Fic: Happy Hour, Clex
Title: Happy Hour
Pairing: Clex
Rating: PG-13
Challenge: Written for old_school_clex
Summary: Lana loses a job. Clark gains a job. Everyone notices something besides the two most important people involved. Season One after Zero.
Clark turned his head to see Lex knocking on their screen door.
“Oh, good morning, Lex. Come on in.” Martha smiled warmly and gave Jonathan a look that clearly said ‘You’re an adult. Behave yourself.’ Jonathan glowered petulantly.
“I trust you’ve all been having a good morning.” Lex entered with a wide smile. Clark flushed and bowed his head before meeting Lex’s eye.
“Rob any banks lately?”
“Oh, my nefarious schemes are looking in a different direction these days.” Lex put his hands in his pockets and stood next to Clark. He thinned his lips. “Don’t be mad.”
“Oh, God, what did you do?” Clark asked. The Kents looked to one another in confusion.
“Promise.”
“No!” Clark raised his hands anxiously like he was grabbing at the air. “Oh, man, you’re making me nervous! What did you do?”
“It’s not that bad…” Lex said slowly, drawing out the suspense. Clark grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
“Tell me! Oh my god!”
“Clark! Be more gentle!” Martha admonished with a laugh.
”Anything end up dead?” Jonathan asked humorlessly.
“I fired Lana.” He put his hands over his head as though Clark might start beating him. Clark’s jaw dropped. “…Well, you haven’t ripped my head off my shoulders. This is an excellent sign.”
“I wouldn’t rip your head off your shoulders,” Clark muttered indignantly.
“That was hyperbole. That’s when you exaggerate the situation for an emphasized effect.” Lex paused. “You know, since you couldn’t do that unless you were on PCP.”
“Oh.” Clark looked at his parents.
“Why did you fire Lana?” Martha asked, keeping the conversation going.
”She’s bad at math, so she messes up the paperwork and gives people the wrong change often enough that we’re losing money from the meager business we have. She’s also rude to the customers and never gets their orders right.”
“Well, couldn’t you give her more time?” she asked with a twinge of sympathy for Lana. That poor girl had lost so much already.
“Maybe as a waitress.” Lex shrugged and shook his head. “I offered her as much, telling her that we frankly needed someone more skilled in the position of assistant manager. I never intended for Lana to take the position on, seeing as she’s only sixteen, and Nell hasn’t been doing her part. She’s left it to Lana, so the books are a mess. There’s more of a learning curve as a waitress.”
“Yeah, Lex. Couldn’t you at least let her have that much?” Clark pleaded. Lex rolled his eyes.
“When I told her that, she pulled out the story about losing her parents- and you know I sympathize, Clark- and told me that she couldn’t let anyone else run The Talon. So I told her I couldn’t afford a charity case, and perhaps when she was older, she could take the position, but for now…”
“You need a adult to do it,” Martha finished, nodding along.
“So she quit?” Clark asked.
“Not really. She kept arguing with me. Then she called me a judgmental naked mole rat.”
The Kents exchanged another look.
“The words were out of my mouth before I knew it.” He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry.”
“Oh,” Clark said.
Lex thinned his lips.
“Can’t you hire her back?” Clark asked hopefully. Lex arched a brow in clear displeasure.
“No, Clark. You can’t insult your boss like that,” Martha insisted.
“But he is bald,” Clark protested.
Lex tensed his jaw. “I am not denying that.”
“Clark!” Martha snapped. She shook her head. “Don’t hire her back unless she apologizes, Lex. There’s no reason you have to put up with your employees insulting you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Kent.” He shot Clark a dark look and made as if to leave.
“So what is going to happen to The Talon?” Clark asked.
“Dunno.” Lex shrugged. “It isn’t making any money. Severed hands aside-“
Jonathan snorted.
“The place isn’t making any money. It’s located directly across from an established business selling the same thing. People came to the opening, but they aren’t coming now. I might as well close it down.”
“But there’s no other movie theatre in town. You have to drive to Granville for the multiplex. I bet you could make that work out,” Clark suggested, a little desperately. A little line etched its way into Lex’s brow.
“We could expand the theatre.” Lex thought about that for a moment. “There’s an apartment above The Talon. It wouldn’t be completely unfeasible to put in more screens and change the venue a bit…”
Clark nodded eagerly.
“I still need a new manager, though. I don’t have the time, and Nell, quite frankly, doesn’t have a head for business.” Lex looked to Martha and back. “Perhaps something she wouldn’t have wanted me to say in front of you.”
Martha smiled, enjoying a bitchy moment. “Probably not.”
“Still true. She’s going to end up running the flower shop out of her home since she can’t pay the rent on her shop.”
“Bet she’s real glad she sold to you, huh?” Jonathan remarked.
Lex pursed his lips. “I advised her to do that from the start. Nell gets most of her business from orders, not walk-ins. The location isn’t a benefit for her.”
“If Lex is going to give money to a charity, Jonathan, I think he could do better than support a vanity business,” Martha said shortly, turning to go fill her coffee. Jonathan raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t you have to catch the bus?”
“Uh…” Clark darted to the door. “Um… I did.”
“I can drive you.” Lex offered. “I have to head by the school anyway.”
Clark nodded and jogged out of the room to get his backpack.
“Don’t feel too bad about having to fire Lana, Lex,” Martha said, starting on her second cup of coffee. “A work ethic has to be learned.”
Lex nodded. “That’s true. It’s not like Lana has had to do farm chores all of her life. Or even learn to run the family business. I may not have officially been in charge of any of LuthorCorp’s projects until recently, but my father would routinely give me projects to work on and compare my results to how his employees were doing.”
“Not like you could get fired from the family, though,” Jonathan pointed out. Clark came back in and flashed Lex a bright smile.
“I don’t know about that,” Lex replied with a forced smile and uneasy voice before following Clark out the door.
As they zipped down the road, Clark was hanging his head over the side of the door like an excited puppy. Lex glanced over to him and asked, “So do you forgive me?”
“What? Oh, for Lana?” Clark pulled himself back into the car. He loved how fast Lex drove. Sometimes. Sometimes it scared the hell out of him. “Yeah, I guess it’s business. She wasn’t good at it.”
“Alright.”
“Um… do you forgive me?” Clark looked at him sideways.
“What for?” Lex braked at the sign and looked over at him.
Clark looked sheepish. “For what? For… what I said. About. You know…” Clark sighed. “Your head.”
Lex laughed. “It’s okay. I know I’m a little oversensitive. But have you ever seen a naked mole rat? They’re hideous.”
Clark smiled, grateful that Lex had forgiven him so easily. “Nah, I’ve never seen one.”
“Guh,” Lex commented, pulling over to the school. The other students were milling around outside. “Here we go.”
“Did you really come over just to tell me that?”
“I was afraid Lana would get to you first, and you’d hate me. ‘Cause Clark, she’s pissed at me, and she’s probably going to take it out on you.”
Clark sighed and pouted.
“See?” Lex pointed. Lana had caught sight of Lex’s Lamborghini from the front of the building and gave them a haughty look before turning and stomping away.
“Aw, man.” Clark grimaced. “Well. Yeah, you were right. She should have just taken the demotion.”
“But you can still make this work,” Lex said with that light air he put on when he was about to do something sly.
“How?”
“Just tell her that I was thinking about closing down The Talon, and you talked me out of it.” Lex smirked.
“Ha ha! I did, didn’t I?” Clark beamed and grabbed Lex’s shoulder. “Thanks, Lex. You saved me today. If I hadn’t known, she would have just blindsided me.”
“No problem. I think this was a mutually beneficial discussion.”
Clark bit his lower lip and looked at Lex’s smooth smile bashfully. He leapt out of the car quickly before he could analyze that funny feeling in his stomach.
***
“Ugh. Good God.”
“What’s so horrifying you have to usurp my computer?” Chloe asked. She leaned over his shoulder, drinking her coffee. “Ugh. What is that and why are you looking at it?”
“It’s a naked mole rat.”
“It looks like it’s trying to crawl out of its skin.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty gross.” Clark got up and picked up his bag. He had to head to homeroom. Chloe followed him to the door.
“You look like you’re all thinky. What’s up?”
“How would you feel if someone said you looked like one of those things?”
“Like I’d had enough coffee for the day and this would really be put to better use in their face or crotch,” Chloe replied brightly. Clark gave a weak smile. “Whaaaat?”
“How would you feel if someone said something like that about one of your friends?”
“Like they were a creep, but Lex can probably handle it.”
Clark opened his mouth in protest.
“How many bald guys do we know?” She leaned forward. “So… who said that?”
“It doesn’t matter. Yeah, he can probably handle it.” Clark stepped back. “I have to get to homeroom.”
Chloe saluted. “And I have to get this caffeine in my veins!”
Clark jogged through the halls, spotted Lana and Whitney walking together and headed for them. Seeing Clark, Lana tried to steer Whitney in the other direction.
“Hey! Wait up!”
“I have to get to class, Clark,” she said coolly.
“Guess what?”
“You’ve decided to go through with the hormone therapy?” Whitney suggested.
Clark frowned in confusion. “Um… no? Lex isn’t going to close The Talon.”
“What? He was going to close it? We just opened!” Lana cried in dismay.
“Well, yeah, but he drove me to school this morning, and I talked him out of it. I thought… you might like to know.” Clark bounced on his toes, proud of himself.
“Wow. Touchy guy isn’t he?” Whitney raised a brow and looked at him disparagingly.
Clark shrugged and stood still. “It’s not making any money. It’s not like it’s personal.”
“He kept it open because you asked,” Lana pointed out, tightening her lips into a small pucker.
“Yeah, but I reminded him there’s no other movie theatre, and I sort of buffed his ego by saying he should be able to do something with that. He didn’t just do it ‘cause I’m his friend.”
“Right.”
“Look, if you apologized, I bet he’d give you the waitressing job back,” Clark said optimistically.
