FIC: Silence 6/10 (Clark/Lex, FRC) *Smallville*
Title: Silence 6/10
Author: soft_princess ( soft.princess@gmail.com )
Website: Fly With me
Word count: this part: 5,044
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: this part: FRT
A full header/disclaimer can be found in part 1.
Previous parts are here.
***
Chapter VI
Martha and Jonathan went to bed early, exhausted from a combination of very little sleep and long hours of explanations. Lex stayed in the living room, unable to move with Clark's head in his lap. Clark was sleeping soundly, his body curled up on the couch and both of his arms wrapped around one of Lex's legs.
Lex sighed softly, a hand on Clark's back, and leaned his head against the back of the couch. The burden of finding Clark and getting him out of Lionel's clutches was gone, and Lex was exhausted, now feeling all the pent-up fatigue of the past few months.
He tried, but he couldn't go to sleep. He didn't want to wake up and find Clark gone; he had had that nightmare too many times before. Lex expected his father's retribution soon. It wasn't like they'd gone far away to hide; Lionel would know where to look.
If he wanted to look, which Lex doubted. He was pretty sure that Lionel had something else up his sleeve, something that didn't involve trying to get Clark back with violence or covert ops. Frightening didn't even begin to cover it.
No, Lex wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
He settled for watching Clark sleep, trying his best not to worry yet; there would be plenty of time in the morning. Clark looked peaceful and innocent, almost as young as he'd been the first time Lex had seen him. It brought back memories, and Lex had to look away. He still felt guilty for what had happened. He knew the guilt would never go away; he wouldn't let it. It was his fault, after all. But seeing Clark like this, being reminded of how he had been before, and knowing how broken he was now... Lex couldn't stand it. He moved Clark's head from his lap, needing to get up.
It wasn't just the guilt. Even though Lex had known that he was in love with Clark for a few years, it still caught him off guard at times, and this was one of them.
"Don't go." Clark's voice called him back. "I need you," Clark whispered, barely audible to Lex, but when Clark reached out to him, he knew he had heard right.
Lex's breathing eased. He went to the couch, sat down, and tugged Clark's head into his lap. "Go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." With a smile, Clark settled in his previous position and went back to sleep.
***
When Clark woke up next, Lex was snoring lightly, exhaustion having finally gotten the best of him. Clark stood, careful not to wake him up, and pushed Lex until he was lying down on the couch.
Clark could feel the sun starting to come up; he'd slept all through the evening and most of the night. He walked out of the house onto the porch, wanting to watch the sunrise and feel the warm rays on his skin. He kept walking out into the fields until he couldn't see the house anymore. Sitting down on the ground, Clark closed his eyes and breathed in the morning air. He listened to the birds chirping and felt the sun as it moved up on the horizon, immersing him in its light. He could feel his senses finally opening up as the rays warmed his skin. And at last he understood what he had been missing before.
Clark stayed there for a long time, in the same posture he had used for his trance. His breathing evening out, and his eyes closed., He let the sun regenerate his body, smiling.
The sound of Lex's erratic footsteps drew him out of his trance, and he knew Lex had been afraid when he had woken up and found Clark gone. Clark felt a twinge of guilt and he stood up to let Lex know where he was. He really hadn't meant to scare Lex; he just hadn't been thinking.
When Lex finally arrived at his side, Clark sank back to the ground, his feet tucked under him. "Everything will be all right, Lex," Clark said. He looked at Lex for a moment, then back to the horizon.
"You're feeling better." Lex sat down by his side.
Clark nodded, smiling; he finally felt like himself again: not quite human, but not quite so alien either. "It's the sun, Lex--my source of energy, what Lionel has been trying to figure out. I can't function without the sun." His voice carried the feeling of wonder he had been holding onto since he had come to this conclusion.
"That would make sense," Lex whispered.
Clark could feel Lex watching and he closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly, letting the power surge back through his body. "I still want to take you flying." He smiled and opened his eyes, taking in the change in Lex's whole expression; the fear faded into a tentative smile, and Lex reached for Clark's hand.
"When you're feeling more like yourself again, you can show me whatever you want."
"Flying is the most exhilarating thing I've ever done." He smiled brightly.
"So you've told me," Lex said, squeezing Clark's hand.
Clark didn't even flinch at the pressure, the pain completely gone. He looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled. "I don't know if I can still do it, but-" He looked back at Lex. "I don't think it's all that much more difficult than it was in my dream."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Clark." Lex reached for Clark's cheek with his other hand and brushed his fingers against it gently. "You can do whatever you want."
Clark wanted to believe him. And maybe one day soon, he would try again. For now, there were other things on his mind. "How much of what you told me in my dream was true?"
"Everything." Lex looked up at the sky. "School, me breaking away from my father's grasp, rebuilding LexCorp-"
"And the folder?"
Lex laughed and shook his head. "That, you came up with. I had to fight you, in your dream. I had to fight your hold on me to be able to tell you anything that you didn't want to hear. At first, my mind wasn't strong enough to do anything but follow along whatever your brain would come up with; hence the folder. That's when I realized just how much you wanted me to-to save you."
Clark held on to Lex's hand, even as Lex tried to escape his grasp and stand up. "I did." The words didn't feel all that meaningful to Clark, but they seemed to have a calming effect on Lex; he stopped fighting to get away.
"I didn't even know what was in the folder until you were in the penthouse-and then it was like you were whispering the answers to me in my mind," Lex said. "The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted you safe, back home. That I had to take you home, no matter what."
"And you did." Clark touched Lex's cheek and bent his head until their lips were almost touching. "You saved me," he whispered before closing the short gap and crushing his lips to Lex's.
The kiss was short, but passionate and real, and as much as he tried, Clark couldn't manage to fight back the tears filling his eyes. "I love you. It hurts and it scares me, but it's real. I know it is." He smiled and leaned against Lex's cheek. "It wasn't a dream."
