Clex fic: Circe's Gift
In memory of family and friends who have lost the battle with cancer; and in support of the ones who continue to conquer it! Post this on your LJ if you know someone who has or had cancer. ♥
Title: Circe's gift
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Summary: An encounter with the goddess Circe has a transforming effect on Superman....will Lex take advantage of the situation?
Cover: by ctbn60, with thanks!
Lex checks his watch. Thirty more seconds and he's leaving. It's debasing enough to have agreed to meet the UltraHumanite. He's not going to wait around for him.
"Lex!"
It's Superman, at the end of the alley. Arms crossed, legs spread. Lex promptly adopts the same pose, because he knows it will annoy Clark and says:
"And…..you wanted?"
Clark takes a step closer, all radiant skin and gleaming teeth, damn him. Lex keeps his gaze steady. Clark says:
"I thought you'd like to know that the UltraHumanite is in the custody of the Metropolis police!"
No surprise, really. For all its vaunted intelligence, the creature never manages to stop bragging. Still, it's disappointing. Lex had wanted to see if the mind control pen lived up to its billing. He says, politely
"If you'll excuse me…"
Clark blocks his path:
"Not until you tell me the location of the UltraHumanite's laboratory."
Lex smirks:
"With all your resources," he waves his hand to take in Clark from head to toe, "you're unable to locate one paltry lab? Pity."
Clark glares, and begins to lecture in earnest. Lex leans against the wall and deliberately lets a bored look creep over his face. Anything to provoke Clark. But it's a third party that puts an end to the lecture.
"SILENCE!"
Both men turn and Lex instantly straightens up and fixes a deferential expression on his face. If his time with the Injustice League has taught him anything, it's that you don't mess with Circe. He bows deeply and says "Goddess…."
Clark rolls his eyes.
Circe completes her entrance, taking a moment to admire her reflection in an adjacent window. She says:
"Too much noise, you make. Always, the two of you, barking at each other like a pair of curs, in my city."
"The city belongs to the citizens of Metropolis," counters Clark.
"My city," repeats Circe, in the same musical tone. "My adopted home, graced by my presence. You will stop defiling it with your noise."
She then makes some noise of her own by tossing a spell through the sky-light and letting off a series of fireworks. This is followed by confused traffic sounds from outside.
Clark gives her his sternest look:
"Goddess, that could easily have caused an accident and-"
"Oh, enough of you!"
Circe raises her hand and fires a bolt of magic into the air, aiming not at Clark, but at Lex; How clever she is, thinks Lex. Because of course Clark's immediate reaction is to leap in front of him and intercept the hit.
"I hope she turns you into a wolfhound!" Lex shouts. He's always fancied the notion of Clark in a collar. There's a blur of pink and a heavy body hurtling towards him….and everything goes fuzzy.
* * * *
"Lex?"
Lex groans and opens his eyes, just enough to take in Clark's anxious face.
"Thank God you're okay!"
Lex opens his mouth to make a sarcastic reply but somehow the words won't come. He's enveloped in a hug, which is an unexpected reaction from Clark, to say the least. Lex allows the hug and takes a moment to consider what it might mean.
A moment is all he gets. An instant later and he's riding in Clark's arms; they're soaring over the Metropolis skyline. Lex glances down once, then clenches his eyes shut.
"Where are we-"
His words are muffled by Clark's cape.
"Shhhh," says Clark, gently. "Take it easy. You've had a shock."
Lex is quiet but his brain begins scrolling through the possibilities.
* * * *
Batman lifts his eyes from the monitor as the others enter.
"I disarmed the bomb," says Flash, proudly.
Green Lantern coughs. Flash says:
"Okay, I found the bomb and GL told me which wire to cut. What happened to Supes?"
"I don't know," says Batman. "He's switched off his com-link."
"Checked out for the night?" suggests Green Lantern. They look at each other. Superman never turns off his com-link.
"Something's up," says Batman, grimly.
* * * *
All the times Lex has tried to break into the Fortress and now Clark has brought him here as a guest. Remarkable.
"Sit down," says Clark. "I'll get the AI to make us some cocoa."
Lex obeys, eyes darting everywhere, trying to take everything in all at once. What did Circe do to Clark? He's eliminated the likelihood of red Kryptonite. Even if Circe knew it existed, she'd scorn to use it. No, this is an older magic at work. Circe is famous for putting men in her thrall, changing them to swine. Has she put Clark in Lex's thrall? Lex decides to stage a little test.
Clark returns with two steaming mugs.
"Clark," says Lex. "I want the Watchtower passwords."
Clark lifts an eyebrow, amused.
"We both know that's not a good idea, for any number of reasons."
He passes Lex a mug and looks at him so fondly that Lex feels a tiny tremor run through him. Clark used to always look at him this way, as though there was no problem on earth Lex couldn't solve for him, no answer Lex couldn't supply.
Lex finishes his cocoa and sets the mug down on a glittering table.
"Am I your prisoner?"
Clark looks hurt:
"No, of course not. You're my guest…if you want to be. I can take you home right now, if you'd rather…"
"Thanks," says Lex. "But I'd like to stay."
"There's only the one bed," says Clark. Is that a blush rising to his cheek? "But it's big. Lots of room for both of us."
"I'm not worried about that," says Lex. And indeed, he is not worried, although profoundly intrigued.
* * * *
"He's at the Fortress," says Batman. "With Lex Luthor."
"Well," says Flash. "That's odd."
"It's Lex," says Oliver, grimly. "He's done something to Clark."
"Not necessarily," says Batman. "I've got the surveillance footage from the alley where Superman and Lex were last seen. Look who else was there..."
"Circe!" says Diana.
"Oh, this isn't good," says Flash. "She's going for the magic....Duck, Supes! Duck!"
Oliver leans forward:
"Superman just got slammed full in the chest with a spell."
"I can't look," says Flash, peering from between his fingers. "What did she turn him into?"
"Nothing," says Diana. "I mean, he's still himself. He just picked up Lex and flew away."
"Could Circe and Lex have been working together?" asks Green Lantern. Diana shakes her head:
"No, Circe would never lower herself to partner with a human."
"It can't be too bad," says Flash. "Supes still has his powers so Lex can't mess with him. And it’s not as though Supes would hurt Lex, is it?"
He looks round at the assembled faces: Batman is impassive behind his mask; Oliver is frowning so hard, his brows meet in the middle.
Flash says, puzzled:
"If we're not worried about Clark hurting Lex….then what are we worried about?"
* * * *
Lex has shared a bed with Clark once before; he'd gone to stay with the Kents when Lucas tossed him out of the castle. Martha had told Clark to loan Lex some pajamas and brought out a spare pillow from the linen cupboard. When Lex had realized where he would actually be sleeping, his eyes had involuntarily traveled to Jonathan: Are you going to allow this? While Jonathan hadn't looked happy, he hadn't intervened either.
It had been agony and ecstasy at once. To be under the same blanket with Clark; to feel the warmth radiating from his limbs, smell his skin, his hair. Clark had said "goodnight" to Lex with a sleepy smile and accompanied this with a gentle punch on the arm, which Lex can still somehow feel, all these years later. Clark had fallen asleep but Lex stayed awake, tired but happy, afraid of being cast out of paradise.
And then, of course, he had been.
