The Easy Lie

Lex hated to admit that Lionel was right about anything. But he was certainly right about security at the castle. Aside from not having to recover from a head injury every other week (what was it about his bald pate that made intruders want to bash it in?), Lex was now informed about everything that went on in the castle. Lex knew minutes after Alonzo caught Helen trying to open the only locked door in the castle (apparently free access to 74 rooms paled in comparison to entrance into the one room that was none of her business) and had a plan in place long before she confronted him about the issue. Feigned obsession and a marriage proposal seemed enough to secure her loyalty and, more importantly, her fear.

And now Lex again reaped the benefits of well-paid, well-trained security. Clark, normally so good at bypassing gates and locks, had been unable to get past Alonzo. He was only allowed into the castle when Lex gave his okay. Clark would be angry and Lex appreciated the advance notice. He needed time to prepare.

When the doors to the office swung open, Clark found Lex walking lazily around the pool table, cue resting loosely in his fingers as he chose his shot.

"What do you think you're doing?" Clark yelled. Lex tried to remember the last time Clark walked into his office and greeted him with something other than anger or disgust.

"Playing a game of pool," he answered coolly. "Care to join me?" Lex leaned over the table to set up his shot, studiously avoiding Clark' s eyes. He didn't have to look to know that he'd see Clark has he always was now: clad in faded jeans, navy shirt and red jacket; hair shorn of its curls because Clark thought it made him look less like a kid; rigid jaw set in defiance against memories of what they used to be; green eyes that now saw Luthor instead of Lex.

"You know what I'm talking about, Lex." Clark threw a pile of papers on the table. Lex recognized printouts from Chloe's computer at the Torch. "Emily. Your father's cloning project. You had it all moved to Cadmus."

Lex made a mental note to get to Chloe before his father did. She could be useful. He stood up and faced Clark now, his face as impassive as it had ever been. "I told you. Human cloning is an amazing achievement. I would be remiss if I allowed that kind of advance to remain in my father's hands."

Clark stepped closer. "Because you're afraid of what he might do with that much power?" he asked. Even now he had hope, despite everything.

Lex couldn't afford hope. He chose his words carefully. "No Clark. I want the power myself."

Sometimes he felt like the villain in a silent movie. He imagined that if he could step outside his body and watch the scene he'd see himself gesturing wildly, twirling a handlebar mustache, and laughing maniacally as he tied Lana to railroad tracks.

He wondered when he'd become a caricature of himself.

"Are you doing this because we broke up?" Clark took another step closer. Lex could see the image of himself shift in Clark's eyes. No handlebar mustache. Just Lex.

Clark's willful blindness where he was concerned was once the only thing that kept Lex sane. Now that blindness could destroy them both. "Do I need a special decoder ring to decipher that bit of Kent logic?"

"Are you trying to make me feel bad because we're not together?"

"I broke it off, Clark. Remember? I would think that would make you feel bad enough."

Lex turned back to the pool table, unable to stand the raw pain plainly visible in Clark's eyes. He could hear him, though, breathing heavily, trying to keep his emotions under control.

"This is not you, Lex," Clark said desperately.

"Sooner or later you are going to have to accept that I am not the man you thought I was," Lex answered without turning around.

Clark quickly closed the remaining space between them and spun Lex around. "Only when you accept that I know you better than you think."

His body knew before his brain did. Clark was going to kiss him. He slid quickly from between Clark and the pool table and started to cross the room. Clark stalked him.

"I should tell you," Lex began, pausing to steady his voice, "that my father has regained control of the caves."

That stopped him. "What?!"

"I've been distracted by the wedding and...well, just distracted by Helen in general." A little white lie. Clark would never know she couldn't even be bothered to help plan the wedding. "Considering what happened last time you were there though, I'd think you'd want to stay clear of the caves anyway."

"I have no intention of staying away, Lex." The defiance was back.

"My father will not be as accommodating as I was, Clark."

"I don't need you to protect me. You lose that privilege when you dump someone."

"Just offering some friendly advice." This conversation should have been over long ago. Clark had an annoying way of wearing him down, even when he wasn't trying.

"I'll be okay," Clark responded firmly.

It was always a game between them and Clark always chose dare rather than truth. Lex would have to be truthful enough for the both of them. "No. You won't." He willed Clark to understand. " I know you can take care of yourself. I know you think can handle anything. But Lionel Luthor isn't anything. I need you to stay away from him."

"You need me?" Clark's eyes glinted. "To stay away from Lionel," he finished skeptically.

"Yes," Lex answered and found his personal space being invaded again.

Clark forced him backward him without touching.

"First I need something from you. Tell me you don't want me."

"Clark," Lex said, going for his best villain voice, "we've been through this."

"Then it should be easy for you to say." Clark didn't stop until Lex was pressed against the fireplace, the bricks rubbing uncomfortably against the back of his head. When Lex tried to push him away, Clark grabbed his hands and effortlessly pinned them above his head. Then he kissed him.

It had only been a couple of months since they broke up. But it felt like a lifetime. Lex was like a starving man as Clark forced his tongue inside and began tasting every corner of Lex's mouth. His mind and body warred for dominance has he struggled against the flood of emotions: love and lust and fear and resolve.

His mind practically admitted defeat as Clark brought their cocks into contact. The juxtaposition of the hardness of Clark and the silk slide of his boxers was enough to make him come on the spot. Then Clark whispered roughly, "Tell me, Lex. Tell me."

He wrestled his mouth free of Clark's and opened his eyes. The big lie was easier, the only one that would work. "I never loved you, Clark." He willed himself not to break Clark's gaze.

Clark dropped his hands and back away. Lex's body screamed at the loss of contact. He moved quickly past Clark. He dropped into his chair, thankful to have his desk between himself and the shaking boy.

"Lex...I..." Clark's voice was choked with desperation.

"You need to go, Clark. I think we're done here." He dismissed Clark with a swivel of his chair.

Clark was gone in and instant, without another word. And before Lex could stop himself he was on his feet, down the hall, and out the front door of the castle. He couldn't do this.

But when he reached the castle's threshold, the dust had already settled. Clark was nowhere to be found and he was reminded of why he had to do this, no matter how much it hurt them both.

Loving Lex made Clark a target. Lionel wouldn't hesitate to destroy Clark simply to teach Lex a lesson about the perils of emotional attachment. He hated to think what would happen when Lionel discovered everything Lex already knew.

He could be the villain. His own happiness was a small price to pay for Clark's safety.

As he stood there staring down the road, half expecting Clark to come back and force the truth out of him, Lex both hoped for and dreaded the day the lie would become easy.

~fin~