Dis Pater: Kronus

Lex could see the ground dropping rapidly away from the chopper, wind rushed around the windows and the sound escalated his fear, he was beyond nervous; every dip and waggle of the helicopter made his blood freeze and his heart slam in his throat. Damn, he was so scared, and all he could do was smile down at his brother and tighten his arm carefully around his shoulders, enough to comfort but not enough to hurt, not so tight that he telegraphed his fear. He fought to keep his eyes open and his smile easy-it was hard to keep his lips from trembling as he grinned down into the trusting face turned up to him. Lucas thought he was brave and Lex was doing his best to be that brave big brother Lucas expected him to be.

His dad looked at him, and Lex could see the ghost of a smile there. Lex knew his dad was aware that the flight was pure misery for him, knew he masked his fear for Lucas' sake. His dad looked proud of him.

Sure. Of course. He probably was proud. He thought this whole facing your fear thing was a character builder. Why not, after all, his dad wasn't afraid of anything. Dad had no idea how it felt to be this frightened.

Lionel reached over and squeezed his hand briefly before saying something to the pilot. The helicopter angled down towards a big stone mansion and a landing pad behind it, and Lucas closed his eyes and leaned hard against him. Lex tightened his arms around him and closed his own eyes. He could feel Lucas' heart beating rabbit fast, so hard he could feel it against his own ribs. Lucas's hands wrapped themselves tight in Lex's t-shirt and he could hear him whimpering faintly. Lex closed his eyes, and then he felt the warm solid weight of his dad's arm around his shoulders. A wave of relief swept him and for a moment he felt about two years old again, safe and content because dad was there.

The helicopter touched down, and the boys looked in open-mouthed amazement at the huge turreted stone manse towering behind the landing pad.

Lucas yanked on Lex's shirt, "Look! It's a castle! Did you know Daddy had a castle? Isn't it beautiful! Do you think there are knights?"

So, this was the fabled ancestral home, eh? Lex smirked. It's pretty darn hideous, he thought to himself. Only his dad would want to lay claim to something so butt-ugly. Good move on Dad's part to tuck it away in this backwater farm country.

As much as he loved his dad, he was aware that he was given to occasional...enthusiasms, and that he was more than willing to edit past or present to fit in line with whatever was his current fixation. Like having an ancestral family home. Oh well. Lex was sure it was someone's ancestral family home.

Lionel hustled them swiftly into a waiting limousine and they were on the way to his destination, rolling past fields thick with wheat or corn, rolling pastures and mildly curious cows leaning against wooden rails, watching them fly past.

Lucas looked out the window and exclaimed loudly every time they passed cows or horses, excitement at seeing his picture books come to life fueling his enthusiasm, and his volume.

"Look, look Lex! Cows-real cows, wow, they smell! Oh look horses too, they're really big, gosh I didn't think they'd be so big did you? Chickens! Look! Chickens...."

Lex tuned out the earsplitting commentary easily and played his electronic game with a concentration that bordered on fanaticism. It was fine for Lucas to be excited about farm animals, but there wasn't a thing outside of the car window worth looking at as far as he was concerned. Sure, occasionally he had to look up to shush Lucas-and comment to make him happy, but please. Horsies and moo-moos were hardly of interest to him.

They stopped at a large farm and Lex and Lucas followed their father out to the farmhouse, and stood nearby, fidgeting as Lionel spoke to several men there. Finally he gave them permission to walk around a little and Lucas took off like a shot. Lex yelled for him to come back. Naturally Lucas took that as a challenge and sped off giggling into a field, instantly disappearing into the corn.

"Lex." his father said and Lex sighed deeply. He didn't have to be reminded; he knew what his job was. Lucas was a huge pain in the butt. Huge.

"Lucas! Come out of there! You can't run in the field like that! You'll mess up the corn!" Damn it, he growled to himself and ran to catch up with the little pain. When he got him he was going to kick his butt.

He dashed past the stalks and yelped when the leaves slashed at him, Swear I'm going to punch his lights out-A wind seemed to have swept up out of no-where, the sky darkened and the stalks around them swayed like live things. He heard a scream and immediately ran flat out, ran so hard he couldn't yell himself, and found Lucas face down in the dirt crying and screaming.

"What is it?" He was panting so hard he could hardly speak and when Lucas held up his hand he gasped and felt even more breathless.

Lex could see a small hole, burnt into Lucas' little hand, the boy was screaming, tears ran down his face and Lex threw himself down next to him and grabbed his hand, gently cradling it. "What happened baby boy, what happened?"

Lucas pulled himself together enough to scream, "Don't call me a baby," and at that moment the sky exploded, the earth shook and heaved. Lex threw himself on top on Lucas, curled himself around him and a burning wind roared over the field smashing the tall stalks flat and pressing them into the ground. Pressure and heat sucked the air from the boys' lungs and Lex felt himself sailing down into a black pit, he was terrified for Lucas, his last conscious thought was of his brother.

Lucas woke all at once, he felt smothered under a weight and it took him a moment to realize that it was Lex-he pushed and shoved out from under his brother. He stood shakily, looking down at Lex's pale face. Lex's hair looked funny to him; there was a lot of it all over his face, and on him too. He brushed at the long red strands pasted to his sweat sticky arm, bent and yanked and pulled at Lex's arm but Lex wouldn't wake up. What if he was dead? What if Lex was dead and he was all alone in the world?

Lucas stood and began screaming for his father.

Lionel came running through the shaking fields, shouting for his sons. He was terrified and Lucas' screams pierced his heart. Something horrible was happening to his sons and he hadn't been there to protect them-

He spotted the boys in an area of flattened corn.

He swooped Lucas up and dropped to his knees besides Lex. His heart froze, ice filled his veins and he swayed, momentarily faint. He reached out and tentatively touched Lex, his skin was cool and waxy to the touch and Lionel moaned out loud. He gripped him, panic making his grasp hard as he shook and shook Lex by the shoulder and shouted out his name.

"Lex! Lex!" Lex stirred and groaned and relief flooded him so violently that he felt weak. "Oh, thank god, thank god..." he pulled him up and held both his sons, reaction making him shake.

Lucas cried, "Daddy, is Lex okay, is he okay? Look!" Lucas pointed at Lex and Lionel looked down, and gasped in horror, saw hair scattered over his hands, on the ground, over his arms-Lex was nearly completely bald, a few strands and tufts of red dotting his smooth scalp, pink and looking fragile as porcelain under his trembling hands.

Lex became blearily aware that he was moving, jolting up and down, he could feel his legs swing free, and his head thumped repeatedly against something solid, he felt strange... light, floating-

He heard his dad shouting and the jolting movement stopped. He could hear Lucas crying and could feel his sticky little hand so hot on his ankle, and he realized that his dad was carrying him. He opened his eyes and it was like looking through water, but he could see they were on the edge of a road--a truck stopped with a screech of brakes on the shoulder.

A man looked out the window of the dirt covered truck, next to him in the cab Lex could see a red-headed woman and a small boy, younger than Lucas, and wrapped in a blanket. Then pain and heat flared up and Lex sank gratefully into sleep again.

When he was floated up to awareness again, he heard his dad thank the man for stopping, and ask if it was possible to ride with them.

"My son-he needs to get to a hospital--he's in shock, I think." And Lex felt the first little worm of unease. His dad sounded upset-he sounded scared. Lex opened his eyes and looked around. The man looked at his wife and she nodded, and they quickly shoved in next to the woman.

It was uncomfortably tight, and Lex continued to drift in and out of awareness. He woke to green eyes staring at him; the grimy little boy sitting on the woman's lap reached out and stroked his hand over Lex's head and down his cheek, a soft little smile on his lips.

Lucas immediately pushed his hand away, scowling fiercely. "No! My brother!" he yelled, the fear and worry and stress wearing him away until he was a naked bundle of emotion. The other little boy was hurt, his big eyes filling, but the woman reached over and stroked Lucas, pushing his hair away from his face and petting his cheek, trying to comfort him too.

"Don't worry, honey. No one is going to hurt your brother, we're trying to help..." Lex tried to speak to Lucas, to reassure him, but he couldn't stop himself from drifting into sleep again.

Lionel pulled Lucas tighter to him. "Thanks so much-I'm not sure what happened, but I appreciate you helping us like this," He looked down at Lex. "If there's anything I can do to repay you, I hope that you'll let me know." He looked at the man. "I'm Lionel Luthor, perhaps you've heard of me."

The other man looked at him and introduced himself as well.

"Jonathan, Jonathan Kent, and this is my wife Martha. And yes, I have heard of you."

Lionel smiled, of course he had. There was quite the controversy raging in Smallville as to his plan-well, his opinion of him personally meant nothing, but Lionel Luthor did not leave a debt unpaid-he owed no man.

"Ah... is your son okay?" he asked. The little boy seemed fine; he was very calm, so much more so then Lucas, and considering his state of undress and the film of grime over him obviously something extremely out of the ordinary had happened to the boy.

The couple looked uncertainly at him, as though weighing their response and at that moment Lex groaned and distracted Lionel momentarily. Jonathan looked over at Martha again, a thoughtful expression on his face. Lionel smiled. Good. He did have something they wanted. They might not know it, but they already decided to ask for his help, for whatever it was they might need.

Even better then a dept paid was said payment leaving the other party owing him. Lionel let out a small breath of satisfaction. It didn't matter that this Kent fellow looked to be simply a farmer. There were so many ways a debt could be repaid...

II

*In the three years that had passed since Lex and Lucas' accident in the field, things had changed drastically in Lex's life. Most of his lost hair never came back, his head remained bare, though to his relief eyebrows and eyelashes regrew, and some body hair was sprouting in embarrassing places.

He'd gone through a battery of exhausting and to him pointless tests, Lucas too-but his dad seemed to be more interested in his recovery and the tests got more and more painful, harder to bear, until one night his mother and he and Lucas left the apartment.

His mom explained they were going to visit his grandmother in Scotland, and they did, even though his mom was so tired all the time then and coughed a lot. Those days, she looked like she cried a lot. Even so, he'd always remember it as the nicest break, the best summer he and Lucas ever had. And one day his dad was on the doorstep and his dad and his mom were crying and then they were home again and everything was back to normal. Except that he and Lucas never got sick again.

Why couldn't the same thing have happened to his mother, he wondered? At night he cried and listened to his mother's pain wracked coughing until finally he'd put a pillow over his head until he'd fall asleep*.

Lucas was playing in the hallway, pushing some toy truck or car around an obstacle course of shoes and books. Lex stepped over him and pretended to wobble wildly, as if he were going to knock over his brother's carefully constructed jump.

Lucas yelled and swatted at Lex's leg and for a moment it felt normal once again, and then his father's voice called out, "Hush, you boys, be quiet, your mother's asleep."

Both of them immediately felt a crushing wave of guilt. They knew how hard it was for their mother to sleep, dad told them that all the time. Every time they raised their voices Lionel was there to tell them to be quiet, to hold it down until most of their conversations were held in guilty hushed whispers.

Lex frowned, "Finish getting ready for school Lucas, and put this stuff away." He stomped off down the hall.

Every time Mom made a noise, every time she showed pain, they felt responsible. Lucas had asked him once if it was his fault Mom was sick. Lex knew he was just searching for a reason, but it had made him so mad and he'd yelled at him and chased him out of his room. He'd felt so bad about it later that he'd gone to Lucas' room to talk, but Lucas had returned the favor. Lex had sat in his room alone the rest of the night, but next morning Lucas was sleeping on the end of his bed. That was pretty much the pattern for a while, he'd wake up and find Lucas on the end of his bed, or on the floor next to his bed.

As Lex passed Lionel's study, he called him into his office. Lex was dressed and ready for school, and he was eager to go, eager to get out of the apartment and out from under the cloud of barely controlled misery and the smell and the sound of his mother coughing and coughing and...Lex felt his stomach curl with guilt. He was a horrible son....

"Lex, sit here with me a moment, I'd like to talk with you," his dad said. They sat on the couch; Lex folded his hands over the creases in his uniform trousers, the little brass buttons on his navy blazer gleaming in the dancing light of the flames. His father liked having a fire on winter mornings, it made things a little more homey he said. Lex thought so too, and since the heat was kept low constantly because his mother felt a little too hot all the time, the apartment was always slightly chilly in the mornings and the fire was doubly welcome. They sat quietly for a moment and then Lionel sighed and began to speak.

"Lex, your mother is very ill." He heard the tiny catch in his father's voice, but Lionel went on. "I'm asking you now for your help and understanding. Alexander, your mother is not going to get better. Your mother is going to die."

Lex sat still as a statue, shocked beyond movement, horrified. He knew but he didn't want to know. It couldn't be possible. He couldn't lose his mother. Tears filled his eyes and his head dropped forward. His dad patted his shoulder and went on. "I'm going to need your help with Lucas; you'll need to be strong for him, Lex. He'll need your support, as will I. It's going to be hard for all of us, but especially for him, he's so young." He lifted Lex's chin and stared into his eyes. "Lex, I'm telling you the truth because you deserve it. It's the right thing to do."

Lex nodded. Yes. The truth. A tiny part of him hated his dad for telling him his mother was going to die, and he squashed that feeling. It was wrong....

Lionel wrapped his arms around him and rested his chin on top of his head. He smelt good, Lex thought, a spicy cologne, leather, cotton, it made him feel safe and warm and he told him over and over what a good boy he was, and how much they all needed him, and how much Lucas depended on him. The words piled up on him like bricks and he wondered how he could hope to be everything his dad wanted him to be.

After his talk with his dad, he wondered if he should tell Lucas the truth too. The truth was important after all, and Lucas needed to be brave, face up to the real world. Besides, it wasn't even like it was really his mother, Lucas' mother was already dead. His real mother.Lex didn't like to think about that much.

Dad insisted that Lex at Lucas' age be a man, face up to his fears. Why shouldn't Lucas be a little man too? He was old enough. Why should he walk out of this scott -free, no worries? It wasn't fair. Lex stopped. Quit thinking like an asshole, he's just a little kid...

Lex was thinking about it as he changed into his pajamas. He could hear the nanny getting Lucas ready for bed too, the bathroom that joined their rooms rang with the sound of him splashing and yammering away. Happy, Lex thought bitterly, happy while he felt a crushing weight on his chest all the time, felt like a hand was wrapped around his throat and he had to keep smiling like a clown no matter what.

He threw himself on his bed and clicked the light off. Damn, he cursed to himself, and tried out the new word he learned-shit. Shit. He smiled a little in the dark. He did feel better, a little--he felt a little wicked, a little grown. After all, he wasn't a kid any more. He was practically a teenager.

The door between their rooms creaked open and a sliver of light dazzled his eyes.

"Lex?" a little voice called out. "You didn't come say good night." He sounded almost on the verge of tears and it made him angry again.

"Go to bed Lucas," he snapped.

There was silence and then, "Sorry Lex. Good night," he said and started to leave the room. He sounded so lost and sad, and Lex kicked himself mentally. Damn it, damn it-you creep. "Come on back, Lucas."

Lucas dashed back into the room and slowed when he got near the bed. "Lex...Lex... please, can I sleep in here tonight? There's noise in my room."

Lex patted the bed. "Come on, just don't kick me in the head okay?"

Lucas jumped up with him. "Thanks Lex, thanks a lot."

Lucas sounded so relieved and grateful that Lex couldn't help but smile at him. "Do you need the light on?"

"Of course not!" He was quiet for a while and then he said, "Lex, Mom's going to die isn't she?"

Even though he asked, Lex knew he wanted him to say no, don't be silly. He was quiet for a second too long, and Lucas started to cry, quietly, softly. What could he do? What could he say? He threw his arms around him and pulled him close. "We have each other right? And I'll never leave you. Never."

"You promise? You swear you'll always be my brother, always be my friend?"

"Of course, I promise! I promise." Lex grinned as Lucas burrowed in, kicking him in the legs as Lex deftly avoided being kneed in the crotch.

"Good," Lucas mumbled, his face pressed against Lex's t-shirt. "Don't forget, you belong to me," he said forcefully and wiped his face on his shirt.

Lex was a little startled at Lucas's vehemence, but he snorted and patted him. "Right." he said. " I belong to you."

III

*Lex thought that his life changed completely and childhood was gone forever at twelve when his mother died. For a long period of time he was mother and father to Lucas as Lionel withdrew from everything and everyone that wasn't business. He became distant and cold and Lucas fought back against being ignored. He struck out against his father, against Lex-Lex felt like he was being tested at every step. It wasn't fair, what had he done to deserve this? Why didn't his dad see how hard it was for him? Why couldn't Lucas stop fighting against him? Why couldn't he love him like he did when he was little?

When did he get to have some kind of life....*

Lucas groaned and his forehead bumped against the seat. The only sound in the car was the hiss of breath and the wet slap of flesh. The man behind him grunted and shifted his grip, and Lucas gasped at the change in sensation. He bit his lip as the other pushed in deeper, he could feel the drag as he pulled out, in and out, felt good...sweat ran down his face and dotted the leather and the guy behind him sped up, gasping now...Part of Lucas' mind cataloged whatever movement on his part drew the most reaction from the guy, part enjoyed getting fucked in his dad 's car. He rolled his hips and grinned as the guy behind him lost it, and began pounding in. He liked the feel of his fingers digging in so hard there'd be bruises for days. He thought of being caught screwing the driver in his dad's custom Escalade. All he needed was the thought of horror on his dad's Lex's face to send him over the edge. He came on the shirt he'd spread on the seat. Not his, of course.

"Hello? Lucas?" Lex tossed his keys on the foyer table and winced when they hit the wood surface. The housekeeper was going to have a fit when she saw that scratch...maybe he could blame Lucas....

He shrugged out of his coat and hung it in the closet, making sure it was squarely on the hanger, looking it over with a critical eye before calling for Lucas again. Where was that kid, he was supposed to come home right after school. Lex cursed quietly to himself as he grabbed the household mail out of a basket on the table. He began flicking through it as he headed for the kitchen. He should have known better then to trust him on the housekeeper's day off. He should have gone to pick the brat up at school himself. Damn it, the driver was supposed to call him when he collected the little weasel.

Wondering if he picked Lucas up or not, Lex frowned and yanked his plum shirt smooth, took his phone out of his pocket and contemplated calling Lucas. He jammed it back into his pocket. Forget it.

God. One more year and he was out of here and then Lucas was no longer his concern.

He stalked into the kitchen, still fuming, and flipped the mail on to the island counter.

The hell with him. He was eating something first. He wasn't worried about the brat in the least. He pulled a chair around to the long counter that divided the kitchen in half and looked around for the remote that operated the sound system in the room. He gave up and searched the fridge for lunch. Ah, good-a sealed plate on the top shelf held lunch, a plate for him and one for Lucas. He was tempted to lift the cover and see what she made for Lucas; it was always better than what she made for him.

Fucking Lucas-everyone's pet, and he got stuck making sure everyone's pet didn't burn down the house or blow up his school. Lex looked for something to drink and on the next shelf behind a bottle of juice he found the remote. Damn that kid.

He was just settling down to eat when the apartment door flew open, Lex could hear it hit the wall, and the same moment the phone rang. He fumbled with his sandwich, cursing when a spot of mustard marred the gray trousers, grabbed frantically for the phone with mustard smeared fingers when he saw it was his dad calling.

Crap. A phone call during work hours. That was never a good thing.

"Lex!"

"Lex?"

"Lucas! Dad?" Lex walked down the hall to shut the door Lucas had left open and his dad continued to speak.

"I want you and Lucas to come out this weekend-I'd like to see you boys. I miss you."

"And there's a new brochure coming out--let's get shots of Luthor's looking cozy around the farms?"

"Lex, your sarcasm is unbecoming--it could use a little work."

Lex snorted in amusement despite being annoyed. "Oh, pardon me, Dad. So you want me to collar and cage your wildcat and drag him to Smallville and convince him to act human? Thanks Dad. I could just jump into the tiger cage at the zoo-- it'd be less painful--"Lex walked back into the kitchen just in time to catch Lucas wolfing down the last bit of his sandwich.

"Hey!-- Dad, we'll be there tonight, okay?" and he hung up on him and rounded on Lucas. "Why the hell do you do that all the time? Why do you insist on eating my damn food? You have a plate in the fridge!"

"I did have a plate--I was hungry so I ate both." He shrugged and tried to walk past Lex with a nonchalant smile.

He grabbed Lucas by the collar and shoved him hard against the sink and Lucas just relaxed all over so that Lex automatically grabbed him to stop him from hitting the floor. "We learnt about passive resistance in World History today..." He grinned, and stood upright again.

Lex blushed and stepped back. "Knock it off." he frowned at Lucas savagely. "Where were you today? You were supposed to come home right after school. Did the driver come..."

Lucas started to giggle and Lex turned to face away from him. He was not getting pulled into a shouting match with this kid; he was not losing his temper. "You need to pack. We're going to Smallville tonight." Little prick. "He wants us there."

"Fuck him and fuck you-I'm not going anywhere. I have plans."

Lex looked at Lucas in amused surprise. "You have plans? What the hell kind of plans of yours could take precedence over Dad's? Get packed."

No." Lucas looked stubborn, and Lex grit his teeth and tried to control his temper.

"Don't argue with me, Lucas. For once."

Lucas grabbed his coat from the back of a chair and tried to step around Lex again but Lex shoved him. "Get packed, I said. Now."

"Fuck you!" He tried to shove back but Lex pushed him again.

"Asshole!" Lucas swung at Lex and connected, a glancing blow off his cheekbone, but Lex was instantly furious and swung back. He knocked Lucas down, he lay curled in a ball on the floor and Lex cursed-"shit, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you so hard, are you okay?" he reached down and Lucas grabbed his hand and pulled him violently down, punched Lex again, and they wrestled across the floor cursing and punching and knocking chairs flying.

They rolled until they slammed up against the kitchen door and couldn't move anymore. Lex ended up on top of Lucas, both the boys breathing hard and glaring at each other. Lex wiped blood from his nose across Lucas' face and laughed when the boy yelled in disgust.

"Bastard", Lex hissed and then froze, as Lucas looked at him in shock.

Lex grabbed his head -"No, no! I didn't mean it like that, I swear," but Lucas turned his head and tried to move. "No really- I didn't mean that, why would you even think I could..."

Lucas dropped his head back and sighed and Lex suddenly was too aware he was laying full length on his brother, touching all along the length of his body...he dropped to the floor. "What? What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just-it's just...do you think that's why dad stopped talking to me? Because I'm an embarrassment? Is that why you don't hang out with me anymore?"

Lex could feel Lucas' heart pound under his hand, and he tried to ease it off his chest but Lucas grabbed it, held on, pressed it against his chest. "Why don't you like me anymore?"

"I do, I do-it's just-Lucas, we have our own friends, our own lives--you're too busy for me!" Lex was amazed at how much hurt he felt, and Lucas looked at him in surprise.

"Really? You miss me too?"

"Yes, I miss you too you horrible ape. But it's just what happens when you get older. Plus, I hate your friends."

Lucas narrowed his eyes at him and shifted so that Lex's hand was on his stomach. "Why?" He asked and Lex didn't answer.

"Why?" he persisted but Lex got up, pulling his hand loose and walked out of the kitchen, "Get packed okay?"

It had taken surprisingly little further argument before they were on their way again, and for a while it was pretty uncomfortable. Lucas kept looking at Lex but not speaking and Lex couldn't forget how Lucas' skin had felt-his thoughts veered wildly away from that.

They were roaring into Smallville, Lucas tried to turn the radio up, Lex smacked his hand away and his phone rang.

"Bet it's Dad," he said, and dug his phone out of his pocket, looked at Lucas to toss it to him and suddenly Lucas yelled, " Look out!"

A bale of wire rolled into their path, his tires punctured and blew as he ran over it and they screamed across the road onto a bridge and through a railing-"Oh god!" Lex yelled and a face loomed up through the windshield. Red clad arms jerked up across the face and then-

Lex heard a grinding metal sound and his shoulder felt like a massive hand grabbed him and yanked him back so hard his teeth slammed together-- then it was dark and quiet.

Clark was leaning on the railing and thinking about the afternoon, deep into a daydream when suddenly a loud noise made him lift his head-and a car was bearing down on him-he wasn't going to make it out of the way...He stood frozen and waited for death, a massive fist punched his whole body through the rail and he sailed out into the air, the pain was intense-he smacked into the ice cold water and sank like a stone, his clothes dragged him deeper as they became heavier-

And shit! He was alive! Alive. He tumbled slowly in the water and saw the car nose down in the thick mud and silt at the river bottom. He swam down and grabbed thecar door, braced against the roof of the car and pulled up with all his might-he nearly screamed when the roof peeled back like the top of a can. He pulled himself together quickly, there were two guys inside the car, and they needed help--he yanked on their belts and they ripped loose--he pulled them up to the surface quickly as he could.

They lay on the river bank, covered with mud and slime from the river, the kid with the shaggy hair was throwing up water but looked okay, the bald guy was pale, paler then he should be and his lips looked blue-Clark knew what to do. Mouth to mouth, breathe, clear his airway, breathe, press, count-he did it with out thought, without hearing the other kid, ignoring the punches raining down on him until the still form under his hands stiffened and jerked. He turned the guy's head to the side as river water poured out of his mouth and he took a racking breath on his own.

"Lex, Lex!" The shaggy-haired kid was yelling and Clark finally let himself be pushed out of the way as the kid threw himself on the other. Clark kept staring into the blue gray eyes locked on his. His arms were around the shaking blonde but he spoke to Clark-"You saved me-I know I hit you."

Clark shook his head. "If you'd hit me I'd be dead...." He looked back at the twisted metal of the railing and shuddered.

The events of the afternoon rushed by in a blur for Lex and Lucas. Lucas bounced back and forth between being needy and needing reassurance that Lex was fine and being a childish brat. He refused to thank Clark until Lex threatened him, looked daggers at Clark when he stood too close to Lex and at the police when they questioned Lex about the accident. It was a relief when Lionel finally arrived to pick them up. Lex watched Clark drive away with his father. He couldn't stop thinking about his-Clark's-- eyes. Clark Kent. So beautiful. Even under the grit and mud of the river he'd felt how soft and full his lips were, how strong his hands were...he shook himself, Jesus, their rescuer was barely more than a boy, he needed to get a grip...he caught Lucas looking at him with hurt and anger in his eyes.

IV

*Lex often thought that everything seemed to go steadily down hill after that disastrous weekend in Smallville, or rather the weekend that wasn't. Lionel had flown them all back to the city as soon as was possible, and stayed home for a few days until Lex assured him he was just fine. Lex had thought that Lucas might take the time to reacquaint himself with Dad but it seemed almost as if he'd been infected with some kind of rage, and it seemed to be mostly directed at him. It confused and upset him; he couldn't understand why Lucas hated him so much. He'd never done anything to hurt him-he'd always done his best to look out for Lucas, just like Dad wanted, but more than that-because he loved his brother.

Time passed and life went on but Lex never quite forgot the young boy who miraculously saved them, never forgot that he owed a debt*....

Lucas became more and more difficult as he grew older and Lex wondered what happened to the sweet kid that had loved him when he was little. He'd somehow grown into an obnoxious sixteen year old pain in the ass--Lex felt like he spent every free moment dashing around town and dragging Lucas out of one potentially dangerous situation after another and Dad was getting short of patience. More than once he'd mentioned sending Lucas overseas to school. Lex snorted. How that would keep Trouble-Magnet safe was a mystery to him.