Another short kiss, and Lex was holding Clark tight to his chest. "We'll make him pay for this, I promise you."
Clark nodded against Lex's chest. They were silent for a moment, both of them just holding on to the other, overwhelmed. Then Clark added, "But first, we have to go home and reassure my parents that we haven't disappeared again. I can almost hear them worrying."
With a laugh, Lex untangled himself from Clark and stood up, reaching down to help Clark to his feet. There was a glint in Lex's eyes that made Clark's heart skip a beat. It felt new and perfect, this thing between them, and while Clark knew that Lionel could reappear at any moment and make the whole world come crashing down again, he would keep holding on to this feeling, to Lex, until then. Walking back to the house, stealing glances at each other and smiling, Clark finally realized that he wasn't the only one who had come home.
***
The door opened with a squeak, making Lex wince. Both Martha and Jonathan were up already and in the kitchen drinking coffee. They both looked up swiftly when Lex and Clark came in. The matching looks on their faces confirmed what Clark had thought; they'd been worried.
"I should get that fixed," Jonathan said. "How are you boys this morning?" he asked, just a little stiffly.
Lex let go of Clark's hand and walked further into the kitchen, acting as nonchalant as he could manage. It was obvious Jonathan had been watching them from the window, and it made Lex uncomfortable. "Clark figured out that the sun helped him gain his strength back," he said, sitting down on a stool. "We didn't mean to worry you." Jonathan bit his lip at that, and Lex knew he had pinned down what had been bothering him..
Clark hugged his mother from behind, and breathed in deeply. "Morning, Mom."
"Good morning." With a smile, Martha pushed him away and turned around. Her expression turned to one of shock, and Lex knew exactly what she was thinking, because he could see it too. Clark looked as healthy as he had three years ago; he looked nothing like the sickly boy Lex had brought home from Marysville the morning before.
"You look much better this morning, honey," she whispered.
"The sun's a miracle cure." Clark opened the fridge. "I have at least part of my strength back. I want to help with the chores, Dad; I feel like I need to put every muscle in my body to use." He grabbed the milk bottle and brought it to his lips. Lex and Martha both frowned, and Clark laughed and grabbed a glass instead.
Jonathan shook his head with a smile. "Well, it'll certainly be nice to have some help around here." He squeezed Lex's shoulder and sat beside him. "Lex isn't all that gifted when cows are involved."
Lex wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They just really don't like me."
Clark sat down, smiling at Lex. "You can help me later if you want."
"Which part of 'They don't like me' didn't you get?" He'd tried, really, but there was just no way he was getting close to those animals again.
Clark shook his head. "You just don't know how to handle them."
Martha grabbed eggs and bacon from the fridge. "Who wants something to eat?"
***
The day passed by swiftly, and despite his comment at breakfast, Lex enjoyed spending time helping Clark with his chores, which he figured probably meant he was insane. But then again, he didn't mind, because every time Clark laughed or smiled, Lex knew being crazy wasn't all that bad. There were moments when Lex just stopped whatever he was doing and just watched Clark move around the space like he had never left. It made Lex's heart ache to know that Clark was forgetting, even just for a moment, that he had been gone for three years.
They finally went back into the house at dinnertime, both of them exhausted. Clark's stride was slower and his smile was gone, but Lex just held on to him and didn't say a word about it. After dinner, Clark excused himself to go out in the field again, and Lex let him go alone, knowing that Clark needed some time to himself. Lex helped Martha wash the dishes; dishtowel in hand, he watched from the window as Clark sat down within view.
"Maybe you should go see him," Martha said gently as she took the last clean plate from his hands and put it away.
Lex shook his head. "He needs some time on his own."
It wasn't until the sun was setting that Lex finally decided to join him. He walked to Clark's side and sat on the ground, silent.
Clark opened his eyes slowly and turned to Lex, smiling softly. He didn't look as tired as he had just an hour ago. "I just realized that I have no idea what a real sunset looks like," Clark said. "The ones in my dream were so fake compared to this." He leaned his head on Lex's shoulder and continued, whispering, "I've been thinking-about how it happened."
Wrapping his arm around Clark's shoulder, Lex leaned his own head against Clark's and sighed.
"Your father gave me the key." Clark shuddered and tried to bury himself closer to Lex's chest. "For the room."
"That's what I thought."
"He said if I wanted answers, I should use that key. Even told me which room it was. I-I can't believe how stupid I was. I didn't realize that if he had the key, it meant he'd seen the room himself." He trembled in Lex's arms and, with a shake of his head, stood up and moved away, his eyes fixed on the lowering sun. "I walked right into his trap."
"I can't say it wasn't a dumb thing to do," Lex admitted, sighing. "But had I been in your position? I would have done the same thing." He brought his legs up to his chest and leaned his head against his knees. "I was an idiot to believe my father had never found the room in the first place. I thought I'd taken all the precautions necessary to make sure nobody else but myself had access to it."
They were silent for a moment, neither of them wanting to dwell on that part of the past but unable to pull their thoughts away from it. "I just-I'm sorry." Clark shook his head. "I missed the trial. In-in my dreams, I made it, and your father wasn't allowed to post bail."
Lex stood and brushed off his pants, taking a moment to admire the colourful sky before turning back to Clark. "He got out on bail easily; he almost managed to get himself out of going to court altogether." He shook his head. "He was going to have Chloe killed."
Clark shivered and hugged himself. The thought that Chloe could have been hurt-because of him-he couldn’t even think about it. "What happened?"
Lex shrugged. "He changed his mind, decided it'd be more fun to destroy her without killing her. I protected her as best I could. In the end it didn't matter." He looked away, trying to find the words. "I wish I could tell you that she's fine and happy and totally unscathed, but I have no idea where she is." He'd tried to find her, tried to coerce Gabriel into giving him the information just so he could talk to Chloe, but Gabriel had kept his secret, and Lex had given up after a while.
