FIC: Amends
Title: Amends
Pairing: CLEX
Summary: Clark visits Lex post S8 Requiem.
Warnings: Mpreg, plot subversion, obvious AU
Spawned from fannish denial discussion with cinderella81
Thanks to herohunter and lexalicious70 for betaing
"Lex? Are you awake?" Clark called into the lightly decorated house softly. He entered with light footsteps and ran a hand through his hair. Guilt was running through him, as it should be, but given the situation, confusion was also a prevalent factor. Clark would just have to be brave. Hiding things from Lex had never gotten him anywhere good.
"More or less," Lex called back softly. There was an edge of irritation in his voice. "I'm in the study."
Clark focused in on the sound of Lex's heartbeat and smiled. He'd missed being near Lex, but things had gotten so intense, and he couldn't leave Lana…
The apology came first, Clark guessed.
He spotted Lex working at his computer by the window. Somehow, in the mundane setting of a suburban house, Lex had replicated the study from the castle to the best of his ability with their limited means. A wide, black desk in front of a large window, his laptop, a sofa. The fireplace and pool table were missing, but the scene remained familiar. Lex always had a contingency plan, and putting a little money away on a regular basis for the bank account and home for the identity of Joseph Alexander, Clark had learned a few months ago, was something that Lex had been keeping on the backburner for quite some time.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked with a frown as Clark approached slowly. "Where have you been, Clark? It's been over a month."
"It's been crazy." Clark paused and raked his eyes over Lex. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. That doesn't answer my questions," Lex said sternly.
Clark dipped his head. "Lana showed up at the wedding."
"I can't believe that you let Chloe marry him like that. Did something happen?" Lex leaned forward with interest.
"Yeah. That monster that you've been tracking showed up. It attacked Jimmy, kidnapped Chloe."
"Is she alright?" Lex asked with alarm.
"She is now. We got her back… soon after. I'll have to tell you all about that later." Clark rounded the desk. "She's alright now, I think."
"She mad at you for erasing her memory?" Lex looked up at Clark.
"She…doesn't remember not remembering. I'm sure the whole time is a blur."
"Well, that happy couple is on the fast-track to annulment," Lex replied dryly.
"I don't think she will. Not while Jimmy's in the hospital, anyway. Chloe's too soft-hearted for that." Clark knelt by Lex's side and took his hand. He took in a deep breath, then touched Lex's rounded belly.
"I suppose she is." Lex put his hand over Clark's and watched him for a moment. "Something is wrong."
"I slept with Lana."
Lex straightened and pulled his hand away. His jaw and lips tensing, Lex looked out the window.
"I'm sorry, Lex."
"So she still has that power, hm?"
"I didn't realize how strong it was until she'd been gone for a while. Until…"
"Until it wore off, and you put your son inside me?" Lex replied, a mix of bitterness and humor in his voice. Lex was hurt. He knew that Lana's powers had caused this betrayal, but it still hurt him deeply.
Clark leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Lex, resting his head on Lex's distended abdomen. "I'm so sorry."
"I… I know why you did it, Clark. She used her powers on me, too, if you remember. I was so wrapped around her that I couldn't think straight." After a moment, Lex began petting Clark's hair. "At least you came back to me."
"Something happened. I don't know if I'd have been able to break free without it. It's awful for her, but… I can't say I'm sorry." Clark sighed, feeling his chest tighten. "If I hadn't, you'd have been left here wondering where I'd gone."
"Oh, believe me, Clark, you don't get to knock up a Luthor and run away. Sooner or later, I'd have come looking for you."
Clark stroked the side of Lex's abdomen. "Hopefully later. Lana took that project you were working on last year, the Prometheus suit."
"They were still funding that?" Lex paled suddenly. "Wait. Lana has it? As in, she's wearing it. My God, Clark! Do you know how dangerous that is in the hands of someone like her?"
"It gets worse. I can only guess that the government operatives that have taken over LuthorCorp kept the project going." Clark looked up to Lex. "She stole the suit. She's as strong and fast as me, now."
Lex paused. "You'll understand if that concept is terrifying to me, won't you? I still don't know what to make of this 'Tess' person. 'Lex girl' era aside, I can't think of how I'd come across a dark-haired fanatic who seemed to think she was my protégé, and from the pictures you've shown me, I'm sure I've never seen her before. But that was too early for what she claims, isn't it?"
"She believes it. I don't think she's lying. I think… I think she might be programmed. I know that LuthorCorp had the technology for that. Apparently the government wired her eyes and ears so that she's a walking microphone for them, so she's the perfect operative. She thinks you're the one who wired her, by the way." Clark gave Lex a gentle squeeze. " She might be a clone. I don't know that she is, I just know that they can, because they made a clone of you."