One night Lucas had gone missing-again-from one of his dad's dinner parties and he had to -again-find his ass and pull him back home. Lex found him in a club, a soon to be shut down club. Lex was furious, at the club owners, at Lucas-at everyone. He'd found the boy, drunk, silly, barely mobile, and Lex was pretty sure he'd got to him just in time-he'd had to peel him off a guy that looked like he'd recently died and was royally pissed off at his own body, considering the amount of alteration he'd done to it.

Mostly he'd wanted to kick Lucas' ass around the parking lot, but he managed to restrain himself. Barely. He'd hustled him out of the club and into his car.

Once in the car, Lucas had gone into babbling mode and confessed to everything Lex figured he'd been into, so much more than Lex had ever wanted to know.

"...You know what's really cool? None of that shit bothers me-I get a great high for a couple of hours and then -boom! Sober! Haa-haa...isn't that cool?...Yeah...hey--I bet it's the same for you, hunh?-do you get horny when you're high too? Do you get high-you're such a fuckin' Boy Scout..." Lucas babbled on and on and Lex let it flow over him like water. It was almost a pleasant hum after a while and soon Lucas was out, snoring so loudly he almost drowned out the radio. He was warm to the touch, flushed and sweating. Even asleep, he looked a little thuggish, Lex thought. He glanced down at the sleeping boy. His heavy brows were drawn together; and he didn't look peaceful even now. They certainly didn't look much alike he thought. It was hard to tell they were related, until they spoke. The Luthor genes were dripping in charm. There was never a Luthor that couldn't charm the pants off of anyone. It was like a secret weapon they'd been born with-sometimes he thought it was a double edged sword....

Lex sighed and rubbed his knuckles down Lucas' beard-rough cheek. He was pretty certain he was Lucas' only real friend. He knew what he was going through, he knew the temptation to do anything to fit in, to be part of the crowd. Add being a Luthor to the mix and it wasn't enough to be part of the crowd, it was imperative to lead the crowd. He'd avoided that trap; chose not to be that person, but the price was loneliness. He knew being lonely wasn't just the result of the path he chose, He could see Lucas suffered the same pain; even in a crowd he was alone. And there it was, the flip side of the coin, the other edge of the sword. There was a part of them that could never allow any real intimacy with another person-their family ties were tight despite the trouble Lucas brought, and they'd kill for each other-but outsiders were not to be trusted.

It took both Lex and Enrique to get Lucas out of the car and back up to the apartment, they dropped him in his bedroom and Lex was relieved that he didn't have to worry about him any more that night.

Lex showered and dressed for bed. He thought about his own teen years and he'd never been as much a problem-not like Lucas. His dad said he thought back with nostalgia on bailing Lex out of jail for underage drinking, and that one time for shop lifting--god! What an idiotic move that had been...he shook his head.

But Lucas-Lucas was truly scaring the shit out of him and his dad. Lionel was nearly tearing out his hair with frustration and Lex was rapidly becoming fed up. Lionel couldn't understand why Lucas was polite, respectful---loving to him even and still went out of his way to be such a screw-up.

Lucas had screwed his way through his class at Philips and there'd been an abortion, quietly done and hushed up and horrifying to all involved. Lex had been shocked, stunned that Lucas could be so careless and...just stupid-his dad had been so upset with Lucas, and unfairly Lex thought, with him, as though he could have stopped the boy from being an idiot. Lucas---Lucas had at least finally begun to realize there were consequences beyond what happened to him at long last. He finally began to understand that what he did could seriously harm other people.

Lex sighed. Lucas wasn't a bad person; it was just sometimes he was a thoughtless asshole...Lex knew that deep inside he was still a sweet kid. Some day, that kid had to come back out, please God....

Lex was in bed and nearly asleep when he felt the bed sink and shake. Great. Lucas couldn't sleep which meant that no one was going to sleep. Lucas threw himself on his back.

"Are you a virgin?"

"What?" Lex mumbled, "Yes...why?"

"Are you going to ask me?"

Lex snorted and prepared to tune him out and get some well-deserved sleep.

"You know," Lucas yawned and sprawled out on his back, shoving Lex to the edge of the bed, "I think part of my problem is I'm always looking for replacements...I don't think I can ever have what I want, so I'm looking for something-someone-to take their place."

Lex murmured an agreement. He understood that very well. "Yeah. Sometimes you meet someone and you just know, that's the one. And then...something happens, sometimes it doesn't work-sometimes it's not meant to." Lex was quiet again as he thought his most private thoughts, the ones he felt guilt about.

"Is that why you're not-why you're a virgin? Are you waiting for that person?"

Lex blushed in the dark and said, "You don't have to tell me how stupid that sounds. But I hope...I want to be in love with the person I have sex with. Maybe it's idealistic but ..." he shrugged, knowing Lucas could feel the movement, even if he couldn't see it.

"No," Lucas said wistfully, "I wanted to be in love too-I kind of thought I had a chance, once..." he rolled on his side facing Lex. "But I stopped waiting for miracles. Crap-I'm almost sober again." He sighed. "So, speaking of first time, want me I tell you about it?"

Lex said, " No and I really need to get some sleep now okay?"

"She was so hot, it was hot..." Lucas went on to describe in great detail what happened and Lex felt his face burning, he pretended to be asleep and finally Lucas wound down and Lex heard him snoring again. Thank god, he thought and gratefully drifted off himself.

Something wonderful was happening, waves of pleasure swept him, slowly washing over him, and he pressed his erection against something soft but firm, he groaned as a wave of warmth swept him again, a deep feeling of heat tugging at his groin, building up and up, warm wet heat pulsed around his anus and pushed inside, and the throbbing heat built up, pooled in his dick and flashes of intense pleasure began to stab along his spine, pull in his gut as the wonderful sensation spread out from that point in great rolling waves and the slick swipe of a tongue rubbed over the clenched ring of muscle, working it softer, working it open as fingers slid inside and touched, stroked and sent him gasping into ecstasy, his dick was hard and he ground down and humped against whatever it was... he was moaning so loud and he felt his dick twitch and the weight he felt shifted, the fingers thrust in deeper and "Lex!" a voice gasped and suddenly he was fucking against his mattress, coming across his sheets and he felt wet heat spill across the back of his thigh--he was wide awake and coming and horrified. Lucas!

Lucas babbled and groaned and pressed against him, "it's okay, it's okay," he said over and over, "it's all right, I love you, it's fine," and Lex felt like he was dying-he'd done the worst thing you could do-he was disgusting-he wanted to do it again-he was terrified and confused...

Lucas tried to kiss him, tried to hold him but Lex jumped up and ran into their bathroom. He could still feel Lucas's fingers, his tongue...Lex fell against the wall, and shook, he felt the sticky wet on the back of his leg and felt sick. What the fuck am I going to do?

He heard a soft knock on the door, and " please open the door Lex, please open the door," over and over....

One day later Lex was gone, and it was two years before the brothers spoke again.

V

*Gotham looks like the set from a strange old black and white movie,-The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari or the Shape Of Things. No light reaches the street that hasn't been tinted and filtered through grime and greasy smoke-the air is wet--wet in the winter with dirt rimed snow, wet in the fall with cold gray sheets of metallic rain falling endlessly, wet in the spring with gray and warm streamers of fog skimming the streets and in the summer thick, heavy with the weight of sticky clinging moisture-it's the kind of humid weight that drives people out to the streets in search of relief and fuels their rage and despair, drives them together and tears them apart.

Gotham was like a black and gray throbbing beast or some malevolent self-aware insect. It squatted on the surface of the planet like it hated it and slipped its claws in deep. Gotham seemed designed to be alive strictly to serve itself and humanity infested it like an infection barely tolerated as necessary for life.

Gotham was not exactly a tourist attraction*.

Lex grit his teeth and cursed Dad for forcing this Gotham trip on him. His black wool coat and bruise colored shirt complimented the gritty gray street he stood on, he danced to the side to let a sharp clawed wind dash trash against whatever stopped it in it's free-wheeling journey. Lex frowned at a sheet of newsprint that tried to wrap its muddy wet length around his aggressively tailored trousers.

An ochre colored cab screeched to the curb, and Lex automatically turned to the side and let the eddy of muddy water slosh over the curb. He'd spent time in Gotham before.

He reached for the door handle and someone was right there-

"My cab. Isn't it? I think it's my cab," a calm cheerful voice spoke off to the side.

"No-it's not. The Macedonian, please," He said and tried to slide past the hand.

"No problem, I'm going in the same direction. You can share my cab." There was a barely audible emphasis on 'my' that of course Lex caught. He turned to eye the owner of this calm, smooth, arrogant voice.

Disappointing.

Lex nodded, and slid in and the disappointing person slid in after. For a moment the only sound was the wish-wish of tires on wet asphalt and the crackle static cryptic messages of the taxi radio.

Disappointing turned to Lex and smiled, his eyes blue dancing. His eyes brows cocked at him and his mouth moved-a quirky, goofy mouth, on the edge of a giggle, an over all impression of softness, and Lex was annoyed.

He didn't have much time for non-serious people. No-he didn't have time for silly people.

Whatever possible appreciation he may have had for silliness had been burned out of him lomg ago...still-there was something ... familiar about the man. Boy?

He looked the person over openly-The man's eyebrows drew together almost angrily but his mobile quirky mouth, small chin, and expression of avid interest combined to make him appear almost child-like--the crease between his brows and the deep lines and thick muscle at his jaw fought against the child-like impression, it provided an intriguing contrast.

He seemed slender, seemed to be almost drowning in a chamois colored stadium coat, gray pants, leather boots, and Lex sharpened, focusedThat coat alone was worth a thousand at the very least. "Do I know you?"

And the quirky mouth tightened faintly, "I don't think so," the other replied. Head inclined forward a bit and he looked harder but still seemed on the verge of-giggles, directed at him, it was so annoying...He than leaned back a bit, said, "you're staying at the Macedonian? That's...a pretty big place."

The lines bracketing the guy's mouth eased and the near sneer softened until it was almost a pout, and small teeth flashed and bit lightly, held his lower lip and released leaving a sheen of moisture-leaving them a little pinker and softer -shit! Lex had been slowly leaning toward him... he jerked his head back and looked out of the cab window.

"The Macedonian is my dad's,". Lex said calmly, his voice was soft and steady and he thanked the control he'd learned at Excelsior that he was able to cover that flash of-whatever it was.

Disappointing whistled. "Luthor is your dad?" He smiled. "You must be-the other one." A strike that hit its mark. Lex's semi-arousal extinguished quickly, he felt a wave of a quite different sort of warmth rush up the back of his neck. The other one! The fucking other one-the good son-the good boy, brother to Lucas, bad boy extraordinaire, newspaper hogging little slut junkie wanna be-- Fuck you, bastard.

Fuck both of them.

"My name is Lex". He looked at Disappointing. "Who are you?"

"I'm...Bruce Wayne," he said and smiled down into his lap.

"Bruce Wayne. I know you. And I know you have a secret." And Lex exuded an air of sly contentment, a malicious enjoyment and so quickly that it made his breath catch-- there was another person in the cab, a stranger...a frightening, cold Other.

The mouth that had seemed made for soft laughter and smeary smiles disappeared and there was a hard slash of a mouth and ice blue eyes that had no relation to the face they blazed out of and Lex's fingers twitched toward the shoulder holster under his suit coat before he regained control from the reptile brain that recognized and sensibly feared death.

Lex couldn't know that Bruce was aware in the instant muscle began to shift, that Lex had a gun, that he was a good shot, that he had rather excellent control over himself and wasn't going to draw.

Lex had no idea Bruce examined words, facial expression, body posture and now knew Lex had no idea what his real secret was and there was no need to hurt him in ways that Lex could never have imagined on his most creative day.

Bruce was glad he didn't have to hurt him, he was fairly certain he could like Lex. There was something there he recognized.

"My...secret?" He smiled, and Lex smirked back.

"Your image as dissolute playboy is pretty much just that. Image. Lucas tells me that you're," he coughed lightly into his fist and his eyes danced at Bruce above his curled hand, "a virgin." He smiled a little wider as Bruce eyes shot open wide.

"Ah-haah..." Bruce colored faintly. "I'm not-or maybe I am from Lucas' point of view. Lucas is very aggressive...he won't take no for an answer."

"He can also catch the faintest whiff of curiosity from the straightest guy. It's a ...talent. And he says you...."

Bruce chuckled. "Yes, I saw that a few times, crossing paths with him." He looked up at Lex. "And Lucas is wrong. It's not a curiosity of mine."

Lex smiled, "Of course not."

Bruce shook his head, and said, "Can it be possible he's not even out of school yet?"

Lex sighed. "Lucas...Lucas is his own problem. And once again mine, I'm afraid."

Bruce didn't ask, just watched Lex. Interesting, there was quite a bit going on here. Layers and layers...

The cab pulled up to the Macedonian and Lex paid the driver, he started to step out and on impulse invited Bruce to dinner, "If you're not busy, this evening? I have a little business to attend to with the manager and then I'm off the clock so to speak."

Bruce thought about it. He actually felt a connection between himself and Lex-he found him very good company. He thought he wouldn't mind spending the evening with him.

"You know, I think I'd like that-yes."

Lex smiled "Good."

Bruce made himself comfortable in the bar while Lex took care of his father's business and much sooner then he expected Lex was back.

He sat, and folded his hands. "I've arranged for dinner to be sent to my suite-I think I'll have a drink here with you while they prep the suite?"

"That's fine," Bruce nodded. He'd assumed that they would have dinner in the restaurant, but the additional privacy would be nice, if not completely necessary. Heads turned of course, but the people here knew better then to interrupt. There might be whispering and glances but they were guaranteed to have a pleasant quiet meal. Still, he rather liked that Lex had taken the additional step well. Bruce thought if need be he could handle Lex as well as he'd handled Lucas-- if need be--though he'd assumed like most people that Lex was neutral when it came to sex. There were no stories, no girlfriends-no boyfriends...he was the kind of kid parents pray for, wished they had.

Lucas was the type of kid parents had nightmares about. In trouble constantly it seemed. He was entering senior year of high school and rumor had it not in any of the exclusive little kid camps that everyone else in Lionel's circle sent their kids to.

Bruce smiled to himself. He was entirely too interested in gossip.

He sipped at his drink and watched Lex talk to the concierge-he nodded at Bruce and they rose and headed for Lex's suite.

Dinner had been excellent, and dessert was a wonderful chocolate torte and Bruce sighed. It wasn't often he ate that much, but he was so comfortable with Lex. Strange. The man's father and his brother had the opposite effect on him. Not that they weren't excellent company, funny charming, knowledgeable, the both of them, on a variety of topics...it was just Lionel had to be in control at all times, he had to be top dog...and Lucas seemed to want to bed everyone that moved past him. Strange boys.

Lex sat on the opposite end of the couch from Bruce and smiled. They'd been discussing business and art and traveling...and Bruce's collection-a unique and eclectic collection. Lex invited him to Metropolis to see his dad's collection.

"It's very good. Really," he seemed on the verge of snickering. "That's his hobby, you know, hobbies, I should say--collecting art and running after Lucas..." He did giggle, then. "Of course, now that I'm home, we'll be sharing that hobby...again. Round and round and round we go...." He crooned as he made twirling motions with his hands.

"Lex, you're drunk."

"M'not. M'tipsy. Different, you know, tipsy's cute and fun; drunk is vomiting on the floor and being maudlin. You wouldn't want me to be maudlin, would you?"

He smiled at Bruce and Bruce felt a little rising wave of heat... ah well, Lex wasn't alone in feeling tipsy. He couldn't believe how he'd let himself go tonight-no discipline at all...thank God he'd had no plans to patrol later. He jumped when he felt a sleek silk covered foot slide on his calf.

"Oh, sorry," Lex slurred and tried to move his foot but Bruce held it...absently petted it like a kitten as he told Lex a long convoluted story about his time in an English boarding school. I'm drunk too, he thought with surprise -and decided to just -enjoy it. Soon, he ended up with both Lex's feet in his lap, petting them. Lex began to hum happily as the petting became a massage, and his toes flexed and he inadvertently rubbed Bruce's crotch over and over-Lex was thoroughly, happily out of it, and he apologized to Bruce.

"Bruce, I'm more than tipsy, sorry, you're right-I'm soooo drunk. I really don't drink like this usually." He tried hard to enunciate clearly and kept massaging.

Bruce gasped, "It's fine-no! Don't move." when Lex shifted. He was hard and at this point, damn curious. "Lex, Lex-are you a virgin and God, say no," he asked.

Lex looked at him curiously and frowned. "Hunh? No-no I 'm not, why-oh! Bruce...aren't you straight?"

"Not as much as I thought," he grasped and sank down so that Lex's feet were squarely on his dick and pushed against his feet, groaning, "Lex-Lex."

"Bruce!" Lex pulled away and came to the end of the couch, leaned against him. "Psssst-do you know," he whispered harshly as he cupped Bruce and squeezed, "You're 'hard!"

"Oh god, Lex don't, don't" but his own hand came up to cover Lex's and squeeze also, holding it in place.

"It's okay, I remember what to do, you'll be fine and tomorrow we can forget this happened if you want-I'm very good with secrets..." he unzipped Bruce slowly, giving him plenty of time to stop him if he chose, but he just watched Lex, and licked his too dry lips over and over.

Lex stopped. "Bruce, poor thing, you looked terrified, don't worry I know what it feels like, Bruce can I kiss you?" Bruce tried to say yes, and Lex leaned into his lips and groaned.

Soft, strong lips covered him and Bruce knew about kissing. It was amazing and when he pulled back from him Lex's eyes were closed and his mouth tingled. He opened his eyes and smiled at Bruce, who looked calmer now, less scared and more...surprised. Lex couldn't take his eyes off of him, God, so sexy-- he wanted his dick in that mouth, those lips wrapped around him-- he could see those jaw muscles working as he sucked him off, it would be beautiful, beautiful.

Bruce choked and bucked up, and Lex realized he'd said it all out loud, and his fist was wet and wrapped around Bruce's dick. He pulled back and licked his hand. Bruce stared open-mouthed, completely lost.

"Shit-- take your pants off," he panted and began shoving his own pants down his legs, Lex started to say something-"Off!" Bruce barked, and Lex dropped them, kicked them into a corner, ripped off his shirt and flung it. Bruce got up and stripped as he moved to the bed, and Lex hopped after, yanking his socks off and grinning like a fool and he didn't give a shit.

Bruce was naked on the bed and Lex knelt over him, "Open your mouth I'm going to teach you something amazing." He fed his dick into Bruce's mouth, his eyes were tightly shut and he radiated fear, he swallowed and Lex groaned and flexed. Bruce grunted in surprise and Lex gasped. He was just as beautiful as he thought he'd be, the muscles at his jaw jumped as he sucked Lex's dick. Lex flexed again, and slowly moved in and out, careful for Bruce.

Bruce was a little in shock. What was he doing? Why...Lex's dick moved on his tongue and he inhaled sharply, what was he going to do if he came...was it okay not to -could he spit it out or ask him to-oh that felt good! He relaxed a little, rolling his tongue over the head, along the shaft, feeling it, getting to know how a dick felt and kind of liking it-a lot...drinking in every little gasp and twitch he got from Lex, until Lex drew out of his mouth. Bruce protested but Lex smiled and turned around. He positioned a knee on each side of Bruce's head and lowered himself until his dick nudged his lips "Go ahead," he said and Bruce reached up and locked his fingers around Lex's hips and sucked him in again. And at the same time, his dick slid into wet heat--oohhhh fuck-- he sucked in tandem with Lex, tried to repeat every move until he lost all rhythm, he was breathing hard through his nose and praying for release-he hung on the edge until it was painful, and then, yowling around Lex's dick, he came, violently, so hard he jackknifed off the bed, so hard he couldn't pull out like he normally did, and pumped come down Lex's throat-so hard he didn't even think twice about swallowing when Lex came right after.

The lights had lowered automatically sometime during the evening, and when Bruce finally pulled himself together the room was mostly in shadows, music still played quietly in the background and Lex was sprawled across the bed. Even sleeping, even sprawled across the bed as he was, Bruce thought he looked graceful, like a big cat... sleeping but right under the surface, still alert. Bruce felt so attracted to that duality, the appearance of complete ease masking the tension, the anger. He shuddered a little. The night had been most enlightening. Apparently he had been curious, he just hadn't met the right Luthor.

He looked greedily at Lex, all that smooth fine skin, so creamy. So clean...he ran his fingers lightly across his ribs, down his side. His dick was beautiful too, he thought, and cradled it in his hand, relishing the smooth slightly damp skin. He wanted to do it again. He could still taste Lex's come in his mouth and it made him smile. He made him come... his mouth made Lex come for him. He really wanted to do it again...but he had to go. He needed to get back to work; Alfred had a new idea for the suit they'd been working on to aid him in his patrols, it was going to add a new dimension to his endeavors.

Reluctantly he got up and dressed and woke Lex. "I have to go."

Lex made a small sound of disappointment and shifted against the rumpled covers.

"I'm sorry, I'm late already-I hope we can meet again?" Bruce asked.

"I'll be in Metropolis for a few days with Lucas," he said sleepily, "and then I'm hoping to go back overseas."

Bruce felt a stab of disappointment. "Will you let me know what you're going to do?"

Lex grinned slowly, "Sure, I can do that. Maybe you can find the time for a trip to Europe...."

Bruce smiled and turned to the door, snagging his jacket as he headed out. He stopped and turned back, leaned down and kissed Lex's sleep sticky mouth. "Thank you."

Lex pushed him softly away, "Don't-- I'm not clean--"

Bruce smiled softly and said, "I think you're cleaner than I am." He kissed him again. "Yes, you are. I'll see you-promise."

Lex looked at him, a little surprised and a little pleased. "Okay. Take care."

Bruce laughed. "You too. And watch out for your brother."

Lex was already sliding into sleep as he heard that and snickered as the door clicked shut.

VI

Lionel called Lex into his study. They fell back into their usual routine-Lionel was polite, cold, distant and Lex responded in kind, with an added feeling of guilt...and anger.

"I'm putting you in charge of plant number three. In Smallville."

Lex froze. Smallville. A town all his nightmares sprang from. He stared at his dad. He knew it, his dad did hate him. Here was proof. What about his plans to return to England, to finish school?

"You're taking Lucas with you." And his dad turned and stared at him. "You're to keep him out of trouble. I found that without you, his behavior is even worse. Can I trust you with Lucas-to keep him safe, I mean?" his dad didn't look away and Lex felt like throwing up. Yes sir, he barely whispered, his throat had gone so dry he imagined the words tumbling from his mouth like desiccated leaves. He was so angry, his heart pounded hard against his chest, he could feel it beating in his throat.

"Lucas will finish high school in Smallville. Anything he does there will be easily contained I'm sure. He will behave won't he?"

Lex nodded and his dad left the room. He had no idea what was on the man's mind. He had no idea what he knew or thought he knew...they'd never discussed the reason he'd abruptly sent him overseas to school...they never discussed why his contact with him had been minimal, his contact with Lucas non-existent. Guilt fired his imagination and shame kept him from asking. But if his dad thought-what Lex thought he did-why send the two of them to Smallville?

Lucas stood on the front steps of the high school and watched Lex drive away with just a quick wave of his hand.

He felt abandoned. He knew it was stupid, but he couldn't help it. He frowned, put on the fuck you face and turned to the front doors.

Students parted around him heading in to class. The roar of a multitude of conversations and a sea of different colors made him uneasy. The crowds flowed past with hardly a glance his way--who the hell in hicktown would know who he was-no, who the hell would care? Sure they knew who he was, they just didn't give a shit. Nobody here wanted anything from him-yet. They hadn't figured out what a Luthor could do for them yet.

As far as these idiots were concerned, Luthor's didn't do anything important-they owned farms like everyone else-well, maybe not quite like everyone else...they let the main plant in town run into the ground-- never mind it was local management's fault. Well, that's what Lex was here for, to fix the massive hemorrhaging of money--plug it or excise it. Didn't matter now, what ever was out of order at the plant, Lucas knew Lex would fix it. There wasn't anything Lex couldn't do once he set his mind to it.

"Hey, I know you, don't I?" Lucas looked up into bright hazel eyes and a big friendly grin. Who the hell was this, and why did he claim to know him?

Not that he was upset about it. This could solve the problem of what he'd be doing-- or who-- on weekends.

The kid kept grinning at him. "You don't remember do you?" he asked cheerfully. "Well, it was a while ago, you and your brother were driving and you had a little accident..." he smiled at Lucas, and then it dawned on him-this was the kid who'd dragged him and Lex out of the water when they'd had that awful accident a few years ago.

Lucas stared into his face. They'd never seen him again after the incident, though Lionel had sent his thanks and had asked if the kid's dad, a farmer, would care to join his organic farm venture...apparently they were failing in their own business....

What the hell was his name again-Ken- Cal--Carl...

"Hi! Sure I remember--you're..."

"Clark. Clark Kent. Don't worry, it's not like I'm a big name guy like you. I've been kind of keeping track of you and-and your brother since." He blushed a brilliant red, hell of a shade of red, Lucas thought.

"Um, Did your brother move here too?" Lucas marveled, the guy blushed an even deeper red, from his neck to his hairline. Wow. Suddenly he realized he'd asked about Lex. Oh no. Not again, you're not taking him from me...

Lucas smiled and looked as innocent as he could. "Oh, Lex. He's here, he's there--sometimes he's in town, sometimes he's not. He's really an asshole. We don't have to talk about him, do we? Tell me about yourself." and Clark bought it, grinning back and started chatting away about the school and his boring little farm life and most importantly, just looked damn hot.

"Oh, that was the last bell, we better run," Clark said as an annoying noise split the air. He took off for the door and Lucas followed obediently, keeping one eye on the doorways and one eye on Clark's ass.

"I need to go to main office first," Lucas told him. "Give them my papers and stuff, pick up my schedule."

"Oh sure, I'll take you, I can get a pass while we're there, you're my excuse today," he grinned, Lucas cleared his throat and drug his eyes away from Clark. Yeah. No way was Lex gonna get within ten feet of him, damn it.

He walked down the hall and his mind kept coming back to Lex. Get within ten feet of Clark, fuck-- Lex wouldn't get within ten feet of him! He acted like he was repulsive. Lucas felt his face burn, maybe he did feel that way, maybe he still hated him for what he'd done...

Clark called to him and thankfully derailed his thoughts. Lucas jerked his head around to look for him.

He was standing in an open doorway, grinning cheerfully. "Hey Lucas, you walked right by the office." He waved him into the room and whispered, "Try to talk to Mrs. Green, she's much less cranky first thing in the morning, the other's need a lot more coffee before they're human." He patted Lucas on the shoulder and took off, leaving him standing alone. Lucas' hand sneaked up to his shoulder and felt where Clark had touched him. It was his imagination, sure, but he swore the warmth of his hand lingered there.

The day wore on in a mind-numbing way-private school, public school, uniforms or street clothes-didn't matter. School sucked, was boring and stupid and he hated it. He prayed for time to move faster but the hours dragged by and mocked him. It seemed an eternity before the nerve-jangling buzz of the bell released them from Purgatory. The only decent thing had been finding out he had gym with Clark, and discovering that Smallville guys were built. Must be the water.

