![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fajrdrakoTitle: Penthouse (1/1)
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clex
Reason for its existence: Because![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alax posted a challenge on her livejournal and I couldn't resist writing something.
~ ~ ~
Penthouse
In Lex Luthor's bedroom in his Metropolis penthouse, the telephone rang.
Lex had his head under the pillow. He could still hear it ringing.
It didn't stop.
"Fuck," muttered Lex. He pushed himself up far enough to see the display: it was the desk
downstairs. He grabbed the phone as if to strangle it and shouted, "Goddammit, Karl, you know I don't want to be disturbed. What time is it?"
"Two fourteen, sir. Clark Kent is here to see you."
Lex ran his hand over his head. He was awake. He wasn't dreaming. But Clark was gone.
There was no way it could be Clark.
"Sir?"
"Can't be Clark Kent. Clark Kent is missing."
"I believe it is Clark Kent, sir."
Lex heard the voice in the background: "Lex, it's me! Let me come up."
It sounded like Clark.
"Give me visual."
He had to turn on his television. He sat on the foot of his bed, staring at the screen. It looked like Clark, too, dressed in a tight T-shirt and trousers, which wasn't his usual style but was easy on the eyes. And his hair - he'd done something to his hair. Gel?
He looked like a city boy.
He looked hot.
"Sir?"
Karl was still holding the telephone. Lex said, "Send him up."
"Yes, Mr. Luthor."
Lex held the receiver in his lap. He warched Karl speak to Clark. He saw Clark turn to the
elevators, a little too fast.
Lex swallowed. He put the receiver back in the cradle, almost regretting his acquiescence. He felt oddly afraid to see Clark. He had arranged his life so carefully, and to no purpose. It had all fallen apart. Helen, Clark, Lexcorp, everything.... Shit.
He was naked at two-seventeen fucking a.m. and Clark Kent was on his way up to his bedroom.
There were circumstances in which that could be considered as a good thing. This wasn't it.
He got up and put on a kimono he had once bought on a holiday in Thailand. When he had first seen it, the lavender and turquoise swirls had caught his eye. Now they seemed tawdry and made him look sallow and old.
Shit. Two-nineteen a.m. and he had been wakened up in the middle of a dream of drowning to
worry about how he looked because Clark was on the way up and practically on the doorstep.
He found a bathrobe that was black terrycloth and was changing into it just as the doorbell rang. He opened the door.
"Hi, Lex," said Clark. He didn't smile.
"Where have you been?"
"Everywhere. Nowhere. Can I come in?"
Lex stepped aside, holding the door open. Clark came in.
God, how he had fantasized about having Clark here. The innocent, beautiful student from
Smallville High. The strong farm boy with the flashing eyes. Clark Kent, with all the secrets and none of the answers. Clark Kent, always out of his reach.
Clark looked strained. "Listen," he said. "I know this is going to sound weird, but can you take this ring off my hand?"
Lex looked at his hand. He was wearing his school ring, with the ugly red stone in its rather tacky High School setting. He wouldn't wear his Excelsior ring if Lexcorp depended on it. Lex had seen him wear it that night he borrowed the Ferrari. Not since.
Clark had so many moods. All teenagers were moody, but Clark could be ten teenagers rolled
into one. Lex used to hope that one of those personalities that made up the multifaceted Clark might care for him.
A nice thought, till hope had faded.
"You can't take it off yourself?"
"No. I tried, but.... I need someone else to do it. I won't fight you."
Lex took Clark's hand in his. The skin was cool to the touch, unusual for Clark. The touch
struck a remnant of desire in Lex that he had tried to destroy. But no: it would never leave him, never leave him in peace. Clark was forever unreachable and untouchable.
Except like this, slipping a ring off his finger at two-something in the morning after he'd been missing from Smallville for months and Lex had nearly died and nearly wanted to be dead.
Lex closed his fingers around the ring and he stepped back, releasing Clark's hand. Clark sagged against the wall.
"Thank God."
"Clark?"
"I'm okay.... Just give me a coupla minutes."
