Gift for Twinsarein! The Wooden Horse; Or Goldilocks
Title: The Wooden Horse; Or Goldilocks
From: wyrmlivvy To Be Revealed!
For: Twinsarein
Type: fic, ~4500
Rating: T (PG-13)
Warnings: none
Summary: Lex’s night is interrupted by the arrival of an ill Clark.
Request: Making memories, cuddling, Christmas traditions, overcoming old animosity/grudges let go, making up (or out ; ) ), hurt-comfort
The Wooden Horse; Or Goldilocks
Lex blamed the spirit of Christmas, which was in less than a week, the falling snow, which only added to the mood, and the late hour because his first thought upon hearing the sound of a thud on his balcony was it’s Santa, though I can’t imagine why’d he visit except to leave coal.
Upon actually checking his balcony, Lex discovered that it was not Santa. However, what the unwelcome visitor had in common with Santa was a fondness for wearing red, the ability to fly around the world (without the aid of magical reindeer) and judgment of who was naughty or nice.
Superman.
Or it should have been. Lex didn’t look forward to whatever Superman had to say to him past midnight. Or any time of the night, or day. But he would have preferred that to Clark Kent being the one on his balcony. He wasn’t in costume but dressed in a sweater and sweatpants. There was no other way he arrived here except by flying. What if someone had seen him?
“Clark?” Lex said warily, disturbed that Clark was slumped in the snow, his face flushed and his eyes closed. He walked closer to examine his currently unconscious ex-friend turned nemesis.
Lex placed a hand on his forehead. The abnormally high temperature confirmed what he suspected. A fever.
“Clark!” He repeated.
Clark opened his eyes. “Lex?” He queried, soreness evident in his voice.
Panic grew fourfold. Out of everything wrong about this situation, Clark sounding like he was happy to see Lex was topping the list. Comparatively, at their last encounter Clark as Superman had destroyed his robot sewer alligators. Lex had been using them to keep the mob from using the sewers to smuggle contraband.
“Yes, it’s me.” Lex confirmed. He made eye contact, alarmed that while at least Clark’s eyes were open they were fever hazed.
Currently, Lex had many questions. Normally, such a condition would warrant going to the hospital but such an option was closed to Clark.
“Clark, what happened?” Lex asked. “You’re ill.”
“It doesn’t happen often but I do get sick…” Clark said. “I’ll be fine with rest.”
“You want to rest here?” Lex asked, surprised.
Clark nodded.
Lex considered. An ill Clark staying outside in the cold where snow currently fell would not help his condition. He should have already taken Clark inside by now, somewhere dry and warm.
Lex helped Clark to his feet and let him into his penthouse proper.
“Why?” Lex asked, hyper-aware that Clark walked but occasionally leaned on the walls (or Lex).
“Why?” Clark furrowed his eyebrows.
“Why do you want to rest here?” Lex asked. Lex’s penthouse. There were so much other places. Safer place to be than sick and falling over in his enemy’s presence and enemy’s home.
Clark frowned in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve stayed here before plenty of times.”
Lex stared. This was news to him. Did Clark sneak into his penthouse when he wasn’t there? Looking through his things, because lead shielded against x-ray vision but there was old fashioned going inside to snoop around.
Instead of leading, Lex found himself following as Clark walked ahead.
“Where are we going?” Lex asked.
“The guest bedroom I usually stay in.” Clark said.
There was no such thing. Lex would recall regularly letting Clark stay in his penthouse.
Clark gave Lex a worried look, like Lex was the one delirious with fever. That much Lex had figured out. The high fever obviously left Clark in a state where he was confused about key things. Such as the fact they were enemies and not friends.
Clark had stopped walking.
They were walking in its general direction but Lex didn’t think Clark would actually stop where he did. It was a bedroom but not a one for a guest. Because it was the master bedroom - Lex’s bedroom.
His periwinkle pajamas were laid out on the bed. He was going to change into them after he had finished reviewing the financial status of key LexCorp subsidiaries - before he had been interrupted from his work by the sound of someone landing on his balcony.
It was December and not April the first, right? If this turned out to be an elaborate trick to mess with him… He placed a palm on Clark’s forehead and a burning heat met him. His hand came away with sweat.
Lex suspected he knew what was going on but he had to test his hypothesis. He stopped Clark from entering the room.
“Clark, follow me.” Lex said.
Clark thankfully obeyed.
“Can you tell me what room that is?” Lex said, pointing at his kitchen.
“Your office.”
Lex pointed at a bathroom.
“The kitchen.”
Lex considered what Clark was seeing. It was all wrong but Clark would be right about the floor plan if…it was the mansion in Smallville. But it wasn’t. It was Lex’s penthouse in Metropolis. He mentally consulted the rooms of the mansion overlaid to the penthouse.
Based on what the Clark thought the rooms were, orientation for the rooms would mean where the mansion had the guest room Clark had used, the penthouse had Lex’s bedroom.
“Clark, where are we?” Lex asked, just to be sure.
“Your home.”
“In..?”
“Smallville.” Clark answered. “Lex, are you okay?”
“I have a headache.” Lex said. If not a headache then the beginnings of one because of this situation. No wonder Clark was so at ease around him.
Lex thought about how he could communicate to Clark.
Clark you’re hallucinating from a high fever. We’re not in Smallville and we’re not friends. This isn't the mansion. I can’t let you enter my bedroom. I was about to go to sleep myself before you crashed in here like this. Get the fuck out of my home. Lex though but did not say any of this.
Meanwhile, Clark had curled his hand around his head. The contact of Clark’s heated hand against Lex’s bare head reminded him of Clark’s precarious state.
The facts were that Clark had a high fever and it was bad enough to cause him to hallucinate. He needed to lie down and rest.
And Clark wasn’t resting, and he wasn’t just cupping Lex’s head - he was massaging it. Presumably, because Lex said he had a headache.
“Better?” Clark asked.
