Echoes, Part Four (4/5) -- Golden Path
Disclaimer: 'Smallville' and certain characters belong to Miller-Gough et al. No profit is gained from this writing, only, hopefully, enjoyment.
*** Teenage Wasteland - Golden Path
He came into the living room and could tell the instant that Jason realized he was there. A small smile curved Jay's lips, but he resolutely kept his eyes on whatever it was he was reading, not even glancing up to see who'd entered.
Well, Clark thought, two can play that game. Instead of going over to Jason on the sofa and distracting him away from business, Clark went into the kitchen and started pulling things out to make a meal. He'd eaten the last of the leftovers this morning before he'd left, so it was an ideal time to cook something, anyway. Cooking now also had the added bonus of making Jason come to him.
Something Italian. That always worked.
And sure enough, 23 minutes later as he was stirring the sauce, in came Jay. He oh-so-casually walked right up behind Clark and literally breathed down his neck.
"Think you're so clever," he said, to which Clark just chuckled and nodded.
A minute passed, wherein Jason moved around to lean against the counter right next to Clark, but neither of them spoke. And so Clark knew that, whatever was in the files Jason had been looking at back in the other room, it wasn't serious. He'd been almost positive that Jay "ignoring" him was just him playing, but he'd been wrong before. It was always good to have confirmation.
Who would have guessed that between Lex and Jay, Lex would prove easier to understand?
"He still at the office?" Clark asked, looking over at Jay and then gesturing for him to pass the dishes of oregano and parsley that were near his elbow.
Jason nodded, reaching back for the herbs and then deliberately brushing his hands over Clark's as he passed them along. Clark just rolled his eyes, but shifted closer so that his thigh touched Jay's.
"Everything okay?" Clark asked, and when Jason's expression went serious he knew he got what Clark was talking about. "Usually you're the one burning the candle at both ends."
Jason looked away, reaching over to take back the now empty herb dishes from Clark's hands, and not touching him as he did so. Great, Clark thought, sighing. It was one of those kinds of deals.
Never failed. It seemed like one of them always had to be in turmoil. Clark would have a good day, and Lex would too, and then Jason would come home a wreck, or have some kind of flashback. Or a natural disaster would hit as Lex and Jason were laughing or having fun putting the final touches on some new revolutionary business thing, and that would put Clark right at the center of human suffering and pain, which was always a real blast.
And now it was Lex's turn again. Clark hadn't gotten in from patrol until four or so last night, and by the time he'd woken up this morning, Lex was long-gone. And the last time he'd spoken to Lex-something had seemed kind of 'off.'
He went on stirring the sauce, but kept an eye on Jason. He had a pretty definite feeling that Jay knew what was going on. He usually did, especially when it came to Lex. Everyone on the outside of them always seemed to think Clark himself was the bridge, the mediator, the glue in the relationship, but anyone with half a brain who'd spent more than 15 minutes with them should've been able to see it was, more often than not, Jay who kept them together. Lex was good with Jason, and Jason was usually keyed into whatever was going on with Lex.
And most of the time, Clark felt embarrassingly oblivious to both of them. Lex and Jay seemed to know him, better than he did himself in a lot of instances, but it usually took one or the other of them literally telling him what was wrong for him to know something was in the first place. He thought he'd gotten better at it in the past year or so, mainly because he was actively trying to be more observant and sensitive to the people around him, but he never seemed to just "get" things as effortlessly as both Jason and Lex did. Clark didn't intuit very well, at least not as far as people and their motivations were concerned.
He suspected it had something to do with him being alien, and thinking that usually pissed him off enough to make him determined to figure things out on his own.
Needless to say, Clark's parents thought it was hilarious whenever some reporter wrote an article essentially calling Clark the "wife" in the relationship. They'd call up and tease him about it, and he'd feel eight years old all over again, asking if they were both stay-at-home moms because weren't they both always around the house, and one of the boys Pete hung out with had said that that's what moms do. . . ?
He didn't think he'd ever live that one down.
The sauce was now hot, bubbling up and ready, but Clark just slid the pan over and then turned off the burner. Turning to face him directly, Clark put his hands on Jay's shoulders and asked again, "What's wrong? Something I did?" he guessed.
Jay's head darted up quickly, but thankfully it was a bewildered look there on his face, and not something more confirming. But then Jason was shaking his head and placing his hands over Clark's, and whatever it was-for all that it wasn't Clark's fault-he knew he'd have to do something about it, step in. Jay's expression was now the one where he was trying to figure out how to ask for help.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, Jason just gave up and bluntly stated, "It's his dad. Another letter came a few days ago." Clark felt his lip curl in disgust, and Jay just raised his eyebrows in agreement.