"Me? Why?"
"I think they did it to get Lana to complete the process of what they wanted to do with the Prometheus suit. Apparently they made it to absorb Kryptonite."
Lex nodded. "I knew that was possible, but I have no desire to make anyone walking nuclear bomb. So… She absorbed the radiation from the meteor rocks?"
"Yeah. They tricked her into it, I think, because she's so determined to destroy you. Now they have her. She doesn't realize the government was playing her into position." Clark raised a brow doubtfully. "And I'm a horrible person, because I didn't tell her what was going on with you. She's so bent on revenge against you, though, that I couldn't. Especially now that she's so dangerous, and I can't get near her."
Clark licked his lips, then touched Lex's face and kissed him firmly. "They blew you up. They blew "clone" you up, and I thought my heart was going to stop. I- I wanted to kill you. I was so angry at that clone, and everything that it had done to Lana-"
"You were under her spell," Lex reminded him in a whisper. "It wasn't me you wanted to kill. This happened before when her mutation was influencing you, remember? The engagement party? The dam?"
"Yes, but, God, Lex, going to your funeral. I thought I would die, too. I couldn't… I couldn't breathe. I had to see you. As soon as Lana's influence wore off, I had to come here and see for myself. See your face, hear your voice, touch your skin, feel our son." Clark buried his face in Lex's shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief as Lex's arms went around him, and he could feel Lex pressing kissed to his hair.
"We are perfectly fine," Lex crooned into Clark's ear.
"Lana has superpowers, and she still wants to kill you. Oliver wants to kill you. Tess wants to kill you, thanks to Lana. Toyman tried to kill you, and would have succeeded if you'd been there-"
"And so I'm taking a time out from all of this. No one knows I'm here." Lex hooked two fingers under Clark's chin and lifted his face so that he could look into Clark's eyes. "No one is going to know that I'm here. Thanks to this 'Toyman,' everyone is sure that I'm dead and buried."
Clark blinked and sucked in his lower lip. Lex leaned over and touched their foreheads together.
"You forgave me for some of the worst actions I can even imagine-"
"Lex-"
"I tried to kill you."
"And now I know why. You thought I was going to turn into that thing that took Chloe!" Clark exclaimed. "It was… awful."
"But I loved you," Lex said. He watched Clark's beautiful green eyes sadly.
"Well, then we've both tried to kill each other, in spite of loving."
"All I'm saying, Clark, is to cut yourself a little slack. Critique yourself for the things you should learn from, such as mindwiping your best friend-"
"I know," Clark replied, rolling his eyes. He should have know that after Lionel's 'loving' parenting, Lex wouldn't be receptive to any solution that involved taking someone's memories.
"-and don't succumb to guilt for things you can't control," Lex finished sternly.
Clark opened his mouth, but realized he didn't have anything to say. They could both work on what Lex had suggested, and they knew it. Instead of replying, he stood and squeezed Lex's hand lightly.
Lex put one hand on the arm of his chair and pushed himself up. So used to doing this on his own for the past month, he was a little surprised as Clark slipped an arm around his back and helped him to his feet. Lex looked up at Clark with tented brows. It was difficult to be away from Clark for long periods of time. It always had been, he supposed, but now that he was expecting their child and Clark was putting himself out there to help the people of Metropolis, everything seemed more complicated.
Since Clark had flown them out of the Arctic, calmed a panicked and guilt-stricken Lex, and told him everything, their relationship had changed, forever. Lex's attempted murder/suicide had ended with "I love yous" from both of them and with the restart of a friendship of legends. Other than his brief stint in Russia-the result of accidentally catching a chunk of meteor rock, which had been floating just out side of Earth's atmosphere, clean in the head-Clark visited Lex often, doing his best to make sure that no one followed him to this place.
"I never thought this would be easy. But let's not make it harder than it is, hm?" Lex said, touching Clark's chest as Clark held him securely. The large arms felt good. Only three people knew the location of Joseph Alexander's house-Clark, Lex, and Lex's old friend and now doctor, Milash, who certainly didn't want to be found either. Still, it was strange to be alone here.
"I still feel bad for sleeping with someone else," Clark admitted, bowing his head as he looked at Lex plaintively.
"Then why don't you make it up to me?" Lex suggested with a smirk.
He took Clark's hand and pulled him forward. Clark came, the strongest man in the world being tugged along by a pale, slender man looking up at him as though his specialness had nothing to do with the rainbow of abilities given to him by a fluke of solar radiation.
