Secrets, Lies, and Misunderstandings (continued)
Part 1
Continuation of Clex Fest Story - Secrets, Lies, and Misunderstandings
For the third time that week, Pete woke to the sound of Clark's cell phone ringing. Even after pulling the covers over his head, he could still hear Clark's voice lose its sleepiness.
"Lex."
"Tell Luthor to spend some of his billions and buy a damn watch," Pete complained loudly so that Lex could hear him over the phone. "It's 3:00 a.m. here."
"Yes, that was Pete," Clark said into the phone. "Of course he's here. He lives here, remember?"
Something is definitely up with Clark and Luthor, Pete thought, as sleep eluded him, mostly because of the conversation going on across the room. Ever since Clark and Lex had gone out to some club together and Clark hadn't returned until the next morning, looking rumpled and vaguely satisfied, they'd been acting weird.
Pete suspected that Clark had gotten lucky. The fact that he'd somehow exchanged the shirt he'd been wearing when he left, for a faded Princeton t-shirt a couple of sizes too small (a shirt he kept wearing to bed), made Pete suspect it'd been with some out-of-town coed.
Over the next few days, Luthor had called several times trying to reach Clark, but Clark had been busy with the play. Opening Night was coming up and most of his free time was being spent in rehearsals, where cell phones were banned.
"No. I told you, I'm not going to move into your place," Clark was whispering.
Pete had answered Clark's cell phone when Luthor called - twice - and regretted it. Luthor had been rude, practically accusing him of somehow keeping Clark away from the phone. Pete had taken a perverse pleasure in not telling him where Clark was; simply saying that he was out. Finally, Lex had taken to calling in the middle of the night.
Clark made a strange low noise and Pete wondered what Lex had said to cause it.
"Damn it, Lex. Stop. Pete's just a few feet away."
"And awake!" Pete wanted to make it clear that he didn't appreciate them maintaining their friendship long-distance at the expense of his sleep.
"And awake." Clark sounded even more aggrieved than Pete was.
There were murmured good-byes after that, which, in Pete's opinion, seemed to go on for much too long.
"No, you can't bring me anything," Clark was saying. "Just yourself."
"Hey, he's in China, right?" Pete sat up. "Tell him to bring you a pair of those iron health balls, the kind that chime." Pete grinned at the thought of a Luthor having to purchase a cheap souvenir.
Clark repeated the request. "Pete said for you to bring me home a pair of iron balls."
Still laughing a moment later at Lex's reply, Clark hung up.
Curious, Pete looked over at Clark. "What'd he say?"
Folding his arms behind his head, Clark smiled happily. "Lex said that wouldn't be a problem."
Yes, Pete thought once more, while trying to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep, something weird was definitely going on between Clark and Lex.
* * *
Lex double-checked the seat assignment on his admission stub, and then looked again at the single seat in the front row between two unfamiliar couples.
He'd arrived home less than an hour earlier from his trip and had found an envelope, addressed to him in Clark's handwriting, slipped under the door. Inside was a ticket to the theater on the Met U campus. The name of the play was one totally unfamiliar to Lex, but even as bone-tired as he was, the prospect of seeing Clark filled him with enough energy to shower and change, then hurry to the theater, arriving only moments before the curtain was to rise.
The lights were beginning to dim and the music was starting, so Lex sat down in the seat, wishing he'd had more time to puzzle out what was going on and where Clark was. Flipping open the program that the usher had handed him, as he'd entered, Lex's eyes zeroed in on a familiar name at the same time as he heard that person's voice speaking loudly from onstage.
Transfixed, Lex watched Clark, and his world slowly crumbled and fell apart. As each word passed those lips he'd worshiped days before, he could feel a deep coldness spreading through him.
When Clark leaned forward, took his fellow actor in his arms, and kissed him, there were some intakes of breath from the audience as well as a few murmurs of appreciation. Lex's stomach churned and nausea threatened to overwhelm him.
At the end of the first half, Clark's character was pulled into the darkened part of the stage where a bed lay. The curtain fell, the audience applauded, and the house lights went up.
Lex stumbled from his seat and rushed to the restroom, pushing past other patrons in his haste. He barely made it to a stall before his stomach rebelled, roiled, and emptied its contents into the toilet. Breathing in short gasps, Lex stayed hovered over the basin for a long time afterwards.
The bell began to ding and the lights flashed, signaling the end of intermission. Lex stayed where he was. Not until the door closed and all was finally quiet did Lex venture out of the stall to a sink. Turning on the faucet, he cupped handfuls of water to rinse out his mouth. Glancing in the mirror, he almost didn't recognize himself. His face was paler than normal and his eyes were wide and glassy.
Lex had always thought that his father had trained him well as a child. Let nothing and no one touch you. Let no one near enough to hurt you. That training had continued with his wives. He'd married both of them while deeply in love and both had deceived him as to their true, murderous intentions.
Lex had thought that Clark was different. That Clark really cared. That Clark would never use him.
He'd obviously thought wrong.
* * *
"Lex?" Clark knocked on the door of the penthouse for the twenty-second time.
Clark wished he knew what the hell was going on. During the first half of the play, he'd seen Lex in the front row, when he'd been able to sneak a peek at the audience. But the seat had remained empty throughout the second half. After spending some time asking around, trying to find out if anyone had seen Lex, Clark had sped to the penthouse.
Using his x-ray vision, he could see Lex standing on the other side of the door, staring at it while holding a bottle of Scotch.
Clark knocked a twenty-third time. "Lex, come on. Answer the door."
He saw Lex make a move, but sighed when it turned out to just be him lifting the bottle to his mouth and taking a gulp.
There was no help for it. He was going to have to talk to Lex through the door.
"Did something go wrong on your trip?" There didn't seem to be any reaction. "Is it your dad?" A scowl appeared on Lex's face, but that was his normal response to Lionel Luthor. "Was it the play?"
Lex jerked and Clark knew that he'd scored a hit.
"It was the play, wasn't it? I know it stank and I probably shouldn't have left the ticket for you, but I thought you'd want to see it."
Seeing the pain that flitted over Lex's face made Clark ache. He had to make whatever was wrong, better.
"There were only two performances - last night and tonight's. You don't have to worry that I'm going to make you sit through it again." Clark's voice dropped in strength. "Was I... not any good?"
Oh, crap. The expression that Lex now wore made Clark want to tear the door from its hinges, wrap his arms around Lex, and keep him safe from everything and everybody. Feeling frustrated and helpless, a low growl rose from Clark's throat.
"Damn it, Lex! Let me in."
For a moment, Clark thought that Lex was going to do it. He'd set the bottle down on a nearby table and crossed to the door. Lex's hand reached out, but instead of going for the knob, it was simply set flat on the wood. Lex was biting his lip as he moved forward and pressed his forehead against the door.
"Go away, Clark," Lex said softly.
"Lex?"
"Please, Clark - if you ever cared at all - go away."
"What? I care!"
Lex reeled back from the door, his face hard. "Stop lying! All you do is lie to me."
Grabbing the bottle off the table, he took a series of gulps, before lowering it and wiping his mouth with the back of his free hand. "You lie and lie and lie. And I've let it go. Every damn time, I've let it go. But don't you lie about this. Don't you dare lie about this!"