Lucas tried to call Lex and tell him to pick him up at the corner but no-he had to come roaring up in front of the school and draw everyone's attention, especially Clark's. Fucking showoff.

He dashed to the car and flung open the door trying to toss his books in and jump inside before anyone came up, but Clark was suddenly there out of nowhere and leaned into the car. "Hi! I wanted to say welcome back to Smallville-I'm not sure if you remember me--"

"Clark. Clark Kent. Of course I remember you, how could I forget?" Lex gave Clark one of those slow smooth smiles Lucas hated to see on him.

Clark looked so pleased Lucas wanted to spit. If he had a tail he'd be wagging the damn thing, he thought. Jesus, maybe I should move before he pees from excitement.

He rudely shoved by Clark and climbed into the Carrera."I'm ready-let's go," he snapped.

"Wait." Lex said in a tone that let Lucas know he'd been out voted and gave him an ice-cold look. Lucas dropped his head back against the headrest and growled.

"Clark. I've often wondered how you were doing--"Clark beamed until Lex went on,--"with the farm. Everything's working out I hope?"

Clark's smile dimmed a bit. "Um, yeah, Dad's happy. It was nice of your father ..."

"Well, I'm glad." Lex smiled and tilted his head a bit. "Would he mind, do you think, if I came out to see the farm? Purely a social call-maybe he could let me know when he's not too busy?"

Clark stared at Lex, eyes wide and sparkling and nodded enthusiastically before remembering his manners. "I'm sure he'd be happy to have you visit."

"Great-well, let me get this kid home," he smiled and Lucas turned a ferocious scowl on Clark, before rolling up the window in his face.

Lex waved goodbye roared off, pointedly not speaking to Lucas.

Silence filled the car, so filled with tension and anger it almost had weight. Finally Lucas snapped at Lex, "Why didn't you just ask him for a date?"

"What? Don't be silly." Lex frowned. "The guy saved our lives. I'm just being nice."

"Oh yeah," he growled and imitated Lex, tilting his head and speaking in a high pitched voice, "Of course I remember you, how could I forget, dimple dimple!"

"Did you just say dimple? Jesus, you're a piece of work. Listen, we live here, get used to me being nice to the locals, it's what you do when you're a newcomer, okay? Try not to be an obnoxious dick while we're here please. Try to help me out with dad for once--"

"Shut the fuck up. Why is it always about you, you, you! What about me?"

"You're one to talk-it's always about you-you don't have to hear it-'Lex get your brother--Lex can't you watch out for your brother-Lex, can't you keep your brother out of trouble.' It's not my fault you're a fucking slut!"

Lucas turned in his seat and punched Lex in the side of the head. The car veered wildly across lanes as Lex fought to bring it back under control, yelling and cursing at Lucas.

They fought back and forth, Lucas unbuckling the minute the car swerved to a screeching, dust billowing stop on the shoulder of the road. He was swinging at Lex and Lex was swinging back one handed and trying to unbuckle at the same time. Lucas was over his seat and straddling Lex landing punches on his shoulders, in his chest and yelling incoherently, trying to sock him in the face, but Lex ducked and bobbed and swore back at him, the small space inside the car hampering their efforts to kill each other--Lex swung and managed to connect, made Lucas' head snap back and blood splashed his chin.

"Owww you fuck, you made me bite myself--I'm bleeding, you fucker!" He yelled even louder, he tried to stand on the seat, slammed his head into the ceiling and Lex got his arms trapped at his side and pulled him down. Their hearts were pounding and Lucas was furious, raging out of control and hard-he ground against Lex and pulled an involuntary groan out of him.

"Stop, stop you shit--" he gasped and groaned again as Lucas bit his neck and thrust against him.

For a moment Lex went insane and pulled Lucas down hard against him, one hand thrust into his sweater, wrapping it tight around his fist and pulling him against his chest and one hand dug into his hip, pulling him hard against his erection. The slide of denim against wool sent shivers down his spine and a hot tug in his groin. He heard Lucas moan, deep and desperate and felt him pulsing where he was trapped against Lex's stomach and warmth spread across him-he groaned before thinking and bit his lip when he couldn't stop, heat filled him and he shuddered, coming in his pants like -like a teenager. He snapped back to reality and pushed Lucas away hard, gasping and shaking, horrified at himself, feeling dirty and sick.

Lucas tumbled sideways back into his seat, smirking. "Fucking liar," he sneered. "Fucking liar."

VI

*Clark was surprised that suddenly Lex seemed to be his best friend. Every time he had a free moment, he invited Clark to the Castle and Clark was more than happy to visit. He learned to play pool, and tennis, he went swimming in the indoor pool and he picked up the rudiments of fencing, Lex even had a suit made for him when none of Lex's fit him. He listened to the newest CD's and saw the newest movies and occasionally saw prints not even in the theaters yet.

He loved it; he felt almost like he lived there, he was at the castle so much. It was beyond cool to have a friend who seemed to know everything and everybody. He was even friends with Bruce Wayne--the Bruce Wayne, whose company had designed the coolest car ever, way hotter than a Hummer and Lex promised that he'd take him to visit and drive that car...but it was much, much more than that, more than anything he gave him or showed him. Lex had an air about him that made him want to be like him, be as smart and as well dressed and as handsome and confidant. He'd always known Lex would be like this, so-so-- perfect.

Even though he was older, he never treated him like a kid, not like he treated Lucas.

Actually, it bothered him a little. It made him feel funny sometime how Lex treated his little brother, how they were to each other. Didn't they know how important family was? Maybe it had something to do with Lex's father-he seemed kind of a cold guy. He should maybe talk to Lex about how he was treating Lucas.

He was pretty sure he saw Lucas crying after one of their weird little fight-not-fights...maybe he should talk to Lucas*.

The class was being herded like wayward sheep into one area of the plant, the teacher's aide acting like a put upon sheepdog. Clark and his friends tried to stick together. It was sure to be dead boring--like Lex asked, "what did you do wrong to deserve this?"-- but at least they could entertain themselves. Clark hung at the back of the crowd, looking about. Maybe Lex would show up and -and something. He blushed a little.

Lucas brushed up against him and whispered a little too close in his ear. "He's not here. Gabe Sullivan runs the little community relations tours...sorry Clark."

Clark could feel the stupid blush darkening and suddenly yipped aloud. Jeez! Lucas just-groped him. He whipped around, but Lucas just grinned at him smoothly and winked, lifted a brow-- You mind? Clark frowned at him and tried to move away from him, but he followed Clark until Whitney called him over.

"Hey Luke!-- Oh, Clark. What's up? How were things with that strange handy man guy of yours, Clark?"

Clark stuttered out, "Okay, now, I guess-actually I'm not sure what was wrong with him. The doctor's didn't know either--"

"Yeah, okay--So, did you get in trouble for the party?"

Clark blushed again, and stuttered something out, and Lucas purred, "Yeah Clark, did you get in trouble?"

Clark glanced at Lucas and nodded. Lucas smiled at him and he couldn't help but smile back. He felt stupid about feeling guilty-it wasn't as if he was...being unfaithful. He knew it wasn't Lucas' fault, but he just wasn't sure how he felt. Every time he tried to think about it, all he remembered was Lucas' hands on his bare skin, his teeth against the tender skin of his throat...

Clark bit the inside of his mouth, worrying his cheek as he tried to figure out exactly what had happened last night. He wouldn't have let Lucas close if Lex hadn't shown up with that-girl-and the huge hicky on his neck. Lucas and Lex had fallen into their usual verbal sparing and Clark had stood there and tried not to glare at Lex, because his sex life was really none of his business-falling in love with a glamorous stranger (even if it happened to be a stranger whose life you saved) didn't give you a right to question their sex life and falling in love with a straight glamorous stranger was stupidity of a huge order.

And speaking of lack of mental ability... yesterday had been the height of stupidity. Mom and Dad had gone out for the night for an anniversary celebration. The fact that it required them to leave overnight was something he hadn't thought about too hard. What he should have been thinking about were all those teen movies that ended up with a big party when the 'rents were out of town. Or at least remembered the lesson stuck in them-- sort of. Parties with no parents were bound to blow up out of control. Like this one did.

He'd gone to his bedroom to catch a breath and while up there had pulled out his scrap book-his stalkers manual he called it when he was in a joking mood about it, his collection of heart break is what it really was. Picture after picture of Lex alone, with family, with girls, girls, girls. He knew from the start he didn't have a chance with him...it just kind of hurt to have that reinforced for him in living breathing color right in front of him. A knock on the door had led to Lucas poking his head in and smiling ruefully at him.

"You okay?"

"Of course why shouldn't I be?" Clark looked at Lucas with an effort at a puzzled grin. God, I'm the worst liar in the world.

"Because I saw the way you looked at Lex and his girl...I understand."

Clark gawped at Lucas. "I don't know what you mean."

"It's okay Clark. I know." He pointed at the open book on Clark's lap. Clark blushed, slammed the book shut and Lucas smiled gently. Clark thought it was nice smile.

"You and I are in the same boat, I think." He sat uninvited on the bed, a little too close. "I know what it feels like to like someone and not have them like you back"-so bitter sounding that for moment Clark was surprised enough to step out of his own misery.

"Sounds like you do." he said. So. Lucas was gay...Clark felt a little thrill in the pit of his stomach. Someone he could talk to-- maybe Lucas had more experience to his none.

Lucas threw an arm over his shoulder, "iIt'll be okay though-you'll survive, believe it. You'll find someone who likes you back..."

Clark shook his head. "Not in Smallville," he said.

Lucas pulled him close and said, "Trust me, I've been where you are." He ran his fingers through Clark's hair and leaned his head against his and closed his eyes. He moved slowly, so softly that Clark barely registered the movement. He didn't get a chance to think about his lips ghosting over his cheek, so slowly, so lightly, hardly there, feathery touches on his neck, his ear, his mouth, skating smoothly over his skin until every bit of it was tingling and begging for real sensation.

He'd shuddered from head to toe and groaned so loud when Lucas licked his ear, and touched his tongue to him here and there, quickly, leaving him moaning for it, then Lucas kissed him. A real kiss, with lips and teeth and tongue, a kiss that left him gasping. He'd been lost then, Lucas had kissed and kissed him into stupidity. He was groaning and Lucas was breathing heavily and it made him want to give everything to him. Clark quivered at every touch of Lucas' mouth-he couldn't stop. None of his dreams involved any one but Lex, none of his dreams were even close to the feeling Lex's brother was making him feel--he felt like he was taking advantage of Lucas--

God! He dropped back against the bed and pulled Lucas with him, settled him between his legs. Clark started to get hard and he could feel Lucas rubbing against his leg, hard and hot, but Lucas rolled them to their sides, continuing to kiss Clark but keeping a distance, not touching. Clark gasped out an apology, "Sorry, sorry," but still he tried to push forward, he wanted that feeling, he needed to feel Lucas hard against his own erection, he knew it would feel so good-

Lucas whispered, his breath hot and wet in his ear, "No, no-slow down, slow down," Clark was about to beg him to continue, he was about to promise him any damn thing when--

BANG! The door practically jumped in its frame when the knock came again.

"Clark! Are you in there? Why is your door locked? Clark-you better get out here!" Lana must have kicked the door-how long was she knocking, Clark wondered, torn between embarrassment and befuddled lust.

Lucas had rolled upright again and smiled at him. "Sounds important Clark, better check it out."

Clark blushed and went to the door, trying to pull himself together. They left the room together and Clark refused to look at Lana or Lucas.

Whitney had a pitchfork in his hand and a worried look on his face when Clark got to the loft where Lana said something troubling was happening. Clark hoped it was just some kids screwing around, but no such luck. "Something weird is going on Clark," Whitney said as he came close. Lucas was breathing down his neck while he checked the loft area. Suddenly Whitney yelled, "Got him!" and yanked a tarp up, revealing a man huddled under it.

Clark had recognized Earl immediately. He'd called Whitney off and asked the man what he was doing hiding in the loft for heavens sake. Earl claimed he had to see his dad, because he was the only one he trusted, and then he'd gone into some kind of seizure and even worse, when Clark tried to touch him, he reacted to Earl like he was meteor rock-between the night in the emergency, and the cops and then mom and dad coming home just in time to watch him speed clean the house-he felt a little guilty to be glad that Earl took their minds off his stupidity. Well, almost...he was grounded into the next centaury.

Gabe Sullivan came out to meet the students and of course embarrassed Chloe because that was the law, parents had to embarrass their kids...

Clark thought about Earl and his claims he got sick from Level Three of the plant-could it be possible? What the heck, he might as well ask. He raised his hand and when Gabe acknowledged him asked, "Is there a level three in the plant?"

"Yes, yes there is," Gabe answered, and Clark felt a wash of surprise-Earl was telling the truth- "It's where we do our alien autopsies."

Clark blushed and shivered a little and Chloe rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him."

Gabe pointed in the direction away from the doors. "This way everybody and let's stay together." They began herding them down a hallway and Clark followed along until he saw a door marked 'Authorized Personal Only'. Seemed as good a place as any to start. He slipped through before anyone could see him and was gone.

Lucas looked around for Clark but couldn't see him. He wondered how the kid could have slipped off so quickly and without him noticing...pretty damn good. On a par with him for sure...Clark really was an interesting kid. Maybe he should look for him, maybe he was hiding out in some dark private place... Gabe's voice broke in on his musing.

"...Trust me the results can be pretty explosive. So if any of you had beans for lunch, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Chloe glanced at Lucas. "Among his peers he's considered witty." Lucas smiled, trying to cover the fact he had no idea what she was talking about.

Where was Clark?

There was a commotion at the end of the hall and suddenly the guy they'd found in Clark's barn last night was standing there waving a gun at Chloe's dad. What the hell! He began yelling at Mr. Sullivan, yelling about a Level Three. Lucas stopped and frowned, wait, hadn't Clark asked about the same thing? -he glanced around quickly, everyone pretty much was scared shitless but not panicking-yet.

"Everybody sit down," the man yelled, he was sweating, shaking, his eyes were darting around, and he was obviously at the end of his rope.

"Get against the wall," he gestured with the gun and everyone shuffled quickly backward until they were huddled against the wall, muffled crying coming from some of the students, the teachers and the aides looking frightened but trying for calm, trying to maintain control.

Lucas edged closer to Whitney and Lana, pulling Chloe with him. Pete, another friend of Clark's , reached out and took Chloe's other hand as Lucas brought her near.

"What the fuck is going on?" Pete asked, "That-that's Earl Jenkins, he used to work for Clark's dad. He looks like he's gone crazy!"

Lucas looked back at the adults just as Earl jammed the gun harder against Mr. Sullivan's neck. "What happened to it?" he was yelling.

"I don't know anything about a Level Three," Gabe gasped. Lucas had to admire the way he tried to keep it together, even though he obviously wanted to pee himself. He edged a little closer to the pair. Whitney glanced his way and narrowed his eyes, looking back at Earl and Gabe. Whit eased his way next to him and he turned to speak to Whit and suddenly Clark was standing there. "Earl! He's not lying! I found these blueprints--there is no level Three!"

Clark waved a roll of blueprints at the man. Earl took them and pulled the roll open.

He looked at the spread sheets and Clark could see fear and frustration twist his expression. "Every night," he ground out between grit teeth, "I go down to Level Two, follow the red pipes, go through the door and I take the elevator to Level Three." He stared a minute before whipping his head toward Clark. "You're just like everyone else," he shouted. "Now get over there with the rest and you-sit-down!"

Lex pulled up to and through the gate. He couldn't believe what was happening. A hostage situation at the plant? What the fuck was going on in there?-shit! Lucas-

He stepped out of his car and looked behind him at the frantic parents standing out side the security gate. Mr. And Mrs. Kent were standing on the other side the fence, and he motioned then in, telling the guard to admit them. Mr. Kent asked him brusquely what was happening and Lex said, "Some lunatic's inside, demanding to be taken to some place called Level Three. We've managed to evacuate the plant but he's taken the students hostage."

Martha looked worried and asked, "Is anyone...hurt?" and Jonathan asked, "Do we know who it is?" Lex answered them both as he ushered them into the area where the police and plant security had set up monitors and a staging point. "No one's hurt at this point and the man's name is Earl Jenkins."

Jonathan stopped. "Earl? Earl Jenkins-he used to work for us--"

Lex asked, "Really? Well what's he doing in my plant?" he slipped on an earpiece and looked at Jonathan.

Jonathan leaned his head back and stared at Lex. "Well, last night, he was in the hospital-I spoke to him there, he claims Luthorcorp is doing some crop experiments on a secret Level Three, and it's made him sick. He's convinced that the cure is in there, on that Level Three."

Lex stopped, stared at him. "Then we have a serious problem, because there is no Level Three."

Jonathan began to speak but whatever he said was lost in the sudden explosion of noise-- a helicopter was landing in the lot, people were shouting and running and for a moment it was a circus.

Martha looked surprised. "Who's that?" she asked.

Lex looked over her shoulder.Oh shit. I'm in it now. "My father," he answered. *He's going to have a shit fit when he finds out Lucas is in there

Lionel was at Lex's side in seconds and grabbed his shoulder.

"Lex! What happened? How did you lose control like this?"

"I didn't lose control!"

"Then how did this man get inside?"

Lex swallowed and began, "I think--"

"You think. You should know, Lex." Lionel's words were short and caustic but his faced was creased with worry.

Lex groaned inside. He knows. "Look Dad, Lucas--"

"How could you allow this to happen to your brother," he snapped.

"I didn't allow anything," Lex almost yelled back, and Jonathan stepped in.

"We need to focus on the situation inside, there are a lot of innocent kids in there, including your son."

Lionel visibly pulled himself together. "Of course, you're right. And please excuse me, Mr. Kent-Mrs. Kent. How are things..." He stopped and drew his hand over his head. "Of course, not very good at the moment. Forgive me please."

Jonathan nodded stiffly. "Earl Jenkins is the man's name-he claims he got sick in your plant, on Level three?"

Lex stared at his dad, holding his eyes and said, "I assured everyone there is no Level Three...that is the truth, right dad?" He knew his dad never lied to him-or at least he thought his dad had always been honest with him. He watched Lionel's face pale slightly; he looked as if he were in pain. "Lex. Lex-I'll talk to you...later, all right? Later, son."

Lex thought that was as close as Lionel had ever gotten to lying to him.

Jonathan Kent broke in and asked harshly, "Peoples lives are at stake-my son's-your son's. What are you going to do about it?"

Lionel turned to him and raised an eyebrow, "I'm going to let the people qualified to handle this situation do so-and I intend not to interfere with them so they can do their job." He turned to look at the monitors, at the kids huddled against the wall and Lex moved to stand next to him. He was pretty sure no one else could tell, but he knew-his dad was afraid. Afraid for his son.

Lex could see Lucas standing next to Clark, almost...protectively--as he watched, Clark moved and Lucas shifted a little to stand almost in front of him, and Lex frowned slightly. Well, wasn't that interesting, he thought....

He tried but couldn't make out Lucas' expression on the fuzzy screen. He whipped his head away to look at Martha when she asked too loudly, obviously on the edge, "What about the kids? You need to get on the phone and talk to him!"

Lionel shook his head. "Mrs. Kent, I understand how you feel, I want everyone to get out too-but I can't negotiate with terrorists. LuthorCorp doesn't negotiate with terrorists."

Martha was besides her self with worry and fear and she shouted at Lionel as Jonathan moved up to put his arm around her in comfort-and to hold her back from Lionel, Lex thought. "He's not a terrorist! He's sick, he needs help! If you won't talk to him, Jonathan will!"

Lex watched his dad's face and shook his head. "No, Mr. Kent," he said. "You're not the one he blames...is he dad."

Lionel looked at the ground and refused to meet Lex's eyes, but he took the phone when Lex handed it to him. He punched in a number and spoke.

"Gabe. It's Luthor-put Jenkins on the phone, will you? Thanks." Lionel switched the phone to speaker phone and the police moved in, pushing Lex back from his dad. He settled back in the monitor area and watched the thing unfold.

He shivered, he felt like he was breaking apart in tiny pieces, flaking away bit by bit.. How did he lose control? -Not of the plant itself, he couldn't have done a thing about that-but his dad came in and took back the reins he'd passed him at the beginning of this thing. Why tell him he's in charge and then at the first hint of trouble come flying in and take it back? There was something-somewhere along the line-he'd lost his father....

Lex's attention was caught by a sudden movement on the monitor. The man was shaking, shaking really hard-"Something's happening in there," he called out, and a few SWAT agents and a couple of guards from the plant came over immediately.

On the screen Earl waved something in his hand and shouted panic stricken, "See what you made me do? See what you made me do!"

One of the plant guards said,"Damn! He broke the valve off one of the methane tanks-that's what he 's got in his hand...."

Another guard said, "If he broke it off--"

Lex finished," The methane level in that room will become explosive."

He turned to look at his dad, who was staring at Lucas on the screen, the Kent's and Lionel sharing nearly identical expressions of barely controlled panic.

The kids were starting to get louder, more nervous, more upset. Lucas stood up from the spot he shared with Pete and Chloe, and went to stand next to Whitney and Clark. He angled himself to stand in front of Clark, as Whitney leaned towards him and spoke quietly, "We need to do something."

Clark shook his head and moved out from Lucas, "I-I don't think that's a good idea." Lucas looked at Clark. He was surprised, he'd never have thought Clark would be-afraid...he was just so big; he looked like he'd want to take action, not hang back... strange. He tuned in to Whit again.

"Listen," Whitney said," that man's nuts. I'm not putting my life in his hands. Between the three of us, we can take him, easy. How about it, Luke-Clark?"

Lana paled and grabbed Whitney's arm, "Please don't! I don't want you getting hurt, any of you!"

Clark looked ill, and started to speak, but Lucas pushed him back. "Clark, we've got this, why don't you make sure these guys," and he jerked his chin towards the other students, "are okay. Look out for Lana."

Whitney cut a measuring look at Clark, and Clark flushed. Lucas didn't understand why Clark was hiding but he was certain he had a reason-he'd find it out.

They tried to quietly sneak up on Earl, but he was high strung, and Lucas knew they'd been seen, before he could alert Whitney, Earl spun around-Whitney managed to knock the gun from his hand, but Earl knocked him to the ground with a punch.

"Damn!" Lucas leaped forward, grabbed Whitney's limp arms and tried to pull him back, tried to keep an eye on Earl, too. That guy was going to blow, he thought. If they didn't get out soon he was going to start shooting-he had the feeling cold-cocking people wasn't something the man did normally. He was definitely about to explode.

Suddenly he felt a presence at his side and Clark's warm breath flowed over the side of his face. "Let me help," he said quietly, trying not to draw Earl's attention. They pulled Whitney back to the group when shots rang out.

Fuck! Lucas thought, it's starting; he's starting to break! "Damn it!" he said aloud as Earl shot out the camera. Clark asked, "What-what's wrong?"

"Lex. Lex is going to do something stupid now-watch." He scowled at the smoking security camera. He knew Lex wasn't going to let him sit in here much longer. A shiver ran down his spine. Lex couldn't let him be in danger...he loved him too much, he knew Lex was going to come in after him. Fuck

-Lucas hoped deeply and sincerely someone was going to stop him.

"Shit!" Lex was crowded out of the way again by SWAT agents, as the monitors displayed static.

"We've got shots fired, one hostage down," one of the agents barked into his radio. "Full alert."

The team began to swing into action, and the Kents and the Luthors were pushed back to the rear of the staging area.

Lionel looked dazed, and Lex worried that he was affected so much. Lucas being in real danger was sending his dad into a tailspin and Lex didn't think he could handle that right now. "What was that boy thinking," Lionel muttered and Jonathan snapped at him.

"He wasn't--he's a teenager who's been waiting for someone out here to take the initiative." Jonathan swung around to face Lionel. "You've got a hostage situation and you've got to deal with it."

Lex nodded, looking grim. "You're right. I'm going in." he tried to move past his dad, but he grabbed his arm. "No! No, Lex, you can't endanger yourself too. Let the ones who know what they're doing handle it. It's the safest way."

"You know what dad- it's my plant, that's what you told me. That makes it my call."

Lionel grabbed both Lex's arms and said, "I can't allow it!"

Lex pulled away. "Someone's got to do something-it's got to be me." He turned to the agent standing next to him. "Tell him Lex Luthor's coming in."

The agent shook his head. "Your father's right sir-I really wouldn't advise it. He's on edge, he's already fired a shot and he's physically attacked a hostage. The situation--"

Lex cut him off. "Make the call."

A murmur ran through the huddled crowd, and Lucas looked up. Shit! No-Lex you idiot! Clark looked at Lucas and he shrugged.

"I knew he'd try something like this. He thinks he's a hero." His eyes narrowed at the look on Clark's face. Obviously as far as Clark was concerned, he was. Okay, so what-- he was brave...he was brave, Lucas thought, and his chest warmed thinking that Lex would do almost anything to protect him...

Lex walked up to Earl, his hands raised and the bullet proof vest he wore made him look somehow thin and frail, Lucas thought, and for the first time he felt fear for Lex. Maybe he wasn't invincible, maybe he couldn't do everything. What if Earl hurt him?

"What kind of man sends his kid to do his dirty work," Earl asked and Lex said, "I'm not doing anyone's dirty work. This is my plant. Lucas, you okay? How is he?" He asked and tilted his head toward Whitney, pale as milk, and still unconscious on the floor.

"He might need a doctor. Lex...why--"

Lex cut Lucas off and turned back to Earl. "What are we going to do about these kids, Earl?"

Earl jittered from foot to foot, his eyes were wide and Lucas figured he was about to go off again at any minute. "I never meant to hurt anyone," the words rushed out of his mouth, "I tried talking to your father but he wouldn't listen!"

Lex nodded and started to take the vest off.

No! Idiot! Lucas yelped "Lex! No!" but Lex shot him a glare and he angrily sat back down again. Clark put a hand on his shoulder and it froze him-he wasn't sure if he wanted to lean into it, or smack it off. Clark patted his shoulder gently with his big warm hand and Lucas slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. Lex made him so damn mad...He glanced up at Clark expecting him to be making goo-goo eyes at Lex, but he was looking at him instead, a little smile on his face. At Lucas' look, he blushed, his cheeks turning red. His smile got a little bigger before he pointed at Lex and Earl and mouthed, we have to watch out for Lex.

"Earl," Lex was saying, "You say everyone's been lying to you-I know the feeling.I'm going to tell you the truth. No matter what happens in this room today, my father's P.R firm will spin it so that you're the one at fault. Whatever you want, whatever happens...you'll be remembered as the bad guy here. Do you want that? You have a son-do you want him to think his father would hurt other children?"

Lucas strained to hear Earl's reply-it looked like Lex's words had affected him. His head dropped. "I-I'm just trying to get better..." he trailed off and looked wounded.

Lex spoke quietly, with sympathy, "How are you gonna get better by killing a bunch of kids? Let them go Earl. Let them go and I'll take you to Level Three."

Earl jerked back to attention and swung the gun up to point at Lex and Clark jumped up. Lucas grabbed him, "Let him try this. He knows what he's doing..." I hope!

"Let them go Earl and I'll show you where it is. Trust me. I'm a man of my word."

Earl seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he swung towards the kids and yelled for them to get out.

