Exiled

From far away he heard the words. Far away like they were being shouted down a tunnel. Wake up. Wake up! So he opened his eyes and was mildly surprised that it didn't help.

The words were still coming to him from the end of a tunnel only now there was an unpleasant light to go with it. He could see this person, this person he knew but he couldn't get a name and a face to go together-he couldn't get the voice and the mouth to go together...it was like watching a badly dubbed Japanese movie, only the fight scenes were boring, they were mostly about shaking him back and forth.

And if that didn't stop right now, he might throw up. Now the voice was loud and soft and then loud again-fuck, he wished the voice would stop, and the shaking extended to the whole room now, if he wasn't so sure he was dying he might have had to laugh about that.

Now Voice was waving his hand in front of his eyes, and he did snicker than, Voice's fingers were jumping off his hand and then jumping back, and damn-- laughing--that had been a Very Bad Idea-- he leaned over and threw up.

God, he was dying-shit! He still had stuff he wanted to do-like right now, throw up, and he threw up again. Fuck, that hurt, he felt something snap that time, but better now-Voice is shrieking something now, no volume control on that idiot-now he's whispering again, oh-how nice, he's wiping his face with a-- what is that, burlap, shit-it's like sandpaper and oh! -Here we go again-and he threw up.

Voice finally shut the fuck up, and thank you very much for turning the lights off-

"And sending me out to Small-god damn-ville, Kansas is going to help how?" Lex tried to reign in his temper, and remember that his dad was only trying to help, but Smallville? What the hell was in Smallville? And a fertilizer factory? He's sending me to run a place that makes...shit?

"Dad, I've been doing great lately, and I'm going to keep doing great, and frankly...this stuff...it can't hurt me. We both know that. Why try to pretend that fact doesn't exist?" Lex exhaled deeply. "I can't get hooked on anything-you know I've changed since that day, the meteors, you know something in them made my body alter, besides the obvious. I mean beyond an occasional cold, I don't get sick-I heal too fast-"He laughed, "Not that that's a problem." He flexed the fingers that'd been broken.

"Lex, I know everything you're telling me. I know it very well. But this mutation, beneficial as it seems to have been to you, can't prevent death from an overdose and I'm afraid that the manner in which you've been living... well, death seems more and more a likely outcome." He came to put his hands on Lex's shoulders and spoke softly. "I'm going to prevent that. I need to prevent that. I've been distant, that's true, but I want to change that. I'd like us to have a relationship again." He lifted his eyes to Lex's, surprising the young man with the emotion he could see there.

"This episode scared me Lex. I've never seen you so close..." He shuddered slightly, and went on, "Well, I hope that you'll let me give you the help you need." He squeezed Lex's shoulders and moved away again.

"I feel it would be best for you to get out of Metropolis. Away from your old -friends, and away from temptations, frankly. You'll like Smallville; it's changed since you were there last. And while I know it doesn't have the happiest of memories for you..."

Lex flared up, "Gosh, Dad, do you really think so?" his hand swept across his bare scalp in an automatic reflex. "Let's stop playing. I know what this is all about! You don't have any faith in me! You've never had any faith me! It's just another way for you to sweep me under the rug, to send me away."

His father shook his head, "No, Lex, I'm not sending you away-I'm sending you to something, something that you need, a goal--a purpose, son. And I do have faith, you know. It's just that it's going to be easier to have faith when you're in Smallville." He smiled, and Lex observed there was a lot less doting father in that smile and a lot more Lionel.

"I've got staff in place, opening the castle now, and by the time you get there it should be quite livable again. The plant manager is preparing to hand the reigns over to you and I think everything should transition smoothly."

Lex nodded as though he were in deep thought-- transition my ass-- and calculated how quickly he could get back to Metropolis from Bumfuck.

"And by the way, Lex. Bruce is going with you. He kindly cleared his schedule so that he could spend the summer with you, isn't that nice?" He dad grinned in delight.

He had to admit, his dad had been nothing but caring and considerate the whole time Lex was recovering from his injuries, but Lionel was still Lionel, and being a prick ran in his blood. He could tell how much his dad enjoyed imparting that bit of information. In an odd way Lex found it comforting...a bit of familiarity in the skewed world he'd been living in lately.

God-Smallville...Bruce....

His dad smiled warmly at him.

Prick.

Bruce drove in silence for what had to be one of the longest car rides Lex had ever taken. He spent most of it with his eyes closed, leaning against the window and wondering when he'd be able to duck Bruce and find some fun. Everyplace had a spot, some place where fun could be had, please god.

They were getting close to this Smallville, Smallhell, whatever and yes, there was the sign, with it's Twilight-Zone-ish overtones.

Meteor Capital?

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Jesus. Someone had a god-awful sense of humor. He snorted and Bruce turned slightly toward him.

"Glad to see you're finally not pretending to be asleep. We're going to visit your factory first."

Lex rolled his eyes, fuck you my factory, and slumped a little lower in the seat-prayed for strength. The last thing he wanted to do was run that place, but his Dad thought it was a great idea, and for once Bruce and his dad agreed. It was horrible how much they'd bonded over his latest stupidity.

"Lex. It's past time for you to take on some responsibility." Bruce frowned. "You know, that night-- the party," Bruce paused significantly and Lex knew that particular screw-up would be remembered forever in everyone's mind as That Night and groaned silently.

"If someone there hadn't gotten worried enough to contact me, Lex, you'd probably be dead now," he stated flatly. "At least you were smart enough to have my card on you." He stared ahead and settled into silence again. Lex watched the country side slide by and tried to empty his mind of all thoughts, especially the desire to strangle Bruce. At least until he stopped driving.

The tour of the factory had been pretty much as he expected, just the pretty parts and a quick run-down on procedures boiled down for an idiot. It was plain he was expected to be a figurehead, and that was more than fine with him. Let them run the day to day business, he was far from interested in this -this-crap factory.

Bruce continued to annoy the living hell out of him by being interested in every aspect of the place and extending his descent into hell with every question, the dick. Even this Gabe guy was beginning to sweat and look nervous. Finally Bruce let the poor guy go, and he could get out of this place, though not without a stack of information he was supposed to go through. Well fine, it would give Bruce something to do.

The drive to the Ancestral Home was filled with weighty silence, which meant that he could expect further lectures from Bruce. He wasn't speaking now, thank god and the silence was nearly comfortable so Lex did nothing to break it. They were driving up to a bridge, and Bruce pulled out a bit, considered passing a truck ahead of them. He shrugged and dropped back, and let the truck over the bridge first. He dropped back a bit more and was turning to Lex to ask a question, when a shout of "Look out!" broke the silence first; Bruce looked up to see a bale of wire headed their way. He snapped the wheel hard to the right, the tires screamed across the asphalt, and they just managed to miss the wire spinning towards them. The truck continued on, the driver unaware it seemed, that he'd lost part of his load.

The two sat, stunned and shocked, the car was nose first in a ditch, and they hung forward in their restraints. Lex's first coherent thought was, 'bastards-- the air bags should have deployed;' he was barely aware that someone was pounding on the window, and when he did look to his side, for a flash all he saw, all he could see, were green eyes staring into his.

It was a moment he knew he'd never forget-looking into those eyes, he felt as though he were flying.

Suddenly the cocoon of silence that surrounded them burst, and sound exploded on his ears, he could hear the kid yelling, and Bruce cursing and Lex realized they really were nose first in a ditch. There was a lot of blood on Bruce's face, and for a second he was paralyzed with fear. At the same moment the kid must have seen it because he could distinctly hear him gasp. When Lex looked around, he wasn't there; he was on Bruce's side of the car, gently pulling him out. Every line of his form spoke of concern and Lex felt stupidly jealous for a moment. He unbuckled and started to get out when the kid was at his elbow, helping him out of the low-slung car. His smile made Lex want to drop down and kiss his shoes, he was gone, completely in lust for this gorgeous creature. Apollo, right here in front of him... any chance in heaven the kid was gay? Oh wait, he thought. It's me. Heaven shits on me. I'm sure he's straighter than Bruce...ok, way straighter then Bruce.

And there was Bruce, glaring at him like it'd been his fault they had an accident.

"You were the one driving!" Lex snapped.

Bruce's head tilted as he stared at him. "What? What in the world do you mean by that?" Bruce looked puzzled and mildly concerned.

"Nothing." Lex could feel his ears getting warm, which meant his whole head was red now, god. He glanced over and saw the guy grinning at him.

"Automatic reflex, hunh?" He laughed and Lex had to laugh with him.

"Yeah, kind of," he grinned back. He took a step forward. "I'm Lex Luthor," he said and held out his hand.

"Clark Kent," the other said, and took his hand in a firm warm grip. Lex was amazed at the size of Clark's hands, and not a little intrigued. What was that they said about big hands?

Bruce stepped up behind Lex and Clark held his hand out, and Bruce reached over Lex's shoulder and took it. The movement pressed him into Lex's back. "Bruce Wayne," he said and his voice rumbled out of his chest like distant thunder and the vibration went right into him-what the fuck is he doing Lex thought and than saw the change in Clark's eyes as they focused on Bruce, and wished really hard that just for once God would hear him and strike him with lightening then and there. No. Bruce. It should strike Bruce. Or maybe Clark, Clark and Bruce, because he was sure Bruce was messing with both their minds, and it looked like Clark was falling for it,shit,shit,shit!

The police came, and information was taken, an emergency vehicle came, they were pronounced fine, Bruce having just a minor cut on his forehead and finally they could go. A tow truck was due to pull the car out of the ditch, and Bruce decided that Lex should wait for it. With Clark. Bruce was going to ride up to the castle with Clark's father, who as luck would have it was right behind the police. To say he was not pleased would be an understatement.

Jonathan Kent was furious, furious with Clark, though Lex couldn't understand why. Furious with Lex, that he could understand, he was sure ugly gossip made it out into the boonies too. In fact it was only the presence of Bruce that seemed to calm him down, Bruce got immediate respect from the man. Kent talked to Lex and Clark like they were twelve and talked to Bruce like he was a contemporary and that just made Lex want to kneecap him, even more than before. Bruce was only a year older, though god knew centuries duller. No wonder all the old people thought he was so wonderful. Bastard. Lex figured this was a prime opportunity for Bruce to get in good with Clark's dad, impress him with that meager store of charm he thought he had in such abundance-how he managed to fool other people into thinking he was charming never failed to amaze and annoy Lex.

He turned to Clark and shrugged. "Well, I guess we're stuck here till Bruce comes back with a car." He smiled at Clark, hoping to make him smile back, but Clark was staring up the road, deep in thought. When he turned back to Lex, he suddenly seemed get who he was talking to. Lex watched the realization slip over his face, the 'OhMyGod' effect he called it.

"Wow. Lex Luthor. Wow.' He said quietly, and smiled at him. Lex had been expecting a more vehement reaction, it was what he usually got, that and a calculating look, but this guy just seemed...interested.

"So, Bruce is 'Bruce Wayne, very rich guy'? You two are friends? Wow. That's...that seems right," he grinned. " Did you guys meet in college, or something?"

"Or something." Lex said, and wished devoutly for a brick to bash his own brains out. Fucking Bruce. "We went to boarding school together. We've known each other since forever." He looked at Clark. "We're very good friends. Very good." He watched Clark's face, to see any changes, but he just smiled a little.

"Oh. He seems...cool."

"Yeah, well looks can be deceiving." He muttered. Come on dammit, Bruce. How long could it take? Clark turned to him and focused all his attention on Lex. "So. What are you doing in Smallville? Doesn't seem like it would interest someone like you."

"What do you mean, like me?" Lex bristled slightly. Was he going to have to go through the freak thing all over again, here in America's armpit?

Clark smiled a little. "Well, rich and famous, and used to bright lights and all. We're just farmers mostly here." He grinned. "Our excitement is pretty much the county fair. And that sounds so-like Opie's going to show up any minute with a fishing rod."

Lex laughed and grinned back, feeling relieved. "So are you trying to tell me that there's nothing to do out here? Nothing for a guy like me, or you just trying to imply I'm spoiled?"

Lex sat on the side of the road, and looked up at Clark. It was a very good view; an excellent view and he let his gaze linger at key points of Clark's anatomy.

Clark looked a little nervous and flustered "Oh, I'm not trying to say anything-- I really don't know -I don't -I just kind of keep to myself. My friend-- I play video games with him, or I go to the movies with some friends-or hang out at the Beanery, everyone hangs out there." He shifted a bit, moving out of Lex's line of sight, and then sat next to him. By the time the truck pulled up a little later, Clark seemed to have gotten over his nervousness. Lex was glad of it. He made arrangements for the car, and devoted his attention to Clark again. They sat and talked about nothing of great consequence, video games, movies, discovered they had a lot of tastes in common--particularly movies--and Lex invited Clark over to watch movies with him, maybe on the weekend? Clark seemed more than agreeable to the idea, and Lex made a mental note to quickly order an entertainment set-up...and movies. Lots of movies.

He heard Bruce coming up the road. Clark stood first and offered Lex a hand, pulled him gently upright. They stepped back off the road. Bruce parked and got out of the car, but just leaned on the hood and waited for Lex to come over.

"Clark, can we give you a ride home?"

"Thanks Lex, but I'm going to walk. It's not that far. Walking is something we farmers do a lot of out here in the country," he said, but with a grin and a lightly teasing tone that let Lex know he was kidding and made him smile in return.

" OK. Maybe you'll show me this Beanery place where all the cool kids hang out one day?" Clark smiled and Lex thought that all the smiles before this were miserly skimpy things compared to the wonder of this smile, like the sun coming out after decades of darkness-- Lex swore he felt his heart explode. He glanced back at the car, and dammit, Bruce was looking, more than looking, he was stunned. Shit.

Clark waved at Bruce and him and strolled off.

Lex and Bruce looked at each other. Lex thought, shit. Please Bruce. Not now not him. Bruce seemed to shake himself back into awareness, and stared hard at Lex.

"Let's get home. There's a lot we have to go over, an we don't have that much time."

Good, Lex thought. That's Bruce. Straight to business. Just the way I like him.

They got to work right after dinner, Bruce pulling out folders, and spreading papers and all in all giving every indication that he loved doing this. Lex was less enthusiastic, but began to show a bit of interest under the relentless force of Bruce's enthusiasm. "So, they import most of these materials? Hmmm. What' that?" he pointed at a sheaf of papers fanned out in front of Bruce.

"Oh, one of the employee's had an idea for a new container system for the end product. That's something you might want to encourage. Production goes up when employees feel invested in a company."

"Unh-Hunh" Lex replied, and looked over the designs. He was definitely going to have to look this person up. He had a great idea here, very interesting. He really liked talking to people who were excited about what they were doing; it was the best way to learn something new, he always thought.

Bruce looked at him, with a satisfied fond look. His pupil was catching on. Lex could see the 'reward the puppy' look on his face. Yah kiss my ass Bruce.

"Tell you what, let's go over these figures tomorrow. We need a break, what do you say? A movie maybe, popcorn with?" Bruce could be a complete and utter ass sometimes Lex thought, but also kind of cute and nice. Sometimes. Rarely.

They'd watched whatever was on the television, made fun of old movies, and Bruce smiled when Lex rewrote dialogue aloud. At some point Lex ended up sprawled between Bruce's legs, pressed up against his chest, the bowl of popcorn on Lex's lap so that Bruce had to reach around him to get at it. Each time he did, it brought his mouth close to Lex's neck, and the warm breath on his skin made him shiver from time to time. It was becoming more and more difficult for Lex to ignore the heat at his back, Bruce was just so big and solid-and warm. The heat and solid mass of Bruce behind him made him relax, made his control loosen, and he leaned harder against Bruce, not bothering anymore to maintain some distance between them. Lex hummed in contentment, and then Bruce's hand dropped from his waist to his lap and slid under the bowl. He pushed it onto the floor and pulled Lex against him, pushed his hardness into his back and breathed a quiet moan into Lex's neck. Lex felt his dick swell under the warm weight of Bruce's hand and let his head drop back onto his shoulder. Bruce licked little circles on his neck, up to his ear, and whispered Lex's name softly over and over into it. Lex pushed against Bruce's hand, moved his hips so that he rubbed against his palm, and a stream of gasps and groans flowed out of him. He felt so close to release, and it had been so long since he'd done anything. Bruce was frankly thrusting into his back. Lex's waist was held tightly in Bruce's hands and he was grinding Lex's body against his own, His forehead was down on Lex's shoulders and his breath was loud and hot in Lex's ear. Suddenly roughly, he yanked Lex back into him and he could feel Bruce's dick pulsing, and a flood of heat as he ground hard against him. He shook too as he came in hot spurts that seemed to be wrenched out of his body. Fuck, fuck, he didn't want to do this with him, oh shit, it felt too good, but not this, and wrenched himself from Bruce's arms.

"Bruce, Bruce damn it! We don't want to do this!"

Bruce's mouth worked but it took a moment for him to speak "You didn't say no-I would have stopped if you said no...why are you blaming me when you wanted it as much as I did?" Bruce looked genuinely confused and upset, and he stood to come after Lex, who held up his hand.

"No, we're going to not do this. We're not going to talk bout it, we're not going to analyze it, we're going to fucking well act like it didn't happen!"

Lex didn't look back at Bruce. He went straight to his room and closed the door behind him. His head hit the door with a thump, and he groaned.

What went on just now? He knew Bruce was attracted to him. He never made a secret of it. But Bruce had never acted on it, and Lex had never encouraged it. Lex snorted. He had too much experience with what was bad for him to go for Bruce. He really did love him, didn't want to pull him down into something that could only be terrible for the both of them.

He stripped off, threw himself onto his bed and wondered what had brought that -scene on...Clark? Was it that Kent guy? Or was it an attack of jealousy? Trying to mark his territory... Fuck. It was Bruce. Who knew what went on in that head of his? Lex sighed heavily. Now would be the perfect time to be really, really drunk.