"Lex--"
"You used me, damn it. I thought you were gay. I thought you needed my help adjusting. And the entire fucking time, you were using me for your damn play. The entire time you were fucking me, it was for your damn play."
"I thought... I thought you knew."
"Knew what? That it was just one long rehearsal for you?"
The laugh that emerged from Lex's throat was razor sharp and left Clark bleeding as no knife ever could have.
"Well, the play's over and so are we. Now get out of here."
"I'm not going anywhere until you let me in and we can talk."
The only response was Lex picking up his phone. Using his super-hearing, Clark listened in.
"Security? Please send someone up immediately. There's a Mister Clark Kent here who's refusing to leave."
All it would take would be a quick yank of the doorknob and Clark knew he could be inside. If security came, he could grab Lex and super-speed somewhere. Some place where Lex would listen to Clark's explanation. Some place where Clark could convince him that it was all a great big horrible mistake.
But his father had taught him to never use his powers unless it was a life-or-death situation.
Having his heart torn from his chest didn't count.
"Mister Kent?"
Turning around, Clark saw a familiar man in a security guard uniform approaching. "Hi, Stan."
"I'm sorry, Mister Kent, but you're going to have to leave."
Clark nodded. "I know." Heading towards the elevator, he eyed the guard. "Stan, could you do me a favor?"
The guard hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Watch over him for me?"
Stan smiled. "Will do."
"Thanks."
Slowly, Clark entered the elevator that would take him away from Lex.
* * *
Chloe glanced down at the new row of fence posts surrounding the Kent farm, then smiled brightly at Clark. "I can see you've been busy." Her brows furrowed. "Isn't there some sort of fence poster thingee that does this?"
Standing next to her, Clark stared at the ground, his shoulders slumped. In reply, he only shrugged.
Clark and Chloe had both taken advantage of the few days before exams to return to Smallville. Driving home together, Clark had looked so depressed that Chloe was visiting for the sole purpose of finding out what was going on with her favorite farm boy.
She nudged his arm. "Hey, what's wrong?" She'd seen Clark in a hundred different moods since she'd moved to Smallville and even though she was by no means an expert on them, she'd never seen him looking quite so... defeated. A thought occurred to her. "Is this long face because exams are coming up? Because if it is, I'm sure Lex would be more than happy to--"
"Lex isn't talking to me." Turning away from her, Clark began trudging back to the barn.
After a moment of watching his retreating back, which actually had quite a few advantages going for it as an activity, Chloe hurried to catch up. Reaching the barn, she tugged at Clark's arm until he faced her. "Lex isn't talking to you? But I thought the two of you were joined at the hip."
Clark paled at her words and then shook his head. "I..." He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them to stare at her sadly. "I've lost him. Not that I ever really had him. I mean, I had him, but not in the right way, if you know what I mean."
Chloe shook her head. "That explanation might make sense if you're from Mars, but we here on Earth need a bit more to go on."
Without saying a word, Clark slowly climbed the stairs to the loft and dropped down on the couch. Worried, Chloe followed and sat down next to him.
"Hey, you and Lex have been through a lot. You've had fights before. I'm sure in no time at all, you'll be back to normal."
"I don't want normal," Clark snapped.
Chloe looked at him in surprise. He must be more upset that I thought, she decided, as he mumbled an apology for his temper.
"Clark, what's going on? Talk to me."
He turned to her, his eyes large and pleading, and took her hands in his large ones. "Chloe, if I tell you something, do you promise to keep it a secret?"
"Of course. You can trust me, Clark."
For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to say anything; he took so long gearing up for it. Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, he spoke.
"I'm in love with Lex."
"What?" Chloe screeched, popping off the couch. "You're in love with Lex?" she shouted.
Panicking, Clark jumped up and tried to clap his hands over Chloe's mouth, as he looked around frantically, expecting his mother or father to appear around the corner. Even with super-speed and super-strength, he was unable to combat Chloe's super-pissed.
"Don't.... just don't." Waving her arms about, Chloe was loudly freaking out. "You mean all that time I spent moping over you was wasted? That even if it hadn't been for Lana, there would've been someone else? Like... like maybe Whitney or... or... Pete?"
Her eyes widened even more. "You and Pete - you're not..."
"No!" Clark said hastily. Then a bit more calmly, "No. Pete and I have always been good friends, but that's it."
"But you like guys?" Was her voice ever going to go back down to a normal pitch?
"No. I mean yes. I mean, no. Just Lex. I think."
Chloe stopped to catch her breath. Breathing heavily, she stared at Clark. "All those years, people would say something about you and Lex and I'd defend you." Her voice rose as she mimicked herself. "That's silly. Of course nothing's going on. I know it looks bad the way Lex keeps giving Clark things, how he picks Clark up in his car after school, how he hangs around a teenager, how Lex and Clark keep checking out each other's ass. But really, they're just friends.
"Well then, it'll probably make you happy to know we're not even friends anymore." With a sigh, Clark lowered to himself back to the couch and put his face in his hands.
Even though she was still a bit peeved, Chloe's heart went out to Clark. Squatting down next to him, she rubbed his back. "Hey, sweetie. Don't cry. I'm sure we can fix whatever's wrong."
Lifting his head from his palms, Clark scowled at her. "I'm not crying. Being gay doesn't make me a girl."
She watched as a horrible thought seemed to strike Clark and he rubbed a hand around his chest, and then down over his crotch as if to make sure everything was still in its proper place. He let out a huge sigh of relief. "Being gay doesn't make me a girl."
"Okay, Clark. I get that." Chloe rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to say it twice. Now let's get back to this Lex thing. You said that he hates you. Why?"
"He thinks that I used him"
"Did you?"
"No. Well, kind of. But I thought he was okay with it."
"That made sense, as in not," Chloe said, exasperated. "Maybe you need to go into details. Tell me how you and Lex actually got together."
"You mean the night we had sex?"
"Exactly."
"Well," Clark began slowly, "it all started when we went to this club. I was--"
"Skip to the sex," Chloe ordered.
"What?"
"I know you're friends. Obviously it's the sex part you guys are having trouble with."
Clark took a deep breath and began again. "In the club, we were dancing, which ended up with us grinding against each other. It was incredible. My heart was pounding and I felt as if I'd never get enough of him. That he could be all over me and in me and I'd still want more. He was all lean, hard muscle that I had to have."
"Oooh." Chloe let out a breathless moan.
Clark gazed at her suspiciously and she gave him an innocent look.
"That's very interesting, Clark. Go on."
"Back at his apartment, we started undressing each other, but he was doing it so slowly, like he was purposely trying to drive me crazy, so I pushed him back on the bed, and..." Clark paused and eyed Chloe.
"Go on, go on," she urged.
"Is this really necessary?"
"Oh, it is. It is."
"Chloe," Clark said, low and warningly.
Chloe gave up. "Okay, it isn't. But I suspect that if we could just maneuver Lex so that he sees you coming out of the shower dripping wet, wrapped in nothing but an extremely small towel, all would be forgiven."
"Lex isn't that shallow. You know that, Chloe."