“Yes.” Lex answered, hating himself because it did feel nice and Clark was the unwell one and helping Lex when Lex should be helping him.
Clark still followed him so Lex lead him to the penthouse’s actual guest bedroom, where Clark could rest and get better. A lower temperature would likely restore Clark to a secure mental state. Lex was not looking forward to explaining things. But what was he to do? Actually kick Clark out of his home? Clark wasn’t even doing it on purpose and he managed to make life harder for Lex. Still, having Clark stay in a guest bedroom was not as bad as letting him sleep in Lex’s.
The problem was, Clark was refusing to stay in the room Lex had lead him to.
“You’re telling me to sleep…in the hallway?” Clark sounding not only confused but betrayed. Now that was a tone more familiar to Lex these days.
Lex did a mental check of the mansion’s floor plans versus the penthouse’s. Where the penthouse had a guest bedroom, the mansion had a hallway. He groaned.
“No, just stay in the guest room you usually do.” Lex said.
They walk back to the master bedroom. Lex didn’t stop Clark from entering the room this time. Lex watched as his arch-nemesis climbed onto his bed.
Satisfied that Clark wasn’t going to hurt himself doing something like falling off, Lex exited the room. He went to his kitchen, or rather his office, according to Clark.
Lex searched for an ice pack. He grabbed a bottle of water as well. It was blue like the ones he drank back in the mansion. Lex still used the same brand. He thought about whether giving such bottles would help. Wouldn’t it only cause Clark to further believe that they were at the Smallville mansion? Lex decided he was dwelling on it too much. He had already left Clark unattended in his room for too long. He returned, ice pack and water bottle in hand.
Lex could hardly believe the sight that met his eyes. In the time Lex was gone Clark had changed into Lex’s pajamas. His discarded outfit lay in a pile off in a corner.
Why are you in my pajamas? Lex thought but didn’t ask because if Clark thought this was the room he had stayed in while at the mansion then he would think those pajamas were his too.
Lex didn’t scream but it was near thing. Those periwinkle pajamas were his favorite pair. This is it, the alien invasion I’ve been dreading. He’s in my home, in my bedroom, in my pajamas.
“Did you take any aspirin?” Lex asked after he had counted to ten in his mind.
Clark nodded.
“It obviously hadn’t helped.” Lex said looking at the sweat on Clark’s face. It was in his hair too, getting into the pillows. Lex’s pillows. Argh. Clark definitely needed hydration. Lex handed Clark the water bottle.
“Thank you, Lex.” Clark smiled. A bright smile, familiar yet one that Lex hadn’t seen in ages. The fever afflicting Clark displaced him across time and space and Lex found himself drawn in. There was no other explanation for his behavior. Lex was pretending and he didn’t have the excuse Clark did.
Lex watched the rise and fall of Clark’s Adam’s apple as he drank the water. He hadn’t buttoned the pajamas all the way and Lex could see his collarbone. Lex swallowed. Why hadn’t he gotten a second bottle of water, one for himself?
Lex clutched the ice pack in his hand and remembered that he had it.
He placed it on Clark’s head.
Clark flinched. “It’s cold.” He complained.
“It’s suppose to be.” Lex said. He lifted away his hand. The ice pack fell.
He adjusted it but the moment he pulled his had away it would tilt and roll away from the forehead it was suppose to be applied to.
Lex frowned. He could be asleep by now. In his pajamas and in his bed. But his nemesis was currently occupying both. Lex pressed the ice pack a bit too forcefully in an attempt to hold it in place.
He paused; expecting a complaint but instead he realized that while he had been trying to apply the ice pack Clark had fallen asleep. Lex lifted his hand away and thankfully this time the ice pack stayed.
Lex observed. Clark looked at peace, his expression relaxed. He had not seen Clark so relaxed around him for a while.
Conversely, Lex was awake and the opposite of relaxed.
Lex returned to the kitchen. His plan had been to get a drink (an alcoholic drink). Instead, he found himself making chicken noodle soup.
Typically, soup worked for colds and not fevers. Lex happened to have the ingredients in stock. That’s why he was making it for himself. Cooking the soup helped settle his nerves. At least he had control then, over what spices to use, how much salt he’d add, what shapes to cut the chicken into.
He would eat some soup and finally go to sleep. Lex frowned. He’d have to use the guest bedroom.
More thoughts occurred to him as he cleaned up the kitchen. What if Clark woke up with his fever broken and not delirious, while Lex was asleep. How would Lex explain? He’d have no chance…unless he stayed up. Lex looked in the direction of the cupboard he kept the coffee. He’d spend the time thinking of a way for this situation to not be more horribly embarrassing than it already was. And only Lex was conscious that it was.
He sat on a stool and began to eat. Perhaps he’d think more clearly after.
“I didn’t think you ate in your office.”
Lex nearly choked on the spoonful of soup he had been drinking. He turned around and saw that Clark was leaning on the threshold.
While awake, Clark’s his eyes still had the same hazy look, which meant the fever still disturbed his senses. Also, he had just called the penthouse’s kitchen an office.
Lex his trailed his gaze downward. Periwinkle didn’t suit Clark but he didn’t look too bad in Lex’s pajamas. Annoyance replaced appreciation once Lex got to Clark’s feet. He was wearing a pair of Lex’s slippers.
Lex looked back up at Clark’s face. Clark was looking at his soup.
He’s hungry. Lex realized.
Lex poured soup into an insulated container and stepped off his seat, walking toward Clark. “Would you like some?” He asked - preemptively offering the soup, before Clark took it like he did with Lex’s bedroom, pajamas, and slippers. He added a spoon too.
“Yes.” Clark said, taking the offered soup and spoon.
Lex regretted the decision moments later. Clark, instead of sitting down to eat wandered away from the kitchen.
Was Clark going back to the bedroom? Lex resigned to Clark possibly getting soup on his pajamas while eating but if he tried to eat it in bed - Lex was not going to allow that to happen.