Clark nodded. "Her father?"
"Gabriel knows where she is, but he won't tell." Lex looked down at his feet. "It took me a while to figure out that it'd be best if I didn't know. Gabriel works for me now; he left the plant when my father started toying around with Chloe."
Clark nodded, turning back towards the farm, and started to walk, not even waiting for Lex to follow him.
"Everything okay?" Lex asked, trying to match Clark's quick stride.
"Yeah," Clark nodded, though he didn't sound certain of anything at this point. "It's just-I feel so out of the loop."
"I don't blame you. You've been asleep for three years, and the world changed on you. It can't be easy."
"Yeah, especially since it's all so different from what I imagined." Clark smiled sadly. "All my friends are gone, and I wasn't there to say goodbye." He sighed. "If I hadn't walked right into your father's trap, Chloe would still be here. She'd be safe."
Lex stopped. "Clark, it's not your fault."
"Lex-" He didn't know how to explain himself, so he stopped walking and turned to face Lex.
"It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I know that." Lex's chest hurt; for a moment, he thought he had stopped breathing. He put a hand on his heart and breathed deeply before looking straight into Clark's eyes. "I'm the only one to blame for what happened to you, and saving you doesn't make me any less the one to blame. I led my father straight to you, and no matter what, it'll always come back to that. He kidnapped you, but I gathered the information, I left that room without enough security to keep him out, I let him find everything he needed. I-" His breathing had become erratic, and the pain in his chest made his eyes swell with tears. "I-"
"Stop."
One word, but said with so much strength that Lex couldn't do anything but comply. He breathed deeply and exhaled, trying to calm himself. He could feel Clark's hands on his shoulders; it was comforting, almost arousing, and Lex shivered.
"Please, Lex, stop." Clark bent his head towards Lex's, kissing his cheeks, first the left, then the right, before moving down to Lex's lips and kissing him softly. His hands tightened briefly on Lex's shoulders, and he brought him closer, almost crushing Lex to his chest. Lex shivered, and groaned when Clark's arms wrapped around his torso.
"Lex-" Clark's voice was hoarse, and he pressed his mouth harder against Lex's.
Lex grabbed Clark's shoulders, trying to get him closer still, their lips moving together in an endless dance. Lex was breathless again, but this time, he didn't want to stop and catch his breath. He reached out with his tongue, licking Clark's lips, trying to coax them open. "Clark," he breathed when Clark finally opened his mouth to him. He didn't want this moment to end, didn't want to stop feeling Clark's body against him, Clark's hardness, matching his own, against his hip. But he knew it couldn’t go farther than this. Without reducing the pressure with which he held Clark, Lex withdrew his lips and leaned his cheek against Clark's. "We have to stop."
"I can feel you inside my head, Lex, I know," Clark said, out of breath, "you don't want to stop." He tried to capture Lex's lips again, his hands moving down to rest just above Lex's buttocks.
"No, Clark." Lex put his head on Clark's shoulder, putting all his willpower into avoiding Clark's lips. "I don't want to stop, but we have to. It'd be a mistake." He could feel Clark's chest heaving, and he tightened his hold momentarily before letting go completely and waiting for Clark to do the same.
"Why?" Clark said, but he didn't let go of Lex.
Because it hurt. Clark's hands were too tight, and pain laced through Lex's body. He pushed Clark away, or at least tried to, but Clark wouldn't budge. "Clark?" His own voice sounded strained to him, and he groaned. "You're hurting me."
Clark let go at once, staggering back. "Oh, God."
Lex breathed out slowly and rubbed his hips, before turning to Clark and smiling reassuringly. He put his hand on Clark's shoulder and even managed a laugh. "I think it's fair to say you got your strength back." It was somewhat of a relief, really, even though he knew he was going to have hand-shaped bruises soon enough.
Clark looked at him for a second and then gave a little chuckle. "I'm sorry we had to find out this way, though." He touched Lex's hip gently. "You'll have bruises."
Lex pulled his shirt up a little, exposing the rapidly colouring skin. "War wounds." He looked up at Clark, and smiled.
Clark touched the skin softly again, worrying his lower lip. "I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you."
"I know," Lex said, taking Clark's hand away from the bruises and bringing it to his lips.
Clark blushed lightly, making Lex smile, and brushed his fingers across Lex's cheeks. "So why did we stop again?" He quirked his eyebrows at Lex, and then turned to walk towards the house.
Lex laughed and squeezed Clark's hand. "Because a field isn't exactly the best place to have sex, and-" He looked away. "I don't think you're ready to take it that far yet. Trust me, I want to, but... I think we need to wait."
Clark nodded. "Maybe you're right, but-"
"Clark! Lex!" Jonathan's voice reached them from the porch where he'd just come out of the house, panicked. They looked at each other and rushed to his side. "There's something you need to see."
They hurried inside to the living room, where Martha was sitting, watching the news.
"Lionel Luthor has called a press conference for late tomorrow afternoon. The man behind LuthorCorp is said to have made the scientific discovery of the century. No word as to what that discovery is, but the scientific world is in an uproar-"
Lex stood dumbstruck, not able to believe what was being said. His father couldn't go public with the information, not just a day after Clark's disappearance. Lionel didn't have Clark as proof anymore, and that really just wasn't the kind of man Lionel was, at least not unless he wanted something out of Lex, and if he did, he would be contacting Lex soon.
Lex needed a plan, and he needed it before Lionel called. Which meant he had to figure out where Lionel was actually going with this whole thing. "I have to know what he's playing at," he whispered, and Jonathan, Martha and Clark all looked at him. He shook his head. "I have to go to Metropolis." He turned away and hurried up the stairs to get his suitcase.
