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serafina20Sometimes, I think I know where a story is going. I can visualize what happens next in my head, and everything falls into place. And, sometimes, I think I know where a story is going, and yet, I don't quite get there like I planned.
This is one of those times. I thought I knew how this section was going to turn out, but I was wrong. It's fine the way it is, and what I thought should happen probably shouldn't happen until later, but .... Well. Writing is a journey of discovery.
Van McNulty is a meanie. He hurt Clark!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
They didn't speak for the rest of the afternoon, by mutual if silent agreement. Clark drove back to the Kent house and then had gone to help with chores. Lex had spent some minutes adoring Martha as she moved from her herb garden to the laundry room to the kitchen, trying to find a way to help her before being shooed away.
"You're our guest, Lex, and you're tired. You can help out tomorrow if you want," she'd said.
Lex had finally gone up to the room he'd been given and laid out on the bed. He was asleep before he remembered closing his eyes.
When he woke, it was dark. At first, he was disoriented, not recognizing the bed or the way the shadows fell over him. The furniture was different, strange, and the very air held him differently.
Then he remembered. He and Clark had fled the city in pursuit of a story, only to land in something deeper. Maybe. If Lex was right, and he almost always was. There was a tingling in his bones and the back of his neck, an awareness when the puzzle pieces began to fit together. He was close. Closer than he'd ever been before.
He was going to be able to prove Lois Lane killed his father.
If he could work up the nerve to see Morgan Edge in person again.
Morgan Edge. Childhood horror for no good reason except the man gave Lex the fucking creeps. His eyes always felt as if they were dissecting Lex, ripping his skin off a layer at a time. Lex knew Morgan hated him and he'd never understood why when he was younger. Then he'd found out about him and his father, and it'd become clear.
Lex's mother had been a rival. Necessary to Lionel Luthor's success, but a rival nonetheless. Lex had been Morgan's rival's child, and the animosity had been inborn.
At least until his father's funeral. Then, suddenly, the child had become something else and Morgan had suddenly offered an olive branch.
He'd approached Lex after the funeral. The other mourners--gloaters--had gone, leaving Lex alone to watch as the coffin had been put in the ground and covered with dirt. He was standing to one side, leaning against a tree, just watching. Needing to watch and say a final goodbye.
Then, suddenly, there'd been heat on his back and a large hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Lex," Morgan had said softly in his ear.
Lex had stiffened and inhaled sharply. He didn't answer.
"I've known your father since birth. I'd thought to be with him in death. Unless, of course, something like this should happen, which was always a possibility in our lives. I don't think he ever believed that, though."
"What? Didn't believe he'd committee suicide?"
Morgan had chuckled softly. "You and I both know that Lionel Luthor would never voluntarily end his own life. It wasn't in his character." He squeezed Lex's shoulder and moved in closer, until his face was directly next to Lex's. "I know this is a difficult time for you. You have, sadly, lost everything. If you ever need anything, Lex, please come to me. You father helped me through many difficult times, and, in his memory, I will do the same for his son."
Lex snorted. "Christ, Morgan, why don't you just slip your hand into my pants right here?"
"This isn't about sex," he'd been assured, although it wasn't all that reassuring since Morgan was caressing along his jaw as he said it. "This is about family. And loyalty."
"You are not family," Lex had replied. He pulled away and turned. "Not mine. You are a criminal, Morgan."
"As was your father."
"I know. And won't try to hide that in my article, should it go in that direction. But I'm not ever going to spare you out of any sort of loyalty, and I'm not going to put myself into a position where I feel like I owe it to you. From here on out, I'm on my own."
He'd expected a reaction. Anger or scorn or something. But all Morgan had done was smile and rake his eyes over Lex's body.
"Very well," he'd said. "But I'm a patient man. Any time you need anything, you know how to contact me." He'd smiled softly, and then left.
In the darkened bedroom, Lex rolled onto his stomach and fumbled for his cell phone. Morgan Edge had never been but a phone call away. Lex had never called him, not even after his own suicide attempt, or the times he'd been injured in the line of duty. He'd never even called him for a lead, and Morgan, the crime lord of the city, was a lead in himself.
But now .... Because if anyone were to possess Lionel Luthor's secret papers, it would be his former lover and partner in crime.