But Clark hadn’t returned to the room. Instead, Lex found Clark inside his office. Once again Lex visualized the mansion’s rooms against the penthouse’s rooms. Around here the mansion would have…a dining room.
He thought the letting Clark into his bedroom had been bad. His personal work office. This was somehow even worse, and even more private. His papers were still out. He had planned on returning to it after he dealt with what had landed on his balcony. Only, Lex was still dealing with his visitor.
Lex hurriedly put away the papers, predicting what would happen.
Clark thought this office was a dining room and there was no other table.
Lex watched in mute horror when sure enough, Clark placed the soup on his desk and seated himself on his armchair.
Obliviously content, Clark ate the soup.
“It’s good.” Clark said, smiling.
There it was again. A smile that caught Lex off-guard with how much Lex had missed it being directed at him. Then Clark coughed into Lex’s pajama sleeve and the movement caused some soup to splash down onto the desk.
Lex grit his teeth and pulled out napkins from a drawer. He handed Clark one and used the other to wipe off his desk. Lex didn’t ever think he’d be on the other side of his own desk. Yet here he was.
“Is there something on my face?” Clark asked self-consciously. He had finished eating, setting the spoon down in the container.
“No.” Lex answered.
“Oh.” Clark said. “But you keep staring so I wondered…”
Lex sighed. At least Clark was aware of that much. He picked up the empty container. “You should get more rest.” Lex said. “Can you make it back to my - your room from here?” Lex asked, catching himself in the middle of his sentence.
“Yeah.” Clark answered, rising to leave.
Lex followed - looking to see that Clark was indeed returning to what he thought was his room. Once Clark climbed into bed, Lex left for the kitchen (or his office according to Clark) and put the spoon and container into a sink. He made himself coffee and downed the entire cup. He left the empty cup in the sink as well and grabbed a fresh ice pack from the fridge and another bottle of water before walking back to his bedroom.
He placed the water bottle on the night table. By the light of a dimmed lamp, Lex pulled up an armchair and sat down by the bed.
Before Clark fell asleep he had put the ice pack Lex had given him back on his forehead. Lex shook his head. A laugh almost escaped his lips. I’ve let the wooden horse into Troy. If Clark counted as a gift…instead of its opposite, considering what he had taken from Lex thus far. Lex took away the warm and therefore useless ice pack and checked Clark’s temperature with his palm.
Better, but still too high.
Lex removed his hand and applied the new ice pack he had brought. Clark flinched but otherwise remained blissfully asleep.
Lex yawned. If only he were also asleep…
-
Lex’s first thought upon waking up was: Shit. I grabbed the decaf.
He wasn’t the only one awake.
Clark had likely woken up moments before Lex. He was currently looking at his sleeves like he could not believe it was his own arms.
“I can explain.” Lex said, regretting a second later at the utter cliché that had fallen from his lips.
He made eye-contact with clear-eyed, alert Clark Kent. He supposed the accusations would start any time now.
None came.
“Well? I’m waiting.” Clark said, his voice still evidently sore. “For you to explain.” He looked thoughtfully at the ice pack in his hand. “I remember getting into my own bed. So, how did I end up in yours?” Clark said, looking at the lavender sheets that covered him.
“You’re giving me the chance to explain?” Lex asked.
“Yes.” Clark said, sitting up and pulling the sheets closer instead of kicking it off.
“You didn’t let me explain the alligators before you wrecked them.” Lex grumbled.
“They were scaring the sanitation workers.” Clark said.
Lex wanted to complain further but Clark looked expectant so he began to simply tell the truth. Occasionally, Clark interrupted with a comment or question.
“Oh, so that’s why...” Clark said. “It’s really comfortable.”
“My pajamas or my bed?” Lex asked.
“Both.”
“Is that why you haven’t left either yet?” Lex said. He had expected Clark to be embarrassed by now. But instead he just sat there, looking in no rush to leave.
Lex walked to the place Clark had abandoned his original outfit. He picked it up and returned to the bedside, dumping the clothes on Clark.
“I am going to close my eyes.” Lex said. “And when I open them in five seconds, you’ll have changed back into your own clothes, and out of my pajamas and penthouse.” Five seconds was too generous.
Clark shook his head, moving the clothes to the side. “I have a feeling there’s more that you’re leaving out.”
Lex sighed and continued. He really wanted control of his own bedroom again.
“You let me eat soup at your desk?” Clark said in disbelief.
“I ‘let you’? By that point I gave up trying to tell you anything contrary to what you believed.” Lex said, recalling Clark’s hurt upon thinking Lex wanted him to sleep in a hallway.
“You made me soup…” Clark said, sounding like he was about to thank Lex.
“I made soup for myself. You just wandered over like…” Lex suddenly made the connection. “…Like Goldilocks. You ate my soup, sat in my chair, and you’re still in my bed!”
His nemesis began to laugh. Halfway through it turned into coughing.
Scowling, Lex grabbed the water bottle off the night table and threw it at Clark, aiming for his face.
Clark didn’t even bother to disguise his super speed, easily catching the bottle before it hit him.
“I’m sorry.” Clark said after a long drink from the bottle. His eyes danced with mirth. “But does that mean you’re a bear?”
“No, I wouldn’t just be a bear.” Lex said, he couldn’t fight back a smile. “I’d be an entire family of bears.”
This started off another round of laughter, but from both of them.
Lex recovered first. Am I still asleep and dreaming? He wondered. He had shared a laugh with Clark, and it wasn’t spiteful. No buildings had exploded.
“If you’re feeling better you can get off my bed now. And if not, you can go use the actual guest room and the pajamas there.” Lex said, implying get out of mine. Sleeping on the armchair had resulted in soreness and he wanted to rest in his own bed.
“I’m still recovering.” Clark said, reclining. “And this is nice. I haven’t been this comfortable in awhile.”
