Fic: Just For Now
Title: Just For Now
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: None
Rating: G
Spoilers: None
Word count: 455
Summary: Somehow, between the hate and the anger and the lies, a moment of friendship.
Warnings:None
Disclaimer: Not mine, not for profit
AN: Set vaguely Season 6/7-ish
You throw the doors to Lex's office open wide and storm in the room. Lex has to stop what he's doing; he knows it wrong and sometimes you just want to shake some sense into him. You have this idea at the back of your mind that if you just yell at him enough then he'll finally stop and think and become the man you always knew he could be. A stupid idea maybe, but you don't know what else to do, and you can't do nothing. That means giving up and you just can't.
The sight that greets you as you take in the room is unexpected. Lex is sitting on the couch, but he's lacking in his usual poise, something you didn't even know was possible. You approach him to find that Lex's lack of grace is due to the fact that he, despite the relatively early hour, has fallen asleep. You slowly drop to a crouch in front of him, waves of awe washing over you.
You've seen him knocked unconscious before, and you've seen him sleeping in a hospital room, but you've never seen him like this. Asleep in his office, the one space that is more his than anywhere else in the world, Lex actually appears comfortable. Lines you didn't even realize were there have smoothed off his face until he looks more innocent and honest than you've ever seen, even in the beginning. Just seeing him like this, and the loss and the regret and the longing rise up in you until you ache with it.
Your hand reaches toward Lex, but you don't let yourself touch. You can't bring yourself to do anything that might wake him. Instead you let your fingers ghost over him, close enough to feel the heat rising from his skin. A gentle stroke across the right side of his face, from temple to chin, a gesture so familiar and so right, though you don't know where it came from.
His head turns into where your hand had been only seconds ago and his whole body relaxes. You don't know how or why but suddenly you're sure that Lex knows you're here and right here, right now, with you, he feels safe.
Your vision blurs, and for a second you can't breathe.
There aren't any blankets in this room, but Lex's jacket is neatly folded over the arm of the couch. You pick it up and drape it over his sleeping form. Then slowly, softly, you exit the room, gently closing the doors behind you.
You still need to yell at him, to try to talk him out of what he's doing. But that can wait until tomorrow.
For now, you'll let him sleep.