The Fortress bed is bigger. But Clark is just as warm and his smell is the same. Lex lies on his back, staring at the crystal ceiling.
"Lex?"
Clark is propped on an elbow, hair mussed. Out of his Superman costume, out of his drab Planet suits, he looks just as he did when Lex first met him. And now he is anxiously hovering over Lex again, just like on the the river bank that first day.
Clark blinks a few times, suddenly shy. He clears his throat, then leans in and kisses Lex.
The kiss is brilliant, everything Lex has wanted for the last twelve years. Perfect. But even as he's surrendering to the kiss, arching up into Clark's grip, Lex can't let go of one uncomfortable fact: this isn't Clark, it’s Circe. She's done something to Clark.
Clark is ready to have sex right now, aching for it. He's looming over Lex, cheeks flushed, cock halfway to hard under his baggy sweats. He could be Lex's, right this minute.
But it wouldn't be right; it wouldn't be real.
"Clark," Lex puts a warning hand on his chest, feels the warmth of his skin, the thump of his heart beneath the faded t-shirt. "There's something….Circe did something to you."
Clark sits back on his haunches, puzzled.
"I'm fine, Lex. Better than fine. I feel great."
He thumps a hand against his chest to demonstrate.
"But I won’t rush you," Clark says. "We'll wait, until you're ready."
I've been ready for twelve goddamn years, Lex thinks. Of all times, why does his conscience have to spring back to life now?
Clark settles down in the bed and wraps an arm protectively around Lex, who offers no protest. He can allow himself this anyhow. This closeness, if only for a night.
* * * *
"He's here," says Green Lantern into his com-link. No point in whispering when the subject of the conversation has super-hearing. "But he didn't come alone…"
Lex smirks. This part, he's thoroughly enjoying. When he woke up this morning, Clark served him breakfast with a radiant smile, and then said:
"We just have to swing by Watchtower for a quick meeting."
"We?" Lex had thought. "Watchtower?"
Batman and Green Arrow are walking to meet them. Lex shifts a little closer to Clark, prompting Clark to put a protective hand on his back; Lex enjoys watching Oliver go rigid.
"Lex isn't coming to the meeting," says Batman.
"He'll wait for me," says Clark.
"Not on his own, he won't," says Oliver, grimly. "He'll have to be guarded."
Clark frowns:
"Is that really nec-"
"Hell, yes!" says Oliver. "A guard and a locked room. Come on, Luthor."
With deliberate meekness, Lex follows him, glancing back once at Clark.
* * * *
"So, I gather you had an encounter with Circe yesterday, "says Diana, gently. "And she attacked you with a spell."
"It didn't hurt me," says Clark. "No deep magic. More of a sound and light show than anything else…just her way of expressing displeasure, I guess."
Glances are exchanged around the table.
Batman says:
"And you haven't noticed any changes-"
Oliver interrupts:
"Like, say, the company you keep-"
Clark shakes his head.
"No, guys. I'm fine. Truly. Now, aren't we going to talk about the Joker's latest weapons acquisition? I thought this was an emergency meeting?"
* * * *
Lex shifts his legs and eyes the door. He isn't actually planning an escape but it's fun to toy with Elongated Man, who's watching him intently.
"So you got stuck babysitting me," Lex says. "Had to miss the meeting. What a shame."
Elongated Man frowns:
"I wasn't going to the meeting anyway; it's only for the founding members-"
Lex leans forward:
"The League has tiers? I thought it was supposed to be "all for one, one for all?"
"It is." Elongated man stretches a finger across the room and taps Lex on the knee. "No mind games, Luthor. I know how you operate."
Lex throws an arm over the back of his chair:
"In a way, it's an honour that you've been assigned to guard me. They must have a lot of confidence in your acumen."
Elongated Man sits a little taller in his chair. Lex says:
"I mean, the logical assumption would be that I've connived my way to Watchtower for a reason, my physical presence a red herring for my actual purpose here…"
He watches Elongated Man's foot stretch nervously across the floor.
"You're trying to trick me, get me to let you out of this room. It’s not going to happen, Luthor!"
Lex uses his silkiest voice:
"I don't want to go anywhere. This room is exactly where I want to be, where I feel safest, in fact. Believe me, I have no urge to be exploring right now…"
Elongated Man extends his neck and bobs his head right into Lex's face. Lex stares back at him, blandly.
Elongated Man sighs and speaks into his com-link:
"Mr. Terrific? Please run a security check on the Javelin Bay."
Lex smiles to himself.
* * * *
The meeting ends. Clark sets off to get some coffee; the others linger.
"Zatanna?" says Diana.
There's a slight thickening in the air and then Zatanna appears.
"Nice trick!" says Oliver.
Zatanna smiles:
"Surprised I could sustain the invisibility actually….I've never tried to be invisible for that long before."
"And Superman," asks Diana. "What did you observe?"
Zatanna says:
"It's a simple spell. But with a complex effect. Very clever of Circe…"
"She's forced Clark to fall in love with Lex," says Oliver.
"No," says Zatanna. "That's just the thing. It's not a love spell. She's lifted his inhibitions."
Batman shakes his head:
"We've seen the effects of red Kryptonite. This is different."
"That's what I mean," says Zatanna. "She's lifted his inhibitions…but only in regards to Lex. Otherwise, Superman is the same as usual."
"Wait a minute," said Diana. "So she didn't mind-whammy him…the way he's acting with Lex, it represents his natural inclination?"
Oliver frowns:
"That's impossible!"
Zatanna ignores him:
"Exactly, Wonder Woman. Obviously Clark has his inhibitions about Lex for a reason, but if he had a choice-"
"He'd have Lex by his side all the time," finishes Diana.
"He loves Lex?" says Flash, puzzled. "Wow, Supes has more layers than I realized."
Batman frowns. Oliver says:
"I'm not buying any of this, but that's besides the point. How do we get Clark's inhibitions back?"
Zatanna says:
"It's not a simple matter of reversing a spell. Of course, Circe could reverse her own spell, but if I try…it's tampering with the core of Clark's personality. These are his true feelings. Ethically, I can't do it. It violates the Magician's Code."
"But with Lex attached to him, he's in constant danger!" says Oliver. "Lex knows all his weaknesses, any minute now, he could kill Clark."
"Green Arrow, we share your unease. We'll watch to make sure that doesn't happen," says Diana. "And over time and exposure to Lex, surely Superman will regain his inhibitions?"
"By then, it may be too late!" says Oliver. "Zatanna, if you won't take action, I'm going to see Circe!"
"If you confront her in this mood, she'll turn you into a stork," warns Diana. There's a small twitch behind Batman's mask that might indicate a suppressed grin.
"Or she'll strip your inhibitions too, Ollie, and you'll find that you're secretly in love with me!" says Flash.
Zatanna watches the flush rise on Oliver's face. She says softly:
"No, I don't think he'll find that."
* * * *
Lex is contentedly exploring the engine room when there's a whoosh behind him and a strong arm around his waist.
"You were supposed to stay with Elongated Man," says Clark sternly.
Lex resists the urge to lean back against Clark. He says:
"He got the idea there might be a bomb in the Javelin Bay and went to investigate."
"And he just happened to leave the door unlocked, right?" says Clark. But his tone is affectionate.
Footsteps behind them and Oliver glaring from the doorway.