“Comfortable? You’re not embarrassed?” Lex asked. He expected Clark to be gone by now and not continuing to insist upon occupying his space.
“I was at first.” Clark admitted. “But nothing bad has happened to me the time I’ve been here. You’ve been very patient with me.”
Lex stared. Clark was giving him credit.
Clark closed his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Lex said suspiciously.
“Going back to sleep.” Clark mumbled.
“You can get to the guest bedroom, or your own apartment before I finish saying this sentence.” Lex said.
“My head aches. Going fast makes it worse.” Clark said, turning over so Lex was faced with his back. “I’m not getting up.”
Lex was completely done. He pushed off Clark’s pile of clothes, pulled up the sheets and climbed onto the bed.
“What are you doing?” Clark said, repeating Lex’s question. He turned around, eyes open.
“This is my bedroom and my bed. Your fever’s no longer as severe so you are aware of these facts.” Lex said. “Now, normally I sleep in my own bed - I couldn’t last night.” Lex said, glaring at Clark. “Instead, I fell asleep on an armchair. I am still tired. Therefore, I am going to nap in my bed now, whether you are here or not.”
“Okay.” Clark said, closing his eyes.
“Okay?” Lex said. “Don’t forget who you are and who I am. We haven’t gotten along for a while and this doesn’t change things.”
Clark blinked slowly, looking at Lex. “From what you told me, when the fever was bad, subconsciously I went to you for shelter. I sought out my friend and my subconscious wasn’t wrong because this…” Clark looked at his sleeves and the sheets. “…the soup, the water and the ice packs is what you did to help me.”
“So you think I’m your friend again and you can get away with using my things?”
“Yup.” Clark said, pulling a pillow from Lex’s side of the bed. “I’m sorry about the alligators.” Clark added.
“I’m not upset about that anymore.” Lex said, thinking about his outline of sewer alligators 2.0 that he had hastily stuffed into his desk the night before when Clark had invaded his office. “Right now I’m peeved you won’t leave.”
“The bed’s big enough for the two of us.”
“The bed? Metropolis isn’t even big enough for the both of us.” Lex argued.
Clark ignored him, shutting his eyes again.
Lex tried to fall asleep. He couldn’t. Across from him, Clark had succeeded in dozing off. The bed was actually large enough that they were at least two feet away from each other. Lex thought of rolling closer and kicking Clark.
“Clark, wake up.” Lex said loudly. He figured out why he couldn’t fall asleep.
Clark opened his eyes, looking peeved. “What, Luthor?” He said in his Superman voice.
Lex scoffed. “I want my pajamas back. I need it to sleep properly.”
“You need it now?”
“Yes, right now.”
Clark sighed and began to unbutton the pajama top he wore.
“Why are you going so slowly?” Lex asked as he watched the exposure of more of Clark’s skin with each undone button. It seemed a lot like Clark was giving him a strip-tease.
“You want me to super-speed out?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want your pajamas back in one piece?”
“Of course!”
“Then I have to go slowly.” Clark said. “I’m sure these pajamas are a lot more expensive than suits I’ve ruined.”
Clark stilled his hands at the last button. “But…I think these pajamas help me sleep too.” He looked in the direction of Lex’s closet. “You have a dozen more pairs.” He cringed, clutching his head. “Can’t you use one of those instead of telling me to change out of the ones I’m already in?”
“You. Just. X-rayed. My. Closet.” Lex said, stressing each word. He lunged across the space between them. “Get out of my pajamas!”
Lex targeted the last button he ended up under the pajama top, gripping Clark by the hips. Lex glared down at his adversary. The glare softened as Lex registered the heat of Clark’s skin where his fingers touched. Clark no longer hallucinated but he still needed to recover.
Clark gave Lex a startled, wide-eye look.
Lex considered what this looked like. He had Clark by the hips, pinned down on his bed. But if he drove Clark away he’d have his control of his own room again. Since Clark was comfortable here Lex needed to make him uncomfortable.
With this plan in mind Lex leaned in and kissed Clark’s collarbone.
Lex heard a soft gasp but no words of protest or rejection. He hadn’t been tossed across the room.
He moved onto the Clark’s neck and sucked at the pulse there, relishing the throb, that sign of life under his tongue. I was scared, seeing him collapsed on the balcony. Lex thought, thinking of last night.
Clark swallowed. Lex felt it from where his lips touched his throat, but no speech followed.
Lex trailed higher, leaving kisses along Clark’s jaw and their lips met and Lex sensed the temperature difference again. Lex closed his eyes and just focused on the sensation of Clark kissing him back, receptively opening his mouth to him.
Lex pulled back once he became aware that Clark had bucked his hips - Lex had still been holding him.
“We’re not going any further.” Lex said. “Not in your condition.”
Clark gave him a look of disbelief.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to go back to sleep?” Lex smirked.
“And you want your pajamas back. So take it.” Clark said, pushing Lex’s hands down so they touched the pajama bottom.
“This is not a game you want to play, Clark.” Lex said sharply. Lex released Clark, but he was still above him.
“I’m not playing a game, Lex.” Clark said. “You don’t have to stop at kissing me because you can fuck me.” Clark said, then, he coughed into his sleeve - or rather Lex’s pajamas sleeve, because he was still in it.
Lex picked up the water bottle from where it had been left and handed it to Clark, successfully resisting the urge to toss it again.
He fell back onto the bed, and spoke while Clark had his mouthful and couldn’t talk back. “I won’t.” He said, lying down and wrapping his arms around Clark’s waist.
Clark set down the water bottle, opening his mouth to argue. Lex leaned up to kiss him again.
“At least until you’re fully recovered.” Lex clarified once he had broken the kiss.
“Ah.” Clark said, speechless.
They settled their positions on the bed. Lex held Clark from behind, with Clark’s back touching his chest, their legs entwined. Clark relaxed against him. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, cuddled with someone he could no longer categorize as his enemy.