She simply shook her head. "You have a lot to learn about men, Clark."
* * *
Pete pounded on Lex's door and was surprised when Luthor himself opened it instead of some flunky. He was glad he'd managed to catch Lex before he left for a long hard day of cheating people out of their businesses and throwing people out of work.
"What do you want, Ross?"
Pushing past him, into the penthouse, Pete turned on him. "I want to know what's going on between you and Clark."
Lex shut the door, then strode to a table where he snatched up a blue bottle of water. "Nothing's going on."
Following him into the room, Pete shook his head. "That's a lie. Something happened. Last week Clark was on top of the world. Now he looks like he's carrying it on his back. Even a trip to see his parents didn't cheer him up."
"Believe me, Ross, you really don't want to get involved." Lex took a gulp from his bottle, avoiding Pete's gaze.
"Clark's acting like he lost his best friend. Since I'm still around, I'm figuring that you and he had a fight. Now, I don't see that as any great loss on his part, but because I am his friend, I'm going to do my best to help him."
Lex spun to face him. "You really want to know?" Taking a deep breath, Lex spat out his reply, "Clark and I slept together."
In shock, Pete stumbled back. "You and Clark what?"
Slamming the bottle of water down on the table so hard that some it sloshed onto the wood, Lex glared at Pete. "Then I found out Clark had ulterior motives. He was using me. I told him I never wanted to see him again."
Pete didn't understand why Luthor thought Clark had used him. Pete would've bet money that Luthor was more the type to use Clark. Especially since Clark didn't believe in sex for sex's sake and if that didn't give away the fact that Clark was an alien and not a human male, nothing would.
"You and Clark... you slept together?" Pete asked, still stunned.
Lex's mouth tightened. "I was under the impression that Clark was gay. It seems as though Clark's a better actor than anyone suspected."
"But... but he slept with you. Doesn't that make him not exactly straight?"
"Ross, get with the program. He used me. I cared, he didn't. End of story." Letting out a harsh laugh, Lex continued. "I cared so much that I was jealous - even jealous of you. I thought you wanted him."
Pete's gaze shot up to meet Lex's, with laser-like precision.
No matter what, Clark was his friend and had been his friend ever since they were kids. Pete still felt guilty for abandoning Clark years ago for something he couldn't help. He felt even guiltier every time he remembered how many times Clark had saved his ass. It was time for Pete to save Clark's.
"Maybe I do want him," Pete said slowly.
"Right." Lex dismissed Pete's statement with a shake of his head.
"Maybe now's the perfect time for me to get him, now that he's... he's..."
Lex laughed bitterly. "You can't even say the word "gay", Ross."
"No, but I can say 'bi' just fine," Pete snapped back.
Stiffening, Lex stared at him. "You're joking."
Pete shrugged. "Clark's one unique individual. Real nice to look at, too." Pete could tell by the clenching of Lex's hand around the bottle that he was getting to him. "He's got all those nice hard muscles."
"This has ceased to be amusing."
"Good, because I'm serious. I think it's high time that Clark and I became more than friends, don't you? Especially seeing how you don't want him anymore."
"Don't touch him," Lex rasped.
"I'm going to do a hell of a lot more than just touching. Right now, he should be easy pickings since he's all heartbroken over you, Luthor."
Pete headed for the door. As he opened it to leave, he gave Lex once last parting shot.
"Comfort sex gets them every time. Have a good night, Luthor. I know I will."
In the hallway, Pete didn't need super-hearing to be aware of glass shattering, as the bottle was thrown against the door.
* * *
Seated at his desk, doing homework, Clark looked over at Pete, who was on his bed, pretending to read a book. Pete was definitely acting strangely. First of all, he was all jittery. Secondly, he kept checking his cell phone - 'just to make sure that it's on and has power'. Tonight, he'd also insisted that the curtains be drawn back, to the point that nothing obstructed the window and every light in the room was on. Lastly, Clark had locked the door for the night, but he'd noticed Pete unlocking it again.
When Pete's cell phone rang, he jumped a bit, then glanced at Clark before answering it.
Tuning in his super-hearing, Clark heard Chloe's voice on the line.
"The bald eagle has landed," she said in a low whisper.
What the heck? Clark thought. Was Chloe on some sort of stakeout? And if she was, why hadn't she asked him to go along, like she usually did?
Across the room, Pete thanked her, hung up, and then shoved the phone in his pocket. Standing and moving next to the window, Pete gave Clark a shaky smile. "Hey, Clark. There's something on your face."
"There is?" Clark lifted a hand to cheek. "I didn't see anything when I brushed my teeth after dinner."
"It's really weird. All colored and shit. Maybe it's something alien."
Now both of Clark's hands were on his face, trying to find whatever it was. "I don't feel anything. Maybe I should go to the bathroom and look in the mirror."
"No!" Pete took a breath. "I mean, you don't want anyone seeing you like that. Come here and I'll check it out."
Worried, Clark moved next to Pete in front of the window. Pete's hands smoothed over Clark's face.
"It keeps moving," Pete explained, when Clark raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Bend down a bit, so I can get a better look."
Clark leaned over and Pete put his hand on Clark's head, pulling their faces closer before tilting his head, so that he could examine Clark's neck.
"I... I think it's going into your hair," Pete stammered. "You'd better get down on your knees so I can see if I can find it."
Not sure what Pete was doing, Clark dropped to his knees in front of him and let Pete run a hand through his hair.
The phone rang again and Pete dug it out of his pocket. Clark could hear that it was Chloe again.
"Red alert! The bald eagle just took off in your direction and he looks extremely pissed."
When Pete hung up, he eyed Clark nervously. "Clark, we've been buds for years, right?"
Clark looked up and nodded. "That's right."
"So, if I did something or said something, you'd know it was with your best interests at heart, right?"
Clark's eyes narrowed. "What did you do, Pete?"
The words had just left his mouth when Lex Luthor stormed through the door. Clark gaped at him. He'd tried phoning him several times to try to explain, but Lex had refused all of his calls. Now here he was, in Clark's dorm room, looking really, really angry. Chloe's call about a pissed bald eagle suddenly made sense.
Clark's eyes swiveled to Pete, but Pete, being no fool, was focused on the main threat - Lex.
"Leave him alone." Lex yelled, pushing Pete away from where Clark was kneeling.
Pete sneered and Clark did a double-take. He hadn't known Pete was even capable of sneering. The words that came out of Pete's mouth shocked him even more.
"I just wanted to see if he was as good a cocksucker as he looks."
Lex's fist rose and the next thing anyone knew, Pete was laid out on the floor, holding his jaw.
Jumping to his feet, Clark grabbed Lex, holding him back from doing any more damage. "What the hell's going on?"
Shaking with anger, Lex was still trying to get at Pete. "I told you to leave him alone." Chest heaving, Lex turned to face Clark. "Listen, you can't trust him. He's just using you. He doesn't love you like I do."
Clark's eyes widened and his heart began pounding.
Lex paled, as if realizing what he'd said and he took a step back from Clark, shaking his head. "I..."
"That's right," Pete said loudly, getting to his feet. "I don't love him like you do. You see, Luthor, Clark's my friend. And I love him as a friend. You love him in a whole different way."