The next morning at breakfast, Bruce tried again to talk about the previous day's incident, but Lex held his hand up, and shook his head. He could see Bruce shut down, his eyes went flat and blank and his lips thinned, he was the same Bruce that drove him to Smallville.

"We're going to the factory today."

"What, you're coming with? Are you planning on hanging out with me all day, and please say no?"

Bruce sat back and crossed his arms, stared at Lex like he was staring at a particularly vile patch of mold, or so Lex interpreted the look.

"Lex. Do you think you're ready to run the business--a business?" Bruce smirked as he put his hands on the table and Lex searched his mind for a scathing come-back as he watched him play with the silverware, arrange the forks and knives in defensive positions around the plate. He'd just been insulted by Bruce in a typical Bruce way, but he was man enough to take it and move on. Lex got up from the table and blew a raspberry at Bruce before he left the room the room in a dignified way. He felt a little wave of relief sweep through him when he heard Bruce's chuckle. The small sound reassured him that they were back on track.

The office he sat in was unreasonably hot, and he yanked at the tie at his throat, and growled.

Bruce looked up from the charts he was studying, and made an inquiring noise.

Lex snarled, "What idiot decided that floor to ceiling glass in a hot and god awful humid environment was a good idea!"

Bruce looked cool as a cucumber or some other vegetable and Lex was positive he was just as sweaty and hot as he was, but was hiding it just to piss him off.

"They'll have the air fixed soon, Lex. Now would be a good time to practice patience," Bruce murmured. Lex could only stare aghast at the huge slab of platitude-ness in front of him.

"Bruce. If I didn't have a fund of patience, you'd be breathing your last right now."

Bruce smiled and pointed out to Lex, "You know, you could save a lot by importing rock phosphate." Lex nodded, he'd already looked over those figures and knew they were bleeding money there, material was scarcer and more expensive here, and they were eventually going to be forced to find other sources, better to prepare themselves now and -and thank you Bruce. You've sunk this thing into my brain now. Lex sighed. It happened all the time-mild interest mutated into obsession. He refused to look at Bruce but he could feel his smile anyway.

It was late evening by the time they returned home, and Bruce seemed to be in a very good mood. Bruce grabbed Lex by the arm when they were in the foyer, and told him to "Shower and dress for the evening, we're going out tonight." He grinned at Lex's perplexed expression

"What, in Smallville, dress for what? A particularly formal cow-tipping?" he sneered. Bruce swung him around and pointed him in the direction of the stairs.

"No, you miserable shit, I'm taking you to Metropolis." Bruce gave him a sharp shove forward. Lex staggered a bit but grinned and replied, "Ah, so the secret to a happy Bruce is for Lex to work his butt off. And worth it to get out of Mayberry for the night! Where're we going? A club? Not one of those dreary little jazz bars you go to, I hope--"

"I know you're kidding" Bruce said. He grinned like he was enjoying the joke too. "There's a new alternative Jazz club opening--I had to call in a few favors, but we'll be going to the premiere tonight!" He looked incredibly pleased with himself.

Lex smiled at him despite the stabbing pain behind one eye. Maybe, with luck, he was having a massive stroke; that would be a good way to get out of this. Alternative Jazz, as far as Lex was concerned, was the unholy marriage of a cat in distress and treacle. Bruce knew his feeling on this matter-and the look on his face told him plainly that he did not give a shit. "Right," he sighed. "Jazz, oh boy. Let's get dressed, then."

It was three hours to Metropolis. It was an hour to get to the new club, half an hour before the mainliners, fifteen minutes before Lex excused himself to go to the bathroom, slipped out side and hailed a cab-arrived at his favorite club in twenty minutes. And then, he lost track of time, lost track of his tie and lost track of his jacket quickly after. Sometime later he lost track of his shirt.

He found old friends though. He found Terry in the back of the club, hunched over a little glass table in a lounge area between the bathrooms, a dark little alcove, private and plush with overstuffed couches and a scattering of tables suitable to hold drinks or other recreational drugs, Lex noted as Terry lifted his head, teeth bared in a ferocious smile. "Lex! " he sniffed deeply. "Lex!" he licked his lips and patted the couch next to him. "Haven't seen you in a long time, my friend! Where have you been?"

"Oh, recovering from almost dying," he said as he sat.

"No shit? Wow, that's rough," Terry said with no real concern, as though Lex had told him he had overdue library books. Lex didn't give a shit either. Terry was an asshole, but he was a generous asshole, plus he had a great body, and he loved getting his dick sucked and he had...Lex leaned forward...coke?-- he thought, looking at the powder on the table. Grinned up at Terry. "Let's figure out how we can help each other, shall we?"

He leaned over the small glass table and slid the razor against the glass, it moved smoothly slicing through the powder, cleanly separating it into lines. Lex liked handling the razor almost as much as he liked snorting the coke-he scraped the bit up on his key and inhaled- loved it when it hit and rode him.

It just seemed like the best idea in the world when Terry unzipped and waved his dick at him, to go down on him. Why not? Lex thought. After all, it wasn't like he had anything or anyone to do right now, and he felt -warm, good, happy as shit, why shouldn't Terry feel good too, the ass-hole. He dropped between Terry's spread knees and grabbed his little fat dick in his hand and rolled his tongue across the tip, and Terry moaned and shoved his hips up. Lex relaxed and let him fuck his mouth, only moving to smack his hands away when he went for his head. Lex didn't want those sweaty hands on him, touching him, and he pulled off Terry to let him know that was a Big Wrong-Terry groaned and babbled, "Sorry, sorry, no touching I forgot, I'm sorry!"

Lex grinned and went back to his work. He sucked hard at the head, and Terry beat his fists against the couch cushions, sunk his fingers into them when Lex took him down to the base of his dick, and worked his throat muscles around it. God, what an ass-hole-Terry had the coke, he had the control, but he had no idea, too stupid to see it. Typical Terry. Lex thought it was lucky for him he had a nice dick, and Lex was into dick. When he laughed around the head, Terry clenched every muscle in his body and gasped so loud it was almost a scream, he jerked his hips and fucked Lex's mouth in time to hoarse screams and started coming. Lex was caught off guard, and his throat worked frantically as he swallowed, trying not to choke and Terry lost his mind, it seemed as if he came forever.

Lex sat back and licked his lips, was about to ask Terry for another hit, when the man's face turned paper white. Fuck, Lex thought, cops?

A heavy hand dropped on his shoulder, and his stomach sank, worse than cops, worse than death-

Bruce.

He turned to face him with a smirk pasted on his face, wiped a finger through the semen on his lip before he stuck it in his mouth.

Bruce tightened his grip painfully on his shoulder. He had the lost jacket crushed in the other hand. Lex tried to keep smiling through the pain.

"I should just leave you here," Bruce rasped. The hand tightened again, and Lex fought to keep from gasping. Bruce glared at Terry. "Get the fuck out," Bruce snarled. Terry made a move towards the powder on the table, but drew back at the look on Bruce's face. He hung immobile in a welter of indecision, but when a growl like a German Shepard came from between Bruce's clenched teeth, Terry proved he wasn't too stupid to have a sense of self-preservation, and ran.

Bruce's grip tightened, and Lex's eyes dropped shut and he hissed. Tightened again and Lex finally gasped aloud, felt like bone was being crushed. He was going to have a horribly spectacular bruise in the morning, if he lived through the night.

"You fucking little asshole junkie- wanna-be-I promised your father I'd take care of you!" Bruce shook him a little with each word, shooting lances of pain through his shoulder.

In Lex's drug bleary and pain-addled mind, he heard it as 'take care of' in the mafia sense. He burst into tears at the thought that Bruce would let his father talk him into killing his childhood friend.

Bruce smacked him, hard enough to knock him down. Fuck, this was it, he was, really truly mad-- mad at him! He sobbed, god he was a dead man-

Bruce loomed above him, and his face was in shadow, only his mouth twisted in a curl of disgust was visible. "Stop crying! Get up!" He yanked Lex to his feet and wrapped a hand around his throat, and squeezed lightly, just enough to break through Lex's haze of drugs and self-pity. Lex's eyes dried as the reflex to protect himself kicked in.

"Get the fuck off me!" He yelled and tried to kick out at Bruce, but his leg was gripped between Bruce's' and he couldn't move. He was pressed full length against him, so tight he could hardly draw breath. And then, he noticed that Bruce wasn't moving, and his eyes were closed. At the same moment that it registered Bruce was breathing heavily into his neck, he also realized he was hard. Without thought he pressed into Bruce and Bruce rocked back with a little moan. "Lex, Lex, why won't you let me -every one else can, why not me?" He sounded so plaintive and young, not at all like the huge guy who was pressing an iron rod into Lex's stomach. Lex groaned deep in his throat, and asked himself the same question-why not? Bruce was damn hot, he's known him forever, they keep skirting on the edge of it, messing up pants and their minds and--

"I don't know. Stop, stop." he gasped. He jerked as Bruce reached between them and palmed his erection. "Not here, not here," Lex moaned. "Home, please?"

Bruce looked dizzy and glazed. "Wha-your penthouse," he panted.

"No," Lex sighed. "I want to go back to Smallville."

"But--but," Bruce began. "It's a long ride, and" ...He sighed and released Lex. He knew it was Lex's way of backing him off with out hurting his feelings-much.

They avoided speaking about the botched evening the next few days.

Lex snorted to himself as he watched Bruce go about his business without a word, without eye contact.

'We're the kings of denial.' Lex didn't go out of his way to avoid Bruce, it would have been too much like admitting he had been an asshole, but he kept quiet, and somehow wasn't in his presence for a few days.

Saturday evening, and Lex and Bruce were finally speaking again. Lex let Bruce know that there was no way in hell that he was going to be working on factory stats with him, so they were in the newly appointed entertainment room. Bruce was sullenly hooking up the equipment while Lex helpfully read directions and gave advice, curled up on the huge leather sectional sofa he 'd ordered with a heart full of hope.

The phone rang, and it was Clark. Lex struggled to keep the grin off his face as he listened.

"Hey Lex! I was wondering if the invite still stands to watch movies-I understand if you're too busy."

"Come on over, Clark. I'd be glad to have you. I'm really bored right now, just sitting here by myself--"

Bruce's head jerked out from around the stack of audio equipment he was connecting and glared at Lex, who smiled smugly back at him.

"Great then, Lex, I'll be over in a little while," Clark replied.

"Terrific, Clark," Lex smiled to himself as he hung up and then snapped at Bruce. "Aren't you done yet?"

Bruce stood up and leveled a long, blank stare at Lex. "Completely." And he left the room.

Um. That might have been a bit harsh, he thought, and squirmed under a prick of conscious. He pushed it down and thought about Clark instead-he had everything he needed for a great evening, his setup was ready, and movies unpacked and in their spots. He only had to call down to the kitchen and have some snacks sent up-- it was going to be a good night.

Clark was having a great time. It was fun to watch movies with Lex, and he was even better than Chloe at playing the dialogue dubbing game. Lex was sarcastic and quick, and Clark thought he was sophisticated, and really nice. Nice enough to spend a Friday evening with a middle-class high schooler instead of other...super rich people. And rich hardly began to describe it...this room alone was beyond amazing-Lex had one hell of a set up, a plasma screen TV bigger than his whole bedroom, and the newest game system, and speakers he'd sell his granny for if he had one...He blushed a little and grinned.

Lex caught the blush and wondered what Clark was thinking about. He hoped it meant that he was enjoying this as much as he was. He drank in the sight of the boy spread loose -limbed all over his side of the sofa. God help him-it was worth every bit of the fortune he spent for the damn thing.

Clark's t-shirt rode up a bit when he twisted to grab a handful of chips from the bowl on the table, and exposed a tan and very fit abdomen-farm life was good to Clark, Lex thought, with a grin.

Clark rolled off the sofa and dropped to the floor. He crawled across the carpet to where Lex had the movies carefully arrayed in alphabetical order and lay on his stomach as he examined the titles. Lex let the tiniest whisper of a groan float out between his clenched teeth and adjusted his suddenly too tight jeans.

Clark's jeans had slid down enough for Lex to see a little triangle of wispy soft looking hair on Clark's lower back-it was begging to be touched-his breath caught in his throat when Clark wriggled against the soft carpet, and he was trying to hide an erection when Clark rolled over on his back, looked between his legs at him and waved his choice. "Hey, how about this, Lex?"

Oh. God. Yes. "Ah- sure-ah...what is it?" He licked lips gone dry and tried for a 'we're just chums here' grin. Lex rearranged himself and pulled a pillow into his lap as Clark set up the movie. He turned to Lex with a brilliant smile and started to speak, and then -stopped. His mouth hung open just a bit, and his eyes were locked over Lex's shoulder. Lex turned slowly around.

Bruce. Standing in the doorway.

With a towel, and a tight-it had to be a swimsuit, could be paint, Lex thought as his eyes wandered over to the metal sculpture in the corner and he wondered if he could kill Bruce with it before Clark stopped him. He knew Clark would stop him because he was a good person, and because he might as well have been licking the goddamn rug, his tongue was hanging out so far.

Oh, yes. He was going to kill Bruce at the first available opportunity. Anger gave him an instant headache, he was getting a stomachache, and a lump in his throat that he couldn't swallow. He looked at Bruce with has much anger as he could muster, but he was afraid the hurt showed on his face.

He looked at Clark, and looked back at Bruce, who had the strangest expression on his face, an almost crumbled, kind of sad look that washed away when he caught Lex looking at him. He drew his head back a bit and -sneered. Lex felt a bolt go through his chest. Bruce was trying to hurt him?

"Clark, I need a little competition in the pool. Do you swim?" He smiled at Clark, and Clark nearly smacked into Lex, leaping to his feet.

"Oh, yes, I'm pretty good too," He stopped and blushed. "I'm not trying to brag-sorry that really sounded conceited." He looked flustered and Bruce laughed. "I like a person with confidence. Let people know what you can do, right Lex?"

Lex's mouth opened and closed and he just nodded, all power of speech robbed by Bruce's betrayal. The world had been turned upside down. Bruce didn't do hurtful things to him, it wasn't -Bruce loved him...

He watched Clark almost run after Bruce, and thought about the concept of karma, and the art of retribution.

Clark watched Bruce cut through the water, long muscled arms splitting the water, long legs flashing up and down. He came to the wall and rose up, water pouring in sheets off him, his hair black and shining with it. He tossed his head back to fling his hair off his forehead, and Clark felt just like he had that time Lana leaned over his desk, and her shirt had slid low enough to see her breasts, and he'd realized he was just a tongues touch away. He hadn't been able to stand up for a while. But Bruce.

Bruce was making him feel like that-the feeling scared him, he wanted to leave but no way was he taking the towel off his lap.

Bruce motioned for Clark to come in, and Clark didn't even think to disobey him. He ran and leaped into the pool and prayed it wasn't heated. When the cold water hit him with a bone deep shock he was pathetically grateful. 'Die, you treacherous bastard,' he told his dick.

Bruce had a way of looking at a person that went right through them Clark thought, as Bruce turned to watch him swim. He wondered briefly if he had x-ray vision too, and laughed a little, through chattering teeth.

Bruce looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, I don't like the feel of heated pool water," he said. "I'll turn the heat on if you like." Bruce swam closer to him. "You're covered with goose-bumps." he said, and skimmed his hand along Clark's arm, a quick and not particularly sensual move, but Clark's eyes dropped shut and he shuddered.

Bruce almost ripped his hand away, instantly guilty and horrified. He'd only wanted to tease Lex, extract a little payback, but this was a spectacularly bad, bad idea. Lex had looked devastated when Clark had run after him, and he'd thought that maybe the kid was a little attracted to him, but when he'd touched his arm, god, he looked like he was going to come.

Lex. Lex. God, I'm sorry he thought-and then Clark's hand reached out and touched his, fingertips trembled against his skin, and the boy looked terrified, but determined. Bruce pulled away and swam back to the shallow end.

"Race, Clark? I need to unkink my muscles. Want to help?"

Clark blushed so deep a red, it was alarming, and stammered his agreement. Bruce hoped the activity would distract Clark-and himself too. That simple touch had affected him more deeply than he wanted to admit.

They lined up at the edge and pushed off. Clark reminded himself over and over not to beat Bruce, to hold himself back, and Bruce slid past him gracefully in the water. He was -the only word that came to Clark's mind was beautiful-and it felt so strange thinking of another guy that way that it made him flounder a bit and that was fine; it was more convincing when he lost the race to Bruce. He swam towards him to congratulate him and Bruce turned to him with his eyes closed as he skimmed water from his face. They collided, and Bruce reached out and grabbed Clark by his shoulders to steady them both.

From inside, Lex watched the two, saw Bruce grab Clark and pull him in close. It hurt -it hurt a lot. He was paying for being a jerk, for yanking him this way and that because Lex thought it was funny. This-this was Bruce punishing him worse than ever before.

He stormed off to his room. He knew what was going to happen-he didn't have to watch it too. Motherfuck! He kicked his door and felt a little flare of satisfaction when it slammed shut hard enough to knock a picture off the wall. Poetic justice would have made it one of Bruce and him-but it was a picture of his mother's childhood home. He stood over the framed photograph lying on the floor, and stared down at it, until a fat drop hit the glass and splattered. Lex sucked in air shakily, and decided that was enough pathos for the day. He locked his door, lay down on the bed and waited for sleep.

Bruce meanwhile had shoved Clark gently towards the pool edge.

"Go get dressed Clark, I'll take you home if you're ready."

Clark figured he was ready; he'd had enough confusion for one day.

It was quiet in the car, both of the young men in deep thought. When Bruce stopped in the Kent driveway, he sat for a moment with his hands on the wheel, staring at them, and then Clark's fingers came into his line of sight as he laid them on his hands.