END
From: wyrmlivvy To Be Revealed!
For: Twinsarein
Type: fic, ~4500
Rating: T (PG-13)
Warnings: none
Summary: Lex’s night is interrupted by the arrival of an ill Clark.
Request: Making memories, cuddling, Christmas traditions, overcoming old animosity/grudges let go, making up (or out ; ) ), hurt-comfort
The Wooden Horse; Or Goldilocks
Lex blamed the spirit of Christmas, which was in less than a week, the falling snow, which only added to the mood, and the late hour because his first thought upon hearing the sound of a thud on his balcony was it’s Santa, though I can’t imagine why’d he visit except to leave coal.
Upon actually checking his balcony, Lex discovered that it was not Santa. However, what the unwelcome visitor had in common with Santa was a fondness for wearing red, the ability to fly around the world (without the aid of magical reindeer) and judgment of who was naughty or nice.
Superman.
Or it should have been. Lex didn’t look forward to whatever Superman had to say to him past midnight. Or any time of the night, or day. But he would have preferred that to Clark Kent being the one on his balcony. He wasn’t in costume but dressed in a sweater and sweatpants. There was no other way he arrived here except by flying. What if someone had seen him?
“Clark?” Lex said warily, disturbed that Clark was slumped in the snow, his face flushed and his eyes closed. He walked closer to examine his currently unconscious ex-friend turned nemesis.
Lex placed a hand on his forehead. The abnormally high temperature confirmed what he suspected. A fever.
“Clark!” He repeated.
Clark opened his eyes. “Lex?” He queried, soreness evident in his voice.
Panic grew fourfold. Out of everything wrong about this situation, Clark sounding like he was happy to see Lex was topping the list. Comparatively, at their last encounter Clark as Superman had destroyed his robot sewer alligators. Lex had been using them to keep the mob from using the sewers to smuggle contraband.
“Yes, it’s me.” Lex confirmed. He made eye contact, alarmed that while at least Clark’s eyes were open they were fever hazed.
Currently, Lex had many questions. Normally, such a condition would warrant going to the hospital but such an option was closed to Clark.
“Clark, what happened?” Lex asked. “You’re ill.”
“It doesn’t happen often but I do get sick…” Clark said. “I’ll be fine with rest.”
“You want to rest here?” Lex asked, surprised.
Clark nodded.
Lex considered. An ill Clark staying outside in the cold where snow currently fell would not help his condition. He should have already taken Clark inside by now, somewhere dry and warm.
Lex helped Clark to his feet and let him into his penthouse proper.
“Why?” Lex asked, hyper-aware that Clark walked but occasionally leaned on the walls (or Lex).
“Why?” Clark furrowed his eyebrows.
“Why do you want to rest here?” Lex asked. Lex’s penthouse. There were so much other places. Safer place to be than sick and falling over in his enemy’s presence and enemy’s home.
Clark frowned in confusion. “Why wouldn’t I? I’ve stayed here before plenty of times.”
Lex stared. This was news to him. Did Clark sneak into his penthouse when he wasn’t there? Looking through his things, because lead shielded against x-ray vision but there was old fashioned going inside to snoop around.
Instead of leading, Lex found himself following as Clark walked ahead.
“Where are we going?” Lex asked.
“The guest bedroom I usually stay in.” Clark said.
There was no such thing. Lex would recall regularly letting Clark stay in his penthouse.
Clark gave Lex a worried look, like Lex was the one delirious with fever. That much Lex had figured out. The high fever obviously left Clark in a state where he was confused about key things. Such as the fact they were enemies and not friends.
Clark had stopped walking.
They were walking in its general direction but Lex didn’t think Clark would actually stop where he did. It was a bedroom but not a one for a guest. Because it was the master bedroom - Lex’s bedroom.
His periwinkle pajamas were laid out on the bed. He was going to change into them after he had finished reviewing the financial status of key LexCorp subsidiaries - before he had been interrupted from his work by the sound of someone landing on his balcony.
It was December and not April the first, right? If this turned out to be an elaborate trick to mess with him… He placed a palm on Clark’s forehead and a burning heat met him. His hand came away with sweat.
Lex suspected he knew what was going on but he had to test his hypothesis. He stopped Clark from entering the room.
“Clark, follow me.” Lex said.
Clark thankfully obeyed.
“Can you tell me what room that is?” Lex said, pointing at his kitchen.
“Your office.”
Lex pointed at a bathroom.
“The kitchen.”
Lex considered what Clark was seeing. It was all wrong but Clark would be right about the floor plan if…it was the mansion in Smallville. But it wasn’t. It was Lex’s penthouse in Metropolis. He mentally consulted the rooms of the mansion overlaid to the penthouse.
Based on what the Clark thought the rooms were, orientation for the rooms would mean where the mansion had the guest room Clark had used, the penthouse had Lex’s bedroom.
“Clark, where are we?” Lex asked, just to be sure.
“Your home.”
“In..?”
“Smallville.” Clark answered. “Lex, are you okay?”
“I have a headache.” Lex said. If not a headache then the beginnings of one because of this situation. No wonder Clark was so at ease around him.
Lex thought about how he could communicate to Clark.
Clark you’re hallucinating from a high fever. We’re not in Smallville and we’re not friends. This isn't the mansion. I can’t let you enter my bedroom. I was about to go to sleep myself before you crashed in here like this. Get the fuck out of my home. Lex though but did not say any of this.
Meanwhile, Clark had curled his hand around his head. The contact of Clark’s heated hand against Lex’s bare head reminded him of Clark’s precarious state.
The facts were that Clark had a high fever and it was bad enough to cause him to hallucinate. He needed to lie down and rest.
And Clark wasn’t resting, and he wasn’t just cupping Lex’s head - he was massaging it. Presumably, because Lex said he had a headache.
“Better?” Clark asked.
