like the bashful teenager that Lex had left behind. "I don't think it's silly. There was a lot of history there in that castle." He smiled meaningfully.

"Yeah," Clark said softly, staring into Lex's gray eyes for a long moment while the three of them walked together. He was such an idiot for loving a billionaire -or former billionaire since LuthorCorp had been dismantled after Lionel died- and for having had his heart broken when Lex left town and everything behind after one night of sex with Clark. Not that Clark thought it had been that that had triggered Lex's leaving. Lex's life had always been so complicated. He shook his head abruptly. "Anyway, I have some photos of the castle at home if you'd like to see them, Athena, and if it's okay with your dad."

"Dad?" Athena asked.

"Do you? I'd like to see those, Clark," Lex agreed. Idly, his hand smoothed over the front of his coat, and he wondered what life would have been like if he had stayed in Smallville, but he couldn't let himself entertain the idea for long. He'd done what he'd felt was best and that was it... although he had missed Clark terribly. "Any of the two of us?"

Clark looked over at Lex again. "Yeah. The one I took of us in your study, there's the one Mom took at the farm, and Chloe took one, remember? At my birthday party?" He smiled fondly. "Athena, your father had fireworks go off on my birthday, at a party that I didn't even invite anyone to but they just showed up! And the next day, he let me drive his Diablo. I loved that car!"

"That was one of my favorites," Lex said, remembering. He chuckled softly. "I thought you were going to have a heart attack over those fireworks. I swear, I thought they'd be fun."

"How many cars did you have?" Athena leaned her head forward and grinned.

"Ahhh... a lot," Lex admitted. "We only have one, believe it or not, Clark."

"Really? Wow. What do you drive now, Lex?" Clark had always loved the way that Lex said his name, like it was important. He still did, as it turned out.

Lex pressed his lips together, somewhat amused by the answer. In his early twenties, he would have died driving anything other than a speed-limit shattering sports car. "It's a green four-door sedan. Athena helped me pick it out."

Clark's smile could not have been wider. "That's fantastic," was all he could say.

Lex dipped his head and chuckled again. "I'll have to take you for a ride sometime," he said, forcing himself not to lace too much innuendo into the statement.

Clark flickered his eyes at Lex. He was no longer seventeen, and he knew when people were flirting with him nowadays. Lex was not, but it still sounded like an invitation for sex right there on a park bench to him. Maybe it was Lex's voice that did it. "I'd like that, Lex. Where will we go?" He glanced down at Athena so she would know he was not going to kidnap her father or anything.

"I don't know. It's been awhile since I've just gone for a drive," Lex said.

Athena reached up to press the button for the street crossing. "Smallville?"

"We could. That's a three hour trip though, kitten," Lex pointed out. Though not how he used to drive. He wasn't about to create any sonic booms with his little girl in the car. He grabbed her hand as they crossed the street, even though she rolled her eyes.

"You know, Athena," Clark said casually, "I used to know a young man who did that trip in an hour and a half." He offered her his hand as well, smirking up at Lex and hoping it was okay that he was saying these things to Lex's daughter.

Athena wrinkled her nose as she laughed and took his hand. "Really? For shame, Dad! I hope you wore you seatbelt!"

"Of course I did," Lex replied. "Sometimes..."

"What am I gonna do with you?" she asked. She looked back to Clark. "What other kinds of stuff did he do?"

Lex shook his head but smiled at Clark to let him know it was okay. "We're at the end of the block here. We'll take the elevator up."

"Oh, I can tell you stories!" Clark told her happily. Lex was really not a subject he could discuss with anyone. Not his parents, Chloe, Lois, nobody of any importance in his life. "Let me see... Oh! Your father bought the girl I had a crush on an entire coffee shop, did you know that?"

“'Isn't that a bit excessive?" Athena accused.

"Yes," Lex said, dismissing that quickly. "I was quite ridiculous in my early twenties. How is the Pastel Princess anyway? Did you two ever get together? Athena, you would... die. This girl wore so much pink she looked like a Peep."

Athena giggled helplessly. Her father knew how much she hated pink.

Clark laughed wholeheartedly. "Gosh, Lex!" He touched his stomach and laughed some more, then shook his head. "We went to one dance together because Whitney joined the Marines, were you still there when that happened? Anyway, Mom made me take Lana to this dance and then..." Clark raised his free hand up in the air, palm up. "She left with Tina Greer! They're still together; last I heard they had adopted their third child. Lana teaches Art at Smallville High."

"Are you serious? Her? God, tell me she's the femme; I don't think I could handle Lana Lang with a mullet. Well..." Lex thought about that for a moment. "Tina did worship her, and with her powers, she could have shape-changed into whatever Lana wanted."

"LEX!" Clark gave him a horrified look. "First of all, I don't go around asking couples who does what behind closed doors and secondly... Neither of them has a mullet, so..." He laughed a little more. God, he had missed Lex so much!

"Yeah, father, be open-minded," Athena admonished.

Lex held up his hand in surrender. "Okay, okay. I'm just surprised. Lana seemed to define herself by the men around her. I'm glad she was able to break herself of that and find someone special to her." He reached their building and gave their doorman a wave as the man opened the door for them all. "Evening, Walter!"

"Evening, Lex. Got a visitor for family night?" Walter asked.

"Yeah, he's an old friend. How's your son feeling?"

"Much better, thanks. He just had another case of strep. The doctor says next time they're going to take his tonsils."

Lex grimaced. "Sorry to hear that. I'm glad he's improving, though."