“Apologize?” She blinked in confusion.
“You called him a naked mole rat. He’s your boss. Well, he was.”
Whitney burst out laughing. “Naked mole rat!! Good one, Lana.”
“Lex does not look like one of those things!” Clark protested.
“Oh, hell yeah, he does.” Whitney continued chuckling until he had to wipe his eyes.
Clark glared at them. “Well, you’re welcome, Lana. See you later.”
“Clark, wait… thank you for keeping The Talon open. It’s just… it was the place my parents met, you know? It’s very special to me, and he took it away,” she explained in her breathy, sweet voice. Whitney gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the top of her head.
Clark shrugged and shuffled his feet. “Yeah, I… I get it. But…yeah.”
The late bell rang.
“Class,” Whitney said. “Thanks, Kent.”
Clark sighed as they left. Lana’s hair bounced and shone from the morning light streaming though the windows. He could hear a little bird singing in the crisp spring air.
***
After school, Clark walked with Chloe and Pete to the Talon to see how it was holding up without management. Chloe peered in the window.
“It’s open, and… there are quite a few people in there…” She suddenly laughed. “Clark, you’ve got to see this.”
Clark walked up to the window and took a look. “Lex is in an apron!”
“Well, it’s technically a smock.” Chloe jogged around to the door. Clark followed her and scanned the place for Lex, who was now leaning over a table serving lattes to some kids from school. It seemed a little busier than normal. In that there were actual customers.
“Hey, Clark! Want an application?” Lex asked with false cheer. “Lana’s convinced all of the little friends she hired to quit.”
“Figures. Miss Perfect can’t get her way, so she doesn’t want anyone else to enjoy the place,” Chloe said with pursed lips. “Sorry, The Torch keeps me pretty busy. I could only work a little bit.”
Lex wiped his brow. “Anything would be appreciated. I need to be able to keep this place open for a few more weeks before we put in the new screens.”
“Wait, we’re gonna have a theatre here again? For real this time?” Pete asked. “That would sure be nice. ‘Specially for dating.”
“We’re hiring,” Lex said pointedly, as he turned to head back to the counter. There was one other worker, a sallow young woman with green hair, multiple rings, and black lipstick, behind the counter frantically making coffee. “Get a little extra cash for those dates. Help me and Ellie out?”
“Sorry, man. Baseball.” Pete shrugged and headed for a table.
Lex gave Clark adorable, pleading eyes. “Save me.”
Clark laughed. “Uh, me work at The Talon?”
“What? Is it beneath you or something?” Lex asked. Clark’s eyes were on Lex’s hips, swishing proudly, even under the duress of service work.
“No. I just… I dunno. You think my dad would let me?”
“Ah! There’s the rub, hm? Probably not.” Lex set his tray down on the counter. “I’d love to see you in an apron though.”
Lex turned to talk to his remaining employee and leaned against the counter easily. He was wearing blue jeans. Tight, form fitting, blue jeans.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans before,” Clark commented, trying to sound casual. Lex shrugged and picked up the refilled tray.
“I can’t really wear expensive suits to a job where I might be spilling various mixed drinks on myself.” He walked to the table on the other side of the room. One pert cheek rose, then the other. Over and over. Then he bent over. Clark felt a shiver up his spine.
“Yeah, uh. I could ask my mom to sign me off?”
“Sounds great, Clark,” Lex said, smiling back at him. He wiped his palms on his apron. “So what is it that you want?”
“Uh… an application?”
Lex shook his head, lifted his tray, and moved to another table. “I meant to drink.”
“Oh.” He flushed and ordered a café au lait, then stumbled over to the table where Chloe and Pete were sitting and arguing over which films were better, slasher flicks or film noir. Clark laughed as Chloe pointed out that in film noir the black guy usually gets to live.
“Bring it on, then,” Pete laughed, tapping her forehead with a straw.
***
“Um…” Clark sat anxiously at dinner, looking from parent to parent. He might as well get this over with then wheedle his mom later. “Um, I was wondering…”
“Speak up, son. Something wrong?” Jonathan took a bite of his meatloaf, and Martha set the bowls of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables on the table. She took a seat and gave Clark her attention.
“Nothing’s wrong. For me anyway. I mean, for Lex, it’s really bad,” Clark rambled.
“That business of his is falling down around his ears, huh?” Jonathan smirked.
Martha sighed. “That’s not a very charitable attitude.”
“Yeah, that’ll teach him to do something nice for the locals.” Jonathan dropped some mashed potatoes on his plate and passed the bowl to Clark. “Is it real bad?”
“Lana pretty much hired her friends, and they left with her. He’s spending a lot of time serving the coffee himself,” Clark told them getting his potatoes.
Jonathan had to cover his mouth to keep from snorting his meatloaf out of his mouth. Martha rolled her eyes at him and snatched the salt before Jonathan could cover his food in it.
“It must be really hard for him. What’s he going to do?” she asked.
“He’s going to keep the coffee shop open for a little while, so he can get plans together to put a few more screens. He has the space from Nell’s flower shop now, so…” Clark pushed his veggies around on his plate. “He’s working really hard to keep The Talon from failing.”
“Well, I hope things go better for him,” Martha said sympathetically.
“Can I get a job at The Talon?” Clark blurted out. Rather than say no, his parents looked at him with surprise.
“You wanna serve coffee?” Jonathan asked.
Clark shrugged. “I want to help Lex out, and they’re really short staffed, so whatever hours you okayed would be a help.”
Martha looked to Jonathan before speaking. “We’ll have to talk about it, Clark. You definitely still have to keep your grades up and finish your chores. Plus, you’ll have to be careful about your powers in the crowded setting.”
“I manage at school!”
“I dunno.” Jonathan toyed with his fork. “I don’t want you gettin' caught up in more of that Luthor’s problems.”
“That stuff wasn’t his fault. Lex has done everything he could to make up for what happened to our cows!”
“And we appreciate that, Clark. We do,” Martha assured him. “But… we worry about you getting in over your head.”
“I’m sure if I did, Lex would bail me out. It’s not like I’m going to murder anyone,” Clark grumbled.
“We’ll talk about it,” Jonathan said in a sharp tone to end the discussion. Clark poked his meatloaf and wondered if Lex was still at The Talon.
***
“Mornin’, Mr. Kent!” Lex called, jogging down The Talon’s stairs. He straightened his collar and headed behind the counter. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“You seem to be in a good mood,” Jonathan commented, watching Lex cleaning out a box of grounds. He had never seen the boy dressed so casually before, although the white button-up shirt and slender jeans made him look a little girlish. “Anyone else working this morning?”
”Uh, Ellie doesn’t get out of classes until after noon…” He looked around the coffee shop with a frown and sighed. “I’m not really in a good mood; I’m just hepped up on espresso.”
A few people came in the front door and looked up at the blank chalkboard. Lex glanced at the board for a second then approached the customers.
”Sorry, I haven’t gotten the specials up. Today we have a Italian roast and Sumatra decaf for regular coffee.”
“I’m mostly here for the show,” one of the customers said. “Get me a cup of the roast.”
“Gotcha,” Lex replied. He filled the mug and handed it to the man. After serving the customers, Lex got out a chair and started writing on the chalkboard. “I never took care of you, Mr. Kent. Or are you here for the show, too?”
“Show?” Jonathan asked. Lex tilted his head toward a coupled of the customers who were enjoying themselves watching Lex work.
“Doesn’t matter,” Lex said. He got down and began to wash his hands. “As long as they’re buying something.”
“Is that a hint?”
“No. Feel free to stand there staring at me all day, if you’ve got the spare time. I swear, people assume I can’t work, or something. I’m completely capable. I know how to run all of the machines at the plant.” He leaned against the sink and looked around. “I need to change these decorations. This place looks like a Persian restaurant. Or a gay bar. Either way, it’s not exactly ideal for a small town coffee shop or movie theatre.”
“I’d say not, though I’m not up on decorations for gay bars.”
Lex waved his hands expressively. “Flashy!”
Jonathan bit back a laugh. Lex’s expression reverted from amusement to embarrassment as the bell on the door rang. Jonathan turned his head to look.
“Interesting,” Lionel Luthor boomed, walking into the building slowly. Lex straightened up to face his father.
“Can I get you something?” Lex asked in a clear voice, refusing to appear embarrassed in front of his father.
“Double shot dry cappuccino. I have a long day ahead of me.” Lionel strolled up to the counter. “Are we not paying you enough, Lex? I’d hate for you to be forced to moonlight.”
“I refuse to let a high school girl ruin my business venture.” Lex replied. He turned to the espresso machine and began to prepare the drink.
“How do you plan to run the plant from here?”
”Gabe’s coming by at ten for a meeting. He’ll probably pick up some coffee for the managers, while he’s at it.” He set the coffee cup in front of his father, who laughed heartily.
“I appreciate your tenacity, but I think you really ought to make more of an effort to make less of a spectacle of yourself.”
“Luthors don’t quit when things don’t go their way,” Lex said quietly.
“This is true.” Lionel turned to look around the shop. Jonathan watched as Lex moved away from Lionel, rubbing his neck and pretending to be unaffected by his father’s words. “This place is decorated rather garishly, don’t you think? You might want to try being more subtle.”
He twisted his neck to look back at Lex pointedly. “Rather than being quite so flamboyant.”
Lex flushed. Jonathan glowered.
“We were jus’ now talkin’ about the remodeling. Might as well, while you’re putting in the new screens,” Jonathan interrupted. “Y’know, since the place was spiffed up by a sixteen year old girl, an’ it shows.”
Lionel eyed him. “Getting coffee, Mr. Kent?”
“An application. My son wants to work here.” He walked over to the counter. “An’ one for the manager position. Martha was interested in puttin’ in for it.”
“Yeah?” Lex asked. He dropped down under the counter. “I don’t mean to sound so surprised, but…”
Lex stood and handed him some papers.