“Yes.” Lex answered, hating himself because it did feel nice and Clark was the unwell one and helping Lex when Lex should be helping him.
Clark still followed him so Lex lead him to the penthouse’s actual guest bedroom, where Clark could rest and get better. A lower temperature would likely restore Clark to a secure mental state. Lex was not looking forward to explaining things. But what was he to do? Actually kick Clark out of his home? Clark wasn’t even doing it on purpose and he managed to make life harder for Lex. Still, having Clark stay in a guest bedroom was not as bad as letting him sleep in Lex’s.
The problem was, Clark was refusing to stay in the room Lex had lead him to.
“You’re telling me to sleep…in the hallway?” Clark sounding not only confused but betrayed. Now that was a tone more familiar to Lex these days.
Lex did a mental check of the mansion’s floor plans versus the penthouse’s. Where the penthouse had a guest bedroom, the mansion had a hallway. He groaned.
“No, just stay in the guest room you usually do.” Lex said.
They walk back to the master bedroom. Lex didn’t stop Clark from entering the room this time. Lex watched as his arch-nemesis climbed onto his bed.
Satisfied that Clark wasn’t going to hurt himself doing something like falling off, Lex exited the room. He went to his kitchen, or rather his office, according to Clark.
Lex searched for an ice pack. He grabbed a bottle of water as well. It was blue like the ones he drank back in the mansion. Lex still used the same brand. He thought about whether giving such bottles would help. Wouldn’t it only cause Clark to further believe that they were at the Smallville mansion? Lex decided he was dwelling on it too much. He had already left Clark unattended in his room for too long. He returned, ice pack and water bottle in hand.
Lex could hardly believe the sight that met his eyes. In the time Lex was gone Clark had changed into Lex’s pajamas. His discarded outfit lay in a pile off in a corner.
Why are you in my pajamas? Lex thought but didn’t ask because if Clark thought this was the room he had stayed in while at the mansion then he would think those pajamas were his too.
Lex didn’t scream but it was near thing. Those periwinkle pajamas were his favorite pair. This is it, the alien invasion I’ve been dreading. He’s in my home, in my bedroom, in my pajamas.
“Did you take any aspirin?” Lex asked after he had counted to ten in his mind.
Clark nodded.
“It obviously hadn’t helped.” Lex said looking at the sweat on Clark’s face. It was in his hair too, getting into the pillows. Lex’s pillows. Argh. Clark definitely needed hydration. Lex handed Clark the water bottle.
“Thank you, Lex.” Clark smiled. A bright smile, familiar yet one that Lex hadn’t seen in ages. The fever afflicting Clark displaced him across time and space and Lex found himself drawn in. There was no other explanation for his behavior. Lex was pretending and he didn’t have the excuse Clark did.
Lex watched the rise and fall of Clark’s Adam’s apple as he drank the water. He hadn’t buttoned the pajamas all the way and Lex could see his collarbone. Lex swallowed. Why hadn’t he gotten a second bottle of water, one for himself?
Lex clutched the ice pack in his hand and remembered that he had it.
He placed it on Clark’s head.
Clark flinched. “It’s cold.” He complained.
“It’s suppose to be.” Lex said. He lifted away his hand. The ice pack fell.
He adjusted it but the moment he pulled his had away it would tilt and roll away from the forehead it was suppose to be applied to.
Lex frowned. He could be asleep by now. In his pajamas and in his bed. But his nemesis was currently occupying both. Lex pressed the ice pack a bit too forcefully in an attempt to hold it in place.
He paused; expecting a complaint but instead he realized that while he had been trying to apply the ice pack Clark had fallen asleep. Lex lifted his hand away and thankfully this time the ice pack stayed.
Lex observed. Clark looked at peace, his expression relaxed. He had not seen Clark so relaxed around him for a while.
Conversely, Lex was awake and the opposite of relaxed.
Lex returned to the kitchen. His plan had been to get a drink (an alcoholic drink). Instead, he found himself making chicken noodle soup.
Typically, soup worked for colds and not fevers. Lex happened to have the ingredients in stock. That’s why he was making it for himself. Cooking the soup helped settle his nerves. At least he had control then, over what spices to use, how much salt he’d add, what shapes to cut the chicken into.
He would eat some soup and finally go to sleep. Lex frowned. He’d have to use the guest bedroom.
More thoughts occurred to him as he cleaned up the kitchen. What if Clark woke up with his fever broken and not delirious, while Lex was asleep. How would Lex explain? He’d have no chance…unless he stayed up. Lex looked in the direction of the cupboard he kept the coffee. He’d spend the time thinking of a way for this situation to not be more horribly embarrassing than it already was. And only Lex was conscious that it was.
He sat on a stool and began to eat. Perhaps he’d think more clearly after.
“I didn’t think you ate in your office.”
Lex nearly choked on the spoonful of soup he had been drinking. He turned around and saw that Clark was leaning on the threshold.
While awake, Clark’s his eyes still had the same hazy look, which meant the fever still disturbed his senses. Also, he had just called the penthouse’s kitchen an office.
Lex his trailed his gaze downward. Periwinkle didn’t suit Clark but he didn’t look too bad in Lex’s pajamas. Annoyance replaced appreciation once Lex got to Clark’s feet. He was wearing a pair of Lex’s slippers.
Lex looked back up at Clark’s face. Clark was looking at his soup.
He’s hungry. Lex realized.
Lex poured soup into an insulated container and stepped off his seat, walking toward Clark. “Would you like some?” He asked - preemptively offering the soup, before Clark took it like he did with Lex’s bedroom, pajamas, and slippers. He added a spoon too.
“Yes.” Clark said, taking the offered soup and spoon.
Lex regretted the decision moments later. Clark, instead of sitting down to eat wandered away from the kitchen.
Was Clark going back to the bedroom? Lex resigned to Clark possibly getting soup on his pajamas while eating but if he tried to eat it in bed - Lex was not going to allow that to happen.