"What's he want this time?" Clark asked. "Unlimited internet access so he can try and stage another coup? Still after better 'accommodations'?" Jason grimaced, as Clark hadn't been able to resist saying the last with air-quotes, reminding them both of the last communiqué from Lionel some six months ago. In it, the man had made it sound like he was being unfairly punished. Clark hadn't been able to believe the sheer nerve of sending Lex something like that letter! Lionel was a convicted felon in prison for murder, multiple counts of it even. Damn right he was being punished, but not even close to unfairly so. He was at a higher standard of living than three-fourths of the entire world, showed no trace of remorse for anything he'd done, least of all to Lex, and he had the gall to write asking, no, demanding that he be given better "accommodations" as his right as a human being and Lex's father.
"I only ever did what needed to be done in the interests of my family," Lionel had written. "Surely, then, I am not now to be tortured for loving too much that which matters to me most, so much so that I gave up everything to protect it, surrendered my very freedom, in point of fact, in an effort to keep you, my only son, out of harm's way."
It'd been all Clark could do not to go over there and give the bastard a piece of his mind, and show him what torture really was. 'Harm's way'? 'That which matters to me most'? Did Lionel actually expect Lex to believe that garbage, or did he just do it to fuck with him some more? Clark couldn't tell, but figured, it being Lionel, he probably aimed for both. He wanted out, and he wanted to break Lex again, get back at him for coming out on top again in their struggle, and he most likely didn't care which happened first.
So, great, it was another Lionel-letter. Yeah, that would make sense of Lex's behavior. One thing constantly plaguing Lex with worry was the fear that he'd eventually, somehow, turn power-hungry and evil and destroy the world. More than once, usually when he was drunk or directly after he'd fired someone at work, Lex made Clark swear he wouldn't let him 'go bad,' as he put it. Lionel brought out the worst in Lex, made him question everything and everyone. Clark didn't hate easily-but he hated Lionel.
He still had his hands on Jason's shoulders, and took the opportunity to pull him closer. He went high, wrapping his arms around Jay's neck and shoulders. Jason, in turn, went low, his hands sliding back along Clark's spine. Thank God for Jason, he found himself thinking. Both he and Lex would be lost without him, hopelessly fumbling around each other and completely without a clue.
It was just Lionel taking another jab at Lex's weak spots-nothing they hadn't gotten through before, nothing they couldn't handle. Clark maybe should have been more concerned than he was about Lex's decision to, for the second time in a row, hide the fact that he'd received a letter from his father. But, for once, Clark thought he might actually understand Lex's reasoning for it. No one wanted to seem weak, Lex least of all, and Clark had found out early on in his career that people tended to try and overcompensate for that around him. They called Superman the Man of Steel. No pressure there.
The three of them had a lot in common, for all that most of the details of their lives differed greatly. At their cores, though, they were all three the same, and Lex wasn't the only one in the relationship with a bastard for a father. Although, his was the only one still technically alive. Both of Jason's parents were, thankfully, long gone, and while Clark's mom and dad more than made up for Jor-El's continued "presence" in his life, he still took no pleasure from having to deal with the ass every time he went up to the Fortress.
Suddenly, the door to the penthouse was opened and then a couple seconds later slammed shut. Clark pulled back a little from Jason, and when he saw the expression on Jay's face, knew they were both thinking pretty much the same thing.
Well, Clark then thought, as Lex could be heard crossing the living room, at least afterward there will be food. He and Jason disentangled themselves, taking a step back just as Lex came into the kitchen.
"Honey, I'm home," Lex said quietly from where he leaned in the doorway. Clark hesitantly flashed a smile back at him over his shoulder, and then turned around and started doing a repeat heating of the sauce.
"And how was your day, sweetie?" Jason returned, playing along.
"Long," Lex answered, and Clark waited to see if he'd elaborate.
When he didn't, though, Clark seized the opportunity and focused his eyes on the sauce, heating it up a little before then carefully scooping some of it onto the stirring spoon. Then, with a hand hovering underneath to catch any drips, Clark turned and held it out.
"Come here and be my guinea pig," he invited Lex, and even with how shitty he must have been feeling, Lex smiled. He pushed away from his perch in the doorway and slowly walked over. Then, his eyes on Clark, Lex bent forward, opened his mouth, and took a little of the sauce for a taste test.
"So," Jason asked, once again leaning on the counter next to Clark, "what's the verdict?"
"Perfect," Lex said, and when he got that sad smile on his face, Clark knew enough to get that they weren't only talking about the sauce anymore.
"You better believe it," Clark retorted, and Jason chuckled.
"Home sweet home," Jay said quietly, and even after Clark turned back to resume stirring the sauce, Lex stayed there next to him, right there with both Clark and Jason.