Glancing wildly about and taking a step back, Lex shook his head. "I didn't... didn't mean it like that."
"Oh, give it up, Luthor." Pete laughed, then winced as that set off more pain in his jaw. "You just came charging to Clark's rescue, a white knight in a silver Porsche. I think you've declared your feelings loud and clear."
Chloe appeared in the doorway, looking confused. "What's going on here?"
Clark watched as Pete grabbed a duffle bag he'd placed under his desk and then joined Chloe at the door.
"I just proved that I was right to drop out of that theater class. I don't need to learn how to act. I'm a natural. In fact, I. Am. The. King," Pete crowed.
Pete moved into the hall, then turned to look once more at Lex and Clark. "I'm spending the night elsewhere. While I'm gone, I expect the two of you to talk and have hot, crazy sex. Personally, I'd have the hot crazy sex first, but that's just me."
It was almost a minute after he left before Clark could force himself to turn and face Lex. When he did, he saw that Lex was staring at him.
Lex moved closer then leaned forward and gave Clark a slow, searing kiss. As Clark tried to catch his breath, Lex pulled back and smiled.
"Ross is obviously smarter than I thought. I think we should take his advice."
* * *
"Lex?"
Waking up in Clark's bed, Lex was feeling pleasantly achy but a little squashed, as the bed really wasn't made for two good-sized males to share. Opening his eyes, he saw Clark standing in front of him - a lot of Clark, as he was dripping wet and wrapped in a towel that barely covered him.
Lex's reaction was immediate. "Come back to bed," he urged.
"Not yet." Clark shifted his stance a little and Lex watched as the towel slipped a fraction. "I want to talk about what happened."
"Okay," Lex said, still eyeing a hipbone that jutted out from beneath the top edge of the cloth.
"I thought you knew I was in that play. I thought you were volunteering to help me learn how to act gay. I never meant to use you or hurt you. You do know that, don't you?"
"Uh huh." Had that towel slipped again?
"Then I started to realize that I liked kissing you; that I liked touching you and being touched by you."
Lex knew that what Clark was saying was important and he tried moving his gaze to Clark's face. Unfortunately, a drop of water took the opportunity to cascade down Clark's bare chest, running across the hard-packed muscles of his abdomen, to bury itself in that poor excuse for a towel and Lex was lost again.
"Everything felt so right. Like it was destiny."
At that last word, Lex managed to force himself to pay attention to what Clark was saying.
"Destiny?" Lex said questioningly.
"Destiny," Clark confirmed. "It was as if you and I belonged together. Like everything that's confused me and made my life a mess since the day I met you suddenly made sense.
Lex let a smile spread over his face at that. Clark returned the smile and took a step closer, causing the towel to flap and Lex's head to swivel to it. Was that thing defying gravity now? That was impossible and very, very wrong. Gravity was a law of nature and those laws weren't supposed to be broken.
"I don't want there to ever be any secrets between us again. That's why I need to tell you something else - something important."
More moisture rolled down Clark's body and Lex mentally cheered it on. The more weight on that stupid towel, the greater the likelihood that it would give up its hold and drop. Lex held his breath as he watched the cloth move a tad.
"You were right - you did hit me with your car that day on the bridge. There's a reason I'm alive. I'm not human."
The towel was beginning to slide. Any second now, and it would be gone.
"I'm an alien."
The towel dropped to the floor.
Lex whooped, reached out to grab Clark's hand, and hauled him into bed, where he quickly rolled on top of him.
"Um... that wasn't quite the reaction I expected," Clark said, as Lex moved down his body.
* * *
Silently, Clark vowed to do something very, very special for Chloe sometime in the near future for the 'dripping wet and small towel' suggestion.
An hour later, Lex sat up suddenly, from where he'd been resting on Clark's chest.
"You're an alien?" he shouted.
* * *
One Month Later -
Despite the table being strewn with fries, burgers, and shakes, Pete had no appetite. "I'm worried about Clark."
Ignoring the cries of the children squealing in the attached play park, Chloe leaned closer to him. "What's wrong?"
"I don't think that I should have helped him and Luthor get back together last month."
"But they seem so happy. Clark's smile has always been of the mega-wattage variety, but I think it could light up most of Metropolis these past few weeks."
"Yeah, but that was before Luthor decided to start conducting experiments."
Chloe got a puzzled look on her face. "Why are Lex and Clark doing experiments together? I thought Clark got an 'A' in Chemistry?"
Oops, Pete thought. He couldn't tell Chloe about Clark being an alien. And he definitely couldn't tell her that Clark had confessed to Luthor, but not to her.
"Um... didn't I tell you? Clark's been thinking about dropping journalism as a career. He's considering getting into biology."
"Oh," Chloe said. "So he's hoping to be what, then? A scientist or a doctor?"
"A doctor. Yeah, that's it. A doctor."
Chloe narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What kind of doctor," she asked Pete slowly.
"An obstetrician." At Chloe's start of surprise, Pete quickly, added, "Well, you know - Clark and GE. They're both always trying to bring good things to life."
When Chloe nodded her head, accepting his lie, Pete let out a low sigh of relief.
* * *
"I should never have told you that I'm an alien."
Lex smiled wickedly and was pleased to see Clark shiver in reaction. "Clark, you know me. At heart, I'm a scientist. You should've realized that I'd want to find out all I could about you."
"I didn't expect this!"
"That's because," Lex murmured, "you have no imagination."
The view that Lex was currently enjoying was definitely a fantasy come to life. He had Clark Kent, naked, and strapped to his bed. The heavy bands around Clark's wrists and ankles kept him anchored in place. Walking around the bed, Lex ran his hand down the expanse of bronze flesh. "Remember - the lead bands around your wrists are filled with small pieces of kryptonite. You break them and you'll regret it."
"Please, Lex, don't do this. Release me and we'll forget all about it."
Lex grabbed a vial and poured a thick gel into his hand. "Not a chance."
With efficient movements, he slicked Clark's erection. Then, after a moment spent preparing himself, he lowered himself down on it.
"Now - let's see how long it takes for that heat vision to kick in."
* * *
Two nights later, Lex surveyed his surroundings and smiled.
He hadn't been sure about inviting Pete and Chloe over to the penthouse for a quiet evening, but had agreed to it to make Clark happy. At first there'd been a few awkward silences, but Clark had stepped in and smoothed things over.
The dinner had gone well, Mrs. Bickford having outdone herself, and they were all relaxing while their full stomachs dealt with the overabundance of food they'd ingested. As Clark and Pete argued about the chances for the Sharks in the coming season, Lex and Chloe had a quiet conversation, discussing the current political situation in Metropolis.
"Lex," Chloe began, then stopped, as if unsure how to proceed.
Smiling at her to ease her discomfort, Lex refilled her wine glass, and then topped off his own before encouraging her to continue. "Yes, Chloe?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I think what you're doing with Clark is great."
"You do?" Chloe's open-mindedness really was amazing. Lex raised the wine to his lips.
"But I am worried about him," she said, biting her lip slightly. "Giving up journalism is one thing, but do you really think he'll be able to handle a pregnancy?"
Wine spewed everywhere.
The End?