The teachers quickly organized the students and helped to walk Whitney out, Lucas noted with relief that he was groggy but on his feet. Clark urged Lucas forward with the rest of the kids and as he passed Lex, he stopped. "Lex..."

Lex turned to him, his face a mix of exasperation and fondness. "Lucas-don't argue now, okay--please-just leave, help get everyone out."

Clark leaned around Lucas' side and asked Lex, "There really is a Level Three? Do you know where it is?"

"Sure Clark. It's in his imagination. Now get out of here." Lex gave Clark a little push and gave Lucas a quick one-armed hug. Lucas hugged him back. "Stay safe," he whispered quickly, and then the two dashed down the hallway after the rest, and they could see the fire door rolling shut. They ran under the doors, the last ones out, and as soon as Lucas was through the doors, Clark turned back.

"What the hell!" Lucas yelled out, "Come on, Clark what are you doing? We've gotta go!"

"Don't worry about me!"

Lucas watched in shock as Clark rolled back under the doors and they shut with an ominous clang.

"Shit!" Lex was crowded out of the way again by SWAT agents, as the monitors displayed static.

"We've got shots fired, one hostage down," one of the agents barked into his radio. "Full alert."

The team began to swing into action, and the Kents and the Luthors were pushed back to the rear of the staging area.

Lionel looked dazed, and Lex worried that he was affected so much. Lucas being in real danger was sending his dad into a tailspin and Lex didn't think he could handle that right now. "What was that boy thinking," Lionel muttered and Jonathan snapped at him.

"He wasn't--he's a teenager who's been waiting for someone out here to take the initiative." Jonathan swung around to face Lionel. "You've got a hostage situation and you've got to deal with it."

Lex nodded, looking grim. "You're right. I'm going in." he tried to move past his dad, but he grabbed his arm. "No! No, Lex, you can't endanger yourself too. Let the ones who know what they're doing handle it. It's the safest way."

"You know what dad- it's my plant, that's what you told me. That makes it my call."

Lionel grabbed both Lex's arms and said, "I can't allow it!"

Lex pulled away. "Someone's got to do something-it's got to be me." He turned to the agent standing next to him. "Tell him Lex Luthor's coming in."

The agent shook his head. "Your father's right sir-I really wouldn't advise it. He's on edge, he's already fired a shot and he's physically attacked a hostage. The situation--"

Lex cut him off. "Make the call."

A murmur ran through the huddled crowd, and Lucas looked up. Shit! No-Lex you idiot! Clark looked at Lucas and he shrugged.

"I knew he'd try something like this. He thinks he's a hero." His eyes narrowed at the look on Clark's face. Obviously as far as Clark was concerned, he was. Okay, so what-- he was brave...he was brave, Lucas thought, and his chest warmed thinking that Lex would do almost anything to protect him...

Lex walked up to Earl, his hands raised and the bullet proof vest he wore made him look somehow thin and frail, Lucas thought, and for the first time he felt fear for Lex. Maybe he wasn't invincible, maybe he couldn't do everything. What if Earl hurt him?

"What kind of man sends his kid to do his dirty work," Earl asked and Lex said, "I'm not doing anyone's dirty work. This is my plant. Lucas, you okay? How is he?" He asked and tilted his head toward Whitney, pale as milk, and still unconscious on the floor.

"He might need a doctor. Lex...why--"

Lex cut Lucas off and turned back to Earl. "What are we going to do about these kids, Earl?"

Earl jittered from foot to foot, his eyes were wide and Lucas figured he was about to go off again at any minute. "I never meant to hurt anyone," the words rushed out of his mouth, "I tried talking to your father but he wouldn't listen!"

Lex nodded and started to take the vest off.

No! Idiot! Lucas yelped "Lex! No!" but Lex shot him a glare and he angrily sat back down again. Clark put a hand on his shoulder and it froze him-he wasn't sure if he wanted to lean into it, or smack it off. Clark patted his shoulder gently with his big warm hand and Lucas slowly let out the breath he'd been holding. Lex made him so damn mad...He glanced up at Clark expecting him to be making goo-goo eyes at Lex, but he was looking at him instead, a little smile on his face. At Lucas' look, he blushed, his cheeks turning red. His smile got a little bigger before he pointed at Lex and Earl and mouthed, we have to watch out for Lex.

"Earl," Lex was saying, "You say everyone's been lying to you-I know the feeling.I'm going to tell you the truth. No matter what happens in this room today, my father's P.R firm will spin it so that you're the one at fault. Whatever you want, whatever happens...you'll be remembered as the bad guy here. Do you want that? You have a son-do you want him to think his father would hurt other children?"

Lucas strained to hear Earl's reply-it looked like Lex's words had affected him. His head dropped. "I-I'm just trying to get better..." he trailed off and looked wounded.

Lex spoke quietly, with sympathy, "How are you gonna get better by killing a bunch of kids? Let them go Earl. Let them go and I'll take you to Level Three."

Earl jerked back to attention and swung the gun up to point at Lex and Clark jumped up. Lucas grabbed him, "Let him try this. He knows what he's doing..." I hope!

"Let them go Earl and I'll show you where it is. Trust me. I'm a man of my word."

Earl seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before he swung towards the kids and yelled for them to get out.

The teachers quickly organized the students and helped to walk Whitney out, Lucas noted with relief that he was groggy but on his feet. Clark urged Lucas forward with the rest of the kids and as he passed Lex, he stopped. "Lex..."

Lex turned to him, his face a mix of exasperation and fondness. "Lucas-don't argue now, okay--please-just leave, help get everyone out."

Clark leaned around Lucas' side and asked Lex, "There really is a Level Three? Do you know where it is?"

"Sure Clark. It's in his imagination. Now get out of here." Lex gave Clark a little push and gave Lucas a quick one-armed hug. Lucas hugged him back. "Stay safe," he whispered quickly, and then the two dashed down the hallway after the rest, and they could see the fire door rolling shut. They ran under the doors, the last ones out, and as soon as Lucas was through the doors, Clark turned back.

"What the hell!" Lucas yelled out, "Come on, Clark what are you doing? We've gotta go!"

"Don't worry about me!"

Lucas watched in shock as Clark rolled back under the doors and they shut with an ominous clang.

He stood there staring at the shut doors, not noticing anything else until Martha Kent came up behind him. "Where's Clark, did you see Clark?"

He turned to her. "He went back inside, Mrs. Kent. I tried to stop him-sorry...." He felt ridiculously guilty, and ridiculously comforted when she touched his arm and kept her hand there as she turned to Lionel. "Please open those doors now!"

Lionel was staring at the doors. "They can't be opened until the gas levels have gone down..."

"My son is in there!" She gripped Lucas harder and he patted her hand awkwardly. He didn't have much experience with comforting someone who wasn't Lex and it made him feel strange. He wanted to pull away from her and part of him wanted to ask her please to tell him Lex would be okay, and Clark would be okay. When he looked at his dad, he could see in his eyes how much he wanted to tell him everything would be all right but something held him back. Something always held his dad back from reaching out that much.

Lionel turned to face them. "And my son is in there too." He held out his hand to Lucas and Luca took it, gripped it. Lionel wrapped him in his arms hugged him briefly but tightly before patting him on his back and stepping away.

Lucas found himself deeply touched by the gesture. "Don't worry dad, he'll be fine-he's a tough little fuck." He grinned at his father, and Lionel struggled to keep an answering smile from his face.

"Lucas! Mind your language!" Lionel said, in an automatic way and gestured toward the Kents.

Martha bit her lip. "But-but...Clark..."

Lucas looked at her. "I know, but don't worry Mrs. Kent, Clark's not a fool. I think he'll be fine-no, I'm sure of it." He turned to his father, missing the look that Martha and Jonathan exchanged and guided him back to the staging area. He felt-strange, as if he were split in two. He'd always loved Lex more than anyone-always put him first in his mind, but he found himself drawn to Clark. He wasn't quite sure if he was drawn to him because he was Clark, or because he was Lex's Clark...he tried to pull the edges of his raveling self-control together-if he wasn't careful, he might start crying.

Once they were back at the staging area Lucas refused to leave his father, he watched his dad pace and give orders that Lucas was pretty sure where being ignored by the agents, now in charge of the situation. Even Lionel's deep pockets didn't allow him to control the SWAT team in action now.

Lionel looked at Lucas. Lucas waited.

Lionel said, "Your brother...he'll be fine, Lucas, I have complete faith in him."

Lucas raised an eyebrow."Oh really?" he asked with a sarcastic edge. "That kind of faith can get a person killed."

Lionel frowned at him. "That-I want Lex to be safe-I know he'll be safe."

"Of course dad, after all, I know how much you rely on and respect Lex. After all, didn't you put him in charge here?"

Lionel snapped, "Lucas-you have no idea what this is all about. You don't know how business works. Lex understands things that you don't. You see? You seem think I don't love Lex as much as I love you. He'd my child, my flesh and blood, of course I love him. I have to protect my children, no matter... that's all that's important..."

Lucas looked at him confused. "What? Protect us from what, Dad...Earl?"

"We'll finish this at home...now is not the time. We need to concentrate on your brother."

Lucas stared after him as his father marched away, his coat flaring around his legs...he thought inanely, that's where Lex got the walk from. His mind bounced around and around between Lex and Clark. What was happening in there...and suddenly what his dad had said sunk in. His dad loved him. He said so. He actually said it out loud to him-he loved them both. Why did he take Lex away then? Why did he have to fight his dad so hard to get him back?

Lex watched the two boys until they disappeared around a corner. They were alone now, just him, just Earl.

God, let me make this plain-- I really want to make it out of here alive....Earl looked worn out, strung out and about to melt down. " We're running out of time, Luthor. I've done my part-now it's time for you to do yours."

Lex tried to present a calm reasonable front as he said, "Earl-there is no Level Three. I'm sorry, it's all in your mind--" His head snapped back as Earl hit him, the pain made him momentarily dizzy and bright flashes of light danced in his eyes-He dropped to his knees and all he could think was at least Lucas is safe, the kids are out. He expected to die.

Earl stood over him shaking, yelling, "I never should have trusted you! You don't care what happened to me-you people did it to me!"

Suddenly the intercom came to life with a crackle and Clark's voice boomed through the plant.

"Earl, I found Level three! They built a wall in front of it, but it's still there." Lex thought Clark, oh no-- what's he still doing here- what the hell is he playing at? "Jesus-Clark! Get out of the building," he shouted, knowing the boy couldn't hear him but desperately hoping against hope he'd run, like he was supposed to.

Earl whipped around in circles staring about him. Sweat beaded his forehead, his face was twisted in pain, he was so tortured, his life was breaking into pieces all around him-the despair seemed to radiate from him in waves...Lex shivered, feeling sympathy for the man despite himself.

"Stop playing with me," Earl shouted, his voice full of hopeless rage.

Clark's voice echoed through the empty plant. "Earl, it's here-- don't you want to see it? I promise, it's here."

Earl grabbed Lex's shirt collar and brought him staggering to his feet. "Come on, I want you to see this. I want you to see the truth." He rasped.

He marched Lex along, the gun poking in his back, and Lex prayed that nothing would startle him into completely loosing control "Come on-come on!" Earl demanded.

They were at the closet that Earl claimed led to the stairway and elevator, the rear wall had been broken open and an elevator was there.

Earl dug Lex in the ribs with the barrel of the gun. "Son-of-a-bitch! How do you explain that, hunh?"

Lex gasped, and tried to twist away from the cold metal digging in his side. "I can't." What the fuck? What the hell was this, what kind of damn game was Dad playing? He looked inside the elevator, and saw two buttons. No Level Three after all. How the hell was he going to get out of this? His former fatalism had fled, he'd been prepared to die--but now he wanted more than anything to get out of this situation, he wanted to walk out of this plant...and Clark had to be with him, safe and sound.

Earl made a noise and Lex said, "I'm sorry, it looks like Clark was mistaken..."

Earl paid him no mind, he pushed the metal beneath the second button and a third button appeared. He looked at Lex, for a moment a glimmer of the man he really was shone through as he smiled at Lex.

Neither of them spoke again until the elevator stopped, and opened on a massive dark room, an underground warehouse, Lex thought. Earl found the light switch and flipped it, illuminating a huge warehouse, just as Lex guessed, with a bridge running across the top of it. It looked to Lex that they were at least a story or two above the floor of the warehouse.

Earl grabbed his arm, and marched him out onto the bridge. "Now you're going to see, I told you it was here," he stopped and looked down in confusion. "Where is everything? There used to be-there was corn, with sprayers all over it, and every night they used to spray this-this green mist on it. What have you done with it?" He shook Lex hard and he fell against the bridge rail.

"Shit! I don't know!" he grabbed the rail, and pulled himself upright again. "They lied to me too Earl-I had no idea this was here."

There was a sound at the end of the bridge, and Lex looked up-Clark.

He walked slowly forward, spoke softly Earl, "Let's go back upstairs and talk about this."

Clark and Lex exchanged looks, Clark smiled a little at Lex and warmth flooded him for a moment before he remembered that he was worried and annoyed with Clark for not leaving.

"It's all gone Clark," Earl moaned. "How am I gonna get better if I don't know what poisoned me?" He looked so sad, so lost...

Lex looked up at Clark, willing him to see the truth in his face. "I didn't know about this place, Clark. You've got to believe me."

Clark nodded, "I believe you Lex." He said it plainly and firmly and Lex relaxed a little inside. He knew Clark believed him.

Earl became frantic. "Can't you see he's lying? Just like his father!"

The last of Earl's self control unraveled completely-- he began shaking, shaking grotesquely -Lex was horrified, could a human body even survive moving like that? He moved so frantically, so fast he seemed to blur and Lex watched in terror as he vibrated, and the bridge began to swing wildly. As it shook bolts rattled loose, the railing popped and twisted, metal shrieked as it tore and the bridge gave way.

Clark watched frozen in terror as the bridge tilted and broke apart, the unmoored end dipped farther and farther towards the floor of the giant warehouse, the two men on it sliding closer and closer to the end. His paralysis snapped when Lex called out in fear, "Oh God!"

Clark ran to the bridge, and as he worked his way to Earl, his thoughts scrambled around in his head, Lex, Lex what if-what if he drops, can I stop him from hitting-He didn't give a damn about hiding his secret if showing his powers meant saving Lex's life-- his parents would just have to deal, he'd find a way to make it right-he reached out and snagged Earl's arm and hissed in pain-the shock as he made contact was so intense he nearly let go again. He couldn't stop from shouting in pain; it hurt so badly, the veins in his arm felt like they were crawling, burning beneath his skin. He pulled hard as he could, each movement feeling like his skin was lined with shards of glass but he drew Earl up, up until Lex had a handhold on the bridge. "Go," Clark shouted, "Get to the elevator," and Earl half-staggered, half crawled to the safety of the elevator.

Clark pulled Lex up the rest of the way, held him close and felt his heart beating fast against his chest. He let him go reluctantly and shoved him forward, and made it to the elevator as the bridge tore loose with a final screech of abused metal and plunged downward.

Lex stared at Clark, his eyes wide with wonder, fear and dawning relief. He was shaking in reaction, his muscles jumping as they slowly relaxed. Clark reached out and squeezed his shoulder, and Lex laid his hand over his. "How-Clark, how did you pull us up?"

Clark shook his head, his desperate gasps for breath real as the realization of how close he'd come to losing Lex constricted his throat. "I don't know, adrenaline, I guess." He knew how stupid that sounded but he hoped Lex wouldn't press him. He tried to smile.

Lex nodded and looked steadily at Clark, studying him...he shifted from where he crouched on the floor holding Earl, who'd passed out in the aftermath of his violent spasms.

"Yeah-I guess it was" he said. "You saved me. Again."

Clark grinned at him and pushed the button to the main floor.

"You know Clark, according to some cultures, that means my life belongs to you."

Clark ducked his head and blushed. "Okay" he said. "I mean, that would be okay with me."

The crowd of police and security flowed around him and separated him from Clark. He could see him run into his parent's arms, and he could tell from where he was Martha-Mrs. Kent-- was crying and scolding and laughing in relief.

Clark and his dad hugged each other tightly and for a long time neither said a word. Lex imagined from now on, Clark would be less of a boy in his father's eyes.

Speaking of fathers...He turned to his father. "You lied to me dad."

"No...I--I said it wasn't on any plans..."

"Oh, yes, plausible deniability, Dad. As long as someone didn't know what to ask or how to ask-it didn't have to exist?"

"The end result of that experiment would have provided inexpensive and nutritious food for desperately needy people...if it had developed as we hoped," he finished.

"Yes, well, instead you almost killed people with the results, and so far as we know, completely destroyed three people's lives."

Lucas stood at the edge of the circle surrounding them, his face dark and drawn, anger in his features as he looked at his father.

Shit, Lex thought, how am i going to fix this....

Reporters shouted at them as they moved to the car, Lex grabbing Lucas by the arm and pulling him along to keep him from responding to them. He could feel rage pouring of him, Lucas was too close to snapping and Lex was determined to get him into the car before he blew up.

"Mr. Luthor, Mr. Luthor, can you tell us about Level Three? Is it true that the government is preparing to investigate LuthorCorp? Mr. Luthor, Lex--did your father send you inside?"

The reporters pelted them with questions and they kept moving, giving no comment, until some one shouted, "What connection do you have to Earl Jenkins?"

Lionel turned to the crowd. "Mr.Jenkins is a very sick man who was searching for answers in an unfortunate manner and in the wrong place..." Lex cut in smoothly, "But we sympathize with his plight and that's why my father and I pledged to find him the best medical care possible. He was a member of the LutherCorp family, and here at LutherCorp we always put family first, right dad?"

Lionel looked art Lex, considering...and smiled faintly.

"Absolutely, Mr.Jenkins' health is our top priority."

"Mr. Luthor," the crowd shouted out again and Lionel put his arm around Lex. "No more, my sons have been through quite enough today." Lucas came up on the other side of him and hugged him firmly. Lionel whispered, "I'm sorry son...."

"We'll talk later." Lex said quietly. Lionel nodded. As they turned to go, Lex looked across the lot and saw Clark and his parents-hugging, talking, laughing as they made their way to their truck. Together. It was obvious how much they loved each other.

His family loved each other too, fiercely, protectively, but there was so much sadness at the core, sadness that isolated each from the other and generated secrets and Lex was beginning to admit, they were choking on them.

Lucas rode home with Lionel and was waiting for Lex in his bedroom when he made it home. He was silent as Lex hung his suit and dressed comfortably. He followed him to the bathroom and watched as Lex washed his face and brushed his teeth and Lex glanced at him from time to time, but mostly ignored him.

Finally, washed and feeling a little more human, he walked out to the bedroom, and enjoyed the feel of the plush carpeting under his bare toes. He thought with a sharp pang-this little bit of pleasure...I almost lost that tonight. He stoked his fingers across the thick fleece over his heart. I almost lost all of this. He turned to Lucas, reached out and touched his cheek. He couldn't imagine never being able to see him again. He asked, "You okay, Lucas?" and smiled at him when he nodded and covered his fingers with his own. Lex dropped his hand to his shoulder and patted him, "Good. You know, I was very proud of you. I am proud of you." He tried to move past him to the door when Lucas stopped him.

"I was so afraid for you today," he said quietly. "Why do you do things like that?"

"Why do I--Because you're my brother," he answered. He tried to move past him again, but Lucas held his arm.

"You didn't do it for Clark?" Lex looked into Lucas' face, and stopped. His answer was important to Lucas, he knew, but for a moment, all he felt was intense annoyance and a little lick of anger.

"No! I mean I would have-- I did it for all the kids, but you were the one I was thinking of, the one I came in for...is that what you wanted to hear? You're family, I can't help but want to put you first."

Lucas smiled triumphantly; "I knew you loved me more. I knew it." He reached out and pulled Lex to him and before Lex could stop him, he kissed him, he kissed him with an urgency that sent sparks through Lex's body, almost without thinking he began to respond. He was jerked back into awareness when Lucas slipped a hand down the front of his pants and squeezed, he shivered and his dick swelled as his hand slid up the length....

"Shit! Lucas--Lucas stop," he groaned. He shoved his hands up and between them and pushed Lucas back.

Lucas dropped his hands and pouted. "You like it, I can tell" he said and reached again for Lex's crotch.

"Jesus!" Lex jerked back so quickly his head hit the wall with a thump, he snatched Lucas' hand away, and held it so tightly he winced. "It doesn't mean anything--" he was nearly babbling, he was so desperate to get away freom Lucas. "It's just a response, a biological response, it doesn't mean-whatever you want it to mean-it doesn't...."

"Are you done?" Lucas cut in coldly. He yanked his hand back out of Lex's grip and sneered at him. "Fuck you, I'm going to bed. You keep lying to yourself, you asshole."

Lucas stomped off, and Lex was nearly giddy with relief. Thank God, he'd given up so easily. He slid down the wall and dropped to the floor, his head down and his hands laced around the back of his head. He sighed shakily. Damn it, damn it...he needed to get away-he needed to get Lucas away from him...he wondered if his dad would stay a while and let him leave town...fuck.

It was good to be alive, it really was, he was glad to be alive--God, and he still needed to talk to his dad about the plant and the truth and really, really, he was glad to be alive....

Lucas eased down the stairs to the foyer. He grabbed Lex's car keys and took a jacket out of the coat closet, realizing it was Lex's when he slipped it on. It was snug through the shoulders, and he was surprised. He didn't realize he was bigger than Lex...when had that happened?

He stole quietly out of the house into the garage. He slipped into Lex's Porsche, and leaving the lights off and hoping no one heard him, drove slowly out of the gates. The minute he was out of sight of the mansion, he tore down the road, music blasting, the windows open, letting the wind and the smell of the night flow through the car. He'd hoped it would clear his head but he just felt even angrier and more confused. He was so angry, tears filled his eyes and the wind whipped them away. Why did Lex keep hurting him? Why couldn't he just give in to it? Why couldn't he realize that normal rules didn't apply to them?

They were more than average, more than common-they were unique. More than human.

Lucas spent a lot of time thinking about the why of their differences and the cause of their differences. He'd come to realize it meant that they were destined to spend their lives together, maybe eternity....

Lex needed to stop trying to fight destiny. It was supposed to be this way. If he would only admit he wanted it too, it was so obvious. He always came for Lucas, always protected him-- he must love him just as much or he wouldn't keep coming for him....

Lucas ground his teeth in a rage-except for this time...this time he'd had to beg his dad to let him come with Lex to Smallville, he'd had to throw every trick he had at him right up to blubbering like a baby...and had to work hard to make his dad think it was his idea. Lex hadn't asked for him to come, hadn't wanted him-- and that upset him-- he shouldn't have argued against taking him.

Lucas slowed as he reached the town limits-he didn't want to get caught driving without a license, he wasn't in the mood for dealing with whatever hick cop was out there eating donuts...he drove through town scrupulously following the speed limit even as he jittered with impatience to be moving, flying and then he was beyond the town limits again and suddenly he knew where he was going. He knew what he wanted. Lex was going to be sorry he treated him like that-he was going to hurt as much as he did.

Clark heard an engine out on the road. It sounded like it was moving towards the farm-he sat up in bed, his heart speeded up a bit, it sounded like Lex's Porsche.

He heard it pull into their lane and got up to look out his window and saw the silver Porsche rolling up the drive, it's lights out and the engine cut off, it popped and sighed as metal cooled.

Clark felt a thrill of excitement. Lex! Coming to see me...he glanced at his clock-damn-it was one o'clock...he hesitated a moment-well, his parents were asleep, they'd never know, and besides it wasn't like he was doing anything more than standing in the drive way, they couldn't mind about that-

He quickly threw on a pair of jeans and his sneaks and ran lightly down the stairs to meet Lex. He was thrilled-he knew Lex had felt that connection today, there'd been something in his eyes, his touch-maybe Lex wasn't quite as straight as Lucas thought he was.

He walked over to the car and tried to compose himself, he didn't want to look like a dork in front of him remember, he's cool and suave and smooth and ...God, so sexy.... !

He pasted on his most nonchalant smile, leaned into the window and said "Hey--" Stopped. "Oh." He finished.

"Hey Clark, I thought..." Lucas' smile dimmed in response to Clark's less than enthusiastic greeting. His face fell a little. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry, it's just me."

He looked so crest-fallen that Clark felt guilty and embarrassed. He'd hurt his feelings-he couldn't just let that go. "No! I didn't mean-I mean-I'm glad to see you. How are you?"

Lucas sighed deeply and Clark could see he was unhappy, in fact his eyes were red-could he have been crying?

He got into the car, and punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Lucas, what's wrong? You didn't drive out here in the middle of the night for grins."

Lucas shook his head. "I kind of did Clark. I'm fine. Really"

"Hey, it's me. Clark. I think I know you a little better than that," Clark blushed deeply as Lucas smiled. "I've seen you fine-and this is not fine."

Lucas laughed a little shakily and wiped his eyes. "Damn, I don't usually get all girly," he sniffed.

Clark put an arm around his shoulder and shook him gently. "You can talk about it if you like, or would you rather be talking to your brother?"

He watched a shadow sweep over Lucas's face, for a moment his eyes looked black as oil and it seemed as if his soft lips thinned in a sneer but it was gone so quickly, and in the dim glow of the interior lights Clark wasn't sure if he'd really seen it, but the sob he heard decided him. Lucas was in real turmoil.

He laughed harshly, his voice hitched as he said, "My brother? My brother's the problem." He looked at Clark with wet eyes, his lower lip caught tightly between his teeth and his heavy brows drawn down and Clark felt a sharp stab of lust mixed equally with guilt. God, he should not be finding this kind of a turn on. He was some kind of pervert...but looking at Lucas' mouth flooded him with the memory of how soft and sweet it had been and it was his first kiss and he really wanted to-- concentrate on what the man was saying, damn it!

"Clark, you have no idea how awful life is with him. He treats me like dirt; he swears that I'm out to screw up his life." He dropped his head and stared into his lap, his face hidden in shadows. "He hates me because he's jealous--he thinks my dad favors me."

"Oh-surely not Lucas!" But Clark had to admit, Lex was short tempered and kind of cold with Lucas. They argued a lot...and he'd seen the looks they gave one another. There was so much tension in that house.

"Every one thinks he's so good-they have no idea. He's a heartless son-of-a-bitch, he uses people. Like all those girls he's always seen with. He doesn't give a damn about them-he uses them and dumps them, like that!" He snapped his fingers and Clark jumped. He stared at Lucas open-mouthed. Not Lex-he was a good person, he knew it. He'd never do that.

"You think he's a saint. If you were a girl, Clark, he'd have screwed you fifty different ways and kicked you to the curb by now." Lucas dropped his head again and his shoulders shook. He covered his face and Clark could hear the quiet gasps leaking out between Lucas' tightly clenched fingers.

Oh crap, Clark was horrified. He's really crying now, geez. He patted him awkwardly and wondered if he should hug him or...or kiss him-

Lucas turned to him suddenly and buried his head in his chest, sniffing loudly. Clark cradled him, patted his back and said "ummm...it's going to get better, I'm sure, maybe I can talk to him for you, explain how you feel."