But Clark hadn’t returned to the room. Instead, Lex found Clark inside his office. Once again Lex visualized the mansion’s rooms against the penthouse’s rooms. Around here the mansion would have…a dining room.
He thought the letting Clark into his bedroom had been bad. His personal work office. This was somehow even worse, and even more private. His papers were still out. He had planned on returning to it after he dealt with what had landed on his balcony. Only, Lex was still dealing with his visitor.
Lex hurriedly put away the papers, predicting what would happen.
Clark thought this office was a dining room and there was no other table.
Lex watched in mute horror when sure enough, Clark placed the soup on his desk and seated himself on his armchair.
Obliviously content, Clark ate the soup.
“It’s good.” Clark said, smiling.
There it was again. A smile that caught Lex off-guard with how much Lex had missed it being directed at him. Then Clark coughed into Lex’s pajama sleeve and the movement caused some soup to splash down onto the desk.
Lex grit his teeth and pulled out napkins from a drawer. He handed Clark one and used the other to wipe off his desk. Lex didn’t ever think he’d be on the other side of his own desk. Yet here he was.
“Is there something on my face?” Clark asked self-consciously. He had finished eating, setting the spoon down in the container.
“No.” Lex answered.
“Oh.” Clark said. “But you keep staring so I wondered…”
Lex sighed. At least Clark was aware of that much. He picked up the empty container. “You should get more rest.” Lex said. “Can you make it back to my - your room from here?” Lex asked, catching himself in the middle of his sentence.
“Yeah.” Clark answered, rising to leave.
Lex followed - looking to see that Clark was indeed returning to what he thought was his room. Once Clark climbed into bed, Lex left for the kitchen (or his office according to Clark) and put the spoon and container into a sink. He made himself coffee and downed the entire cup. He left the empty cup in the sink as well and grabbed a fresh ice pack from the fridge and another bottle of water before walking back to his bedroom.
He placed the water bottle on the night table. By the light of a dimmed lamp, Lex pulled up an armchair and sat down by the bed.
Before Clark fell asleep he had put the ice pack Lex had given him back on his forehead. Lex shook his head. A laugh almost escaped his lips. I’ve let the wooden horse into Troy. If Clark counted as a gift…instead of its opposite, considering what he had taken from Lex thus far. Lex took away the warm and therefore useless ice pack and checked Clark’s temperature with his palm.
Better, but still too high.
Lex removed his hand and applied the new ice pack he had brought. Clark flinched but otherwise remained blissfully asleep.
Lex yawned. If only he were also asleep…
-
Lex’s first thought upon waking up was: Shit. I grabbed the decaf.
He wasn’t the only one awake.
Clark had likely woken up moments before Lex. He was currently looking at his sleeves like he could not believe it was his own arms.
“I can explain.” Lex said, regretting a second later at the utter cliché that had fallen from his lips.
He made eye-contact with clear-eyed, alert Clark Kent. He supposed the accusations would start any time now.
None came.
“Well? I’m waiting.” Clark said, his voice still evidently sore. “For you to explain.” He looked thoughtfully at the ice pack in his hand. “I remember getting into my own bed. So, how did I end up in yours?” Clark said, looking at the lavender sheets that covered him.
“You’re giving me the chance to explain?” Lex asked.
“Yes.” Clark said, sitting up and pulling the sheets closer instead of kicking it off.
“You didn’t let me explain the alligators before you wrecked them.” Lex grumbled.
“They were scaring the sanitation workers.” Clark said.
Lex wanted to complain further but Clark looked expectant so he began to simply tell the truth. Occasionally, Clark interrupted with a comment or question.
“Oh, so that’s why...” Clark said. “It’s really comfortable.”
“My pajamas or my bed?” Lex asked.
“Both.”
“Is that why you haven’t left either yet?” Lex said. He had expected Clark to be embarrassed by now. But instead he just sat there, looking in no rush to leave.
Lex walked to the place Clark had abandoned his original outfit. He picked it up and returned to the bedside, dumping the clothes on Clark.
“I am going to close my eyes.” Lex said. “And when I open them in five seconds, you’ll have changed back into your own clothes, and out of my pajamas and penthouse.” Five seconds was too generous.
Clark shook his head, moving the clothes to the side. “I have a feeling there’s more that you’re leaving out.”
Lex sighed and continued. He really wanted control of his own bedroom again.
“You let me eat soup at your desk?” Clark said in disbelief.
“I ‘let you’? By that point I gave up trying to tell you anything contrary to what you believed.” Lex said, recalling Clark’s hurt upon thinking Lex wanted him to sleep in a hallway.
“You made me soup…” Clark said, sounding like he was about to thank Lex.
“I made soup for myself. You just wandered over like…” Lex suddenly made the connection. “…Like Goldilocks. You ate my soup, sat in my chair, and you’re still in my bed!”
His nemesis began to laugh. Halfway through it turned into coughing.
Scowling, Lex grabbed the water bottle off the night table and threw it at Clark, aiming for his face.
Clark didn’t even bother to disguise his super speed, easily catching the bottle before it hit him.
“I’m sorry.” Clark said after a long drink from the bottle. His eyes danced with mirth. “But does that mean you’re a bear?”
“No, I wouldn’t just be a bear.” Lex said, he couldn’t fight back a smile. “I’d be an entire family of bears.”
This started off another round of laughter, but from both of them.
Lex recovered first. Am I still asleep and dreaming? He wondered. He had shared a laugh with Clark, and it wasn’t spiteful. No buildings had exploded.
“If you’re feeling better you can get off my bed now. And if not, you can go use the actual guest room and the pajamas there.” Lex said, implying get out of mine. Sleeping on the armchair had resulted in soreness and he wanted to rest in his own bed.
“I’m still recovering.” Clark said, reclining. “And this is nice. I haven’t been this comfortable in awhile.”
