Miles to Go Before I Sleep

[thisislexluthor]

Who: Lex Luthor, Superman/Clark Kent
What: Amends
Where: Arkham Asylum

"I wouldn't normally allow this," Dr. Leland said, leaning on the bars of Arkham's gate and scanning the sky, "but, well, he's Superman."

"Yes, he is," Lex said, resting his forehead against the cool metal of one of the bars.

"Do you know how he managed to get back?" Leland asked,

Comments

[theactionace]

Seconds later, the blue dot reconstituted itself in Superman's form, and he dropped to his feet. "Hello, folks," he said, but he wasn't smiling as he strode forward.

The pale figure leaning against the bars was barely recognizable as Lex Luthor, shrunk in on himself, seeming to barely hold up his own weight. It was truly outlandish to think that the same person could have cut such a swagger across anyone who got in his way, or imposed his will upon hundreds, let alone a stick of celery. Lex, in the madhouse. A year ago Superman would've said that Lex was finally where he belonged.

Today, he didn't know what to say.

[theactionace]

"Lex, I know for a fact that you can. You, ah, probably think that's just me being me...but trust me on this one. This is one secret that I'll have to wait to share with you. The time continuum's tricky in that way."

He smiled mysteriously, then strolled off in the direction of the north east corridor, saying, "C'mon, I'll show you around."

[thisislexluthor]

Lex raised an eyebrow, but followed willingly enough, walking quickly to keep up with Clark's longer strides. The vast central room of the Fortress may have been more ethereal than any human creation, but the smaller corridors were equally strange and lovely, in their own way. For the first time in...Lex couldn't even remember, he looked at the Fortress without a sense of worry or suspicion.

"Have you been playing around with time travel?" Lex asked. "Because I thought we both agreed, after that incident with Lincoln, that it was a bad idea altogether."

[theactionace]

"Lincoln? Oh, jeez, that was..." Clark laughed. "That must've been more than fifteen years ago. Funny how things work out

[thisislexluthor]

Lex circled the machine, staring in interest at the mechanical parts that he recognized, and with even more interest at the parts that he didn't. It was a beautiful piece of technology.

"So this is what brought you back to Earth," Lex said, eyeing the control panel with interest. "Why was Jor-El building it in the first place?"

[theactionace]

"Most criminals weren't supposed to remain in the Phantom Zone forever, but when Krypton went, there was no one to free them once they'd done their time. Jor-El was trying to fix that. Of course, between one thing and another, he didn't always have the time to work on it. While I was gone, he concentrated all his efforts in this room."

He gazed at the machine contentedly. "Now she works like a charm. I wish I could tell you more about how it worked... maybe some other time."

[thisislexluthor]

Seeing Clark smiling in the cool light of the Fortress made something in Lex go tense, and he stepped forward and kissed him. It felt like it had been forever, and it felt completely right, in a way nothing had for years.

"Clark..." Lex whispered, resting his forehead against Clark's. "I'm sorry I wasn't the one to bring you back."

[theactionace]

"You're a busy man," said Clark softly, smiling a little. "I'm sure I can bring myself to forgive you, somehow."

But any trace of light-heartedness faded from his eyes as he framed Lex's face with his hands. "You don't owe me anything, so don't worry about it."

They kissed again, and then picked their way slowly through the coils and showers of wires back out, into the soft blue light of the corridor.

[thisislexluthor]

They walked through the Fortress, Clark's arm around Lex's waist, and Lex felt a deep sense of contentment. This was the way things should be. And it only took losing your mind and practically killing Clark to figure it out. But for once, Lex didn't immediately bristle at what his inner, mocking voice had to say. It was right, after all

[theactionace]

"You always could."

Clark leant against the edge of the console, staring across the endless white blur of snow. "And you will," he said, without a shred of doubt in his voice.

He thought of the tiny box concealed in his cloak, as he wove his fingers carefully through Lex's. He wondered if he could bring himself to do it--if, knowing that they could never have more than this, he could in all conscience say what he wanted to say. They would never have children, or anything resembling a normal family life; they would probably fight, and when they fought, god knew whole countries would still their battlefield; nothing was guaranteed. And yet...

Clark sighed inwardly. He was still a scientist's son above all, inclined to observe rather than to act, and this was no different. (Or was it?) He adjusted a few knobs on the panel instead, brow furrowing slightly.

[thisislexluthor]

Lex heard something strange in Clark's voice and turned to look at him. He cupped Clark's chin and leaned up to kiss him.

"We'll do it, Clark," he said. "You and I. Because I can't do this without you." He smiled. "We're going to save the world."

[theactionace]

As Clark gazed down at him, feeling that familiar not-quite-unpleasant pang in his chest, he knew what he would do. Because the world would change, alliances shift, and Lex could even go back to being his worst enemy again, but one thing would always stay the same: they needed each other.

"Lex, there's something I've been meaning to ask, ever since I got out of the Phantom Zone, and, well..."

He took a deep breath, and he realized that his heart was pounding. "Will you marry me?"

[thisislexluthor]

The first thing Lex did was laugh, a loud, sharp sound in the quiet hum of the Fortress. Then he threw his arms around Clark's shoulders and pulled him down into a kiss. He felt like he couldn't breathe, but it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.

"This is the first time I've ever been proposed to, you know," he said when they broke apart. Lex was grinning from ear to ear, and he had the vague feeling that it was very undignified.

[theactionace]

"That's a yes, then," said Clark, laughing too, letting out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Everything he'd regretted in the past few weeks, the months he'd spent in the Phantom Zone, fell away; relief, all-consuming happiness, excruciating joy. Then he looked very serious and took Lex's hands in his. "Promise me you won't break this off later pretending to have been insane at the time. Please."

He couldn't help smiling a little as he said it, though, which ruined the effect.

[thisislexluthor]

"I promise," Lex said, smiling back. He pulled Clark into a hug, resting his head against his shoulder. "And that's definitely a yes." He closed his eyes, feeling remarkably peaceful in that moment. "I love you."

[thisislexluthor]

This thread is now closed.