"I suppose you know there's chaos in the Javelin Bay-"
"We're leaving," says Clark, his arm still around Lex's shoulder. Lex lets himself be guided to the door, turning back once to smirk at Oliver.
* * * *
"Do you like lasagna?" says Clark. "I'm still not much of a cook-"
"I'll like it," says Lex. They're in Clark's apartment. As he watches Clark bustle around the kitchen, Lex realizes he's stopped caring about how Circe caused the change in Clark; he just wants it to last as long as possible. Forever, preferably.
Clark pours them wine and cuts Lex a too-large slice of lasagna.
"You cooked for me once, Lex. Do you remember?"
Of course Lex remembers. Clark had stopped by the manor for a delivery, his last delivery of the day, and Lex had coaxed him down to the kitchen and made omelettes. It had been a cold, wet day, the steam rising off Clark's hair in the warm kitchen. He'd told Lex about his day at school and Lex had half-listened, but mostly just watched him.
"I miss this," Lex says, surprised by the sound of his own voice. "I miss you."
Clark grins at him.
"I should feed you more often."
But you won't want to, thinks Lex. Not when the spell wears off. Lex knows he needs to pull back, remember he's a scientist and adopt a clinical approach. He promised he'd never give himself over completely to Clark again. The risk is too huge, the pain too great.
After dinner, Clark flies away to stop a robbery and put out a fire but he returns to join Lex on the couch. Lex had been nearly asleep, wrapped in a Martha-knitted afghan. Lex wakes to find Clark next to him; without thinking about it, he rolls into Clark's arms.
Clark's hair smells of smoke. He tilts his head to kiss Lex and Lex has to fight the urge to jump on Clark, topple him onto the old couch and just have him. Clark wants this too; his hand is fumbling with the buttons on Lex's shirt.
But Lex can't. He's changed in many ways over the years, and not for the better. But at his core, he's still the same man he was on that long ago day when when Clark had freely offered himself. "Clark Kent and Lex Luthor...I like the sound of that..." Clark had said and he'd asked Lex to run away with him to Metropolis. It was everything Lex had wanted, offered up on a silver platter; but Lex had recognized there was something wrong, had gone and told Jonathan Kent instead. The gift means nothing if it's not given knowingly.
Clark's thumb is teasing Lex's collarbone. He's waiting for permission to go further.
Lex takes his hand:
"Clark, I want this. More than you do. But let's hold off a while longer, to be sure the effects of Circe's spell are completely gone."
Clark makes a sound, a little explosion of frustration. It's the sexiest noise he's ever made and accompanied by a small thrust towards Lex.
"Lex, we've waited forever..."
But you're not completely yourself, thinks Lex. And because you're not yourself, you can't recognize this. Over the years, there are so many times I could have had you. Seduced you. Blackmailed you. Could have cloned you, for fuck's sake.
"Could have had a dozen willing Clarks at my disposal," Lex mumbles.
"What?" Clark is staring at him. So sexy, bottom lip drooping a little, his eyes smoky with lust.
Lex reaches for him and pulls him down. Clark nuzzles his neck, makes his frustrated noise once more, then falls asleep, draped heavily across Lex's chest.
Lex strokes his hair and thinks about his next course of action. Should he try and find Circe? Ask her to reverse her spell, or beg her not to? How much longer can he resist Clark? There are limits to any man's endurance and one such limit is sleeping trustfully in Lex's arms.
* * * *
"I'll let the Goddess know you're here," says the doorman of Circe's club. His eyes take in Oliver appreciatively. "She'll like you."
Oliver is nervous. He knows his charm can turn into bluster when he's desperate. He also knows Circe will be immune to cajoling. He'd pressured Batman to come with him, but Bruce, unreadable behind his cowl, shook his head. Oliver is angry with him; a situation like this, Clark's life at stake, you don't just let it play out: You act.
"The Green Arrow," says Circe. She's reclining on a sofa, flanked by handsome attendants.
Oliver bows:
"Goddess."
"You may rise," says Circe. "And state your business."
"I come, Goddess, to beg a favour."
"It is always thus," says Circe. "Mortal men use woman. But I, Archer, I use men."
Oliver nods nervously.
"Goddess, I ask you to reverse the spell you have placed on Superman. I ask this for the benefit of the people of the world."
"Oh, do you?" says Circe. She sits up. "And there are no...personal feelings at stake?"
"No," Oliver doesn't blink. Can she tell he's lying?
"My spell," says Circe. "Was not so much a spell, as a simple cleansing. Men build up - how would you say? - blinders after a time. They learn to only see things in a certain way. I lifted one of Superman's blinders - do you not think he is the better for it?"
Oliver swallows:
"No, I don't."
Her gaze is like J'onn's; Oliver has the uncomfortable sensation that she can see right through him.
"Archer, I grant your wish. The spell is lifted."
Circe waves her hand, creating a tiny pink swirl in the air. Oliver blinks:
"Thank you, Goddess. Thank you."
He waits for a moment - Wonder Woman says Circe never offers a favour without expecting an offering in return - but she demands nothing, just fans herself and watches him. It is clearly a dismissal.
"Thank you," says Oliver again. He bows awkwardly, then hurries from the room.
"That was generous, Goddess," says one of Circe's attendants.
"Mmmm," says Circe. "More a case of, as the humans would say: "Be careful what you wish for..."
She chuckles.
* * *
Lex is dreaming of a storm. He's on a hill, unprotected, lightning and hail raging around him. But suddenly Clark is there, sheltering him and he is warm.
Lex wakes with a gasp. Then he realizes that the gasp did not come from him, but from Clark.
Clark has pulled away and is staring at him, eyes huge. An instant later he is gone.
The dream is over. Lex sits up on the couch and searches for his shoes.
* * * *
Dawn is rising over Smallville - a rainy, grey dawn. Lex goes to the only place he can think to go, the bridge where he first met Clark. He parks his car, awkwardly crooked across the road, but it's not like anyone will come by at this hour.
Lex stares into the dark, swirling water. His life has been one long succession of loss and betrayal. But before, by hurting him, people have galvanized him. He's kept fighting on - sometimes for revenge, sometimes for validation, sometimes just to keep his mind busy. The anger has always fueled him, made him work harder.
Lex isn't angry now, just numb. And his mind isn't busy, it's blank: a board wiped clean. His fight is gone.
Lex jumps.
The water closes over his head like a curtain and in this moment Lex realizes that he doesn't want to die, absolutely not, and what the hell was he thinking?
He can't open his mouth to say "Clark", but he thinks it. It makes perfect sense that the very last thought his brain circuitry produces would be Clark's name, Clark's face.
And then Clark's face is there, glaring at him through the water. An arm wraps around Lex and they surge out of the river like a rocket, straight up into the sky.
To breathe is a blessing but the cold air is a thousand tiny knives. Lex shivers violently and Clark holds him tighter, as the Kansas highway unspools below them.
He falls asleep in Clark's arms and wakes in Clark's bed, quilts stacked on top of him, a hot water bottle at his feet and Clark curled beside him. As soon as Lex opens his eyes, Clark is glaring at him:
"Why would you do that, Lex?!"
Lex tries to sit up:
"You left...I wasn't in my right mind..."
