The RHPS Experience
By Kel

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Clark/Lex, other M/F

Spoilers: Pilot, Leech, Craving, Nicodemus, Cool

Summary: Don't dream it... be it.

Notes: Thanks so much to Edie who helped me figure out how to pop the cherries of our favorite virgins. Thanks also to Vera from ClarkLex who put the idea in my head in the first place. The RHPS Audience Participation Album has been out of print for quite some time, but I managed to find a cassette of it about five of six years ago; transcriptual errors are my own. Chloe's friends resemble some of my own friends; names have not been changed to incriminate the guilty.

"Cheekbones" is stolen from The Boss of Me, Omar G. (waves sparkly sign) "Baldilocks" is stolen from Rogue. grin This particular midnight show is a conglomeration of several different shows that I've been to. None were quite this rowdy. Final note, for those of you who don't know already, RHPS is Rocky Horror Picture Show, one of the all time best cult movies ever. Midnight showings are a true occurrence as I used to play Riff-Raff the Handyman in the local cast.

The RHPS Experience
By Kel

"Clark!! C'mon, let's go, I wanna get there and meet the guys before the movie starts!!" Chloe was pacing in the Kent family kitchen as Clark was getting dressed upstairs.

"Sorry, but my chores ran over!" Clark shouted from upstairs. He was busy tucking his white tee into his jeans and digging through his closet for his favorite red and blue flannel shirt. "Mom! Is my red and blue shirt down there?"

"It's right here on the chair!" Chloe yelled up. "Jesus, Clark, if you were any slower you'd be extinct!" She grabbed the shirt and headed up the stairs, running into Clark halfway. "Here! Now please, let's go! Even I don't take this long to get ready!"

Martha laughed softly as Chloe poked and prodded Clark into motion. "Chloe... relax. They're called midnight shows for a reason, and Metropolis is only three hours away. It's seven o'clock. Even if you don't leave until eight, you'll be there in plenty of time." She handed the young girl a large black satchel. "Here you go."

Chloe briefly rooted through the sack. "Thanks, Mrs. Kent. You're a lifesaver; Dad didn't have half this stuff around the house." She hugged the older woman she sometimes pretended was her own mother.

Clark looked from his mother to Chloe. "Mom! You know where she's taking me? You know what's going on?" He shrugged into the flannel shirt that Chloe was shoving at him and checked to make sure that his wallet and keys were in his pocket. "And you're giving her... water guns and old newspapers?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmhmm." Martha kissed her son on the cheek and hugged him. "Have fun tonight, sweetie. Drive carefully. I'll see you when you get home tomorrow. Remember, sleep in at the hotel before you drive back."

"Right," Clark said dryly. "Did you drag Pete with you, or am I the sole recipient of your attention tonight?" he continued as he headed out to the yard. Only for this special occasion had Clark been allowed to borrow the truck from Lex. He got into the driver's seat and ran his hands over the steering wheel lovingly.

"Pete is waiting on us at his house.... Wow, Clark, who'd you steal the ride from?" Chloe ran her hands over the buttery leather of the dash. "This is great!"

"It's mine--Lex's--well, it's complicated. He bought it for me after I saved his life, and Dad wouldn't let me keep it. So I gave it back to Lex, and I borrow it on special occasions. Since Dad needs our truck for tomorrow, Mom let me borrow mine from Lex and I picked it up this afternoon after lunch."

"Pete's gonna freak when he sees this." Chloe reached over her shoulder and pulled the seatbelt into place and clicked it tight. "Let's roll, Clark. Before I start collecting my Social Security."

"Jesus, Chloe, impatient much?" Clark slowly put the truck in gear and turned around in the driveway, pulling out and heading towards Pete's house. "Would you mind telling me what's so all-consumingly important? You won't even tell me what movie we're going to see or why we have to see it so late, and I'm not sure I even want to know what all the stuff you got from my mom is for!"

"Stop being such a wuss, Clark. You gotta take risks," she reminded him, punching him lightly on the arm. She rolled her eyes as he flinched and rubbed the place where she'd hit him. "I swear, you act like I'm killing you and you never even bruise."

"What can I say, I'm delicate. And you're avoiding the question."

"Delicate, right, and I'm the next Queen of the Pom-Pom Kingdom."

"Your majesty," Clark snickered, and earned himself another swat from Chloe. "Seriously, Chloe, what do newspaper and water pistols have to do with this movie?"

"Patience is a virtue," she shot back. "Look, Pete's on the porch." She waved out the window, then unbelted the seatbelt and hung her head and shoulders out. "C'mon, Pete, let's get moving!"

Pete jogged to the truck. "Man, Clark, love the wheels. Who'd you steal 'em from?" he asked, sliding into the extended cab behind Chloe.

"I didn't steal them, guys! I already told Chloe, it's my truck, I just borrowed it from Lex."

"What do you mean, you borrowed your own car from Lex?" Pete's voice took on a hostile note as Lex's name was mentioned. "That's fucked up, Clark."

"Pete!" Chloe exclaimed.

"Well it is!"

