New SV Fic: The Good Dad, R, 1/1
The Good Dad
by Suz
Disclaimer - DC and WB own 'em.
Clex, humour, future fic. R for sexual description. I'm afraid this is undoubtedly an AU, too ;D My kind of Jonathan.
Many, many thanks to my smoochie. *smooch*
Feedback would rock.
********
"Mom, Dad, there's something I have to tell you."
Jonathan couldn't help it - he winced internally whenever he heard those words. Still, Clark was his son, and whatever he had to tell them it was obviously important.
Wiping the last of the grease from his hands, Jonathan shared a familiar look with Martha. The one they'd shared every time Clark had developed a new power, or discovered some new aspect of his alien heritage. Whatever it was they'd support him, together.
"What is it, Clark?" Martha asked, as both of them pulled chairs out and sat down opposite their son at the kitchen table.
Clark, for his part, had both hands clamped around a mug of coffee and seemed incapable of looking up.
"Clark?" Jonathan prompted, and that definitely got a reaction.
"I'm gay," Clark blurted. "And in love. And in a relationship."
Jonathan loved his son, but no one could ever accuse Clark of being subtle.
Gay? In love? In a relationship? He didn't know where to start.
Fortunately, Martha picked one of them. "In love?"
"With Lex," Clark replied, sounding more confident now and lifting his head to look at them. "I'm in love with Lex. In a relationship with Lex. Having sex with Lex." Jonathan sat there, horrified and dumbfounded, as Clark kept talking. "He sticks his dick up my ass, or I stick my dick up his ass, and God, you wouldn't believe how *tight* he is, Dad. So perfect and so hot and I come inside him so *hard*-"
Jonathan woke up screaming.
*
Martha, thank God, believed him when he said he'd been dreaming about the meteor shower. He felt only vaguely guilty about lying to her - there was so much strangeness in Smallville, and sometimes when things got too bad he did have nightmares about the truck turning over.
Better to let her think he was still traumatised by something that had happened sixteen years ago than to tell her what he'd actually been dreaming.
Jonathan was no homophobe, or at least he tried not to be. His father hadn't been particularly open-minded when it came to sexual orientation and overriding that kind of upbringing wasn't easy.
Fortunately he'd met Martha, and she wasn't the kind who'd stand for bigotry or small-mindedness. The first time Dad had said something homophobic in front of her (Jonathan couldn't even remember what it was now), she'd dragged Jonathan out of the farm house and asked him if he felt the same way as his father.
Too much in love with her to risk losing her, Jonathan had denied it even if inside his head he hadn't seen what the big deal was. He wasn't gay and no one he knew was gay, so it wasn't like it even applied to him.
Thinking back on it now, he felt ridiculously embarrassed. He'd learnt a lot since then, realising that he knew gay people without even knowing it.
One of them possibly being his son.
Clark had never actually come out to them, but it hadn't skipped either Jonathan or Martha's attention that every relationship he'd ever had with a girl had crashed and burned. Badly. And that since he'd been living in Metropolis with Lex while he went to university, he'd been happier than they'd ever seen him.
Jonathan's only real problem with the idea was that it *was* Lex. And Lex was Lionel's son. And Jonathan still didn't believe for one second that Lionel was a changed man no matter how much good he did.
He acknowledged, at least to himself, that that was another brand of small-mindedness, but there was too much at stake. His son. He'd be imperfect, maybe even paranoid, just as long as it kept Clark safe.
He did feel a little easier about Lex, though, even if he was sharing an apartment with his son. Lex had definitely been less obsessed these last few years and even despite Jonathan's determination not to like any Luthors at all, Lex had just kept trying to prove himself. He was relentless, which was definitely a Luthor trait, but Jonathan was actually starting to admire him for it.
Realising he'd arrived in town almost without paying any attention to the road at all, Jonathan shook his head at himself and indicated as he pulled into a parking space. Turning off the engine and getting out of the truck, he walked in to what used to be Fordman's.
The shop was filled with mostly familiar faces. Nodding at and greeting a few, Jonathan eventually stopped by a rack of shirts. He hadn't been meaning to buy any, but one of his old one's was about to fall apart any day now...
"Morning, Jonathan."