Clark sighs and rubs his chin:
"Of course, you weren't. You were under Circe's spell. That's why I left; I was taking advantage of you, Lex. I'm sorry."
Lex shakes his head; his thoughts are muzzy.
"No, you were under the spell, not me...I always feel that way about you."
But then again, he doesn't always jump off bridges. Perhaps the spell had stripped away some of his defenses.
Clark says softly:
"I always feel that way too, Lex. About you. I just...I guess I fight it, because of how things have been between us. I fight it everyday."
All this effort, thinks Lex. All this effort we put into playing our roles and for what? He leans back on his pillow. Clark reaches over and strokes Lex's cheek with a finger. He's staring at Lex like he's seeing him for the first time.
"I went to see Circe," says Clark. "She said she'd lifted the spell."
Oliver, thinks Lex.
"But Circe confirmed what I'd already guessed," says Clark. "Her spell didn't change my feelings about you, just pulled them up into the open."
He doesn't seem entirely happy about this. Lex waits.
"I do love you," says Clark. "I always have. It never seems to go away. But I have inhibitions about you for a reason, Lex."
Lex stares down at the quilt. He says:
"I've earned them, I know. For the things you know about and some things you don't."
Clark runs a hand through his hair:
"But that you wouldn't take advantage of me, even when I was throwing myself at you - it means a lot. I remember-"
His voice trails off.
"I wanted to," says Lex. Suddenly his voice is back and it's loud. "I always want you. I want you as Superman, want you as Clark. I wanted you when you were too young for me. I'll want you when we're both too old to do anything about it. I wanted you when you were with Lana; I wanted you when I was with Lana. Every time I've walked down the aisle, I'd have traded any of my wives for you in a heartbeat. I'd ravage the world to have you and I'd save it to please you. You are the one thing, Clark. My one thing....
Clark says:
"Do you still want me? Now? Because "now" feels like it might be the time."
Lex puts a hand on Clark's chin so he can look right into his face:
"Is this a pity offering? If you're feeling sorry for me because you just pulled me out of the river, then I don't....Oooof-"
The "Oof" is caused by Clark suddenly being on top of him. Clark's thigh is between Lex's legs, his hands are wrapped around Lex's wrists, his face is so close that his nose bumps Lex's.
"Does this feel like pity?" says Clark. There's a little growl in his voice. "Anyway, if anyone deserves pity, it's me, with all you've put me through over the years."
Lex feigns a struggle but Clark isn't letting him move, which pushes all of Lex's kink buttons. Lex says:
"Only I get to see this side of you...this is all mine."
It's not just an observation, it's an order. Lex lifts his head to kiss Clark, working his tongue between those plush lips. He rolls Clark over and stretches out on top of him, loving the feel of Clark's body under his.
He kisses Clark's neck. Clark mumbles:
"We got turned round. How'd you get on top?"
"It's part of my plan," Lex tells him. He tugs at Clark's costume. "Take this off."
There's a small tornado of activity, then Clark is there, naked, modestly tucked under a sheet. Lex promptly tugs the sheet away and then just has to stare for a moment.
"You're making me self-conscious," says Clark, his cheeks pink. But his cock likes the attention and twitches under Lex's gaze.
The next few minutes are muddled. Lex is determined to kiss his way down Clark's chest; Clark is equally determined to undress Lex and is not above using his powers to do it. So Lex, licking Clark's nipple, can actually smell his shirt being neatly sliced in two by Clark's heat vision, followed by Clark's hand on his back.
More kisses across Clark's stomach. Clark moans: the most intoxicating sound Lex has ever heard. He wishes he had the patience to tease him longer but Clark's cock is nugding his chin and needs to be in Lex's mouth, now.
Lex licks the tip of Clark's cock and Clark sits bolt upright:
"Lex!"
"Are you shocked?" says Lex. He wraps his hand around Clark's shaft and jacks him slowly. "Have you never thought about this?"
Clark throws back his head; he is biting his lip:
"Ye-ess."
Lex lowers his head and licks him again, cups the velvety balls in his hand. Clark squirms.
"When did you think abut this, Clark?"
He takes Clark in further; when Clark bucks his hips, Lex sneaks a hand around to his ass and runs a finger along his crack.
"LEX! Lex- I thought about it all the time. Used to daydream in school, in bed at night-"
Lex mouths him to full hardness; Lex is hard too. Clark feels so good in his mouth, but he'll feel even better...
Lex pulls off; his finger is teasing Clark's hole. Clark moans:
"Don't stop. Please, don't."
A muscle twitches in that perfect thigh. Lex gasps.
"Clark, did you ever think about..."
Clark bucks under him and they both groan. Lex slips the tip of his finger inside Clark: sweet, hot, tight.
"Did you ever think about fucking me?"
Clark's groan is closer to a roar. There's a small flurry of sheets and suddenly Lex is on his back with Clark on top of him, eyes glittering, breathing like a freight train.
"I think about it all the time, Lex. Every time I see you, every time I touch you. Every time I have sex with a woman, every time you-"
"Now," says Lex, through clenched teeth. "Now."
He's still got his pants on but Clark rips them off like tissue paper. Their hips bump, their cocks brush.
"We need-" says Lex.
But Clark is ahead of him and after a blur of super-speed, his finger is teasing Lex's hole with something cool. Clark kisses Lex, then ducks his head to swallow down Lex's cock. Lex rears off the bed. He's never had someone take him in all the way before. Lex's will is gone, he can think of nothing but Clark's hands, bruisingly tight on his hips and blindly thrusting into Clark's throat.
His orgasm is a knock-out; Lex is still dimly aware that he's riding Clark's finger and that Clark, somewhere far off, is chuckling.
"What's funny?"
Clark kisses his chest:
"Us. Are you ready for me?"
Lex spreads his legs and hooks his ankles over Clark's shoulders. Clark's cock is long and thick. He's gentle, easing his way inside Lex but there's still a considerable burn. Lex clenches his fists. Clark pets Lex's thighs:
"Tell me if it's too much."
"Never."
Clark huffs, an expression of intense concentration on his face. He lifts Lex's hips off the bed to fuck him deeper. Lex moans
"Don't want...to hurt..." pants Clark.
"You'll hurt me if you stop," says Lex. Their eyes lock for a moment. There's a ripple across Clark's face, his next thrust shakes the bed...
Then Clark comes, flooding Lex with his warmth. He flops on top of Lex, spent. Lex closes his eyes and listens: his breathing and Clark's intermingled; their hearts thumping against each other. Perfect symmetry and bliss, at last, after all these years.
After a few minutes, Clark says:
"You know, I don't think I can move."
He doesn't bother to lift his head, addressing the words to Lex's collar bone.
"Good," says Lex. "Stay there. Always."
He traces a pattern on Clark's back with his finger.
"What are you doing?" says Clark.
"Making a preliminary design of the temple I'm going to build for Circe...I was thinking the current site of Queen Industries might make a suitable location..."
Clark's laughter vibrates through them both.
* * *
"Another tribute from Mr. Luthor, Goddess," says the Attendant. "More gold today!"
Circe smiles modestly:
"It is my due. Put it with the rest."
Her Attendant pauses on the doorstep:
"It was....a generous action you performed, Goddess?"
He stops, fearing he's transgressed.