"I'm coming with you," Clark said, following just a few feet behind Lex.
"No."
"But-"
"Think about it, Clark." Lex turned to face him. "There are going to be hordes of journalists around. If they see you-" He sighed. "There'll be pictures of you in every newspaper, and we can't risk that. What if that's exactly what he wants? To drag you out of hiding right into his grip again. I can't let that happen."
"Lex-"
"Clark, please."
Clark just stood there and didn't say anything until Lex was packed. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he whispered finally, when Lex was ready and moving out of the room.
Lex turned back to him and strode to his side. He took Clark's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. "I'll be fine, Clark, I promise. I just need to figure out what he's trying to do. I can't let him expose you to the media. Not when I just got you back." Lex cupped Clark's cheek. "I promise if I need your help, I'll call you, but until then, you need to stay here."
With a nod, Clark stood up and gave Lex a quick kiss. "If you're not back tomorrow night, I'm coming to get you."
Lex smiled and went back to his suitcase, which he had left by the door. "I expect you to."
***
It took less than two hours for Lex to drive to Metropolis. That wasn't the fastest he had ever driven, but it came close. He called ahead and had Gabe prepare everything for his arrival. Hiring Chloe's father as his assistant had been the best decision he'd made in the past three years. Going back to school full time while still looking for Clark had left him with little time to think about managing his fortune, and Gabe had done a great job of keeping everything in order.
For as long as Lex could remember, he had never seen a tear in the man's eyes, and never had any mention of his daughter brought anything more than a smile to his face. Gabe carried the secret of Chloe's hiding place, and after an initial attempt, Lex had stopped trying to push Gabe to tell him. He'd learned his lesson when he lost Clark, and had promised himself he would never put anyone else in danger. He left Gabe to his secret and never touched the issue again, no matter how much he'd wanted to see and talk to Chloe again over the years.
His phone rang, startling him from his thoughts, and he grabbed it from the passenger seat where he had thrown it earlier. "Lex Luthor."
"Everything is ready, Lex." Gabe sounded tired and anxious, as if he was also waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Thanks, Gabe, I'll be there in about ten minutes." He pushed on the brakes and slowed down to a halt at the red light. "Anything new?"
Lex could almost hear Gabe shaking his head in apprehension. "Nothing that I've heard. Nobody knows what the press conference is about, but there's a great anticipation building."
"I can't believe he'd do this." With a tap on the accelerator, the car moved again, and Lex turned left.
"I don't know what it's all about Lex, but there's nothing we can do until you get here. How're the Kents? I haven't heard from them in a few days." He hadn't known they'd been looking for Clark. Lex had made sure all of them kept it a secret even from the people closest to them. Gabe had still kept in contact with the Kents; Lex knew they met up at least once a month, and was glad for the comfort that Gabe seemed to give, and receive.
"Well, let's just say that they're doing well now that they've found something they'd lost," Lex said, and knew from the short gasp at the other end of the line that Gabe had understood.
"How-I-How is he?"
"As well as can be expected. I don't want to talk about it on the phone, Gabe; I'll brief you as soon as I get there." He hung up the phone and turned left again, entering the penthouse's underground parking lot with a feeling of dread. It wouldn't be easy to try to beat Lionel at this game. Whatever the game was.
***
"Clark, you need to stop watching the news," Martha said, walking into the living room in her nightgown. "You need to rest."
Clark shook his head, his eyes fixed on the TV. A little girl had just come on the screen and the reporter told the story of how she'd been saved from drowning by her dog, but Clark didn't care.
"You're not even watching it." Martha took the remote from his hand and turned off the TV. "Come upstairs and try to sleep."
Clark sighed. He couldn't explain why he didn't want to sleep. He hadn't been able to close his eyes since he'd come back without Lex being there with him, touching him, and anchoring him into reality.
He was terrified of being pulled back into his dream again, of believing the lies in his sleep and never waking again. "I don't feel like sleeping, Mom," he said, his voice hoarse. He coughed a little, trying to clear his throat. God, he hated being this emotional.
Martha sat by his side. "You need as much rest as you can get, sweetheart." She put her hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly.
Clark leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. He could feel something nagging at the edge of his thoughts and wondered for a moment what Lex was doing, before he opened his eyes again and smiled tiredly at his mother. "I haven't slept alone since I came back."
Martha gave a small laugh. "We've noticed."
Clark blushed and looked down. "We haven't-you know, done anything."
Biting her lower lip, Martha nodded. "Your father and I have some concerns about your relationship with Lex, but-we know Lex enough now to trust him. He loves you, but it doesn't mean that you have to love him too, just because he saved you."
Clark looked up at her, and was suddenly hit with a strong desire to curl up in her arms like he had done so many times as a child. "I don't-it's not like that, Mom." He put his head on her shoulder. "I-I've been attracted to him for as long as I can remember. And-I think I loved him too, before. And now-I-in my dreams, I loved him, Mom. I loved him from the moment he asked me to make a wish, to the moment he asked me to wake up for him. And when I did that, I still loved him." He sighed as Martha wrapped an arm around his shoulder and kissed his forehead. "I think-I think I've always been in love with him."
Martha tightened her hold on him. "If this is what you really want, then it'll be fine, baby," she whispered. "Lex-we, your father and I, we know you'll be safe with him. Lex won't let anything happen to you."
"Mom-" It was weird, to hear her say these things, and it made Clark realize that he had really missed three years of everybody's lives. That was something it would take him a while to understand. His parents had never been so understanding of Lex before, at least as far as he could remember.
"It'll be okay, sweetheart. We'll be okay," she said again, holding him tightly.
Clark nodded against her shoulder, and sighed. "I'm scared, Mom."