Turning at the familiar voice, Jonathan smiled as he started flicking through the shirts. "Morning, Rick." Rick Johnson was a little older than Jonathan, but no less sturdy. "How's the farm doing?"
"Same as always," Rick complained, and Jonathan knew the feeling. It wasn't easy work, most of the farmers around here always on the cusp of being in too much debt or having their loans denied.
Jonathan still remembered the moment Lex had handed over the deed to the Kent farm.
"Hey," Rick continued, picking through a pile of jeans on the shelf, "think I heard that your boy's coming back to visit this weekend, is that right?"
"Yeah, he's due Friday evening," Jonathan didn't remember telling anyone, but Martha worked at the Talon and that place was a hub of information in a small town. She'd probably mentioned it to someone and it'd gone on from there.
"That'll be good to see him again, I bet."
"It'll be great," Jonathan replied automatically, smiling at the thought of seeing his son, all grown up, walking through the door of the house again.
"He'll be bringing that Luthor boy with him I suppose."
Jonathan stopped flicking. "Yeah, Lex is coming too. He wants to check on the plant personally while he's here." Jonathan hadn't believed that excuse any more than Rick Johnson seemed to be.
"Right," Rick nodded, hesitating. "You know, Jonathan, it always struck me a little...odd, at how close those two are. Always have."
Forcing himself to start going through the shirts again, Jonathan also forced a shrug. "They're best friends."
"Sure," Rick replied. "Best friends. And living together now, aren't they?"
Jonathan wanted to smack Rick Johnson. The words could have been innocent, but the tone was anything but. Rick was clearly disapproving, and the thought of anyone disapproving of *anything* his son did... "As long as Clark's happy," Jonathan said too cheerfully, letting the shirts go and facing Rick. "That's all that matters to me."
Not waiting for a response he turned and left the shop, having no idea why he'd even gone in there in the first place. Not caring, he started heading towards the Talon.
He needed coffee and he needed his wife.
*
He hadn't told Martha exactly what'd put him in such a mood but after some very enthusiastic stress relief, Jonathan was feeling much better by the next morning.
Martha headed off to work and Jonathan went about his business on the farm. Late into the afternoon he remembered he needed to go into town again to check on an engine part, and left things to their farm hands. They knew what they were doing by now, and Jonathan tried to convince himself at every opportunity that Lex had nothing to do with them being there.
Parking a few dozen feet away from the mechanics, Jonathan got out of the truck and only stopped walking when Principal Reynolds was suddenly in front of him. School had let out over an hour ago. "Principal Reynolds."
"Mr Kent."
They'd never progressed to first names, and Jonathan couldn't really say he minded. "Anything I can do for you?"
"Actually, I just wanted to check something with you," Reynolds began. "Is it true Clark's coming home this weekend?"
"Yes, that's right."
"How's he doing at college?"
"He's doing well," Jonathan answered truthfully. "He likes the classes. And the teachers." He eyed Reynolds deliberately.
If the Principal noticed, he didn't say anything. "I just thought, what with Clark coming back this weekend, that you might want to take the opportunity to..."
"Yes?"
"Encourage him to build a wider group of friends," Reynolds finished calmly.
Jonathan knew for a fact that Clark had made plenty of new friends at college, but he wasn't about to give the man the satisfaction of saying that. "Clark likes the friends he has just fine."
"I'm sure he does," Reynolds nodded. "Clark seems like a very loyal friend. I just become concerned about anyone who's good friends with any of the Luthors."
Jonathan had no doubt that Lionel had probably done something to Reynolds even if it had been years ago.
He also knew that he didn't care. No one was going to tell him how to raise his own son.
"You know, Principal Reynolds, Clark isn't coming alone this weekend. He and Lex are driving back in Lex's Porsche." He paused. "Together." Reynolds' eyes widened. Jonathan continued with something like glee. "And in case you didn't know, he and Lex are also sharing an apartment in Metropolis." He leaned forward, just a little. "Together."
"O-oh," Reynolds stuttered. "I see."
"Glad you do," Jonathan replied, clapping Reynolds' on the shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see a man about a tractor engine."
He should have been disturbed when, five minutes later, Jack O'Reilly asked him how Clark and Lex were doing and gave him a big thumbs up.
Instead he just said they were doing great.