Circe smiles her tigerish smile:
"Even I like a happy ending for lovers from time to time, my boy. But don't you dare tell anyone!"
THE END
Title: Circe's gift
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: NC-17
Summary: An encounter with the goddess Circe has a transforming effect on Superman....will Lex take advantage of the situation?
Cover: by ctbn60, with thanks!
Lex checks his watch. Thirty more seconds and he's leaving. It's debasing enough to have agreed to meet the UltraHumanite. He's not going to wait around for him.
"Lex!"
It's Superman, at the end of the alley. Arms crossed, legs spread. Lex promptly adopts the same pose, because he knows it will annoy Clark and says:
"And…..you wanted?"
Clark takes a step closer, all radiant skin and gleaming teeth, damn him. Lex keeps his gaze steady. Clark says:
"I thought you'd like to know that the UltraHumanite is in the custody of the Metropolis police!"
No surprise, really. For all its vaunted intelligence, the creature never manages to stop bragging. Still, it's disappointing. Lex had wanted to see if the mind control pen lived up to its billing. He says, politely
"If you'll excuse me…"
Clark blocks his path:
"Not until you tell me the location of the UltraHumanite's laboratory."
Lex smirks:
"With all your resources," he waves his hand to take in Clark from head to toe, "you're unable to locate one paltry lab? Pity."
Clark glares, and begins to lecture in earnest. Lex leans against the wall and deliberately lets a bored look creep over his face. Anything to provoke Clark. But it's a third party that puts an end to the lecture.
"SILENCE!"
Both men turn and Lex instantly straightens up and fixes a deferential expression on his face. If his time with the Injustice League has taught him anything, it's that you don't mess with Circe. He bows deeply and says "Goddess…."
Clark rolls his eyes.
Circe completes her entrance, taking a moment to admire her reflection in an adjacent window. She says:
"Too much noise, you make. Always, the two of you, barking at each other like a pair of curs, in my city."
"The city belongs to the citizens of Metropolis," counters Clark.
"My city," repeats Circe, in the same musical tone. "My adopted home, graced by my presence. You will stop defiling it with your noise."
She then makes some noise of her own by tossing a spell through the sky-light and letting off a series of fireworks. This is followed by confused traffic sounds from outside.
Clark gives her his sternest look:
"Goddess, that could easily have caused an accident and-"
"Oh, enough of you!"
Circe raises her hand and fires a bolt of magic into the air, aiming not at Clark, but at Lex; How clever she is, thinks Lex. Because of course Clark's immediate reaction is to leap in front of him and intercept the hit.
"I hope she turns you into a wolfhound!" Lex shouts. He's always fancied the notion of Clark in a collar. There's a blur of pink and a heavy body hurtling towards him….and everything goes fuzzy.
* * * *
"Lex?"
Lex groans and opens his eyes, just enough to take in Clark's anxious face.
"Thank God you're okay!"
Lex opens his mouth to make a sarcastic reply but somehow the words won't come. He's enveloped in a hug, which is an unexpected reaction from Clark, to say the least. Lex allows the hug and takes a moment to consider what it might mean.
A moment is all he gets. An instant later and he's riding in Clark's arms; they're soaring over the Metropolis skyline. Lex glances down once, then clenches his eyes shut.
"Where are we-"
His words are muffled by Clark's cape.
"Shhhh," says Clark, gently. "Take it easy. You've had a shock."
Lex is quiet but his brain begins scrolling through the possibilities.
* * * *
Batman lifts his eyes from the monitor as the others enter.
"I disarmed the bomb," says Flash, proudly.
Green Lantern coughs. Flash says:
"Okay, I found the bomb and GL told me which wire to cut. What happened to Supes?"
"I don't know," says Batman. "He's switched off his com-link."
"Checked out for the night?" suggests Green Lantern. They look at each other. Superman never turns off his com-link.
"Something's up," says Batman, grimly.
* * * *
All the times Lex has tried to break into the Fortress and now Clark has brought him here as a guest. Remarkable.
"Sit down," says Clark. "I'll get the AI to make us some cocoa."
Lex obeys, eyes darting everywhere, trying to take everything in all at once. What did Circe do to Clark? He's eliminated the likelihood of red Kryptonite. Even if Circe knew it existed, she'd scorn to use it. No, this is an older magic at work. Circe is famous for putting men in her thrall, changing them to swine. Has she put Clark in Lex's thrall? Lex decides to stage a little test.
Clark returns with two steaming mugs.
"Clark," says Lex. "I want the Watchtower passwords."
Clark lifts an eyebrow, amused.
"We both know that's not a good idea, for any number of reasons."
He passes Lex a mug and looks at him so fondly that Lex feels a tiny tremor run through him. Clark used to always look at him this way, as though there was no problem on earth Lex couldn't solve for him, no answer Lex couldn't supply.
Lex finishes his cocoa and sets the mug down on a glittering table.
"Am I your prisoner?"
Clark looks hurt:
"No, of course not. You're my guest…if you want to be. I can take you home right now, if you'd rather…"
"Thanks," says Lex. "But I'd like to stay."
"There's only the one bed," says Clark. Is that a blush rising to his cheek? "But it's big. Lots of room for both of us."
"I'm not worried about that," says Lex. And indeed, he is not worried, although profoundly intrigued.
* * * *
"He's at the Fortress," says Batman. "With Lex Luthor."
"Well," says Flash. "That's odd."
"It's Lex," says Oliver, grimly. "He's done something to Clark."
"Not necessarily," says Batman. "I've got the surveillance footage from the alley where Superman and Lex were last seen. Look who else was there..."
"Circe!" says Diana.
"Oh, this isn't good," says Flash. "She's going for the magic....Duck, Supes! Duck!"
Oliver leans forward:
"Superman just got slammed full in the chest with a spell."
"I can't look," says Flash, peering from between his fingers. "What did she turn him into?"
"Nothing," says Diana. "I mean, he's still himself. He just picked up Lex and flew away."
"Could Circe and Lex have been working together?" asks Green Lantern. Diana shakes her head:
"No, Circe would never lower herself to partner with a human."
"It can't be too bad," says Flash. "Supes still has his powers so Lex can't mess with him. And it’s not as though Supes would hurt Lex, is it?"
He looks round at the assembled faces: Batman is impassive behind his mask; Oliver is frowning so hard, his brows meet in the middle.
Flash says, puzzled:
"If we're not worried about Clark hurting Lex….then what are we worried about?"
* * * *
Lex has shared a bed with Clark once before; he'd gone to stay with the Kents when Lucas tossed him out of the castle. Martha had told Clark to loan Lex some pajamas and brought out a spare pillow from the linen cupboard. When Lex had realized where he would actually be sleeping, his eyes had involuntarily traveled to Jonathan: Are you going to allow this? While Jonathan hadn't looked happy, he hadn't intervened either.
It had been agony and ecstasy at once. To be under the same blanket with Clark; to feel the warmth radiating from his limbs, smell his skin, his hair. Clark had said "goodnight" to Lex with a sleepy smile and accompanied this with a gentle punch on the arm, which Lex can still somehow feel, all these years later. Clark had fallen asleep but Lex stayed awake, tired but happy, afraid of being cast out of paradise.
And then, of course, he had been.
The Fortress bed is bigger. But Clark is just as warm and his smell is the same. Lex lies on his back, staring at the crystal ceiling.