"Clark," he started, and then stopped. Clark moved his hand, but Bruce went on to say, "I swim every day, and you don't need an appointment to come to the mansion."

Clark beamed. " Really are you sure? What about Lex?"

Bruce smiled to himself. "Lex really won't mind. You could come every day, and he wouldn't mind. He's very generous with his...time."

"Really?" Clark's stomach fluttered strangely and he felt a weird little sensation of ...something he couldn't quite name. "Are you sure? You don't think he'd mind-you wouldn't mind? Because there's no school and besides my chores there's nothing much to do and I get really bored and my friends all have summer jobs and--" He looked at Bruce and laughed. "I'm sorry-I don't usually talk so much, you can ask my friends-really!" He grinned and once again Bruce understood why he'd instantly lost Lex to Clark.

Clark looked at Bruce and warmth swept him from head to toe, and he felt himself pulled to him, like those magnetic kissing dolls his mom had, he thought. God, please don't kill me-and kissed Bruce. A glancing smear of a wet and messy kiss that skittered across Bruce's jaw-- the kind of thing that woke a person in the middle of the night with 'shit why am I such a loser' blazing in the brain, he could feel his whole body blush, jeez, waited for Bruce to shove him out the car window-and Bruce sighed and wrapped his hands around Clark's face, pulled him close and kissed back.

It was the first real kiss Clark had ever had-it burnt all memory of his attempt out of his mind, it fried any thought that he could ever have of Lana or Chloe out of his brain completely, it reached into his gut and yelled why haven't we been doing this forever! and made him painfully, achingly hard. He could hear himself moaning over and over and moving in a way that had no purpose, but god-he couldn't sit still.

Bruce was surprised at how quickly Clark picked up the rhythm of the kiss. It was -hot. Clark pushed against him, and the noises he made-they were making him so hard-- Bruce pulled back and shocked himself by panting-he felt light -headed and so turned on...fuck! He had to be losing his mind. It figured. Lex always made him crazy, even when he wasn't with him-using this kid as a substitute for him-it was wrong.

Clark leaned back against the car door, his head tipped back against the glass and Bruce winced. His lips were red, shiny-wet, and his chest was heaving, god he looked completely drugged, his green eyes were glazed and Bruce had to touch him again, and he knew he was going straight to hell for doing so-Lex would make sure of it, oh yes.

Clark shuddered when Bruce ran his hand up his thigh and touched his crotch. For a brief second he was embarrassed by his erection, but it passed in a flash when Bruce pressed his palm against him. Shit! He jumped and hissed and Bruce inhaled sharply. His hand shook on him and Clark wondered if he could be -nervous? But he was older and all, he had to be experienced -- Clark was waiting for him to show him what to do. Bruce looked pale even in the low light of the dash as he popped the snap on Clark's jeans and worked the zipper down. It was unreal, the sound so loud that it was almost funny-Clark would have laughed but he was busy trying to remember to breathe, not pass out, when Bruce touched. His. Dick. 'Oh my god.'

Clark's head thumped against the glass and he groaned so loud Bruce flinched, and looked towards the dark house. He glanced at the clock on the dash, and wondered when Clark's parents went to sleep and then suddenly his hand--the one on Clark's dick-was grabbed in a vise-like grip, so hot and so -painful...Clark gasped and released him and he stroked on, precome making the hot hard dick slick-- it was so exciting, the way Clark arched up into his touch, the way his dick leaped in his hand, and as he watched, a drop oozed from the tip, and he fell, he leaned over, nearly deafened by the sound of his heart, and kissed, licked over the head, and it seemed a good idea to follow his hand down with his mouth. Clark made a scary sound, a sound that came from deep in his gut and burst from his mouth, Bruce jumped in shock but couldn't move from under the grip of Clark's hand. And semen flooded his mouth and he got a flash of Lex at the Club licking his lips and sucking on his finger and Bruce came with a sob, still sucking on Clark, still trying to drink down every drop. He was shocked how much he'd liked it, even swallowing Clark's come, he loved it.

Bruce sat back against his side, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. His lips were swollen, a little sore, but he felt-good. Amazed, in awe. Clark was looking at him like he was glowing. As if Bruce had suddenly performed a miracle right in front of him. The car was silent except for the loud, loud sound of their breath.

"Go inside Clark. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Bruce's voice was rough, and he spoke abruptly. Clark looked at him with dismay and hurt plain on his face.

"Did. I'm sorry. I forced you to-god! I'm so sorry!"

Bruce's hand shot out and grabbed Clark by the wrist. "No! No-I'm fine, it was --great. I...I guess I'm feeling, like I took advantage of you."

Clark's look of crushed sadness turned to bewilderment and then, joy. "No! You didn't! I'm glad you did that. I," he blushed so hard Bruce could even see it in the darkness." I'm thinking that I should, you know." He took a deep breath and all in one exhalation said "I should blow you too because it's not fair if only I get off and not you and I really like you and I want to. Do it." He smiled weakly at Bruce, who coughed and looked down.

"Thank you, Clark. And I would really like that. But I - kinda jumped the gun...."

Bruce blushed and Clark struggled not to grin.

"I did that to you, hanh?" He looked rather proud of himself-Bruce decided not to tell Clark that it was his first time too.

Clark let himself out and watched as Bruce drove away. He hoped that Bruce wasn't too disappointed. He hoped that the next time, Bruce would show him what to do. If there was a next time. He hoped very much there would be a next time. He grinned to himself. 'Wow. I made Bruce Wayne, sexy guy, come in his pants.' Too bad it wasn't the kind of thing he could yell down the middle of High Street. It was awfully cool though, it was the kind of thing that needed to be shared. He was dying to tell some one. Maybe he could tell Lex...he did say he and Bruce were good friends, very close-he had to know Bruce was gay.

Lex's days went by in a blur of barely suppressed rage and-sorrow. He felt like he'd lost his best friend, as if there no longer was a ...center. Just a gaping hole in the middle of his life. He ached all the time, and every time he thought of the look Bruce gave him before going on to steal Clark from under his nose, his eyes burned.

He felt lonely and depressed, depressed enough to want to call his father, test this new found 'paternal love' the man professed to feel. That thought alone let him know how bad his mental state was. When had he ever turned to his father? Never. It was always Bruce, who listened and made things better, and ---and...fuck. Bruce, the devoted friend he'd tortured on a nearly daily basis at school. Bruce, who protected him from all the stupid stunts and god-awful situations he got himself into. Bruce, who cleaned him up after getting falling-down drunk, getting high and god help him, after getting fucked. Who loved him, Lex knew, with everything he had. Or used to.

Lex felt dizzy for a moment as he thought of Bruce and Clark together. Neither of them had said too much about the relationship, beyond Bruce explaining in a dry and completely emotionless way that he'd felt drawn to Clark, and acted on it. As if stripping the telling of it of all emotion would feel less like a spear piercing his heart. Fuck him, though, fuck him. He didn't let anything show on his face, revealed not slightest indication that his hands had cramped with the urge to strangle him, to beat the unfaithfulness out of him.

Screw the contradictions he thought. That's what it had always been with Bruce and him. A tangled mass of contradictions and anger and-love. That was mixed in there too, he had to admit.

And then as if he hadn't quite suffered enough pain, there was Clark, bouncing about like a puppy with a bone and just so thrilled about the whole thing and nearly bursting with the desire to share with, as he put it, 'his very best friend'.

Lex was not about to be the one. He wouldn't-- couldn't do it. He couldn't let Clark tell him how happy he obviously was with Bruce.

It hurt over and over to see an intimacy there that wasn't before, they were comfortable in each other's spaces and Clark practically incandesced every time he saw Bruce, and everyday he was there to go swimming or play pool with the 'both' of them-but Clark only had eyes for Bruce. Oh, he still spent a lot of time with him-watching movies, playing games and talking about comics, or rather Lex lecturing him on comics while he sat there and smiled and having that smile directed at him was heaven, heaven...

Clark still hugged him and almost sat on top of him when they watched TV together, and stole popcorn from under his hand when they watched movies, but every time Bruce crooked an eyebrow at him, he was gone-and Lex had no one .
So he did what he could to survive, and struggled to keep from hurting either Bruce or Clark, by word or action. It was an act of will on his part that he doubted he could repeat. And if it wasn't a perfect act of control, well, he never claimed to be perfect. And he was forever grateful to Bruce for never saying a word about the crew that came in the day after Lex had had to listen to his confession, never mentioning that for the entire night the place had been filled with the sound of glass shattering and wood splintering, or the singular sound that drywall makes when it's kicked and pummeled till it gives. For never ever speaking about Lex standing in his bedroom doorway, covered with plaster dust and glittering shards, silent except for the harsh breaths escaping through his tightly clenched teeth, a feral light in his eyes-

Lex always wondered what expression was on his face that night because he'd never seen Bruce go that pale before.

Lex vowed not to dwell on their betrayal and his shameful lack of control and threw himself heart and soul into learning how the factory worked; he grew to be very concerned not only with the business, but the people who made it possible. He made sure that he was visible, accessible, and that Bruce kept in the shadows. Bruce was leaving at summer's end, but he'd be staying. He was staying right here and hoping to salvage some kind of actual life from the mess that he'd created.

He had to admit, he was even rather grateful to his dad-for turning him towards something he could care about. That was a strange, new feeling, very strange. Against his will a little smile curled the corners of his mouth. He was still smiling slightly as he came into the newly renovated employee cafeteria.

He felt pretty good about this space. It was a bright, lively place to eat, with good food and little extras like really good coffee, which was reason enough for some of the employees to like him. Clark had helped him come up with some of the ideas for the cafeteria, but his favorite one was a children's menu for the kids in the new daycare and a bright space where parents could eat with their kids --because it was the idea that made Clark look at him with a light in his eyes that made him feel...special, worthy. Loved.

He moved down the line, selecting this and that item, as the chefs nearly swallowed their tongues. It drove his security crazy that he sometimes used the employee cafeteria on his own, but why should he spend so much on it, and on trying to woo the public and then make himself into a figure of mystery? This was Smallville after all, not New York or Metropolis. Roving gangs of kidnappers did not inhabit the streets, no matter what his security or Bruce seemed to think. He had to admit; it felt good to have a few friendly waves and smiles directed his way. He limited his response to a grave nod of the head, and a solemn sketch of a wave. He wanted to be an accessible boss, not a buddy. Friendship was fine but their respect was the important thing. Still, it was kind of nice. Maybe he'd try smiling more.

He walked over to 'his' table, a little spot in a square of sunlight that faced the doors to a small courtyard. It was popular with the smokers, who were at the far end of the courtyard, huddled around a single bench and ash receptacle.

Lex's addictive heart went out to them.

A voice called softly, "Mr. Luthor, sir?"

Lex turned and saw a young man, tentatively waving at him. Lex quickly tried to recall the man's name-it was obviously someone he'd spoken to more than a few times, for him to take such liberties-science guy-, badge- mid-level security...R and D-Johns! Ah. The guy with the interesting containment system.

"Hello, Mr. Johns, how are you today?" Lex smiled, moved on to his table and sat, and Johns' eyes were still on him. He could tell the man had something he was practically bouncing in his chair to tell him--ok. He waved him over. Johns face light up like a kid on Christmas day, and he scurried over to Lex's table.

Johns was a pleasant enough guy, well spoken if a little enthusiastic, not bad looking, not that it mattered at all-he remembered from a first visit to the lab that the man had an unfortunate tendency to over-explain, but Lex knew that was a compliant people lodged against him too, though it certainly wasn't true in his case.

John's launched into an update on the containment system...actually very interesting stuff, Lex thought. He pulled out a pen and they sketched and plotted all over a handful of napkins that Johns would leap up from time to time to replenish. Lex thought a few times that he should just ask the man to come to his office, but he was having too much fun, and besides, sketching on napkins, it was the quintessential mark of the mad scientist, right?

They were laughing at a mistake in their calculations, when Clark came up. He looked reluctant to interrupt Lex and his employee, but Lex smiled and motioned to Clark to sit while he continued to talk to Johns. Clark sat with a smile for Lex and a strange pinched look for Johns, who looked back rather smugly.

Lex turned to Clark, and asked what he was doing there, more precisely how he'd gotten into the non-public parts of the plant without Lex.

"Bruce brought me in. He's in your office, told me to come find you, and I did." Clark looked so pleased with himself that Lex couldn't help grinning at him-he patted Clark on the shoulder and gave it a little squeeze. Clark continued to smile and leaned into it a fraction. Johns' eyes narrowed just a tiny bit, before he too smiled. He stood and made his excuses and thanked his boss for the enjoyable lunch. Lex reached over and shook his hand.

"I like what you've got. I think we'll go ahead with your plans for the prototype. We'll meet on this," he checked his watch, and mused "Monday? Or maybe make that Tuesday-we want to be completely prepared."

Johns grinned. Clark was pretty sure it was directed at him, and he scowled at the man. Johns totally ignored it and seemed flattered that Lex had said 'we". He waved as he moved away.

Clark wanted to smack the guy-Smug little twerp and immediately felt a tiny bit ashamed. It was none of his business if Lex chose to have a---a geek fest with that Johns, it wasn't as though it was really his business. After all, it was good for Lex to make friends here in Smallville if he was going to stay.

"Well, Clark. I guess it's time for me to talk to the Walking Dead Boring...oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say anything mean about your boyfriend." He sighed theatrically and stood. "I know just what he wants to talk about too. Those two employees who are missing. I contacted the police, and I have no idea what else he wants."

Clark blushed and looked at the tabletop. He hated when Lex called Bruce his boyfriend. It sounded so -sneery or something the way he said it. Lex was already moving away without waiting for Clark. Boy, Bruce was so right. Lex could really be a pain sometime. Clark walked behind Lex and watched him walk. It was...hard to ignore. He could hardly believe sometimes that those two had never gotten together. He didn't think he could resist him in close quarters. Clark instantly felt disloyal to Bruce. Besides, it wasn't right to check out a friend like that. Even a friend with a really great ass. Damn.

Clark was groaning, holding on to edge of the car door, Bruce's arms wrapped around his waist. Bruce was breathing so hard that it was all Clark could hear, that and the slap of flesh as Bruce yanked him back against him, hissing as he went in deeper, and Clark's muscles clenched around him. This was something new-he was ok with it, Bruce really liked it, fucking him, and he liked for Bruce to be happy. He loved it when Bruce touched him, stroked him, sucked his dick-Bruce pumped harder now, grunting on each thrust and cursing low and steady under his breath, "Gonna fuck you, fuck you, I -god, shit-you're so hot-hot--"

Clark panted harder, he was getting more turned on than he'd ever been before doing this, he yelped in surprise when Bruce wrapped his hair in his fist and yanked his head to one side and bit savagely at his neck, dug his fingers in as he gripped Clark's hip hard with the other. He fucked him brutally now, Clark was sure that if he were human, he'd be in pain. Bruce was sobbing, cursing louder, and Clark's hand flew to his dick, and started working it roughly. Bruce moved, thrust and hit something that made stars explode in Clark's head, and he rocked back and gasped out "Lex!"

Bruce -screamed-pushed so hard against Clark that he hit the door, and gripped his hips hard, harder-Clark tugged once more and started to come, listening to Bruce yell Lex's name over and over-it just made him come harder, he shook as he jetted all over the car door-- ha! good! He gasped to himself.

Bruce hung over Clarks back. Shit, he was screwed, so screwed. What had he just done-what was he doing? Fuck. He was a mess and so was Clark, and it was his fault. He staggered back and ripped off the condom, tossed it into the weeds behind him and yanked his pants up. Clark looked scared, sad-it was hard to tell exactly what was on his mind, besides the obvious. They'd both been screaming for Lex. Shit! Shit. And fuck me, how do I fix this?

Bruce watched Clark get dressed quickly, almost as if he was ashamed to have Bruce's eyes on him. He lifted his head, his green eyes cloudy with worry and sadness. Bruce just opened his arms and Clark walked into them, laid his head against Bruce's broad chest. He sighed and Bruce smoothed his hair, stroked his back. He couldn't hold back a sigh himself. He looked out over the field and wished for the thousandth time that summer that he'd never done this. He closed his eyes and laid his head on top of Clark's and let the warmth of the sun leach out some of the stiffness he felt, warmth from Clark at his front and the sun at his back wove a feeling of serenity around him-he tightened his arms around Clark and smiled slightly when Clark made a snuffling sound against his neck. Clark's arms went around him and he spoke quietly, the words muffled by Bruce's chest, so that he had to really concentrate to hear him-maybe it wasn't meant to be heard, he thought when he realized what Clark said.

"I wish we were in love."

Lex had had the worst day he could possibly have had. Nothing went right from the moment his alarm went off two hours too late, from getting a message from his Dad about the plant audit, Bruce nagging him about missing employees, and what did he wanthim to do about that, for gods sake, then having to blow off the meeting with Johns, having the car die on the way home--getting passed by about four trucks before one stopped-having it be Clark's dad, who looked at him like he was pathetic when he pointed out to Lex 'there's no gas, young man' and screw you too, old fart-well, not a very kind thought because Jonathan did bring him some gas-maybe he was starting to thaw towards him, so, bright spot.

By the time he'd gotten home, talked to his dad about some concerns he had concerning the plant and called Johns to reschedule their meeting and somehow ended up with a dinner date with him, he was ready-more than ready to relax, get out of the suit and into something comfortable. Maybe work out with the bag, just work out some kinks. Kinks. Why did that make him think of Bruce and Clark damn it?

Lex yanked off his tie and tossed it on the bed, and kicked off his shoes with force, watched them go skittering across the floor. Ha. Take that. Almost immediately his compulsive self wanted to grab the shoes and tuck them into their proper place in the closet, but he refused to give in to desire, he was going against type today. He was rebelling, oh yes. He ripped his jacket off next, and flung it after his shoes, and debated ripping open the shirt for the thrill of seeing the buttons scatter, but no, that would be over-kill. He contented himself with yanking his pants off and trying to kick them off his leg, which led to his hopping one footed towards the door as he overbalanced and fell on--

"Clark!"