“We could use some extra income, an’ Martha’s real smart, y’know. She’s got a degree in business.”
“I know. She and I talked about that once,” Lex replied. Lionel walked around the counter and gripped Lex’s shoulder tightly as he began speaking quietly into Lex’s ear. The boy visibly tensed. “I won’t embarrass you, Dad.”
Lionel clapped him on the back, drained his cup, and set it down on the counter. “I expect no less.”
Lionel started to walk out.
“That’s going to be $2.30,” Lex called after him. Lionel stopped and raised a brow. “Tips are appreciated.”
Lex lifted the tip jar and shook it. Lionel snorted, walked back over to the counter, and slammed down a twenty. He left the shop laughing. “Keep the change.”
“That man’s an asshole.” One of the other customers raised their cup in a toast, laughing with his mates.
Lex rolled his tongue against his cheek and lifted up the twenty. “Cheapest Jackson I ever got while working.”
“Aside from having to listen to his bullshit?” Jonathan asked. Lex shrugged.
“I have to listen to that anyway.” Lex put the bill in the register, then leaned on it and looked at Jonathan seriously. “Was that a real offer? Are Clark or Martha coming to help me out or was that just to break up the hilarity of the father/son Luthor show?”
“Little o’column A little o’column B.” Jonathan leaned on the counter. “Clark’s always done chores. He doesn’t always understand where money comes from. Never really mattered, since he doesn’t ask for things, but this might be good for him to learn how to manage his own money. If he can balance this and school, but… Lex, you know Clark. He’s not the most reliable or… punctual.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Lex said wryly, then covered his mouth for a big yawn.
“Part of the reason, though, Martha and I talked about her comin’ to be manager,” Jonathan started in a low tone. Lex leaned in and listened closely. “You got trouble comin’ out your ears sometimes. I’d feel better about Clark workin’ here if there were a grown-up at the helm.”
“I’m twenty-one,” Lex protested.
“I remember what I was like at twenty-one,” Jonathan continued. Lex thinned his lips peevishly. “An’ frankly, you don’t have the time to be here all the time, anyway.”
“Let me know what you decide,” Lex told him, yawning again.
“Did you sleep at all?”
“No. I had to clean the place, then I had about two hours to spare before I had to open, so I took a shower and went over the reports Gabe brought over from the plant.” Lex rested his head on the register. “I look at this as one of the stories I’ll be telling at cocktail parties when I’m a ridiculously successful politician in my forties. Remember that time I invested in a movie theatre turned coffee shop for the bratty little girlfriend of my fifteen year old best friend? Hilarious. Ha ha ha.”
Lex rolled his eyes at himself then closed them.
“Never pulled an all-nighter, huh?”
”I pulled ‘em plenty in college and grad school. Between classes and clubbing, I practically never slept. I’m getting too old, now; I can’t do it like I used to.”
Jonathan laughed. “You aren’t old! You’re still a kid.”
”Our servants tell me I was never a kid.”
Jonathan frowned at the boy and sighed. “Lemme have cup of the roast to go.”
***
“Lex, when was the last time you slept?” Clark asked. Lex stood in front of him looking confused, his hands pointing in different directions.
“Hush, no… okay.” He pointed to one cabinet. “Here’s where we keep the espresso. Watch me.”
Clark leaned back as Lex began making a cappuccino. He was shaking his head and blinking a lot. Then he burned himself on the machine.
“MOTHERF- urg!”
“Lex, uh... why don’t I-?”
“Watch!”
“Should I scald myself on the machine, too?”
“Bite me, Clark. Okay? I haven’t slept since I fired that bitch girlfriend of yours,” Lex snapped, frothing the milk. “Okay, see that? When the temp gets there, you’re done. You should have good enough foam to stand a straw in.”
He took a spoon, filtered the steamed milk into the cup, and then spooned the foam over the top.
“There. Cappuccino.” He picked a thin straw from the napkin carousel and delicately placed it in the foam for Clark to observe.
The girl waiting for her drink clapped. “But I wanted a mocha latte.”
Lex raised his brows. Clark put a hand on Lex’s shoulder before he could flip out and kill her.
“I saw you make one earlier. It’s pretty close to a cap, right?”
“Yeah. More steamed milk. No foam.” He pointed over to the syrups. “You need two pumps from-“
“I got it. Step back, okay?” Clark flashed a wide grin at the girl, who flushed and smiled back a little. Lex leaned on the counter and rubbed his eyes.
“Um, okay. Grounds go in here. Then I… tighten this…”
“Make sure it’s tight. It could fly off if it isn’t tight enough,” Lex warned.
“Okay and it… two pumps… okay, it’s making the espresso… then steam the milk…”
Lex nodded along as Clark went.
“Okay. Pour… and stir… Want whipped cream?” he asked her.
“Yes, please.”
Clark pulled the canister for the whipped cream out of the fridge and held it over her cup. He pressed down on the nozzle. It broke. “Oops.”
“That’s okay. I like a lot of whipped cream!”
Clark sighed, drizzled the chocolate on the mess of whipped cream and handed it to her.
“Thanks. Have a good day!” He looked to Lex, who was giving him an odd sleepy smile. He grabbed Clark’s hand and licked the whipped cream off. “That’s not sanitary.”
“I don’t care,” Lex laughed. Clark pulled Lex to him in a bear hug.
“Oh, go get some sleep!”
“I caaaan’t. Someone has to watch you newbies.” Lex hopped onto the counter and rubbed his hands over his face.
“Can I get some service, please?” Chloe said cheekily, dancing up to the counter.
Pete walked up behind her. “Slackers. Both of ‘em.”
“Hey!” Clark smiled.
Chloe looked at the mess on the counter. “Looks like things are going great.”
“I… uh… broke it.”
“Those big hands,” Pete concluded.
“You know my poison,” Chloe said cheerfully. “Hit me!”
“I’ll try?” Clark reached up for one of the large mugs to get her drink started.
Chloe bounced around the counter. “Lex, my dad gave me a big no way on the part time job until I get my algebra grades up, but I put an ad in The Torch.”
“I appreciate it. We can use whomever we can get, though I have a couple of college kids from A & M coming in tomorrow for interviews. Ellie’s been putting posters around her dorm and in the Theatre department.”
“Nice.” Chloe crossed her arms and watched Clark trying to make her drink. “Aw. He’s working.”
“He hasn’t broken the espresso machine yet?” Pete asked teasingly.
“I actually wasn’t looking forward to this. I imagined he’d be shy with the customers… and late,” Lex muttered, sipping the unwanted cappuccino. Chloe giggled. “But Clark’s doing really well.”
Shortly after handing Chloe her drink, they experienced a rush, and Lex had to jump off the counter to make drinks while Clark ran the register. Lex kept looking over his shoulder and marveling at how quickly Clark got people their change. He must have been doing the math in his head, and he only fumbled a little with actually pulling it out of the register. Within five orders, they worked out a rhythm, and Clark even stared making beat-box sounds every time Lex knocked used espresso grounds into the knock box. Pete cracked up hard listening to Clark. Every time Lex left the machine to get supplies, Clark gave him a hip check. Soon they were dancing around each other behind the counter. The customers were so entertained that they didn’t seem to mind waiting at the counter for their drinks. Ellie came in an hour later to join them and danced her way back and forth from the tables.
“When you’re as good as Lex at The Espresso Beast, I’m gonna have to have you join me dancing the tables.” Ellie swiveled her hips and smirked. She set her tray down. “Load me up, Lex. The crowd from The Beanery is pouring in.”
Lex tossed a fresh can of whipped cream over to Clark. He caught it behind his back and squirted some on each of the drinks Lex had lined up for him.
“I guess I can’t complain for the extra business.” Lex rubbed a cloth over his head and snapped it at Clark’s butt. Clark laughed, and a few girls cheered.
“What can I say? We’re way more fun than their snotty waitresses.”
Ellie loaded up her tray and danced back out to the tables. Clark and Lex got back to their routine, and Lex started to break out some bartending tricks as he made the coffee, tipping the cups along his arm and catching them before setting them under the machine and adding the steamed milk with flourish.
Clark was amazed when two other workers showed up. Two hours had passed in a flash.
***
Martha came into The Talon, surprised and a little worried that it was so crowded. There were customers at every table and some standing around the counter cheering every so often. She pushed through the crowd to see Clark doing a little dance move with that bizarre Ellie woman, giving her a twirl over to the syrups, where she pumped syrup into the cup, grabbed it, and was pulled back to the machine.
“It looks like you’re doing alright on your first day,” Martha commented when Clark came back up to the register. Clark raised his brows and gave her a million dollar grin.
“Hi, Ma!”
“Time to go home.”
“Oh,” he looked disappointed. A few customers booed. Ellie waved to the waiters, who stopped dancing and headed to the counter. “I need a new barista and someone on the register.”
Lex came over. “Are we covered?”
Ellie looked over them. “Let’s get Jax on The Beast, and Alicia on the register.”
Clark took off his apron and looked anxiously at the crowd of people. Lex rapped on the counter loudly.
”Okay, happy hour’s over.”
There were more boos.
“Look, we’ll start showing a film in… um… twenty minutes?” Lex looked at Ellie, who squeezed out from behind the counter.
“I’ll get it set up. Then I’m going on break, man.”
Lex ducked out and turned to Martha. “Thank you for lending me Clark. He’s been a big help.”
“It looks that way!” she exclaimed. A few of the couples finished up their coffee and headed toward the theatre.
Clark smiled. “Are you going to get some sleep now?”
“Um… yeah, I’ll be upstairs. Jax,” Lex motioned to the young man. “You’re in charge until Ellie gets off break.”
Clark rubbed his shoulder and pushed Lex a little towards the stairs. Lex reached back and squeezed his arm.
”I’ll go over the books with you tomorrow, Mrs. Kent,” Lex said, beginning to wearily climb the stairs.
She nodded and led the way for her son out of the crowded shop. “That was interesting.”