Continuation of Clex Fest Story - Secrets, Lies, and Misunderstandings
For the third time that week, Pete woke to the sound of Clark's cell phone ringing. Even after pulling the covers over his head, he could still hear Clark's voice lose its sleepiness.
"Lex."
"Tell Luthor to spend some of his billions and buy a damn watch," Pete complained loudly so that Lex could hear him over the phone. "It's 3:00 a.m. here."
"Yes, that was Pete," Clark said into the phone. "Of course he's here. He lives here, remember?"
Something is definitely up with Clark and Luthor, Pete thought, as sleep eluded him, mostly because of the conversation going on across the room. Ever since Clark and Lex had gone out to some club together and Clark hadn't returned until the next morning, looking rumpled and vaguely satisfied, they'd been acting weird.
Pete suspected that Clark had gotten lucky. The fact that he'd somehow exchanged the shirt he'd been wearing when he left, for a faded Princeton t-shirt a couple of sizes too small (a shirt he kept wearing to bed), made Pete suspect it'd been with some out-of-town coed.
Over the next few days, Luthor had called several times trying to reach Clark, but Clark had been busy with the play. Opening Night was coming up and most of his free time was being spent in rehearsals, where cell phones were banned.
"No. I told you, I'm not going to move into your place," Clark was whispering.
Pete had answered Clark's cell phone when Luthor called - twice - and regretted it. Luthor had been rude, practically accusing him of somehow keeping Clark away from the phone. Pete had taken a perverse pleasure in not telling him where Clark was; simply saying that he was out. Finally, Lex had taken to calling in the middle of the night.
Clark made a strange low noise and Pete wondered what Lex had said to cause it.
"Damn it, Lex. Stop. Pete's just a few feet away."
"And awake!" Pete wanted to make it clear that he didn't appreciate them maintaining their friendship long-distance at the expense of his sleep.
"And awake." Clark sounded even more aggrieved than Pete was.
There were murmured good-byes after that, which, in Pete's opinion, seemed to go on for much too long.
"No, you can't bring me anything," Clark was saying. "Just yourself."
"Hey, he's in China, right?" Pete sat up. "Tell him to bring you a pair of those iron health balls, the kind that chime." Pete grinned at the thought of a Luthor having to purchase a cheap souvenir.
Clark repeated the request. "Pete said for you to bring me home a pair of iron balls."
Still laughing a moment later at Lex's reply, Clark hung up.
Curious, Pete looked over at Clark. "What'd he say?"
Folding his arms behind his head, Clark smiled happily. "Lex said that wouldn't be a problem."
Yes, Pete thought once more, while trying to get comfortable enough to fall back asleep, something weird was definitely going on between Clark and Lex.
* * *
Lex double-checked the seat assignment on his admission stub, and then looked again at the single seat in the front row between two unfamiliar couples.
He'd arrived home less than an hour earlier from his trip and had found an envelope, addressed to him in Clark's handwriting, slipped under the door. Inside was a ticket to the theater on the Met U campus. The name of the play was one totally unfamiliar to Lex, but even as bone-tired as he was, the prospect of seeing Clark filled him with enough energy to shower and change, then hurry to the theater, arriving only moments before the curtain was to rise.
The lights were beginning to dim and the music was starting, so Lex sat down in the seat, wishing he'd had more time to puzzle out what was going on and where Clark was. Flipping open the program that the usher had handed him, as he'd entered, Lex's eyes zeroed in on a familiar name at the same time as he heard that person's voice speaking loudly from onstage.
Transfixed, Lex watched Clark, and his world slowly crumbled and fell apart. As each word passed those lips he'd worshiped days before, he could feel a deep coldness spreading through him.
When Clark leaned forward, took his fellow actor in his arms, and kissed him, there were some intakes of breath from the audience as well as a few murmurs of appreciation. Lex's stomach churned and nausea threatened to overwhelm him.
At the end of the first half, Clark's character was pulled into the darkened part of the stage where a bed lay. The curtain fell, the audience applauded, and the house lights went up.
Lex stumbled from his seat and rushed to the restroom, pushing past other patrons in his haste. He barely made it to a stall before his stomach rebelled, roiled, and emptied its contents into the toilet. Breathing in short gasps, Lex stayed hovered over the basin for a long time afterwards.
The bell began to ding and the lights flashed, signaling the end of intermission. Lex stayed where he was. Not until the door closed and all was finally quiet did Lex venture out of the stall to a sink. Turning on the faucet, he cupped handfuls of water to rinse out his mouth. Glancing in the mirror, he almost didn't recognize himself. His face was paler than normal and his eyes were wide and glassy.
Lex had always thought that his father had trained him well as a child. Let nothing and no one touch you. Let no one near enough to hurt you. That training had continued with his wives. He'd married both of them while deeply in love and both had deceived him as to their true, murderous intentions.
Lex had thought that Clark was different. That Clark really cared. That Clark would never use him.
He'd obviously thought wrong.
* * *
"Lex?" Clark knocked on the door of the penthouse for the twenty-second time.
Clark wished he knew what the hell was going on. During the first half of the play, he'd seen Lex in the front row, when he'd been able to sneak a peek at the audience. But the seat had remained empty throughout the second half. After spending some time asking around, trying to find out if anyone had seen Lex, Clark had sped to the penthouse.
Using his x-ray vision, he could see Lex standing on the other side of the door, staring at it while holding a bottle of Scotch.
Clark knocked a twenty-third time. "Lex, come on. Answer the door."
He saw Lex make a move, but sighed when it turned out to just be him lifting the bottle to his mouth and taking a gulp.
There was no help for it. He was going to have to talk to Lex through the door.
"Did something go wrong on your trip?" There didn't seem to be any reaction. "Is it your dad?" A scowl appeared on Lex's face, but that was his normal response to Lionel Luthor. "Was it the play?"
Lex jerked and Clark knew that he'd scored a hit.
"It was the play, wasn't it? I know it stank and I probably shouldn't have left the ticket for you, but I thought you'd want to see it."
Seeing the pain that flitted over Lex's face made Clark ache. He had to make whatever was wrong, better.
"There were only two performances - last night and tonight's. You don't have to worry that I'm going to make you sit through it again." Clark's voice dropped in strength. "Was I... not any good?"
Oh, crap. The expression that Lex now wore made Clark want to tear the door from its hinges, wrap his arms around Lex, and keep him safe from everything and everybody. Feeling frustrated and helpless, a low growl rose from Clark's throat.
"Damn it, Lex! Let me in."
For a moment, Clark thought that Lex was going to do it. He'd set the bottle down on a nearby table and crossed to the door. Lex's hand reached out, but instead of going for the knob, it was simply set flat on the wood. Lex was biting his lip as he moved forward and pressed his forehead against the door.
"Go away, Clark," Lex said softly.
"Lex?"
"Please, Clark - if you ever cared at all - go away."
"What? I care!"
Lex reeled back from the door, his face hard. "Stop lying! All you do is lie to me."
Grabbing the bottle off the table, he took a series of gulps, before lowering it and wiping his mouth with the back of his free hand. "You lie and lie and lie. And I've let it go. Every damn time, I've let it go. But don't you lie about this. Don't you dare lie about this!"