"Fuck," Lex swore. He bit his lip and stared at the phone a minute. Then he placed it aside. One day wouldn't matter.
He set the phone aside and rose. The bathroom was across the hall, and he used it quickly, before going downstairs.
"Lex," Martha greeted. "How was your nap?"
"Refreshing."
"Good. I wasn't sure if I should wake you for dinner, but considering how worn both you and Clark looked when you got here, I decided to let you sleep. But," she went to the oven and pulled out a plate, "I kept your dinner warm."
God, he loved this woman. Really, could he keep her? "Thank you, Martha." He took the plate and sat at the table. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. All foods that he'd never eaten before LuthorCorp went under, but he loved now.
Especially made by her. They were almost better than her pancakes and demolished about as fast.
"You're a treasure," Lex said when he was done. He felt stuffed.
"You flatter me." Martha started to take his plate, but Lex shook his head.
"Let me?" He rose and went to the sink to wash the plate. "Where's Clark?"
"Outside in the barn. Jonathan converted it to a room for him back when he was in junior high. Clark was a very ... private child, and he needed a space all to his own to hide away from the world an, sometimes, us."
Lex smiled and gazed out the window. "I can see that. He's still private. He's there, and present, and alive, but reserved, somehow. And good at making you think he's told a lot about himself without actually doing so." He rinsed off the plate and stuck it in the rack.
"He's more interested in other people. He doesn't like to talk about himself."
"I'm the same way." Lex turned and leaned against the sink. "I like to talk about him, actually. I like to look at him and see everything he's not saying to me. It's more real." He licked his lips. "That's why I .... Because he lets me look and doesn't feel the need to explain everything."
"When you trust someone, that's what you do."
He laughed slightly. "I have a hard time with trust."
"But you trust Clark."
"I do," he said softly. He looked up. "Um, I'm going to go find him, is that okay?"
Martha nodded and smiled softly. "Of course."
Lex smiled at her, and then headed outside. The night was cold and crisp, colder than it was in the city. It bit into him until his bones ached, but he liked it. He liked it here in Smallville, and almost wished that he'd taken his father up on his offer all those years ago.
But then, maybe not. Maybe he really had come at the right time, and met Clark at the right time in his life. Back then, there was a chance Lex never would have seen Clark, not like he did now. It wasn't until after the fall that Lex really began to look at people and the world around him. And, of course, ten years ago there wouldn't have been Superman. There only would have been a boy with deep secrets, and Lex, like Lana, would have been driven crazy by them.
"I just think I'm in over my head," Lex heard Clark saying when he entered the barn.
He froze, unsure what to do.
"I agree," Jonathan replied. "And I warned you about this when you called and told us your plan."
"But, Dad ..."
"No, Clark. Superman is a fine idea, and coming out of the shadows was a decision that you wanted to make. Perhaps it's not the choice *I* would have made for you, but it's not my life. It's just that I'm worried about you. You look exhausted, even on television. It's too much for you."
Clark sighed. "I didn't expect it to be so hard."
"Of course not. Because you rushed in without thinking."
"I had to save Lex!" Clark said insistently. "That's all I was thinking. And, once I did, I knew I couldn't hide anymore. He wouldn't let me, and he was so ... so excited, Dad, that I just couldn't help thinking that if having a hero made him glow, what would it do for the rest of the world?"
"And that's noble, Clark. But you can't be a hero for everyone all the time. It's like I've been telling you since you were a teenager: you *can't* save everyone. And, if you try, you'll leave nothing for yourself."
"Yeah," Clark sighed wearily. "I know. But when I don't get there in time, I feel like I've failed."
There was the sound of movement, and then Jonathan exhaled slowly. "Clark, humans have been doing just fine for thousands of years. We're not perfect, and you know that. Neither are you. But you can't solve all their problems. And you can't allow people to think that. Otherwise, they'll start taking you for granted, and then they'll turn against you. Save yourself for the big stuff. I know it'll be hard for you, and it's fine if you stop the occasional petty crime, but you can't do everything. You're killing yourself trying."
"I know," Clark said in a voice so small, Lex wanted to rush up the stairs and hold him as tight as he could.