"Got anything good, Athena?" Walter asked.

"Two sci fi flicks," she told him. "Tell Bobby I said hi."

"Thanks, angel."

Walter grinned and let them pass on to the elevators. "Have fun."

"He's a good guy," Lex told Clark.

Clark nodded. "You've always been a people person, Lex." To Athena, he said, "Your dad always treated his employees like people, which isn't the case of everyone in a position like he had at the time. He was well loved in Smallville by those who worked for him.”

"Yeah, Dad always said to treat the people who have service jobs well," she agreed.

Lex pressed the button for the floor of their apartment and settled his hand on her back again, lightly. It was modest compared to the castle, but still rather spacious. He wanted Athena to be able to have friends over, if she liked. "So what about you Clark? Did you ever find someone special to share your life with?"

Clark blinked fast a couple of times and thought of shaking his head but bit his lower lip. Had he found someone special? Most definitely. Keeping him had been the problem. "I'm single," he said simply.

Lex gave a gracious nod. His daughter pulled off her hat, so he touched her dark, wavy hair gently, straightening it out a bit. Lately, she had started to shoo his hands away if he did that in public, but she didn't seem to mind in front of Clark.

"I'm surprised. You're a really attractive man," Athena said straightforwardly. "Do you date boys or girls?"

"Kitten, that's nosy," Lex told her.

"Or both?" she continued.

"Thanks for the compliment, Athena," Clark said, his smile genuinely tender for her. He liked Lex's daughter, too. Perhaps liking Luthors right off the bat was in his genes. Except for that horrid Lionel, of course. "To answer your question, I've kissed both boys and girls, or one boy and a few girls. But I've never really dated anyone, I guess." He pursed his lips. "That might depend on what you call 'date.'"

"Oh. Well, I think the participants define whether it's a date or not, I guess," Athena said. Gosh, he was tall. What a waste, that this guy didn't date. "Dad doesn't date either. He's a monk."

"Pshh. Athena," Lex complained, feeling embarrassed.

"Seriously," she said. "A MONK."

Clark laughed softly. He could not say hearing that did not make him at least a little happy. How could he not, when the only person who had ever aroused him enough to have sex with was Lex? When Lex was still the one he fantasized with when he occasionally pleasured himself? Clark was an adult now; he could handle living this way. But it was still nice that Lex didn't sleep around, even if they would never be again. "Well, your father has you to take care of, and I'm sure he's the best dad ever, isn't he?" He stole a glance at Lex.

Lex pushed his lip up and scratched the side of his head. He knew he'd changed a lot, but he didn't have great taste in partners, and he couldn't risk exposing Athena to people who were out to kill him and take his money. Even now that he was on his own, and the 'fortune' wasn't what it was in his youth when Lionel was in charge, they still lived comfortably, and there were dangerous people out there.

Athena turned and hugged her father around his waist. "Best dad and mom. I don't need anyone else, but I wouldn't mind if he found someone."

"That's very mature of you," Clark said, very gently tapping her chin with his curled index finger. "Most kids would be afraid or angry if that happened, I think."

The elevator stopped and opened into the lobby. Athena sucked in her cheeks. "Don't get me wrong. The person has to be good enough for him."

"My yenta, right here," Lex said as he walked them through the hall to their door and pulled out his keys.

"You're absolutely right, Athena," Clark told her honestly after he gave Lex an amused smile. "Don't let just anyone come in and hurt your dad."

"Damsel me," Lex joked. He opened the door to their apartment for Clark and ushered him in. "Go ahead and make yourself at home."

Athena took off her coat, then hung her it and her hat on the hat rack by the door, where she slipped off her shoes and placed them neatly beside it.

Clark walked in, stood beside Athena took off his coat and scarf. "Hang them here?" he asked her. "And my shoes there?" He started toeing off his shoes.

Athena nodded and pointed. Lex removed his own coat hat and shoes and watched his little girl directing Clark so politely.

"I'll take those, Dad," Athena offered, reaching out for them. "We try not to track too much dirt in over the rugs. Too much clean up. And it's more fun to walk around in your socks, anyway."

Lex gave them to her. "I'll go get the sauce started. Want to give Clark the grand tour?"

"Yeah!" Athena looked up at Clark hopefully.

"I can't wait!" Clark exclaimed back, and offered her his hand again. He did watch Lex leave; the man still had that damn sashay that had used to make Clark so crazy, and the back of his head still looked absolutely lickable. "So this is the living room," he commented once Lex was out of sight.

"Yep. Obviously in that section there we have the entertainment center," she pointed as she led him over. "Bunch of dvds over here... We watch a lot of movies together. See that painting on the wall? With the girl by the river? Dad did it when we lived in Europe. He was studying art and music then. It's me in the painting."

"Oh." Clark approached the painting and studied it, the strokes, the texture, Lex's signature, the light on the image of Athena, creating almost a halo around her dark hair. "It's beautiful," he said softly. His heart ached a little. Lex had left him and had gone off to be happy in Europe, to have a daughter. Lex had never called or written, or looked for Clark at all, and Clark would never even be looking at this painting if Athena had not invited him over. He turned and gave her a sad smile. "You’re beautiful, Athena."

Athena smiled softly and her eyes sparkled. "Thank you, Clark." She tilted her head to the side and studied his face seriously. "What's wrong?"