Together, they moved through the cozy home and ended up in a bedroom with a large window by the bed. Lex had the drapes closed, but when Clark stayed the night, he left them open. Clark loved to wake to the morning light.
"Lex, you- you mean so much to me. I hope you know that. It's hard not to screw up." Clark touched the back of Lex's head and brushed their cheeks together.
"You're telling me that? I have a mark slashed into my chest that declares me your sanctuary because of my perpetual screw ups." The wound he'd received from that Vertias cult member was one of the few severe enough to leave scar tissue.
"Don't joke. I'm pouring my heart out here."
"Hm." Lex kissed the side of Clark's cheek and moved his hands down Clark's back.
"You are, you know." Clark moved them a little and pressed their lips together slowly. Lex's body trembled slightly in Clark's arms-something Clark absolutely loved. Feeling Lex beginning to get excited, beginning to grow warm. Clark loved Lex's body responding to his, to him. He loved Lex.
His lips curved as he grinned widely. "I love you."
"And I love you," Lex replied, moving them closer to the bed.
"I know." Clark kept one hand on the small of Lex's back and laid him down on the queen-size bed, which was swathed in a deep purple bedspread and had been well-broken in before Clark had gotten his job at The Daily Planet. His hand caressed Lex's face, then moved down his body as they kissed, enthusiastic to be close to one another. It was how they were at their best. Panting, gasping, growling. They touched and adored one another, clothes flying off and limbs tangling.
A whirl of sweat and lust later, Clark laid curled around Lex, his hand protectively cupping Lex's belly, as he kissed Lex's neck.
"I'll always come back to you," Clark promised. "No matter what."
"I know. I've always known. We always do find our way back, don't we? Ever since you arrived here."
Clark nodded, breathing in, taking in Lex's scent. He rubbed Lex's twitching skin where their son was beginning to move. "To both of you."
"I know." Lex turned his head and kissed Clark slowly, sucking in his lower lip. "That's why it's destiny."
Clark and Lex continued to kiss one another, caress one another, ever so softly as they lay there together in their impromptu marriage bed. Secret for now, maybe forever, they would keep what was good and precious between them safe and sacred, no matter what. No matter how badly things fell apart or either of them fucked things up. Because it was destiny, but more importantly, because it was Clark and it was Lex. It was them.
Pairing: CLEX
Summary: Clark visits Lex post S8 Requiem.
Warnings: Mpreg, plot subversion, obvious AU
Spawned from fannish denial discussion with cinderella81
Thanks to herohunter and lexalicious70 for betaing
"Lex? Are you awake?" Clark called into the lightly decorated house softly. He entered with light footsteps and ran a hand through his hair. Guilt was running through him, as it should be, but given the situation, confusion was also a prevalent factor. Clark would just have to be brave. Hiding things from Lex had never gotten him anywhere good.
"More or less," Lex called back softly. There was an edge of irritation in his voice. "I'm in the study."
Clark focused in on the sound of Lex's heartbeat and smiled. He'd missed being near Lex, but things had gotten so intense, and he couldn't leave Lana…
The apology came first, Clark guessed.
He spotted Lex working at his computer by the window. Somehow, in the mundane setting of a suburban house, Lex had replicated the study from the castle to the best of his ability with their limited means. A wide, black desk in front of a large window, his laptop, a sofa. The fireplace and pool table were missing, but the scene remained familiar. Lex always had a contingency plan, and putting a little money away on a regular basis for the bank account and home for the identity of Joseph Alexander, Clark had learned a few months ago, was something that Lex had been keeping on the backburner for quite some time.
"What's wrong?" Lex asked with a frown as Clark approached slowly. "Where have you been, Clark? It's been over a month."
"It's been crazy." Clark paused and raked his eyes over Lex. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. That doesn't answer my questions," Lex said sternly.
Clark dipped his head. "Lana showed up at the wedding."
"I can't believe that you let Chloe marry him like that. Did something happen?" Lex leaned forward with interest.
"Yeah. That monster that you've been tracking showed up. It attacked Jimmy, kidnapped Chloe."
"Is she alright?" Lex asked with alarm.
"She is now. We got her back… soon after. I'll have to tell you all about that later." Clark rounded the desk. "She's alright now, I think."
"She mad at you for erasing her memory?" Lex looked up at Clark.
"She…doesn't remember not remembering. I'm sure the whole time is a blur."
"Well, that happy couple is on the fast-track to annulment," Lex replied dryly.
"I don't think she will. Not while Jimmy's in the hospital, anyway. Chloe's too soft-hearted for that." Clark knelt by Lex's side and took his hand. He took in a deep breath, then touched Lex's rounded belly.