*
"I had the weirdest day, today," Martha said, untying her robe and slipping into bed next to him. "Five different people asked me if Clark and Lex were dating."
Jonathan froze. "Huh," he said, hoping it sounded convincing. "That's weird."
"Very," she replied, settling closer. "Would you mind if they were?"
There was only a small hesitation in her voice, and only someone who'd known her as long as he had would even have noticed it. Leaning closer, Jonathan kissed the side of her face. "All that matters to me is that our boy is happy."
Grinning broadly, Martha turned her face further until their lips met. "I think he is."
*
Jonathan was hardly a computer whiz, but he knew his way around the internet. There was plenty of information about support groups online, but hard as he searched he couldn't find anything about a support group for gay people in Smallville, which just didn't sit right. Maybe he could suggest something to someone, get the ball rolling. Clark couldn't be the only gay person from Smallville; the sheer numbers of people promised otherwise.
If Clark was actually gay. Jonathan really should find out soon.
Clicking around another information site - and really hoping none of the farm hands came in needing anything - Jonathan paused at a link titled ‘FAQ about Anal Sex'.
He paused for another ten seconds before clicking the link.
And...well. It didn't seem *that* different. There was still a dick and there was still a hole; it was just...tighter and...Jonathan couldn't believe he was looking at this.
Closing the browser, face hot, Jonathan decided that as much as he loved his son, there were just some things he didn't need to know.
Martha, however, had no idea what jumped her when she got home.
*
"You've been weird all week," she said softly, half of her clothes still on, sprawled across the bed next to him.
"I know." No doubt about it. He couldn't deny it.
"What's wrong, Jonathan?"
Staring up at the ceiling, he shrugged. "I think Clark's gay."
Shifting, she moved until she was pressing against his side. "And this is...what? You reaffirming your sexuality?"
"No." He sighed. "Maybe. I just..." Surprised at feeling his eyes burning, he blinked heavily. "His life is already so different. I just didn't want..."
"...him to be even more different?" she finished. "Different isn't bad, Jonathan. It's just different."
"But you know that some people still don't like it," he replied. "You know *I* didn't used to, even if I never said anything." Tipping his head to look at her, he could see her faint smile. "It could make things difficult for him and that's the last thing I want for our son. Sometimes things are such a challenge for him already, what with having to hide his powers all the time. I know how much strain that puts on him."
"So?" she asked. "This is one thing he doesn't have to hide. He'll always have us to support him. And he'll always have Lex, too."
It didn't make it perfect. It didn't make him stop worrying. But regardless of his sexuality Clark *did* have them and he *did* have Lex. Life might be difficult sometimes, but life was like that anyway.
It was enough.
"When did you get so smart?" Jonathan asked.
"Oh," Martha replied innocently, pressing a kiss to his neck, "I was born this way."
*
First thing Friday morning, Jonathan was outside the local bookstore when it opened. He had no idea if they had what he wanted, but he asked Katie Boorman behind the counter and she directed him to some dank little corner of the store.
Finding all of two well-thumbed books - 'Your Child's Sexuality and You', and 'So Your Child's Gay?' - he bought both of them and left the store.
Where he ran into Gabe Sullivan.
"Jonathan," he greeted warmly. "I hear Clark's coming home this weekend. How's he doing?"
Jonathan grinned, holding up the books. "He's living with Lex and he's great!"
"Uh, right," Gabe said, before making a break for his car.
*
Jonathan was inside the house, looking through the window when the car pulled up outside. Obviously laughing at something, Clark climbed out of the car carefully balancing two cups of coffee. Shutting the door with his hip, he passed one of the cups to Lex.
Even from here Jonathan recognised the design on the cups.
The Talon.
Opening the door and stepping out onto the porch, he smiled as he made his way down the steps outside. "Hey, son."
Turning towards him, Clark's face brightened as he jogged towards the house. "Hey, Dad!"
One one-handed hug and some substantial back slapping later, Jonathan was pulling away and facing Lex, who was waiting quietly a few feet behind. "Lex," he greeted, stepping around Clark to hold out his hand. "Good to see you again."
Eyes wide in obvious surprise, Lex nonetheless shook Jonathan's hand. "Thank you, Mr Kent. It's good to be here."