***
Part Five - Lost Footing
*** Teenage Wasteland - Golden Path
He came into the living room and could tell the instant that Jason realized he was there. A small smile curved Jay's lips, but he resolutely kept his eyes on whatever it was he was reading, not even glancing up to see who'd entered.
Well, Clark thought, two can play that game. Instead of going over to Jason on the sofa and distracting him away from business, Clark went into the kitchen and started pulling things out to make a meal. He'd eaten the last of the leftovers this morning before he'd left, so it was an ideal time to cook something, anyway. Cooking now also had the added bonus of making Jason come to him.
Something Italian. That always worked.
And sure enough, 23 minutes later as he was stirring the sauce, in came Jay. He oh-so-casually walked right up behind Clark and literally breathed down his neck.
"Think you're so clever," he said, to which Clark just chuckled and nodded.
A minute passed, wherein Jason moved around to lean against the counter right next to Clark, but neither of them spoke. And so Clark knew that, whatever was in the files Jason had been looking at back in the other room, it wasn't serious. He'd been almost positive that Jay "ignoring" him was just him playing, but he'd been wrong before. It was always good to have confirmation.
Who would have guessed that between Lex and Jay, Lex would prove easier to understand?
"He still at the office?" Clark asked, looking over at Jay and then gesturing for him to pass the dishes of oregano and parsley that were near his elbow.
Jason nodded, reaching back for the herbs and then deliberately brushing his hands over Clark's as he passed them along. Clark just rolled his eyes, but shifted closer so that his thigh touched Jay's.
"Everything okay?" Clark asked, and when Jason's expression went serious he knew he got what Clark was talking about. "Usually you're the one burning the candle at both ends."
Jason looked away, reaching over to take back the now empty herb dishes from Clark's hands, and not touching him as he did so. Great, Clark thought, sighing. It was one of those kinds of deals.
Never failed. It seemed like one of them always had to be in turmoil. Clark would have a good day, and Lex would too, and then Jason would come home a wreck, or have some kind of flashback. Or a natural disaster would hit as Lex and Jason were laughing or having fun putting the final touches on some new revolutionary business thing, and that would put Clark right at the center of human suffering and pain, which was always a real blast.
And now it was Lex's turn again. Clark hadn't gotten in from patrol until four or so last night, and by the time he'd woken up this morning, Lex was long-gone. And the last time he'd spoken to Lex-something had seemed kind of 'off.'
He went on stirring the sauce, but kept an eye on Jason. He had a pretty definite feeling that Jay knew what was going on. He usually did, especially when it came to Lex. Everyone on the outside of them always seemed to think Clark himself was the bridge, the mediator, the glue in the relationship, but anyone with half a brain who'd spent more than 15 minutes with them should've been able to see it was, more often than not, Jay who kept them together. Lex was good with Jason, and Jason was usually keyed into whatever was going on with Lex.
And most of the time, Clark felt embarrassingly oblivious to both of them. Lex and Jay seemed to know him, better than he did himself in a lot of instances, but it usually took one or the other of them literally telling him what was wrong for him to know something was in the first place. He thought he'd gotten better at it in the past year or so, mainly because he was actively trying to be more observant and sensitive to the people around him, but he never seemed to just "get" things as effortlessly as both Jason and Lex did. Clark didn't intuit very well, at least not as far as people and their motivations were concerned.
He suspected it had something to do with him being alien, and thinking that usually pissed him off enough to make him determined to figure things out on his own.
Needless to say, Clark's parents thought it was hilarious whenever some reporter wrote an article essentially calling Clark the "wife" in the relationship. They'd call up and tease him about it, and he'd feel eight years old all over again, asking if they were both stay-at-home moms because weren't they both always around the house, and one of the boys Pete hung out with had said that that's what moms do. . . ?
He didn't think he'd ever live that one down.
The sauce was now hot, bubbling up and ready, but Clark just slid the pan over and then turned off the burner. Turning to face him directly, Clark put his hands on Jay's shoulders and asked again, "What's wrong? Something I did?" he guessed.
Jay's head darted up quickly, but thankfully it was a bewildered look there on his face, and not something more confirming. But then Jason was shaking his head and placing his hands over Clark's, and whatever it was-for all that it wasn't Clark's fault-he knew he'd have to do something about it, step in. Jay's expression was now the one where he was trying to figure out how to ask for help.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, Jason just gave up and bluntly stated, "It's his dad. Another letter came a few days ago." Clark felt his lip curl in disgust, and Jay just raised his eyebrows in agreement.