"Lex--"
"You used me, damn it. I thought you were gay. I thought you needed my help adjusting. And the entire fucking time, you were using me for your damn play. The entire time you were fucking me, it was for your damn play."
"I thought... I thought you knew."
"Knew what? That it was just one long rehearsal for you?"
The laugh that emerged from Lex's throat was razor sharp and left Clark bleeding as no knife ever could have.
"Well, the play's over and so are we. Now get out of here."
"I'm not going anywhere until you let me in and we can talk."
The only response was Lex picking up his phone. Using his super-hearing, Clark listened in.
"Security? Please send someone up immediately. There's a Mister Clark Kent here who's refusing to leave."
All it would take would be a quick yank of the doorknob and Clark knew he could be inside. If security came, he could grab Lex and super-speed somewhere. Some place where Lex would listen to Clark's explanation. Some place where Clark could convince him that it was all a great big horrible mistake.
But his father had taught him to never use his powers unless it was a life-or-death situation.
Having his heart torn from his chest didn't count.
"Mister Kent?"
Turning around, Clark saw a familiar man in a security guard uniform approaching. "Hi, Stan."
"I'm sorry, Mister Kent, but you're going to have to leave."
Clark nodded. "I know." Heading towards the elevator, he eyed the guard. "Stan, could you do me a favor?"
The guard hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Watch over him for me?"
Stan smiled. "Will do."
"Thanks."
Slowly, Clark entered the elevator that would take him away from Lex.
* * *
Chloe glanced down at the new row of fence posts surrounding the Kent farm, then smiled brightly at Clark. "I can see you've been busy." Her brows furrowed. "Isn't there some sort of fence poster thingee that does this?"
Standing next to her, Clark stared at the ground, his shoulders slumped. In reply, he only shrugged.
Clark and Chloe had both taken advantage of the few days before exams to return to Smallville. Driving home together, Clark had looked so depressed that Chloe was visiting for the sole purpose of finding out what was going on with her favorite farm boy.
She nudged his arm. "Hey, what's wrong?" She'd seen Clark in a hundred different moods since she'd moved to Smallville and even though she was by no means an expert on them, she'd never seen him looking quite so... defeated. A thought occurred to her. "Is this long face because exams are coming up? Because if it is, I'm sure Lex would be more than happy to--"
"Lex isn't talking to me." Turning away from her, Clark began trudging back to the barn.
After a moment of watching his retreating back, which actually had quite a few advantages going for it as an activity, Chloe hurried to catch up. Reaching the barn, she tugged at Clark's arm until he faced her. "Lex isn't talking to you? But I thought the two of you were joined at the hip."
Clark paled at her words and then shook his head. "I..." He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them to stare at her sadly. "I've lost him. Not that I ever really had him. I mean, I had him, but not in the right way, if you know what I mean."
Chloe shook her head. "That explanation might make sense if you're from Mars, but we here on Earth need a bit more to go on."
Without saying a word, Clark slowly climbed the stairs to the loft and dropped down on the couch. Worried, Chloe followed and sat down next to him.
"Hey, you and Lex have been through a lot. You've had fights before. I'm sure in no time at all, you'll be back to normal."
"I don't want normal," Clark snapped.
Chloe looked at him in surprise. He must be more upset that I thought, she decided, as he mumbled an apology for his temper.
"Clark, what's going on? Talk to me."
He turned to her, his eyes large and pleading, and took her hands in his large ones. "Chloe, if I tell you something, do you promise to keep it a secret?"
"Of course. You can trust me, Clark."
For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to say anything; he took so long gearing up for it. Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, he spoke.
"I'm in love with Lex."
"What?" Chloe screeched, popping off the couch. "You're in love with Lex?" she shouted.
Panicking, Clark jumped up and tried to clap his hands over Chloe's mouth, as he looked around frantically, expecting his mother or father to appear around the corner. Even with super-speed and super-strength, he was unable to combat Chloe's super-pissed.
"Don't.... just don't." Waving her arms about, Chloe was loudly freaking out. "You mean all that time I spent moping over you was wasted? That even if it hadn't been for Lana, there would've been someone else? Like... like maybe Whitney or... or... Pete?"
Her eyes widened even more. "You and Pete - you're not..."
"No!" Clark said hastily. Then a bit more calmly, "No. Pete and I have always been good friends, but that's it."
"But you like guys?" Was her voice ever going to go back down to a normal pitch?
"No. I mean yes. I mean, no. Just Lex. I think."
Chloe stopped to catch her breath. Breathing heavily, she stared at Clark. "All those years, people would say something about you and Lex and I'd defend you." Her voice rose as she mimicked herself. "That's silly. Of course nothing's going on. I know it looks bad the way Lex keeps giving Clark things, how he picks Clark up in his car after school, how he hangs around a teenager, how Lex and Clark keep checking out each other's ass. But really, they're just friends.
"Well then, it'll probably make you happy to know we're not even friends anymore." With a sigh, Clark lowered to himself back to the couch and put his face in his hands.
Even though she was still a bit peeved, Chloe's heart went out to Clark. Squatting down next to him, she rubbed his back. "Hey, sweetie. Don't cry. I'm sure we can fix whatever's wrong."
Lifting his head from his palms, Clark scowled at her. "I'm not crying. Being gay doesn't make me a girl."
She watched as a horrible thought seemed to strike Clark and he rubbed a hand around his chest, and then down over his crotch as if to make sure everything was still in its proper place. He let out a huge sigh of relief. "Being gay doesn't make me a girl."
"Okay, Clark. I get that." Chloe rolled her eyes. "You didn't have to say it twice. Now let's get back to this Lex thing. You said that he hates you. Why?"
"He thinks that I used him"
"Did you?"
"No. Well, kind of. But I thought he was okay with it."
"That made sense, as in not," Chloe said, exasperated. "Maybe you need to go into details. Tell me how you and Lex actually got together."
"You mean the night we had sex?"
"Exactly."
"Well," Clark began slowly, "it all started when we went to this club. I was--"
"Skip to the sex," Chloe ordered.
"What?"
"I know you're friends. Obviously it's the sex part you guys are having trouble with."
Clark took a deep breath and began again. "In the club, we were dancing, which ended up with us grinding against each other. It was incredible. My heart was pounding and I felt as if I'd never get enough of him. That he could be all over me and in me and I'd still want more. He was all lean, hard muscle that I had to have."
"Oooh." Chloe let out a breathless moan.
Clark gazed at her suspiciously and she gave him an innocent look.
"That's very interesting, Clark. Go on."
"Back at his apartment, we started undressing each other, but he was doing it so slowly, like he was purposely trying to drive me crazy, so I pushed him back on the bed, and..." Clark paused and eyed Chloe.
"Go on, go on," she urged.
"Is this really necessary?"
"Oh, it is. It is."
"Chloe," Clark said, low and warningly.
Chloe gave up. "Okay, it isn't. But I suspect that if we could just maneuver Lex so that he sees you coming out of the shower dripping wet, wrapped in nothing but an extremely small towel, all would be forgiven."
"Lex isn't that shallow. You know that, Chloe."
She simply shook her head. "You have a lot to learn about men, Clark."