Releasing Lex's hand, Jonathan's gaze fell to the cup held in the other hand. "So you guys stopped at the Talon, huh?"
Lex nodded minutely. "Yes. It was...very interesting."
"I'm sure." Turning until he looked at both of them, he nodded towards the house. "You coming in? Your mother's just showering before dinner."
"Actually," Clark hesitated, glancing towards Lex, "we just wanted to check on something in the barn, first. We'll be right in."
From his expression it was clear Clark wanted to be alone - and he would not think why - so Jonathan relented. "Okay. See you in a few."
Twenty minutes later they still hadn't come into the house. A damp-haired Martha kept eyeing him, and he kept eyeing the barn so eventually he made his way outside and across the distance to the barn.
Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, he listened carefully for any sounds of...anything. Thankfully all he heard was talking.
"I've told you, Clark, it'll be fine."
"I know, I know, you're probably right. That doesn't stop it being scary."
There was a pause, then the sound of movement. "Come here." Climbing as quietly up the stairs as possible, Jonathan saw them hugging.
"It'll be fine," Lex reassured Clark quietly, eyes closed as he held on. "You heard the same things I did at the Talon. Bizarre as the idea sounds, your *father's* the one who outed us." Pausing, he chuckled, holding Clark tighter. "And if for some unimaginable reason it doesn't go well," pulling back he opened his eyes, grabbing Clark's face with both hands, "I'll always be here. I know it won't make up for not having your parents' approval, but at least you won't be alone."
There was kissing then, which rapidly turned into serious necking and Jonathan thought maybe he heard Clark say, "I love you."
Ignoring the tightness in his chest, Jonathan cleared his throat loudly and took the last few steps heavily. It was really quite funny seeing the way they suddenly sprang apart.
"If you two are quite done smooching," Clark went bright red, and even Lex gained a little colour, "there's some food on the table we need your help eating."
Jonathan had barely taken another step towards them when Clark was suddenly there, hugging him. Apparently Lex knew another of Clark's secrets, too.
"I love you so much, Dad."
Smiling, hugging him in return, Jonathan looked over Clark's shoulder and held Lex's pleased gaze when he replied.
"I know you do, son. I know."
~FINIS
by Suz
Disclaimer - DC and WB own 'em.
Clex, humour, future fic. R for sexual description. I'm afraid this is undoubtedly an AU, too ;D My kind of Jonathan.
Many, many thanks to my smoochie. *smooch*
Feedback would rock.
********
"Mom, Dad, there's something I have to tell you."
Jonathan couldn't help it - he winced internally whenever he heard those words. Still, Clark was his son, and whatever he had to tell them it was obviously important.
Wiping the last of the grease from his hands, Jonathan shared a familiar look with Martha. The one they'd shared every time Clark had developed a new power, or discovered some new aspect of his alien heritage. Whatever it was they'd support him, together.
"What is it, Clark?" Martha asked, as both of them pulled chairs out and sat down opposite their son at the kitchen table.
Clark, for his part, had both hands clamped around a mug of coffee and seemed incapable of looking up.
"Clark?" Jonathan prompted, and that definitely got a reaction.
"I'm gay," Clark blurted. "And in love. And in a relationship."
Jonathan loved his son, but no one could ever accuse Clark of being subtle.
Gay? In love? In a relationship? He didn't know where to start.
Fortunately, Martha picked one of them. "In love?"
"With Lex," Clark replied, sounding more confident now and lifting his head to look at them. "I'm in love with Lex. In a relationship with Lex. Having sex with Lex." Jonathan sat there, horrified and dumbfounded, as Clark kept talking. "He sticks his dick up my ass, or I stick my dick up his ass, and God, you wouldn't believe how *tight* he is, Dad. So perfect and so hot and I come inside him so *hard*-"
Jonathan woke up screaming.
*
Martha, thank God, believed him when he said he'd been dreaming about the meteor shower. He felt only vaguely guilty about lying to her - there was so much strangeness in Smallville, and sometimes when things got too bad he did have nightmares about the truck turning over.
Better to let her think he was still traumatised by something that had happened sixteen years ago than to tell her what he'd actually been dreaming.
Jonathan was no homophobe, or at least he tried not to be. His father hadn't been particularly open-minded when it came to sexual orientation and overriding that kind of upbringing wasn't easy.