"What's he want this time?" Clark asked. "Unlimited internet access so he can try and stage another coup? Still after better 'accommodations'?" Jason grimaced, as Clark hadn't been able to resist saying the last with air-quotes, reminding them both of the last communiqué from Lionel some six months ago. In it, the man had made it sound like he was being unfairly punished. Clark hadn't been able to believe the sheer nerve of sending Lex something like that letter! Lionel was a convicted felon in prison for murder, multiple counts of it even. Damn right he was being punished, but not even close to unfairly so. He was at a higher standard of living than three-fourths of the entire world, showed no trace of remorse for anything he'd done, least of all to Lex, and he had the gall to write asking, no, demanding that he be given better "accommodations" as his right as a human being and Lex's father.
"I only ever did what needed to be done in the interests of my family," Lionel had written. "Surely, then, I am not now to be tortured for loving too much that which matters to me most, so much so that I gave up everything to protect it, surrendered my very freedom, in point of fact, in an effort to keep you, my only son, out of harm's way."
It'd been all Clark could do not to go over there and give the bastard a piece of his mind, and show him what torture really was. 'Harm's way'? 'That which matters to me most'? Did Lionel actually expect Lex to believe that garbage, or did he just do it to fuck with him some more? Clark couldn't tell, but figured, it being Lionel, he probably aimed for both. He wanted out, and he wanted to break Lex again, get back at him for coming out on top again in their struggle, and he most likely didn't care which happened first.
So, great, it was another Lionel-letter. Yeah, that would make sense of Lex's behavior. One thing constantly plaguing Lex with worry was the fear that he'd eventually, somehow, turn power-hungry and evil and destroy the world. More than once, usually when he was drunk or directly after he'd fired someone at work, Lex made Clark swear he wouldn't let him 'go bad,' as he put it. Lionel brought out the worst in Lex, made him question everything and everyone. Clark didn't hate easily-but he hated Lionel.
He still had his hands on Jason's shoulders, and took the opportunity to pull him closer. He went high, wrapping his arms around Jay's neck and shoulders. Jason, in turn, went low, his hands sliding back along Clark's spine. Thank God for Jason, he found himself thinking. Both he and Lex would be lost without him, hopelessly fumbling around each other and completely without a clue.
It was just Lionel taking another jab at Lex's weak spots-nothing they hadn't gotten through before, nothing they couldn't handle. Clark maybe should have been more concerned than he was about Lex's decision to, for the second time in a row, hide the fact that he'd received a letter from his father. But, for once, Clark thought he might actually understand Lex's reasoning for it. No one wanted to seem weak, Lex least of all, and Clark had found out early on in his career that people tended to try and overcompensate for that around him. They called Superman the Man of Steel. No pressure there.
The three of them had a lot in common, for all that most of the details of their lives differed greatly. At their cores, though, they were all three the same, and Lex wasn't the only one in the relationship with a bastard for a father. Although, his was the only one still technically alive. Both of Jason's parents were, thankfully, long gone, and while Clark's mom and dad more than made up for Jor-El's continued "presence" in his life, he still took no pleasure from having to deal with the ass every time he went up to the Fortress.
Suddenly, the door to the penthouse was opened and then a couple seconds later slammed shut. Clark pulled back a little from Jason, and when he saw the expression on Jay's face, knew they were both thinking pretty much the same thing.
Well, Clark then thought, as Lex could be heard crossing the living room, at least afterward there will be food. He and Jason disentangled themselves, taking a step back just as Lex came into the kitchen.
"Honey, I'm home," Lex said quietly from where he leaned in the doorway. Clark hesitantly flashed a smile back at him over his shoulder, and then turned around and started doing a repeat heating of the sauce.
"And how was your day, sweetie?" Jason returned, playing along.
"Long," Lex answered, and Clark waited to see if he'd elaborate.
When he didn't, though, Clark seized the opportunity and focused his eyes on the sauce, heating it up a little before then carefully scooping some of it onto the stirring spoon. Then, with a hand hovering underneath to catch any drips, Clark turned and held it out.
"Come here and be my guinea pig," he invited Lex, and even with how shitty he must have been feeling, Lex smiled. He pushed away from his perch in the doorway and slowly walked over. Then, his eyes on Clark, Lex bent forward, opened his mouth, and took a little of the sauce for a taste test.
"So," Jason asked, once again leaning on the counter next to Clark, "what's the verdict?"
"Perfect," Lex said, and when he got that sad smile on his face, Clark knew enough to get that they weren't only talking about the sauce anymore.
"You better believe it," Clark retorted, and Jason chuckled.
"Home sweet home," Jay said quietly, and even after Clark turned back to resume stirring the sauce, Lex stayed there next to him, right there with both Clark and Jason.
***
Part Five - Lost Footing