***
CHAPTER VII
Author: soft_princess ( soft.princess@gmail.com )
Website: Fly With me
Word count: this part: 5,044
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: this part: FRT
A full header/disclaimer can be found in part 1.
Previous parts are here.
***
Chapter VI
Martha and Jonathan went to bed early, exhausted from a combination of very little sleep and long hours of explanations. Lex stayed in the living room, unable to move with Clark's head in his lap. Clark was sleeping soundly, his body curled up on the couch and both of his arms wrapped around one of Lex's legs.
Lex sighed softly, a hand on Clark's back, and leaned his head against the back of the couch. The burden of finding Clark and getting him out of Lionel's clutches was gone, and Lex was exhausted, now feeling all the pent-up fatigue of the past few months.
He tried, but he couldn't go to sleep. He didn't want to wake up and find Clark gone; he had had that nightmare too many times before. Lex expected his father's retribution soon. It wasn't like they'd gone far away to hide; Lionel would know where to look.
If he wanted to look, which Lex doubted. He was pretty sure that Lionel had something else up his sleeve, something that didn't involve trying to get Clark back with violence or covert ops. Frightening didn't even begin to cover it.
No, Lex wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
He settled for watching Clark sleep, trying his best not to worry yet; there would be plenty of time in the morning. Clark looked peaceful and innocent, almost as young as he'd been the first time Lex had seen him. It brought back memories, and Lex had to look away. He still felt guilty for what had happened. He knew the guilt would never go away; he wouldn't let it. It was his fault, after all. But seeing Clark like this, being reminded of how he had been before, and knowing how broken he was now... Lex couldn't stand it. He moved Clark's head from his lap, needing to get up.
It wasn't just the guilt. Even though Lex had known that he was in love with Clark for a few years, it still caught him off guard at times, and this was one of them.
"Don't go." Clark's voice called him back. "I need you," Clark whispered, barely audible to Lex, but when Clark reached out to him, he knew he had heard right.
Lex's breathing eased. He went to the couch, sat down, and tugged Clark's head into his lap. "Go back to sleep. I'm not going anywhere." With a smile, Clark settled in his previous position and went back to sleep.
***
When Clark woke up next, Lex was snoring lightly, exhaustion having finally gotten the best of him. Clark stood, careful not to wake him up, and pushed Lex until he was lying down on the couch.
Clark could feel the sun starting to come up; he'd slept all through the evening and most of the night. He walked out of the house onto the porch, wanting to watch the sunrise and feel the warm rays on his skin. He kept walking out into the fields until he couldn't see the house anymore. Sitting down on the ground, Clark closed his eyes and breathed in the morning air. He listened to the birds chirping and felt the sun as it moved up on the horizon, immersing him in its light. He could feel his senses finally opening up as the rays warmed his skin. And at last he understood what he had been missing before.
Clark stayed there for a long time, in the same posture he had used for his trance. His breathing evening out, and his eyes closed., He let the sun regenerate his body, smiling.
The sound of Lex's erratic footsteps drew him out of his trance, and he knew Lex had been afraid when he had woken up and found Clark gone. Clark felt a twinge of guilt and he stood up to let Lex know where he was. He really hadn't meant to scare Lex; he just hadn't been thinking.
When Lex finally arrived at his side, Clark sank back to the ground, his feet tucked under him. "Everything will be all right, Lex," Clark said. He looked at Lex for a moment, then back to the horizon.
"You're feeling better." Lex sat down by his side.
Clark nodded, smiling; he finally felt like himself again: not quite human, but not quite so alien either. "It's the sun, Lex--my source of energy, what Lionel has been trying to figure out. I can't function without the sun." His voice carried the feeling of wonder he had been holding onto since he had come to this conclusion.
"That would make sense," Lex whispered.
Clark could feel Lex watching and he closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly, letting the power surge back through his body. "I still want to take you flying." He smiled and opened his eyes, taking in the change in Lex's whole expression; the fear faded into a tentative smile, and Lex reached for Clark's hand.
"When you're feeling more like yourself again, you can show me whatever you want."
"Flying is the most exhilarating thing I've ever done." He smiled brightly.
"So you've told me," Lex said, squeezing Clark's hand.
Clark didn't even flinch at the pressure, the pain completely gone. He looked down at their intertwined hands and smiled. "I don't know if I can still do it, but-" He looked back at Lex. "I don't think it's all that much more difficult than it was in my dream."
"I'm sure you'll figure it out, Clark." Lex reached for Clark's cheek with his other hand and brushed his fingers against it gently. "You can do whatever you want."
Clark wanted to believe him. And maybe one day soon, he would try again. For now, there were other things on his mind. "How much of what you told me in my dream was true?"
"Everything." Lex looked up at the sky. "School, me breaking away from my father's grasp, rebuilding LexCorp-"
"And the folder?"
Lex laughed and shook his head. "That, you came up with. I had to fight you, in your dream. I had to fight your hold on me to be able to tell you anything that you didn't want to hear. At first, my mind wasn't strong enough to do anything but follow along whatever your brain would come up with; hence the folder. That's when I realized just how much you wanted me to-to save you."
Clark held on to Lex's hand, even as Lex tried to escape his grasp and stand up. "I did." The words didn't feel all that meaningful to Clark, but they seemed to have a calming effect on Lex; he stopped fighting to get away.
"I didn't even know what was in the folder until you were in the penthouse-and then it was like you were whispering the answers to me in my mind," Lex said. "The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted you safe, back home. That I had to take you home, no matter what."
"And you did." Clark touched Lex's cheek and bent his head until their lips were almost touching. "You saved me," he whispered before closing the short gap and crushing his lips to Lex's.
The kiss was short, but passionate and real, and as much as he tried, Clark couldn't manage to fight back the tears filling his eyes. "I love you. It hurts and it scares me, but it's real. I know it is." He smiled and leaned against Lex's cheek. "It wasn't a dream."