"Sit down," said Lex. "I'll give you anything you need. You saved my life, Clark. Whatever else happens, that remains." When Clark just looked at him blankly, he took his arm and guided him to a chair. Clark sat without protest. Lex the ring into a drawer and shut it, then, after a pause, locked it. He would learn its secrets later. Clark watched him without comment.
Lex poured a glass of brandy and put it into Clark's hand. "Wish I could say you look like hell. You don't. You look great."
Clark looked at the brandy and said, "So do you. Destroy the ring, okay?"
"Why?"
"It's like a drug. I don't need it. I don't want it any more." He shuddered. "I want to be me. Not the person it makes me become. Lex.... They said you were dead."
"Reports of my demise were somewhat exaggerated." When Clark continued to stare at him with
wide, worried eyes, Lex added, "Married. Not dead."
"But Helen is. . . ."
"She died."
"Lex, I...." Clark swallowed, though he had not sipped the drink. "It was bad. The baby died because of me. You got married, your plane went down, and I thought.... I wanted to disappear. I thought it should be me dead, not you."
"Instead we're both alive. That upsets you?"
Clark took a deep breath. "Are you glad to see me back?"
"Are you back?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"How can you say you're back when you've never in my penthouse here before?"
"Don't quibble."
"Don't whine."
They looked at each other and for a minute it was the way it had been before. They both smiled.
"Lex?"
"What?"
"Can I kiss you?"
"I don't think that would be wise."
"Why not?"
"Christ, Clark, what do you want me to say?"
"The truth?"
"What do you know about truth?"
Clark looked down. "I know what I feel."
Lex shrugged. "I've left Smallville, Clark. That's just history now."
"Yeah? Me too."
Lex smiled. "Smallville is your home, Clark."
"I was hoping I could stay here. For a little while. Just until...."
There was an awkward pause. Lex looked stonily at Clark, then looked away.
"Until?"
"Until you decide you want me here."
Clark stood up. He pushed Lex against the wall. Lex tried to resist, but Clark was strong - as strong as he'd always expected he would be. And Clark was kissing him.
Lex melted into the kiss, feeling the heat of Clark's body and the trembling of the hand that
cupped his head before firming, holding him. Clark held him tight, pushing body against body.
When he raised his head, he said, "Lex? I want to make it work between us. We messed up
before."
"What are you offering me?"
"Whatever you want. Everything. Anything... whatever I am. If you want me." He smiled
nervously. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since that day on the riverbank."
"You did kiss me that day on the riverbank."
"Oh. Yeah. I did."
Lex touched his cheek. "Don't tease me, Clark. I've had enough of that."
"I'm not teasing." Clark kissed him again, lightly, then hard.
"Show me," said Lex. "Show me it isn't just a game for you."
"It's love," Clark answered. "Does that scare you?"
"Shitless."
Clark grinned. "Me too."
"But?"
"I'm kind of...."
"Excited?"
"Happy." He kissed Lex again, as if he couldn't stop. "Yeah. Excited. You?"
Lex put a finger up, touching Clark's mouth, cutting off a kiss. "This is for real, Clark Kent? Farm boy moves in with millionaire, and stays with him?"
"If you'll let me."
Lex tilted his head. "Kiss me again, farm boy."
"I'm never going to stop," said Clark.
- end -
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clex
Reason for its existence: Because
alax posted a challenge on her livejournal and I couldn't resist writing something.~ ~ ~
Penthouse
In Lex Luthor's bedroom in his Metropolis penthouse, the telephone rang.
Lex had his head under the pillow. He could still hear it ringing.
It didn't stop.
"Fuck," muttered Lex. He pushed himself up far enough to see the display: it was the desk
downstairs. He grabbed the phone as if to strangle it and shouted, "Goddammit, Karl, you know I don't want to be disturbed. What time is it?"
"Two fourteen, sir. Clark Kent is here to see you."
Lex ran his hand over his head. He was awake. He wasn't dreaming. But Clark was gone.
There was no way it could be Clark.