"You're a reporter for a reason," Jonathan said gently. "Whatever you can't do as Superman, you can do as Clark Kent. You know that Perry is only going to cut you so much slack. He hired you to write the headlines, not make them. He can't keep you on if you don't do your job."
"I know. I know, and I'm trying, really. Any time I'm not trying to save people, I'm working on this story with Lex. Sometimes, I work on it on my own. It's important, and I know it is."
"It is important, Clark. Everything you're doing is." He paused a moment, and then said, "But make sure to keep something for yourself."
There was a beat of silence. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you and your happiness and well being are just as important as any story or person. Sacrifice is a good thing, but you deserve to be happy." He sighed. "You could have a really good thing going for you Clark. You've found a good man. Don't let Lex get away because you can't save any of yourself for him."
Clark snorted. "Lex is in love with Superman."
"Lex is in love with you," Jonathan said gently. "And you are Superman. Don't become your own enemy."
There was no answer.
In the shadows, Lex let out a breath he hadn't know he was holding. This was the man who hated Luthors? He was all but throwing Clark at Lex. Either Clark had been mistaken, or there was more to Jonathan Kent than Clark had thought.
There was a creak on the stairs. Quickly, Lex left the barn and stopped a few feet from it. He tilted his head back and gazed at the stars, contemplative.
"Hello, Lex," Jonathan said, coming to stand next to him.
"Jonathan," Lex replied with a nod. "I was coming out to see Clark, but I heard the two of you talking. I didn't want to intrude."
"Thank you." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head back as well. "I knew your father, you know."
He nodded. "Clark told me."
Jonathan smiled, eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "I thought you seemed nervous when you first came here."
Lex blushed, hoping Jonathan couldn't see him in the darkness.
"I met him years ago, when Clark was just a kid. I did him a favor, actually. Helped get you out of that corn field and to a hospital. He was, ah, paralyzed with shock and wasn't quite functioning properly."
"Wait. You .... You're the one who saved me?"
Jonathan shrugged. "I just did what anyone would do."
"Thank you," Lex said softly.
"You're welcome." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he did me a favor, but in exchange, he wanted something back. He asked me to convince my friends to sell the creamed corn factory to him. I did, and regretted the decision."
"I'm s ..."
Jonathan cut him off. "No. As it turns out, he wasn't the worst thing to happen to this town. Not really. Things change, growth happens, if it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else." He glanced at Lex. "I've been reading your articles for years, Lex. At first, I did it so I could see you turn from an unscrupulous business man to an unscrupulous reporter, but your surprised me. You're a *good* reporter, one who really cares and has a lot of heart. I'm glad to get a chance to tell you how much I admire and respect you."
Lex felt his face heat up and he looked away. "Thank you, Jonathan. That means a lot." Then he turned. "Clark means a lot to me. I just thought I should tell you that."
Jonathan smiled. "It's not me you need to tell." He clapped Lex on the shoulder and squeezed. "Good night, Lex."
"Night."
Lex watched Jonathan enter the house, the door closing behind him. Then, taking a deep breath, Lex turned and walked into the barn.
Clark was sitting on the ledge of the barn, gazing up at the stars. His head was tilted up to the sky, eyes closed. Moonlight streamed in, lightly kissing his face, making him glow.
"Hey," Lex said softly. He approached hesitantly, unsure if he should interrupt.
But, then Clark turned and his trademark smile crossed his face, warming Lex. "Hey. How was your nap?"
"Great. I feel so much better." He crossed the room and sat next to Clark. His legs dangled out of the window, and he lightly kicked his heels against the wood. "You look like you're feeling better, too."
He nodded and looked out over the fields. "I do. Sometimes, you need to sleep for days on end, and sometime, you just need to get out into the fresh air and work. I did all my old chores, talked with Dad. It was just like growing up again."
"Good. I'm glad, because you were looking really worn down."
Clark nudged him gently with his shoulder. "So were you." Very tentatively, he placed his hand over Lex's and held it there.
Lex looked at it for a long moment, and then turned his hand over. "I want to apologize for my behavior earlier today," he said as he laced their fingers together. "About what I was saying about you and Lana. I was out of line."
"No, not really. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if she still had feelings for me. But, like I said, I'm not interested in her. Besides." He squeezed Lex's hand. "You weren't upset about Lana. Not really."
"No?" Lex asked, eyebrow raised.