Another short kiss, and Lex was holding Clark tight to his chest. "We'll make him pay for this, I promise you."
Clark nodded against Lex's chest. They were silent for a moment, both of them just holding on to the other, overwhelmed. Then Clark added, "But first, we have to go home and reassure my parents that we haven't disappeared again. I can almost hear them worrying."
With a laugh, Lex untangled himself from Clark and stood up, reaching down to help Clark to his feet. There was a glint in Lex's eyes that made Clark's heart skip a beat. It felt new and perfect, this thing between them, and while Clark knew that Lionel could reappear at any moment and make the whole world come crashing down again, he would keep holding on to this feeling, to Lex, until then. Walking back to the house, stealing glances at each other and smiling, Clark finally realized that he wasn't the only one who had come home.
***
The door opened with a squeak, making Lex wince. Both Martha and Jonathan were up already and in the kitchen drinking coffee. They both looked up swiftly when Lex and Clark came in. The matching looks on their faces confirmed what Clark had thought; they'd been worried.
"I should get that fixed," Jonathan said. "How are you boys this morning?" he asked, just a little stiffly.
Lex let go of Clark's hand and walked further into the kitchen, acting as nonchalant as he could manage. It was obvious Jonathan had been watching them from the window, and it made Lex uncomfortable. "Clark figured out that the sun helped him gain his strength back," he said, sitting down on a stool. "We didn't mean to worry you." Jonathan bit his lip at that, and Lex knew he had pinned down what had been bothering him..
Clark hugged his mother from behind, and breathed in deeply. "Morning, Mom."
"Good morning." With a smile, Martha pushed him away and turned around. Her expression turned to one of shock, and Lex knew exactly what she was thinking, because he could see it too. Clark looked as healthy as he had three years ago; he looked nothing like the sickly boy Lex had brought home from Marysville the morning before.
"You look much better this morning, honey," she whispered.
"The sun's a miracle cure." Clark opened the fridge. "I have at least part of my strength back. I want to help with the chores, Dad; I feel like I need to put every muscle in my body to use." He grabbed the milk bottle and brought it to his lips. Lex and Martha both frowned, and Clark laughed and grabbed a glass instead.
Jonathan shook his head with a smile. "Well, it'll certainly be nice to have some help around here." He squeezed Lex's shoulder and sat beside him. "Lex isn't all that gifted when cows are involved."
Lex wrinkled his nose in disgust. "They just really don't like me."
Clark sat down, smiling at Lex. "You can help me later if you want."
"Which part of 'They don't like me' didn't you get?" He'd tried, really, but there was just no way he was getting close to those animals again.
Clark shook his head. "You just don't know how to handle them."
Martha grabbed eggs and bacon from the fridge. "Who wants something to eat?"
***
The day passed by swiftly, and despite his comment at breakfast, Lex enjoyed spending time helping Clark with his chores, which he figured probably meant he was insane. But then again, he didn't mind, because every time Clark laughed or smiled, Lex knew being crazy wasn't all that bad. There were moments when Lex just stopped whatever he was doing and just watched Clark move around the space like he had never left. It made Lex's heart ache to know that Clark was forgetting, even just for a moment, that he had been gone for three years.
They finally went back into the house at dinnertime, both of them exhausted. Clark's stride was slower and his smile was gone, but Lex just held on to him and didn't say a word about it. After dinner, Clark excused himself to go out in the field again, and Lex let him go alone, knowing that Clark needed some time to himself. Lex helped Martha wash the dishes; dishtowel in hand, he watched from the window as Clark sat down within view.
"Maybe you should go see him," Martha said gently as she took the last clean plate from his hands and put it away.
Lex shook his head. "He needs some time on his own."
It wasn't until the sun was setting that Lex finally decided to join him. He walked to Clark's side and sat on the ground, silent.
Clark opened his eyes slowly and turned to Lex, smiling softly. He didn't look as tired as he had just an hour ago. "I just realized that I have no idea what a real sunset looks like," Clark said. "The ones in my dream were so fake compared to this." He leaned his head on Lex's shoulder and continued, whispering, "I've been thinking-about how it happened."
Wrapping his arm around Clark's shoulder, Lex leaned his own head against Clark's and sighed.
"Your father gave me the key." Clark shuddered and tried to bury himself closer to Lex's chest. "For the room."
"That's what I thought."
"He said if I wanted answers, I should use that key. Even told me which room it was. I-I can't believe how stupid I was. I didn't realize that if he had the key, it meant he'd seen the room himself." He trembled in Lex's arms and, with a shake of his head, stood up and moved away, his eyes fixed on the lowering sun. "I walked right into his trap."
"I can't say it wasn't a dumb thing to do," Lex admitted, sighing. "But had I been in your position? I would have done the same thing." He brought his legs up to his chest and leaned his head against his knees. "I was an idiot to believe my father had never found the room in the first place. I thought I'd taken all the precautions necessary to make sure nobody else but myself had access to it."
They were silent for a moment, neither of them wanting to dwell on that part of the past but unable to pull their thoughts away from it. "I just-I'm sorry." Clark shook his head. "I missed the trial. In-in my dreams, I made it, and your father wasn't allowed to post bail."
Lex stood and brushed off his pants, taking a moment to admire the colourful sky before turning back to Clark. "He got out on bail easily; he almost managed to get himself out of going to court altogether." He shook his head. "He was going to have Chloe killed."
Clark shivered and hugged himself. The thought that Chloe could have been hurt-because of him-he couldn’t even think about it. "What happened?"
Lex shrugged. "He changed his mind, decided it'd be more fun to destroy her without killing her. I protected her as best I could. In the end it didn't matter." He looked away, trying to find the words. "I wish I could tell you that she's fine and happy and totally unscathed, but I have no idea where she is." He'd tried to find her, tried to coerce Gabriel into giving him the information just so he could talk to Chloe, but Gabriel had kept his secret, and Lex had given up after a while.