* * *
Pete pounded on Lex's door and was surprised when Luthor himself opened it instead of some flunky. He was glad he'd managed to catch Lex before he left for a long hard day of cheating people out of their businesses and throwing people out of work.
"What do you want, Ross?"
Pushing past him, into the penthouse, Pete turned on him. "I want to know what's going on between you and Clark."
Lex shut the door, then strode to a table where he snatched up a blue bottle of water. "Nothing's going on."
Following him into the room, Pete shook his head. "That's a lie. Something happened. Last week Clark was on top of the world. Now he looks like he's carrying it on his back. Even a trip to see his parents didn't cheer him up."
"Believe me, Ross, you really don't want to get involved." Lex took a gulp from his bottle, avoiding Pete's gaze.
"Clark's acting like he lost his best friend. Since I'm still around, I'm figuring that you and he had a fight. Now, I don't see that as any great loss on his part, but because I am his friend, I'm going to do my best to help him."
Lex spun to face him. "You really want to know?" Taking a deep breath, Lex spat out his reply, "Clark and I slept together."
In shock, Pete stumbled back. "You and Clark what?"
Slamming the bottle of water down on the table so hard that some it sloshed onto the wood, Lex glared at Pete. "Then I found out Clark had ulterior motives. He was using me. I told him I never wanted to see him again."
Pete didn't understand why Luthor thought Clark had used him. Pete would've bet money that Luthor was more the type to use Clark. Especially since Clark didn't believe in sex for sex's sake and if that didn't give away the fact that Clark was an alien and not a human male, nothing would.
"You and Clark... you slept together?" Pete asked, still stunned.
Lex's mouth tightened. "I was under the impression that Clark was gay. It seems as though Clark's a better actor than anyone suspected."
"But... but he slept with you. Doesn't that make him not exactly straight?"
"Ross, get with the program. He used me. I cared, he didn't. End of story." Letting out a harsh laugh, Lex continued. "I cared so much that I was jealous - even jealous of you. I thought you wanted him."
Pete's gaze shot up to meet Lex's, with laser-like precision.
No matter what, Clark was his friend and had been his friend ever since they were kids. Pete still felt guilty for abandoning Clark years ago for something he couldn't help. He felt even guiltier every time he remembered how many times Clark had saved his ass. It was time for Pete to save Clark's.
"Maybe I do want him," Pete said slowly.
"Right." Lex dismissed Pete's statement with a shake of his head.
"Maybe now's the perfect time for me to get him, now that he's... he's..."
Lex laughed bitterly. "You can't even say the word "gay", Ross."
"No, but I can say 'bi' just fine," Pete snapped back.
Stiffening, Lex stared at him. "You're joking."
Pete shrugged. "Clark's one unique individual. Real nice to look at, too." Pete could tell by the clenching of Lex's hand around the bottle that he was getting to him. "He's got all those nice hard muscles."
"This has ceased to be amusing."
"Good, because I'm serious. I think it's high time that Clark and I became more than friends, don't you? Especially seeing how you don't want him anymore."
"Don't touch him," Lex rasped.
"I'm going to do a hell of a lot more than just touching. Right now, he should be easy pickings since he's all heartbroken over you, Luthor."
Pete headed for the door. As he opened it to leave, he gave Lex once last parting shot.
"Comfort sex gets them every time. Have a good night, Luthor. I know I will."
In the hallway, Pete didn't need super-hearing to be aware of glass shattering, as the bottle was thrown against the door.
* * *
Seated at his desk, doing homework, Clark looked over at Pete, who was on his bed, pretending to read a book. Pete was definitely acting strangely. First of all, he was all jittery. Secondly, he kept checking his cell phone - 'just to make sure that it's on and has power'. Tonight, he'd also insisted that the curtains be drawn back, to the point that nothing obstructed the window and every light in the room was on. Lastly, Clark had locked the door for the night, but he'd noticed Pete unlocking it again.
When Pete's cell phone rang, he jumped a bit, then glanced at Clark before answering it.
Tuning in his super-hearing, Clark heard Chloe's voice on the line.
"The bald eagle has landed," she said in a low whisper.
What the heck? Clark thought. Was Chloe on some sort of stakeout? And if she was, why hadn't she asked him to go along, like she usually did?
Across the room, Pete thanked her, hung up, and then shoved the phone in his pocket. Standing and moving next to the window, Pete gave Clark a shaky smile. "Hey, Clark. There's something on your face."
"There is?" Clark lifted a hand to cheek. "I didn't see anything when I brushed my teeth after dinner."
"It's really weird. All colored and shit. Maybe it's something alien."
Now both of Clark's hands were on his face, trying to find whatever it was. "I don't feel anything. Maybe I should go to the bathroom and look in the mirror."
"No!" Pete took a breath. "I mean, you don't want anyone seeing you like that. Come here and I'll check it out."
Worried, Clark moved next to Pete in front of the window. Pete's hands smoothed over Clark's face.
"It keeps moving," Pete explained, when Clark raised his eyebrows questioningly. "Bend down a bit, so I can get a better look."
Clark leaned over and Pete put his hand on Clark's head, pulling their faces closer before tilting his head, so that he could examine Clark's neck.
"I... I think it's going into your hair," Pete stammered. "You'd better get down on your knees so I can see if I can find it."
Not sure what Pete was doing, Clark dropped to his knees in front of him and let Pete run a hand through his hair.
The phone rang again and Pete dug it out of his pocket. Clark could hear that it was Chloe again.
"Red alert! The bald eagle just took off in your direction and he looks extremely pissed."
When Pete hung up, he eyed Clark nervously. "Clark, we've been buds for years, right?"
Clark looked up and nodded. "That's right."
"So, if I did something or said something, you'd know it was with your best interests at heart, right?"
Clark's eyes narrowed. "What did you do, Pete?"
The words had just left his mouth when Lex Luthor stormed through the door. Clark gaped at him. He'd tried phoning him several times to try to explain, but Lex had refused all of his calls. Now here he was, in Clark's dorm room, looking really, really angry. Chloe's call about a pissed bald eagle suddenly made sense.
Clark's eyes swiveled to Pete, but Pete, being no fool, was focused on the main threat - Lex.
"Leave him alone." Lex yelled, pushing Pete away from where Clark was kneeling.
Pete sneered and Clark did a double-take. He hadn't known Pete was even capable of sneering. The words that came out of Pete's mouth shocked him even more.
"I just wanted to see if he was as good a cocksucker as he looks."
Lex's fist rose and the next thing anyone knew, Pete was laid out on the floor, holding his jaw.
Jumping to his feet, Clark grabbed Lex, holding him back from doing any more damage. "What the hell's going on?"
Shaking with anger, Lex was still trying to get at Pete. "I told you to leave him alone." Chest heaving, Lex turned to face Clark. "Listen, you can't trust him. He's just using you. He doesn't love you like I do."
Clark's eyes widened and his heart began pounding.
Lex paled, as if realizing what he'd said and he took a step back from Clark, shaking his head. "I..."
"That's right," Pete said loudly, getting to his feet. "I don't love him like you do. You see, Luthor, Clark's my friend. And I love him as a friend. You love him in a whole different way."