Clark held the door open for her. “It was just some impromptu fun. Lex tells me that when you go around the clock a couple of times, everything is funny. It’s like you’re drunk.”
“Well, maybe.”
Clark climbed into the truck. “Thanks for letting me work there, Mom.”
“Just keep your grades up,” Martha told him, sighing at the strange closeness between those two boys, to which Clark seemed oblivious.
***
After a few weeks, Lex had hired several more people, and with the help of Ellie, set up a paid training schedule, including dance and bartending, for their downtime during the remodel. The local news ran a spot on The Talon, titling it “BAR-istas!” and lauding the inclusion of a non-alcoholic Happy Hour from 4-7 that included drink discounts and clean entertainment from the staff. Of course, there were detractors, voicing their opinions loudly to the newscasters, who proclaimed that Lex Luthor was corrupting their children through the coffee house by bringing in the morally bankrupt Metropolis club culture. However, a certain amount of respectability came with having Martha Kent acting as the manager. The kids were having fun and keeping occupied, as far as she was concerned. The Talon was making money finally.
Clark only worked a few hours after school everyday and on weekends, but he and Lex were quickly recognized as the two masterminds behind Happy Hour, and Clark loved it when Lex came by to play with them at The Talon. The customers cheered more when it was Clark and Lex fooling around behind the counter together.
“This is going to be awesome.” Clark watched Lex sweeping up. It was Saturday night, and Clark had stayed late for the final hours before The Talon closed for remodeling. Lex seemed a bit nervous about closing right now and kept weighing the pros and cons of doing so. As he was doing now while he swept.
“We’re closing down while on an upswing. Really that should leave people wanting more… but it could leave us open to lose our entire client base, if The Beanery does something. I hear they’re going to try having entertainment there.”
Clark bit his lip, sat on a table, and watched Lex bustled around the shop, going on and on to himself about what to do with this business.
“What?” Lex stopped suddenly and looked at Clark. “What is it?”
“You. All domestic. With your sleeves rolled up and working so hard.”
Lex tossed him the broom. “Why don’t you earn your pay?”
Clark chuckled. “It’s after hours. I’m not being paid.”
“Fine then. Sit on your ass.”
Clark got up. “You need to stop worrying. People love The Talon now. They drive from Granville to see Happy Hour and the films you guys screen. Anything The Beanery does will seem like a knock off.”
“No, it was you. I was dead on my feet. You started with that… weird ‘hip hop’ thing.”
“It was a beat-box, you dorky old man. But, you’re the one who started with the bartender tricks. Dancing around behind the counter.” Clark stepped closer and smiled widely. Lex looked down rather shyly.
“I uh… used to dance a lot in my college days.”
“Yeah, but not on the job.”
Lex looked away, as though slightly embarrassed. “No, it kind of was my job.”
“No way.” Clark’s jaw hung open uncouthly.
“Ellie’s a theatre and dance major.”
“I was a little jealous when you two started jumping around on the floor together.”
“Pirouettes and jetés, Clark.”
“So you pirouetted and jetéd as your after school job?” Clark asked, leaning on the broom.
“Not exactly,” Lex said evasively.
“Uh… okay.” He came over to Lex with a smile. “So with my whack beat-box skillz and your dancing experience, we made a flop coffee shop a success? It was… us?”
“Guess so. I have to give it to Lana. The Talon does set things in motion… First her parents, now us.”
“Well, you haven’t gotten me in trouble with the mob yet, so I might keep you.”
“Mob connections come with the full time benefits,” Lex joked. Clark smiled and watched him bend over the counter to clean it off. “After today though, who knows what will happen?”
“Trust in yourself a little. Running with Happy Hour was a good idea. Having more than one screen will increase the ticket sales.” Clark walked up behind him and shook his shoulders gently.
“We’ll see, won’t we?” Lex sighed. “You know, Clark, barring my club days, I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired as I have been in the past couple of weeks.”
“You’ve worked hard. Are you going to try to slow down now?”
“Well, I have to catch up on what’s going on at the plant, but overall, yes.” Lex draped himself over the counter comically. Clark stood behind him laughing.
“We could finish cleaning tomorrow.”
“No, we kind of need to finish. I’m talking to the contractors tomorrow, and I have to be ready to head back to the plant on Monday. Ugh.”
“Maybe this is why people think you can’t work.”
“People can kiss my ass. I work plenty.”
Clark raised a brow, thinking that Lex’s ass was quite exposed at the moment. He jumped behind him and grabbed Lex by the waist, pinning him to the counter.
“Aha ha, Clark! Cut it out!”
“I think you need a break.”
“Lemme go!” Lex started to laugh. He tried to stand up, but Clark wouldn’t move, and Lex couldn’t budge him an inch.
“Nevar!”
The two of them laughed together uncontrollably.
“What the heck are you two doin’?” Jonathan demanded, walking into the deserted Talon. Clark looked over his shoulder.
“I’m giving Lex a break!”
“Make him let me go!” Lex cried from his prone position. “He’s a madman!”
Clark lifted him up in the air, and Lex kicked his legs wildly. Catching his father’s horrified look, he set Lex down and cleared his throat. “Sorry. Cleaning got out of hand.”
Jonathan appeared to calm down. “Seems so. How much longer you boys got?”
Lex looked around skeptically. “It takes me forever to get this place cleaned up. I’ll probably be here for another couple of hours yet. If you want to go on home, Clark-”
“Why don’t you get us some dinner, and Dad and I can see how much we can get done before you get back?” Clark suggested.
“If you like,” Lex rubbed his shoulder and headed out the door. Jonathan raised his brows at Clark.
“How much we can get done?”
Clark beamed and proceeded to zip around The Talon, cleaning at superspeed. Jonathan chuckled. Clark was lounging with his feet on one of the tables in a few moments.
“You’re a handy employee,” Jonathan commented.
“Yeah, and Lex has only had to replace like… half… to most of the dishes.” Clark cringed. “I get nervous and clumsy when I’m serving.”
Jonathan waved off Clark’s worry. “Well, you’ve only been working a few weeks. Lex speaks well of you as an employee. You’ll get the hang of serving. Or he’ll just keep you behind the counter, which is fine, too.”
“Are you okay with me doing the training? You know, the dancing and the bartender stuff?” Clark asked anxiously.
“Ya’ll aren’t really making drinks, I ‘spose.” Jonathan sat beside him. “I’m still expectin’ some big… debacle or somethin’.”
“I wish you had faith I could handle it.”
“That man… has some kinda… designs on you.”
“Oh, Dad. He’s not investigating me anymore!” Clark complained. Jonathan rubbed his forehead.
“Not what I’m talkin’ about, but… I kinda feel better with you bein’ here. He’s gonna get in trouble sooner or later. With you right here, it’s probably safer for him and his employees.”
“You make me sound like his parole officer or something.”
Jonathan shrugged. They heard Lex’s tires squeal, and Lex walked briskly in through the back.
“That was fast,” Jonathan commented.
“All night diner. It was faster than ringing up our cook and driving to the mansion.” Lex shooed Clark’s feet off the table and set down a bag of food. He looked up and then took a few steps. “Did you two get this place cleaned already? How in the world did you manage that?”
“Old fashioned Kent work ethic,” Jonathan replied. Lex turned to them, astonished. Clark shifted in his seat uncomfortably for a moment.
“It takes me all night to clean this place,” Lex said.
Clark knit his brows and frowned a little. “Yeah, but… you’re just one person, Lex, and you’re already exhausted by the time you get around to cleaning. Besides, I’ve seen you clean. You’re way too picky about details. It’s okay if you can’t get it done fast.”
Lex blinked a few times. “You Kents make me feel like a slacker. I’ve been busting my ass here, and you breeze through it like it’s nothing.”
He came over to sit down.
“It’s more Clark than me. The boy’s a workhorse. Best stamina I’ve ever seen on a kid,” Jonathan put in. Clark opened up the bags and started unwrapping a sandwich. “Can’t expect us old men to keep up.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Lex smiled. Clark handed him a sandwich and opened up the box of fries. “I may have to name you employee of the month.”
“I haven’t been working a month, though.”
“Mm. Still.” Lex took a fry and bit into it delicately. “You make a better partner than Lana.”
”Yeah?” Clark beamed. Jonathan sighed. “What’s that mean? You want me to train for assistant manager or something?”
“Well, no, ‘cause even if you’re better, you’re still really too young for the job. Maybe when you’re legal age. We can talk about becoming real partners.” Lex plucked another fry from the box. “If you want to. A boy with your talents could probably end up doing whatever he wanted. With the proper drive and support, for course.”
Their hands met over the fries. Lex’s retreated, and he licked his fingers slowly.
“Eh heh heh. You make me want to be grown up already.” Clark handed Lex a napkin.
“Enjoy your childhood while it lasts, Clark. Trust me.”
“Damn true,” Jonathan said, watching the boys with resignation while they ate and chatted together as though they had been best friends for years. Clark was giggling and blushing and watching Lex’s lips move as he spoke. Jonathan ran a hand over his face. “Well, I’ll leave you boys to finish up. Bring him home, Lex, when ya’ll’er done?”
Clark straightened up and smiled gratefully at his father.
“Of course, Mr. Kent,” Lex replied.
“Be good,” he told Clark before he left.
Clark bounced in his seat as soon as his father was out of sight and grinned. Lex took a bite of his sandwich. “So, tell me about this partnership thing.”
Lex laughed. “Depends on what you and I both end up doing, I suppose. Whatever it is, I’m sure that our paths are hopelessly intertwined.”
”Yeah.” Clark reached over to wipe a bit of sauce off of Lex’s mouth. Then his fingers slowed as they brushed over his lips. Lex’s eyes met his, and Lex’s tongue flickered against Clark’s fingers, tasting the sweet sauce. It was a long moment before Clark withdrew his hand, and both of their faces flushed in dawning realization.