Clark shook his head. That was not her burden to carry, and he did not want to upset her, but her gray eyes were so intense on his that he had to say something and the truth was always better than a lie, as much as possible. "I've missed your father, is all. He was the best friend I ever had, but I didn't realize that until he was gone. I don't know if I should be here at all."

"No way, Clark," Athena protested. "If Dad didn't want you here, he'd have let me know. You know him right, how he says things without actually saying anything? He gets this look on his face and does this thing with his cheeks. He's nervous, but he's not upset that you're here."

"Your father's feelings and my feelings notwithstanding, I'm still not sure if it's a good idea, sweetheart," Clark said softly. He smiled sadly again. "But you invited me, and I accepted it. I'm sure we'll be okay."

"It will be," she said in an imperious tone, as though it had to, because she said so. "C'mon. Our rooms and the guest room are over this way." She took his hand and pulled.

Clark went with her, looking around with curiosity. "By the way, I totally know the thing he does with his cheeks. And does he still stick his hands in his pockets and move his chin up when he's really mad?"

"Yeah, he does." Athena giggled merrily. "You know the look where he presses his lips into a line and makes his eyebrows go really high? Okay, here's my room. One guess at my favorite color."

"Umm... red?" Clark asked with a grin.

"Nope." Athena grinned back and leaned into the doorway to flip on the light, revealing a bright room with a window seat and a canopied bed. "Green. Dad let me decorate it when we moved in here. His is obviously purple, although sometimes he says it's blue. Is red your favorite color, Clark?"

"Yes, it is" Clark nodded at her room. "You have good taste, that's a good thing. Took after your father."

Athena nodded. "Thank you." She walked over to the window and touched it, letting the fading sunlight hit her. "I like to read here. Do you have hobbies?" She looked back. She was cataloging information that she could use later. If he said he liked something, she could get her father to do it with them, and invite Clark.

"I don't have much free time, but I do like to read, and you can credit your father with that; he always managed to make the most boring of subjects interesting. I'm working on a book, and I also like Astronomy. What about you?"

The girl danced inside. She bet she could get them to go on a date at the Metropolis conservatory. "I like astronomy. Dad likes it a lot, too. He's into almost everything. Art, music, science. He's a renaissance man, in the original use of the word. Literally a genius," she bragged. The conservatory... or even better... "Do you have a telescope?"

Clark smiled. "I have one in my apartment that's decent." He could not very well tell her about the one in the Fortress, or The Watchtower one. "Your father's always been light years ahead of everyone else."

"Cool. Could we come over sometime and look at stars?" she asked innocently.

"If you'd like." Clark gave her a curious, amused look. "You don't have one?"

"No," she said honestly. Although if she asked, her father would probably consider that a good birthday present. She walked towards the door so she could show him the other rooms. "There's my Dad's room. I'd open the door, but he's weird about that sometimes. As you might guess, it's swathed in purple. Then there's our guest room which is in red, so you'd probably like it." She pointed down the other hallway. "Okay, boring. This way, on the other side of the living room, we have the library, Dad's office, and the entertainment room. C'mon."

Clark stared at the closed door of Lex's room and resisted x-raying it. Only then did he remember that he had taken off his glasses at the park and had not put them back on. Too late now, obviously. He followed after Athena as she was in charge of the tour.

She showed him the library first, which was a rather large room decorated with artifacts and a few more of Lex's paintings. One of which looked remarkably like the inside of a barn, from the point of view of someone starring up at the loft from the bottom of the stairs. A figure leaned against the frame of the loft window, dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans. "Dad doesn't put up everything he paints, by the way. Only what he thinks is too good to rip up or burn, which he does. I don't know why. He could have an art show by now."

Clark blinked at the 'barn' painting. "That sounds like him," he said softly. Lex had painted him, him, Clark. "Lex had never demanded more of anyone else but himself." He then smiled at her with a slight blush. "Listen to me; I'm going on like I know him better than you do. We were only friends for a couple of years."

"You sound like you knew him pretty well," she said. She slipped her hands in her pockets and walked over to a door on the side of the room and tried the knob tentatively. "Okay, his office is open. It connects to the library so he can get books easily. There's weird stuff in here."

"Weird? Are you sure he wouldn't mind if we went in? Won't he be needing help by now?" Clark missed having his glasses on his face to mess with.

Athena thought about it. She was allowed to go in there, as long as the door wasn't locked. Because sometimes there were experiments in there being timed, and he couldn't lock them under lead so it would be safe for her, but maybe it wouldn't be okay for Clark to see. Her dad hadn't given her the okay to tell and show him everything about them yet. "Um, yeah, maybe. Oh, I'd better go in there before he tries to cut the onions by himself. They sting his eyes badly."

"Oh, I can help with that!" offered Clark brightly. "I was always the one who cut onions for my mom, because they don't bother me."

"They don't bother me either," Athena said with a grin. She led them out and pointed to the other hall. "The entertainment room is down there. There's a pool table and a piano and the sound system with cds. Dad says if I want to I can get a gaming system put in there for my friends, but I don't really play much. I have my handheld one for when I'm bored and not reading at school, and that's good enough."

"Do you have many friends?" Clark asked with interest. He thought he might never get used to someone calling Lex 'Dad,' but he was glad it got to be a kid like her.

"I have a handful of friends from school, yeah," Athena told him. She walked across the living room and poked her head in the kitchen. "Dad, do you need help?"

Lex sniffed loudly and looked at her with red eyes and wet cheeks. "No, I'm almost done with the sauce."