He was held off the floor by Clarks' hands-'wow he's fast'-- and grinned up at him for a second, a smile to match the one being aimed like a laser at his heart.

"Hey, Lex. You're just too smooth aren't you" he laughed, and then blushed when he realized he had a handful of nearly naked Lex. He set him gently the rest of the way on the floor, and Lex sat up in tailor fashion, with his hands on his knees.

"Sit Clark. What's up? Were you looking for me?" say yes, say yes.

"Well, yes..."

Clark dropped to the floor next to Lex, and leaned back on his hands, his long legs stretched in front of him. Lex took a moment to enjoy the view, and turned to Clark. "Yeah?"

"I want to know about Bruce," he said, and Lex's heart squeezed.

"Okay," he smiled brightly. "What is it you want to know? His shirt size, shoe size..."

"Lex. I want to know what ...you are to each other."

Lex stared for a minute-time seemed to slow to a crawl as his heartbeat sped up. "Nothing." He said firmly. "We're nothing to each other. Strictly friends"

Clark looked at him in disbelief. "Bullshit. Lex, lately I've been feeling like I got dropped in the middle of something wonky and I have a right to know-what's going on?"

Lex jumped up and walked to his closet. "All right.. We can have this conversation, but not till I have my pants on"

Clark followed, curious to see what was in that huge wall of closets. Lex didn't say anything so he followed him into the walk-in-well not a closet. A room, a dressing room Clark guessed you'd call it-- Wow. His mom would have a fit-there was room for everything, and it was all so, so organized. Clark had a flash of his tiny closet with the pile of dirty clothes on the floor of it and snickered, shrugged with a little grin when Lex turned back to him. He smiled back and concentrated then on picking out something to wear. Clark watched him select clothing like a general preparing for a battle--his brow was furrowed and his lips pressed together in thought. Clark thought he looked kind of cute. His brow cleared and he pulled his choice from the rack and Clark grinned. He looked so satisfied, it was funny, and Clark almost said so when Lex started to speak while unbuttoning his shirt.

"So. You want to know what's between us? Ok, first, you know he really cares for you, right? I can see it, you'd have to be blind."

Clark looked down and fidgeted with the seam on his pants. A touch of guilt made him feel funny. He didn't want to look at him. He wasn't as sure as Lex was about that.

"I've known Bruce since we were kids." He pulled his shirt off and pulled off his undershirt, put them in a hamper there. Clark was surprised. Lex was -strong looking. He had muscles. Real muscles that slid under his skin likeClark wrenched his eyes away to look really hard at Lex's face.

"Bruce saved me more than once from myself. In fact, it was his main job-keeping me out of trouble. When I decided like a incredible moron, that I could influence enemies and make friends dealing, never mind that that particular business was locked up by some truly crazy fucks, he pulled me out of my stupidity and let me know it was a mistake," Lex was unconsciously rubbing his wrists, the look on his face a combination of rueful and wistful. He smiled and dropped his boxers, totally unselfconscious. He kept talking but Clark didn't hear anything.

Lex was. Naked. Naked. No clothes on. He was ... naked.

Lex kept moving about talking and pulling new underclothes from drawers, and all Clark could see was Lex. Naked. He tried to pull his eyes away from him but he was fascinated. Lex's hair was red --he had a little sprinkling of red hair on his chest, a faint trail of red ran down in a thin line from his chest to his groin and thickened around his...geez. His dick. Lex was still saying something, and he bent a bit to put his boxers on, his dick swung forward a little and Clark's mouth went dry. He gulped when Lex turned and pulled them up and the movement framed his ass perfectly and he was flooded with the desire to tickle that fuzz dusting his cheeks, oh.

Clark was hard, and dying, so mortified, god, how the hell can I be blushing when all my blood must be in my dick. Help.

Lex turned his head to Clark and frowned. "Did you say something Clark?" He pulled the jeans he'd selected on and snapped them before turning around again and absently pulled on a shirt. "So, Bruce and I will always have a connection, but not that kind, Clark. Are you worried about Bruce's loyalty?"

Clark felt queasy. He knew perfectly well where Bruce's loyalty lay, even now. Clark was pretty sure Bruce was in love with Lex. He was sure also that he had a crush on Lex. He didn't love Bruce, but he did like having sex with him. He was so, so -magnetic, he just drew him in and he didn't want to get away when he was with him. But when he was with Lex, he wanted so bad to be with him. And Lex-who did he want? Did he think of either of them as they thought of him? None of it seemed to be apparent to the man in question.

Clark felt like he was being stretched in two directions. He was so confused it was making him sick. He stood quickly. He had to get away from Lex.

"Lex, I really have to go. Thanks for telling me about Bruce, it really helped."

Lex smiled. "It's no problem Clark. I'm happy to help you two when I can." Please don't let me stab myself in the eye. He smiled widely and followed Clark to the front door, waved as he made his way down the drive. Fuck.

He walked into his study and wandered around a bit before sitting at his desk. He rubbed his hand lightly against the glass top, sat back in his chair as he recalled a particularly vivid dream in which Clark was under the desk, mouth on his dick, hot breath on his thighs and hand on his balls, sucking him as he watched through the glass. He moaned softly at the idea and unzipped slowly, teasing himself and imagining Clark doing it, he ran his fingers up the length of his dick and squeezed the head, smearing it with precome, he pushed up into his fist and imagined the moans coming from him were Clark's. His thighs were trembling and his head was thrown back, he clenched his teeth and struggled not to be too loud as the feeling tightened his stomach muscles, his balls tightened in his hand and his fist was wet.

Fuck. Clark watching him dress-it took all his will power not to react to it, but now, he pictured fucking Clark on the floor of the closet, pictured him screaming for Lex to fuck him harder, harder-Lex groaned deep and came into his hand shuddering and moaning--.

He opened his eyes and tried to even his breathing, grabbed a handful of tissue and scrubbed at his hand. 'Clark, Clark, Clark .If only you knew what you did to me.' He sighed and dropped the tissues in the wastebasket by his desk and pulled himself back together.

"Lex."

Jesus! Lex jumped as Bruce's voice intruded on his post-orgasmic reverie. Bruce entered the room with a frown and threw himself in the chair in front of his desk.

"Lex." He stared at nothing.

Lex glared at him and waited a beat. "Yes, well we've established that one of us will answer to Lex. What is it?"

Bruce sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. "I need to talk to someone about this, and you're the only one I can talk to...well, you're really the only one that I know..."

Of course. It had to be. Lex closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He knew exactly where this was going. God hated him, that was the only reason he could figure all this kept happening to him, this -everything. Go on Bruce. Ask me about Clark, tell me how great it is to be with him, tell me what he feels like, how he kisses, how he tastes.

"This thing with Clark-I don't know what to do about it. I didn't want it to go this far. I never did. But ..." Bruce looked heart broken. "I didn't mean for it to happen...I only wanted to make you jealous." He stopped a moment, sighed and continued. "I guess-I guess I wanted to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

Lex felt himself rip in two inside. It was stupid, because he knew, of course he knew but hearing Bruce say it aloud was worse than he thought it could be. He told himself he had no right to be upset; it was ridiculous to feel so betrayed by the both of them. All he'd ever been was Clark's friend, and he made it plain to Bruce over and over he had nothing to give him, of course, eventually Bruce was going to go to someone. Just, why did it have to be--

Bruce reached over the desk and grabbed Lex's hand. "Tell me not to and I'll never touch him again. Tell me you love me and I'll believe you, I'll believe anything you say."

Lex yanked his hand out of Bruce's grasp and stared at him, horrified. Fuck! How could he do that to Clark? How could he have him and not want him---why did he get in the goddamn way then, lousy fuck!

"What the hell are you saying? You took Clark away from me just to hurt me-and now, what? You're bored with him, you prick? Fuck you!" He shoved Bruce's hand away.

Bruce stood. He came around to Lex's side of the desk and gripped his arms, pulled him up to his feet, drew him close. He stroked his arms with a look of total concentration on his face.

"You're so smooth, so warm." He ran a finger down Lex's arm. He lifted his eyes to Lex's and asked him, "Why him and not me?"

"Because-we'd destroy each other, we'd rip and tear until there was nothing left--you're too much like me and Clark is ...different...."

Bruce leaned over Lex, tucked his head into his neck. "Yes, he's good. Or at least better than the two of us." He stroked Lex's head and licked lightly at his jaw. "You," he spoke so softly Lex instinctively moved forward to hear, "You knew how I felt about you...you didn't care. And then Clark-he was there and he saw me-wanted me, and I liked that. I wanted to be wanted. I'm sorry, but can you, can you understand that?"

Bruce was so close Lex could feel his breath; feel his lips shiver against his skin as he talked on. "Do you want me to tell you what it's like? He's so pure ...pure lust-giving, taking. Sex is -good-great, he loves it. He loves sucking me, he loves taking my dick in his mouth, it's too hot," He licked around Lex's mouth. "And I love it, love it when he fucks my mouth, and he learned it all from me. Me."

Lex was breathing hard, trying to calm his roiling stomach, trying not to see what Bruce was telling him.

Bruce pushed Lex against the desk, ran a hand up his leg until he was cradling his dick in his palm. "You know, I was his first. And he was mine"

Lex wished he were dead; it had to be better than what he was going through now. He didn't want to picture the two of them -first time, together...lost to him--

"When I saw him the first time, it was like the sun exploded, because I could see you fall in love with him-can you imagine what it felt like to look at the one person in the world that meant something to you fall in love with someone else right in front of you? I wanted you to hurt, fuck yeah. I wanted you to bleed inside, like I was bleeding." He bit at Lex's neck hard and ground his teeth together till Lex cried out. He licked a hot stripe over the bruise, and ground himself against Lex.

"He'd do anything for me. If I tell him to, he'll fuck you. Do you want me to? Want me to tell him?" Bruce unzipped Lex's zipper without protest. Lex was paralyzed with horror, with shock. "Ask me to. I'll do it."

Bruce continued pushing in the open zipper and took Lex in his hand. His breath roared in Lex's ear and his hips pumped against him in time to his fist moving over Lex and Lex had to respond, his dick began to fill, leaping in Bruce's fist as he talked on, "He let me put my fingers in him, and I didn't even have to move, he fucked himself on them, he looked like a Greek god, he was grunting and groaning like he was going to die-- you," He laughed and leaned his head on Lex's shoulder, "should have been there."

Lex gasped and pumped into Bruce's' fist and pictured Clark moaning and begging Bruce to fuck him. His dick was hard and precome drooled out over Bruce's fingers; Bruce pulled his hand back, looked at the fingers until he lifted his eyes and stared into Lex's and licked his fingers slowly, sucked them in and out of his mouth, pulled them all the way out and watched Lex's face as he curled his tongue around the fingers. Lex sobbed harshly, it was unbelievably arousing. Bruce wrapped his hand around Lex again and said, "He made the same noise you just made when I fucked him with my tongue."

Lex's eyes were tightly shut; he couldn't stop the images flooding his mind. He gasped and strained upwards, tried for more friction against his dick and trembled from head to toe. Bruce slid his pants down farther, reached around Lex and pushed his wet fingers into his ass. Lex yelled and cursed and dug his fingers into Bruce's shoulders and pumped harder.

"Yeah, yeah, I like that." Bruce panted. He stepped back from Lex and undid his pants. He pushed Lex gently but firmly to his knees, and held his head cradled in his hand.

"Lex. Suck me. Come on," Lex could barely hear him, he whispered so softly, "Come on."

Lex closed his eyes and leaned toward Bruce. Bruce held his weeping dick in his hand and laid the head against Lex's mouth, ran the tip gently over the scar on his lip, and whispered again. "I'm begging you, do it-please suck me," and when Lex opened his lips he pushed in sharply. "Clark's good at this, how good are you," he hissed, drew his hips back and slammed forward. Lex gagged and tried to pull back, he was afraid that Bruce was going to really hurt him. Lex looked up and Bruce's head was tilted up, his eyes were fixed on the ceiling and tears ran down his face. He slowed and gently rocked his hips and Lex groaned, sucked, licked him, twisted his tongue around him and did everything he could do to make it good for Bruce. He owed him, he owed him so much. He jerked himself as he worked Bruce, he was close, so close, and he could tell Bruce was close himself. Bruce looked down, gasped sharply and closed his eyes. He said, "When he came, he called out for you."

Lex came with a deep groan and forced Bruce down his throat. Bruce growled out Lex's name and shuddered with his own orgasm.

He stood, head down and gasping for breath, shaking a little. He had his hand on Lex's shoulder, and Lex didn't move, he didn't lift his head. He knelt as Bruce adjusted his clothing and walked out of the room without a word, left him on his knees with his head bowed. He was going to get up now. He had things to do. Work... he had calls to make. In a minute he was going to get up.

Lex found it amazing how easy it was to avoid Bruce. It helped that Bruce seemed unable to spend any time with him either. Thank god he didn't try to apologize for what happened in his office, because no jury in the world would convict him for the justifiable homicide that would occur. He never wanted to think again about blowing Bruce. Never. Even though he had a really nice dick. Really nice...Lex sighed and pushed away from his desk and walked over to the small fridge opposite. He pulled out a bottle of water and cracked it open as he glanced at the plans spread over the drafting table.

This project was making him with his father. His dad was as excited as Lex had been when he brought it to him. After all, he went from throwing up in club bathrooms to making his dad money in less than three months-he had to respect that. Lex walked around the table and went to the windows and watched the rain hit the window in gray sheets, washing out color and making the garden below look like a Turner painting, except for the hardy knot of smokers in one corner of the garden. He really should put up an awning, he thought. He sighed and turned again to the drawings on the drafting table. Thought about the new problem he had, because his name was Lex, hated of heaven, and obviously cursed and needing more shit in his life. He should just give it up and hang an albatross around his neck. And then again, the problems were of his own making. Impulse control. That was it in a nutshell. An appalling lack of impulse control.

Lex had begun to feel increasingly uncomfortable about Johns. Now that they were truly underway on the project, he still was everywhere. More and more, Lex felt the need for a bit of distance from the man. He'd been great to work with and lots of fun at dinner, he'd turned out to be a surprisingly interesting and well read person, he was good in bed... and that was probably a very bad thing to have done--oh shit. It was a truly fucked up thing to have done, but Bruce-and Clark-fuck. He just wanted make Clark jealous, and make Bruce notice him again. He'd have to let him down easy. He was a reasonable logical guy. It shouldn't be a problem.

"Bruce. We need to clear this up. This thing with us---it's wrong. You don't love me and while I do respect you, and you're sexy, tall and built and hot, I don't love you. I love Lex-I know you have a thing for him too. But I'm going to be with him-I'll make him like me back. You should just give it up. Yes. You should just see how much we're meant for each other...yeah, cause that's real plain by the way he's going out with that Johns guy all the time, working my ass...by this time they could have 'contained' the damn planet..."

Clark scowled as he finished cleaning the tools he'd used in his mother's garden. Volunteering to weed always put him in a good position to get what he wanted, and today he wanted to be at the mansion with Bruce and hopefully Lex when he came back from the plant. If he wasn't going out with that geek again. Ben Johns. And when had 'Johns' become Ben anyway. When had he gone from being an Employee to being a big smile on the phone and a "Hi, Ben!"? Lunch turned to dinner turned to all night work sessions. Lex was excited about the project, and Lionel had given his blessing on it. And even though he knew how important it was to Lex to have his dad's approval, Clark swore if he had to hear about the beauty of the thing one more time...it's safer, it would save money for the plant, in terms of maintenance, and manpower, it was a dream of design, blah blah. As far as Clark could see, it was an excuse for Johns...Ben-to insinuate himself into Lex's life. Couldn't he see that the guy was trying to control his life? Lex didn't hang out with them very much anymore. In fact, maybe he should just go and make sure he was coming home-just a friendly visit between friends sort of. After his talk with Bruce, which he'd been practicing all day in his mind. He had to say it just right. Bruce had to understand how important he was to him. He...just didn't think this thing they were in was right anymore. It wasn't fair to either of them, really.

Clark went upstairs to shower and change, and thought again about the peculiar triangle he was involved in. Or was it a triangle if it only involved him and Bruce obsessing about Lex who was sailing along doing his own thing, oblivious to the fact he had two guys panting after him. Well. He wanted more. Bruce wanted-who knew?

Clark turned on the shower and stripped off as he waited for the water to heat up. He winced a bit at a still tender place on his hip. It was amazing that Bruce could bruise him that hard, so hard that he still felt it the next day. Clark was beginning to worry a bit about Bruce and human lovers. He grinned a little and rubbed his hip. It was fun though, and he was starting to like getting fucked-his mood dampened some when the memory of that day floated up to him. Damn.

What struck him most, now and at the time, was how deeply he'd convinced himself he was in love with Bruce. From the first sight of him he'd been so intrigued. He'd wanted to get to know him. Lex had seemed so cool and so much fun-he knew how to relax and enjoy stuff but Bruce was just so intense, so serious. He was kind of scary and sexy at the same time. When he'd shown an interest back, it was like hitting the jackpot. He'd thought he was so lucky.

And then that day...Lex. He still felt good about coming on Bruce's car door, though. Calling out for Lex while screwing him. Ok, so he did it too, but that was--was...fucked up no matter which way you looked at it, he sighed.

He'd felt sad, when he realized he wasn't in love with Bruce, and sad when he realized neither of them where with the one they wanted. He'd wished so hard at that point that they were in love with each other, nice and neat and tidy together. It would have made everything so easy.