Clark just smiled at him.
"No," he agreed. He sighed and looked back out at the horizon. "No, I wasn't really upset about Lana. I just." He swallowed. "The man who probably has my father's papers gives me the creeps. We need to talk to him, need to see him, but I just ... really don't want to. You know?
"We don't have to, Lex," Clark said softly. "I mean, we could probably nail Lane Enterprises on the information we have."
"Lois will deny it was her fault. She hired people who lied to her, obviously, and she'll be very sorry to hear of what they've done."
"We can connect the company she hired to her."
Lex blinked. "Are you sure?"
Clark's face was serious as he nodded. "I think so. I'm almost positive that Hartcourt Disposal is really a cover for Lane Enterprises. She created the company as a cheap and easy way to dump chemicals, and she's going to get caught. All we need to do is follow the paper trail." He ran his thumb over Lex's palm. "We don't need anything else."
"But, we might be able to nail her for my father's murder, too. Don't I owe it to him to at least try?"
"I can't answer that for you."
Lex closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He didn't know what to do.
"Give it a day," Clark finally said, breaking into his thoughts. "We'll spend the day here, resting. Looking stuff up on the computer. Whatever. Not even thinking about it. You can decide later."
"Okay." Lex nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Okay. I can wait a day. And I could use the rest." He hesitated, then leaned against Clark, resting his head on his shoulder. "So could you."
Clark was silent a long moment. Lex could feel the confusion, excitement, and fear radiating through him. He'd turned his head and was looking at Lex as if waiting for the punchline. Waiting for the joke.
Lex bit his lip, keeping his eyes on the horizon. His heart was thudding so hard in his chest, he thought it might burst through. It was a first step. A first tentative step at intimacy, at trust that Clark wasn't going to leave and that Lex didn't want him to.
His palms were sweating. No way to hide, that, Clark was holding one. But, maybe it didn't matter.
With a sigh that sounded dangerously close to contentment, Clark released Lex's hand and put his arm around his shoulders. Tugging him close, his lips lightly brushed Lex's head.
"I'm glad we're home," he whispered.
Lex looked up at him and pressed a kiss against Clark's lips. "Yeah," he whispered when they broke apart. "Me too."
TBC ...
This is one of those times. I thought I knew how this section was going to turn out, but I was wrong. It's fine the way it is, and what I thought should happen probably shouldn't happen until later, but .... Well. Writing is a journey of discovery.
Van McNulty is a meanie. He hurt Clark!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
They didn't speak for the rest of the afternoon, by mutual if silent agreement. Clark drove back to the Kent house and then had gone to help with chores. Lex had spent some minutes adoring Martha as she moved from her herb garden to the laundry room to the kitchen, trying to find a way to help her before being shooed away.
"You're our guest, Lex, and you're tired. You can help out tomorrow if you want," she'd said.
Lex had finally gone up to the room he'd been given and laid out on the bed. He was asleep before he remembered closing his eyes.
When he woke, it was dark. At first, he was disoriented, not recognizing the bed or the way the shadows fell over him. The furniture was different, strange, and the very air held him differently.
Then he remembered. He and Clark had fled the city in pursuit of a story, only to land in something deeper. Maybe. If Lex was right, and he almost always was. There was a tingling in his bones and the back of his neck, an awareness when the puzzle pieces began to fit together. He was close. Closer than he'd ever been before.
He was going to be able to prove Lois Lane killed his father.
If he could work up the nerve to see Morgan Edge in person again.
Morgan Edge. Childhood horror for no good reason except the man gave Lex the fucking creeps. His eyes always felt as if they were dissecting Lex, ripping his skin off a layer at a time. Lex knew Morgan hated him and he'd never understood why when he was younger. Then he'd found out about him and his father, and it'd become clear.
Lex's mother had been a rival. Necessary to Lionel Luthor's success, but a rival nonetheless. Lex had been Morgan's rival's child, and the animosity had been inborn.
At least until his father's funeral. Then, suddenly, the child had become something else and Morgan had suddenly offered an olive branch.
He'd approached Lex after the funeral. The other mourners--gloaters--had gone, leaving Lex alone to watch as the coffin had been put in the ground and covered with dirt. He was standing to one side, leaning against a tree, just watching. Needing to watch and say a final goodbye.
