(no subject)

[serafina20]

So. Is the fact Lana goes to the cemetary to talk to her parents creepty because

A. she does it at all
B. she does it so much, or
C. she does it at night.

I think I know which I think it is. I'm only wondering because I was thinking today that if they showed Lex talking to his mother's monument, I don't think I'd think it was all that strange. But Lana ... there's something off about it.

I went out today to get: a pair of capris, a pair of shorts, maybe a bra, and the "Stepford Wives" novel. I ended up getting the book 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time," "Stepford Wives", and a picture of a cup of coffee.

SV stories I'd like to see:

An AU in which Lex didn't drive off the bridge and hit Clark. With the boys getting together in the end, of course.

An AU in wich Lex didn't move to Smallville, but things like Phelan still happened to Clark and Victoria/Desiree to Lex. I want their spheres to somehow keep drifting closer and closer until they meet and end up toegther (maybe even a little like "Sliding Doors" where John Hanna and Gwenth Paltrow keep coming very close to being in the same place, but don't quite get there until the very end.)



This didn't make it in due to logistics. I really wanted to do a scene with Morgan and Clark, but this wasn't to be. *sigh* It starts right after Clark buys the box and WA action figures for Lex.

Shopping took a lot less time than Clark had originally thought it would. He'd expected it to take all day to find the perfect box, and had set aside a least three hours. Since he was supposed to meet Aaron, he thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to look and, if he couldn't find anything, he could always run back. Or shop online, once he had the credit card.

But now, he was done and had about two hours before he had to meet Aaron at the coffee house. Which meant he could go back to the penthouse, wrap the action figures, change out of his "good" clothes (he left the slacks at the penthouse, but stuffed the sweater in his backpack) and then head to the coffee house to work.

Grant had e-mailed the finished article to him the day before, but said he wasn't going to be able to make it to Smallville until after Christmas. Until then, if Clark had any immediate comments, he should e-mail or call Grant with them.

The article was good. Clark had a few quibbles with it (mainly that his name was Charles in the piece; he didn't like that name), but otherwise, it was really good. It said everything Clark had been wanting to say about his life and frustrations at being gay and growing frustrations with the closet he was in.

Doing the interview had been the right thing.

Clark frowned as he read over something he'd written. "Even now, after absolution and forgiveness, I hear HIM." That wasn't right. That hadn't been what he wanted to say. No one had ever forgiven Clark for Lionel almost raping him.

He picked up his pen and crossed out forgiveness. After a moment's hesitation as he bit the end of his pen, he replaced it with the word *benediction*.

Suddenly, a hand reached across the table and took the pages from Clark.

"Hey!" he started, but any other words died in his mouth when he saw who was before him.

"Even now, after absolution and ... benediction," Morgan read the change with approval in his rich voice. His steely eyes met Clark's for an instant before returning to the page. "After reassurance and reaffirmation, after being lost and being found, HE is still there, in my darkness. HE whispers and croons and looks at me too closely. He tugs at the thin mantle of my security, and all I can do is hold it around me as tightly as possible and not let HIM take it from me.

"I'm told it will be better, and even though every day I get a little more of myself back, I also come more and more to terms with the fact that a part of HIM will always be in me." Morgan looked up from the papers with a small, very sexy smile on his face. "I had no idea you could write so eloquently."

He swallowed hard. What the hell was he doing here? Had he somehow followed Clark, or was it just a coincidence? "You don't ... know anything about me." Clark said. "You don't even know that I wrote this."

"Of course I do. The words live on your face. I could practically read from here." Morgan touched Clark's cheek lightly before setting the pages down. "I'd wondered about that sorrow. When we last met." He smiled and trailed his fingers over the back of Clark's hand. "It only adds to your beauty, though."

"What are you doing here?" Clark asked. He was trying to order his hand to move, but it seemed inclined to stay where it was.

Morgan smiled and continued tracing Clark's skin. "I stopped in for some coffee. Imagine my surprise when my ingénue from the opera was here." He lifted Clark's hand and kissed it gently.
"Are you waiting for Lex Luthor?"

Heart pounding, Clark pulled his hand away. "No. I'm waiting for a friend. Not Lex. For .... Look, besides coffee, I mean. Why are you here? Are you following me?"