Pairing: Clex
Rating: PG-13
Challenge: Written for old_school_clex
Summary: Lana loses a job. Clark gains a job. Everyone notices something besides the two most important people involved. Season One after Zero.
Clark turned his head to see Lex knocking on their screen door.
“Oh, good morning, Lex. Come on in.” Martha smiled warmly and gave Jonathan a look that clearly said ‘You’re an adult. Behave yourself.’ Jonathan glowered petulantly.
“I trust you’ve all been having a good morning.” Lex entered with a wide smile. Clark flushed and bowed his head before meeting Lex’s eye.
“Rob any banks lately?”
“Oh, my nefarious schemes are looking in a different direction these days.” Lex put his hands in his pockets and stood next to Clark. He thinned his lips. “Don’t be mad.”
“Oh, God, what did you do?” Clark asked. The Kents looked to one another in confusion.
“Promise.”
“No!” Clark raised his hands anxiously like he was grabbing at the air. “Oh, man, you’re making me nervous! What did you do?”
“It’s not that bad…” Lex said slowly, drawing out the suspense. Clark grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
“Tell me! Oh my god!”
“Clark! Be more gentle!” Martha admonished with a laugh.
”Anything end up dead?” Jonathan asked humorlessly.
“I fired Lana.” He put his hands over his head as though Clark might start beating him. Clark’s jaw dropped. “…Well, you haven’t ripped my head off my shoulders. This is an excellent sign.”
“I wouldn’t rip your head off your shoulders,” Clark muttered indignantly.
“That was hyperbole. That’s when you exaggerate the situation for an emphasized effect.” Lex paused. “You know, since you couldn’t do that unless you were on PCP.”
“Oh.” Clark looked at his parents.
“Why did you fire Lana?” Martha asked, keeping the conversation going.
”She’s bad at math, so she messes up the paperwork and gives people the wrong change often enough that we’re losing money from the meager business we have. She’s also rude to the customers and never gets their orders right.”
“Well, couldn’t you give her more time?” she asked with a twinge of sympathy for Lana. That poor girl had lost so much already.
“Maybe as a waitress.” Lex shrugged and shook his head. “I offered her as much, telling her that we frankly needed someone more skilled in the position of assistant manager. I never intended for Lana to take the position on, seeing as she’s only sixteen, and Nell hasn’t been doing her part. She’s left it to Lana, so the books are a mess. There’s more of a learning curve as a waitress.”
“Yeah, Lex. Couldn’t you at least let her have that much?” Clark pleaded. Lex rolled his eyes.
“When I told her that, she pulled out the story about losing her parents- and you know I sympathize, Clark- and told me that she couldn’t let anyone else run The Talon. So I told her I couldn’t afford a charity case, and perhaps when she was older, she could take the position, but for now…”
“You need a adult to do it,” Martha finished, nodding along.
“So she quit?” Clark asked.
“Not really. She kept arguing with me. Then she called me a judgmental naked mole rat.”
The Kents exchanged another look.
“The words were out of my mouth before I knew it.” He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry.”
“Oh,” Clark said.
Lex thinned his lips.
“Can’t you hire her back?” Clark asked hopefully. Lex arched a brow in clear displeasure.
“No, Clark. You can’t insult your boss like that,” Martha insisted.
“But he is bald,” Clark protested.
Lex tensed his jaw. “I am not denying that.”
“Clark!” Martha snapped. She shook her head. “Don’t hire her back unless she apologizes, Lex. There’s no reason you have to put up with your employees insulting you.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Kent.” He shot Clark a dark look and made as if to leave.
“So what is going to happen to The Talon?” Clark asked.
“Dunno.” Lex shrugged. “It isn’t making any money. Severed hands aside-“
Jonathan snorted.
“The place isn’t making any money. It’s located directly across from an established business selling the same thing. People came to the opening, but they aren’t coming now. I might as well close it down.”
“But there’s no other movie theatre in town. You have to drive to Granville for the multiplex. I bet you could make that work out,” Clark suggested, a little desperately. A little line etched its way into Lex’s brow.
“We could expand the theatre.” Lex thought about that for a moment. “There’s an apartment above The Talon. It wouldn’t be completely unfeasible to put in more screens and change the venue a bit…”
Clark nodded eagerly.
“I still need a new manager, though. I don’t have the time, and Nell, quite frankly, doesn’t have a head for business.” Lex looked to Martha and back. “Perhaps something she wouldn’t have wanted me to say in front of you.”
Martha smiled, enjoying a bitchy moment. “Probably not.”
“Still true. She’s going to end up running the flower shop out of her home since she can’t pay the rent on her shop.”
“Bet she’s real glad she sold to you, huh?” Jonathan remarked.
Lex pursed his lips. “I advised her to do that from the start. Nell gets most of her business from orders, not walk-ins. The location isn’t a benefit for her.”
“If Lex is going to give money to a charity, Jonathan, I think he could do better than support a vanity business,” Martha said shortly, turning to go fill her coffee. Jonathan raised his hands in surrender. “Don’t you have to catch the bus?”
“Uh…” Clark darted to the door. “Um… I did.”
“I can drive you.” Lex offered. “I have to head by the school anyway.”
Clark nodded and jogged out of the room to get his backpack.
“Don’t feel too bad about having to fire Lana, Lex,” Martha said, starting on her second cup of coffee. “A work ethic has to be learned.”
Lex nodded. “That’s true. It’s not like Lana has had to do farm chores all of her life. Or even learn to run the family business. I may not have officially been in charge of any of LuthorCorp’s projects until recently, but my father would routinely give me projects to work on and compare my results to how his employees were doing.”
“Not like you could get fired from the family, though,” Jonathan pointed out. Clark came back in and flashed Lex a bright smile.
“I don’t know about that,” Lex replied with a forced smile and uneasy voice before following Clark out the door.
As they zipped down the road, Clark was hanging his head over the side of the door like an excited puppy. Lex glanced over to him and asked, “So do you forgive me?”
“What? Oh, for Lana?” Clark pulled himself back into the car. He loved how fast Lex drove. Sometimes. Sometimes it scared the hell out of him. “Yeah, I guess it’s business. She wasn’t good at it.”
“Alright.”
“Um… do you forgive me?” Clark looked at him sideways.
“What for?” Lex braked at the sign and looked over at him.
Clark looked sheepish. “For what? For… what I said. About. You know…” Clark sighed. “Your head.”
Lex laughed. “It’s okay. I know I’m a little oversensitive. But have you ever seen a naked mole rat? They’re hideous.”
Clark smiled, grateful that Lex had forgiven him so easily. “Nah, I’ve never seen one.”
“Guh,” Lex commented, pulling over to the school. The other students were milling around outside. “Here we go.”
“Did you really come over just to tell me that?”
“I was afraid Lana would get to you first, and you’d hate me. ‘Cause Clark, she’s pissed at me, and she’s probably going to take it out on you.”
Clark sighed and pouted.
“See?” Lex pointed. Lana had caught sight of Lex’s Lamborghini from the front of the building and gave them a haughty look before turning and stomping away.
“Aw, man.” Clark grimaced. “Well. Yeah, you were right. She should have just taken the demotion.”
“But you can still make this work,” Lex said with that light air he put on when he was about to do something sly.
“How?”
“Just tell her that I was thinking about closing down The Talon, and you talked me out of it.” Lex smirked.
“Ha ha! I did, didn’t I?” Clark beamed and grabbed Lex’s shoulder. “Thanks, Lex. You saved me today. If I hadn’t known, she would have just blindsided me.”
“No problem. I think this was a mutually beneficial discussion.”
Clark bit his lower lip and looked at Lex’s smooth smile bashfully. He leapt out of the car quickly before he could analyze that funny feeling in his stomach.
***
“Ugh. Good God.”
“What’s so horrifying you have to usurp my computer?” Chloe asked. She leaned over his shoulder, drinking her coffee. “Ugh. What is that and why are you looking at it?”
“It’s a naked mole rat.”
“It looks like it’s trying to crawl out of its skin.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty gross.” Clark got up and picked up his bag. He had to head to homeroom. Chloe followed him to the door.
“You look like you’re all thinky. What’s up?”
“How would you feel if someone said you looked like one of those things?”
“Like I’d had enough coffee for the day and this would really be put to better use in their face or crotch,” Chloe replied brightly. Clark gave a weak smile. “Whaaaat?”
“How would you feel if someone said something like that about one of your friends?”
“Like they were a creep, but Lex can probably handle it.”
Clark opened his mouth in protest.
“How many bald guys do we know?” She leaned forward. “So… who said that?”
“It doesn’t matter. Yeah, he can probably handle it.” Clark stepped back. “I have to get to homeroom.”
Chloe saluted. “And I have to get this caffeine in my veins!”
Clark jogged through the halls, spotted Lana and Whitney walking together and headed for them. Seeing Clark, Lana tried to steer Whitney in the other direction.
“Hey! Wait up!”
“I have to get to class, Clark,” she said coolly.
“Guess what?”
“You’ve decided to go through with the hormone therapy?” Whitney suggested.
Clark frowned in confusion. “Um… no? Lex isn’t going to close The Talon.”
“What? He was going to close it? We just opened!” Lana cried in dismay.
“Well, yeah, but he drove me to school this morning, and I talked him out of it. I thought… you might like to know.” Clark bounced on his toes, proud of himself.
“Wow. Touchy guy isn’t he?” Whitney raised a brow and looked at him disparagingly.
Clark shrugged and stood still. “It’s not making any money. It’s not like it’s personal.”
“He kept it open because you asked,” Lana pointed out, tightening her lips into a small pucker.
“Yeah, but I reminded him there’s no other movie theatre, and I sort of buffed his ego by saying he should be able to do something with that. He didn’t just do it ‘cause I’m his friend.”
“Right.”
“Look, if you apologized, I bet he’d give you the waitressing job back,” Clark said optimistically.
“Apologize?” She blinked in confusion.