Then, suddenly, there'd been heat on his back and a large hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss, Lex," Morgan had said softly in his ear.
Lex had stiffened and inhaled sharply. He didn't answer.
"I've known your father since birth. I'd thought to be with him in death. Unless, of course, something like this should happen, which was always a possibility in our lives. I don't think he ever believed that, though."
"What? Didn't believe he'd committee suicide?"
Morgan had chuckled softly. "You and I both know that Lionel Luthor would never voluntarily end his own life. It wasn't in his character." He squeezed Lex's shoulder and moved in closer, until his face was directly next to Lex's. "I know this is a difficult time for you. You have, sadly, lost everything. If you ever need anything, Lex, please come to me. You father helped me through many difficult times, and, in his memory, I will do the same for his son."
Lex snorted. "Christ, Morgan, why don't you just slip your hand into my pants right here?"
"This isn't about sex," he'd been assured, although it wasn't all that reassuring since Morgan was caressing along his jaw as he said it. "This is about family. And loyalty."
"You are not family," Lex had replied. He pulled away and turned. "Not mine. You are a criminal, Morgan."
"As was your father."
"I know. And won't try to hide that in my article, should it go in that direction. But I'm not ever going to spare you out of any sort of loyalty, and I'm not going to put myself into a position where I feel like I owe it to you. From here on out, I'm on my own."
He'd expected a reaction. Anger or scorn or something. But all Morgan had done was smile and rake his eyes over Lex's body.
"Very well," he'd said. "But I'm a patient man. Any time you need anything, you know how to contact me." He'd smiled softly, and then left.
In the darkened bedroom, Lex rolled onto his stomach and fumbled for his cell phone. Morgan Edge had never been but a phone call away. Lex had never called him, not even after his own suicide attempt, or the times he'd been injured in the line of duty. He'd never even called him for a lead, and Morgan, the crime lord of the city, was a lead in himself.
But now .... Because if anyone were to possess Lionel Luthor's secret papers, it would be his former lover and partner in crime.
"Fuck," Lex swore. He bit his lip and stared at the phone a minute. Then he placed it aside. One day wouldn't matter.
He set the phone aside and rose. The bathroom was across the hall, and he used it quickly, before going downstairs.
"Lex," Martha greeted. "How was your nap?"
"Refreshing."
"Good. I wasn't sure if I should wake you for dinner, but considering how worn both you and Clark looked when you got here, I decided to let you sleep. But," she went to the oven and pulled out a plate, "I kept your dinner warm."
God, he loved this woman. Really, could he keep her? "Thank you, Martha." He took the plate and sat at the table. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. All foods that he'd never eaten before LuthorCorp went under, but he loved now.
Especially made by her. They were almost better than her pancakes and demolished about as fast.
"You're a treasure," Lex said when he was done. He felt stuffed.
"You flatter me." Martha started to take his plate, but Lex shook his head.
"Let me?" He rose and went to the sink to wash the plate. "Where's Clark?"
"Outside in the barn. Jonathan converted it to a room for him back when he was in junior high. Clark was a very ... private child, and he needed a space all to his own to hide away from the world an, sometimes, us."
Lex smiled and gazed out the window. "I can see that. He's still private. He's there, and present, and alive, but reserved, somehow. And good at making you think he's told a lot about himself without actually doing so." He rinsed off the plate and stuck it in the rack.
"He's more interested in other people. He doesn't like to talk about himself."
"I'm the same way." Lex turned and leaned against the sink. "I like to talk about him, actually. I like to look at him and see everything he's not saying to me. It's more real." He licked his lips. "That's why I .... Because he lets me look and doesn't feel the need to explain everything."
"When you trust someone, that's what you do."
He laughed slightly. "I have a hard time with trust."
"But you trust Clark."
"I do," he said softly. He looked up. "Um, I'm going to go find him, is that okay?"
Martha nodded and smiled softly. "Of course."
Lex smiled at her, and then headed outside. The night was cold and crisp, colder than it was in the city. It bit into him until his bones ached, but he liked it. He liked it here in Smallville, and almost wished that he'd taken his father up on his offer all those years ago.