Fortunately he'd met Martha, and she wasn't the kind who'd stand for bigotry or small-mindedness. The first time Dad had said something homophobic in front of her (Jonathan couldn't even remember what it was now), she'd dragged Jonathan out of the farm house and asked him if he felt the same way as his father.
Too much in love with her to risk losing her, Jonathan had denied it even if inside his head he hadn't seen what the big deal was. He wasn't gay and no one he knew was gay, so it wasn't like it even applied to him.
Thinking back on it now, he felt ridiculously embarrassed. He'd learnt a lot since then, realising that he knew gay people without even knowing it.
One of them possibly being his son.
Clark had never actually come out to them, but it hadn't skipped either Jonathan or Martha's attention that every relationship he'd ever had with a girl had crashed and burned. Badly. And that since he'd been living in Metropolis with Lex while he went to university, he'd been happier than they'd ever seen him.
Jonathan's only real problem with the idea was that it *was* Lex. And Lex was Lionel's son. And Jonathan still didn't believe for one second that Lionel was a changed man no matter how much good he did.
He acknowledged, at least to himself, that that was another brand of small-mindedness, but there was too much at stake. His son. He'd be imperfect, maybe even paranoid, just as long as it kept Clark safe.
He did feel a little easier about Lex, though, even if he was sharing an apartment with his son. Lex had definitely been less obsessed these last few years and even despite Jonathan's determination not to like any Luthors at all, Lex had just kept trying to prove himself. He was relentless, which was definitely a Luthor trait, but Jonathan was actually starting to admire him for it.
Realising he'd arrived in town almost without paying any attention to the road at all, Jonathan shook his head at himself and indicated as he pulled into a parking space. Turning off the engine and getting out of the truck, he walked in to what used to be Fordman's.
The shop was filled with mostly familiar faces. Nodding at and greeting a few, Jonathan eventually stopped by a rack of shirts. He hadn't been meaning to buy any, but one of his old one's was about to fall apart any day now...
"Morning, Jonathan."
Turning at the familiar voice, Jonathan smiled as he started flicking through the shirts. "Morning, Rick." Rick Johnson was a little older than Jonathan, but no less sturdy. "How's the farm doing?"
"Same as always," Rick complained, and Jonathan knew the feeling. It wasn't easy work, most of the farmers around here always on the cusp of being in too much debt or having their loans denied.
Jonathan still remembered the moment Lex had handed over the deed to the Kent farm.
"Hey," Rick continued, picking through a pile of jeans on the shelf, "think I heard that your boy's coming back to visit this weekend, is that right?"
"Yeah, he's due Friday evening," Jonathan didn't remember telling anyone, but Martha worked at the Talon and that place was a hub of information in a small town. She'd probably mentioned it to someone and it'd gone on from there.
"That'll be good to see him again, I bet."
"It'll be great," Jonathan replied automatically, smiling at the thought of seeing his son, all grown up, walking through the door of the house again.
"He'll be bringing that Luthor boy with him I suppose."
Jonathan stopped flicking. "Yeah, Lex is coming too. He wants to check on the plant personally while he's here." Jonathan hadn't believed that excuse any more than Rick Johnson seemed to be.
"Right," Rick nodded, hesitating. "You know, Jonathan, it always struck me a little...odd, at how close those two are. Always have."
Forcing himself to start going through the shirts again, Jonathan also forced a shrug. "They're best friends."
"Sure," Rick replied. "Best friends. And living together now, aren't they?"
Jonathan wanted to smack Rick Johnson. The words could have been innocent, but the tone was anything but. Rick was clearly disapproving, and the thought of anyone disapproving of *anything* his son did... "As long as Clark's happy," Jonathan said too cheerfully, letting the shirts go and facing Rick. "That's all that matters to me."
Not waiting for a response he turned and left the shop, having no idea why he'd even gone in there in the first place. Not caring, he started heading towards the Talon.
He needed coffee and he needed his wife.
*
He hadn't told Martha exactly what'd put him in such a mood but after some very enthusiastic stress relief, Jonathan was feeling much better by the next morning.