He sighed and stepped into the shower and let the water pour over him. God, it felt good, to be sweaty and grimy and feel the water just sluice it off. Too bad it couldn't take care of everything, he snorted. He leaned his head back and let the water hit his chest, let the warmth sink into his bones and relax his muscles. He shivered when his nipples puckered from the force of the water hitting his chest. A memory of Lex's smooth nearly hairless chest snuck into his mind, and he tried to squash it down. Now was not the time to think of Lex. Not the time to think of little red hairs around his nipples, and if they would tickle when he kissed him there, or the thin elegant trail of hair down his belly, elegant and refined just like Lex, all that smooth, smooth skin.

Clark sighed again, lightly this time and rubbed soap on his belly, not touching himself, carefully not noticing his dick jerking into fullness, every swipe of his soapy hand on his belly brought another vision of Lex to his mind, and his dick leapt that much more. He gave in, leaned back against the tiles, and let the image of Lex's dick nestled in that patch of amazing red hair fill his mind. That hair-so surprising when he'd always assumed he was bald all over. He had no arm or leg hair, none that he'd ever noticed. It was exciting for some strange reason. He was harder now, very hard, and in his mind so was Lex. This time, instead of Clark standing in his closet and asking Lex questions about Bruce, he was on his knees in front of Lex, kissing the length of his dick, licking the shaft and nuzzling his nose into the hair at the base. He imagined he tucked his head so that Lex's dick slid under his chin, and he could feel it paint his throat with pre come.

Clark in the shower shivered as he stroked long firm pulls over his dick, soap gliding his hand over it smoothly, he twisted his finger s around the head on each up stroke, and gasped, thought of the head of Lex's dick moving over his tongue, gliding against his palette, imagined holding his ass in each hand, squeezing the peach fuzzed cheeks. He wanted so desperately to feel his palms curved against that ass, his glimpse of it that day in the closet had fueled some spectacular orgasms-He let himself moan out loud. He was alone in the house, and it made him feel so hot to make noise, jerk off and think of sucking Lex, Lex's dick, jumping, twitching in his mouth. God-would he pull his hair, scream when he came? Would he call out Clark's name as he fucked into his throat when Clark swallowed around him and fucked him with his thumb? Clark shook and yelled as fire burned through him, a wave of heat rode all of him and he struggled not to fall as he came. The water was cooling when he was finally able to move again.

He sighed. 'Let's go find Bruce.'

He was heading out to the main road when Bruce's car pulled up. He lowered the window and leaned towards him. "Clark. I was coming to see you."

Clark leaned over into the open window and Bruce reached out and stroked his hand. Clark automatic reaction to a touch by Bruce was to smile, and Bruce smiled back.

"Yeah? I was coming to see you-guys. The both of you. Tonight. To talk. To you."

Bruce raised an eyebrow and waited for the little torrent of words to ebb, and smiled again at Clark.

"All right, Clark. How about I drive you, and you explain to me, or both of us guys, what's up."

Clark slid into the car, and as he was buckling up, caught the sardonic little smile that Bruce got when he thought he was being especially amusing and it made him grin. Maybe this would go better than he thought. It really wasn't like Bruce was in love with him-

"Clark," Bruce interrupted his thoughts. "Have you spoken to Lex about the two missing men at the plant?" At Clark's negative headshake he went on. " Did you know a few people in town were missing also?" Clark shrugged and looked politely interested.

"Yes, well-- that was about as excited as everyone else I asked about this matter got. They report the disappearance to the police and just let it go-and the police do the minimum in handling it. Nothing goes beyond the borders of this place. This is a very...strange town. People here-- if it doesn't fit into the average mindset, they gloss over it. As though it couldn't happen, therefore it didn't happen-No one's looking for those people-but they have a logical reason for the disappearances. I'd find them to be logical too, but this is a small town, and statistically it doesn't make sense."

Clark listened to Bruce talk, knowing he was just thinking aloud and didn't require an answer. If he only knew just how strange this town was, he thought, he wouldn't believe it.

"The thing that bothers me and should bother the police, is that they disappeared without taking anything-the lockers at work were full, purses left at home, wallets...if they left, they left with no ID and no money." Bruce trailed off as he continued to think and Clark let his mind drift and thought of Lex and what he was doing-and who with. He resolved to definitely go to the plant, with or with out Bruce.

Clark watched movies while Bruce obsessed over his mystery. He had no idea what was driving him about these disappearances; the man was like a pit bull with a tasty bone. Clark shivered slightly and was thankful that Bruce had never trained his eye on him and the tiny little odd things that happened around Clark. Like the cracked dashboard in Bruce's car, or the suddenly exploding Ty-Nant bottles in Lex's study, which wasn't his fault, it was Lex's, smirking into the phone and acting like he wasn't talking about sex with Ben... He looked over at Bruce, who was filling an armchair. His long legs were stretched out with a laptop balanced on them, and he was scowling. A bit more than usual, Clark thought. He was about to ask, when Bruce cursed softly.

"Come here, Clark." Clark rose and came over to Bruce and, looked at the screen when Bruce waved at it. "Who is that?" he asked him.

"I don't know," Clark told him in puzzlement. What the heck did he mean? On the screen was a man Clark had never seen before, but the name was familiar, Ben Johns. And it wasn't the man they both had seen many time before.

"I thought I'd look up new employees, the ones not from this area," Bruce said and blushed faintly under Clark's steady look.

Uhm-hmm Clark thought, Not that you're jealous or anything... he looked back at the screen.

"That's a picture of Johns taken for this article about his design for that system he's got Lex all wrapped up in. It was taken last year."

Clark didn't miss the edge in Bruce's voice.

"Something happened here, how was that guy able to take Johns' place, get hired here as Johns?" Bruce clicked on the screen and got another picture of Johns, a group photo in a lab. He was about to click on when he stopped, eyes narrowed.

"Clark, that guy in the background? Does he look--"

"It's him!" Clark burst out.

"Right. What the fuck?"

"I'm not happy about this. I'm going to the plant-I want to talk to this man myself." Bruce stood shut the laptop and walked to a painting Clark knew was a wall-safe. He opened it and pulled a case out. Clark walked over, curious as to what Bruce had needed to have in the safe. He put the case on his desk, opened it and removed a gun.

Clark was shocked, he stared open-mouthed at it. "You have a gun?" he asked rather stupidly.

Bruce smirked at him, "Yes, Clark, I have a gun. I guess I neglected to tell you I have...weapons. I didn't anticipate needing them in Smallville-" Bruce moved towards the door and Clark stepped in front of him.

"I'm going too." He walked forward waiting for Bruce to move and rebounded off of him. "Move Bruce, you're in my way." He tried to look firm and a little threatening. Bruce smiled and put his hand on Clark's shoulder, pushed gently, frowned a bit and pushed harder "Clark. You're staying here."

"I want to go too. I want to make sure Lex is ok, I need to know. And you really can't stop me, anyway." Clark hated that he sounded just on the edge of a whine, damn it, he sounded like a kid.

Bruce smoothed his hand over and off Clark's shoulder."Yes. I can. But I won't. You can come." The matter decided as far as he was concerned, Bruce turned and made for the door, tucking the gun in his waist band.

Clark hated how much relief he felt at having permission to come with. It was just a courtesy towards Bruce of course, because he knew he would have gone even if Bruce hadn't changed his mind and given permi-agreed that Clark should come. He was absolutely positive. Absolutely.

Clark was still arguing with himself in the car, eyes straight ahead and brows creased and Bruce reached over and patted Clark's knee, slid his hand up and let it rest on his thigh. Clark fought to keep down the little smile that wanted to creep out on his lips.

"I'm sorry," Bruce said gently. "I know you came to tell me that this thing of ours has to end and I haven't given you a chance to speak yet. I understand and agree. I don't want to mess your life up any more than I have Clark...I'm stepping out; I'm leaving at the end of the summer. You and Lex, there's a possibility of something good there." He was quiet, and still for so long, that Clark thought he was finished and was about to speak when Bruce continued. "You and I, Clark, we'll always have a connection. Nothing can break it." Bruce glanced at Clark, "Whatever you do, where ever you go, you and I will have something that will last a lifetime. Mine. Yours."

Clark shivered when he said that. He knew it was true. It didn't matter if what they had wasn't love; he had the feeling it was stronger than that. He'd never be free of Bruce, and maybe that was the right way to put it, and maybe it wasn't. Bruce had a piece of his soul, for good or bad.

"Clark, Lex is...difficult. He tends to get into difficulty frequently. He's having trouble moving past a not especially idyllic childhood." Bruce laughed, short and soft and not amused. "It's a full time job, watching out for him. Making it seem like you're not. But," He said, "It's worth it" he glanced over at Clark. "But I guess you know that."

Clark nodded; he knew it was hard for Bruce to do this, step aside after all these years. Emotion filled his heart, and he felt even closer to him.

"It was time, anyway. Eventually, we'd kill each other. Lex and I are like fire and gasoline together, part of what makes it so -exciting."

The look on Bruce's face made Clark wonder again how much truth there was in each one's insistence they'd never had sex. There were different ways to have sex, he knew. He had a computer, after all.

Clark's unhappy musing was interrupted by Bruce tapping his arm. He realized they were parked in a nearly empty lot; the only other cars in this side of the lot were an older model Volvo and Lex's new Bentley Continental GT.

They made their way quickly through the unlocked glass doors, Bruce was worried, Clark could tell by his expression.

"We just went through the metal detectors and I didn't set them off-there aren't any guards, no cleaning crew, where the hell are they?"

Clark started to feel worried himself. Bruce was doing his equivalent of a full out screaming anxiety attack from any one else. Bruce stopped and swung around, gun out, looking...

Clark let his senses roam, went into X-ray mode and scanned the lobby. He looked through walls searching for skeletons, turned to the guard's office-and found his skeletons.

"Bruce," he rasped his throat gone dry-if the condition of those...skeletons meant what he thought-shit. Bruce took one look at his face and dropped into a defensive crouch-"Where?"

Clark pointed at the office, and said, "I think they're all dead," his voice rose at the end of his sentence and cracked and he didn't even care. Bruce walked quickly to the door and flung it open.

"Fuck!" He nearly jumped back and Clark wanted to run. Shit! It was scaring Bruce, it had to be horrible...he dragged himself closer, he couldn't let Bruce handle this on his own-he was supposed to have his back. He leaned around Bruce who too late tried to stop him seeing-stuff. For a moment it was as if there was a spotlight turned on the office-- it was all too bright and too clear, and each individual piece of flesh screamed out to him and the blood, and the smell-something-someone, had pulled the guards to bits. There were handprints all over.

Bruce's eyes looked black, his pupils were blown and his lips pulled back over his teeth---he snarled, and Clark jumped and shivered, wasn't sure what was scaring him more now. He closed his eyes and Bruce growled low in his throat and said one word.

"Lex

"What. But, I thought..." Johns looked angry, confused. Lex thought he was making way too much of the situation. He tried to soothe the man, "Look, we have a great working relationship. We did something pretty good here, but you've got to realize it's only a friendship. I mean, I like you, respect your abilities, we had some fun but I'm sorry, that's really all it was."

Johns paced the office, swinging his arms, grimacing and obviously very agitated. Lex watched him with growing apprehension, he'd never seen this kind of...off-kilter behavior from Ben-it was beginning to make him a little nervous.

"It's that kid, right? Or that other guy, the creepy one..."Johns swung wildly around, shouted, "You're mine! I don't want you looking at anyone else! I don't you want thinking about anyone else!"

Lex was startled by Johns' anger, the viciousness of his look, and it froze him in place for a moment, and moment was all it took. He swung out and hit Lex hard, knocking him against the table. He swarmed over him, yanking hard at his collar, wrapping Lex's tie into his fist and yanking his head forward. His face was inches from Lex's and he hissed, "You're mine-I know you belong to me. I feel it!" He grabbed Lex's face with his free hand, and bit his lip hard. Lex gasped in pain and jerked back, but he was too crowded against the table to be able to move his hands.

"Stop it!" he shouted, rage and fear pouring through his body. How dare he-how --Johns opened his mouth, and his tongue slid out and touched Lex's face, and slid across his cheek, and slid on-and slid on, a hot wet touch to the back of his head and Lex froze 'oh god, oh god', and fought not to throw up...

When Johns pulled his tongue back, it felt as if he'd been scoured with a wire brush, the tongue was smeared with blood and fragments of tissue, and he was shaking. Darkness crept in on the edges of his vision and he was freezing, trembling with cold--going into shock? Ben leaned over him and his smile was red and dripping.

"I told you I need you, Lex. You belong to me." His tongue swiped across Lex's neck and it burned like fire, and blood ran down into his collar. He tried to speak, but he couldn't move, cold and warmth pulsed in waves from the center of his chest out to his limbs, they were too heavy to move, and he knew that he should be frightened.

"Don't worry," Johns said thickly. "It won't hurt for long. You'll feel good in a minute. I promise." He stroked Lex's smooth scalp with a look of fond possessiveness.

"When I eat you, all you are will live in me forever. All your thoughts, your desires, it will all live on." He stroked his chest. "In here. I carry many with me, sometimes their voices drown out my own," he chuckled warmly. "We chose carefully you know. I look and look carefully, patiently, dangle just the right bait, ha-- until the one we need makes themselves known to us. And there you were, a shining pillar of light, so right for us. I did want to wait a bit longer, enjoy all that you had to offer, but ...well. We can't have everything, can we?"

Lex could feel his awareness dwindle as Johns talked on, he could feel warmth spreading through his body and he felt light headed. When the other leaned in and licked his wrist, it felt soft and warm, like a kiss. He sighed, and Johns ran his hand along his chin. So warm, so warm and the warmth slid down his neck. He kissed him softly on his lips.

"You taste so good, Lex, so good. You're going to be warm and delicious, salty and sweet and so tender in our mouth. We want you inside of us. We want all of you, every bit of you, flesh and bone and blood inside of us."

All Lex could see was a red, red mouth and too many white teeth.

Bruce was completely absorbed, not looking at Clark, not speaking-checking his gun, and breathing slow and steady to center himself. Clark was fascinated; he'd never seen Bruce like this, totally committed to giving his life for Lex if necessary. It made him feel too young, too young and way out of his depth.

The elevator was taking forever and Clark needed to know that Lex was ok-he concentrated on finding Lex, he had to be in his office but where? He stared upwards, in the direction of Lex's office and walls in his line of sight paled, internal structures, wires pipes, revealed themselves, thinned and disappeared, and there in what had to be Lex's office, two skeletons wrestled, one hit the floor and the other crouched over it.

"Lex!" he shouted, and Bruce's head snapped his way, "What? Did you hear something?" taking Clark's intense expression as listening. Clark shook his head rapidly, he had no way of knowing if the skeleton on the floor was Lex's but he was willing to bet it was. The car came to a stop on the floor, Bruce reached out to punch in the code to open the doors and Clark shoved him aside and kicked open the doors. They blew out into the receptionist area of the office in a shower of glass and he was gone in the blink of an eye.

Bruce barely processed what happened, beyond a stunned look at the shower of glass fanned out on the floor of the reception area -- he took off after Clark, ready for anything-almost.

He skidded into the office area, and ran up against Clark's back, looked over his shoulder and froze-"What the fuck!" he barked, and found himself staring into the eyes of something only vaguely human.

"What do you want--" it started and Bruce leveled his gun over Clark's shoulder and pulled off shot after shot.

Clark flinched at the noise of the gun and the shriek that filled the room. Lex lay on the floor, drenched in blood and not moving, eyes fixed up at the ceiling. Johns or the thing that called itself that was backing up, bending over, screaming-Bruce thought, got it got the fucker--and it rose up, was bigger, wider and it's jaws unhinged like a snakes. Mouthful of teeth, mouthful of teeth Bruce thought.

And heard Clark say calmly, "I don't think so."

There was a pull of wind, his clothes flapped in the sudden breeze, and he heard a loud crack, and there was Clark, elbow deep in the thing. When he pulled his hand back out there was something glistening in it. The thing screamed louder than Bruce would have believed possible for anything breathing, and on the floor Lex went into seizures, Bruce glanced over at Clark, who was busy taking the thing apart bit by bit-and dropped down to take care of Lex. Clark could handle---anything, it seemed.

When the noises stopped, all he could hear was heavy breathing and he finally took his eyes away from a now quiet and resting Lex, and locked eyes with Clark who was red from head to toe, green eyes glaring wildly out of a mask of gore. He looked steadily at Bruce and just nodded once decisively and Bruce thought he could see a ring of gold, no-red, around his irises. Clark whipped his head away from Bruce and Lex and stared at the remains of the thing. They burst into flame and burned intensely for a few minutes, so bright and intense a flame Bruce felt like he was still seeing it even through closed eyelids and then Clark---shimmered out of existence, a wind flew about the office, putting out fires, and then came to a stop in front of Bruce and Clark was staring at him again.

"Well," he said. "Go ahead."

"What do you want me to say? You want me to ask you how you did that? Yes, fine I want to know. But you'll have to wait, it's Lex I'm worried about right now."

Clark blushed, then paled as he looked down at Lex, blood under his shoulders and smeared around his too white face.

"Yes, you're right, I'll call an ambulance." Clark made a move towards the phone, until he realized he'd toasted it.

Bruce was already calling him back, "No Clark, we don't want to do that. Lex can't be in a hospital-we've got to get him out of here," he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell, flipped it open and entered a number before tossing it to Clark. "Here, tell the person who answers Alexander needs help."

Bruce looked around the office, at the large black, carbonized area on the floor, blackened spots on the walls, everything on the desk top had been reduced to ash, the couch in the office also reduced to ash-he cut his eyes to Clark, and he blushed deep red, and frowned back at him. Bruce smiled inside. 'Um-hmm. Dangerous couch'. He sobered again and waved Clark over to him. "Ok- I came to check on some material I'd forgotten here," Clark nodded, a little puzzled, and Bruce went on, "I got to the building, found the guards, heard an explosion, ran up the stairs and found Lex's office like this-you understand?"