“You called him a naked mole rat. He’s your boss. Well, he was.”
Whitney burst out laughing. “Naked mole rat!! Good one, Lana.”
“Lex does not look like one of those things!” Clark protested.
“Oh, hell yeah, he does.” Whitney continued chuckling until he had to wipe his eyes.
Clark glared at them. “Well, you’re welcome, Lana. See you later.”
“Clark, wait… thank you for keeping The Talon open. It’s just… it was the place my parents met, you know? It’s very special to me, and he took it away,” she explained in her breathy, sweet voice. Whitney gave her a squeeze and kissed her on the top of her head.
Clark shrugged and shuffled his feet. “Yeah, I… I get it. But…yeah.”
The late bell rang.
“Class,” Whitney said. “Thanks, Kent.”
Clark sighed as they left. Lana’s hair bounced and shone from the morning light streaming though the windows. He could hear a little bird singing in the crisp spring air.
***
After school, Clark walked with Chloe and Pete to the Talon to see how it was holding up without management. Chloe peered in the window.
“It’s open, and… there are quite a few people in there…” She suddenly laughed. “Clark, you’ve got to see this.”
Clark walked up to the window and took a look. “Lex is in an apron!”
“Well, it’s technically a smock.” Chloe jogged around to the door. Clark followed her and scanned the place for Lex, who was now leaning over a table serving lattes to some kids from school. It seemed a little busier than normal. In that there were actual customers.
“Hey, Clark! Want an application?” Lex asked with false cheer. “Lana’s convinced all of the little friends she hired to quit.”
“Figures. Miss Perfect can’t get her way, so she doesn’t want anyone else to enjoy the place,” Chloe said with pursed lips. “Sorry, The Torch keeps me pretty busy. I could only work a little bit.”
Lex wiped his brow. “Anything would be appreciated. I need to be able to keep this place open for a few more weeks before we put in the new screens.”
“Wait, we’re gonna have a theatre here again? For real this time?” Pete asked. “That would sure be nice. ‘Specially for dating.”
“We’re hiring,” Lex said pointedly, as he turned to head back to the counter. There was one other worker, a sallow young woman with green hair, multiple rings, and black lipstick, behind the counter frantically making coffee. “Get a little extra cash for those dates. Help me and Ellie out?”
“Sorry, man. Baseball.” Pete shrugged and headed for a table.
Lex gave Clark adorable, pleading eyes. “Save me.”
Clark laughed. “Uh, me work at The Talon?”
“What? Is it beneath you or something?” Lex asked. Clark’s eyes were on Lex’s hips, swishing proudly, even under the duress of service work.
“No. I just… I dunno. You think my dad would let me?”
“Ah! There’s the rub, hm? Probably not.” Lex set his tray down on the counter. “I’d love to see you in an apron though.”
Lex turned to talk to his remaining employee and leaned against the counter easily. He was wearing blue jeans. Tight, form fitting, blue jeans.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in jeans before,” Clark commented, trying to sound casual. Lex shrugged and picked up the refilled tray.
“I can’t really wear expensive suits to a job where I might be spilling various mixed drinks on myself.” He walked to the table on the other side of the room. One pert cheek rose, then the other. Over and over. Then he bent over. Clark felt a shiver up his spine.
“Yeah, uh. I could ask my mom to sign me off?”
“Sounds great, Clark,” Lex said, smiling back at him. He wiped his palms on his apron. “So what is it that you want?”
“Uh… an application?”
Lex shook his head, lifted his tray, and moved to another table. “I meant to drink.”
“Oh.” He flushed and ordered a café au lait, then stumbled over to the table where Chloe and Pete were sitting and arguing over which films were better, slasher flicks or film noir. Clark laughed as Chloe pointed out that in film noir the black guy usually gets to live.
“Bring it on, then,” Pete laughed, tapping her forehead with a straw.
***
“Um…” Clark sat anxiously at dinner, looking from parent to parent. He might as well get this over with then wheedle his mom later. “Um, I was wondering…”
“Speak up, son. Something wrong?” Jonathan took a bite of his meatloaf, and Martha set the bowls of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables on the table. She took a seat and gave Clark her attention.
“Nothing’s wrong. For me anyway. I mean, for Lex, it’s really bad,” Clark rambled.
“That business of his is falling down around his ears, huh?” Jonathan smirked.
Martha sighed. “That’s not a very charitable attitude.”
“Yeah, that’ll teach him to do something nice for the locals.” Jonathan dropped some mashed potatoes on his plate and passed the bowl to Clark. “Is it real bad?”
“Lana pretty much hired her friends, and they left with her. He’s spending a lot of time serving the coffee himself,” Clark told them getting his potatoes.
Jonathan had to cover his mouth to keep from snorting his meatloaf out of his mouth. Martha rolled her eyes at him and snatched the salt before Jonathan could cover his food in it.
“It must be really hard for him. What’s he going to do?” she asked.
“He’s going to keep the coffee shop open for a little while, so he can get plans together to put a few more screens. He has the space from Nell’s flower shop now, so…” Clark pushed his veggies around on his plate. “He’s working really hard to keep The Talon from failing.”
“Well, I hope things go better for him,” Martha said sympathetically.
“Can I get a job at The Talon?” Clark blurted out. Rather than say no, his parents looked at him with surprise.
“You wanna serve coffee?” Jonathan asked.
Clark shrugged. “I want to help Lex out, and they’re really short staffed, so whatever hours you okayed would be a help.”
Martha looked to Jonathan before speaking. “We’ll have to talk about it, Clark. You definitely still have to keep your grades up and finish your chores. Plus, you’ll have to be careful about your powers in the crowded setting.”
“I manage at school!”
“I dunno.” Jonathan toyed with his fork. “I don’t want you gettin' caught up in more of that Luthor’s problems.”
“That stuff wasn’t his fault. Lex has done everything he could to make up for what happened to our cows!”
“And we appreciate that, Clark. We do,” Martha assured him. “But… we worry about you getting in over your head.”
“I’m sure if I did, Lex would bail me out. It’s not like I’m going to murder anyone,” Clark grumbled.
“We’ll talk about it,” Jonathan said in a sharp tone to end the discussion. Clark poked his meatloaf and wondered if Lex was still at The Talon.
***
“Mornin’, Mr. Kent!” Lex called, jogging down The Talon’s stairs. He straightened his collar and headed behind the counter. “Can I get you some coffee?”
“You seem to be in a good mood,” Jonathan commented, watching Lex cleaning out a box of grounds. He had never seen the boy dressed so casually before, although the white button-up shirt and slender jeans made him look a little girlish. “Anyone else working this morning?”
”Uh, Ellie doesn’t get out of classes until after noon…” He looked around the coffee shop with a frown and sighed. “I’m not really in a good mood; I’m just hepped up on espresso.”
A few people came in the front door and looked up at the blank chalkboard. Lex glanced at the board for a second then approached the customers.
”Sorry, I haven’t gotten the specials up. Today we have a Italian roast and Sumatra decaf for regular coffee.”
“I’m mostly here for the show,” one of the customers said. “Get me a cup of the roast.”
“Gotcha,” Lex replied. He filled the mug and handed it to the man. After serving the customers, Lex got out a chair and started writing on the chalkboard. “I never took care of you, Mr. Kent. Or are you here for the show, too?”
“Show?” Jonathan asked. Lex tilted his head toward a coupled of the customers who were enjoying themselves watching Lex work.
“Doesn’t matter,” Lex said. He got down and began to wash his hands. “As long as they’re buying something.”
“Is that a hint?”
“No. Feel free to stand there staring at me all day, if you’ve got the spare time. I swear, people assume I can’t work, or something. I’m completely capable. I know how to run all of the machines at the plant.” He leaned against the sink and looked around. “I need to change these decorations. This place looks like a Persian restaurant. Or a gay bar. Either way, it’s not exactly ideal for a small town coffee shop or movie theatre.”
“I’d say not, though I’m not up on decorations for gay bars.”
Lex waved his hands expressively. “Flashy!”
Jonathan bit back a laugh. Lex’s expression reverted from amusement to embarrassment as the bell on the door rang. Jonathan turned his head to look.
“Interesting,” Lionel Luthor boomed, walking into the building slowly. Lex straightened up to face his father.
“Can I get you something?” Lex asked in a clear voice, refusing to appear embarrassed in front of his father.
“Double shot dry cappuccino. I have a long day ahead of me.” Lionel strolled up to the counter. “Are we not paying you enough, Lex? I’d hate for you to be forced to moonlight.”
“I refuse to let a high school girl ruin my business venture.” Lex replied. He turned to the espresso machine and began to prepare the drink.
“How do you plan to run the plant from here?”
”Gabe’s coming by at ten for a meeting. He’ll probably pick up some coffee for the managers, while he’s at it.” He set the coffee cup in front of his father, who laughed heartily.
“I appreciate your tenacity, but I think you really ought to make more of an effort to make less of a spectacle of yourself.”
“Luthors don’t quit when things don’t go their way,” Lex said quietly.
“This is true.” Lionel turned to look around the shop. Jonathan watched as Lex moved away from Lionel, rubbing his neck and pretending to be unaffected by his father’s words. “This place is decorated rather garishly, don’t you think? You might want to try being more subtle.”
He twisted his neck to look back at Lex pointedly. “Rather than being quite so flamboyant.”
Lex flushed. Jonathan glowered.
“We were jus’ now talkin’ about the remodeling. Might as well, while you’re putting in the new screens,” Jonathan interrupted. “Y’know, since the place was spiffed up by a sixteen year old girl, an’ it shows.”
Lionel eyed him. “Getting coffee, Mr. Kent?”
“An application. My son wants to work here.” He walked over to the counter. “An’ one for the manager position. Martha was interested in puttin’ in for it.”
“Yeah?” Lex asked. He dropped down under the counter. “I don’t mean to sound so surprised, but…”
Lex stood and handed him some papers.