"Sir?"
"Can't be Clark Kent. Clark Kent is missing."
"I believe it is Clark Kent, sir."
Lex heard the voice in the background: "Lex, it's me! Let me come up."
It sounded like Clark.
"Give me visual."
He had to turn on his television. He sat on the foot of his bed, staring at the screen. It looked like Clark, too, dressed in a tight T-shirt and trousers, which wasn't his usual style but was easy on the eyes. And his hair - he'd done something to his hair. Gel?
He looked like a city boy.
He looked hot.
"Sir?"
Karl was still holding the telephone. Lex said, "Send him up."
"Yes, Mr. Luthor."
Lex held the receiver in his lap. He warched Karl speak to Clark. He saw Clark turn to the
elevators, a little too fast.
Lex swallowed. He put the receiver back in the cradle, almost regretting his acquiescence. He felt oddly afraid to see Clark. He had arranged his life so carefully, and to no purpose. It had all fallen apart. Helen, Clark, Lexcorp, everything.... Shit.
He was naked at two-seventeen fucking a.m. and Clark Kent was on his way up to his bedroom.
There were circumstances in which that could be considered as a good thing. This wasn't it.
He got up and put on a kimono he had once bought on a holiday in Thailand. When he had first seen it, the lavender and turquoise swirls had caught his eye. Now they seemed tawdry and made him look sallow and old.
Shit. Two-nineteen a.m. and he had been wakened up in the middle of a dream of drowning to
worry about how he looked because Clark was on the way up and practically on the doorstep.
He found a bathrobe that was black terrycloth and was changing into it just as the doorbell rang. He opened the door.
"Hi, Lex," said Clark. He didn't smile.
"Where have you been?"
"Everywhere. Nowhere. Can I come in?"
Lex stepped aside, holding the door open. Clark came in.
God, how he had fantasized about having Clark here. The innocent, beautiful student from
Smallville High. The strong farm boy with the flashing eyes. Clark Kent, with all the secrets and none of the answers. Clark Kent, always out of his reach.
Clark looked strained. "Listen," he said. "I know this is going to sound weird, but can you take this ring off my hand?"
Lex looked at his hand. He was wearing his school ring, with the ugly red stone in its rather tacky High School setting. He wouldn't wear his Excelsior ring if Lexcorp depended on it. Lex had seen him wear it that night he borrowed the Ferrari. Not since.
Clark had so many moods. All teenagers were moody, but Clark could be ten teenagers rolled
into one. Lex used to hope that one of those personalities that made up the multifaceted Clark might care for him.
A nice thought, till hope had faded.
"You can't take it off yourself?"
"No. I tried, but.... I need someone else to do it. I won't fight you."
Lex took Clark's hand in his. The skin was cool to the touch, unusual for Clark. The touch
struck a remnant of desire in Lex that he had tried to destroy. But no: it would never leave him, never leave him in peace. Clark was forever unreachable and untouchable.
Except like this, slipping a ring off his finger at two-something in the morning after he'd been missing from Smallville for months and Lex had nearly died and nearly wanted to be dead.
Lex closed his fingers around the ring and he stepped back, releasing Clark's hand. Clark sagged against the wall.
"Thank God."
"Clark?"
"I'm okay.... Just give me a coupla minutes."
"Sit down," said Lex. "I'll give you anything you need. You saved my life, Clark. Whatever else happens, that remains." When Clark just looked at him blankly, he took his arm and guided him to a chair. Clark sat without protest. Lex the ring into a drawer and shut it, then, after a pause, locked it. He would learn its secrets later. Clark watched him without comment.
Lex poured a glass of brandy and put it into Clark's hand. "Wish I could say you look like hell. You don't. You look great."
Clark looked at the brandy and said, "So do you. Destroy the ring, okay?"
"Why?"
"It's like a drug. I don't need it. I don't want it any more." He shuddered. "I want to be me. Not the person it makes me become. Lex.... They said you were dead."