But then, maybe not. Maybe he really had come at the right time, and met Clark at the right time in his life. Back then, there was a chance Lex never would have seen Clark, not like he did now. It wasn't until after the fall that Lex really began to look at people and the world around him. And, of course, ten years ago there wouldn't have been Superman. There only would have been a boy with deep secrets, and Lex, like Lana, would have been driven crazy by them.
"I just think I'm in over my head," Lex heard Clark saying when he entered the barn.
He froze, unsure what to do.
"I agree," Jonathan replied. "And I warned you about this when you called and told us your plan."
"But, Dad ..."
"No, Clark. Superman is a fine idea, and coming out of the shadows was a decision that you wanted to make. Perhaps it's not the choice *I* would have made for you, but it's not my life. It's just that I'm worried about you. You look exhausted, even on television. It's too much for you."
Clark sighed. "I didn't expect it to be so hard."
"Of course not. Because you rushed in without thinking."
"I had to save Lex!" Clark said insistently. "That's all I was thinking. And, once I did, I knew I couldn't hide anymore. He wouldn't let me, and he was so ... so excited, Dad, that I just couldn't help thinking that if having a hero made him glow, what would it do for the rest of the world?"
"And that's noble, Clark. But you can't be a hero for everyone all the time. It's like I've been telling you since you were a teenager: you *can't* save everyone. And, if you try, you'll leave nothing for yourself."
"Yeah," Clark sighed wearily. "I know. But when I don't get there in time, I feel like I've failed."
There was the sound of movement, and then Jonathan exhaled slowly. "Clark, humans have been doing just fine for thousands of years. We're not perfect, and you know that. Neither are you. But you can't solve all their problems. And you can't allow people to think that. Otherwise, they'll start taking you for granted, and then they'll turn against you. Save yourself for the big stuff. I know it'll be hard for you, and it's fine if you stop the occasional petty crime, but you can't do everything. You're killing yourself trying."
"I know," Clark said in a voice so small, Lex wanted to rush up the stairs and hold him as tight as he could.
"You're a reporter for a reason," Jonathan said gently. "Whatever you can't do as Superman, you can do as Clark Kent. You know that Perry is only going to cut you so much slack. He hired you to write the headlines, not make them. He can't keep you on if you don't do your job."
"I know. I know, and I'm trying, really. Any time I'm not trying to save people, I'm working on this story with Lex. Sometimes, I work on it on my own. It's important, and I know it is."
"It is important, Clark. Everything you're doing is." He paused a moment, and then said, "But make sure to keep something for yourself."
There was a beat of silence. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, you and your happiness and well being are just as important as any story or person. Sacrifice is a good thing, but you deserve to be happy." He sighed. "You could have a really good thing going for you Clark. You've found a good man. Don't let Lex get away because you can't save any of yourself for him."
Clark snorted. "Lex is in love with Superman."
"Lex is in love with you," Jonathan said gently. "And you are Superman. Don't become your own enemy."
There was no answer.
In the shadows, Lex let out a breath he hadn't know he was holding. This was the man who hated Luthors? He was all but throwing Clark at Lex. Either Clark had been mistaken, or there was more to Jonathan Kent than Clark had thought.
There was a creak on the stairs. Quickly, Lex left the barn and stopped a few feet from it. He tilted his head back and gazed at the stars, contemplative.
"Hello, Lex," Jonathan said, coming to stand next to him.
"Jonathan," Lex replied with a nod. "I was coming out to see Clark, but I heard the two of you talking. I didn't want to intrude."
"Thank you." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head back as well. "I knew your father, you know."
He nodded. "Clark told me."
Jonathan smiled, eyes twinkling in the moonlight. "I thought you seemed nervous when you first came here."
Lex blushed, hoping Jonathan couldn't see him in the darkness.
"I met him years ago, when Clark was just a kid. I did him a favor, actually. Helped get you out of that corn field and to a hospital. He was, ah, paralyzed with shock and wasn't quite functioning properly."
"Wait. You .... You're the one who saved me?"
Jonathan shrugged. "I just did what anyone would do."
"Thank you," Lex said softly.
"You're welcome." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he did me a favor, but in exchange, he wanted something back. He asked me to convince my friends to sell the creamed corn factory to him. I did, and regretted the decision."
"I'm s ..."