Clark nodded. "Her father?"
"Gabriel knows where she is, but he won't tell." Lex looked down at his feet. "It took me a while to figure out that it'd be best if I didn't know. Gabriel works for me now; he left the plant when my father started toying around with Chloe."
Clark nodded, turning back towards the farm, and started to walk, not even waiting for Lex to follow him.
"Everything okay?" Lex asked, trying to match Clark's quick stride.
"Yeah," Clark nodded, though he didn't sound certain of anything at this point. "It's just-I feel so out of the loop."
"I don't blame you. You've been asleep for three years, and the world changed on you. It can't be easy."
"Yeah, especially since it's all so different from what I imagined." Clark smiled sadly. "All my friends are gone, and I wasn't there to say goodbye." He sighed. "If I hadn't walked right into your father's trap, Chloe would still be here. She'd be safe."
Lex stopped. "Clark, it's not your fault."
"Lex-" He didn't know how to explain himself, so he stopped walking and turned to face Lex.
"It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I know that." Lex's chest hurt; for a moment, he thought he had stopped breathing. He put a hand on his heart and breathed deeply before looking straight into Clark's eyes. "I'm the only one to blame for what happened to you, and saving you doesn't make me any less the one to blame. I led my father straight to you, and no matter what, it'll always come back to that. He kidnapped you, but I gathered the information, I left that room without enough security to keep him out, I let him find everything he needed. I-" His breathing had become erratic, and the pain in his chest made his eyes swell with tears. "I-"
"Stop."
One word, but said with so much strength that Lex couldn't do anything but comply. He breathed deeply and exhaled, trying to calm himself. He could feel Clark's hands on his shoulders; it was comforting, almost arousing, and Lex shivered.
"Please, Lex, stop." Clark bent his head towards Lex's, kissing his cheeks, first the left, then the right, before moving down to Lex's lips and kissing him softly. His hands tightened briefly on Lex's shoulders, and he brought him closer, almost crushing Lex to his chest. Lex shivered, and groaned when Clark's arms wrapped around his torso.
"Lex-" Clark's voice was hoarse, and he pressed his mouth harder against Lex's.
Lex grabbed Clark's shoulders, trying to get him closer still, their lips moving together in an endless dance. Lex was breathless again, but this time, he didn't want to stop and catch his breath. He reached out with his tongue, licking Clark's lips, trying to coax them open. "Clark," he breathed when Clark finally opened his mouth to him. He didn't want this moment to end, didn't want to stop feeling Clark's body against him, Clark's hardness, matching his own, against his hip. But he knew it couldn’t go farther than this. Without reducing the pressure with which he held Clark, Lex withdrew his lips and leaned his cheek against Clark's. "We have to stop."
"I can feel you inside my head, Lex, I know," Clark said, out of breath, "you don't want to stop." He tried to capture Lex's lips again, his hands moving down to rest just above Lex's buttocks.
"No, Clark." Lex put his head on Clark's shoulder, putting all his willpower into avoiding Clark's lips. "I don't want to stop, but we have to. It'd be a mistake." He could feel Clark's chest heaving, and he tightened his hold momentarily before letting go completely and waiting for Clark to do the same.
"Why?" Clark said, but he didn't let go of Lex.
Because it hurt. Clark's hands were too tight, and pain laced through Lex's body. He pushed Clark away, or at least tried to, but Clark wouldn't budge. "Clark?" His own voice sounded strained to him, and he groaned. "You're hurting me."
Clark let go at once, staggering back. "Oh, God."
Lex breathed out slowly and rubbed his hips, before turning to Clark and smiling reassuringly. He put his hand on Clark's shoulder and even managed a laugh. "I think it's fair to say you got your strength back." It was somewhat of a relief, really, even though he knew he was going to have hand-shaped bruises soon enough.
Clark looked at him for a second and then gave a little chuckle. "I'm sorry we had to find out this way, though." He touched Lex's hip gently. "You'll have bruises."
Lex pulled his shirt up a little, exposing the rapidly colouring skin. "War wounds." He looked up at Clark, and smiled.
Clark touched the skin softly again, worrying his lower lip. "I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you."
"I know," Lex said, taking Clark's hand away from the bruises and bringing it to his lips.
Clark blushed lightly, making Lex smile, and brushed his fingers across Lex's cheeks. "So why did we stop again?" He quirked his eyebrows at Lex, and then turned to walk towards the house.
Lex laughed and squeezed Clark's hand. "Because a field isn't exactly the best place to have sex, and-" He looked away. "I don't think you're ready to take it that far yet. Trust me, I want to, but... I think we need to wait."
Clark nodded. "Maybe you're right, but-"
"Clark! Lex!" Jonathan's voice reached them from the porch where he'd just come out of the house, panicked. They looked at each other and rushed to his side. "There's something you need to see."
They hurried inside to the living room, where Martha was sitting, watching the news.
"Lionel Luthor has called a press conference for late tomorrow afternoon. The man behind LuthorCorp is said to have made the scientific discovery of the century. No word as to what that discovery is, but the scientific world is in an uproar-"
Lex stood dumbstruck, not able to believe what was being said. His father couldn't go public with the information, not just a day after Clark's disappearance. Lionel didn't have Clark as proof anymore, and that really just wasn't the kind of man Lionel was, at least not unless he wanted something out of Lex, and if he did, he would be contacting Lex soon.
Lex needed a plan, and he needed it before Lionel called. Which meant he had to figure out where Lionel was actually going with this whole thing. "I have to know what he's playing at," he whispered, and Jonathan, Martha and Clark all looked at him. He shook his head. "I have to go to Metropolis." He turned away and hurried up the stairs to get his suitcase.