Clark stepped into the kitchen and started rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. He still wore the watch that Lex had given him before he left, the one that his mother had given him. "Lex!" he frowned, rushing to the sink and wetting a kitchen towel. "Why didn't you call us? I would have cut the onions for you." He touched Lex's shoulder to turn him around and brought the wet towel to Lex's face. "Close your eyes."

Lex closed his eyes and sighed. "It's not so bad, Clark. Ow..."

"Yes, it is. Gosh." Athena walked over to the onions and took over the chopping, careful not to go too fast. "You have the pepper and the sausage in, right?"

"Um, yeah, and all of the spices are in already." He sniffed again.

She looked around at what was left and nodded. Easy.

"You got it?" Clark asked Athena. When she nodded at him, he touched the middle of Lex's back and began to walk with him. "Let's have a seat, Lex. Gee, nobody's that hungry that you need to hurt yourself cooking, you know. The chair's behind you."

The cloth felt cool against his eyes, and he sat trusting that what Clark said was true. "Thank you. I didn't want to bother you. You seemed like you were having a good time."

"I have a good time cooking with you, Dad," Athena scolded, holding the chopping board up to the saucepan and sliding the onions in with the knife.

"I'm not going to die from stinging eyes, kitten."

"I don't like you to hurt. Hurting's not fun," she insisted.

"I'm going to side with Athena, Lex," Clark said sternly, pulling out the towel a moment later. "Let me see now."

"Okay, doc." Lex blinked a couple of times and looked up at Clark. "What do you think?"

"I think..." Clark looked deeply into Lex's eyes but his corneas and everything else seemed to be okay. Plus, being this close to Lex made him lose his train of thought, so he flipped the towel over in his hands. "A little longer, okay?"

"Okay." Lex closed his eyes and let Clark press the towel against them again. "Baby, how are you doing over there?"

"I've got everything in. Where's the timer? Oh, never mind. I got it." Athena set the timer and stirred the sauce a few times.

"Don't climb on the counter to get the pasta, okay?" Lex warned.

"I'm not gonna." Athena rolled her eyes. Though she had been about to do just that. It wasn't like she was going to fall and break her neck. "Clark, could you get it? It's in the cabinet there, and I'm not tall enough yet."

"Sure thing. Keep this on," he warned Lex, then went to help Athena. "This one?" He reached up and handed her a container.

"Yeah, thanks." The pot was already on the burner, so she went to fill it up with water. "How long do we have to let the sauce simmer before we start the spaghetti?"

Lex lifted his chin. "Hm, about twenty minutes. I already put the bread in the oven. Don't worry about that. We could start one of the movies while we wait."

"Not while you're blinded, we can't," she retorted. It really bothered her to see him like that.

"I'm not blind," Lex replied. He reached for her hand, and she set the pan of water on the cool burner and came to him. He pulled her next to him and gave her a squeeze.

Clark smiled at father and daughter; he was glad that Lex had found someone who clearly loved him unconditionally. Leaving them to have some time for themselves, he stirred the sauce and got the pasta ready for when the water began to boil.

Lex rubbed his daughter's back and held her closely. She was growing up so fast these days. It was hard for him, especially since she had really been his life for the past twelve years. "My little migraine," he whispered to her, and she giggled at their little joke.

Clark not only did not understand the joke, but he realized that he was invading a night that was supposed to be just Lex and his daughter's. He was already there now and running off would be rude, but he would have to go as soon as it was appropriate.

Athena kissed the top of Lex's head and petted it gently. "Poor baby. How are your eyes?"

"Getting better." He moved the cloth down and blinked. "See?"

"They're still red." She sighed and looked over at Clark. "We put Clark to work."

"They feel okay. You don't have to do that, Clark," Lex said looking up at him. Clark was actually very fetching as a cook, however.

"I don't mind, Lex," Clark told him with a smile. "I still always help Mom when I go home." He bent down and opened the oven door to check the bread.

"Did you see his apron?" Athena asked Clark, as Lex stood up. "It says 'Mad Scientist at Work.' I got it for him for Father's Day."

"And it's very appropriate. Especially when I'm making spaghetti," Lex replied. He walked back over to the stove and smelled the sauce.

Clark chuckled. "It's adorable." He dipped the wooden spoon into the sauce and held it up for Lex to try after a little blow. "How's today's experiment?"

Lex gave it a taste and licked his lips. "A triumph. I'm making a notation: Mission successful."

Clark tried it as well and smiled with approval. "Very nice, Lex." He moved to the sink to wash the spoon before he went back to stirring the sauce. "What else can you cook?"

"Anything," Athena answered.

Lex shook his head and chuckled. "I taught myself to cook in France while Athena was a baby, so there are a few dishes she really likes, and I try to rotate them out and switch them up whenever we're feeling creative. There's also this 'stroganoff'' variation with a bit more tomato and some white wine. Also an asparagus dish that turned out really well, since I never thought I'd get her to eat soft green vegetables. She hates peas. And what else..."

"Cashew pineapple stir fry," Athena said.

"Yeah, we try some creative things. Some kitchen adventures fail-" He looked at his daughter with a smile. "-but it's fun to try."

"You remember I can't stand peas, either, right?" Clark asked Lex, then flashed Athena a smile over his shoulder. "They're evil."

"Bleh," Athena concurred.

"She used to take them off the plate and swish them on the table, complaining 'Ew! Peaballs!' every time I served them," Lex said with a smirk.

"I was little when I did that. I don't do it anymore," she argued.

"That's because I don't try to feed them to you anymore," Lex insisted.