Jonathan cut him off. "No. As it turns out, he wasn't the worst thing to happen to this town. Not really. Things change, growth happens, if it hadn't been him, it would have been someone else." He glanced at Lex. "I've been reading your articles for years, Lex. At first, I did it so I could see you turn from an unscrupulous business man to an unscrupulous reporter, but your surprised me. You're a *good* reporter, one who really cares and has a lot of heart. I'm glad to get a chance to tell you how much I admire and respect you."
Lex felt his face heat up and he looked away. "Thank you, Jonathan. That means a lot." Then he turned. "Clark means a lot to me. I just thought I should tell you that."
Jonathan smiled. "It's not me you need to tell." He clapped Lex on the shoulder and squeezed. "Good night, Lex."
"Night."
Lex watched Jonathan enter the house, the door closing behind him. Then, taking a deep breath, Lex turned and walked into the barn.
Clark was sitting on the ledge of the barn, gazing up at the stars. His head was tilted up to the sky, eyes closed. Moonlight streamed in, lightly kissing his face, making him glow.
"Hey," Lex said softly. He approached hesitantly, unsure if he should interrupt.
But, then Clark turned and his trademark smile crossed his face, warming Lex. "Hey. How was your nap?"
"Great. I feel so much better." He crossed the room and sat next to Clark. His legs dangled out of the window, and he lightly kicked his heels against the wood. "You look like you're feeling better, too."
He nodded and looked out over the fields. "I do. Sometimes, you need to sleep for days on end, and sometime, you just need to get out into the fresh air and work. I did all my old chores, talked with Dad. It was just like growing up again."
"Good. I'm glad, because you were looking really worn down."
Clark nudged him gently with his shoulder. "So were you." Very tentatively, he placed his hand over Lex's and held it there.
Lex looked at it for a long moment, and then turned his hand over. "I want to apologize for my behavior earlier today," he said as he laced their fingers together. "About what I was saying about you and Lana. I was out of line."
"No, not really. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if she still had feelings for me. But, like I said, I'm not interested in her. Besides." He squeezed Lex's hand. "You weren't upset about Lana. Not really."
"No?" Lex asked, eyebrow raised.
Clark just smiled at him.
"No," he agreed. He sighed and looked back out at the horizon. "No, I wasn't really upset about Lana. I just." He swallowed. "The man who probably has my father's papers gives me the creeps. We need to talk to him, need to see him, but I just ... really don't want to. You know?
"We don't have to, Lex," Clark said softly. "I mean, we could probably nail Lane Enterprises on the information we have."
"Lois will deny it was her fault. She hired people who lied to her, obviously, and she'll be very sorry to hear of what they've done."
"We can connect the company she hired to her."
Lex blinked. "Are you sure?"
Clark's face was serious as he nodded. "I think so. I'm almost positive that Hartcourt Disposal is really a cover for Lane Enterprises. She created the company as a cheap and easy way to dump chemicals, and she's going to get caught. All we need to do is follow the paper trail." He ran his thumb over Lex's palm. "We don't need anything else."
"But, we might be able to nail her for my father's murder, too. Don't I owe it to him to at least try?"
"I can't answer that for you."
Lex closed his eyes and sighed heavily. He didn't know what to do.
"Give it a day," Clark finally said, breaking into his thoughts. "We'll spend the day here, resting. Looking stuff up on the computer. Whatever. Not even thinking about it. You can decide later."
"Okay." Lex nodded and rubbed his eyes. "Okay. I can wait a day. And I could use the rest." He hesitated, then leaned against Clark, resting his head on his shoulder. "So could you."
Clark was silent a long moment. Lex could feel the confusion, excitement, and fear radiating through him. He'd turned his head and was looking at Lex as if waiting for the punchline. Waiting for the joke.
Lex bit his lip, keeping his eyes on the horizon. His heart was thudding so hard in his chest, he thought it might burst through. It was a first step. A first tentative step at intimacy, at trust that Clark wasn't going to leave and that Lex didn't want him to.
His palms were sweating. No way to hide, that, Clark was holding one. But, maybe it didn't matter.
With a sigh that sounded dangerously close to contentment, Clark released Lex's hand and put his arm around his shoulders. Tugging him close, his lips lightly brushed Lex's head.
"I'm glad we're home," he whispered.