"I'm coming with you," Clark said, following just a few feet behind Lex.
"No."
"But-"
"Think about it, Clark." Lex turned to face him. "There are going to be hordes of journalists around. If they see you-" He sighed. "There'll be pictures of you in every newspaper, and we can't risk that. What if that's exactly what he wants? To drag you out of hiding right into his grip again. I can't let that happen."
"Lex-"
"Clark, please."
Clark just stood there and didn't say anything until Lex was packed. "I don't want anything to happen to you," he whispered finally, when Lex was ready and moving out of the room.
Lex turned back to him and strode to his side. He took Clark's face in his hands and looked into his eyes. "I'll be fine, Clark, I promise. I just need to figure out what he's trying to do. I can't let him expose you to the media. Not when I just got you back." Lex cupped Clark's cheek. "I promise if I need your help, I'll call you, but until then, you need to stay here."
With a nod, Clark stood up and gave Lex a quick kiss. "If you're not back tomorrow night, I'm coming to get you."
Lex smiled and went back to his suitcase, which he had left by the door. "I expect you to."
***
It took less than two hours for Lex to drive to Metropolis. That wasn't the fastest he had ever driven, but it came close. He called ahead and had Gabe prepare everything for his arrival. Hiring Chloe's father as his assistant had been the best decision he'd made in the past three years. Going back to school full time while still looking for Clark had left him with little time to think about managing his fortune, and Gabe had done a great job of keeping everything in order.
For as long as Lex could remember, he had never seen a tear in the man's eyes, and never had any mention of his daughter brought anything more than a smile to his face. Gabe carried the secret of Chloe's hiding place, and after an initial attempt, Lex had stopped trying to push Gabe to tell him. He'd learned his lesson when he lost Clark, and had promised himself he would never put anyone else in danger. He left Gabe to his secret and never touched the issue again, no matter how much he'd wanted to see and talk to Chloe again over the years.
His phone rang, startling him from his thoughts, and he grabbed it from the passenger seat where he had thrown it earlier. "Lex Luthor."
"Everything is ready, Lex." Gabe sounded tired and anxious, as if he was also waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Thanks, Gabe, I'll be there in about ten minutes." He pushed on the brakes and slowed down to a halt at the red light. "Anything new?"
Lex could almost hear Gabe shaking his head in apprehension. "Nothing that I've heard. Nobody knows what the press conference is about, but there's a great anticipation building."
"I can't believe he'd do this." With a tap on the accelerator, the car moved again, and Lex turned left.
"I don't know what it's all about Lex, but there's nothing we can do until you get here. How're the Kents? I haven't heard from them in a few days." He hadn't known they'd been looking for Clark. Lex had made sure all of them kept it a secret even from the people closest to them. Gabe had still kept in contact with the Kents; Lex knew they met up at least once a month, and was glad for the comfort that Gabe seemed to give, and receive.
"Well, let's just say that they're doing well now that they've found something they'd lost," Lex said, and knew from the short gasp at the other end of the line that Gabe had understood.
"How-I-How is he?"
"As well as can be expected. I don't want to talk about it on the phone, Gabe; I'll brief you as soon as I get there." He hung up the phone and turned left again, entering the penthouse's underground parking lot with a feeling of dread. It wouldn't be easy to try to beat Lionel at this game. Whatever the game was.
***
"Clark, you need to stop watching the news," Martha said, walking into the living room in her nightgown. "You need to rest."
Clark shook his head, his eyes fixed on the TV. A little girl had just come on the screen and the reporter told the story of how she'd been saved from drowning by her dog, but Clark didn't care.
"You're not even watching it." Martha took the remote from his hand and turned off the TV. "Come upstairs and try to sleep."
Clark sighed. He couldn't explain why he didn't want to sleep. He hadn't been able to close his eyes since he'd come back without Lex being there with him, touching him, and anchoring him into reality.
He was terrified of being pulled back into his dream again, of believing the lies in his sleep and never waking again. "I don't feel like sleeping, Mom," he said, his voice hoarse. He coughed a little, trying to clear his throat. God, he hated being this emotional.
Martha sat by his side. "You need as much rest as you can get, sweetheart." She put her hand on his back, rubbing it soothingly.
Clark leaned into the touch and closed his eyes. He could feel something nagging at the edge of his thoughts and wondered for a moment what Lex was doing, before he opened his eyes again and smiled tiredly at his mother. "I haven't slept alone since I came back."
Martha gave a small laugh. "We've noticed."
Clark blushed and looked down. "We haven't-you know, done anything."
Biting her lower lip, Martha nodded. "Your father and I have some concerns about your relationship with Lex, but-we know Lex enough now to trust him. He loves you, but it doesn't mean that you have to love him too, just because he saved you."
Clark looked up at her, and was suddenly hit with a strong desire to curl up in her arms like he had done so many times as a child. "I don't-it's not like that, Mom." He put his head on her shoulder. "I-I've been attracted to him for as long as I can remember. And-I think I loved him too, before. And now-I-in my dreams, I loved him, Mom. I loved him from the moment he asked me to make a wish, to the moment he asked me to wake up for him. And when I did that, I still loved him." He sighed as Martha wrapped an arm around his shoulder and kissed his forehead. "I think-I think I've always been in love with him."
Martha tightened her hold on him. "If this is what you really want, then it'll be fine, baby," she whispered. "Lex-we, your father and I, we know you'll be safe with him. Lex won't let anything happen to you."
"Mom-" It was weird, to hear her say these things, and it made Clark realize that he had really missed three years of everybody's lives. That was something it would take him a while to understand. His parents had never been so understanding of Lex before, at least as far as he could remember.
"It'll be okay, sweetheart. We'll be okay," she said again, holding him tightly.
Clark nodded against her shoulder, and sighed. "I'm scared, Mom."
***
CHAPTER VII