Lucas nodded his head, and Clark jumped a little-the movement rubbed his mouth against his chest and his nipple pebbled up and tingled when Lucas' lips grazed it. Clark felt a hot stab in his gut-- he had no idea that it could be that sensitive. When Lucas breathed out a gusty sigh, the hot air electrified him-his nipples hardened and a stronger rush of warmth swept him and settled in his groin. It felt good. Unconsciously he moved into Lucas, and Lucas opened his mouth, before Clark could lean away, his tongue was pressed flat against Clarks chest and heat, wet heat spread through the thin cotton shirt, he shuddered and groaned when Lucas nipped him, when he sucked hard on his nipple it sent a spike of pleasure shooting through him--he pressed harder and groaned loudly. Lucas lifted his head and Clark looked down.

"Please," he said and everything he wanted was in his eyes.

Clark pressed his mouth against his. Yes. The kiss made him even harder, his tongue touched him lightly, stroking into his mouth, and then more and firmer and then Lucas was sucking on his tongue, his lips, biting him, and it was so real, so wet and hard and it made him want to yell.

When he pulled back, Clark's head was spinning; he hardly knew what was happening to him, he felt a little wild, a little crazy... Lucas breathed, "Let's get out of the driveway-is there somewhere where can we go?"

Clark shook his head, "I can't leave. My parents-they'd be mad, I shouldn't even really be..." oh god.! Lucas had him in his hand, squeezing his erection through the jeans, pressing his hot palm on him and he made a noise he was pretty sure had never come out of his throat before.

"Don't you want to -unless you don't like me?" Lucas looked so pitiful and so hot at the same time Clark was thoroughly confused. Why was he so shy, didn't he have all that experience? Or had he been pretending...Clark knew what that felt like, and his heart went out to him.

"Clark, please-I want you to like me. I hope you like me," he added, his voice small, quiet and his head ducked shyly again and Clark was overwhelmed.

"Oh-yes, I do," he said and it felt wonderful. Lucas really liked him. The thought was exciting, as exciting as the hand kneading him and driving him insane. Forget his parents, just this once, he was going to break the rules, just once, besides, they wouldn't understand this anyway-they wouldn't get it, how this felt, like you'd die without more... he had to-had to know...and Lucas liked him and Lex was straight and a dick...god. He thrust up into Lucas hand and tried to get more contact.

"Yes, all right, I know a place where we can-where we can be alone," he trembled as Lucas took his hand away, it felt like being thrown out into the dark, pushed away from the fire. He wanted it back right away, he felt alone....

Lucas smiled at him, a big slow heart pounding thing that took his breath away, and he licked his lips. Clark wondered fuzzily if his own lips were as red as Lucas'.

He was so beautiful....

Lex was completely and totally furious, ready to strangle the hell out of Lucas. How the fuck did he think he could take his car! And take it out all night. Swear to god, he was going to kill him. It was only sheer willpower that kept him from jumping in one of the other cars and hunting him down. And Dad was no help-he said not a word about it-no wonder the brat thought he ruled the world. Why shouldn't he when Dad didn't make Lucas accountable for any of his actions? Oh, no-that was his job, he got to be the bad guy, over and over...well, Lucas was about to find out how bad a guy he could be!

His head whipped up as a sound broke the silence. Finally, my god damn car. He stood in the shadows of the garage and waited for Lucas to bring the car in. The lights were out, Lex snarled-- the little shit probably thought that was brilliant.

He parked it and got out and leaned against the side as he kicked the door shut.

Son-of-a-bitch! He kicked his fucking car-he was dying for that! "Lucas!"

Lucas jumped, quickly settled against the car again and smirked. "Lex. Well, well. What are you doing up? Insomnia?"

Lex strode over to him and grabbed him by the collar. "Look you little asshole-I'm sick to death of-wait a minute, is this my jacket? It is! You're wearing my jacket, you steal my car," he paused, his nose wrinkled as he sniffed-"you had sex in my car, you little prick!" he looked inside and saw a balled up t-shirt in the drivers seat. "God-damn you better not have left anything disgusting in there." He stopped and looked at the material balled in his fist, and Lucas followed his gaze with a smirk. "This is not your shirt--where did you get the shirt from..." The shirt Lucas had on was a well worn a blue plaid flannel, definitely not an item belonging to either one of them.

"Oh this old thing," he grinned and stroked the front of it. "A friend lent it to me when I spilled something on my shirt. A real good friend."

Lex snapped his teeth and flung his hand away from Lucas. He whipped around on his heel and stalked off, not wanting to hear anything more, not wanting to look at Lucas' too bright eyes, just needing to get away.

Lucas called after him. "Say, did you know that Clark was a virgin? Funny story--" Lex spun back to him, was in front of him so quickly Lucas' eyes widened, and then Lex slapped him, hard enough that his head snapped back and thumped off the roof of the car... Lucas cried out and grabbed his cheek. "You hit me!" he screamed at Lex and lunged forwards. "You hit me!" Tears stood out in his eyes and Lex planted his hand in the middle of his chest and shoved. Lucas hit the car and slid to the floor.

Lex said not a word he left the garage.

Lucas yelled after him. "I hate you, mother fucker! I hate you so much." He staggered to his feet, one hand still clutched against his cheek; he swung around and kicked out the headlight of the car. Swung his leg back and kicked out the other one, before dropping to the floor and crying hard and loud. He hated him so much-how could he hit him?

He sat bent over himself, tears running down his face. he hit me....

"Dad, I swear to God, if you don't let me go, I'll--I'll kill him"

"Lex you can't leave now! You're in the middle of a PR disaster at your plant--"

"Oh, it's my plant again, is it? What happened to "our" plant? Sorry, I'm sorry, please go on...I'm just a little..."

"Of course, of course, but son, you need to be there to reassure people, to let the employees know everything is fine-how will it look if you take off suddenly? You have to maintain a certain image and if you leave now, it looks as though you're running from the situation."

"God, Dad--please! You don't understand! Can't you take over just for a little bit? I hear what you're saying but, please."

There was silence on his dad's end of the line, for so long that Lex began to think that his dad had hung up on him, and then he spoke and his voice was cold as ice, it was a voice that Lex barely recognized.

"This whole twisted black mess is your fault. You made this--thing with Lucas happen. That's why he does these horrible...It's all your fault."

"Dad -what the fuck?"

"I know what happened-I know you did something to Lucas-I saw him in your bed, crying. I sent you away because I thought-it would stop. I should have gotten you help, but I couldn't face it. I was weak. I didn't want to believe it. I'm sorry for that."

"No! no-I..." Lex froze. What should he do? Ruin Lucas' relationship with his dad completely or risk destroying his own forever?

His dad continued, "And then Lucas behaved so-so...I brought you back because he demanded it, I sent you to Smallville together because I thought...it was okay...I was wrong wasn't I? You're a -a-monster..."

Lex hung up the phone. He shivered. Okay. His dad thought he was a freak. He was a freak. It was true, wasn't it. It must be. He must have done something, said something that made Lucas want to-- want this sort of thing. Shit. He walked calmly to his bedroom and undressed. He went into his bathroom, and turned on the shower. He caught sight of himself in the mirror and was startled.

Damn-he looked like shit-a wave of dizziness and nausea struck him and he leaned over and threw up.

His hands trembled as he turned on the faucet and let water pour out, washing the sink clean. Wave after wave of ice ran through him. He shook so hard he could hear his teeth chattering. He needed to get out of the house, out of Smallville now...he didn't give a flying fuck what his dad thought-he needed to go!

He sat crouched on the bathroom floor while he waited for the nausea to go away...slowly he stopped shaking, and when he felt able to stand again he made his way to his phone. He was going to call Gabe and make arrangements, and he was leaving. Lucas could sit here by himself. He was so damn good at taking care of himself anyway. Hell, he wasn't going to be lonely, that much was certain.

VII

*Lex drank a bit of water gratefully and held the bottle in his lap. His mouth felt dry after the flight, he felt sticky and grimy. If nothing else, taking a commercial flight reminded him that owning your own jet was a good thing, and next time it was Luthorcorp all the way. He laid his head back against the car seat and closed his eyes. The leather of the seats was oddly comforting; as was the complex scent of brandy he could hear gently splashing into a glass. He sighed. The spicy scent of Bruce's cologne added to his sense of relief and for the first time since boarding the plane in Metropolis he could feel taut muscles slowly unwinding. Just knowing that at the end of the journey he could rest and finally relax had helped to make him feel human again. The glass was pressed into his hand, slim warm hands covered his for a moment and he smiled before opening his eyes again.

The car rolled quietly through the black streets and Lex stared out of the window-Gotham was as monumentally ugly as he remembered. The buildings towered into the darkness on either side of them, like crouching gargoyles just waiting for the moment they could give up all pretense and crush the mass of humanity clogging the grimy streets.

Metropolis' unofficial slogan claimed it was the city that never slept, but Gotham--Gotham truly never slept, it's heart beat non-stop from dusk to dusk and anything that could happen happened here. Lex smiled at his reflection in the glass, this was where he needed to be-at this moment this city was the perfect place for him*.

Lex was thankful that Bruce gave him his privacy, he didn't question the fact that he was suddenly on his doorstep, so to speak, he didn't ask what drove him there-he seemed prepared to offer whatever help he could. He had an air of calm and quiet strength about him-and underneath that the quirky streak that had infuriated him in the beginning and now he'd come to enjoy. It was exactly what he needed now.

At dinner Alfred expressed his pleasure at finally meeting Lex. "Master Bruce praises you highly, sir. A rare occurrence indeed, I can see he's very fond of you."

Lex felt his cheeks warm and looked down the length of the ridiculously long table and Bruce shrugged, his eyes sparkling, and his mouth pursed in his unique and seemingly guileless smile.

"What did you tell Alfred about me," he asked when the butler left them alone.

"I didn't tell him what a wonderful kisser you are. Unless I should?" he asked with a smirk.

"No! Oh, be quiet," he snapped when Bruce laughed at the expression on his face. "I don't trust you not to discuss every aspect of your sex life with Alfred. I swear, sometimes I think you don't understand personal relationships-and then sometimes I think you understand all too well," he muttered and drank most of the wine in his glass.

Bruce raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, and Lex was relieved. Time for that later. Right now, he just wanted to enjoy a decent-much more than decent-meal, something he'd missed in Smallville.

Dessert was enjoyed quietly and Bruce talked idly about local events and watched Lex slowly unwind. After dinner he took Lex up to his library, and asked him if he cared for a drink.

Lex nodded. "God, yes please, I've been afraid to drink at home. I felt like I had to be on point every minute of every day. I need to unwind-you have no idea how badly. Dinner was just the start-I seriously intend to have some down time."

Bruce was surprised but tried not to show it. That didn't sound like the Lex he thought he knew. He pegged Lex as someone who needed to be clear and in control at all times, not unlike himself. But then again, Lex wasn't someone like himself, he wasn't as comfortable, Bruce felt, with being alone. Bruce found it very soothing, to get away from people after spending all day dealing with them. Lex-Lex needed people and yet seemed to dislike that he needed them. Bruce shook his head. The man was a tangled knot of contradictions.

Bruce viewed life as something waiting to be explored, examined, a mystery wanting to be solved. Lex on the other hand-acted as if life was something that was lying in wait for him, ready to pounce on him, crush him. Poor Lex. Bruce sighed softly. He hoped he never became that kind of person. Lex was so single-mindedly convinced life was something to be endured, not enjoyed.

The fireplace in the library was lit, as it was every night, no matter the season. They sat in a pool of golden light it created and Bruce silently enjoyed how the fire painted gold and rose across Lex features. He thought that Lex's features made him attractive, but it was strangely the lack of hair that made him more than just attractive, it made him beautiful.

Their conversation flowed around business and social life in Gotham and Metropolis, and about life in Smallville and then finally Lex began to speak about Clark and the problems around him. Lex spoke seemingly freely; Bruce knew that he was holding something back. Lex was thoroughly confused and in pain and Lucas was conspicuous by his absence in Lex's conversation-and of course Bruce would be willing to bet Lucas was at the center of this. But there was something...something odd about Clark...

"Lex," Bruce murmured, "Are you so sure that you'd care about this boy Clark if he wasn't such a puzzle?"

Lex looked at Bruce curiously. "Puzzle? What do you mean puzzle? The reasons I'm drawn to Clark are simply because..." He hesitated and Bruce took up the thread.

"Let's see, you've described in great detail--exhaustive, even--" he grinned when Lex flung a pillow at him, "how beautiful he is. Very beautiful. He's also exceptionally strong...how did you say he saved you and Lucas from the Porsche?"

"I-I really don't know, somehow the--the roof was sheered off and he pulled us free..."

"Hmmm. Two men pulled out of a fairly deep river by-how old did you say he was then, thirteen? By a boy. Impressive."

"And he pulled Earl Jenkins and me up by one arm...pulled us back onto the bridge..." Lex trailed off as the memory of what happened played in his mind again.

"That happened during the hostage incident in your plant? It was mentioned on the news. Do you want to tell me what happened-what really happened, not the doctored version."

Lex told Bruce everything that occurred that day, everythung including the events that puzzled him since that day.

"So, he's very attractive, he's very strong- he's a puzzle...and he's the perfect foil for this thing between you and Lucas. A nice little pawn in this...game between the two of you." Bruce sipped at his drink and watched Lex.

"What the hell do you mean by that." Lex said calmly. He met Bruce's eyes steadily. "I didn't mention Lucas-he has nothing to do in this."

"You didn't have to mention Lucas. He's always there...you forget, I knew Lucas before I knew you and I know what drives him-or should I say who."

Lex blushed deeply, obviously angry and he said tightly, "I don't know what you're talking about, Bruce. Lucas has his problems but they're mostly with Dad-he and I...get along now-or we did until Clark came into the picture."

Bruce shrugged. "You're relieved that Lucas has concentrated on Clark-or you will be when you can admit it to yourself. You're a little--" he looked at Lex and raised his eyebrow. "A lot jealous."

Lex burned bright red and said, "No, what I am is somewhat jealous that Lucas has pushed his way in between Clark and myself, but...but I'll get over it. I'm a grown man after all, not a love-struck teenager."

Bruce nodded and stood to freshen their drinks. "True, true...Lex, if you really wanted the boy that much, why didn't you go after him? Why wait? You let Lucas take him away."

Lex shook his head, "No, no, I didn't let Lucas take him-he did it to hurt me, because--" Lex broke off. Her pressed his lips into a tight line and looked down into his lap, at his hands balled into fists. He grimaced. He was acting like he was twelve. He looked up when Bruce stood over him, holding out a tumbler of amber liquid, his eyes warm with concern and Lex swallowed-it almost hurt to have someone show him such sympathy. His eye burned and he looked down again, into the swirling liquid in the glass. Wouldn't it be wonderful if the answers were in there--

Bruce nodded. "It's okay, you know. There's nothing you can't tell me. After all, I doubt anything you could tell me about Lucas would surprise me."

He sat back down and thought a moment before speaking carefully. "I think that separating yourself from Lucas is going to be more difficult than you expect. And it's not only going to be hard on Lucas, it's going to be hard for you-he's been your full time job for a very long time, after all." He smiled softly and tried to lighten the mood a bit. "If I were you, I'd pray that age slows him down. He's a very willful boy. He certainly doesn't take no easily."

Lex sighed, a sound that became almost a sob. "You have no idea."

Bruce finished his drink. "Come to bed-you must be exhausted."

Lex smiled, "Not at all." He said and tried to cover a jaw-cracking yawn. Bruce laughed, held out his hand and pulled him smoothly and easily to his feet.

Once in the bedroom they undressed and Lex lay down on smooth warm sheets, soft as flannel and smelling of Bruce. He groaned. He had no idea how tightly wound his muscles were still. He'd felt relaxed after dinner but now, he was tense again...it was an agony as they began to unwind.

Bruce rolled him to his belly and began kneading kinked muscles. "Alfred does this for me-stop that you." and Lex snickered sleepily. Heat and pressure worked to sooth him, he could feel his brow smoothing out, he was suddenly aware of his jaw muscles unclenching-he didn't even know his jaw had been clenched that tightly. He felt himself smiling as he slipped into sleep.

Bruce kept it up until he could hear Lex breathing slow, steady and deep. The faint snores made him smile. He kissed him on the back of his neck and sighed. Lex-life was so unfair to some people-as if they were made to suffer, to bear pain that they didn't deserve to. He wondered what he could do to help Lex....

When Lex woke a few hours later, it was to see Bruce, his back to him, suspended upside down, gravity boots holding him in a frame. The faint creaking as he swung slightly back and forth had awakened him.

Every one I know is...unique, Lex thought ruefully.

Lex was surprised a few hours later to find himself alone in the room and light edging the drapes. It had to be late in the morning...he must have fallen asleep again without even realizing it.

He got up and pulled on a robe he found at the foot of the bed and stepped into the sitting room off the bedroom and there Bruce sat, barefoot and shirt open, a pair of khakis riding low on his waist and Lex pulled the tie a little tighter on his robe.

Bruce looked up and smiled. "Did you sleep well?" He asked and Lex got a flash of him hanging upside down in the frame and nodded. He decided not to ask Bruce how he slept.

"There's breakfast on the sideboard there," he pointed, " and juice in the fridge...I'll be with you in a moment." he said and turned his attention back to his laptop.

Lex helped himself to toast and juice and sat next to Bruce who leaned toward Lex. Lex kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Business?" he asked.

Bruce murmured distractedly, "In a way..." He tapped away and smiled to himself before closing it and turning his attention to Lex.

"You haven't been sleeping have you? Or eating very well," he said watching Lex nip around the corners of the toast. "You've lost a lot of weight." he said accusingly.

Lex snorted gently. "Yes well, there's been a lot on my mind lately. I feel as though I have to keep moving--keep swimming or I'll sink-like-like a shark. Only not quite as able to defend myself..."

Bruce laughed and stood. He took the plate holding the mangled piece of toast away and took Lex's hand. "Come on, I'll finish that massage."

Lex sighed. He loved the feel of strong hands pressing down on him; he loved the feeling of being pinned in place. Bruce was so-slim, but so strong...so strong. His grabbed the sheets in his hands and squeezed hard. Oh God. Bruce pushed his hands against his ass and Lex pushed back, come on, come on, please! Bruce whispered something Lex couldn't hear and moved away, he was back quickly, and Lex stretched, spread himself as Bruce pressed his fingertips the length of his spine, murmured in disapproval at the line of bone too clearly apparent under his pale skin. Lex made a small sound of annoyance and wanted to speak-but then Bruce slid his fingers down the curve of his ass to drift lightly around the ring of muscle that the pressure of his hands revealed. He felt even more naked, exposed like this, open to Bruce and helpless. It made him groan so loud and he heard a small answering moan from Bruce.

He felt little licks wetly moving across his shoulders, down his back again, down to the curve of his cheek, following the same path that Bruce's hands had taken. He felt pressure-a gentle nip at the top of his thigh. "I learned something new. I want to share it with you." Bruce whispered.

Lex laughed shakily, "Who taught you this new thing? If it was that woman, I'm not sure if I'm game..." He yelped softly as Bruce slipped the tip of his finger inside him and gently rotated it. Lex sighed...it felt good, he missed Bruce so much, missed the way he made him feel.

"I swear you'll like it." He bent forward and Lex could feel warm breath flow against his hole, and the touch of his tongue, wet, soft, hot...so hot-

"No!" Lex froze and stiffened, and reared back from the bed.

Bruce held him flat and waited until Lex relaxed again.

"Bruce, no -you don't understand. Please don't..." Bruce spread him and touched him again, kissed him, licked and sucked at tender skin and talked to him, "It's me, Lex, it's me, it's okay to...relax," He kissed him and circled the tight opening with his tongue, pushing against resistant muscle, coaxing it to relax-Lex shuddered from head to toe and groaned so deep, it made Bruce pause, but Lex begged him to continue.

"Help me!" He pushed back against Bruce and Bruce continued, on and on until Lex was yelling.

"You ready," Bruce gasped, "are you ready?"

"Fuck yes, yes!" He moaned at the first touch of Bruce's dick, moaned at the pressure, the heat... He grunted when it flexed inside of him-God! Bruce...

Bruce pulled out and before Lex could give voice to a protest, Bruce flipped him to his back.

"I want to watch your face when you come."

Lex's dick twitched and tried to rise, he threw his arm across his eyes. "You're going to kill me," he cried and Bruce smiled.

"Just a little death," he said and plunged in. Lex arched his head back and cried out again and again in time with Bruce's thrusts, and when Bruce began stroking him in concert with his thrusts Lex thought a little death was more than possible-he felt his heart hammering in his chest and for a moment wondered if he might die, and then he was coming, before he was even ready. it swept him like fire-he came silently, stretched out on a rack of ecstasy, his wide eyes stared up into Bruce 's ice blue eyes and Bruce-his eyes burned and his lip curled back, he bared his teeth as he pounded into Lex, "Coming, coming," he snarled and lifted Lex from the bed and sunk teeth into his neck, growling and jerking his way through an orgasm that left them both breathless.

Lex grinned, loosened his hold of Bruce and rubbed his cheek against the soft hairs on his chest. "I think I can manage to put up with you a while longer."

VIII

*A week. A week with Lucas in the house. What a wonderful idea it had seemed when Lex came to ask Mom and Dad if they'd mind keeping an eye on Lucas for him while he was in Gotham on a business trip.

"Nonsense." Mom insisted that Lucas stay with them. "Tell your brother to plan to spend the time with us, it'll be more than fine. He and Clark can go to school together."

Lex had looked at Clark, and it was such a strange look, Clark had been confused...was he angry, sad?

"Lucas is lucky to have a friend like you Clark," he said.

Clark had blushed. He didn't feel lucky at that moment He felt guilty, as if he were doing something wrong. Lex couldn't know-hell, even if he did, why would he care? Still, Clark couldn't shake the feeling that he'd lost something*....

Clark dropped the radio on the floor and plugged it in, and turned it up-loud. He twisted the shower faucet on full, and stared at the floor, deep in thought as he waited for the water to heat. He draped his towel across the toilet tank, and stepped into the shower, leaned his head against the still cool tiled wall and gave in to the tears that had been choking him.

He let everything out; it was loud, messy, snotty...and shit! So angry and devastated and hurt-he felt like he was crushing to death under the weight of so much hurt.

Lucas was tormenting him to the point of insanity. He pushed the heels of his hands into his eyes and drew in a long shaky breath...god...it wasn't a relationship so much as a long drawn out torture session. Why was Lucas hurting him-more importantly, why was he doing it and telling Clark that it was for the good of the both of them?

"Let's not rush things," he said, "Let's be smart about this." And then proceeded to make him...beg like a desperate bitch for it. Lucas had him on his knees, begging for a touch, a taste, a fucking look. Shit...he was getting obsessed with Lucas.

Clark groaned and tried not to think of how he needed to know where the guy was all the time-he followed him everywhere, to class, to his games, to his practices, he was jealous of every guy on the team and why did Whitney, fucking busybody, have to talk Lucas into joining the team anyway...Clark's face flamed red when he remembered how Whitney had pulled him to the side one day, and asking him in a nice but point blank way just what the hell was up with him and this Luke thing. He'd blushed and stammered under Whitney's sympathetic gaze and he'd wanted to die. Especially when Whit told him that even though Luke was a cool guy, he might not be so cool about Clark crushing on him, and try and chill a bit, hunh? Clark had blushed impossibly redder, and fumed silently.

Luke? Good old Luke, hunh? Yeah. It was all Clark's problem, not-not...Mr. McStraightypants, oh no. What would Whitney think, if he knew his new best friend Luke liked to shove his hands down Clark's pants, and tease him until he screamed?

He was leaning against the wall, tears still running down his face and his dick bobbing against his leg, half hard from the memories of that one time Lucas had actually let Clark touch him the way he wanted to...why? What had he done wrong?

The tiles creaked when he flexed his fingers against them and he shuddered and stood straight. He washed quickly, not lingering at all anymore, just wanting to be done and maybe head out to get away for a bit.

His dad banged on the door, and shouted over the running water and the pounding beat of the radio. "Hey! Come on son-turn down the radio and snap it up-other people need to shower too!"

"All right, I'm getting out!" He sniffed loudly and scrubbed his face with the towel. He looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. His eyes and nose were red and puffy and he thought it was pretty obvious that he'd spent his time in the shower crying his stupid eyes out. Screw it-there was nothing he could do about that. He yanked the cord from the wall and cursed as the radio fell silent. He'd snapped the cord-again. Crap. He dropped the towel and went to pull the rest of the cord out of the wall, feeling a little tingle run up his arm when his damp fingers closed on it.

The door flew open and Lucas stood there, dressed in a robe and carrying his towel and kit. He looked at naked, bent-over Clark from head to toe, a look so slow and full of heat that Clark could practically feel it... and all Lucas did was say calmly, "Oh. Hey Clark. Sorry," as he walked in.

He smiled at Clark and took off his robe, hung it on the hook besides the shower door.

Clark could feel himself get hard, and Lucas' eyes drifted down. Clark swallowed hard when the other boy's eyes lingered on his dick, and he slid a hand over it to cover. Lucas snorted and stepped in the shower. Clark came to the door, put his hand out into the water, and ran a finger down Lucas' spine. Lucas didn't move, didn't stop him, so Clark got bolder and cupped his ass, squeezed a little and watched redness bloom on Lucas' pale skin, under the pressure of his fingers. Lucas pushed back a little and said, "Clark, close the door on your way out, won't you?"

Clark snatched his hand back, his face burning in anger, he so angry that he was down the hall and in his room without thinking. "Damn it! He hoped like hell Lucas didn't notice that he'd practically disappeared. He lay on his bed and cursed silently, steadily and had to stop from time to time to come up with something different-he ran out of his store of nasty words pretty quickly. An odd thought bounced into his head, I bet Lex knows some good words.

Lucas was the devil, he was determined that Clark suffer, that much was plain. Clark was determined that he wasn't going to suffer. He was going to make Lucas know that he wanted him. That he loved him.

He rolled to his side and fished the remote from under his covers. He turned on the TV and idly flipped through channels, not seeing the screen, thinking hard.

A week. Lucas had been staying with them a week, and if he stayed here any longer Clark was going to explode into a million horny pieces, damn him. The day Lex came and asked if Mom and Dad would mind keeping an eye on Lucas for him had been exciting. At the time, he'd been so excited he'd almost felt a little guilty, maybe because he wasn't as excited at seeing Lex as usual-hell, tell the truth-Lex didn't even cross his mind anymore, not with Lucas there, in his dreams every night, in his daydreams all day --he knew what Lucas tasted like-what he looked like when he came-what he liked Clark to do to him...

Clark pulled the blanket over his lap, and slid his fingers over his stiffening dick. He thought of Lucas, hot and hard, holding a handful of his hair and pulling his mouth deeper onto his dick, fucking his mouth like it was...Clark groaned low in his chest and winced-he tried to still his hips, he didn't want the creaking of the bed to give him away. He speeded up his hand, jerking off so late in the morning-it made him hotter, the risk that Lucas could walk in-the hope that Lucas would walk in-his dick twitched, jerked hard and he was coming, the fingers of one hand jammed in his mouth to muffle his yelps, the other hand flashing over his pulsing dick, sliding in the hot fluid dripping over his hand and dropping onto his belly...he sucked hard on his fingers as his hips snapped, once, again, he trembled and trembled from head to toe and then he finally let out a long whoosh of air and sank back on the pillows. He smiled for a moment as he floated in a haze of euphoria.