"You're a smart parent," Clark told Lex with a grin. "Making your child eat peas is cruel and unusual punishment."

"Well, I read in an online parenting group to introduce the new food in small doses over a period of time, and if they're still turning their noses up at it, just find another veggie for them to eat because it isn't worth the battle." Lex shrugged and leaned against the counter. "She'll eat other things just fine, so I keep my peas to myself."

"You can keep them where I'm concerned, too," Clark said and gave Lex a wink. "Oh hey, Lex. Whatever happened to Amy?"

"Amy? Wow." Lex thought for a moment, looking up at the ceiling. "She married this bald guy named Thomas right out of high school, went here in Metropolis after she left Smallville, and last I heard she'd finished her doctorate in psychiatry and is now taking patients."

Clark arched his eyebrows. "Bald? Really? Now why am I not surprised?"

"Who's Amy?" Athena asked.

"Amy Palmer. She was a child of a family that worked for us. First in Metropolis, and I brought them with me to Smallville. She had... a crush on me her freshman year of high school," Lex explained.

Clark turned and leaned on the counter. "She had a shrine for your father in her bedroom. Pictures, clothes, and even this watch," Clark explained, showing Athena the watch he had on. "Your grandmother gave it to Lex and Amy took it, but we found it. She underwent a good treatment then, right, Lex?"

"Um, yes. I saw to it. She was a sweet girl, just lonesome," Lex murmured as his eyes settled on the watch, somewhat unsettled to see it, and all the memories that bought back. Especially of the evening he gave it to Clark. Lex had thought that Clark might have smashed it, or refused to wear it, hating Lex too much to do so. As he should have. "I found the best therapist I could for her. She seemed to be interested in the profession after that. Her mother tells me all of her boyfriends were bald, or shaved their heads."

"Well, she had always had good taste." Clark smirked over at Athena and beckoned. "Let me show you something, Athena."

Athena drew nearer, curiosity shining in her gray eyes. Lex leaned back and gave the sauce a few more stirs as he watched them.

Clark bent down at little and showed her the watch. "Do you see the face of the watch? That's Napoleon. His mother couldn't be there at his coronation, but when he had a painting commissioned of it, he asked the painter to include her in the scene. So your grandmother, Lillian, found an 1806 Franc with his face on it and gave it to your father so she would symbolically always be there with him." He took off the watch and handed it to Athena. "You should have it."

"I... But Dad gave it to you!" she protested, looking at the watch in her hand.

Lex stared at the saucepan, stirring the sauce as he lifted his chin a little and pressed his lips together. "You should thank him for the gift, kitten," he said quietly. "There aren't that many items from your grandmother around. I don't think I still own any."

"Are you sure you don't you want it anymore?" Athena pressed.

Clark smiled sadly again. "It's not that I don't want it; I've kept it all these years and am very fond of it. But like your father said, he'd only ever had a handful of presents from his mother, your grandmother, and I still have another one at home. If you want your grandmother's watch, it's yours, Athena."

Athena tried looking to her father, but he wouldn't look up, and she knew he was forcing her to decide for herself if she wanted it, so she nodded and fastened it around her wrist.

"Thank you, Clark. I'll take good care of it," she promised.

"I'm sure you will, sweetheart." Clark straightened and looked pointedly at Lex. "I hope that's okay, Lex."

"Clark, I gave it to you. It was yours to do with as you wished," Lex assured Clark, although he didn't understand why Clark was always refusing or giving his presents to other people. He hoped that Clark had kept the box he had given him, at least. "Including give it away. It's okay. Go ahead and put the spaghetti on." He turned down the heat on the sauce. "I'll show you how to polish it later, Athena."

Clark sighed; Lex had failed to understand his gesture. "I didn't give it away," he pointed out. "I gave it to your daughter because it was a family heirloom, and it wasn't right for me to keep it when you have a child. Where are the plates? I can set the table."

"I understand that, Clark. They're in the cupboard on the far left. Show him, kitten?" Lex turned to give her a kiss. "It looks very pretty on you," he told her firmly, then turned her towards the cupboards. "Get the silverware too, please."

Athena looked back at him as he put the pasta on, then walked with Clark over to the cupboard and pointed. She pulled open the drawer with the silverware and got out three settings to carry over to the table.

Great, now Lex was mad, hurt and who knew what else in between. Clark grabbed the plates and joined Athena in setting the table. He eyed the back of Lex's head and wondered if he should not leave anyway; he always managed to offend Lex sooner or later and this time, it had been sooner.

As she set out the silverware and folded the napkins, she looked at the watch as the light shimmered off of it. "How old were you when Grandma gave this to you?"

"I was your age, actually. I was being sent back to boarding school, and I think she knew she was getting close to dying," Lex said quietly.

"So you weren't there?" she asked, pausing and looking over her shoulder as she set down the last fork. "How... how did she die?"

"No, I wasn't there, unfortunately. She had heart problems."

"And Grandpa died of liver cancer when I was a baby, right?"

"Right." Lex's voice sounded a bit tense.

"What was Grandma like?" Athena pulled out a chair and sat as she watched her father over the stove.

"She had long red hair. Our eyes. She played the piano beautifully," Lex answered, knowing that he hadn't much answered the question at all. Maybe he could tell her that her grandfather had a beard.

Clark rolled his sleeves back down and buttoned them. "Do you want me to go, Lex?" he asked quietly. He did not want to spoil the night any more than he had, and maybe Lex was no longer willing to discuss his family with him, like he once used to.