Clark nodded again and looked skeptically around at the room, the elevator doors half resting in the empty frames of the office walls.

Bruce continued, "Someone set a bomb in the elevator, hoping to catch Lex, but he'd left before this happened, left to Metropolis unexpectedly."

Clark said, "But, there's no sign of a bomb, Bruce, nothing here except the fire--"

Bruce smiled up at Clark, "Money, Clark. It makes you see anything. Besides it's Smallville-who the hell is going to doubt me? It's a perfectly feasible reason for this. Some people here are still less than charmed by the Luthor name, and god knows that there are nuts in this town who'd be capable of something like this. Take Lex and go, we'll talk about all this later."

Clark scooped up Lex like he was weightless, and turned to Bruce.

"Drive his car back to the house. Toby should be coming in shortly."

"Toby?" Clark started to ask, and stopped at Bruce's look. Clark sighed, shifted Lex in his arms so he could hold him securely, tight against his chest like an infant, grimacing as he noticed dried flakes of blood drifting off of him and onto Lex. Bruce shrugged and made a shooing motion and used his phone again, this time to call the police. When he looked around Clark was gone.

Toby was in Smallville in a matter of a few hours, the helicopter Bruce ordered for him delivered him to the pad at the back of the castle, and Clark ran out to gather him.

A longhaired guy clutching a doctor's bag and a small duffel bag turned towards him, shouted over the noise and wind of the blades, "Clark?"

"Yeah, Bruce wants you to come up through the kitchen." The man nodded and followed Clark without a word, obviously used to following Bruce's commands. He went up wordlessly in the elevator with Clark, relaxed enough to check him out from head to toe and smirk in a way that annoyed Clark a lot. Still he remained silent and walked briskly in the direction Clark pointed out; Clark followed behind him and took in the man, long gray hair, beads, earrings --Some old hippie type, Clark thought, some guy who never got over the seventies, and he snorted softly to himself.

Toby knocked on the door that Clark pointed him to, and Bruce opened it.

"So." Toby jerked his thumb back at Clark. "Is stud there the reason I'm here-shi-it..." his voice failed him when he took in the sight of Lex on the bed, and the look of fury on Bruce's face. He jerked his head around to scowl at Clark, and Clark was gaping at him in horror, what Toby was inferring dawning on him.

Toby was already moving to Lex's side and cursing. "Okay, so pretty boy didn't do this, obviously, or he'd be dead now. Fuck man, what happened to him-I've never seen..." He bent over Lex and gently rolled his head to one side, taking care not to irritate the abraded and raw skin.

"Hmmm. Looks like he's starting to heal already, good thing the wounds look pretty clean," he mused, more to himself than the anxious on-lookers. "Be nasty if I had to scrub stuff out of those abrasions."

He reached down for his bag and looked at Bruce. "Unless you guys really feel like staying, you can go. I'm going to clean him up and give him a shot. Vitamins," he explained at a look from Bruce, "And something to keep him out for a while. He needs it to heal from this. Good thing he's got those...peculiarities, he should be okay soon. He's going to be itching like crazy when the skin starts to knit, though. I 'member this one time he dropped a roach into his lap, you know, linen burns pretty fast, 'specially when it's soaked in booze, and geez, we were practically bathing in the stuff, heh, anyway--" Bruce stopped Toby's meandering recollection with a look and a tight hold on his arm.

"Just make sure he's going to be okay."

Toby sniffed. "Don't I always?"

Clark stood in the hallway looking at Bruce. "Do I even want to know why that ...doctor... would assume I did that to Lex?"

Bruce grimaced and shook his head, "No, you really don't." He started to walk away and Clark said with deep conviction, "Well, whatever it was, it'll never ever happen again." Bruce stopped, stood facing away from Clark for a minute, and turned. "No, I guess it won't. Come here."

Clark immediately took a step toward Bruce before hesitating and cursed under his breath. He was never going to stop doing that either, was he. Damn. Bruce smiled at him, held out a hand and put it on Clark's shoulder when he came near. "Let's talk, Clark." He steered him gently towards Lex's study.

Clark sat in the chair facing Lex's desk, Bruce took up position behind it, and asked Clark, "Would you like to explain to me what happened tonight? What you did, Clark, how was that possible ..."

Clark leaned forward and dropped his head into his hands, held it for a minute and then scrubbed his hands viciously over his face, his hair. " Okay-okay. It's like this-ah-I'm not what I seem to be. I'm not exactly a...." he stopped and gave Bruce a pleading look. Bruce looked back patiently, not speaking until Clark blew a breath out and tried again. "I'm not human," and his voice broke on human. "I'm an alien, from another world type of alien -not you know, another country...that was supposed to be funny," he sighed.

Bruce sat quietly and outwardly calm-while his mind streaked through a thousand thoughts and responses. Was Lex safe, was it okay to leave him with Clark, was Clark going to harm anyone, damn, he'd just spent the whole summer fucking an alien-Bruce struggled to gain control over himself. He swiped a hand across his face and looked over at Clark, his face creased in worry ---he looked up at the ceiling and tried to make some sense out of the jumble of thoughts in his head. What could he say to this kid now, that wouldn't sound like he was losing it -which of course he was...

Clark was getting agitated at his long silence, Bruce could see how dark his green eyes were getting and a flash of memory, of Clark's irises glowing red, of the almost feral look he'd had made him shudder a little and not entirely from fear he was shocked to realize, thank god it was discreet enough that Clark missed it.

"Clark. Give me a chance to process this. It's a huge chunk of strangeness that you're asking me to swallow here."

Bruce pushed papers about and rearranged Lex's pens and moved the phone from one corner of the desk to the other. Clark watched all the movement with nervousness. He knew Bruce was having a major meltdown. Bruce didn't indulge in a lot of unnecessary movement and this flailing about was doing nothing to sooth Clark's doubts over having done the right thing. His parents were going to have massive coronaries when he told them and who knew what they were going to do to him-but he was pretty sure the carefree days of summer were definitely over.

Maybe he didn't have to tell them.

He was aware suddenly that Bruce was staring at him thoughtfully, a little more in control than he had been. He smiled tentatively at Bruce and he smiled back. Clark felt a wave of relief sweep over him-okay, he's smiling, that means he's dealing, and that means he'll be okay with me and Lex-because Clark had no doubt that if Bruce considered him to be a threat to Lex, he wouldn't rest until he found a way to destroy him. He knew Bruce-maybe better then Lex-Bruce and he were more alike then he'd ever realized. The look they'd shared in Lex's office, Bruce's eyes, they'd shone like a tigers when he took that -thing apart. And he kind of liked that look.

Clark found Toby on the terrace, leaning on the half wall around the rose garden and smoking. He glanced over at Clark and grinned. "Hey stud! How's it hanging?"

Clark frowned at him, irritated at being considered some kind of -boy toy.

"Hey, I'm kidding. Bruce filled me in on what was what. Some kind of crazy shit, hunh?" Toby had the air of a man that nothing could faze. Clark was pretty sure a flaming demon could rise up out of the bushes in front of them and he'd probably respond with polite interest. How much of that was chemical and how much was natural equanimity, Clark wondered. He sniffed furtively, but as far as Clark could tell what he was smoking was just tobacco.

Toby inhaled again, and let his gaze wander slowly over him, from head to toe, and asked, " So. Lex, hunh? You don't seem his type, you're kind of average, or maybe I mean ...normal."

Clark snorted before he could stop himself, and Toby smiled and tilted his head. "Not as vanilla as you look?"

Clark shook his head, and blushed. "I mean, no, not Lex." Not yet.

"Who...Bruce? Hell no! You're kidding me!" Toby's eyes opened wide, and he dropped his cigarette. "Damn!" He twisted his foot over the cigarette and kicked it under a plant. "Bruce? No shit...." He stared at Clark with narrowed eyes. "I guess there is a hell of a lot more to you than meets the eye. Hunh." He walked a little closer to Clark. "I always thought Bruce was -nothing." Clark backed up a bit from Toby's fascinated inspection; his eyes glowed as if he could read deeper into him, discover things...

"I really thought he was asexual. Except for his obsession with Lex but I never thought that was sexual." At Clark's confused look he went on to explain, "Some people are-- nothing," he shrugged and made a face, as though the very idea was foreign, and possibly insane. " They don't have sex with anything-not interested, not ever. I never saw Bruce with any one, never saw him show any interest. I didn't spend a lot of time with him, but from what Lex says, He's never been with anyone ...so I figured asexual."

Clark barely heard the rest of what Toby said; all he could hear was 'never been with anyone'. Never ...except for him? Clark's stomach flipped, and he felt-turned upside down-Bruce never said anything, never hinted.

He heard Toby say, "-I don't swing that way, but whatever way the wheel turns for you, y'know. Not my business-" click and Clark knew that smell from those 'just say no' classes. That definitely wasn't tobacco. He turned his head towards the castle and saw Bruce, filling the patio doorway. His face was in shadow, but Clark could almost feel the look aimed at him. He excused himself to Toby, who nodded without a word, lips pressed tight in a grin, and headed towards Bruce. He wasn't in the doorway any more, and Clark headed straight to his bedroom.

He knocked on the door, and heard Bruce call out "Just a moment." Clark stepped back to wait for Bruce to open the door, and suddenly a wave of anger washed over him. 'You know what, I'm done waiting for Bruce, doing what he wants! Fuck him'-he pushed open the door, and Bruce was standing at the end of his bed, his shirt in his hand, and a towel slung over his bare shoulder.

"Clark," he said, annoyed that he was disobeyed. "Didn't you hear me--"

Clark walked up to him and before he lost his nerve, planted a hand in the center of his chest and pushed, hard. Bruce fell back against the bed, and immediately started to get up.

"Clark, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Clark pushed him back again, and stood over him, with a leg on each side of his knees.

"Bruce, you're a liar." Clark glared at him, looking so angry, that Bruce had to fight to keep from pulling away from him. Clark bent over him and held him down with a palm spread over his chest, and ignored the silky hair under his palm, and the shifting muscles under Bruce's warm skin, because he was really angry that Bruce hadn't told him, that everything they'd done together was the first time for both of them-that time in the car, when Bruce blew him and made him see stars-Clark could feel himself getting hard as he thought it was his first time ever-- remembered the expression on his face when he pulled back to look at Clark and lick his lips- he shifted and breathed a little harder, Bruce's expression now was almost the same...

"What do you mean I lied to you---I never did...I never meant to," he corrected. "I never meant to use you, I--"

Clark put his free hand over Bruce's mouth. "Please shut up. I mean why didn't you tell me you never---that I was...shit. You were a virgin?" Clark blushed, it sounded so stupid, like Bruce was some little schoolgirl.

Bruce looked a little uncomfortable, and jerked his face away from under Clark's hand. "Clark, you never asked. Why is it important?" He gasped a little when Clark's hand slid up over a nipple, and Clark smiled, knew Bruce was getting aroused. Why not...it was hot-maybe he was seeing how it could be to give up control.

And it hit him then that Bruce knew he was stronger, tougher, and he couldn't stop Clark from taking control if that was the way Clark wanted it. He rocked forward, and Bruce bit down on a groan when his erection brushed against him. Clark liked it, he'd never initiated anything, always content to let Bruce lead the way, call the shots-no more. He bent lower and touched the tip of his tongue to Bruce's mouth, and his lips parted immediately. He dipped into the moist heat briefly and laughed softly when Bruce tried to follow him. He pushed down harder with the hand on his chest and scraped his nails through the fine hair, and Bruce thrust up, twisted his hips, desperately trying to make contact. He moaned, spoke, his voice dry and thin, "Clark, please, please..."

Clark's eyes closed, he gasped as his dick jerked. Bruce begging him, fuck, it turned him on so much-he stroked his fingertips over Bruce's nipples and wrung a deep moan from him when he pinched the hard flesh between his fingers, he sucked and nipped till it was flushed red, and over-sensitive and Bruce was gasping without stop. This was hotter than anything he imagined; he'd never dreamed how much it would affect him to be the one in control. His boxers were wet and clinging to him, and he just wanted to get the constricting material away from his sensitive dick, he wanted to take it out and run it all over Bruce---push it into his mouth-

"Bruce, you're going to suck me now. Now."

"Yes-yes! Whatever you want-just-touch me, please!"

Bruce couldn't stay still, his hands flew over Clark, under his shirt, over his chest, and his hips pumped up into Clark. Clark reared back and ripped his shirt off, moved up away from Bruce and grinned when he groaned. He kicked away his sneaks and peeled jeans down and off. Bruce closed his eyes and moaned low in his throat. Clark watched his tongue trace its way across his lip and wanted it on his dick. He reached down, grabbed the waistband of Bruce's pants and ripped down and outwards, tore the material away from his body and threw the pieces into a corner of the room.

The front of Clark's boxers stood away from him, and he trailed his fingers over the spreading dark spot over the head of his dick, and Bruce hissed, his dick bobbing with each breath he took. Clark dropped the boxers to the ground and stepped out of them, slid himself back up Bruce's legs, letting their dicks rub together and Bruce choked, Clark grunted-the feeling was intense.

"I want you to suck me, suck me like your life depended on it, suck me till I scream and come in your mouth."

Bruce shivered and his mouth dropped open. Clark slid up until his dick bumped against Bruce's open lips, held his head and thrust into the wet heat, and pumped his hips forward. Bruce moaned, scrabbled his hands over Clark's ass before letting them drop, and he let Clark fuck his mouth, and groaned around him and Clark's legs shook and he gasped harder and panted and watched his dick push in and out of Bruce's lips, watched his eyes jerk under his lids and tears leak out the corners, listened to the wet smack, smack of flesh against flesh, wondered briefly if he was hurting Bruce and suddenly every nerve in his body flamed, his dick jumped and pulsed and his world narrowed down to his dick jerking in Bruce's throat, Bruce swallowing his come franticly-fuck--

He held Bruce's head and pumped. Pumped and Bruce groaned and swallowed, choked and swallowed. Clark cried out-- he was on the edge of loosing control, it boiled up in him like a wave of fire. He yanked his hands away from Bruce and grabbed huge handfuls of sheet and they tore in his grip like tissue-but it helped him to regain control-fuck ---damn... he'd never come so close to loosing it, ever.

Bruce' eyes locked on his-they were wide and wild, and at the sound of the sheets ripping, his body arched and he came so hard the bed shook, so hard-shouting out Clark's name and Clark dropped down, to catch the warm pulse in his mouth, licking up what he'd missed, licking Bruce's chest clean, licking under his chin where semen had hit in the first muscle wrenching spasm.

"Clark-Clark-fuck me, fuck me," he gasped and Clark thought he's pass out from the intensity of the wave of lust that rolled through him.

Oh fuck yeah-as soon as he could breath again-he was going to do just that.

He dropped to his knees and pulled Bruce's thighs farther apart, and pressed back on them, until his legs were lifted and spread, and he heard his breath catch. Clark tightened his grip on Bruce's legs when he felt a shiver run through them-pushed his thighs up higher and touched the tip of his tongue to the puckered ring of muscle exposed to him. Bruce jerked, and made a small sound, and Clark touched him again, and again, circling his tongue around and around until Bruce began panting louder, and began to push towards him, grunting and groaning as Clark probed against the muscle with his tongue, fucking slowly into him, exploring, getting to know him...when he felt Bruce trying to still himself, Clark chuckled and pulled back and Bruce let out a low cry, mourning the loss of the sensation.

"Don't worry," Clark whispered, and pushed a finger in where his tongue had been. Bruce rose as high as he could, a choked off yell hanging in the air as he dropped back down to the bed. Clark began to move the finger in and out--he lowered his head again, and licked at him, licked at the finger going in, licked at the stretched muscle, made it wet and hot and added another finger, and Bruce began to curse, a low steady sound in rhythm with Clark's hand, Clark crooked his fingers and Bruce yelled out, and sobbed, he was stiff and trembling, his hands were grasping at the sheets. One hand shot up to grip his leaking dick and Clark wrapped a hand around Bruce's and stopped him.

"No."

Bruce sobbed again, in frustration, and Clark heard a soft "Oh. Fuck." from behind him. His head whirled; the breath he sucked in dried his mouth and burned his throat-- his dick leapt back to fullness-

He pulled away from Bruce, ignoring his broken pleas. Clark leaned back against Bruce's legs, and spread his knees wide, displaying himself as he stroked slowly. He was feeling wild and dangerous, and anything he wanted to do was right, he was going to do everything, everything and he didn't care anymore, not the least damn bit. His head was spinning and he cupped his balls, jerked his dick and stared into Lex's shocked gray eyes.

Lex knew he'd never be able this forget this moment-wasn't even sure he'd survive it-opening the door to Bruce's room was like falling down the rabbit hole into every fantasy he'd ever had, and Clark was more beautiful, more arousing than he'd ever imagined. His full lips red and shining and -and his eyes, his eyes... Lex couldn't stop himself, he moved closer, he could smell them, sweat and soap and sex-Bruce lifted his head and made a terrible sound when he saw Lex. It was need and sorrow and love and it filled Lex's bones, flooded his gut with heat, "Bruce, oh my god-Bruce..." he looked down into Clark's wide eyes, and asked him, "Please."

Clark stood and began to unbutton Lex's shirt, silently. He pulled the tails out of the waistband of his trousers and gently tugged him over to the bed, pushed lightly until he sat on the bed next to Bruce, who sat up and reached out to Lex, gathered him in and kissed him. It was as nice as Lex remembered, in the days when he'd still allowed himself to touch Bruce. Kissing and rubbing-all it ever was, but he used to think it was enough for Bruce. Bruce pulled back, looked at him and Lex knew again how stupid he'd been, closed his eyes when the weight of Bruce's were too much to bear. Bruce leaned in again, breathing in his mouth as he cradled his head, and Clark slid down to the floor to undo Lex's pants. He removed his shoes and socks slowly, as if he were performing a ritual-he kissed the tops of Lex's feet, and Bruce breathed into his shoulder as he watched Clark with Lex. Clark set the shoes and socks carefully aside, unzipped and began to ease the pants down over Lex's trembling legs.