"Reports of my demise were somewhat exaggerated." When Clark continued to stare at him with
wide, worried eyes, Lex added, "Married. Not dead."
"But Helen is. . . ."
"She died."
"Lex, I...." Clark swallowed, though he had not sipped the drink. "It was bad. The baby died because of me. You got married, your plane went down, and I thought.... I wanted to disappear. I thought it should be me dead, not you."
"Instead we're both alive. That upsets you?"
Clark took a deep breath. "Are you glad to see me back?"
"Are you back?"
"I'm here, aren't I?"
"How can you say you're back when you've never in my penthouse here before?"
"Don't quibble."
"Don't whine."
They looked at each other and for a minute it was the way it had been before. They both smiled.
"Lex?"
"What?"
"Can I kiss you?"
"I don't think that would be wise."
"Why not?"
"Christ, Clark, what do you want me to say?"
"The truth?"
"What do you know about truth?"
Clark looked down. "I know what I feel."
Lex shrugged. "I've left Smallville, Clark. That's just history now."
"Yeah? Me too."
Lex smiled. "Smallville is your home, Clark."
"I was hoping I could stay here. For a little while. Just until...."
There was an awkward pause. Lex looked stonily at Clark, then looked away.
"Until?"
"Until you decide you want me here."
Clark stood up. He pushed Lex against the wall. Lex tried to resist, but Clark was strong - as strong as he'd always expected he would be. And Clark was kissing him.
Lex melted into the kiss, feeling the heat of Clark's body and the trembling of the hand that
cupped his head before firming, holding him. Clark held him tight, pushing body against body.
When he raised his head, he said, "Lex? I want to make it work between us. We messed up
before."
"What are you offering me?"
"Whatever you want. Everything. Anything... whatever I am. If you want me." He smiled
nervously. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since that day on the riverbank."
"You did kiss me that day on the riverbank."
"Oh. Yeah. I did."
Lex touched his cheek. "Don't tease me, Clark. I've had enough of that."
"I'm not teasing." Clark kissed him again, lightly, then hard.
"Show me," said Lex. "Show me it isn't just a game for you."
"It's love," Clark answered. "Does that scare you?"
"Shitless."
Clark grinned. "Me too."
"But?"
"I'm kind of...."
"Excited?"
"Happy." He kissed Lex again, as if he couldn't stop. "Yeah. Excited. You?"
Lex put a finger up, touching Clark's mouth, cutting off a kiss. "This is for real, Clark Kent? Farm boy moves in with millionaire, and stays with him?"
"If you'll let me."
Lex tilted his head. "Kiss me again, farm boy."
"I'm never going to stop," said Clark.
- end -
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2003-08-11 08:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 12:11 am (UTC)Kinda nifty that the title had me thinking about the skin magazine [g]....
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 03:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 03:52 am (UTC)I am so pleased! Thank you.
Title: heh.
::happy sigh::
Date: 2003-08-12 06:34 am (UTC)xoxoxo
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 06:36 am (UTC)Mind if I just imagine this as S3 for a few more days?
Re: ::happy sigh::
Date: 2003-08-12 07:19 am (UTC)Yes. Keep that thought. It's the better reality.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 07:20 am (UTC)(g)
Thanks for commenting.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 07:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 07:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 09:02 am (UTC)These lines completely cracked me up:
"Lex?"
"What?"
"Can I kiss you?"
"I don't think that would be wise."
Heh, I love Lex when he's doing his best to stay in control. Thank goodness for Clark's persuasive powers. I really like how Clark was just as anxious to stay after the ring came off. I wasn't sure if he'd go all Clarkish and run off. Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 09:44 am (UTC)He looked like a city boy.
He looked hot.
Cute.
Very nice read. Made me smile this a.m.!
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 09:51 am (UTC)Wonder what made Clark decide to divest himself of the ring?
There's backstory there.... for sure.
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 09:55 am (UTC)The Clark of my imagination wants Lex as much when he has the ring as when he doesn't.
Glad you liked it!
no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 06:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-08-12 06:44 pm (UTC)And he knows what he wants - or needs.