Martha headed off to work and Jonathan went about his business on the farm. Late into the afternoon he remembered he needed to go into town again to check on an engine part, and left things to their farm hands. They knew what they were doing by now, and Jonathan tried to convince himself at every opportunity that Lex had nothing to do with them being there.
Parking a few dozen feet away from the mechanics, Jonathan got out of the truck and only stopped walking when Principal Reynolds was suddenly in front of him. School had let out over an hour ago. "Principal Reynolds."
"Mr Kent."
They'd never progressed to first names, and Jonathan couldn't really say he minded. "Anything I can do for you?"
"Actually, I just wanted to check something with you," Reynolds began. "Is it true Clark's coming home this weekend?"
"Yes, that's right."
"How's he doing at college?"
"He's doing well," Jonathan answered truthfully. "He likes the classes. And the teachers." He eyed Reynolds deliberately.
If the Principal noticed, he didn't say anything. "I just thought, what with Clark coming back this weekend, that you might want to take the opportunity to..."
"Yes?"
"Encourage him to build a wider group of friends," Reynolds finished calmly.
Jonathan knew for a fact that Clark had made plenty of new friends at college, but he wasn't about to give the man the satisfaction of saying that. "Clark likes the friends he has just fine."
"I'm sure he does," Reynolds nodded. "Clark seems like a very loyal friend. I just become concerned about anyone who's good friends with any of the Luthors."
Jonathan had no doubt that Lionel had probably done something to Reynolds even if it had been years ago.
He also knew that he didn't care. No one was going to tell him how to raise his own son.
"You know, Principal Reynolds, Clark isn't coming alone this weekend. He and Lex are driving back in Lex's Porsche." He paused. "Together." Reynolds' eyes widened. Jonathan continued with something like glee. "And in case you didn't know, he and Lex are also sharing an apartment in Metropolis." He leaned forward, just a little. "Together."
"O-oh," Reynolds stuttered. "I see."
"Glad you do," Jonathan replied, clapping Reynolds' on the shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to see a man about a tractor engine."
He should have been disturbed when, five minutes later, Jack O'Reilly asked him how Clark and Lex were doing and gave him a big thumbs up.
Instead he just said they were doing great.
*
"I had the weirdest day, today," Martha said, untying her robe and slipping into bed next to him. "Five different people asked me if Clark and Lex were dating."
Jonathan froze. "Huh," he said, hoping it sounded convincing. "That's weird."
"Very," she replied, settling closer. "Would you mind if they were?"
There was only a small hesitation in her voice, and only someone who'd known her as long as he had would even have noticed it. Leaning closer, Jonathan kissed the side of her face. "All that matters to me is that our boy is happy."
Grinning broadly, Martha turned her face further until their lips met. "I think he is."
*
Jonathan was hardly a computer whiz, but he knew his way around the internet. There was plenty of information about support groups online, but hard as he searched he couldn't find anything about a support group for gay people in Smallville, which just didn't sit right. Maybe he could suggest something to someone, get the ball rolling. Clark couldn't be the only gay person from Smallville; the sheer numbers of people promised otherwise.
If Clark was actually gay. Jonathan really should find out soon.
Clicking around another information site - and really hoping none of the farm hands came in needing anything - Jonathan paused at a link titled ‘FAQ about Anal Sex'.
He paused for another ten seconds before clicking the link.
And...well. It didn't seem *that* different. There was still a dick and there was still a hole; it was just...tighter and...Jonathan couldn't believe he was looking at this.
Closing the browser, face hot, Jonathan decided that as much as he loved his son, there were just some things he didn't need to know.
Martha, however, had no idea what jumped her when she got home.
*
"You've been weird all week," she said softly, half of her clothes still on, sprawled across the bed next to him.
"I know." No doubt about it. He couldn't deny it.
"What's wrong, Jonathan?"
Staring up at the ceiling, he shrugged. "I think Clark's gay."
Shifting, she moved until she was pressing against his side. "And this is...what? You reaffirming your sexuality?"
"No." He sighed. "Maybe. I just..." Surprised at feeling his eyes burning, he blinked heavily. "His life is already so different. I just didn't want..."
"...him to be even more different?" she finished. "Different isn't bad, Jonathan. It's just different."