"Not at all. I live simply down the street and stopped by to get coffee before going about my business." His smile grew deeper. "I don't even know your name, my dear. How could I follow you?"

Clark bit his tongue. There were probably about a dozen ways Morgan could have gotten his name; Lionel and Lex did it all the time, why not this guy? But Clark wasn't about to point that fact out. "Um, I don't know. But, on the other hand, could have found it out and be lying about it."

"True," Morgan conceded, but he shook his head in a way that seemed to indicated that it hadn't happened. " A little paranoid, but that never hurt anyone." He pulled the article back to him. "Ah, of course. Charles."

"No, it's not, and please give those back to me." Clark reached for the article, but Morgan held it away. "*Please*."

A enigmatic smile played over Morgan's lips, and he asked, "What will you give me for them?"

Clark's mouth fell open. "Isn't that a little beneath you?" he managed when he found his voice.

Light blue eyes twinkled behind Morgan's glasses. "Whatever do you mean?"

"This is extortion."

"Oh, please. It's a simple exchange of goods for services."

"I'm not going to service you!" Clark said a little too loudly. Then, as heads swiveled over to their table, he ducked his head, feeling as if he were burning from embarrassment.

Morgan laughed softly. "As much as I would enjoy that, my dear, I think we'll start slow." He touched the underside of Clark's jaw. "Just a kiss?"

Clark pulled his hands away from his face. "A kiss?"

"Our all too brief encounter at the opera only served to whet my appetite. I think a kiss is fair exchange for these. Both something of value."

"You're old enough to be my father."

"Lust knows no age."

"Uh ... it should."

Morgan laughed. "You are hardly young enough to cause concern. Disparate age or not, you're old enough for me to appreciate your beauty safely, and for you to appreciate my appeal." He smiled knowingly.

Clark's blush deepened. "Why are you making me do this?"

"I'm not making you do anything. It's your choice."

His choice, right. If he wanted to get the article back without making a scene, it was his choice. If he didn’t ...

Abruptly, he shook himself. This was stupid. He could take the damn article from Morgan any time he wanted. He didn't *have* to kiss him. He didn't have to do anything.

Clark rose and packed everything he'd brought in his backpack. Then he slung it over his shoulder and faced Morgan. "I don't play games like this. That article belongs to me. Give it back."

Morgan didn't say anything.

"Look, you can't threaten me."

"I'm not. It's called extortion."

"Whatever." Clark reached over and snatched the article from Morgan. He moved a little faster than normal, but nothing to arouse Morgan's suspicions. He hoped. "There." Quickly, he stuffed it into his backpack, glaring at Morgan.

Infuriatingly, Morgan's smile only deepened. Lifting the tall coffee that Clark hadn't noticed before, he took a measured sip. Then he set it back down. "There, you see? You had a choice all along."

Anger boiled in Clark and he said, "What do you know. I did." And then, before his mind caught up with his actions, he bent over and kissed Morgan.

If Morgan was surprised by Clark's actions, he didn't show it. He only threaded his fingers through the curls at the nape of Clark's hair and kissed him back. His mouth was parted slightly, and his tongue stroked gently along Clark's bottom lips, causing it to tingle.

The, his mind clicked into gear and Clark pulled back. "I've gotta go," he mumbled, face flaming. Without waiting for Morgan to say anything, he turned on his heel and fled.

It was snowing outside, and Clark raised his face into the flakes. They hit his fevered flesh and melted until water ran down his cheeks. He walked swiftly down the street, not paying attention to where he was going, and *definitely* not thinking about what he'd just done.

"Clark? Clark!"

Clark stopped and turned. Aaron was climbing out of a car, lugging a duffle bag with him.

"Aaron, hey."

Aaron waved at him, and said something to the driver of the car. Then he slung the duffle over his shoulder and walked up to Clark. "Hey, you okay? Because you're walking in the opposite direction we're supposed to meet."

Clark checked his watch quickly. "I thought I still had time, so I was taking a quick walk. I came by early."