"Don't go, Clark," Athena pleaded softly.

Lex shook his head and stepped away from the stove. "You don't have to go anywhere, Clark. Dinner should be ready soon, and you're welcome to eat and watch the movies with us." He slipped the apron over his head and hung it on its peg on the wall. "Could you keep an eye on this, Athena? I'll be right back." He walked out of the room and headed for the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Lex went to the medicine cabinet and got out some eye drops, which stung, but at least made him look a bit less like a fire survivor. Then he pressed his palms to the counter and took several deep breaths. Turning on the water, he made himself think of a good memory. Tying Clark's tie for the school dance, chatting with him about his blond versus brunette problem, playing pool. He ducked his head down and ran cold water over it. He could handle one evening with this man, and he could put away the sting of what Clark had just done, because he knew that Clark had meant he gesture positively. And who knew? Maybe he was actually on time these days, and wouldn't need the watch anyway.

Clark exhaled and let his shoulders drop as Lex left the kitchen. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I don't think I'm helping to make this a good evening," he told Athena.

"It's not your fault, Clark." Athena stood and went to tend to the stove. "You were around when my grandpa was still live, weren't you? What was he like? Were he and Dad close?"

"Um." Clark shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unsure of what to say. "I didn't know him well because he lived in Metropolis." He did not blame Lex for not wanting to talk about Lionel at all. The man had been a viper. He approached her and reached out his hand to touch her hair, but hesitated and pulled his hand back before he did. "Athena, would you tell your father I had to go? I'm really happy I met you and that I got to give you the watch. I doubt I'll have children and you should have it, sweetheart. I'll be sure to send you those pictures of the castle and of your father and I when we were younger, okay?" He smiled as best as he could.

Athena looked up at him with the biggest eyes she could muster and rolled out her lower lip. "Clark, no. Please don't just disappear. Please?"

"Please what?" Lex asked cheerfully, walking back into the kitchen briskly as he rolled up his sleeves. "Smells good. Let me get the colander. Want to get the salad out while I do this, Athena? It's already prepared in the fridge." He set it in the sink and turned back to the boiling pasta and paused when he saw the look on his daughter's face. "What's wrong?"

"Clark has to go," Athena sulked, looking down at her socks.

Clark squatted down in front of her and touched her hands gently. "Don't be upset, Princess. I'm making your father sad and now you, and I didn't want to do that. But believe me when I tell you that meeting you was just like meeting your father for the first time. I remember never wanting to leave."

Well, so much for the water. Lex could feel his face flushing hot, and a fretful look slipped past Lex's usual mask. He frowned and shook his head. "Clark, please..." He reached out for Clark's shoulder and stopped just before touching him. "Please, stay. Sit down and eat with us. I'm fine, and it was sweet of you to give Athena the watch." He had no authority to order Clark to do anything, but he wanted to pull the man up and force his finely sculpted ass into a seat. "How can you pass up a chance to have Luthors serve you?"

Clark looked up at Lex and back down at Athena. He just wanted to scoop her up in his arms and make her smile somehow. What he did to was touch her face, kiss her forehead once as he straightened and meet Lex's eyes. "I'd rather share a meal with Lex and Athena and maybe help do the dishes later." He smiled a little and touched Lex's arm because he simply had to. "Would that be okay?"

Lex couldn't not. He pulled Clark's arm forward and wrapped him up in a tight hug. He had wanted Clark's arms around him for too long. "That would be perfect."

Clark tensed up, but Lex did not let go and so he slowly relaxed, raised his arms and hugged Lex back just as tightly. He hooked his chin over Lex's right shoulder and closed his eyes. Lex was hugging him again and not saying good-bye this time, at least not now.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He was sorry for so much, and hoped he would not screw up again and do whatever he had done to make Lex vanish. He had never really bought Lex's excuse of wanting to find himself; he was young but not blind or stupid. Lex had wanted him once, as a friend or more, both before and after Desirée had forced them both into her bed at the same time. If this was a second chance, Clark would take whatever he could get. And besides, he was just as much in love with Lex's daughter already.

Athena hugged their waists, then turned to get the boiling pasta herself so they wouldn't stop. The handle hurt a little, but she hardly ever had to use potholders anymore.

When Lex finally, reluctantly let go of Clark he looked at him, he opened his mouth for a moment but didn't know what to say. He hoped he wasn't still flushing. "I'm glad you're here. I'm glad we ran into you. I should have... when I got back, I should have looked you up, but... I'm sorry."

"No, Lex." Clark gave Lex's left shoulder a careful squeeze. "You were busy; it's okay. I didn't mean to offend you or give away your gift like my father made me return the truck. Not at all."

Athena watched her hand heal from the scald before her eyes, then shook the pasta in the colander before taking it back to the stove to mix in with the sauce.

"I just... I didn't mean to be silly about that. I know you wouldn't do that, Clark," Lex replied apologetically. "And you, as always, are welcome in my home any time."

"Well, it's not like there isn't a Kent precedence with gifts, right?" Clark chuckled softly and squeezed Lex's shoulder again. "It's hard to wipe the slate clean, I know."

"You aren't your father," Lex told him, feeling his lips starting to curve again. "How are you doing there, kitten?" He looked back and realized what she'd done with the pan and felt his heart jump a little at the thought of her hurting herself, though he knew she was just testing her abilities, and at the thought of her being caught, though he didn't think Clark would have a problem with mutants.

"Stirring. I think we're ready to plate up here," she said, giving them a bright smile.