"But you know that some people still don't like it," he replied. "You know *I* didn't used to, even if I never said anything." Tipping his head to look at her, he could see her faint smile. "It could make things difficult for him and that's the last thing I want for our son. Sometimes things are such a challenge for him already, what with having to hide his powers all the time. I know how much strain that puts on him."
"So?" she asked. "This is one thing he doesn't have to hide. He'll always have us to support him. And he'll always have Lex, too."
It didn't make it perfect. It didn't make him stop worrying. But regardless of his sexuality Clark *did* have them and he *did* have Lex. Life might be difficult sometimes, but life was like that anyway.
It was enough.
"When did you get so smart?" Jonathan asked.
"Oh," Martha replied innocently, pressing a kiss to his neck, "I was born this way."
*
First thing Friday morning, Jonathan was outside the local bookstore when it opened. He had no idea if they had what he wanted, but he asked Katie Boorman behind the counter and she directed him to some dank little corner of the store.
Finding all of two well-thumbed books - 'Your Child's Sexuality and You', and 'So Your Child's Gay?' - he bought both of them and left the store.
Where he ran into Gabe Sullivan.
"Jonathan," he greeted warmly. "I hear Clark's coming home this weekend. How's he doing?"
Jonathan grinned, holding up the books. "He's living with Lex and he's great!"
"Uh, right," Gabe said, before making a break for his car.
*
Jonathan was inside the house, looking through the window when the car pulled up outside. Obviously laughing at something, Clark climbed out of the car carefully balancing two cups of coffee. Shutting the door with his hip, he passed one of the cups to Lex.
Even from here Jonathan recognised the design on the cups.
The Talon.
Opening the door and stepping out onto the porch, he smiled as he made his way down the steps outside. "Hey, son."
Turning towards him, Clark's face brightened as he jogged towards the house. "Hey, Dad!"
One one-handed hug and some substantial back slapping later, Jonathan was pulling away and facing Lex, who was waiting quietly a few feet behind. "Lex," he greeted, stepping around Clark to hold out his hand. "Good to see you again."
Eyes wide in obvious surprise, Lex nonetheless shook Jonathan's hand. "Thank you, Mr Kent. It's good to be here."
Releasing Lex's hand, Jonathan's gaze fell to the cup held in the other hand. "So you guys stopped at the Talon, huh?"
Lex nodded minutely. "Yes. It was...very interesting."
"I'm sure." Turning until he looked at both of them, he nodded towards the house. "You coming in? Your mother's just showering before dinner."
"Actually," Clark hesitated, glancing towards Lex, "we just wanted to check on something in the barn, first. We'll be right in."
From his expression it was clear Clark wanted to be alone - and he would not think why - so Jonathan relented. "Okay. See you in a few."
Twenty minutes later they still hadn't come into the house. A damp-haired Martha kept eyeing him, and he kept eyeing the barn so eventually he made his way outside and across the distance to the barn.
Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, he listened carefully for any sounds of...anything. Thankfully all he heard was talking.
"I've told you, Clark, it'll be fine."
"I know, I know, you're probably right. That doesn't stop it being scary."
There was a pause, then the sound of movement. "Come here." Climbing as quietly up the stairs as possible, Jonathan saw them hugging.
"It'll be fine," Lex reassured Clark quietly, eyes closed as he held on. "You heard the same things I did at the Talon. Bizarre as the idea sounds, your *father's* the one who outed us." Pausing, he chuckled, holding Clark tighter. "And if for some unimaginable reason it doesn't go well," pulling back he opened his eyes, grabbing Clark's face with both hands, "I'll always be here. I know it won't make up for not having your parents' approval, but at least you won't be alone."
There was kissing then, which rapidly turned into serious necking and Jonathan thought maybe he heard Clark say, "I love you."
Ignoring the tightness in his chest, Jonathan cleared his throat loudly and took the last few steps heavily. It was really quite funny seeing the way they suddenly sprang apart.
"If you two are quite done smooching," Clark went bright red, and even Lex gained a little colour, "there's some food on the table we need your help eating."
Jonathan had barely taken another step towards them when Clark was suddenly there, hugging him. Apparently Lex knew another of Clark's secrets, too.
"I love you so much, Dad."
Smiling, hugging him in return, Jonathan looked over Clark's shoulder and held Lex's pleased gaze when he replied.
"I know you do, son. I know."
~FINIS