Clark looked so calm, so focused on what he was doing, only his dick, jerking each time he put his hand on Lex's bare flesh, drooling precome with every breath that Bruce gasped into Lex's ear, gave any indication of what Clark was feeling. When the fine wool trousers and silk boxers were neatly set aside with the shoes, Bruce ran his hands down Lex's ribs, stroked over his thighs. His tongue painted circles on Lex's neck, his hands copying the movement on his thighs, and then he slid his hands up and wrapped one around Lex's dick, and ran his tongue around the shell of his ear before sucking the earlobe in and out of his mouth. Lex arched and gasped, Bruce's hand was big, warm and smooth...he felt something and looked down, looked down at Clark staring at his dick, watched as he touched his finger to the tip and smeared precome around the head.

Air burst out of Lex's lungs and before he could draw a breath in, Clark sucked him in, down, until his lips touched Bruce's hand. Clark's tongue swirled around Lex's pulsing dick, hot and wet--swiped along the edge of Bruce's hand. Bruce gasped, he gasped and Clark sucked harder. Lex could feel Bruce's erection grinding into his hip, and he laid his head back on his shoulder, let Clark work him. It was hot in his mouth, hotter than it seemed possible, and the tongue scrubbing over the head of his dick was bringing him close, Bruce's hand, wet now and slicking easily up and down along with Clark was driving him to the edge. Clark stopped suddenly, and Lex nearly screamed. Bruce looked muzzily at Clark as he rose and went to Bruce's bedside table. Realization dawned and Bruce smiled, wider when Clark brought a small bottle of oil back to the bed.

Clark leaned over and kissed Lex, and Lex gave himself up to the kiss completely so thrilled to be kissing Clark, the object of his desire-his fantasies. Clark settled the bottle in Bruce's palm. "Get him ready?"

Bruce nodded, his eyes wide and glassy-he had Lex's dick in his hand, and now---ah! His fingers in Lex, and he was moaning...Bruce clamped his mouth over Lex's as if he could drink in the sounds, save them, let them be a part of him. His fingers glided in and out, in the rhythm that Clark seemed to like, and he searched for that ridge that made Clark moan. Lex gasped and cried out, and Bruce bit down on his shoulder. Clark lifted Lex up, and Bruce moved fully under him, and Clark let Lex down onto Bruce's dick, the slide of hot flesh enclosing him made him jerk and quiver, and it was Lex- his hands slid around on sweat slicked skin, he pulled Lex back on him-- Bruce and Lex cried out again. This time, Clark kissed the cries up; licking every bit of Lex's mouth, pulling away to trace his jaw with his tongue, lick and nip down his neck.

Bruce reached around and grabbed a handful of Clark's hair, pulled him up towards his mouth and bit him, bit and yanked and growled until Lex started to say something, some word of caution, but Bruce flexed and jerked inside of him and all thought fled as he sank into sensation.

Bruce mauled Clark's mouth, and yanked him back and forth, grabbed his chin and pushed his head up to expose his neck and bit down hard enough to rip open skin if it hadn't been Clark. Bruce was exploring the range of Clark's invulnerability and it made him hot- he knew that Clark was getting off on it, and when Lex's hand circled Clark's weeping dick, it almost knocked him over the edge then and there. Bruce fucked into Lex, so hot, so tight, Lex was rising and dropping on him and fisting Clark's dick and Bruce couldn't tear his eyes away from Clark, he was beautiful, Lex was gasping out Clark's name, pumping on Bruce, and Bruce dug his fingers into his hip and fucked in deep-Lex yelled and his dick jerked, spraying Clark, the fist slapping over Clark's dick and Clark groaned and came as he watched Lex spurt. The muscles clamping around Bruce finished him. He closed his eyes, wrapped his arms around Lex and pumped his orgasm into him---the only sound in the world was his heart, thumping in time to his thrusts-

The first thing he was aware of, was Clark's face hanging over him, sweat soaked hair falling over his eyes.

"We're not done yet," He smiled.

Bruce groaned. Oh god-oh god, Clark was going to kill him.

He slipped out of bed looking back at the other two, sound asleep. He smiled-Lex was spread out over Bruce like he was a mattress. Bruce was nearly big enough to be one, Clark grinned. He padded over to the window and looked out into the darkness. If he concentrated without using his enhanced senses, he could see the edge of the garden, and just make out the helicopter pad. Bruce was going to leave with Toby in the morning-it was going to be strange not to have him here any more. He was going to miss him.

He sighed, leaned his head against the window. The chill of the glass cooled his head somewhat, he still felt hot inside, a little shaky yet- at least that feeling of owning the world was gone. It was almost scary, he'd felt that good. He remembered how aggressive he'd been with Bruce, he wondered if Bruce was going to be mad at him.

He felt something, a little nudge at the corner of his mind, and rolled his head to one side and smiled.

Bruce was standing behind him. Anyone else would never have known he was there; Bruce was quiet, unbelievably quiet. He reached out and stroked his fingers down Clark's cheek. "Lex is out like a light," he murmured. Clark turned around to face Bruce. Bruce wore Clark's shirt, and his jeans, and for some reason, he found it really hot. He drew in a sharp breath, and felt himself go into Bruce mode, his body stooped a bit, his head lowered a little so that Bruce stood even taller over him.

Bruce took his arm and spread open his hand, put the oil in his palm and closed his fingers over it. He slid his fingers up until they closed over his wrist, pulled him gently out of t he room and down the hall. Clark went with out protests and no questions, content to follow Bruce's lead. He led them into Lex's office.

"I'm leaving tomorrow with Toby, you know that-- Lionel is coming in next week sometime to help put things back in order for Lex-hmm." He marveled a moment. "I never thought I'd see the day that Lionel would ever treat Lex like a son instead of excess baggage. It's strange. Everything that's happened this summer was a revelation to me. I learned a lot about Lex, myself." Bruce turned to Clark and the shirt spread wide as he spread his arms open. "I learned a lot from you Clark."

Clark automatically went into Bruce's arms, and curled into him. Bruce made a little noise of pleasure at the warmth Clark gave off, and pulled him in closer. "You'll be good for him, a lot of his demons are gone, thank god. You have to take care of him. I can't do it."

Clark pulled back a little, "Bruce, you sound like you're not coming back-you'll come back sometime, won't you?"

"I can't say for sure when, Clark. I'll be busy for a long time, but I'll keep in touch, you can talk to me anytime you want, any time you need someone you can trust about your...gifts. I promise you this, you'll hear from me again, whether here or-- somewhere else-I'll come for you one day."

Clark rolled his head up and looked at Bruce. Did he have no idea of how threatening he sounded sometimes?

Bruce took advantage of his uplifted face, he curled one hand under his chin, held him still and kissed Clark softly, carefully.

Clark pushed Bruce against Lex's desk, slowly tracing the curves and angles of Bruce's body, and watching his eyes darken, flicker over his face. He loved when Bruce watched him so intensely; it felt like he was being absorbed from the inside out. He liked being the total focus of his attention...that's what it was about Bruce. He made him feel like he was important, like he was needed. He pushed open the jeans, dragged them down over his hips and started to go to his knees, hands already gliding over the hot silky skin of Bruce's dick, his lips brushed the head and Bruce said, "No."

Clark looked up quickly, sure he'd done something wrong, but Bruce just shook his head, and pulled Clark back up. He squeezed the hand that held the oil, and kissed him on the cheek.

"Fuck me. Remember? You said you would."

Clark felt a surge of lust and a faint echo of that feeling of owning the world swept over him. He grinned and stepped back to look at Bruce. It was a good look. Bruce leaned back against the glass desk, elbows locked, legs spread as wide as he could get them with the jeans pulled tight around his thighs, shirt open over his trembling abs-he looked like sex. From his toes to his head, Clark thought, hot, hard, sweaty sex.

Clark spun Bruce around and bent his head towards the desk. He shoved the shirt up around his shoulders, rubbed circles on his back, down his spine, down to his hips, when he reached his ass, Bruce hissed and rose on his toes, bent forward more. Clark watched his reaction with absorbed fascination; he touched him lightly, slid his finger gently down his cleft, and watched Bruce shiver. He pushed in more, gently, slowly until his finger nudged against the tight ring of muscle, and Bruce moaned. He rubbed again, and again until Bruce was copying his movements and trying to capture him, force his finger in -Clark kept teasing, dipping his finger into him until Bruce broke, his voice was rough and raw as he begged for it. Clark laughed and slicked himself, murmuring into Bruce's skin what he was going to do to him, and Bruce cursed softly and when Clark slid in, they both gasped aloud.

Bruce wanted to scream, to pass out, wanted to be able to breath again, and Clark moved a little and Bruce never wanted it to end. It was like nothing he'd ever imagined. It hurt and felt so good, Clark was pushing in and telling him how wonderful, how hot he was, how good he felt, every word went straight to his dick-he wasn't going to survive this. His heart hammered and his blood pounded in his ears and his throat felt like it was on fire-ah. Clark shifted and his brain let his body know that something incredible had just happened-lightening poured through him, lighting every nerve like fuses and Clark wasn't talking any more, he was gasping and groaning-and Bruce could hear himself, and wondered idly if he'd be embarrassed at the sounds he was making, and then thought-- oh, Lex's desk-- and came over it. Clark yanked him back hard and ground into him and he could feel him flex and yell and shake, the waves of Clark's orgasm making him shake in sympathy, groan as the after shocks of his orgasm caught up in Clark's.

Damn. His face was stuck to the glass, he was covered in sweat and his back hurt, his thighs were killing him being from pressed into the edge of the desk, his hips were throbbing and surely bruised and his dick was sliding around in a sticky mess and he felt- fantastic. A laugh bubbled up before he could stop it, and he felt Clark's chuckle rumble against his back. Suddenly they were both laughing, Bruce wasn't sure why but it felt good, and when Clark pulled him upright and kissed him, it felt perfect.

Clark looked around him at Lex's desk and winced. "Boy, I hope none of that stuff was important," he muttered. Bruce glanced and grimaced. "No wonder my cheek is sore," and stared sternly at Clark when he giggled. "This cheek," he said as he peeled a staple off of his cheekbone.

Clark snickered again and nudged him towards the door. "Go. Shower, get packed, I'll clean up this mess."

Bruce smiled and said, "Maybe you want to get something on, the staff will be up soon, and you came in here naked." He smiled a little wider when Clark blushed -- And there's the shy kid I met once upon a time, he thought.

The next morning, breakfast was quiet, but relaxed. Clark watched Lex as he moved about the kitchen, getting bowls out of the cabinet, eggs out of the fridge, and Clark marveled that Lex even knew what those things were, watched amazed as Lex made omelets for everyone. Clark caught Bruce watching Lex too.

"He cooked for us all the time in school-you should see what he can make on a hot plate." He smiled fondly at Lex, and Clark felt like he was intruding on a very personal moment when Lex turned and smiled back-his face was open, his eyes so warm and it was a different side of Lex, one he'd never seen. Or, maybe one he'd never looked for....

Toby grinned at all of them, and winked at Clark. Clark just looked down at his plate; Toby still made him unsettled. He just has this way of looking right down into his...soul, or something. Toby chuckled softly, and stood. "Well, I think I'll have a little smoke before we have to fly away, boys. Anyone care to join me?" Bruce glared at him, and Lex laughed. "Stop trying to piss Bruce off, Toby."

He smiled again at Clark and went out through the French doors to the terrace. Lex asked Clark if he could give Bruce and him a few minutes alone-he had something he had to discuss with him. Clark frowned a second and nodded, looking at Bruce as he went out through the doors after Toby. Bruce didn't look back. His eyes were on Lex and he was scowling.

Toby was watching him, again, Clark thought. What the heck was the man's fascination with him? He could feel the weight of the man's gaze, and stifled an impulse to brush himself off. Toby just grinned and inhaled mightily, demonstrating an amazing lung capacity. He held it until he began to redden, and choked out a cloud of smoke.

"Whew! So, Studdly! How goes it.... Ah, come on now, don't go off on me, dude-chill!" He held up his hands, grinned, and flashed Clark a peace sign. "You know I'm just shittin' you. So, you plugged Lex-happy now?"

Clark's jaw dropped. How the heck did he know? What, did he sneak around the place at night? He glared at him narrow eyed and nearly growled.

Toby chuckled and tossed his end into the bushes. "Wow. If looks could kill--" He stopped and watched Clark blush with interest.

"Anyway, it's all over you, you look like you died and went to heaven. Cool, that's real cool, little buckaroo. I'm happy for you, really am. Come on, let's go back to the house, you can carry my bag, and I can drive Bruce crazy. He hates me; can you believe it? Little old me?"

Clark just leveled a flat look at him-"looks like someone learned a lot from a certain other someone," he heard Toby mutter.

Lex and Clark watched the two men board the helicopter, Bruce turned and frowned before he got aboard, frowned until he met Clark's eyes, and his face softened. He didn't wave or call out, just turned and got inside. Toby took a last moment to wave and point his hand like a gun at Clark. What the hell was Toby's problem with him anyway. Lex turned to Clark and shouted over the noise of the blades, "He really likes you!"

Great, Clark thought. Just great. The helicopter began to rock on the pad, and the two moved back towards the terrace, and watched the chopper rise and dwindle into the distance. Clark stood still and watched until there was nothing to be seen-thinking of everything that happened this summer, all the amazing changes that went on in his life, and Lex-finding love in Lex. He turned his head toward him and found him looking at him with a small smile, a kind of bemused expression on his face.

"Clark. Walk with me," He held out his hand, and Clark felt a wave of warmth, he reached out for Lex's hand, and instead, Lex slipped his hand behind Clark's back to urge him along.

"Clark. This has truly been a summer full of revelations, hasn't it." He went on at Clark's nod. "I found that I did have a father, and he does care, no matter how strangely he may show it. I found that Bruce is more than a friend, and he would give his life for me if he had to. That's an amazing, incredible thing to discover about someone. If you and Bruce hadn't saved me- well, I guess you can imagine how grateful I am to you. I'll never forget it either. I'll have to make sure to make my gratitude plain. I will make it up to you somehow."

He smiled at Clark, and Clark shivered. He hoped Lex meant what that sounded like, they had a lot of time for Lex to 'make it up' to him... he looked up to see that they were at the front of the castle now. He followed Lex up to the doors, and leaned close to him as Lex opened them with his key. He inhaled his fragrance, a rich heady scent-he'd always think of Lex smelling this way... he had to find out what it was so he could buy some, always have the smell of Lex with him-Lex stilled when Clark leaned in to smell him, didn't move at all and Clark smiled. It made him feel good to know that Lex knew what he was doing and that he was letting him drink in the scent-maybe he liked that Clark was scenting him?

The door opened and Lex still stood unmoving and then he spoke; his voice was low and even and slid over Clark's skin and curled in his gut. Clark tried not to moan. How could his voice do that to him--- everything about Lex turned him on!

Clark forced himself to focus on the words, not the tone-

"...and I never thought I could feel that way, Clark. I've been with so many people I've lost count, Clark."

Clark nodded. He had never kidded himself about Lex and his life before Smallville. He didn't' care. This was a new beginning for Lex, and he planned to help him in this new life. He would be there for him; he planned to be there for him forever.

Lex stepped in through the doors and turned to face Clark. He smiled, a lovely sweet smile. "Clark. You slept with Bruce this whole summer." His head tilted slightly to the side, and he seemed to examine Clark's face, study his features, and smiled a little wider, Clark noticed how very blue his eyes were today, he'd always thought they were gray. His pupils were tiny pinpricks in the blazing blue of his eyes and Clark felt a little like Toby was looking at him.

Lex stepped back and spoke clearly, flatly, " Did you think one fuck was going to make me forget that, did you think I was going to drop on my knees in front of you? Did you think I would settle for being second best? I'm sorry if you did." He stopped, and gave Clark a smile that just missed being a snarl.

"I guess I am my father's son, who would have thought, hmm?"

"Have a good life, Clark." And he shut the door.

*The End
This is the end, if you choose. Or, you can choose a happy ending, of sorts. It's up to you. Read on if you choose a happy ending*.

Lex's life continued.

Without Clark true, but that wasn't a problem. He missed Bruce more than he missed Clark.

He threw himself into his work and enjoyed it very much. His dad drove out sometimes for the weekend, and he enjoyed that very much. They talked about a wide variety of things and at the end of those weekends, he hugged his dad, and told him he loved him. His dad would do the same. It felt good. He went back to work on Mondays and never thought about Clark at all.

One warm and lazy afternoon, a letter was delivered. Hand delivered, no postage. Nothing on the outside of the envelope, No name, just a large 'L' scrawled across the front.

Lavender-a pale lavender, and slightly scented but not a scent he recognized. Something inexpensive and smelling a lot like...soap. The paper was heavy, deckle edged and rather expensive-for someone without a lot of money. Someone wanting to make an impression, it seemed. He unfolded the single sheet and written on it was I'm sorry. I love you. He folded the sheet back into the envelope, tossed it into the garbage and opened his laptop. Work, always work to be done.

Before he went to bed that night, he took the envelope out of the garbage and tossed it into a box on his desk.

The next afternoon, a letter was hand delivered. A pale lavender letter smelling of soap, and it went into the trash.

And that night went into a box on his desk.

Thirty-one days in August and for thirty days he received a pale lavender envelope. On the thirty first day, the envelope was plain white and contained a sheet of typing paper, and on it was also written I 'm sorry, I love you.

The next day was the first day of September and no letter came. Not the next day or the day after that.