A creak outside his door froze him-did he really hear that or was it his imagination? He jerked up and yanked some tissues out of a box on the floor next to his bed and quickly cleaned himself off. He figured it was past time for breakfast, he'd better hurry now, if he didn't want Mom or Dad coming to check on him.

He wasted no time getting dressed and going downstairs, faster when he heard voices in the kitchen. Lex must be back, that meant Lucas was going back home. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved-he shook his head. That guy was going to kill him for sure; he was just going to die of terminal confusion.

"Hi, I'm Clark, nice to meet you."

The guy smiled. He had blue eyes that really seemed to sparkle the way they said in books. He had this great smile too; Clark could feel his face getting warm under his gaze. "I'm pleased to meet you, Clark. I've heard a lot of good things about you from Lex." he grinned over at Lex, and Lex's ears turned pink, but he was expressionless. Clark thought it was strange but just put it down to Lex and his tendency to be a little odd sometimes in general. Lex's focus was over his shoulder, and Clark turned. Lucas stood there with a look on his face that was beyond description. Clark started a little and turned back to look at Lex.

Lex jerked his eyes from Lucas to Clark and then to Bruce, and then to Clark again. His face was stiff and distant and when he spoke it sounded as if his voice was coming from a million miles away.

"Lucas, get your stuff, we're ready to leave. You remember Bruce, don't you?"

Lucas nodded, behaving every bit as weird as Lex. Clark shivered. Something was going on here, something big and weird. Even Mom and Dad picked up on it, and stood awkwardly in the kitchen, not sure if they should leave or stay.

Lucas broke the tension by thanking his parents for their kindness. He shook Dad's hand and asked his mom if it was okay to give her a hug, and won his mom's undying affection for that.

Lex cleared his throat and said, "Lucas, want to get your bag? We really do have to run, I'm sorry," he said to the Kents. "I would love to get a rain-check on coffee and muffins, if you don't mind, Mrs. Kent. And Mr. Kent-I'd still like to talk to you about the farm, get some idea of how an all-organic set up is working for you. We're working on a new type of mineral fertilizer...maybe we could make a time to get together and discuss it?"

Dad nodded, "I'd like that, Lex. There's some things I've been thinking about and I have the feeling you'd be more open to some of my ideas then your dad might be."

Lex nodded. "I understand. Why don't I get my secretary to set up a date--"

"I'm ready," Lucas cut in and pushed past Bruce and Lex on the way to the door, only at the last minute remembering to be polite, and waved good-bye to the Kents. He looked Clark in the eye and said, "Call me, please?" and there was something in his tone that made Clark want to drop to the floor and-if he were a dog, he'd be wagging his tail right now. Jesus. What a pushover. Instead he nodded, and squeaked out an assent. His dad gave him a peculiar look before he headed out to the back with a final wave at Lex, and Clark hoped that he hadn't been too obvious. He smiled when Lucas gave him a big warm grin that lit his insides. Maybe he'd want to get together later and hang out...

He caught Bruce looking at him speculatively as they left the house.

Lucas was pissed as hell. He flung his bag into the back of the Escalade, and threw himself on the seat. He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest., his entire posture and attitude said clearly Don't talk to me.

What the fuck was Bruce Wayne doing in Smallville? What the fuck was he doing in Dad's car? He glared at Lex in the rear view mirror; he knew Lex could see him. His gray eyes shifted to catch his from time to time.

Bruce turned slightly in his seat to face Lucas in the back and smiled at him. His mouth turned up in that weird way it had, his smile sort of starting at the corners of his mouth and rising to meet in the center. Lucas just wanted to reach out and slap it off of him.

He remembered being on the receiving end of that superior fucking smile before, too many times before, like the time he'd been seated next to him at some mind-numbingly boring charity event-Bruce removing his hand from his zipper like he'd found a naughty kitten in his lap and shaking his head no. "I'm flattered but I don't..." And then, when he'd asked him point blank to fuck at the next one-or was it a club...shit, and when he'd tried to grind him at Harry's party...he dropped his head back against the seat rest and closed his eyes, god, could it get any worse, the fucking bastard. He hoped the rumors he'd tried to spread about Bruce after had been believed. Creepy fuck.

He glared even more ferociously at Lex. Not only did Lex have the nerve to bring someone else into their home, he was positive Lex had fucked him. He could feel it-- Bruce---who was supposed to be straight. Who'd turned him down over and over. Straight. He transferred his glare to Bruce. Fucking bastard.

"How was your week, Lucas," Bruce asked and Lucas snapped "Fine." and looked out the window. See-I don't want to talk to you, get it?

"How's it working out for you here in Smallville? "Bruce asked. "I have to admit, it's hard to imagine you in a little town like this. It must be awfully boring for someone like you, big city-bright lights kind of guy that you are..." Bruce stopped and smiled. "Really not your kind of place at all, eh?" His arm slid along the back of the seat and his fingers drifted over the back of Lex's neck and Lucas wanted to set him on fire with his eyes. If it were only possible, he'd burn him to a crisp, and fry the crisps. Who did he think he was?

Lex coughed, glared briefly at Bruce and asked Lucas some inane question and Lucas snapped out an answer and it was quiet for a bit in the car.

Until Bruce spoke again, because apparently he was the kind of guy who just couldn't leave well enough alone, Lucas snarled to himself.

"So is Clark your friend? Do you get on well? He's not much like your usual type of person to--"

"Do you talk this much when you're fucking my brother?" he asked harshly and Lex shouted, "Lucas! What the hell-shut up!"

Bruce looked a little non-plussed and then laughed, his eyes crinkled at the edges and he seemed to be highly amused by Lucas' question. "What makes you think your brother and I are...in some kind of relationship? We're just friends," he smiled at Lex. "Right?"

The tip of Lex's ears blushed red and he looked sourly at Bruce. "Uhmmm. I'm thinking about that," he murmured.

Bruce smiled again at Lucas. "Just friends."

Lucas sank back against the seat and stared at the back of Lex's head. He knew fucking well that Bruce knew he'd seen the bite-mark on the back of Lex's neck, fading and yellowish but still damn visible. Fucker. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the glass. We'll see about this.he thought. and I'll definitely call Clark tonight.

The only staff on hand was the cook, and she had dinner waiting for them in the dining room. The table was set, she'd gone to quite a bit of trouble, and Lex knew it was because of Bruce. He smiled. Good woman-if he'd needed to impress Bruce, this would have helped. In fact Bruce was impressed and told Lex so. "Your staff must be very efficient-we really didn't give them much notice."

He nodded. "Dad picked staff for their ability to be adaptable and think for themselves. It makes for interesting days sometimes," he said, recalling Dad's epic arguments with the housekeeper. When both of them decided they knew the best way to do something, it could be quite the battle and Lex was endlessly amused by the tactics the stubborn combatants resorted to. He kind of looked forward to those arguments himself, Lionel flushed with triumph after winning a battle with the dragon of a housekeeper was a sight guaranteed to make Lucas and him giggle. They sat down to dinner, and Lex was entertaining Bruce with an incident involving his dad, the housekeeper and the layout of the upstairs linen closet, when suddenly his dad was standing in the doorway, slipping his coat off and handing it to his assistant, and smiling at them.

"Well, boys, I decided to join you this weekend, since you're home again, Lex. You don't mind do you? It's a surprise and a pleasure to see you, Bruce."

Lex jumped up. "Talk about surprise, Dad-here, let me get you a plate..." His dad waved him off, "Thanks, Dominic and I ate before taking the chopper...you look good, Lex. Rested. I'm glad." He patted Lex on the shoulder and smiled at him. Lex felt the tension under his words, no matter that he smiled at him, and squeezed his shoulder. Lex bristled-he still thought that he was twisted.

Lex glanced at Lucas and wanted to smack him. The kid sat at the table smiling like an angel, watching his relationship with Dad curl up like burning paper, all because of him...and Dad just caught him glaring at the little punk. Jesus.

Lex sat again and took a very healthy gulp of the wine in his glass and thought, these glasses are ridiculously small. He filled it and thought again, entirely too small.

Bruce lay on the bed, waited until he was certain the household was asleep before he got up, dressed himself in black from head to toe and fastened a pouch around his waist. He would have liked to have brought along the newest proto-type suit but decided against it, and to just test a few pieces of the new equipment he'd received from Alfred before he'd left Gotham, instead.

He played a length of thin silver cord out onto the bed, and tossed a set of lock- picks onto the oddly cheerful blue and green comforter at the foot of the bed. He picked up a set of binoculars he'd placed on the bed earlier, and checked to see that they were powered and ready. He touched a button on the side and he could now see perfectly in the pitch-black room. He pressed another button and lettering appeared in the upper left corner of his field of vision, telling him the camera was ready to record still pictures or video. He was pleased; it was a nice little piece of equipment, practical and...fun. He grinned briefly, before concentrating on packing what he needed into the waist pouch. Picks, binoculars...he thought about other items to take, and settled on a voice recorder, that he adhered to his throat. It would pick up sub-vocal speech, allowing him to make notes and observations without alerting anyone to his presence.

He stretched, running through a warm-up quickly and pulled a pair of leather gloves on-the castle walls were rough stone and he thought he might need protection. He coiled the rope around his waist and pulled his shirt over it. He pulled a thin black balaclava over his head and rolled it down over his face. He opened his bedroom window and climbed out onto the narrow ledge, and felt for finger holds. Time to go to work.

He felt a little thrill as he worked his way down the wall, glad that for once this was just for pleasure, and decided to enjoy it fully. Skulking about Smallville would be a training exercise, and a bit of fun-nothing could possibly happen in this sleepy little burg.

He dropped lightly to the ground after making his way down the wall, stood for moment thinking. Well, why not, he decided. Let's go check out the Kent farm...see what makes our boy what he is.

He certainly made an impression, he thought as he slipped over the wall and avoided the security cameras like they didn't exist. He was a handsome kid-young though, he could see why Lex was reluctant to pursue him. Too bad-if he'd actually had a relationship with Clark, it might have saved him from Lucas.

Bruce angled across the road and fit the binoculars over his head with an attachable strap, switched it to night vision and ran into the trees opposite the road. Good cover, he thought and his mind drifted back to Lucas. He was angry, Bruce could see that. He smiled to himself and made a mental note not to tease him anymore, it was a little like teasing a pitbull, and he didn't want him to take it out on Clark or Lex-anymore than he had already.

Bruce jumped over a low fence and then jumped across a drainage ditch. He was on the Kent property now. He directed himself towards the farmhouse and ran on.

Poor kid. Lucas was going to chew him up first and then work on Lex. He'd tried to talk to Lex about the boy, but Lex insisted it was just-youthful high spirits--he might as well have put it that way, he snorted. Shit. That boy was crazy. He was dangerous, in a way. And he really thought Lex was his.

He stopped and sighed. He was at the edge of the wood, and switched the binoculars off.

He knew that Lucas meant big-bigger trouble, in the long run, He knew he wouldn't be able to convince Lex of that-- he loved his brother too much. Bruce grimaced. That was the entire problem, right there. Lex really loved Lucas.

Bruce vaulted over the fence that edged the rear of the farmhouse grounds.

Maybe more than Lex knew.

He made his way over to the barn and entered quietly. He could hear a murmur of sound...two different voices...ah. Lucas had come a-visiting too. He'd not noticed him leaving. Not bad.

He dismissed the boys from his mind for the moment and scouted the rest of the barn. Fascinating equipment hung from their places, each having a neatly assigned spot, and all well-maintained...Bruce approved. He slipped out to the rear of the barn, scanned the area with the binoculars. Nothing.
Quiet on all fronts. He looked around for something to snag his rope on and proceeded to attach it to the barn's cupola with the aid of a collapsible grapple. He swung the rope a few times and sent the grapple flying, it made solid contact with the cupola and Bruce played out a little more rope, he began shimmying up the cord, making notes to himself as he went-surface is a little slippery, handles the weight well, light enough, but still flies straight. Good.

He was on the roof and sauntering across it as casually as if he were walking down Smallville main street.

By the time he'd pulled up even with the area he'd heard voices from, he could see Lucas pulling away in one of the Luthor's cars, and Clark watching him from the driveway. He walked around the barn and Bruce trained the binoculars on him, watched him make his way to the field.

Clark looked angry from what he could see, and his gait was swift and agitated. Bruce wondered idly what he planned to do out there in the dark-throw stones, kick cows? It was obvious that the boy was furious. He walked faster, and Bruce zoomed in on him. As he watched, Clark picked up a post lying on a pile of others next to the fence-he was going to repair the fence in the middle of the night. Bruce smiled. Okay...

The boy stood the post upright and drove it deep into ground with his fist. Hunh! Bruce jerked back in shock. What the fuck! Bruce watched as the boy did it again.

Jesus. That's...that's impossible. There was no way a human could do that. And Bruce dropped the binoculars. Shit.

No way a human could do that.

Bruce spent his remaining time in Smallville following Clark, watching him, watching his family. At first, he thought that they were nonchalant about his powers-Clark did things around the farm that should have called attention to himself-Any one who spent any time watching the Kent homestead would see-everything. Bruce sat back in the shadows under the trees that lined the opposite side of the road running past the farm. Even without high-powered surveillance equipment he could plainly see Clark doing all sorts of-- unexplainable things. They really needed a wrangler.

Clark fascinated Bruce. He'd met many people with...exceptional abilities, but they were all human. Lex had an astonishing ability to heal quickly from accidents that would have killed any normal person--that near drowning several years ago-he never got sick, neither did Lucas...not that Lex was aware that Bruce knew...but they was definitely human.

Clark-was definitely not. He'd seen the strange ship in the Kent's storm cellar. Fuck. Bruce closed his eyes briefly.

The basement. Why didn't they just put up a sign saying 'a buck to see the alien'?

He got to his feet and walked back to his car. These people needed help, at the very least, a few tips on maintaining secrets. He'd better talk to Clark.

Clark was waiting for Lucas to meet him in the Talon--he was trying hard to be patient, and he was nervous. Since they'd had the argument a few days ago, Lucas had refused to talk to him until this afternoon at school, when he'd finally agreed to meet him.

God-why hadn't he just been patient? Why did he have try to force the issue that night? Clark dropped his head and stared into the cream floating on top of his cocoa. He'd almost...almost not listened when Lucas said no...but geez, he teased him and teased him until he made him nuts. Clark sipped at the foamy mess and knew he was wrong. Here he was trying to put all the blame on Lucas, and that wasn't fair, or right. He'd been the one to initiate the whole thing and Lucas had asked him a few times to stop, to slow down. But he was so damn sexy. Clark groaned quietly, he was a little hard just thinking about Lucas.

His eyes were closed and he didn't know someone was standing at his table until he heard a quiet cough and Clark looked up. Oh crap! It was that really good-looking-Bruce. Wayne. His face felt like it was on fire.

Bruce asked if he could sit and Clark kicked out the chair opposite him with one foot and nodded. That was smooth, he groaned to himself.

Bruce sat and said, "Clark. I'd like to talk to you." Clark nodded, puzzled but he waited for Bruce to continue.

Bruce took a deep breath and said, "The thing in your storm cellar-it's a spaceship, right?"

Clark grabbed for his dangerously wobbling cup, and gaped at Bruce like a landed fish, before laughing and grabbing a handful of napkins to mop up sticky foam. Great. Even he could hear how weird and strained the laugh was. Crap, crap, crap.... "Ha. What? What are you talking about, Bruce? That's pretty funny..."

Bruce interrupted Clark and continued. "I can see it's not of human manufacture; did you come here in it? You must have been a small child-yes, of course you were-you act so human. Look so human. It's really quite amazing."

Clark paled and tried to speak, his throat felt as if it were being squeezed flat. He creaked questioningly.

Bruce smiled. "No one hears us, they're not interested. No one in this town is ever interested. Come on, take a ride with me."

Normally Clark would have been thrilled. Riding with Bruce Wayne in a custom made car...it would have been--should have been-- a fantasy come true, but now-he was terrified and had no idea what to do except follow Bruce.

Once in the car Bruce said, "I'm taking you home. I need to talk to you-and your parents. And I have something to tell you about myself that may help you understand where I'm coming from Clark."

When they arrived home, Clark sat still in the car, reluctant to move. He looked over at Bruce and really didn't want to move. He wanted to talk to Mom and Dad.

Mom and Dad were going to gut him and hang him out to dry. And then, they were going to punish him.

He'd done everything they'd taught him not to do-talked about his abilities, shown off his abilities--Clark smiled a little, it had been cool to show Bruce the heat vision, he'd been so excited...in a Bruce kind of way-and the speed. The speed demo. Yeah. Carrying Bruce was a nice little bonus there, Clark thought, his fingers twitching at the remembered feel of Bruce muscles shifting under his grip--Wow. Maybe he had super touch too...or maybe he was just incredibly horny....

He sighed. The leather seats cupped him like a big warm hand and he had to force himself to try and leave the warmth and comfort of the car. Bruce smiled "Ready, Clark?"

Clark sighed. "You know, there's so much I have to tell my parents. I'm a little worried. Okay, a lot worried. I mean, you're not supposed to know..."

Bruce nodded. "Yes, they won't be happy, but I can be...pretty persuasive when I need to be."

He smiled, and his eyes locked on Clark's and Clark folded his hands in his lap and tried to name all Snow White's dwarves, imagined Dad's reaction to the upcoming revelation--that worked. Clark licked his lips nervously and smiled.

Bruce leaned across him and unlocked the door, and Clark smelt the cologne that had been teasing him all day. He closed his eyes and inhaled...God, I'm a slut-Lucas...Bruce drew his arm back, brushing across Clark's chest all the way, stiffening his nipples. Clark felt more heat under his folded hands and felt his dick shift against the seam of his jeans. Fuck!

Bruce whispered huskily into Clark's ear. "Clark..."

Clark nodded, "Yes-yes--I'm here--"

"Listen to me-sometimes what you think is love is just, this..."and he drew a finger across his cheek, and his bottom lip, making it jerk in reaction to the soft touch.

Clark snapped back away from him, angry, grabbed Bruce's hand and squeezed it a little. Bruce winced, "Clark."

Clark dropped his hand. "Look-don't do that. I trust you. It's not easy for me to do that, you understand? But I do. I want to keep trusting you." Bruce frowned and his eyes went from sparkling blue sapphires to flat fathomless chips of ice. "I'm not sure what you're trying to do, but I'm with someone and we care about each other-and it's real. No matter what you think"

Bruce started to speak, sighed. "Come on Clark. Let's talk to your parents." He opened his door and waited for Clark to step out too, and come around to his side of the car. "Clark."

Clark stopped and looked at Bruce, whose eyes were sapphire blue again and warm with sympathy. "When are you going to tell your parents about Lucas?"

Clark shook his head. "I-I don't know."

Bruce nodded. "You've known you were gay since you were very young. You never said anything to your parents?"

Clark glared at Bruce. What did this guy do, climb inside his head and read all his thoughts? Damn it. "Bruce. Let me deal with one thing at a time, okay?"

"Sure," he grinned suddenly. "Later you can tell your parents that you're gay and so are your friends Lucas and Lex." He swung off towards the house, leaving Clark standing on the drive with his mouth hanging open.

Bruce waited on the porch for Clark to catch up again, feeling the smallest twinge of guilt. He really was going to have to get over this desire to stir up trouble. It was immature. Fun, though...

Jonathan reacted predictably...badly...to the news. He accused Bruce of trying to destroy his family, trying to hurt Clark, or exploit him for his own gain. Bruce tried to deflect the worst of the accusations but when Jonathan began to verbally attack Clark, Bruce put a stop to the conversation. He put out a hand and touched Jonathan, and let Bruce Wayne sink away...and conversation died. In the silence, the sound of the palm sized DVD player dropping on the kitchen tabletop seemed to echo.

Bruce took a moment to calm himself and in an icy voice spoke to Jonathan.

"We're off topic. This is what it's all about." He opened the player and turned the screen towards the Kents. "This is what I saw yesterday, Mr. Kent. Clark holding up the tractor while you worked on it. In the afternoon. Outside the barn. Do you understand? Anyone with a camera could have been standing in the field or on the road or flying overhead, merrily clicking away. You want Clark to conceal his gifts, you'll have to do better than that."

Martha laid her hand on Jonathan's shoulder and her knuckles paled as she applied a little pressure. Jonathan struggled not to wince. She said, "I think we do need help, Bruce. We've always tried to keep Clark's upbringing as normal as possible, but lately, things have changed a bit." She looked at Clark, and he cast an uneasy look back, Jonathan focused on the player. She sighed and turned back to Bruce. "We're ready to listen to what you have to say."

Bruce looked at Jonathan, his eyes still locked on the player, his face strained and pale. Finally, he swallowed heavily, and nodded.

"I understand you're entrusting me with something precious," he said, eyes on Jonathan. "Maybe it would help you if I shared something of the like with you."

Hours later, Clark walked Bruce out to his car, both of them moving silently, slowly down the drive to Bruce's waiting car. Clark spoke first.

"Thank you. We have a lot to think about. I-I think what you're doing is amazing. I want to help too. I know I can. "

Bruce pat Clark's shoulder. "You will, Clark, you will. When the time is right, I know you'll do everything you can to help. I have a feeling that what you've shown me is just the tip of the iceberg-amazing things are going to happen to you Clark. Don't forget, I'm on your side. I want to think of me as your friend."

Clark nodded and his head spun. He felt as though he'd gone days without sleep. Everything felt just a little hazy and unreal-someone else knew now, and in a way it felt like a little of the weight was off his shoulders. It felt pretty good. It felt a little scary, too.

He thanked Bruce again for his help. Thanked him for his offer of friendship. "I trust you Bruce. I do." Bruce nodded also, and got into his car. He was starting to pull away when Clark stopped him with a shout, "Bruce!"

Bruce backed up the car and let it idle--Clark stuck his head in the opened window.

"Hey-earlier you said that my friends were gay too...Lucas and Lex-Lex isn't gay."

Bruce raised an eyebrow, "How do you know?"

"Lucas told me."

"Then Lucas was mistaken. Lex is gay." Bruce reached for the gearshift, but Clark put a hand over his, stopping him.

"Shouldn't Lucas know-I mean-why...how would you know?" he asked and wanted to grab the words back. He didn't want to hear the answer. He stared at Bruce and hoped he'd see he wanted him to be silent....

Bruce looked at Clark and said plainly. "Because sometimes, we sleep together, Clark."

Clark felt like a ton of bricks hit him in the chest. Lex...the guy who'd been the source of his fantasies since middle school? The guy he'd pined for all those years, the epitome of everything he thought he'd never have? The guy he gave up on finally and the guy whose brother he just might be in love with...was gay? And slept with Bruce...sometimes. Fuck.

He stared at Bruce without really seeing him until Bruce gave him an ironic smile and revved the engine. "Goodbye Clark. And don't forget." He gave Clark a small black card with a number printed on it in silver. "Anytime. Even if you just want to talk about your friend." He said and winked. "I'd really like to hear from you soon."

He drove away, rising dust on the gravel drive. Clark watched the plume of dust drift apart, and waited to breathe again.

Everything he'd known to be true, wasn't. He had maybe had a chance with Lex...that was the hard part. He really thought he might be in love with Lucas. Maybe. But he'd loved Lex so hard for so long-he'd saved his life. Okay, fine, he'd saved Lucas too. But Lex hadn't tried to punch his lights out for it. Lex had come back to life under his mouth; he'd felt his pulse bump under his hand. He'd done that. As a kid, he'd kind of felt it meant Lex belonged to him. He'd even dome it again, and Lex said....

But then in magazine after magazine and in every news report he was with a girl...beautiful women, all the time-there was no reason to think he'd had a chance. A small town guy like himself, not to mention he was missing important body parts, for a straight guy anyway. And now Bruce tells him he's not so straight. Now, when everything was that much more complicated. To find out that Lex is gay and Bruce and he...damn. Bruce and Lex. He shook himself. He wasn't jealous-oh hell, yes he was, damn it.

Okay, he had Lucas, though. Lucas made him happy, he really did.

He turned and trudged back to the house.

Lex. Fuck! Did Lucas know or was he lying to him? No-no-Lucas couldn't possibly know, and for whatever reason Lex didn't want him to know. For Lex's sake, he'd keep this to himself.

He sat heavily on the porch, he just didn't have the strength yet to go inside and let his dad put more weight back on his shoulders. He needed to think about this whole situation. His forehead wrinkled as he turned it over in his mind

Maybe, maybe Lucas was over-stating Lex's behavior, maybe it wasn't that he didn't treat Lucas like he should be treated, maybe he didn't treat Lucas the way he wanted to be treated. Lucas did kind of expect an awful lot of a person.

The fact remained he really liked Lex, and not just because of his childhood crush. Lex had always been more than kind to him. He was a real friend.

In a way, more of a friend then Lucas-he loved Lucas, all right, but he wasn't too sure who he'd go to first with a problem... well, he'd keep Lex's secret then. After all, if he ever had told Lex anything private about himself, he'd like to think that Lex would have held it close and never revealed it. He could do as much for him.

Clark dropped by the mansion a few days after Bruce left-it'd been a while since he'd been there and invitations hadn't been forthcoming lately, so he took a gamble on whether he'd be welcome or not.

He peeked around the corner of the open study door, Lex sat at his desk typing, his dad was on the couch, intently reading a paper, a sheaf of papers spread out on the table in front of him.

They noticed Clark, standing uncertainly in the doorway at the same time.

"Hey, Clark." Lex smiled. "This is a nice surprise." and Clark felt a cool breath of relief.

He was welcome-great! Lionel offered Clark a greeting also, smiling at him as though he'd done something clever just walking in the room. Clark bristled a bit-Lionel always treated him like a half-wit.

He grinned at Lex and Lex rose a bit from his chair before sitting again, the tips of his ears turning pink. "Ah-can I help you? Lucas is upstairs..." Clark wavered for a minute-he really wanted to see Lucas, but he also wanted to talk to Lex, watch him, see if there were any signs, clues that he was gay, something that Clark had missed. He knew he was staring hard, on the edge of impolite. Lex and his dad exchanged a brief look, Lionel raising an eyebrow at Lex before going back to his papers.

"I thought maybe if you had time, we could play pool-or, I don't know-some game. It's been a long time. But I can see...see that you're busy." Clark wound down and fell silent, staring at Lex.

Lex smiled at him sadly and it seemed he genuinely regretted refusing Clark.

"Clark, I'd love to, I would, but dad and I have to be in town today. Ah...we'll be home this evening. Maybe you could come back? Or if you'd like, you can wait here with Lucas until we return?"

He looked over at Lionel and Lionel looked at him over his reading glasses, He held Lex's eyes for a moment and then gave him a small smile and a quick nod. "Of course. I think that's a good idea. As long as it's okay with your parents, Clark."

Clark watched the two smile at each other and shrugged. "I'll wait, if it's okay than." He grinned at Lex. "Prepare for defeat."

Lex laughed. "Oh, I'll put up a good fight, Clark. I don't roll over that easy." He left the room with his dad, chuckling, and clapped Clark on the back as he went out. Clark imagined he felt his fingers linger just a little.

Old crushes die hard, he sighed to himself.

But now, he had something else to think about. He grinned as he headed off to Lucas' room.