Lex looked up at him and pressed a kiss against Clark's lips. "Yeah," he whispered when they broke apart. "Me too."
TBC ...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-01-07 08:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-08 04:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-08 12:07 am (UTC)I love this story, a lot. I like how Lex now knows that Clark is superman, but isn't pushing the issue or confronting Clark about it. And I absolutely LOVE Martha. In both COTW and this story, she's just amazing. I want a mom like that. *nods*
Also, the last scene was very touching.
Now, about COTW 42...
Spent hours reading it, mostly because I kept being disturbed by people on MSN or AIM who wanted to talk... I enjoyed every single part of it. I love how you paint the Clex relationship. It's absolutely beautiful. I like how they get angry at each other, how they have problems communicating, how they're just SO very *real*. Some of those who write fanfiction make everything between the characters seem so easy, but you don't. You really show us every aspect of their relationship and things don't always go well for them, they fight, they get angry, they throw things, they misunderstand each other, yet they love each other so very much and you can make us feel everything right to our bones.
Also, I want a Damien/Dominic OTPforevaOMG!!1!!!1! fangirl icon. Yes yes. I love them SO much. *grin*
I think I used all my 'coherent thoughts' for the night...
*loves you even more*
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Date: 2004-01-08 04:53 pm (UTC)Well, he doesn't have to. He's suspected for quite awhile, and he actually knew before he heard Jonathan say it. His main concern is sorting out his feelings, trying to make himself brave enough to be with Clark, and to make Clark know it was never Superman vs. Clark, but a matter of Lex's emotional saftey vs. Clark.
I like how they get angry at each other, how they have problems communicating, how they're just SO very *real*. Some of those who write fanfiction make everything between the characters seem so easy, but you don't.
This is why I enjoy writing them so much: they are so real. Even with the telepathy, they still have problems comminicating. Because they're not perfect, and they are young, and they are (relatively) human. People are private and stupid and full of self-preseravtion instincts that dont' always work out right. And it's *fun* to create problems between the two of them that are so real, rather than, "Lex is kidnapped by a mutant bird," or "Clark accidently eats a meteor rock," or whatever.
Also, I want a Damien/Dominic OTPforevaOMG!!1!!!1! fangirl icon. Yes yes. I love them SO much.
I am so, *so* glad to hear this, because sometimes I wonder if I'm the only one who cares. I have big plans for my boys. And I will try to find a good picture of "Damien" so we can get an icon (because we have to share, yo).
Thanks@!!!!!!
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Date: 2004-01-08 01:05 am (UTC)I am amazed by the glory of Reporter!Lex. And have duly friended you so that I might not miss any of it. I swoon with the joy of barn kisses. You are a wonderous writer.
Fangirlfully yours,
Natalie
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Date: 2004-01-08 04:55 pm (UTC)Thank you so much. You will be friended back. I'm glowing from the "wonderful writer" compliment. That's such a nice thing to say. :P
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Date: 2004-01-08 02:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-08 04:57 pm (UTC)To be perfeclty honest .... Lex already knew. He's pretty much known since before they left for Smallville, but he wasn't positive until Clark took him to the castle. He didn't need Jonathan for that. {G}
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Date: 2004-01-08 05:10 pm (UTC)That was simply wonderful!
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Date: 2004-01-10 10:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-08 10:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-10 10:42 am (UTC)It is. I was a little hesitant to make Jonatan just supportive, just because it contradicts the show so much, but having conflict from that area would just be too much. Lex is already conflicted enough himself. Besides, it's a "different" Jonathan. Not only is the set up different, but he's older, he's seen that it's not just the Luthors, and he's mature. SO, I went with it. I'm glad it seems to work.
Thanks!
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Date: 2004-01-09 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-01-10 10:45 am (UTC)It really did help. Thank you so much for that advice. I think I was so intimidated by what the plot was supposed to be (because I only have the faintest clue) that I started panicking about everything. Once my concentration focused, it became clearer.
And then, I found away to bring in Morgan, who I love. Well, the first Morgan, as played by Rugart Hauer; the second one didn't appeal to me as much. :)
Yay for non asshat!Jonathan.
Which just goes to prove, sometimes jerks do grow up.
Thanks again for your support!
no subject
Date: 2004-01-11 10:57 pm (UTC)