"Yeah, I came early, too. Just in case." He flashed a smile. "So. How have you been?" He was looking Clark up and down, smiling like he liked what he saw. But it wasn't overtly sexual, which was nice since Clark was feeling a little skittish at the moment. The easy appreciate, though, was welcome.

"I've been good," he lied. Then, "You look awful."

He did. Aaron was so pale he was almost gray, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He'd lost weight from when Clark had seen him last, and his hair was a black with green tips, which made him look even more wan.

Aaron laughed self-consciously and touched his hair. "I'm washing it out tonight, I swear."

"But you look so tired."

"I am. I've been stretching myself really thin lately. Working and volunteering and, yeah, not sleeping."

"You going to be okay?"

"Oh, yeah," Aaron assured him, placing his hand on Clark's arm. "I’m fine. And I'm ready for my week in Smallville." He squeezed Clark's arm. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Clark smiled at Aaron and nodded. "Let's hit the road."

Comments

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

c) It's that she does it at night, because that kind of implies she expects to see their ghosts.

Way #348 Lana could have been a more interesting character: if she'd talked to her parents so consistently we wondered if they were really there, if they were like Jor-El.

[pepperjackcandy.livejournal.com]

d. All of the above *and*
e. Other -- she wore a piece of the rock that killed them around her neck.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

. Other -- she wore a piece of the rock that killed them around her neck.

You know, I've got to wonder about Nell, though. She's the one who had it made and told Lana to wear it. And she did it on the day Lana was adopted. Ten year olds are still at that stage where if someone says it's a good idea, they do it, and thinking critically isn't Lana's strongest trait. It makes me wonder how much of Lana being a morbid looney is Nell's doing.

[pepperjackcandy.livejournal.com]

Good point. There was a lot of Nell!hate at the beginning of the series, but it seemed more because she was interfering with the Monathan (personally I think Nell's welcome to him) than because of her upbringing of Lana . . .

[mobiusklein.livejournal.com]

I think for me, it's b and c. I don't mind the yearly chat session but do it during the day and not every freaking night (or so it seems) and the fact she camped out there in Nocturne was uber-creepy. And ah, acting as if they talked back is weird.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

And ah, acting as if they talked back is weird.

You've never had conversations in your mind with someone where they've talked back, then? Because even that I don't find quite as odd as I do the fact she goes at night and so much. And camps out. I mean, yeah, it's very odd, but it seems as if people condemn the entire act when, truthfully, it's probalby something I would have done to a degree.

[mobiusklein.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind if she heard & replied in her mind or she felt kind of a feeling but the way she vocalizes it strikes me as a bit odd. I'm way more used to people talking at the grave or urn rather than acting as if it said something.

But I think if she only did it once a year then I would be OK with the 2 way conversation, it's just the idea of her doing it so often that amps up the weird factor because all the factors feed on each on to create a creepy feeling.

[percysowner.livejournal.com]

B and C. Many people who have lost a loved one talk to them from time to time, especially close to their death. Some of them go to the cemetery to do it. With Lana it's the extent of her visitations and the depth of the conversations that are disturbing. And a pepperjackcandy said, wearing the meteor that killed them was even creepier.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

And a pepperjackcandy said, wearing the meteor that killed them was even creepier,

It really is. It makes me wonder what Nell was thinking when she made the necklace for Lana.

[capnzebbie.livejournal.com]

I think it's b and c. Lots of people talk to their dearly departed, but she carries it to creepy obsessive levels.

Also, I love this deleted scene. I'm going to print it out and staple it in with the rest of this part. The interaction between Clark and Morgan in the earlier part just whetted my appetite for more. I really like your characterization of Morgan.

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

I think it's b and c. Lots of people talk to their dearly departed, but she carries it to creepy obsessive levels.


Yeah, I agree with you. I think it's the combination of it.

Also, I love this deleted scene. I'm going to print it out and staple it in with the rest of this part. The interaction between Clark and Morgan in the earlier part just whetted my appetite for more. I really like your characterization of Morgan.

Thank you!!! I love the idea of Clark and Morgan together, at least for a fling. I wish there was moer of the pairing. :)

[frakira.livejournal.com]

about deleted scene. Wow. :)

[serafina20.livejournal.com]

Thanks!!!