"I suppose she is." Lex put his hand over Clark's and watched him for a moment. "Something is wrong."
"I slept with Lana."
Lex straightened and pulled his hand away. His jaw and lips tensing, Lex looked out the window.
"I'm sorry, Lex."
"So she still has that power, hm?"
"I didn't realize how strong it was until she'd been gone for a while. Until…"
"Until it wore off, and you put your son inside me?" Lex replied, a mix of bitterness and humor in his voice. Lex was hurt. He knew that Lana's powers had caused this betrayal, but it still hurt him deeply.
Clark leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Lex, resting his head on Lex's distended abdomen. "I'm so sorry."
"I… I know why you did it, Clark. She used her powers on me, too, if you remember. I was so wrapped around her that I couldn't think straight." After a moment, Lex began petting Clark's hair. "At least you came back to me."
"Something happened. I don't know if I'd have been able to break free without it. It's awful for her, but… I can't say I'm sorry." Clark sighed, feeling his chest tighten. "If I hadn't, you'd have been left here wondering where I'd gone."
"Oh, believe me, Clark, you don't get to knock up a Luthor and run away. Sooner or later, I'd have come looking for you."
Clark stroked the side of Lex's abdomen. "Hopefully later. Lana took that project you were working on last year, the Prometheus suit."
"They were still funding that?" Lex paled suddenly. "Wait. Lana has it? As in, she's wearing it. My God, Clark! Do you know how dangerous that is in the hands of someone like her?"
"It gets worse. I can only guess that the government operatives that have taken over LuthorCorp kept the project going." Clark looked up to Lex. "She stole the suit. She's as strong and fast as me, now."
Lex paused. "You'll understand if that concept is terrifying to me, won't you? I still don't know what to make of this 'Tess' person. 'Lex girl' era aside, I can't think of how I'd come across a dark-haired fanatic who seemed to think she was my protégé, and from the pictures you've shown me, I'm sure I've never seen her before. But that was too early for what she claims, isn't it?"
"She believes it. I don't think she's lying. I think… I think she might be programmed. I know that LuthorCorp had the technology for that. Apparently the government wired her eyes and ears so that she's a walking microphone for them, so she's the perfect operative. She thinks you're the one who wired her, by the way." Clark gave Lex a gentle squeeze. " She might be a clone. I don't know that she is, I just know that they can, because they made a clone of you."
"Me? Why?"
"I think they did it to get Lana to complete the process of what they wanted to do with the Prometheus suit. Apparently they made it to absorb Kryptonite."
Lex nodded. "I knew that was possible, but I have no desire to make anyone walking nuclear bomb. So… She absorbed the radiation from the meteor rocks?"
"Yeah. They tricked her into it, I think, because she's so determined to destroy you. Now they have her. She doesn't realize the government was playing her into position." Clark raised a brow doubtfully. "And I'm a horrible person, because I didn't tell her what was going on with you. She's so bent on revenge against you, though, that I couldn't. Especially now that she's so dangerous, and I can't get near her."
Clark licked his lips, then touched Lex's face and kissed him firmly. "They blew you up. They blew "clone" you up, and I thought my heart was going to stop. I- I wanted to kill you. I was so angry at that clone, and everything that it had done to Lana-"
"You were under her spell," Lex reminded him in a whisper. "It wasn't me you wanted to kill. This happened before when her mutation was influencing you, remember? The engagement party? The dam?"
"Yes, but, God, Lex, going to your funeral. I thought I would die, too. I couldn't… I couldn't breathe. I had to see you. As soon as Lana's influence wore off, I had to come here and see for myself. See your face, hear your voice, touch your skin, feel our son." Clark buried his face in Lex's shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief as Lex's arms went around him, and he could feel Lex pressing kissed to his hair.
"We are perfectly fine," Lex crooned into Clark's ear.
"Lana has superpowers, and she still wants to kill you. Oliver wants to kill you. Tess wants to kill you, thanks to Lana. Toyman tried to kill you, and would have succeeded if you'd been there-"
"And so I'm taking a time out from all of this. No one knows I'm here." Lex hooked two fingers under Clark's chin and lifted his face so that he could look into Clark's eyes. "No one is going to know that I'm here. Thanks to this 'Toyman,' everyone is sure that I'm dead and buried."
Clark blinked and sucked in his lower lip. Lex leaned over and touched their foreheads together.
"You forgave me for some of the worst actions I can even imagine-"
"Lex-"
"I tried to kill you."