Glancing wildly about and taking a step back, Lex shook his head. "I didn't... didn't mean it like that."
"Oh, give it up, Luthor." Pete laughed, then winced as that set off more pain in his jaw. "You just came charging to Clark's rescue, a white knight in a silver Porsche. I think you've declared your feelings loud and clear."
Chloe appeared in the doorway, looking confused. "What's going on here?"
Clark watched as Pete grabbed a duffle bag he'd placed under his desk and then joined Chloe at the door.
"I just proved that I was right to drop out of that theater class. I don't need to learn how to act. I'm a natural. In fact, I. Am. The. King," Pete crowed.
Pete moved into the hall, then turned to look once more at Lex and Clark. "I'm spending the night elsewhere. While I'm gone, I expect the two of you to talk and have hot, crazy sex. Personally, I'd have the hot crazy sex first, but that's just me."
It was almost a minute after he left before Clark could force himself to turn and face Lex. When he did, he saw that Lex was staring at him.
Lex moved closer then leaned forward and gave Clark a slow, searing kiss. As Clark tried to catch his breath, Lex pulled back and smiled.
"Ross is obviously smarter than I thought. I think we should take his advice."
* * *
"Lex?"
Waking up in Clark's bed, Lex was feeling pleasantly achy but a little squashed, as the bed really wasn't made for two good-sized males to share. Opening his eyes, he saw Clark standing in front of him - a lot of Clark, as he was dripping wet and wrapped in a towel that barely covered him.
Lex's reaction was immediate. "Come back to bed," he urged.
"Not yet." Clark shifted his stance a little and Lex watched as the towel slipped a fraction. "I want to talk about what happened."
"Okay," Lex said, still eyeing a hipbone that jutted out from beneath the top edge of the cloth.
"I thought you knew I was in that play. I thought you were volunteering to help me learn how to act gay. I never meant to use you or hurt you. You do know that, don't you?"
"Uh huh." Had that towel slipped again?
"Then I started to realize that I liked kissing you; that I liked touching you and being touched by you."
Lex knew that what Clark was saying was important and he tried moving his gaze to Clark's face. Unfortunately, a drop of water took the opportunity to cascade down Clark's bare chest, running across the hard-packed muscles of his abdomen, to bury itself in that poor excuse for a towel and Lex was lost again.
"Everything felt so right. Like it was destiny."
At that last word, Lex managed to force himself to pay attention to what Clark was saying.
"Destiny?" Lex said questioningly.
"Destiny," Clark confirmed. "It was as if you and I belonged together. Like everything that's confused me and made my life a mess since the day I met you suddenly made sense.
Lex let a smile spread over his face at that. Clark returned the smile and took a step closer, causing the towel to flap and Lex's head to swivel to it. Was that thing defying gravity now? That was impossible and very, very wrong. Gravity was a law of nature and those laws weren't supposed to be broken.
"I don't want there to ever be any secrets between us again. That's why I need to tell you something else - something important."
More moisture rolled down Clark's body and Lex mentally cheered it on. The more weight on that stupid towel, the greater the likelihood that it would give up its hold and drop. Lex held his breath as he watched the cloth move a tad.
"You were right - you did hit me with your car that day on the bridge. There's a reason I'm alive. I'm not human."
The towel was beginning to slide. Any second now, and it would be gone.
"I'm an alien."
The towel dropped to the floor.
Lex whooped, reached out to grab Clark's hand, and hauled him into bed, where he quickly rolled on top of him.
"Um... that wasn't quite the reaction I expected," Clark said, as Lex moved down his body.
* * *
Silently, Clark vowed to do something very, very special for Chloe sometime in the near future for the 'dripping wet and small towel' suggestion.
An hour later, Lex sat up suddenly, from where he'd been resting on Clark's chest.
"You're an alien?" he shouted.
* * *
One Month Later -
Despite the table being strewn with fries, burgers, and shakes, Pete had no appetite. "I'm worried about Clark."
Ignoring the cries of the children squealing in the attached play park, Chloe leaned closer to him. "What's wrong?"
"I don't think that I should have helped him and Luthor get back together last month."
"But they seem so happy. Clark's smile has always been of the mega-wattage variety, but I think it could light up most of Metropolis these past few weeks."
"Yeah, but that was before Luthor decided to start conducting experiments."
Chloe got a puzzled look on her face. "Why are Lex and Clark doing experiments together? I thought Clark got an 'A' in Chemistry?"
Oops, Pete thought. He couldn't tell Chloe about Clark being an alien. And he definitely couldn't tell her that Clark had confessed to Luthor, but not to her.
"Um... didn't I tell you? Clark's been thinking about dropping journalism as a career. He's considering getting into biology."
"Oh," Chloe said. "So he's hoping to be what, then? A scientist or a doctor?"
"A doctor. Yeah, that's it. A doctor."
Chloe narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "What kind of doctor," she asked Pete slowly.
"An obstetrician." At Chloe's start of surprise, Pete quickly, added, "Well, you know - Clark and GE. They're both always trying to bring good things to life."
When Chloe nodded her head, accepting his lie, Pete let out a low sigh of relief.
* * *
"I should never have told you that I'm an alien."
Lex smiled wickedly and was pleased to see Clark shiver in reaction. "Clark, you know me. At heart, I'm a scientist. You should've realized that I'd want to find out all I could about you."
"I didn't expect this!"
"That's because," Lex murmured, "you have no imagination."
The view that Lex was currently enjoying was definitely a fantasy come to life. He had Clark Kent, naked, and strapped to his bed. The heavy bands around Clark's wrists and ankles kept him anchored in place. Walking around the bed, Lex ran his hand down the expanse of bronze flesh. "Remember - the lead bands around your wrists are filled with small pieces of kryptonite. You break them and you'll regret it."
"Please, Lex, don't do this. Release me and we'll forget all about it."
Lex grabbed a vial and poured a thick gel into his hand. "Not a chance."
With efficient movements, he slicked Clark's erection. Then, after a moment spent preparing himself, he lowered himself down on it.
"Now - let's see how long it takes for that heat vision to kick in."
* * *
Two nights later, Lex surveyed his surroundings and smiled.
He hadn't been sure about inviting Pete and Chloe over to the penthouse for a quiet evening, but had agreed to it to make Clark happy. At first there'd been a few awkward silences, but Clark had stepped in and smoothed things over.
The dinner had gone well, Mrs. Bickford having outdone herself, and they were all relaxing while their full stomachs dealt with the overabundance of food they'd ingested. As Clark and Pete argued about the chances for the Sharks in the coming season, Lex and Chloe had a quiet conversation, discussing the current political situation in Metropolis.
"Lex," Chloe began, then stopped, as if unsure how to proceed.
Smiling at her to ease her discomfort, Lex refilled her wine glass, and then topped off his own before encouraging her to continue. "Yes, Chloe?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I think what you're doing with Clark is great."
"You do?" Chloe's open-mindedness really was amazing. Lex raised the wine to his lips.
"But I am worried about him," she said, biting her lip slightly. "Giving up journalism is one thing, but do you really think he'll be able to handle a pregnancy?"
Wine spewed everywhere.
The End?