"Lex?"
Clark is propped on an elbow, hair mussed. Out of his Superman costume, out of his drab Planet suits, he looks just as he did when Lex first met him. And now he is anxiously hovering over Lex again, just like on the the river bank that first day.
Clark blinks a few times, suddenly shy. He clears his throat, then leans in and kisses Lex.
The kiss is brilliant, everything Lex has wanted for the last twelve years. Perfect. But even as he's surrendering to the kiss, arching up into Clark's grip, Lex can't let go of one uncomfortable fact: this isn't Clark, it’s Circe. She's done something to Clark.
Clark is ready to have sex right now, aching for it. He's looming over Lex, cheeks flushed, cock halfway to hard under his baggy sweats. He could be Lex's, right this minute.
But it wouldn't be right; it wouldn't be real.
"Clark," Lex puts a warning hand on his chest, feels the warmth of his skin, the thump of his heart beneath the faded t-shirt. "There's something….Circe did something to you."
Clark sits back on his haunches, puzzled.
"I'm fine, Lex. Better than fine. I feel great."
He thumps a hand against his chest to demonstrate.
"But I won’t rush you," Clark says. "We'll wait, until you're ready."
I've been ready for twelve goddamn years, Lex thinks. Of all times, why does his conscience have to spring back to life now?
Clark settles down in the bed and wraps an arm protectively around Lex, who offers no protest. He can allow himself this anyhow. This closeness, if only for a night.
* * * *
"He's here," says Green Lantern into his com-link. No point in whispering when the subject of the conversation has super-hearing. "But he didn't come alone…"
Lex smirks. This part, he's thoroughly enjoying. When he woke up this morning, Clark served him breakfast with a radiant smile, and then said:
"We just have to swing by Watchtower for a quick meeting."
"We?" Lex had thought. "Watchtower?"
Batman and Green Arrow are walking to meet them. Lex shifts a little closer to Clark, prompting Clark to put a protective hand on his back; Lex enjoys watching Oliver go rigid.
"Lex isn't coming to the meeting," says Batman.
"He'll wait for me," says Clark.
"Not on his own, he won't," says Oliver, grimly. "He'll have to be guarded."
Clark frowns:
"Is that really nec-"
"Hell, yes!" says Oliver. "A guard and a locked room. Come on, Luthor."
With deliberate meekness, Lex follows him, glancing back once at Clark.
* * * *
"So, I gather you had an encounter with Circe yesterday, "says Diana, gently. "And she attacked you with a spell."
"It didn't hurt me," says Clark. "No deep magic. More of a sound and light show than anything else…just her way of expressing displeasure, I guess."
Glances are exchanged around the table.
Batman says:
"And you haven't noticed any changes-"
Oliver interrupts:
"Like, say, the company you keep-"
Clark shakes his head.
"No, guys. I'm fine. Truly. Now, aren't we going to talk about the Joker's latest weapons acquisition? I thought this was an emergency meeting?"
* * * *
Lex shifts his legs and eyes the door. He isn't actually planning an escape but it's fun to toy with Elongated Man, who's watching him intently.
"So you got stuck babysitting me," Lex says. "Had to miss the meeting. What a shame."
Elongated Man frowns:
"I wasn't going to the meeting anyway; it's only for the founding members-"
Lex leans forward:
"The League has tiers? I thought it was supposed to be "all for one, one for all?"
"It is." Elongated man stretches a finger across the room and taps Lex on the knee. "No mind games, Luthor. I know how you operate."
Lex throws an arm over the back of his chair:
"In a way, it's an honour that you've been assigned to guard me. They must have a lot of confidence in your acumen."
Elongated Man sits a little taller in his chair. Lex says:
"I mean, the logical assumption would be that I've connived my way to Watchtower for a reason, my physical presence a red herring for my actual purpose here…"
He watches Elongated Man's foot stretch nervously across the floor.
"You're trying to trick me, get me to let you out of this room. It’s not going to happen, Luthor!"
Lex uses his silkiest voice:
"I don't want to go anywhere. This room is exactly where I want to be, where I feel safest, in fact. Believe me, I have no urge to be exploring right now…"
Elongated Man extends his neck and bobs his head right into Lex's face. Lex stares back at him, blandly.
Elongated Man sighs and speaks into his com-link:
"Mr. Terrific? Please run a security check on the Javelin Bay."
Lex smiles to himself.
* * * *
The meeting ends. Clark sets off to get some coffee; the others linger.
"Zatanna?" says Diana.
There's a slight thickening in the air and then Zatanna appears.
"Nice trick!" says Oliver.
Zatanna smiles:
"Surprised I could sustain the invisibility actually….I've never tried to be invisible for that long before."
"And Superman," asks Diana. "What did you observe?"
Zatanna says:
"It's a simple spell. But with a complex effect. Very clever of Circe…"
"She's forced Clark to fall in love with Lex," says Oliver.
"No," says Zatanna. "That's just the thing. It's not a love spell. She's lifted his inhibitions."
Batman shakes his head:
"We've seen the effects of red Kryptonite. This is different."
"That's what I mean," says Zatanna. "She's lifted his inhibitions…but only in regards to Lex. Otherwise, Superman is the same as usual."
"Wait a minute," said Diana. "So she didn't mind-whammy him…the way he's acting with Lex, it represents his natural inclination?"
Oliver frowns:
"That's impossible!"
Zatanna ignores him:
"Exactly, Wonder Woman. Obviously Clark has his inhibitions about Lex for a reason, but if he had a choice-"
"He'd have Lex by his side all the time," finishes Diana.
"He loves Lex?" says Flash, puzzled. "Wow, Supes has more layers than I realized."
Batman frowns. Oliver says:
"I'm not buying any of this, but that's besides the point. How do we get Clark's inhibitions back?"
Zatanna says:
"It's not a simple matter of reversing a spell. Of course, Circe could reverse her own spell, but if I try…it's tampering with the core of Clark's personality. These are his true feelings. Ethically, I can't do it. It violates the Magician's Code."
"But with Lex attached to him, he's in constant danger!" says Oliver. "Lex knows all his weaknesses, any minute now, he could kill Clark."
"Green Arrow, we share your unease. We'll watch to make sure that doesn't happen," says Diana. "And over time and exposure to Lex, surely Superman will regain his inhibitions?"
"By then, it may be too late!" says Oliver. "Zatanna, if you won't take action, I'm going to see Circe!"
"If you confront her in this mood, she'll turn you into a stork," warns Diana. There's a small twitch behind Batman's mask that might indicate a suppressed grin.
"Or she'll strip your inhibitions too, Ollie, and you'll find that you're secretly in love with me!" says Flash.
Zatanna watches the flush rise on Oliver's face. She says softly:
"No, I don't think he'll find that."
* * * *
Lex is contentedly exploring the engine room when there's a whoosh behind him and a strong arm around his waist.
"You were supposed to stay with Elongated Man," says Clark sternly.
Lex resists the urge to lean back against Clark. He says:
"He got the idea there might be a bomb in the Javelin Bay and went to investigate."
"And he just happened to leave the door unlocked, right?" says Clark. But his tone is affectionate.
Footsteps behind them and Oliver glaring from the doorway.