"And now I know why. You thought I was going to turn into that thing that took Chloe!" Clark exclaimed. "It was… awful."
"But I loved you," Lex said. He watched Clark's beautiful green eyes sadly.
"Well, then we've both tried to kill each other, in spite of loving."
"All I'm saying, Clark, is to cut yourself a little slack. Critique yourself for the things you should learn from, such as mindwiping your best friend-"
"I know," Clark replied, rolling his eyes. He should have know that after Lionel's 'loving' parenting, Lex wouldn't be receptive to any solution that involved taking someone's memories.
"-and don't succumb to guilt for things you can't control," Lex finished sternly.
Clark opened his mouth, but realized he didn't have anything to say. They could both work on what Lex had suggested, and they knew it. Instead of replying, he stood and squeezed Lex's hand lightly.
Lex put one hand on the arm of his chair and pushed himself up. So used to doing this on his own for the past month, he was a little surprised as Clark slipped an arm around his back and helped him to his feet. Lex looked up at Clark with tented brows. It was difficult to be away from Clark for long periods of time. It always had been, he supposed, but now that he was expecting their child and Clark was putting himself out there to help the people of Metropolis, everything seemed more complicated.
Since Clark had flown them out of the Arctic, calmed a panicked and guilt-stricken Lex, and told him everything, their relationship had changed, forever. Lex's attempted murder/suicide had ended with "I love yous" from both of them and with the restart of a friendship of legends. Other than his brief stint in Russia-the result of accidentally catching a chunk of meteor rock, which had been floating just out side of Earth's atmosphere, clean in the head-Clark visited Lex often, doing his best to make sure that no one followed him to this place.
"I never thought this would be easy. But let's not make it harder than it is, hm?" Lex said, touching Clark's chest as Clark held him securely. The large arms felt good. Only three people knew the location of Joseph Alexander's house-Clark, Lex, and Lex's old friend and now doctor, Milash, who certainly didn't want to be found either. Still, it was strange to be alone here.
"I still feel bad for sleeping with someone else," Clark admitted, bowing his head as he looked at Lex plaintively.
"Then why don't you make it up to me?" Lex suggested with a smirk.
He took Clark's hand and pulled him forward. Clark came, the strongest man in the world being tugged along by a pale, slender man looking up at him as though his specialness had nothing to do with the rainbow of abilities given to him by a fluke of solar radiation.
Together, they moved through the cozy home and ended up in a bedroom with a large window by the bed. Lex had the drapes closed, but when Clark stayed the night, he left them open. Clark loved to wake to the morning light.
"Lex, you- you mean so much to me. I hope you know that. It's hard not to screw up." Clark touched the back of Lex's head and brushed their cheeks together.
"You're telling me that? I have a mark slashed into my chest that declares me your sanctuary because of my perpetual screw ups." The wound he'd received from that Vertias cult member was one of the few severe enough to leave scar tissue.
"Don't joke. I'm pouring my heart out here."
"Hm." Lex kissed the side of Clark's cheek and moved his hands down Clark's back.
"You are, you know." Clark moved them a little and pressed their lips together slowly. Lex's body trembled slightly in Clark's arms-something Clark absolutely loved. Feeling Lex beginning to get excited, beginning to grow warm. Clark loved Lex's body responding to his, to him. He loved Lex.
His lips curved as he grinned widely. "I love you."
"And I love you," Lex replied, moving them closer to the bed.
"I know." Clark kept one hand on the small of Lex's back and laid him down on the queen-size bed, which was swathed in a deep purple bedspread and had been well-broken in before Clark had gotten his job at The Daily Planet. His hand caressed Lex's face, then moved down his body as they kissed, enthusiastic to be close to one another. It was how they were at their best. Panting, gasping, growling. They touched and adored one another, clothes flying off and limbs tangling.
A whirl of sweat and lust later, Clark laid curled around Lex, his hand protectively cupping Lex's belly, as he kissed Lex's neck.
"I'll always come back to you," Clark promised. "No matter what."
"I know. I've always known. We always do find our way back, don't we? Ever since you arrived here."
Clark nodded, breathing in, taking in Lex's scent. He rubbed Lex's twitching skin where their son was beginning to move. "To both of you."
"I know." Lex turned his head and kissed Clark slowly, sucking in his lower lip. "That's why it's destiny."
Clark and Lex continued to kiss one another, caress one another, ever so softly as they lay there together in their impromptu marriage bed. Secret for now, maybe forever, they would keep what was good and precious between them safe and sacred, no matter what. No matter how badly things fell apart or either of them fucked things up. Because it was destiny, but more importantly, because it was Clark and it was Lex. It was them.