“We could use some extra income, an’ Martha’s real smart, y’know. She’s got a degree in business.”
“I know. She and I talked about that once,” Lex replied. Lionel walked around the counter and gripped Lex’s shoulder tightly as he began speaking quietly into Lex’s ear. The boy visibly tensed. “I won’t embarrass you, Dad.”
Lionel clapped him on the back, drained his cup, and set it down on the counter. “I expect no less.”
Lionel started to walk out.
“That’s going to be $2.30,” Lex called after him. Lionel stopped and raised a brow. “Tips are appreciated.”
Lex lifted the tip jar and shook it. Lionel snorted, walked back over to the counter, and slammed down a twenty. He left the shop laughing. “Keep the change.”
“That man’s an asshole.” One of the other customers raised their cup in a toast, laughing with his mates.
Lex rolled his tongue against his cheek and lifted up the twenty. “Cheapest Jackson I ever got while working.”
“Aside from having to listen to his bullshit?” Jonathan asked. Lex shrugged.
“I have to listen to that anyway.” Lex put the bill in the register, then leaned on it and looked at Jonathan seriously. “Was that a real offer? Are Clark or Martha coming to help me out or was that just to break up the hilarity of the father/son Luthor show?”
“Little o’column A little o’column B.” Jonathan leaned on the counter. “Clark’s always done chores. He doesn’t always understand where money comes from. Never really mattered, since he doesn’t ask for things, but this might be good for him to learn how to manage his own money. If he can balance this and school, but… Lex, you know Clark. He’s not the most reliable or… punctual.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Lex said wryly, then covered his mouth for a big yawn.
“Part of the reason, though, Martha and I talked about her comin’ to be manager,” Jonathan started in a low tone. Lex leaned in and listened closely. “You got trouble comin’ out your ears sometimes. I’d feel better about Clark workin’ here if there were a grown-up at the helm.”
“I’m twenty-one,” Lex protested.
“I remember what I was like at twenty-one,” Jonathan continued. Lex thinned his lips peevishly. “An’ frankly, you don’t have the time to be here all the time, anyway.”
“Let me know what you decide,” Lex told him, yawning again.
“Did you sleep at all?”
“No. I had to clean the place, then I had about two hours to spare before I had to open, so I took a shower and went over the reports Gabe brought over from the plant.” Lex rested his head on the register. “I look at this as one of the stories I’ll be telling at cocktail parties when I’m a ridiculously successful politician in my forties. Remember that time I invested in a movie theatre turned coffee shop for the bratty little girlfriend of my fifteen year old best friend? Hilarious. Ha ha ha.”
Lex rolled his eyes at himself then closed them.
“Never pulled an all-nighter, huh?”
”I pulled ‘em plenty in college and grad school. Between classes and clubbing, I practically never slept. I’m getting too old, now; I can’t do it like I used to.”
Jonathan laughed. “You aren’t old! You’re still a kid.”
”Our servants tell me I was never a kid.”
Jonathan frowned at the boy and sighed. “Lemme have cup of the roast to go.”
***
“Lex, when was the last time you slept?” Clark asked. Lex stood in front of him looking confused, his hands pointing in different directions.
“Hush, no… okay.” He pointed to one cabinet. “Here’s where we keep the espresso. Watch me.”
Clark leaned back as Lex began making a cappuccino. He was shaking his head and blinking a lot. Then he burned himself on the machine.
“MOTHERF- urg!”
“Lex, uh... why don’t I-?”
“Watch!”
“Should I scald myself on the machine, too?”
“Bite me, Clark. Okay? I haven’t slept since I fired that bitch girlfriend of yours,” Lex snapped, frothing the milk. “Okay, see that? When the temp gets there, you’re done. You should have good enough foam to stand a straw in.”
He took a spoon, filtered the steamed milk into the cup, and then spooned the foam over the top.
“There. Cappuccino.” He picked a thin straw from the napkin carousel and delicately placed it in the foam for Clark to observe.
The girl waiting for her drink clapped. “But I wanted a mocha latte.”
Lex raised his brows. Clark put a hand on Lex’s shoulder before he could flip out and kill her.
“I saw you make one earlier. It’s pretty close to a cap, right?”
“Yeah. More steamed milk. No foam.” He pointed over to the syrups. “You need two pumps from-“
“I got it. Step back, okay?” Clark flashed a wide grin at the girl, who flushed and smiled back a little. Lex leaned on the counter and rubbed his eyes.
“Um, okay. Grounds go in here. Then I… tighten this…”
“Make sure it’s tight. It could fly off if it isn’t tight enough,” Lex warned.
“Okay and it… two pumps… okay, it’s making the espresso… then steam the milk…”
Lex nodded along as Clark went.
“Okay. Pour… and stir… Want whipped cream?” he asked her.
“Yes, please.”
Clark pulled the canister for the whipped cream out of the fridge and held it over her cup. He pressed down on the nozzle. It broke. “Oops.”
“That’s okay. I like a lot of whipped cream!”
Clark sighed, drizzled the chocolate on the mess of whipped cream and handed it to her.
“Thanks. Have a good day!” He looked to Lex, who was giving him an odd sleepy smile. He grabbed Clark’s hand and licked the whipped cream off. “That’s not sanitary.”
“I don’t care,” Lex laughed. Clark pulled Lex to him in a bear hug.
“Oh, go get some sleep!”
“I caaaan’t. Someone has to watch you newbies.” Lex hopped onto the counter and rubbed his hands over his face.
“Can I get some service, please?” Chloe said cheekily, dancing up to the counter.
Pete walked up behind her. “Slackers. Both of ‘em.”
“Hey!” Clark smiled.
Chloe looked at the mess on the counter. “Looks like things are going great.”
“I… uh… broke it.”
“Those big hands,” Pete concluded.
“You know my poison,” Chloe said cheerfully. “Hit me!”
“I’ll try?” Clark reached up for one of the large mugs to get her drink started.
Chloe bounced around the counter. “Lex, my dad gave me a big no way on the part time job until I get my algebra grades up, but I put an ad in The Torch.”
“I appreciate it. We can use whomever we can get, though I have a couple of college kids from A & M coming in tomorrow for interviews. Ellie’s been putting posters around her dorm and in the Theatre department.”
“Nice.” Chloe crossed her arms and watched Clark trying to make her drink. “Aw. He’s working.”
“He hasn’t broken the espresso machine yet?” Pete asked teasingly.
“I actually wasn’t looking forward to this. I imagined he’d be shy with the customers… and late,” Lex muttered, sipping the unwanted cappuccino. Chloe giggled. “But Clark’s doing really well.”
Shortly after handing Chloe her drink, they experienced a rush, and Lex had to jump off the counter to make drinks while Clark ran the register. Lex kept looking over his shoulder and marveling at how quickly Clark got people their change. He must have been doing the math in his head, and he only fumbled a little with actually pulling it out of the register. Within five orders, they worked out a rhythm, and Clark even stared making beat-box sounds every time Lex knocked used espresso grounds into the knock box. Pete cracked up hard listening to Clark. Every time Lex left the machine to get supplies, Clark gave him a hip check. Soon they were dancing around each other behind the counter. The customers were so entertained that they didn’t seem to mind waiting at the counter for their drinks. Ellie came in an hour later to join them and danced her way back and forth from the tables.
“When you’re as good as Lex at The Espresso Beast, I’m gonna have to have you join me dancing the tables.” Ellie swiveled her hips and smirked. She set her tray down. “Load me up, Lex. The crowd from The Beanery is pouring in.”
Lex tossed a fresh can of whipped cream over to Clark. He caught it behind his back and squirted some on each of the drinks Lex had lined up for him.
“I guess I can’t complain for the extra business.” Lex rubbed a cloth over his head and snapped it at Clark’s butt. Clark laughed, and a few girls cheered.
“What can I say? We’re way more fun than their snotty waitresses.”
Ellie loaded up her tray and danced back out to the tables. Clark and Lex got back to their routine, and Lex started to break out some bartending tricks as he made the coffee, tipping the cups along his arm and catching them before setting them under the machine and adding the steamed milk with flourish.
Clark was amazed when two other workers showed up. Two hours had passed in a flash.
***
Martha came into The Talon, surprised and a little worried that it was so crowded. There were customers at every table and some standing around the counter cheering every so often. She pushed through the crowd to see Clark doing a little dance move with that bizarre Ellie woman, giving her a twirl over to the syrups, where she pumped syrup into the cup, grabbed it, and was pulled back to the machine.
“It looks like you’re doing alright on your first day,” Martha commented when Clark came back up to the register. Clark raised his brows and gave her a million dollar grin.
“Hi, Ma!”
“Time to go home.”
“Oh,” he looked disappointed. A few customers booed. Ellie waved to the waiters, who stopped dancing and headed to the counter. “I need a new barista and someone on the register.”
Lex came over. “Are we covered?”
Ellie looked over them. “Let’s get Jax on The Beast, and Alicia on the register.”
Clark took off his apron and looked anxiously at the crowd of people. Lex rapped on the counter loudly.
”Okay, happy hour’s over.”
There were more boos.
“Look, we’ll start showing a film in… um… twenty minutes?” Lex looked at Ellie, who squeezed out from behind the counter.
“I’ll get it set up. Then I’m going on break, man.”
Lex ducked out and turned to Martha. “Thank you for lending me Clark. He’s been a big help.”
“It looks that way!” she exclaimed. A few of the couples finished up their coffee and headed toward the theatre.
Clark smiled. “Are you going to get some sleep now?”
“Um… yeah, I’ll be upstairs. Jax,” Lex motioned to the young man. “You’re in charge until Ellie gets off break.”
Clark rubbed his shoulder and pushed Lex a little towards the stairs. Lex reached back and squeezed his arm.
”I’ll go over the books with you tomorrow, Mrs. Kent,” Lex said, beginning to wearily climb the stairs.
She nodded and led the way for her son out of the crowded shop. “That was interesting.”