"I suppose you know there's chaos in the Javelin Bay-"
"We're leaving," says Clark, his arm still around Lex's shoulder. Lex lets himself be guided to the door, turning back once to smirk at Oliver.
* * * *
"Do you like lasagna?" says Clark. "I'm still not much of a cook-"
"I'll like it," says Lex. They're in Clark's apartment. As he watches Clark bustle around the kitchen, Lex realizes he's stopped caring about how Circe caused the change in Clark; he just wants it to last as long as possible. Forever, preferably.
Clark pours them wine and cuts Lex a too-large slice of lasagna.
"You cooked for me once, Lex. Do you remember?"
Of course Lex remembers. Clark had stopped by the manor for a delivery, his last delivery of the day, and Lex had coaxed him down to the kitchen and made omelettes. It had been a cold, wet day, the steam rising off Clark's hair in the warm kitchen. He'd told Lex about his day at school and Lex had half-listened, but mostly just watched him.
"I miss this," Lex says, surprised by the sound of his own voice. "I miss you."
Clark grins at him.
"I should feed you more often."
But you won't want to, thinks Lex. Not when the spell wears off. Lex knows he needs to pull back, remember he's a scientist and adopt a clinical approach. He promised he'd never give himself over completely to Clark again. The risk is too huge, the pain too great.
After dinner, Clark flies away to stop a robbery and put out a fire but he returns to join Lex on the couch. Lex had been nearly asleep, wrapped in a Martha-knitted afghan. Lex wakes to find Clark next to him; without thinking about it, he rolls into Clark's arms.
Clark's hair smells of smoke. He tilts his head to kiss Lex and Lex has to fight the urge to jump on Clark, topple him onto the old couch and just have him. Clark wants this too; his hand is fumbling with the buttons on Lex's shirt.
But Lex can't. He's changed in many ways over the years, and not for the better. But at his core, he's still the same man he was on that long ago day when when Clark had freely offered himself. "Clark Kent and Lex Luthor...I like the sound of that..." Clark had said and he'd asked Lex to run away with him to Metropolis. It was everything Lex had wanted, offered up on a silver platter; but Lex had recognized there was something wrong, had gone and told Jonathan Kent instead. The gift means nothing if it's not given knowingly.
Clark's thumb is teasing Lex's collarbone. He's waiting for permission to go further.
Lex takes his hand:
"Clark, I want this. More than you do. But let's hold off a while longer, to be sure the effects of Circe's spell are completely gone."
Clark makes a sound, a little explosion of frustration. It's the sexiest noise he's ever made and accompanied by a small thrust towards Lex.
"Lex, we've waited forever..."
But you're not completely yourself, thinks Lex. And because you're not yourself, you can't recognize this. Over the years, there are so many times I could have had you. Seduced you. Blackmailed you. Could have cloned you, for fuck's sake.
"Could have had a dozen willing Clarks at my disposal," Lex mumbles.
"What?" Clark is staring at him. So sexy, bottom lip drooping a little, his eyes smoky with lust.
Lex reaches for him and pulls him down. Clark nuzzles his neck, makes his frustrated noise once more, then falls asleep, draped heavily across Lex's chest.
Lex strokes his hair and thinks about his next course of action. Should he try and find Circe? Ask her to reverse her spell, or beg her not to? How much longer can he resist Clark? There are limits to any man's endurance and one such limit is sleeping trustfully in Lex's arms.
* * * *
"I'll let the Goddess know you're here," says the doorman of Circe's club. His eyes take in Oliver appreciatively. "She'll like you."
Oliver is nervous. He knows his charm can turn into bluster when he's desperate. He also knows Circe will be immune to cajoling. He'd pressured Batman to come with him, but Bruce, unreadable behind his cowl, shook his head. Oliver is angry with him; a situation like this, Clark's life at stake, you don't just let it play out: You act.
"The Green Arrow," says Circe. She's reclining on a sofa, flanked by handsome attendants.
Oliver bows:
"Goddess."
"You may rise," says Circe. "And state your business."
"I come, Goddess, to beg a favour."
"It is always thus," says Circe. "Mortal men use woman. But I, Archer, I use men."
Oliver nods nervously.
"Goddess, I ask you to reverse the spell you have placed on Superman. I ask this for the benefit of the people of the world."
"Oh, do you?" says Circe. She sits up. "And there are no...personal feelings at stake?"
"No," Oliver doesn't blink. Can she tell he's lying?
"My spell," says Circe. "Was not so much a spell, as a simple cleansing. Men build up - how would you say? - blinders after a time. They learn to only see things in a certain way. I lifted one of Superman's blinders - do you not think he is the better for it?"
Oliver swallows:
"No, I don't."
Her gaze is like J'onn's; Oliver has the uncomfortable sensation that she can see right through him.
"Archer, I grant your wish. The spell is lifted."
Circe waves her hand, creating a tiny pink swirl in the air. Oliver blinks:
"Thank you, Goddess. Thank you."
He waits for a moment - Wonder Woman says Circe never offers a favour without expecting an offering in return - but she demands nothing, just fans herself and watches him. It is clearly a dismissal.
"Thank you," says Oliver again. He bows awkwardly, then hurries from the room.
"That was generous, Goddess," says one of Circe's attendants.
"Mmmm," says Circe. "More a case of, as the humans would say: "Be careful what you wish for..."
She chuckles.
* * *
Lex is dreaming of a storm. He's on a hill, unprotected, lightning and hail raging around him. But suddenly Clark is there, sheltering him and he is warm.
Lex wakes with a gasp. Then he realizes that the gasp did not come from him, but from Clark.
Clark has pulled away and is staring at him, eyes huge. An instant later he is gone.
The dream is over. Lex sits up on the couch and searches for his shoes.
* * * *
Dawn is rising over Smallville - a rainy, grey dawn. Lex goes to the only place he can think to go, the bridge where he first met Clark. He parks his car, awkwardly crooked across the road, but it's not like anyone will come by at this hour.
Lex stares into the dark, swirling water. His life has been one long succession of loss and betrayal. But before, by hurting him, people have galvanized him. He's kept fighting on - sometimes for revenge, sometimes for validation, sometimes just to keep his mind busy. The anger has always fueled him, made him work harder.
Lex isn't angry now, just numb. And his mind isn't busy, it's blank: a board wiped clean. His fight is gone.
Lex jumps.
The water closes over his head like a curtain and in this moment Lex realizes that he doesn't want to die, absolutely not, and what the hell was he thinking?
He can't open his mouth to say "Clark", but he thinks it. It makes perfect sense that the very last thought his brain circuitry produces would be Clark's name, Clark's face.
And then Clark's face is there, glaring at him through the water. An arm wraps around Lex and they surge out of the river like a rocket, straight up into the sky.
To breathe is a blessing but the cold air is a thousand tiny knives. Lex shivers violently and Clark holds him tighter, as the Kansas highway unspools below them.
He falls asleep in Clark's arms and wakes in Clark's bed, quilts stacked on top of him, a hot water bottle at his feet and Clark curled beside him. As soon as Lex opens his eyes, Clark is glaring at him:
"Why would you do that, Lex?!"
Lex tries to sit up:
"You left...I wasn't in my right mind..."
Clark sighs and rubs his chin:
"Of course, you weren't. You were under Circe's spell. That's why I left; I was taking advantage of you, Lex. I'm sorry."