Lucas lay on his bed in the dark and tried to pretend he didn't exist. He tried to pretend Lex was sitting in the room with him, in the chair at the foot of his bed. He tried to pretend that everything was fine but his mind kept coming back to what he was fighting to forget.

He'd gone into Lex's room to get a shirt he'd had his eye on, he went in Lex's room all the time, Lex never locked the door to him and besides it wouldn't matter if he did, he had a key.

He'd just snagged the shirt when he heard noise coming from the bathroom. It was surprising because Lex was supposed be out somewhere with that asshole Wayne-a farewell dinner, thank god, the guy couldn't get the fuck out of Smallville fast enough for him. He was about to leave when he heard a thump and laughter from the bathroom.

Then he did something that he kind of wished now he hadn't. He'd gone over to the bathroom door and put his ear against it.

What he'd heard had made the hair on the back of his neck rise, he couldn't stop the growl that forced it's way up from his chest--that bastard had been fucking his Lex-right in his house! He'd wanted to kill Bruce on the spot-kill Lex...he'd been so furious, so twisted with anger that he'd ripped the shirt he'd borrowed in two, without registering it. He'd pushed his face hard against the door, breath ripping in and out-he could smell them, he was sure of it. Fuck. He'd rolled to his back, his muscles felt like wet strings; his knees had gone weak and the door was the only thing holding him up. His fingernails broke against the polished surface of the door, he'd still managed to drag gouges through the enamel...He'd had to listen to the sounds, the moans, and the slap of flesh against wet flesh. Bruce groaning, "God, I love fucking your mouth--ah!"

He'd been besides himself, crazy enough to kill and he'd still gotten hard- pulled his zipper down and slid his hand across his belly, imagined, touched his dick softly, fleeting finger touches like Lex would touch him, scared, nervous...Bruce's voice was muffled, but he heard him groan, "wait, sit on me" and Lucas ended up with a handful of precome slicked dick, he'd jerked himself off while he listened to Lex grunting on the other side of the door.

He could still imagine him riding Bruce, arms around his shoulders and head tilted skyward, his ass dropping and rising as he fucked himself on Bruce and in his mind it had been his dick Lex rode, his lip caught in Lex's white sharp teeth, drawing blood and him driving his dick deeper into Lex and making him wail.

God-it was going to happen and when it did, he'd grab his hips and fuck him until... he'd humped his hand like he was a kid, filled his hand with come, his pants catching what ran over his fingers, milked every last drop and felt Lex trembling around him in his mind...he'd laid against the door, shaking and breathing hard, until he heard the shower cut off and he ran from the room.

He remembered and a hot red tidal wave of fury swept over him, burning in his chest, making his hands tremble...he'd make that fucking Bruce pay with his lungs for that-he'd take his fucking kidneys, he'd pull his motherfucking heart from his chest and eat it, his eyes...fucker.

There was a knock at the door, and Lucas yelled, "Go away!"

The knock came again, and Clark's voice rang out. "I can't, I have to stay, open up!" Lucas frowned. Shit. He didn't have time for that puppy right now...or maybe he did, he started to grin. Why the fuck not? He was bored, so bored and it was about time he had some fun. He had the feeling Clark was more than ready to have fun...why wait? It was time to reel that fish in anyway.

"Oh, it's you Clark! You can come in."

Lucas pulled Clark down the hall, both of them giggling and Lucas going shh shh and Clark grinned and giggled behind his hand...it was so funny, sneaking up the stairs in broad daylight, all exaggerated stealthy movements, like cartoon characters-- but, he thought as he fought to stifle his giddy laughter, not so funny anymore if Lucas' dad caught them drinking...a lot of drinking....

Lucas was grinning at him, a big loose wild kind of grin that went straight to Clark's groin. He still had the bottle in his hand, the second one they'd emptied that afternoon...anyway, he thought it was the second one....

It'd been a strange kind of week so far, what with Lex being--and Bruce 's words still vibrating in his brain. Clark wanted any opportunity to get away, at least for a little, from the reality that Bruce had laid on him and his parents. Mom and Dad were still in a state of shock... He was half way angry that Bruce had investigated him, half way relieved that someone else knew, someone he could trust was carrying a little of the load he'd had to carry. And on top of that Lucas wanted him. This time he was sure. Clark's head felt like it was full of cotton,and he had to concentrate on keeping his eyes focused. Lucas tended to blur a bit and seemed to want to clone himself.

"Cloooonnnee." Clark drawled it out, enjoying the sound it made, the way it vibrated inside his mouth. Lucas looked at him with such a superior knowing look that it made Clark feel like a small town hick. And he wasn't. A small town hick.

"I never said that about you, Clark," Lucas said, with raised eyebrow and one hand on his hip. Clark blinked blearily...gee, he looked like Lex when he did that... "Did I say that out loud?" He giggled and hiccupped. He shook his head. "You do think so. You have all this experience and you know all this sex stuff but you won't do it with me...so...you must think I'm too-too-hicky. Small. Time. Stuff." He waved his hand about and stared at Lucas. Ah-ha. Got ya. Damn right.He weaved closer to the wall and found himself hitting it with his head. The thump sounded so loud, and he remembered to go, "Ow," and then broke into helpless giggles-it was all so silly, really, his parents and what they thought he should do. He gave Lucas a wide grin and said, "Guess what, I've got a secret...you want to hear?"

"No." Lucas leaned against Clark, pressed him into the wall, rubbed against him and grinned when he felt Clark respond instantly...always so obedient...it was hot, so hot the way he gave him everything he asked for-he kissed Clark, licked against his lips until they parted and he pushed his tongue into the liquid heat of Clark's mouth. He closed his eyes and gave himself up to the slow slick slide of tongue against tongue, until Clark moaned and Lucas drew his bottom lip tight between his teeth. He liked feeling the way the flesh gave, like ripe fruit; he loved the way it made Clark hard when he pressed down with his teeth and skirted on the edge of a real bite. Clark grabbed his hips and pressed him closer. Lucas cupped the back of Clark's head and pulled him close, whispered in his ear, "Let's fuck."

Clark gasped and bucked against Lucas.

"Umm, you like that idea,don't you?" and Clark moaned and suddenly they were on their feet and moving down the hall, and Lucas had no idea how that happened so fast. He was nearly running, his hand was swallowed up in Clark's big hand and Clark looked equal parts determined and scared.

He stopped so quickly that Lucas ran into him. "Where," he said urgently, "Where?"

It took Lucas a minute to realize he meant 'where's your bedroom?' and he took the lead, pulling Clark down the dim hall, the little sconces meant to imitate candlelight just managing to wash the mahogany walls with a weak glow. Clark looked dazed and...happy, Lucas thought, when he looked back to catch his eyes. How sweet and still so virginal. So fresh...

"Here," he said and pushed open a door.

They walked into a dark room, Lucas feeling his way until he found the switch and flipped it. The light thrown by a small heavily shaded lamp shone feebly in the room. It revealed a bed covered with a bedspread made of deep lavender and purple squares, the sheets were a deep dusty purple and had a sheen that begged to be touched. A few toss pillows leaned against the black wrought iron headboard that had been designed to look like a Japanese screen.

"Wow." Clark stopped short, looked about in awe and said, "It's nice. Lucas."

"You like it." He walked to the bed, yanked the bedspread down, and climbed on, smoothing his hand over the sheets. "Come here."

Clark walked over to him, his step steadier than it had been, he looked a little more sober and much more nervous than he had in the hall. He sat on the edge of the bed and Lucas moved up behind him, unbuttoning his shirt, sliding his hand in under the soft material and teasing Clark's nipples. "You want more of that, don't you."

Clark's head dropped back to his shoulder. "Yes..." he shuddered when Lucas twisted them slightly, and his hands dropped to the waist of his jeans, and unbuttoned them.

Clark quickly toed his boots off and lifted his hips so Lucas could slide his pants and boxers down at once. He was trembling; Lucas smiled at his eagerness, at how hard he was. He touched the tip of Clark's dick with one finger and watched it jerk and drool, he slid his finger around the tip, massaging the fluid into the skin, pressing a little as Clark groaned, "Please, please don't stop Lucas, don't stop this time!"

"I'm not going to, I promise. Lay down on the bed--" He stopped Clark with a hand on his shoulder, "On your stomach." He stood and stripped down, dropping his clothes on the floor, kicking his shoes off and not looking where they landed, he kept his eyes on Clark's as he did so. Clark looked over his shoulder, watching him, his eyes were huge with fear and desire and they were eating him up. Clark stared at him so hard, it made his dick rise more, god-he was really a hot piece of meat.... "Spread your legs."

Clark shuddered but obeyed. He lay on his belly, and let Lucas arrange him like a rag doll, let him pull his legs farther apart and moaned, quietly but constantly. "Don't worry, I've got you. You're mine now." Lucas knew he must be wetting the sheets now; he stroked his ass and grinned at how he rubbed himself against the silky sheets. Fuck, that' s beautiful, he thought-Clark, spread against the dark sheets, glowing in the golden light...his tan stopped at his thighs and his shoulders and his ass glowed white in contrast...Lucas wanted to bite it hard, bite it until purple bruises bloomed on his flesh. Clark was gasping hard, grinding against the sheets.

"Please do something, Lucas-touch me-do something!"

"Okay." He bent, dug his thumbs into the lightly furred cheeks of his ass, pulled them apart and tongued him. Clark yelped and jerked and shook so hard Lucas had to grip him tightly to keep him in place. He drove his tongue in and in and Clark screamed, "No! no--stop or I'll come right now!"

"Don't you dare come yet," he growled and bit down on his ass, shook his head gently and Clark groaned desperately. "Fuck! Than don't do either-I'll come from that!"

Lucas laughed and searched around in the bedside table drawer until he found what he was looking for.

He ripped open the little packet, slid a slicked condom down over his shaft, caressing himself, cupping his balls and squeezing just a bit--Clark was spread out, his ass in the air and begging for his dick. It made him feel...good. Real good. Lex would do that too-just that way, his ass spread wide and humping air, begging him, that velvety voice gone hoarse and frantic with need, oh yes, he'd make him beg him like a bitch for his dick.

He moved in behind Clark, grabbed his hip in one hand and his shoulder in the other and in one hard thrust drove in to the hilt-waited for Clark to scream.

Clark screamed and screamed and pushed back, "Oh fuck me! Fuck me, shit-harder!"

Lucas was...amazed-a little shocked. Holy shit-that's , that's--he likes it-oh! He gasped and folded over Clark's back, Clark was clamping around him, milking him-God!

His eyes rolled up and he drove harder and harder into Clark, trying to fuck him as hard as he screamed for it, until he felt like his body was exploding, he was coming, "Clark--fuck-fuck!"

Lucas yelled through tightly clenched teeth, it felt like his whole body was trying to come out of his dick, it felt so good it hurt, it made him want to scream at the top of his lungs, it made him want to get right up inside Clark-shit!

He hit Clark's back with a wet slap as sweat wet body hit sweat wet body. He shook and groaned and wrapped his arms around Clark's middle, and felt come on his belly, on the sheets...he grinned against moist skin. "I didn't even have to touch you." Clark shook his head, his answer muffled by the pillow.

"Motherfuck...what the fuck!"

Clark flipped Lucas off as he whirled around in bed. "Lex!"

Lucas rolled to his back and smiled, he pulled the used condom off and dropped it on the sheets. "Hi."

Lex stood in the doorway, revulsion on his face, his chest heaving. "Lucas, you..." he started and stopped, his voice gone thin and weak.

Clark yelled at Lex, "What the hell do you want -get out!"

Lucas glanced at Clark; the boy was deep red with embarrassment and anger. Poor kid. Hell of a first time, he thought.

He looked at Lex, whose face was twisted with disgust and anger and... Lucas sat up. Not hatred. He didn't want him to hate him, not that-fuck--. He spun around and stared at Clark. For a moment, he was just some nameless fuck, a stranger yelling at Lex, some alien thing stinking up the sheets. "Get your clothes on and get out."

"But-but -he just walked into your room with out knocking!"

Lex started. "His room? This is my room-you fucked on my bed!"

Clark's head jerked back and he gaped at Lucas. "You-you-you did it on purpose?" His eyes got red and his open mouth trembled. "You wanted him to see..."

"Actually I thought he'd find the evidence later, but this works too."

Clark let out a noise and grabbed his clothing; he ran for the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. Lex watched it all with narrowed eyes, his mouth was pressed in a hard tight line and he glared at Lucas.

"What is wrong with you, you crazy shit! Why hurt that boy--forget me-don't you care what you're doing to him? Fix it, you little fuck-now!" Lex was nearly snarling as he spoke to Lucas.

Lucas swung off the bed and walked over to the bathroom, looking at Lex all the while. He leaned his forehead against the bathroom door. "Clark, Clark I was-I'm sorry, please, I'm sorry," His voice trembled, and he pressed his face against the wood and turned away from Lex, so he couldn't see him smiling.

He filled his words with every bit of emotion he could dredge up, he was rather pleased. He really sounded like he was about to burst into tears. He heard the door to the bedroom close behind him and checked. Lex was gone. He opened up the bathroom door, "Clark. Let me explain."

He came in and spoke. Clark leaned against the wall, arms crossed as he listened with a stony expression. "He did the same thing to me, the hypocrite. It was payback. And I'm sorry I involved you." He reached out slowly, took Clark's hands, feeling a little thrill of victory when Clark didn't pull away. "I'm sorry-it was stupid, I'm stupid. I messed up and now you both hate me and I can't stand it." He dropped his head and let a tear run down his cheek. It dropped onto Clark's hands and he knew the very moment Clark gave in.

He gave in, even as he protested. "Lucas-what you did was horrible. You treated Lex and me like-garbage! It should have been great, but it was the worst-most embarrassing moment of my life! How can I forget something like that? God! I'll never be able to look at Lex again, ever!" Clark quieted again and then froze. "Shit. How long do you think he was standing there?" He shuddered. "God please, let him have just walked in."

"Oh, I'm sure he wasn't there that long, Clark. Really. You forgive me, just this one time? I swear, I'll never be that stupid again, ever. I promise." He kissed Clark softly on the lips, a little chaste kiss and Clark smiled reluctantly. Lucas could see anger warring with Clark's desire for him. Clark really was beautiful, he thought. All those emotions right on the surface, like oil floating on water, just waiting for Lucas to shove a fist into them, roil them up and make something even more beautiful...Lucas closed his eyes and willed his growing erection away.

"Can't you be good to him, Lucas? Can't you please forget about Lex, just forgive him? You don't have to let your brother rule your life, you know."

"Yes!" Forget him? Asshole.He smiled and deepened the kiss, thinking about the door opening the moment he shoved into Clark-hearing that pained little gasp when Clark screamed fuck me...feeling it when he started to come. Feeling Lex behind him at the door...it was nice that they both got to experience Clark's first time.

IX

Smallville prepared for spring the way other small communities did, in festivals and events that celebrated forgotten rituals of rebirth, preparations that were being repeated across the country, in small towns and big cities. Life echoed itself across distance and time. There were some things that never changed....

Clark was excited about the dance this year. He was taking Chloe, but Lucas was his real date. He hoped the evening was going to be fun, he was really looking forward to it. He hoped Lucas was too. .

He stared at himself in the mirror, made another nervous swipe at his lapels, and wondered why his hair wouldn't stay like he wanted it. He dragged his fingers through it and cursed silently as strands of hair sprang up all over his head. He was never going to Mom's haircutter again.

He patted hopefully at the wild strands and thought about the talk he'd had with Chloe, hoped it had sunk in-they agreed they were going just as friends, that Lucas was his real date. It seemed like she didn't quite believe him, or want to believe him, even after he'd told her almost everything about Lucas...Lucas.

He wanted him to be here now. Clark sighed in frustration. Especially now, as he whipped the bowtie through his collar again, growled at himself in the mirror and gripped it tightly in his hand. The old mirror tilted a bit, and he righted it, looking out of the opened loft doors as he did. He thought he'd heard something in the yard, and moments later, he heard footsteps on the stairs.

"Great, Mom, I need your help with this stupid tie," he called out.

The steps got closer and there was a sharp rapping on the rail behind him. "Can I come in?" He heard, and turned.

"Oh. Lex." Clark didn't know what to say, or how to act. He hadn't seen Lex since that embarrassing, and that was way too mild a word, incident at the castle. He grinned weakly at him. "I-I didn't expect to see you."ever again in this life.

Lex smiled and came closer. "I know. I'm sorry. I was out driving, thinking... I may have over-reacted? Anyway, I was in the area and thought I'd stop in. Apologize."

Clark shook his head. "Um, no, no need. If anything, you were an incredible example of restraint." He felt his cheeks burn, and said, "I'm so sorry...I really am."

Lex nodded and he blushed a little himself. "Don't dwell on it, it's over-can I help you with that?" He gestured at the tie in Clark's fist, and Clark grinned, grateful for the help, and grateful for the change of topic. "Yes, damn, thank you! I can't get the hang of this thing."

Lex moved in front of him and drew the fabric around Clark's collar. "Hey, take advantage of my knowledge and experience," he smiled. "For once, it's benefiting you."

Clark tried not to stare into his eyes as Lex fixed his bowtie, he stood a little stiffly, tried to inhale surreptitiously---Lex smelled so good, he smelled...Clark thought for a second...he smelled warm. Alive.

He stood for a moment after fixing Clark's tie, watching him put his jacket on. "So, are you going with...Lucas?"

Clark shook his head, and his cheeks went faintly pink. "No, I'm going with Chloe. She knows," he said, looking intently at Lex. "That I'm gay. That I'm with Lucas." He felt a tiny bit of disappointment at getting no reaction from Lex. Though what did he expect-after what happened in his room Lex was hardly going to share, he sure wasn't going to throw up his hands and scream, "Oh my God! So am I!"

Besides it didn't really matter, did it.

Lex shrugged. "You're lucky. She's a good friend. Clark, I want you to know that no matter what happened, I'm still your friend and that's never going to change. I hope you feel the same way."

He looked so sincere that again Clark had a hard time reconciling the jerky guy that Lucas told him about with this guy, a kind and...just sort of...sad guy. "I do, Lex. Thank you. It means a lot." The wistful expression on Lex's face made him want to reach out and hold him.

"Lex. Is something else going on? You seem, I don't know...kind of..."

Lex sighed, and swept his coat back, shoved his hands into his pants pockets and leaned back on his heels.

Clark swallowed. Gosh, he probably didn't know he was pulling his pants that tight across his crotch. The thing to do, he told himself, is not stare, and don't lick your lips... "Lex, he began again," Can I help? "

Lex shook his head and said, "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling. A bit like when you can smell the air change before a storm, you know?"

Clark nodded. "Yeah-- storms are a way of life around here, Lex. The trick is to keep a look out, and not to get caught out in the open." He smiled at him and Lex studied him for a moment, and then smiled back.

"Clark, look after yourself."

Clark laughed a little, "I'll try-you too." Lex waved and turned away. Clark watched him leave and thought hard about what just happened. What a lot of things had just gone unsaid. He walked to the stair, deep in thought about Lex and about Lucas. Not everything was adding up.

Clark snorted. He might be slow on the uptake, but he wasn't a complete idiot. Maybe he should confront Lucas about Lex. Not that Lucas ever insisted he not talk to Lex, or spend time with him. He just managed to always have something a bit poisonous to say about the man. Just enough to keep Clark a little wary-a little careful around him.

A car horn sounded in the yard, and he grabbed the corsage form the couch, and trotted downstairs. He didn't want to keep Chloe waiting.

Lex and Lionel stood in the portico and watched Lucas roar off in his car. Lex sighed and turned to his dad.

"Well, there he goes."

Lionel looked at him and smiled. "Hmm. Who's the young lady he's rushing off for?"

Lex snorted "Anyone. No one. One of a dozen interchangeable little girls he shows off when he needs to."

"Hmm." Lionel's hair flew about in the wind that blew up. The tree branches were whipping, and clouds sailed faster and faster across a deepening gray sky. Far off in the distance a green tinge shone behind the clouds adding to the threatening air.

Lex shivered. "I think we should get inside Dad, look like a storm is kicking up."

"All right--let's head up to the study. I want talk to you about Lucas and his future.

Lex was standing by the bar in the study and trying not to let the extent of hs annoyance show. His dad stood by and watched him fiddle with the glasses and bottles. "So, Dad, isn't Lucas' future a conversation that you should have with him," Lex asked testily. Why did his dad throw the kid in his lap constantly? Considering....

"Lucas-Lucas won't listen to anyone but you, I'm simply saving myself a lot of argument, and you can help me. " He smiled. "It's good business practice."

Lex looked at him. "Brandy?" And some common sense? No wonder Lucas had rebelled. It was almost as if Lionel refused to think about Lucas. It had always been his job to take care of Lucas, ever since they were kids. He was the one who'd washed his face, and wiped his nose, and made him do his homework and pulled him out of one scrape after another. Where was Dad in that picture?

"Dad--" he began and suddenly the wind that had been gaining in strength shrieked and a noise like a freight train barreling down on them deafened both of them. Lex caught a glimpse of his father's startled face before he saw nothing at all.

Chloe smiled up at him as they swept across the floor and he was grateful Lucas had helped him with this dance step. Dancing was not his favorite activity but Chloe seemed to be enjoying it. They danced past Pete and his date, and he smiled at him and winked. Oh god, Clark thought. This is going to get pretty damn strange.

He looked down at a heavy sigh from Chloe.

"Clark, you looked like you swallowed a rock. Is it that awful that people might think we're together?"

Clark stammered, "No-no! That's not what-well, a little. But not because of you! It's just--I'm not sure how to tell all my friends. I don't want them to think I'm trying to hide. Even though I guess I am, a little..." He trailed off and Chloe pat him on the arm.

"You're thinking too hard Clark. Where's Lucas anyway?"

"Picking up his date for the evening," He scowled. He was pretty sure the girl was just an acquaintance, but he also knew Lucas didn't have a problem with women at all. Tonight better not be a night that he felt the need for a change.

He shook his head and laughed at himself. He was being ridiculous-Lucas wouldn't do that to him. He was just about to suggest to Chloe they get punch, when aloud burst of feedback made the both of them jump.

"Stop. Stop the music, please. Excuse me for a second. Can I have everyone's attention please?"

They turned toward the stage and one of the teachers was standing in front of the band, nervously clutching the microphone. "Um, thank you. The National Weather Service has just issued a tornado warning. Apparently a funnel cloud has been spotted heading toward Smallville." A startled murmur ran through the crowd of students and the chaperones began moving through the crowd of students, making sure everyone maintained calm.

He continued, "Now, uh, please, everyone stay calm. The twister is going to set down south of here, but for your own safety, no one will be allowed to leave the gym."

The murmur built to a roar, and Chloe turned to Clark. "Lucas--"

Clark paled. "If he'd driving to pick up his date, he's headed that way!"

Chloe tried to calm him. "Look, I'll call him, warn him. Let me get my cell out of my purse--" She had the distinct feeling she was talking to herself--when she looked up, Clark was gone.

Lucas drove as fast as he could, but there was no outrunning the storm, it was getting harder and harder to see, rain and wind blown dirt plastered his windshield and he figured he'd have to stop soon. The car rocked in the wind, and he was actually fighting the wheel to stay on the road--or where he hoped the road was.

He pulled to the side of the road and stopped. A ditch...look for a ditch...he put his hand on the car door and suddenly it was pitch black inside the car, he could hear the wind drive mud against the windows, coating them solid, and a roar like the end of the world shook him. The car vibrated, it rocked so hard he waited for it to tip over, there was nothing but him and blackness and noise in the world.

After a moment it slowed and he crawled quickly out of the car, and looked for a low spot-the wind was like a fist in his back, he staggered on the road, debris was flying wildly about and he worried about being struck by something dangerous. Roadside grit stung his face like bees as the wind sent it drilling into his flesh, his hair whipped painfully against his face...he cursed non-stop as he swiped and swiped at his grit filled eyes. He managed to clear them enough to see and looked up the road, looking for some safe place. Should he get back in the car or...in the distance he could see a funnel cloud, boiling in the air and he was certain it was headed for him. He stood paralyzed, watching what had to be the end of his life roaring toward him. Lex. His eyes filled and tears spilled down his face. He was going to die alone. He balled his hands into fists, tight, tight, his eyelids drifted shut. Lex

Bright flashes exploded behind his eyelids, and pain filled him for a moment before it all went away, everything but a little voice in the back of his mind calling out for Lex.

Clark ran up the road that Lucas should be on, everything around him a blur as he ran close to his top speed. Objects came hurtling at him, flying through the air and he dodged and weaved, leaping over junk on the road, and as he ran, he searched, all senses tuned to Lucas-where was he?

A figure swayed in the high winds far up the road, and beyond it, eating up the distance, a funnel was bearing down on it. He could see it was Lucas being buffeted by the winds, he could see something fly out of the clouds and strike him, hard enough to knock him down. "Lucas!"

Clark was at his side in seconds, snatching him up-he looked over his shoulder and the twister was a giant black smear on the sky, he ran, he cupped Lucas against him like a baby and ran like never before in his life, so hard that he seemed to be in his own world, debris that had been flying wildly and bouncing off of him suddenly were turning slow ballets in the air, raindrops hung like jewels, and the only sound he heard was Lucas' heartbeat.

They were in sight of the clinic when he stopped again. He sat abruptly, weak and shaky in the wake of his adrenaline-fueled panic. Lucas groaned and opened his eyes, "what the fuck...Clark." He sat up. "What happened?"

"Lucas, I -I got a ride-went looking for you. I found you, and-and we got dropped off here, so the doctor's can take a look at you. You got hit pretty hard."

Lucas felt along the back of his head and pulled his hand away, it was sticky with semi-coagulated blood. "Thanks, Clark...you should go home, I'll be fine. I'm going to check myself in and you, you need to go check on your parents."

Clark grabbed him by the hand and helped him stand. "Are you sure-will you be all right without me? I can stay...."

"No, go home, if I need you, I'll call," He was already moving towards the clinic doors, and waved at Clark. Clark stood a moment longer, torn between his need to check on his parents, and his reluctance to leave Lucas alone.

"Please call Lex; let him know where you are, okay? I'll be back later to check on you!" Clark turned and ran towards home, and Lucas watched him go. He made sure Clark was out of sight before going out into the parking lot.

There were a couple of guys standing in the lot.

"Can anyone help me?" He called out. "I lost my car in the storm and I need a ride home."

One of the men was an employee of the plant. "No problem, Lucas. You want to get in the truck; I'll run you by. Storm's played out now, lucky us."

Lucas nodded. "Yes, looks that way. Guess we were lucky." Shut the fuck up and get me home--

The windows blew out with the sound of a freight train hitting the room-the contents of the study became airborne and the room-twisted, shrieked like a live thing and broke apart. Beams from the ceiling gave way and dropped to the floor-Lex could hear himself screaming in fear and he didn't care, he heard his dad yelling for him. Dad! Oh my god, Dad!

He could hear himself yelling for his dad but it seemed as if that voice didn't belong to him, none of this was actually happening to him, it was playing out on a screen in his head and then the screen dimmed and went black....

Silence...pain...Lex looked up groggily at the ceiling. What the fuck happened to him? Why wasn't he moving? He heard a low continuous moan and licked his lips...it wasn't him. Who was...Dad? "Dad!"

The moaning stopped.

"Lex. Lex son, help me..."