"He's been in school for a month," he told the mirror. He brushed his teeth. "I don't care." He told the mirror.

The week brought no message and he was glad. It had been an annoying reminder of what an idiot he'd been all summer long. Thank god, idiot no more.

The week after that, he shuffled through the envelopes on his desk before he opened his mail. At the end of the week his secretary apologized for not having personal correspondence to give him and he thought briefly about firing him but he really was good at his job.

After three weeks had passed with no new envelopes appearing he breathed a sigh of relief and thought that Clark had finally gotten over this bit of ridiculousness and moved on like he had.

Later that evening, when he closed his laptop, he knocked the box of letters off his desk. Thirty lavender envelopes fanned out on the floor and resting on top of them, a slightly grubby white envelope.

He gathered them up and decided it really was time to throw them away, past time. He put them in the box again, picked up the box and carried it to his room. He picked up the phone, called a discreet and reliable firm, made an appointment and packed his bag.

Metropolis. It'd been so long since he'd spent any time there it seemed like unknown territory to him. The last visit had been disastrous, what with the being dragged home and all. He smiled. This time should be much better.

He checked into the hotel, got comfortable in his room and called his discreet and reliable "firm." A short time later he was opening the door to a rather stunning young thing. He stepped back and invited her in.

She was a tall, beautifully built brunette with full red lips, big blue eyes and she didn't remind him of anyone at all.

It was a pleasant evening, very nice. He hadn't had sex since...it had been awhile. She looked good with his dick in her mouth, and he was excited, very excited... He took his time, in no hurry to finish. He thrust in and out slowly. It was even better when he closed his eyes and held her head. And when he came it was a quiet wash of feeling and he sighed. It was good. She was good. He thanked her and he paid her and wished her a good night.

The next morning he was back in Smallville, hard at work.

The next week, he found a letter on his desk. It had no postage on it. It had no address on it. He sighed and hefted it in his hand. How tedious.
'Are we going to go through this again?' he thought. He laid the letter on his desk and went to the bar. Water would be good. A nice glass of wine...scotch.

Shit.

He picked the envelope up again and walked around his desk. Tapped it against the desk. Sipped at his scotch and thought about simply tossing it. 'I'll open it because...why not.' He picked up the letter opener and carefully slit open the envelope, shook out two sheets of folded paper.

'*Dear Lex,
Hi, how are you? I hope you're reading this, because I'm not sure if you got my other mail. That was me, the purple letters. I know it was stupid but I didn't know what else to do. So I didn't hear from you and maybe you don't want to hear from me. Okay. But I'm going to write this anyway. School has been a little harder this year. I wish I had someone to help me with this math. It's stupid, I feel like I should know this stuff*--'

Lex put the letter down and walked back to the bar, tapped his empty glass against the decanter. 'So, you need help with math. Okay. Damn it. All right.'

He put the letter down again and was surprised to feel his chest heave. It felt tight and hot-he felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. Fuck. Fuck!

He whirled and threw the glass hard as he could against the paneling and ripped the letter in two and threw it violently towards the trash. He picked up the phone and snarled at his trembling hand.

"Let housekeeping know that there's glass to clean up in the study. I'm going to bed."

He showered and selected a pair of silk pajamas but reconsidered. It's kind of cold tonight...really cold, I really should wear something warmer, heavier, it wouldn't do to catch cold now-the factory's so busy at the moment. Got to be there...he was humming a little now, as he pulled out his sleep wear for the night, pulled it out of it's plastic sleeve. Brand new, never been worn, not-he slipped on the pants and buttoned up the shirt and got into bed.

He tried to clear his mind, flannel sliding over his dick as he twisted and turned in bed. It rose in response to the soft material touching him and he ignored it. He was tired; sleepy, he was going to sleep.

Clark's face was right in front of him-his eyes shot open and he growled. He hadn't really thought about him in so long...He closed his eyes again and saw Bruce, okay, Bruce was fine, he was great-he was on his knees and licking a broad wet stripe up his dick, squeezing his balls gently and making Lex rock into his mouth.

His knees trembled and he spread his legs, pushed the pajama bottoms down his thighs and gripped himself. He gave himself over to the fantasy, moving his hand over his erection and panting, imagining Bruce's hot mouth moving on him- his muscles contracted and quivered as he came, grunting out Clark's name, because the mouth on his dick was Clark's... Oh shit, oh fuck. Damn it.

Four o'clock in the morning and he was in his study reading the rest of the damn letter.

--*this stuff but it just seems to slip around in my head. You always make it look so easy! Any way, I guess I'll go. I'm just going to pretend you're reading these and keep writing you. I think about you all the time, Lex.
I miss you.
Clark*.

He fell asleep in the chair, the letter in a crumbled ball at his feet.

Everyday a letter came, and Clark shared some little tidbit of Smallville life. Most were average items of little interest, occasionally he wrote about an event that made him shudder and visions of teeth and red, red eyes flashed through his mind. He very carefully didn't think of Clark in danger. Instead he read the letters once, folded them and put them into the box.

'*Dear Lex,
Yesterday I had a dream about you. I dreamt that you and I were sitting on my porch talking. Nothing exciting, I think we were talking about apples or something like that. When I woke up, I was sad for a while. I miss you every day. The fall festival is this weekend and I'm going with Chloe. I know someone I'd rather go with. (smile)*--'

Chloe! Chloe. He frowned. Fine, lovely, go with Chloe, have a good time. If Clark thought he was going to write about a date and get him angry--- he couldn't be more wrong.

Lex sat at his desk and went through some paper work. The letter lay open on the edge of his desk but he couldn't be less interested in finishing it.

He worked his way through the pile of papers, made plans to get together with his dad, called Bruce and spoke briefly with him. He hung up after promising to get together with him in the very near future.

Lex stared at his desk. He could call a friend and have a little something delivered to him or maybe he should drive out to Metropolis....

He picked up the letter and began to fold it and was caught by the last sentences '-*hope you might show up. It'd be so great to see you. Really see you instead of the glimpses I get as you tear through town in your newest toy. (smile) I think about you all the time Lex.
I miss you.
Clark*'

Lex made arrangements with the "firm," booked a hotel room and was gone before he gave himself a chance to think.

Smallville would be celebrating the arrival of Fall and he devoutly hoped to be fucking his brains out the entire weekend.

This time when he opened the door, the stunning looking young thing said his name was Brandon and that was fine with Lex. He could call himself whatever he wanted, as long as he was good at sucking dick.

He offered Brandon a drink and smiled when he turned him down. He asked if he could kiss him and got hard when the guy dropped his head, blushed and nodded. Damn, this kid was really, really good.

The kiss was everything that should have been his, shy, inexpert, but full of enthusiasm. When Brandon pulled away Lex was panting and his dick was pressed hard against his leg. He yanked his clothes off and gasped for Brandon to do the same. Brandon's eyes were wide when Lex came towards him, nude, hard and leaking. He tore his eyes away from Lex's body and met his eyes.

"How?" he whispered.

Lex closed his eyes and his dick flexed. Oh god. This was the worst idea ever. This was the best idea ever. Brandon was so much like him-too much.

Brandon reached out and touched him, he leaned forward and circled the tip of him with his tongue, licking broader and broader circles until Lex was shivering and groaning. He pressed his hands on Brandon's shoulders and tried not to fuck his mouth but Brandon slid his hands over his ass and gently rocked him until his hips moved on their own, sucking and moaning and encouraging him to pump...

"Fuck!" Lex thrust in and out of the wet, wet lips wrapped around him, and he looked so much like Clark, and he smelled like Clark and kissed like him and Clark was sucking him. Sweat ran down his ribs, down his back, ran into his wide-open mouth and flooded it with the taste of salt. He pounded into Clark's mouth and he took it all, moaning around his dick. He trembled and jerked. Lex screamed and begged him to suck harder and he thought he was going to black out when he came.

He fell back onto the bed next to Brandon and tried to calm his breathing. He reached over and touched him, stroked him, listened to the little gasps and imagined...he closed his eyes tight and went down on him.

Driving back to Smallville felt like driving back into exile for the first time in a long time. He dreaded heading back to the big pile of cold stone, dreaded trying to make everyone at the factory happy, dreaded getting his mail-

He parked and let himself into the mansion. The staff was off for the evening and that was a relief.

He slipped on something on the floor in the doorway. He bent down and picked up an envelope and he knew it'd been delivered by him that evening or someone would have put it on his desk.

'Lovely. We've escalated from the Garrison Keillor of Smallville to Freaky Stalker-Boy'.

He took the letter with him to his bedroom. He could still smell Brandon on his skin and he liked it. He lay on the bed, letter on his stomach, remote in his hand and mindlessly surfed channels 'a billion fucking channels and there's still nothing on...'

He gave in and opened the letter. The tone of this little missive was a bit different. Someone's nose was out of joint.

'*Dear Lex,
So you ran out of town I see. What's the matter couldn't stand the thought of seeing me? It's okay. I was busy anyway. One or two guys in this town find me attractive even if you don't. The words they used were 'hot', and they said it a lot. Clark*'

'Great. Fuck you Kent. I don't need to know who the hell you're fucking. How about I come over and tell you all about Brandon and his-'

Lex went into the kitchen and looked for something to shove in his mouth. His hand touched something smooth and warm on the counter. He snatched his hand away.

Goddamn! What the-how did he get this letter in here...He ripped the envelope open and tore the sheet out.

'Dear Lex,-- and he was already balling it but stopped and read-*I'm sorry, I'm a dick and a liar. I just got hurt because you left and wanted to make you feel bad. I'm sorry. Please forgive me. I was being stupid. I think about you all the time, Lex.
I miss you.
Clark*.'

The idiot.

It did make him smile a little. He was an idiot, true. A big gorgeous idiot with hot lips and really nice hands, but...

The next morning, he left an envelope in the mailbox. He'd written:

'*Clark,
Thank you for keeping me abreast of Smallville's cultural life. It's so important that I keep informed as one of the town's leading employers. I'll certainly try to make an appearance at the next event. It wouldn't do to keep myself separate from the people I rely on and who rely on me. Thanks once again.
Lex Luthor*'

His mail that evening was interesting. All of it was dusted with ash, and had a faint smoky scent to it. There was no letter from Clark, but Lex knew his answer was coating the mail on his desk. He allowed himself a little smile, and went back to work.

The next time his letter was tucked under the windshield wiper of the Ferrari. He raised an eyebrow. He'd thought he wasn't going to receive another letter, and told himself the flutter in his stomach was caffeine induced. He tore open the envelope and shook out an index card, unlined, with the message crawling slantwise across it.

'*Dear Lex,
Okay. Yes. You made me mad. But I know you and I know what's really in your heart. And you are a big butt-head, but that's okay too. I think about you every day, Lex. And I know you think about me. I love you.
Clark*'

He stared at the card for a while. His mind went blank, and he just stood, not really thinking...

He debated calling his dad, calling Bruce...he might need someone to talk to. Lifted his phone and punched a single number.

"Hello. Yes. It's me. How are you? I need to talk to you, it's important. Good, tonight then. No-I'll come there."

Hours later, they were sitting in a small restaurant in a private booth. Lex was struggling not to yawn-he'd definitely overdone it, but the wine had been good and the company-well, was company.

"Lex-I don't see how you could have made such a mess of things and you're just telling me about it now?" Bruce frowned at him, looking more Bruce-like then ever, Lex thought, and wondered again what had made him come to see this man. After all, he had been part of this whole mess.

Sad when the only friend he trusted was the one that stabbed him in the back. Lex snorted to himself and a giggle escaped him.

Bruce sighed. "That's it. When you start giggling, it's over."

He led a mildly protesting Lex back to the car and listened to him complain bitterly about Clark all the way back to his apartment. When they were back in the garage of his building, Bruce put Lex in the passenger seat of Lex's car and drove him home.

Hours after Bruce had been picked up from the castle by his driver, Lex was still thinking about what the man had told him. Everyone gets a chance at love, you either took it or you didn't. But if you didn't take it, at least shut up about it. Lex winced as his head pounded. He may have been paraphrasing Bruce a bit, but essentially that's what he meant.

He thought about Clark and the first time he saw him, eyes as green and beautiful as the sea, and a smile that lit his face and made Lex smile and still did-- or had-- whether he wanted to or not, he thought ruefully. And now Clark decided he finally was going to fight for him and wait, that is not what he meant.

He'd had no plans to ever see him again. That-that farmer, that -user! He'd used him to get to his friend and...and watch his movies and eat his popcorn.

He walked around the huge couch in the entertainment room, stroking the butter soft leather and sighing a little at his foolish optimism-his total belief when he bought it that Clark and he would be screwing their brains out on it. Or even just snuggling together. Like he used to before everything hit the fan and Smallville reached up to tear his heart out.

Lex lay on the couch and tried to clear his mind. His major failing, his main regret, was letting his emotions rule him. He knew it--sure, he could project the image of calm, cool and collected-he could be an ice-cold bastard when he wanted to. He'd had the best teacher after all, thanks dad. But time after time in his personal life he let his temper guide him with terrible results. He needed to approach his personal life like he did his business life, cool -detached...he could have avoided a lot of unfortunate adventures-and his heart beat a little faster at the lightening flood of memories and the irrational thought that if Clark was near him, he'd never have to worry again, he'd be so safe-

He pushed his thoughts almost viciously in a different direction. He was determined not to let his past mistakes (and near death) rule his life. He was a Luthor, and that meant...well, it meant losing your temper, holding a grudge for years and judging other people by an impossibly high standard.

He kicked a pillow to the floor with an unsatisfying thump and wished out loud for Clark to be there. He held his breath for moment and listened, sighed when he heard nothing. Well, what did he expect? If Clark were to suddenly appear in the room then he'd owe Santa Claus quite the apology.

He sat up and reached for the house phone. Maybe he should have some popcorn sent up, maybe watch a movie...and pretend his boyfriend was coming to watch with him. He picked up the phone, and turned to the end of the couch. "Babe, what do you want to watch tonight, it's your turn to chose?"

He dialed the number for the kitchen and vowed never to drink again-with Bruce anyway. It made him disgustingly maudlin.

The cook assured him the popcorn would be ready in minutes and Lex leaned into the cocoon like couch and told Invisible Clark that he'd asked for the butter on the side because he didn't like greasy popcorn and Invisible Clark rolled his eyes and laughed at him.

He laughed at himself...wonderful, he survived his dad, the Metropolis club scene, Smallville's total lack of spiritual nourishment-- almost becoming nourishment he thought and shuddered-- only to go quietly insane because a teenager was sending him letters and reminding him on a daily basis that he let the best thing of his life go from him without a fight. In typical Lex fashion he tried to cut him out of his life and almost cut his own heart out.

"Clark, why didn't you stop me then? Jesus, why wait this long to tell me you love me?"

A knock at the door brought his popcorn, butter on the side, and he looked at the cup of butter like it was a snake. He really was losing it. Here he had a cup of luke-warm grease for what--old times sake?

He curled his legs under him and pulled the throw off the back of the couch and wrapped it around himself.

Thirty minutes into a very strange and convoluted movie about cornfields or maybe about aliens, he wasn't sure, Lex was sound asleep.

Lex was walking through a cornfield that seemed to go on forever, the stalks were so high overhead that he could only see green, and a tiny slice of blue sky high overhead. He walked along trying to find some way out, a trail, a road--something beside this thin cut through the field, and every time he tried to step off and into the corn, the leaves sliced him like knives and he instantly healed. It happened over and over until he felt his eyes fill with tears of frustration, and he felt sick and weak. He stumbled and fell to his knees in the dirt and he cried out for help. There was a howling rush of wind, and the stalks blew apart and the sun blazed down from the blue sky revealed by the collapse of the stalks and there he was, looking like an angel as the light flared behind him. He strode forward and took Lex's hand in his. "Finally, you're awake Lex. I've been waiting for you since you closed the door."

Lex fell forward into his arms and his body jerked, and his eyes shot open.

He was amazed that he'd been dreaming. It seemed so real and he'd felt so lost and alone until Clark came to save him again.

"Come back Clark! I'm sorry, I do need you!" he called out softly, and there he was right there kneeling next to him, looking into his face and holding his hand. "Good. I need you just as much."

Lex reached out a hand and touched Clark's warm skin, stroked his cheek and asked, "Is this real?"

"It's real. I'm really here," he said and kissed him lightly on the head. "I was wondering if the invite still stood to come over and watch movies?" He kissed him tenderly on the lips, and cradled Lex's head in his hands, "I understand if you're too busy," he continued after a moment. Lex reached out to him and Clark crawled up on the sofa with him and settled between Lex's spread legs. He laid his head on his shoulder and asked, "You're not too busy are you?" and pressed tiny kisses against his neck. Lex shivered and whispered. "I'll never ever in my life be too busy for you Clark."

He felt Clark react to him, he could feel him harden and he sighed, pressed his own erection against his and they rocked together. Sweep after sweep of warmth flooded his body, and he groaned at the perfect feel, Clark fit into him and he fit into Clark, like two pieces of a puzzle, locked together.

Clark breathed a string of words in his ear, told him forever and told him he loved him and how hot and how hard and how close he was and they slid and rocked against each other like Lex hadn't done in years and it was perfect. When Clark gasped against his neck and arched, he could feel him coming even through the layers of clothing and it was enough to push him over the edge with him.

Lex's breath caught in his throat and his arms went around Clark and he rested his chin on his head. He sniffed at hair that smelled like sunlight, and rubbed his hands over his broad warm back and he sighed deeply. He was so content now, and even though in a minute or two, they were bound to be...uncomfortable, he wouldn't-couldn't--move if a tornado tore through the place.

Clark pushed his face into Lex's neck and inhaled, rubbed his cheek against him with a small sound of pleasure and Lex thought it was so good, so very good to finally be home.

11-28-04