"Oh, wow, Lex. You really have some helper, don't you?" Clark asked with a huge smile, then tugged Lex close before letting him go again. Lex was bigger than he had been and that was not at all a problem with Clark.

"It's the least I can do with him raising me all alone all these years," Athena said.

Lex went to the refrigerator to get the salad and doled it out into three bowls. "Oh, hush. What a martyr I am. It went by far too fast. I've loved being your father. You're a very good girl." He carried the salads to the table. "Clark, what can I get you to drink?"

"Whatever you guys are having is fine, Lex. I can get the bread from the oven if you want me to?"

"Yeah, the oven mitts are right above the stove." He pointed and then returned to the fridge for the milk. And chocolate syrup.

"Okay." Clark returned to the oven and smiled over at Athena. He thought that maybe someday he should take her to meet his parents, if Lex ever allowed that and wanted to face them again. His mother would love the little girl on the spot, and his father would finally stop hating Lex; he just knew it. "Have you ever been on a farm, Athena?" he asked as he put on the oven mitts.

"Yeah. Dad moved us to a villa in the Spanish countryside when I was four," Athena said, putting spaghetti on the plates. She gave big portions to Clark and herself. He looked like he could eat a lot, like she could. Her father just didn't eat as much. "It wasn't a big farm we visited, though. Just some goats. We were living in Paris before that, but I don't remember. I was too little."

Clark nodded. "I was raised on a farm, in Smallville. We have cattle and my parents still board horses. We've never had goats."

"Goats are grumpy," Athena informed him. She set the plates down and grinned when she saw that her father had given them chocolate milk. "We visited a lot of places in Europe, and Dad taught me himself, which is why I'm so far ahead in school, and have to go to a private school."

"She tested exceptionally high when we started applying to those," Lex told Clark, sitting down at the table next to his daughter. "I would have kept home schooling her, but she wanted to go, so we just sat down with all the brochures and started narrowing them down together."

"I'm not surprised; you're a genius, Lex," Clark said casually. He sat facing them and placed his napkin on his lap.

Lex laughed. "Yes, yes. Genius me. Let me know how you like it, Clark." He broke off a piece of bread for Athena first, then offered the loaf to Clark.

Athena rolled her spaghetti into a neat bite with her fork and spoon. "Even better than always!"

"Thank you." Clark met Lex's eyes as he took them bread, then broke a piece for himself and set it back down on the plate. When he tried the spaghetti, he made a loud pleased noise. "Mmmmm!"

Lex tried not to crack up and started in on his portion, smiling over at Clark. "Why thank you, Clark."

"Hats off to the chef," Athena declared. She munched happily. It was strange to see her father have this kind of relationship with anyone, but she really liked Clark, so if her dad could just not mess it up and keep this one friend, maybe he wouldn't seem so lonely. It had started to bug her that on nights when she went out to the movies with a few friends or had a sleepover, he would sit home alone.

"Definitely!" Clark grinned widely and ate with gusto; Lex really had done a superb job. "You've outdone Cook. She'd kill me if she heard that, but it's true."

"High praise! Oh, poor Cook. If it weren't for you, she would have had nothing to do," Lex joked.

"I can't imagine you letting people cook for you. Or clean your house, either. I know your family had money and servants; I just can't imagine it." Athena shook her head. "If you had someone who did all of your cleaning, what would you do when you got nervous?"

Clark let out a laugh but then covered his mouth. Oh, from the mouths of babes! "Really? Lex cleans when he's nervous?" he asked Athena with a huge grin.

Lex eyed her, but she only giggled. "He really does. Or when he gets irritated with the other mothers who flock together at parent-teacher night."

"Other 'mothers'?" Lex asked, raising his fork in the air and skewing his brows in amusement.

"I mean parents," she said quickly.

"Hm."

Clark chuckled and shook his head. He wanted to take those two home and never let them go! "Should I tell your daughter what you used to do, Lex?"

"Are you referring to... what are you talking about? I don't want to incriminate myself," Lex replied.

"When your father got nervous, Athena," Clark started, not even wanting to know what Lex had been about to say. "He would drive too fast, drink too much, or he would turn to grand gestures, like buying a farm back for a family who would have otherwise lost it, or spending hours in a dusty barn talking to a farmboy who had no real help to give, or he would bury himself in work until he came up with an answer that was viable, no matter the cost." Clark smiled at Lex. "I'm not gonna mention your girly diary, Lex," he joked with a wink.

Athena tilted her head. "The grand gestures sound like him. Except for the drinking. I didn't know he used to drink. I've hardly ever seen him have so much as half a glass of wine."

"Grandpa didn't have liver problems for nothing," Lex said, wiping his mouth. "Thanks for not mentioning the girly diary. I was going to mention beating a meter maid's car with my golf clubs."

"You did not!" Athena burst out laughing.

"I did. Just the once, though. Everyone has a bad day." Lex shrugged his head to the side and sipped his milk. In all fairness, the bad day had been exacerbated by severe, fluctuating hormones.

Clark laughed softly and nodded. "God, what I wouldn't give to have seen that! A ton of people described it to me; imagine your father, sunglasses and black overcoat on, giving the poor man a speech while picking up a gold club and then smashing both the headlights and windshield of the meter maid’s car!"

"Wow, Dad. You were pretty wild!"

"I had some... issues at the time," Lex explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "It had been a rough year."