"I can't move Dad-something's pinned me." He struggled to pull his legs free of the beam trapping them, he panicked until he realized under the trash he was laying in and on-his legs were bound up some how-he felt them, felt pain but not a lot. thank god, I'm stuck on something, not- hideous pictures of mangled flesh flashed through his mind and he shuddered. Lucky . Now he needed to get out of this mess and help dad...a wet cough brought him completely back to awareness.

He could hear his dad, every breath he took bubbled in his chest, he'd stopped moaning and Lex knew he was saving his strength, fighting to breathe... "Lex, help..."

He twisted and pulled frantically against the junk trapping him, his own breath harsh and loud in the unreal quiet. He could hear the wind outside, creaking and thumping noises coming from the outside but in this room it was as if a bubble enclosed them, anything else he heard had no reality, until-- "LEX!"

Lucas ran into the room and stopped dead-shock freezing him in place. His eyes darted back and forth, his mouth open in a horrified O and his eyes wide. A keening noise came from him, horrible, Lex shuddered, it was such an animal sound of fear and then Lucas saw him buried half under the papers and bits of the room. "Lex, Lex, thank god!" He threw himself towards Lex.

"Help dad, Lucas, save him!"

"No-I need to save you, you're bleeding!"

Lex looked down at himself in puzzlement. Bleeding? He didn't feel anything...and the moment he thought it his head began stinging and he realized his face was wet, "It's nothing, I'm fine but dad...he's in trouble!"

Lucas looked over at Lionel trapped beneath the beam, breath whistling wetly in his throat. As he looked, Lionel slowly came back to consciousness.

"Lucas, son...help..."

Lucas looked at him and said clearly, "No." and moved towards Lex. Lex screamed at him, "Help him! I'm fine Help Dad!"

"Help..." he was racked by a fit of coughing and Lex struggled harder to untangle himself, cursing at Lucas.

Lucas walked over to Lionel bent down and spoke quietly to him. "It's your fault that Lex won't love me back. He would if it wasn't for you."

"What...what...Lucas..."

"You're the reason. He'd love me if you weren't there, telling him it's wrong. It can't be wrong--we're meant to be together--the two of us, we're like puzzle pieces together, we're giants on this earth, we can own this world, not just your crappy little business. We can have the whole world...if he wants it." Lucas looked over his shoulder at Lex and Lex was petrified by the look of love and lust and possession that Lucas fixed him with. In his mind he was screaming, outwardly he struggled to look calm.

"Please help him Lucas, please help our father."

"Why? I don't remember him helping me when I needed it-in fact he gave me to you to take care of. Guess I shouldn't complain though, right Dad? Gave me to the one person in the world I need...I should thank you," he said. "My life has been filled with Lex, how much I need him, want him..." his voice trailed off as he stared down at Lionel, his eyes were cold, and empty.

Lionel grimaced and tried to pull back from Lucas-"You...it was you, not him..."

Lucas reached out and smoothed Lionel's blood wet hair away from his forehead and spoke soothingly.

"Aww, you figured it out. Good for you. Lex is a little balky, but soon he'll understand, I know it. Just like I know you're sorry you got in our way, and you want to atone."

Lucas stood and Lex watched--he felt shocky, hearing Lucas, seeing his face, it was too much, he felt ill, he was about to pass out. Breath hissed in and out of his clenched teeth as he tried to keep awake, aware...Dad...fuck-"Dad!"

"Lex-god, I'm sorry, help..." Lionel broke off in a deep moan of pain.

Lucas grabbed the beam and shifted it, Lionel let out a bark of pain and Lex yelled again. Lucas ignore them both, and said, "I was so overcome at seeing my beloved father in obviously terrible pain, that I raced in and tried to lift the beam he was trapped under. How was I to know that it would make things worse, lead to his death?" He heaved the post up as high as he was able and let it go.

Lex could hear the wet crunch from where he laid, the sound of Lionel dying echoing in his head.

Everything went black, when his vision cleared again, Lucas was standing over him, tears running down his face and a smear of blood across his lips, He sobbed and sank down next to Lex, grabbed his hand and let loose a torrent of tears, and in between sobs tried to explain why it was all for the best, that it was going to be fine, it would be, they'd help each other...Lex closed his eyes and felt hot tears run down his own cheeks. What the hell was he going to do?

Lucas' soft hot hand touched his cheek, stroking it gently. "I love you. I'm sorry, please, I'm so sorry..."

When Lex woke again, he was in the hospital, in Smallville. For a moment he knew he was in Metropolis, waking up from a nightmare- he was supposed to drive Lucas to school and he was running late...he tried to sit up in the bed, and fell back, groaning in pain, and the memories of what happened and where he was came flooding back.

The room was empty, quiet save for the sound of machinery. The light was low thankfully, and comforting, there was a low constant pain right behind his eyeballs. He could feel the rough hospital blanket on his legs and he was grateful, he hadn't been completely certain that his legs were okay. He moved them, felt bandages on one leg, and he felt the sting of stitches on his forehead, remembered that Lucas had blanched at the sight of his blood...and where was Lucas?

He dropped his head back to the pillow. What was he going to do about Lucas, Jesus...

The door opened and Mrs. Kent entered. "Oh, you're awake-good" she smiled. We've been doing shifts; you've been a little out of it."

Lex tried to smile back. "We? I've been an annoyance then."

Martha smiled "No, no, we've gladly taken our turns. We're much too fond of you and your brother not to look out for you when you need it..." she frowned. "Hon. I don't know if I should-how to even tell you, but..."

"My dad."

Her eyes clouded briefly, sadness for him, a little relief? "Yes, you know then?"

"I know," he said. "I knew ...he was going to die."

"Lucas," she started, and hesitated, she had to pull herself together before going on. "Lucas tried to help. But he accidentally...He's been going through horrible guilt these past few days...Clark's done everything he could to make him feel better, we all have."

Lex gurgled and Martha immediately came to his side, "Oh, Lex--are you okay?"

"Oh, fine-ah, my throat is a little dry, is all." He waved her off. A tap at the door signaled another arrival and Clark was there, standing a little away from the bed.

"Lex. How are you?" he asked and his eyes were red, and his forehead lined and he didn't look like a kid anymore. He looked at Lex with much less sympathy then his mother had and when she left them alone leaned over the bed and hissed, "How can you possibly live with yourself?"

Lex was shocked. "What? How could I what?"

"You know...Lucas told me that you told him not to save your dad. You saw it as a perfect opportunity, he said. With Lionel dead and out of the way, it all goes to you, all of it-except for what Lucas has...he kept telling me how you make his life a living hell, the things you do to him. I just didn't want to believe because of a stupid childhood crush-you're good, you really fooled me." Clark's hands were clenched on the side rail of the bed, and his cheeks blazed. He was the picture of disgusted fury. "You made me believe you were my friend...you made me think you were a good guy." He shook his head. "I feel stupid. I liked you so much."

Lex looked up at Clark in horror...what the fuck...Lex dropped his head back and closed his eyes. "There's nothing I can say, except that's not me. I wouldn't do that. I don't think that way. I am your friend. Clark, I always have been."

Clark eyes were dark, and his mouth was twisted into a smile of sorts. "Well, Lucas says the same thing about himself, and I'm not sure of that anymore either." He laughed, bitter and sharp. " You know what-I'm beginning to think? There's something going on here that could kill a normal person. I'm beginning to think you two were-made for each other."

Lex opened his eyes and looked at him. Did he know about Lucas? What would Lucas do to Clark if he thought he knew?

The door swung open and Lucas was in the doorway. He looked strangely panicked, his eyes darting from one to the other. "Clark! Clark. Let me speak to you."

Outside in the corridor, he asked Clark if he remembered his promise to him. "Don't-please don't say anything to anyone. Please!"

"But it's not right! It's wrong, can't you..." Clark drooped. Lucas was unmovable on the subject. For reasons he wasn't even sure he wanted to understand, Lucas was going to protect Lex to the death. Even though he claimed Lex abused him, threatened murder, plotted against his own father-Lucas still loved him enough to protect him? Clark felt like his head would explode-he needed to get away...to try to figure the whole thing out. Lucas was boiling with emotion, he blanketed Clark with it, it sucked him in and drained him and left him feeling like a helpless little kid. Whatever was going on here, it was way more than he could handle by himself, or understand at all. He thought briefly of Bruce...maybe this was the time to call him...

Lucas leaned his head on his shoulder. "Please Clark, think of me-you don't want to hurt me do you? You care for me, don't you?"

Clark pushed him away gently, "I'm going to get some coffee from the cafeteria-do you want me to bring you one?" He tried to keep from backing up; he didn't want to look like he was running from him.

Lucas looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Yes I think I would like one. I'll wait for you in Lex's room, okay."

Clark nodded and headed down the corridor. He glanced over his shoulder before he turned the corner. Lucas was still there, staring at him. Clark smiled but felt a little chill run down his back. Lucas looked so different...so distant.

Lucas huffed and licked his lips. This was it. He didn't have to be psychic to know his little game with Clark was beginning to unravel. Too bad.

He walked back into the room and Lex was looked up at him drowsily.

"Did you have your shot yet? Hmm? Are we nice and mellow now?" he grinned and sat on the edge of the bed, the blanket rough and bumpy under his hand. He could feel the heat of Lex's body through it, he cupped the warm rise of his dick.

"Stop. Now." Lex said, but Lucas laughed.

"Go ahead, stop me. I won't fight you." He peeled back the blanket and slid his hand under the cheap cotton gown. He planted his hand in the middle of Lex's chest as Lex struggled feebly, week as a kitten. It made Lucas smile. He pushed the gown up over Lex's hips, lowered his head, and licked a circle on the tip of Lex's soft dick, licking fast, and slow, and teasing the slit with his tongue until Lex gasped and groaned, and his dick began to jerk to life.

"Damn it, stop--Lucas!"

Lucas nodded and sucked him into his mouth and began working his tongue and lips over Lex's erect dick, pushing him deeper into his throat and swallowing, swallowing until Lex's hands thrashed feebly against the sheets, he pushed against him with no effect, Lucas just brushed his hands away-he felt trapped, helpless. He cursed his weakness, his helplessness, cursed the fact that he was more aroused then he'd ever been with anyone else...he wanted to die.

"No Lucas, please! Don't!" Lex's hips tried to lift against his grip, his head rolled from side to side and tears of frustration wet his pillow and he begged Lucas to stop, just as the rush of liquid heat rolled through him, just as his back arched and he groaned from pain as much as from pleasure, just as he began to spill into Lucas mouth-- he opened his eyes and met Clark's. Clark stood in the room, back against the door and two cups steaming in his hand.

Lex hissed, his vision blurred and he dropped back against the bed. He felt drained, like Lucas had leeched every bit of energy from him. He felt weak, in pain and nauseous.

Lucas stood and wiped his mouth. "Maybe I'll just keep you drugged until you get used to it."

Lucas whipped around when he heard Clark gasp. The splash of liquid hitting the tiles echoed in the room, the smell of coffee made Lex's nausea worse. Lex croaked, "Clark, Clark, listen to me..."

"No-you're both sick! And you...you're some kind of-of-you're disgusting! What kind of person would do what you--that?" The question was directed at Lucas; Clark's face was full of loathing. "You jerked me around since you've been here. I see now, I see it all now-and you..." he pointed at Lex. "You're pathetic-you let him do this. You deserve each other," he snapped at Lex.

He whirled from the room. "Don't, for God's sake ever-ever call me again-I'm going to try to forget I know you---either one of you. Bruce was right--I was a fool!"

Clark ran from the room, and Lucas grabbed wipes from the bedside table. He dropped to his knees and began wiping up the still warm coffee. "Don't worry, he won't say a word, he promised-that type never breaks a promise...he's kind of like you in that respect. We're leaving this town soon anyway, and believe me, no one will dare say a word against us." Lucas said. He stood and dropped the soggy mass into the trash, leaned over and kissed Lex on the forehead. "I'm going to give you this place on a silver platter, Lex, and that's just the beginning, lover. I'll be back, get some rest. You're signing yourself out tomorrow, and then, we're going back home to Metropolis. We have so much to do!"

Lucas walked into Lex's bedroom, set down a covered tray and pulled the curtains wide. "Look what a beautiful day it is, let the sun in, Lex! You always have your curtains closed." He cranked the windows open a little, and inhaled deeply. "Mmmm. Smell the air, I bet it smells good after being in that stuffy little hospital room, doesn't it-smell that? Those are lilies. I kind of like that scent, don't you? Maybe we can grow them on the penthouse roof."

Lex let Lucas' voice wash over him-he was concentrating on himself, feeling himself heal. Lex's body worked at knitting itself back together and at it's accelerated pace, it made him weak and feverish, wore him out, but his scalp had healed without trace of the jagged wound, and his legs were fine.

He'd had been home for a day and in that time, he'd learned that Lucas had been very busy. People called all day, asking after them, talking about his father. Arrangements were being made to put Lex in place as head of LuthorCorp, and Lucas announced his intention to Lex not to go to college, but to work for him at LuthorCorp. "Look, I did more than play in those clubs, I made valuable contacts. I got to know the kind of people that we're going to need, and soon."

He opened Lex's bag, pulled out the clothes Lex had worn to the hospital, rolled them into a bundle. He picked up the pill bottles on the bedside table.

"Here," he said, "You have to take this." He shook a couple of pills out of the bottles and handed them to Lex, and poured water into a glass from a carafe that was also on the bedside table.

"I brought you breakfast-I know you must be ravenous by now. You need to keep your strength up." Lucas lifted the cover. "Mmm, crepes-come on, try them, you love crepes...just a little bite...."

Lucas sat on the edge of the bed, and talked on. "You'll be glad to know everything's taken care of so far as Dad's concerned. Mrs. Kent helped me make arrangements for the funeral and all. She's really a great person, very caring and concerned, if a little slow to get a clue, the both of them. Can you imagine, they have no idea about Clark..." He looked at Lex and winked. "Anyway, like I said, everything's taken care of-Dad will be next to Mom, just as he wanted...though maybe not this soon," he murmured and drank his tea, making appreciative sounds.

Lex watched him dully, blanketed by a sense of unreality. Nothing seemed to make an impression on Lucas; he could have been discussing the death of a stranger. He puttered around the room, and tried again to get Lex to eat. When he wouldn't, Lucas fluffed his pillows, arranged Lex's blankets and examined his legs. "It's so amazing, isn't it? You don't have a scar, a mark, there's nothing to show what you went through." He ran his hands along Lex's legs, feeling the flawless skin with fascination and in reverent tones said, "A miracle. Our gift."

He held a thin elegant foot in one hand, looking at it, admiring the arch of bone, "So beautiful, so delicate, but strong..." He brushed his lips over the top of the foot, and Lex tried to yank it away.

Lucas tightened his grip and smiled at him, lowered his head to the foot, kissed the skin, smooth and fine as a baby's, he tongued the arch, moved over the foot and slipped his tongue between the toes. Lex kept himself still, refusing to react. "Are you finished?" he asked icily.

"No-I haven't even started," Lucas smiled, released Lex's foot and sat back. He offered Lex the crepes again, sighed when he refused it and began picking at the plate himself.

He chewed thoughtfully, watching Lex as he did. He swallowed and said, "You know, when I found you in the study," he paused and shivered, "I really understood how horribly dangerous and fleeting life could be, and how much you need to be protected. I know I'm the only one willing to protect you at any cost. Dad wouldn't, Bruce wouldn't...because I couldn't survive if something happened to you," he said. "Life would be pointless without you."

"See, I need to keep you safe and the best way to keep you safe is to make sure the world is safe for you." He continued. "And with the help of some good friends, and some planning on our part, I can make it so."

He seemed focused on some distant threat and his eyes blazed. "God help anything or anyone that tried to take you from me. I'll destroy any threat to you; anyone who tries to hurt you, anyone... but you know that now, don't you. Nothing could ever make me leave you." He put the plate on the tray, and shoved it back. "Do you have any idea how much I need you?"

"Lucas, please-I love you, but you're scaring me."

"Don't be silly, love." Lucas stood and gathered up the bundle of clothes. "I'll be back soon."

Lex took the tablets Lucas had laid out and swallowed them. He drank the water thirstily, feeling as if every cell in his body was soaking it up like a sponge, he nearly groaned it was so good. He laid back and a fuzzy kind of warmth slowly descended on him. He relaxed, felt a little less strung out. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes; let the cloud of warmth pull him deeper.... He'd figure out how to handle his brother. He had control. He could control Lucas, he always could...

Lex woke later in the evening. The room was dark; the curtains were still open and moving slightly in the evening breeze. Sweat dried on his body, making him feel sticky and dirty and a shower seemed like just the thing. He slid off the bed and headed to the bath, shedding clothes that felt like burlap and horsehair on his way. He was stripped down to boxers as he entered the bathroom, he dropped them on the floor, and stepped into the shower.

The water running over his too hot skin felt wonderful, but he showered quickly. Spurred on by a feeling of unease, he toweled off and returned to bed. The sheets felt cooler now and he spread himself across the bed, shoving pillows under his head and turning until he felt comfortable. The breeze flowed over him and his eyes grew heavy, and soon he was drifting in that twilight between sleep and wakefulness. He couldn't quite sink under completely, half formed thoughts roiled in his head, none of them pleasant, keeping him on the edge of dreams. Sorrow for his father, because of Lucas, lost to him forever-- Clark, whom Lucas had taken as well, and a home he had come to care for, gone now also in the wake of disaster and... tragedy.

It could have been averted, if he'd been stronger-or weaker. All of it was his fault...it would have been different if he'd admitted to himself his little brother was damaged-somehow, somewhere, Lucas had broken and Lex failed him.

He sank deeper finally and began to dream, and in his dreams Clark shouted at him, arms spread wide, across a field of dead sunflowers, and Lucas stood in front of him, his hands gripped his shoulders so tight it hurt,and whispered in his ear as blood ran out from under Lucas' grasping fingers and dripped down the white suit Lex wore. Even though the pain was awful and everywhere, he could feel a too wide smile stretching his lips, matching the smile on Lucas'.

When he opened his eyes again, moonlight gilded the floor under the still open window, the curtains still now in the absence of the breeze that had comforted him earlier, and the sheets were damp with sweat.

He felt a weight around his waist, and heat against his back. Breath blew warm and regular against his neck. His stomach clenched, and he tried to move. He heard a low murmur of sound, felt the bed shift and felt a slow roll against him. Lucas' arm tightened around him and he muttered a sleepy protest into the back of his neck. A chill ran down his spine. Lex said, "I'm getting up--"

"Don't leave, don't move..."

Was it a request, or was it a demand? He didn't really care. Lex felt himself withdrawing, pulling deeper into himself, letting the world slip off bit by bit, if he tried hard enough he knew he could get to where it was lovely and dark and empty and it would feel so good... He lay limp under Lucas' arm and when he didn't move away, Lucas hummed approvingly. He pressed his erection against Lex's ass, palmed his stomach and rubbed slow circles on his skin. "Mine, now," he whispered to Lex.

Lex closed his eyes, the faces of the people that Lucas might decide he needed protection from kept him from slipping totally away-if they were in danger, it was his fault, he was responsible for every one of them, he took a deep breath ...and relaxed back against his brother.

Lucas whimpered happily and burrowed into him, his hands slid down to cup him and his lips pressed against the pulse in his neck. When he squeezed Lex, pulled his earlobe into his mouth, and Lex arched back into him, Lucas groaned, "Oh! Oh!" and the sound was so full of joy, so happy that it might have made Lex's heart break if he hadn't already been shattered into slivers by his brother's love.

Lucas nuzzled his neck, turned him to his back. "Don't be scared." He kissed his ear gently, and nibbled and sucked on his earlobe. "Don't be frightened of me, I want only the best for you." His teeth grazed his lobe again and again, until Lex found himself leaning into it, and Lucas sighed happily. He moved down, kissing his neck, alternating licks and bites and small kisses until the skin was red and bruised. Lex kept his eyes closed and determined to endure it.

And Lucas fastened on his nipple; working over it with broad flat licks, again and again, pulling it between sharp teeth until Lex jumped-"Fuck! Stop, stop..." Weakness washed over him and made him limp. "Lucas, stop-please don't do this...."

"Give in, it won't kill you. Remember the hospital? Remember that time in the car...how it felt? You came, I know you did, admit it finally--you've always wanted me back. You were just afraid. There were so many times, you came close, you know you did--you want me." he closed his hand over Lex's dick, "you're hard...you want it."

Lex shook his head from side to side, but Lucas was stroking him, and a slick warm finger was pushing into him, and he had to fight harder not to react. Lex shuddered and bit his lip viciously, keeping still-- not moving-- was having the opposite effect-Every slow slick slide of Lucas fingers into him was absorbed and passed on to every nerve, magnified and fed back and heightened until he felt like he was in a giant feedback loop, every touch, every kiss, every wet press of Lucas' mouth against him sent him higher and higher, he didn't even feel human anymore-he was just a throbbing hurting mass of need, he needed more, he needed to come and he couldn't come and he needed more, and he was ashamed to hear himself pleading for more....

Lucas touched Lex just enough to keep him wanting... his own pants were open and he was jerking himself off, his head bent over Lex, teasing him with his tongue, barely touching him with little cat licks that made his dick jerk and drool but not enough, not enough...

Lucas' breath blew over his hyper-sensitive skin in short explosive bursts, Lex could hear his hand slapping over his dick. Sweat broke out on his chest, his back, shudders racked him as Lucas lifted his mouth away, and Lex tried not to reach out for him.

Lucas grunted, "Now." Lex closed his eyes, heard and felt Lucas come on his chest, his stomach....

It felt so hot, and slippery as it ran down his skin, and his own dick jerked hard...he felt seconds away from coming.

Lucas said, "You're whimpering. That's so hot. It made me come." He wrapped his hands around Lex's ankles. "Lift your legs," and Lex lifted them without hesitating. He was silent, but responded to every move of Lucas'. He lifted when Lucas ran his hand under him. He rubbed the head of his still hard dick over the loosened pucker of muscle, and Lex cried out. "Please!"

"Please what? Tell me, I want to hear it, tell me." He rubbed and slipped the head in and out, never quite entering, teasing him.

Lex's dick lay hard and twitching against his belly, in a pool of precome, his body was wet with sweat, his eyes barely tracked Lucas anymore, he hardly knew what was happening, where he was...all he knew was that he needed to be fucked and now and hard and please, it came tumbling out of his mouth in frantic stumbling sentences and Lucas groaned and shoved in, fast, hard and they both shouted, together. Lucas stared into his face,his eyes were wide with an expression of wonder, his lips were moving silently-he touched Lex all over, fingertips trailing over his sticky skin, and got harder inside Lex. Lex could feel him twitch and swell and it made him crazy. He turned his head away, dug his heels into Lucas' back and grabbed his forearms and rode him like a wild thing, wanting to feel pain, needing to hurt. Lucas made him come, and he screamed kill me until his voice was raw and strained and he couldn't make a sound.

Tears or maybe sweat splashed on his neck as Lucas shuddered his way to another orgasm, Lex felt him jerk and spill heat inside of him. Something made him turn back towards Lucas and Lucas' eyes were on his as he came and Lex thought he couldn't break more than he had but pain clawed through his chest...dry-eyed because he had no tears left,and his throat raw, on fire, Lex sobbed and Lucas pleaded with him not to....

The helicopter touched down, wind from the rotors swept them where they stood. The coffin was swiftly unloaded from the back of the hearse parked on the landing pad and into the helicopter as one of the men talked to Lex. Lucas stared up at the bright blue sky, tracking a hawk floating on an updraft. He didn't look at Lex, he didn't watch the coffin being loaded, he didn't look at the men. It might not be happening for all the interest he paid.

With the coffin safely stowed on board and business completed, the man shook hands with Lex, that two handed 'I feel your pain' squeeze that made Lex's stomach flip and he had to fight to smother the snarl that tried to surface. It was over--he wanted them gone as quickly as possible.

Lex and Lucas stepped back as the helicopter rose into the air. Black silhouettes of birds wheeled high in the clouds, like escorts to the helicopter as their father's body began its last journey back to Metropolis.

Lex turned to Lucas and his eyes were red. "That's it, let's go. You're driving," he said. his voice broke and he turned away from Lucas to pull himself together. Lucas made a little sound of sympathy and threw an arm around Lex's shoulders. "You'll be happy-as soon as things are back to normal, you'll see. Everything will finally make sense to you." He cradled Lex's head and kissed him. "You will see."

Lex nodded and walked to the car, head bent and surreptitiously wiping his mouth. He climbed in and sat waiting for Lucas.

Black clouds raced towards them as the car rolled down the drive, stone crunching under the tires with a sound like bones breaking and Lex leaned his head back to watch the Castle disappear in the distance. Lucas caught Lex looking back.

"It's on the market," he said, "We won't be back here again. There's no need."

"But, the plant..." Lex began.

"No," Lucas shook his head. "The plant, the farms, all going-we're moving in a different direction. A more profitable direction, one that's better for the both of us."

"I see," Lex said. He watched the Castle until it was out of sight. He had the feeling whatever was left of happiness in his life he'd lost there

They raced past fields of corn and wheat, past stands of sunflowers moving stiffly in the slight breeze. The car was silent; each of them caught up in their own thoughts, until they began to run along the river, headed to the bridge where Lex had a feeling everything should have changed....

A figure stood on the bridge all alone, head turned down towards the water. Lucas chuckled. "Well, look who it is."

Lucas slowed as they ran over the bridge and they passed Clark at a crawl. Lex leaned his head against the window and gazed at Clark. He felt loss and longing in every cell of his body.

Clark looked back into the car windows, and Lex jerked back. Clark's face twisted with loathing. He made eye contact with Lex and in that brief moment, he felt as though Clark looked through him, into him, into his heart and soul...passed judgment on him and declared him less than human. Hate flared in his eyes, forcing Lex to look away from the revulsion, the accusation burning in them-- he swore he could feel Clark's hatred of them tear at his heart like fangs.

Lucas seemed oblivious to what passed between Lex and Clark. He grinned and held his hand up to his ear, mimed speaking on a phone. 'Call me', he mouthed and blew him a kiss. He only laughed when Clark turned bright red with fury and took an involuntary step toward the slow moving car. One step, another and Lucas sped up, leaving Clark behind them on the bridge.

Lex felt as if he were drowning in tears he couldn't shed. He wanted to scream, he wanted to slap Lucas, who laughed and laughed as they drove on over the bridge, and not long after past the sign....

X

The towers of Metropolis rose in the distance and sunlight broke through the clouds, gilding the city a warm gold with the late afternoon light. Blue and gold and rose clouds dashed across the sky and even at this hour some lights glittered in the stone spires. Metropolis looked new and fresh from this vantage point, it looked untouched and full of promise, light and airy as if any moment it would float away into the stars. It was beautiful, and full of life-perfect at this distance. It would take time to discover its sores, the pockmarks under its pure faade.

They soared towards Metropolis, tires flying over the road, and heavy silence filling the car until Lucas asked Lex if he loved him.

"Of course," he said, his voice flat and distant as he stared at the city growing on the horizon. Lucas smiled and reminded him that they'd never be alone again, and Lex said, "I know."

Lucas asked him if he was happy and when Lex laughed, he laughed too, and squeezed his knee and drove faster and faster towards Metropolis.

Fin