“Comfortable? You’re not embarrassed?” Lex asked. He expected Clark to be gone by now and not continuing to insist upon occupying his space.
“I was at first.” Clark admitted. “But nothing bad has happened to me the time I’ve been here. You’ve been very patient with me.”
Lex stared. Clark was giving him credit.
Clark closed his eyes.
“What are you doing?” Lex said suspiciously.
“Going back to sleep.” Clark mumbled.
“You can get to the guest bedroom, or your own apartment before I finish saying this sentence.” Lex said.
“My head aches. Going fast makes it worse.” Clark said, turning over so Lex was faced with his back. “I’m not getting up.”
Lex was completely done. He pushed off Clark’s pile of clothes, pulled up the sheets and climbed onto the bed.
“What are you doing?” Clark said, repeating Lex’s question. He turned around, eyes open.
“This is my bedroom and my bed. Your fever’s no longer as severe so you are aware of these facts.” Lex said. “Now, normally I sleep in my own bed - I couldn’t last night.” Lex said, glaring at Clark. “Instead, I fell asleep on an armchair. I am still tired. Therefore, I am going to nap in my bed now, whether you are here or not.”
“Okay.” Clark said, closing his eyes.
“Okay?” Lex said. “Don’t forget who you are and who I am. We haven’t gotten along for a while and this doesn’t change things.”
Clark blinked slowly, looking at Lex. “From what you told me, when the fever was bad, subconsciously I went to you for shelter. I sought out my friend and my subconscious wasn’t wrong because this…” Clark looked at his sleeves and the sheets. “…the soup, the water and the ice packs is what you did to help me.”
“So you think I’m your friend again and you can get away with using my things?”
“Yup.” Clark said, pulling a pillow from Lex’s side of the bed. “I’m sorry about the alligators.” Clark added.
“I’m not upset about that anymore.” Lex said, thinking about his outline of sewer alligators 2.0 that he had hastily stuffed into his desk the night before when Clark had invaded his office. “Right now I’m peeved you won’t leave.”
“The bed’s big enough for the two of us.”
“The bed? Metropolis isn’t even big enough for the both of us.” Lex argued.
Clark ignored him, shutting his eyes again.
Lex tried to fall asleep. He couldn’t. Across from him, Clark had succeeded in dozing off. The bed was actually large enough that they were at least two feet away from each other. Lex thought of rolling closer and kicking Clark.
“Clark, wake up.” Lex said loudly. He figured out why he couldn’t fall asleep.
Clark opened his eyes, looking peeved. “What, Luthor?” He said in his Superman voice.
Lex scoffed. “I want my pajamas back. I need it to sleep properly.”
“You need it now?”
“Yes, right now.”
Clark sighed and began to unbutton the pajama top he wore.
“Why are you going so slowly?” Lex asked as he watched the exposure of more of Clark’s skin with each undone button. It seemed a lot like Clark was giving him a strip-tease.
“You want me to super-speed out?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want your pajamas back in one piece?”
“Of course!”
“Then I have to go slowly.” Clark said. “I’m sure these pajamas are a lot more expensive than suits I’ve ruined.”
Clark stilled his hands at the last button. “But…I think these pajamas help me sleep too.” He looked in the direction of Lex’s closet. “You have a dozen more pairs.” He cringed, clutching his head. “Can’t you use one of those instead of telling me to change out of the ones I’m already in?”
“You. Just. X-rayed. My. Closet.” Lex said, stressing each word. He lunged across the space between them. “Get out of my pajamas!”
Lex targeted the last button he ended up under the pajama top, gripping Clark by the hips. Lex glared down at his adversary. The glare softened as Lex registered the heat of Clark’s skin where his fingers touched. Clark no longer hallucinated but he still needed to recover.
Clark gave Lex a startled, wide-eye look.
Lex considered what this looked like. He had Clark by the hips, pinned down on his bed. But if he drove Clark away he’d have his control of his own room again. Since Clark was comfortable here Lex needed to make him uncomfortable.
With this plan in mind Lex leaned in and kissed Clark’s collarbone.
Lex heard a soft gasp but no words of protest or rejection. He hadn’t been tossed across the room.
He moved onto the Clark’s neck and sucked at the pulse there, relishing the throb, that sign of life under his tongue. I was scared, seeing him collapsed on the balcony. Lex thought, thinking of last night.
Clark swallowed. Lex felt it from where his lips touched his throat, but no speech followed.
Lex trailed higher, leaving kisses along Clark’s jaw and their lips met and Lex sensed the temperature difference again. Lex closed his eyes and just focused on the sensation of Clark kissing him back, receptively opening his mouth to him.
Lex pulled back once he became aware that Clark had bucked his hips - Lex had still been holding him.
“We’re not going any further.” Lex said. “Not in your condition.”
Clark gave him a look of disbelief.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to go back to sleep?” Lex smirked.
“And you want your pajamas back. So take it.” Clark said, pushing Lex’s hands down so they touched the pajama bottom.
“This is not a game you want to play, Clark.” Lex said sharply. Lex released Clark, but he was still above him.
“I’m not playing a game, Lex.” Clark said. “You don’t have to stop at kissing me because you can fuck me.” Clark said, then, he coughed into his sleeve - or rather Lex’s pajamas sleeve, because he was still in it.
Lex picked up the water bottle from where it had been left and handed it to Clark, successfully resisting the urge to toss it again.
He fell back onto the bed, and spoke while Clark had his mouthful and couldn’t talk back. “I won’t.” He said, lying down and wrapping his arms around Clark’s waist.
Clark set down the water bottle, opening his mouth to argue. Lex leaned up to kiss him again.
“At least until you’re fully recovered.” Lex clarified once he had broken the kiss.
“Ah.” Clark said, speechless.
They settled their positions on the bed. Lex held Clark from behind, with Clark’s back touching his chest, their legs entwined. Clark relaxed against him. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, cuddled with someone he could no longer categorize as his enemy.
END