"That's true," agreed Clark softly, but he was determined to keep their spirits high; talk of that crook Desirée would not be allowed. "I have to tell you honestly, Athena, your father was my hero. I can't tell you how many people told me not to be friends with him, but I really couldn't resist. He was noble and fierce, and the bravest person I had ever known. Plus, a living encyclopedia, which came in handy when it was homework time."

"It really does." She leaned over to give her father a hug, because he looked a bit sad.

"I don't... Clark." Lex's lids drooped closed, and he dipped his head and grinned. "I swear, at the time, you were the only thing keeping me going. You were so much younger than me, and I looked up to you nonetheless, especially the way you were able to stand up to your father. I didn't feel brave, most of the time. I was just trying to get by."

"My father was a closed-minded bigot," Clark said easily. He had long before told his father everything he had to say, and they had made up after a small period without talking to each other. "I should have defended you more, and I should have made them really accept you." He took a deep breath. "But I was never as brave as you. You've taught me much, Lex, that I still remember nowadays."

Lex reached across the table and squeezed Clark's hand. "I'm happy to have influenced you positively. I couldn't tell you how much you've given me." He grinned. "When Clark had a problem, he would get these self-help books to read for the answers. They cracked me up. What were they? 'Men Are From Mars,' of course. 'You, She, and Me Makes Three: A Psychological Guide to Coping with Your Best Friend's Galpal.'"

Clark shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Your father was quite the lady's man, you know," he said to Athena, keeping his hand under Lex's. "There was always a supermodel or billionaire's daughter hanging around; I had to learn how to talk to them. But mostly, Lex ignored them when I was there," he added proudly.

Athena leaned her elbows on the table and pressed her lips against her fingers as she looked between the two of them.

"They weren't all that engaging to talk to, actually. You were always far more interesting," Lex said confidently.

Clark laughed happily. "Some of them were really rude, too. I remember that one you kicked out after she asked you why you were wasting your time chatting with a hick in flannel, remember?"

"Yeah, hard not to. She was lucky to even be there. I just needed to annoy Dad that evening when he came by," Lex replied with a smirk. "Just had to ruin my plans, that one."

"Stop it," Clark said, laughing again. Lex was still as funny as ever.

Lex grinned at him and began to gather their plates to take to the sink. "How can I? You were the one who took us on this road of reminiscing. Oh, do you remember... oh what was that girl's name... the fat sucking vampire?"

"The one who nearly killed Pete? Yeah, that was scary. Um... Jodi!" Clark headed to the sink and rolled up his sleeves again, but turned to Athena as he spoke. "It was a shame, really, because she was overweight and she started a diet with Kryptonite, and then she became a metahuman who needed fat every few hours or she would die." He shook his head. "So sad."

"Oh, gosh. That's horrible. There's one girl in my class who goes in the bathroom to throw up after lunch every day," Athena said.

Lex turned from the sink to look at her. "That's horrible."

"I know. She's not fat, either."

"Anyway, I was going to say, about two months ago, I sent in a possible cure to Wayne Enterprises and their medical R&D unit was able to take her in and stabilize her metabolism."

Clark smiled at Lex. "You did? I'm glad, because those people, well, most of them, weren't bad people, but their mutations made them do desperate things. I've tried to help as many as I could over the years."

"Yeah, I remember. I also remember how awful the place where they used to take metahumans was, and know that there are others out there." Lex shook his head and turned on the water to begin washing the dishes. Might as well get this done. "Did they ever clear out the Kryptonite in Smallville, or is it still lying around everywhere?"

"Yeah, the Justice League did a pretty good job with cleaning up the area. Some of it's been destroyed and another chunk's been put away so Superman won't run into it and die." Clark grabbed Lex's waist from behind and moved him away from the sink. "The dishes are mine. The chef doesn't have to do that. Just relax."

Lex shivered slightly when Clark's hands moved off him to take up the dishes. He liked the touch, probably too much. Athena was giggling again happily, so he smiled at her. "All right. Relaxing, relaxing. Which movie do you want to see first, guys?"

Clark started doing the dishes. "I'm not particular, but get the tissues ready for Enemy Mine. I do recall crying the first time I saw it, remember, Lex?"

"Really?" Athena said. "Dad doesn't cry during movies."

"I remember. Poor Clark. I think it shocked him that they actually did what they did." Lex patted Clark's back. "We can watch that one first and get it over with. The second one is a comedy."

"That's probably wise," agreed Clark. "I had nightmares for weeks after that one, because it didn't seem that impossible to me. And now we know it's not, look at Superman and the Martian." He turned his head and looked at Lex to see if he had an opinion on aliens one way or another.

"Oh... that's true," Lex said, considering that for a moment. In all honestly, he didn't spare much thought for Superman. If Superman saved him one day, he would be grateful; if Superman turned on them, he would step up and do something. In the meantime, he had a child to take care of. "If it makes you feel better, I didn't have any at the time, but later that year I had some pretty horrifying dreams about that."

"How scary is this movie?" Athena asked, raising a brow.

"It's not really," Lex said. "It's just... you'll see."

"Really?" Clark rinsed the last plate and shut off the water. "It doesn't make me feel any better, Lex." To Athena, he said, "It's mostly a story about prejudice, tolerance and love, sweetheart, but set in a Sci-Fi background. I guess it touched both Lex and myself differently, but if you want to take a chance on it, I'm sure you'll take something from it in the end." He knew they would not watch the movies like they used to at the mansion, with him splayed on pillows on the floor and Lex lying on a sofa over him, caressing his hair, but for a little moment, he could wish.