Lex shakes his head; his thoughts are muzzy.
"No, you were under the spell, not me...I always feel that way about you."
But then again, he doesn't always jump off bridges. Perhaps the spell had stripped away some of his defenses.
Clark says softly:
"I always feel that way too, Lex. About you. I just...I guess I fight it, because of how things have been between us. I fight it everyday."
All this effort, thinks Lex. All this effort we put into playing our roles and for what? He leans back on his pillow. Clark reaches over and strokes Lex's cheek with a finger. He's staring at Lex like he's seeing him for the first time.
"I went to see Circe," says Clark. "She said she'd lifted the spell."
Oliver, thinks Lex.
"But Circe confirmed what I'd already guessed," says Clark. "Her spell didn't change my feelings about you, just pulled them up into the open."
He doesn't seem entirely happy about this. Lex waits.
"I do love you," says Clark. "I always have. It never seems to go away. But I have inhibitions about you for a reason, Lex."
Lex stares down at the quilt. He says:
"I've earned them, I know. For the things you know about and some things you don't."
Clark runs a hand through his hair:
"But that you wouldn't take advantage of me, even when I was throwing myself at you - it means a lot. I remember-"
His voice trails off.
"I wanted to," says Lex. Suddenly his voice is back and it's loud. "I always want you. I want you as Superman, want you as Clark. I wanted you when you were too young for me. I'll want you when we're both too old to do anything about it. I wanted you when you were with Lana; I wanted you when I was with Lana. Every time I've walked down the aisle, I'd have traded any of my wives for you in a heartbeat. I'd ravage the world to have you and I'd save it to please you. You are the one thing, Clark. My one thing....
Clark says:
"Do you still want me? Now? Because "now" feels like it might be the time."
Lex puts a hand on Clark's chin so he can look right into his face:
"Is this a pity offering? If you're feeling sorry for me because you just pulled me out of the river, then I don't....Oooof-"
The "Oof" is caused by Clark suddenly being on top of him. Clark's thigh is between Lex's legs, his hands are wrapped around Lex's wrists, his face is so close that his nose bumps Lex's.
"Does this feel like pity?" says Clark. There's a little growl in his voice. "Anyway, if anyone deserves pity, it's me, with all you've put me through over the years."
Lex feigns a struggle but Clark isn't letting him move, which pushes all of Lex's kink buttons. Lex says:
"Only I get to see this side of you...this is all mine."
It's not just an observation, it's an order. Lex lifts his head to kiss Clark, working his tongue between those plush lips. He rolls Clark over and stretches out on top of him, loving the feel of Clark's body under his.
He kisses Clark's neck. Clark mumbles:
"We got turned round. How'd you get on top?"
"It's part of my plan," Lex tells him. He tugs at Clark's costume. "Take this off."
There's a small tornado of activity, then Clark is there, naked, modestly tucked under a sheet. Lex promptly tugs the sheet away and then just has to stare for a moment.
"You're making me self-conscious," says Clark, his cheeks pink. But his cock likes the attention and twitches under Lex's gaze.
The next few minutes are muddled. Lex is determined to kiss his way down Clark's chest; Clark is equally determined to undress Lex and is not above using his powers to do it. So Lex, licking Clark's nipple, can actually smell his shirt being neatly sliced in two by Clark's heat vision, followed by Clark's hand on his back.
More kisses across Clark's stomach. Clark moans: the most intoxicating sound Lex has ever heard. He wishes he had the patience to tease him longer but Clark's cock is nugding his chin and needs to be in Lex's mouth, now.
Lex licks the tip of Clark's cock and Clark sits bolt upright:
"Lex!"
"Are you shocked?" says Lex. He wraps his hand around Clark's shaft and jacks him slowly. "Have you never thought about this?"
Clark throws back his head; he is biting his lip:
"Ye-ess."
Lex lowers his head and licks him again, cups the velvety balls in his hand. Clark squirms.
"When did you think abut this, Clark?"
He takes Clark in further; when Clark bucks his hips, Lex sneaks a hand around to his ass and runs a finger along his crack.
"LEX! Lex- I thought about it all the time. Used to daydream in school, in bed at night-"
Lex mouths him to full hardness; Lex is hard too. Clark feels so good in his mouth, but he'll feel even better...
Lex pulls off; his finger is teasing Clark's hole. Clark moans:
"Don't stop. Please, don't."
A muscle twitches in that perfect thigh. Lex gasps.
"Clark, did you ever think about..."
Clark bucks under him and they both groan. Lex slips the tip of his finger inside Clark: sweet, hot, tight.
"Did you ever think about fucking me?"
Clark's groan is closer to a roar. There's a small flurry of sheets and suddenly Lex is on his back with Clark on top of him, eyes glittering, breathing like a freight train.
"I think about it all the time, Lex. Every time I see you, every time I touch you. Every time I have sex with a woman, every time you-"
"Now," says Lex, through clenched teeth. "Now."
He's still got his pants on but Clark rips them off like tissue paper. Their hips bump, their cocks brush.
"We need-" says Lex.
But Clark is ahead of him and after a blur of super-speed, his finger is teasing Lex's hole with something cool. Clark kisses Lex, then ducks his head to swallow down Lex's cock. Lex rears off the bed. He's never had someone take him in all the way before. Lex's will is gone, he can think of nothing but Clark's hands, bruisingly tight on his hips and blindly thrusting into Clark's throat.
His orgasm is a knock-out; Lex is still dimly aware that he's riding Clark's finger and that Clark, somewhere far off, is chuckling.
"What's funny?"
Clark kisses his chest:
"Us. Are you ready for me?"
Lex spreads his legs and hooks his ankles over Clark's shoulders. Clark's cock is long and thick. He's gentle, easing his way inside Lex but there's still a considerable burn. Lex clenches his fists. Clark pets Lex's thighs:
"Tell me if it's too much."
"Never."
Clark huffs, an expression of intense concentration on his face. He lifts Lex's hips off the bed to fuck him deeper. Lex moans
"Don't want...to hurt..." pants Clark.
"You'll hurt me if you stop," says Lex. Their eyes lock for a moment. There's a ripple across Clark's face, his next thrust shakes the bed...
Then Clark comes, flooding Lex with his warmth. He flops on top of Lex, spent. Lex closes his eyes and listens: his breathing and Clark's intermingled; their hearts thumping against each other. Perfect symmetry and bliss, at last, after all these years.
After a few minutes, Clark says:
"You know, I don't think I can move."
He doesn't bother to lift his head, addressing the words to Lex's collar bone.
"Good," says Lex. "Stay there. Always."
He traces a pattern on Clark's back with his finger.
"What are you doing?" says Clark.
"Making a preliminary design of the temple I'm going to build for Circe...I was thinking the current site of Queen Industries might make a suitable location..."
Clark's laughter vibrates through them both.
* * *
"Another tribute from Mr. Luthor, Goddess," says the Attendant. "More gold today!"
Circe smiles modestly:
"It is my due. Put it with the rest."
Her Attendant pauses on the doorstep:
"It was....a generous action you performed, Goddess?"
He stops, fearing he's transgressed.
Circe smiles her tigerish smile:
"Even I like a happy ending for lovers from time to time, my boy. But don't you dare tell anyone!"
THE END