Clark held the door open for her. “It was just some impromptu fun. Lex tells me that when you go around the clock a couple of times, everything is funny. It’s like you’re drunk.”
“Well, maybe.”
Clark climbed into the truck. “Thanks for letting me work there, Mom.”
“Just keep your grades up,” Martha told him, sighing at the strange closeness between those two boys, to which Clark seemed oblivious.
***
After a few weeks, Lex had hired several more people, and with the help of Ellie, set up a paid training schedule, including dance and bartending, for their downtime during the remodel. The local news ran a spot on The Talon, titling it “BAR-istas!” and lauding the inclusion of a non-alcoholic Happy Hour from 4-7 that included drink discounts and clean entertainment from the staff. Of course, there were detractors, voicing their opinions loudly to the newscasters, who proclaimed that Lex Luthor was corrupting their children through the coffee house by bringing in the morally bankrupt Metropolis club culture. However, a certain amount of respectability came with having Martha Kent acting as the manager. The kids were having fun and keeping occupied, as far as she was concerned. The Talon was making money finally.
Clark only worked a few hours after school everyday and on weekends, but he and Lex were quickly recognized as the two masterminds behind Happy Hour, and Clark loved it when Lex came by to play with them at The Talon. The customers cheered more when it was Clark and Lex fooling around behind the counter together.
“This is going to be awesome.” Clark watched Lex sweeping up. It was Saturday night, and Clark had stayed late for the final hours before The Talon closed for remodeling. Lex seemed a bit nervous about closing right now and kept weighing the pros and cons of doing so. As he was doing now while he swept.
“We’re closing down while on an upswing. Really that should leave people wanting more… but it could leave us open to lose our entire client base, if The Beanery does something. I hear they’re going to try having entertainment there.”
Clark bit his lip, sat on a table, and watched Lex bustled around the shop, going on and on to himself about what to do with this business.
“What?” Lex stopped suddenly and looked at Clark. “What is it?”
“You. All domestic. With your sleeves rolled up and working so hard.”
Lex tossed him the broom. “Why don’t you earn your pay?”
Clark chuckled. “It’s after hours. I’m not being paid.”
“Fine then. Sit on your ass.”
Clark got up. “You need to stop worrying. People love The Talon now. They drive from Granville to see Happy Hour and the films you guys screen. Anything The Beanery does will seem like a knock off.”
“No, it was you. I was dead on my feet. You started with that… weird ‘hip hop’ thing.”
“It was a beat-box, you dorky old man. But, you’re the one who started with the bartender tricks. Dancing around behind the counter.” Clark stepped closer and smiled widely. Lex looked down rather shyly.
“I uh… used to dance a lot in my college days.”
“Yeah, but not on the job.”
Lex looked away, as though slightly embarrassed. “No, it kind of was my job.”
“No way.” Clark’s jaw hung open uncouthly.
“Ellie’s a theatre and dance major.”
“I was a little jealous when you two started jumping around on the floor together.”
“Pirouettes and jetés, Clark.”
“So you pirouetted and jetéd as your after school job?” Clark asked, leaning on the broom.
“Not exactly,” Lex said evasively.
“Uh… okay.” He came over to Lex with a smile. “So with my whack beat-box skillz and your dancing experience, we made a flop coffee shop a success? It was… us?”
“Guess so. I have to give it to Lana. The Talon does set things in motion… First her parents, now us.”
“Well, you haven’t gotten me in trouble with the mob yet, so I might keep you.”
“Mob connections come with the full time benefits,” Lex joked. Clark smiled and watched him bend over the counter to clean it off. “After today though, who knows what will happen?”
“Trust in yourself a little. Running with Happy Hour was a good idea. Having more than one screen will increase the ticket sales.” Clark walked up behind him and shook his shoulders gently.
“We’ll see, won’t we?” Lex sighed. “You know, Clark, barring my club days, I don’t think I’ve ever been so tired as I have been in the past couple of weeks.”
“You’ve worked hard. Are you going to try to slow down now?”
“Well, I have to catch up on what’s going on at the plant, but overall, yes.” Lex draped himself over the counter comically. Clark stood behind him laughing.
“We could finish cleaning tomorrow.”
“No, we kind of need to finish. I’m talking to the contractors tomorrow, and I have to be ready to head back to the plant on Monday. Ugh.”
“Maybe this is why people think you can’t work.”
“People can kiss my ass. I work plenty.”
Clark raised a brow, thinking that Lex’s ass was quite exposed at the moment. He jumped behind him and grabbed Lex by the waist, pinning him to the counter.
“Aha ha, Clark! Cut it out!”
“I think you need a break.”
“Lemme go!” Lex started to laugh. He tried to stand up, but Clark wouldn’t move, and Lex couldn’t budge him an inch.
“Nevar!”
The two of them laughed together uncontrollably.
“What the heck are you two doin’?” Jonathan demanded, walking into the deserted Talon. Clark looked over his shoulder.
“I’m giving Lex a break!”
“Make him let me go!” Lex cried from his prone position. “He’s a madman!”
Clark lifted him up in the air, and Lex kicked his legs wildly. Catching his father’s horrified look, he set Lex down and cleared his throat. “Sorry. Cleaning got out of hand.”
Jonathan appeared to calm down. “Seems so. How much longer you boys got?”
Lex looked around skeptically. “It takes me forever to get this place cleaned up. I’ll probably be here for another couple of hours yet. If you want to go on home, Clark-”
“Why don’t you get us some dinner, and Dad and I can see how much we can get done before you get back?” Clark suggested.
“If you like,” Lex rubbed his shoulder and headed out the door. Jonathan raised his brows at Clark.
“How much we can get done?”
Clark beamed and proceeded to zip around The Talon, cleaning at superspeed. Jonathan chuckled. Clark was lounging with his feet on one of the tables in a few moments.
“You’re a handy employee,” Jonathan commented.
“Yeah, and Lex has only had to replace like… half… to most of the dishes.” Clark cringed. “I get nervous and clumsy when I’m serving.”
Jonathan waved off Clark’s worry. “Well, you’ve only been working a few weeks. Lex speaks well of you as an employee. You’ll get the hang of serving. Or he’ll just keep you behind the counter, which is fine, too.”
“Are you okay with me doing the training? You know, the dancing and the bartender stuff?” Clark asked anxiously.
“Ya’ll aren’t really making drinks, I ‘spose.” Jonathan sat beside him. “I’m still expectin’ some big… debacle or somethin’.”
“I wish you had faith I could handle it.”
“That man… has some kinda… designs on you.”
“Oh, Dad. He’s not investigating me anymore!” Clark complained. Jonathan rubbed his forehead.
“Not what I’m talkin’ about, but… I kinda feel better with you bein’ here. He’s gonna get in trouble sooner or later. With you right here, it’s probably safer for him and his employees.”
“You make me sound like his parole officer or something.”
Jonathan shrugged. They heard Lex’s tires squeal, and Lex walked briskly in through the back.
“That was fast,” Jonathan commented.
“All night diner. It was faster than ringing up our cook and driving to the mansion.” Lex shooed Clark’s feet off the table and set down a bag of food. He looked up and then took a few steps. “Did you two get this place cleaned already? How in the world did you manage that?”
“Old fashioned Kent work ethic,” Jonathan replied. Lex turned to them, astonished. Clark shifted in his seat uncomfortably for a moment.
“It takes me all night to clean this place,” Lex said.
Clark knit his brows and frowned a little. “Yeah, but… you’re just one person, Lex, and you’re already exhausted by the time you get around to cleaning. Besides, I’ve seen you clean. You’re way too picky about details. It’s okay if you can’t get it done fast.”
Lex blinked a few times. “You Kents make me feel like a slacker. I’ve been busting my ass here, and you breeze through it like it’s nothing.”
He came over to sit down.
“It’s more Clark than me. The boy’s a workhorse. Best stamina I’ve ever seen on a kid,” Jonathan put in. Clark opened up the bags and started unwrapping a sandwich. “Can’t expect us old men to keep up.”
“Yeah, I guess so.” Lex smiled. Clark handed him a sandwich and opened up the box of fries. “I may have to name you employee of the month.”
“I haven’t been working a month, though.”
“Mm. Still.” Lex took a fry and bit into it delicately. “You make a better partner than Lana.”
”Yeah?” Clark beamed. Jonathan sighed. “What’s that mean? You want me to train for assistant manager or something?”
“Well, no, ‘cause even if you’re better, you’re still really too young for the job. Maybe when you’re legal age. We can talk about becoming real partners.” Lex plucked another fry from the box. “If you want to. A boy with your talents could probably end up doing whatever he wanted. With the proper drive and support, for course.”
Their hands met over the fries. Lex’s retreated, and he licked his fingers slowly.
“Eh heh heh. You make me want to be grown up already.” Clark handed Lex a napkin.
“Enjoy your childhood while it lasts, Clark. Trust me.”
“Damn true,” Jonathan said, watching the boys with resignation while they ate and chatted together as though they had been best friends for years. Clark was giggling and blushing and watching Lex’s lips move as he spoke. Jonathan ran a hand over his face. “Well, I’ll leave you boys to finish up. Bring him home, Lex, when ya’ll’er done?”
Clark straightened up and smiled gratefully at his father.
“Of course, Mr. Kent,” Lex replied.
“Be good,” he told Clark before he left.
Clark bounced in his seat as soon as his father was out of sight and grinned. Lex took a bite of his sandwich. “So, tell me about this partnership thing.”
Lex laughed. “Depends on what you and I both end up doing, I suppose. Whatever it is, I’m sure that our paths are hopelessly intertwined.”
”Yeah.” Clark reached over to wipe a bit of sauce off of Lex’s mouth. Then his fingers slowed as they brushed over his lips. Lex’s eyes met his, and Lex’s tongue flickered against Clark’s fingers, tasting the sweet sauce. It was a long moment before Clark withdrew his hand, and both of their faces flushed in dawning realization.