"Look, Lex bought the truck for me after I saved his life. Dad wouldn't me keep it, so Lex holds onto it for me. Mom let me borrow it so I'd have something to drive all of us in tonight." Clark's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "C'mon, Pete, we're not even out of Smallville yet and you're going into your thing on Lex. Just back off tonight, all right? I know you don't like him, but lay off, okay? He's my friend."

"Right! That's right," Chloe busted in, sensing the dark clouds brewing. "We're gonna have fun tonight, dammit! Fun! We're going to be smiling so much, we'll be whistling out our asses. I want smiles, people!"

"Chloe!!"

"Smile, Clark!"

Clark smiled obediently. He knew when he was whipped.

After the minor blow-up over Pete's dislike of Lex, the silence grew awkward in the truck between the three friends until Chloe popped a tape into the tape deck of the truck. "Listen and learn, guys. We got two and a half more hours until we get to Metropolis, so listen to this thing." While the tape was playing, she rummaged through the bag. "Shit, there's only five pistols in here. Shit." Digging through her purse, she came up with her cell phone and dialed. "Dori? Hey, it's Chloe! Yeah, we're on the way. I've got fresh meat," she said with a devilish grin at her friends. "Hey, how many of the guys showed up? Everybody? Great! I've got plenty of newspapers, but we need more water pistols. I've got five, which is enough for us, and there's a couple left over." She paused as Dori answered. "Great. You got the rice and the toilet paper? Great. Can't wait to see you guys." She paused again. "The new Frank on tonight? Yeah? Oh, wonderful! What? No way! Shit, we'll be there in a couple hours. Bye!"

Clark had his attention on the road, and yet Chloe felt his eyes boring through her skull. "Chloe... what the hell? What kind of... fucked up musical is this!"

"Clark Jerome Kent! Does your mother know you talk like that?"

"You're avoiding again."

"She should wash your mouth out with soap."

"Pete... help here, man."

"Not even getting into this one, Clark. You're on your own. When Chloe gets all evasive action on us, ain't no use trying to pull anything out of her."

"Chloe, if you don't start spilling the beans, I'm turning the truck around and going home."

"You can't! It's just a freaky little movie, that's all! There's songs, there's some dancing, and that's it!" She bounced in the passenger side.

"And the props?" Clark asked, easing his foot off the gas.

"They're for the audience! They sort of... participate."

"See, now, that wasn't so bad," Clark said, as he put his foot back on the pedal and got the truck rolling at sixty-five again.

"Hey, what I wanna know about is this whole fresh meat thing," Pete griped. "She called us meat, man!"

Clark rolled his eyes. "Pete, if I got uptight every time Chloe called me something that I found insulting, I'd never be friends with her. Or you, for that matter," he teased, throwing an accusing glare in the rearview mirror.

"I don't know what you're talkin' about, man." Pete grinned innocently.

"Yeah, right," Clark snorted. "You and Chloe both. Don't know why I'm friends with you guys. You're so mean to me."

"Because you love us," Chloe said, impishly batting her eyes and leaning over to kiss Clark's cheek. She laughed when he blushed bright red and swerved into the other lane. "Eyes on the road!"

"Hey, I'm not the one kissing the driver," Clark pointed out. "I was distracted."

"By that? Damn, man, you are hard up! You need to get over this Lana obsession and get going." Pete was still snickering. "Get you a little something-something going on, you know, a little lip action."

"Pete!!! Could we like, not discuss my private life?"

"Or lack thereof," Chloe chimed in.

"GUYS!!"

"Okay, okay. Sorry, Clark. No more harassing the driver."

"Thank you."

"I didn't say for how long."

"Chloe!"

"Clark!" she mimicked. "Come on, man, you can't ask me to stop. You are so easy."

"Chloe Dawn!" Clark blushed fiercely. "I am not easy!!"

"Clark Jerome!" But this time Chloe blushed as Clark let her middle name slip.

"Dawn?" Pete asked.

"Pete, repeat that, and I'll rip your tongue out by the roots."

"Hey, I'm down with getting back to the whole Clark is easy thing."

"I am not easy!" Clark gritted out through clenched teeth.

"Easy as 1-2-3, my friend," Pete said, clapping Clark on the shoulder. "Clark... that whole experience thing I said before? Ditto it."

"Pete, it's not like you're exactly speaking from lofty heights," Clark pointed out. "I've yet to see you with the same girl two weeks running."

"Yeah, Pete, what's the deal with that? Your little black book should be like, the size of Wisconsin by now."

"Hey, it's called playing the field," Pete protested.

"Then shouldn't you win sometimes?"

"I do win!"

"Hey, you can laugh at my... friendship with Lana, but we've gone out twice, which is more than I can say for you and your harem!"

"Hey, I win all the time, man. The ladies keep lining up to taste the Ross charm." Pete made a suave gesture with his hands.

"Again, the second date thing? Not happening, Pete."

"Hey, Chloe, tell him! You and me, we hook up and go out all the time."

"No way, Pete," Clark busted in. "You can't count Chloe!"

"Why not?"

"Yeah, why not, Clark?" Chloe echoed, fixing her curious stare on him. She knew the explanation would have to be good.

"Well, cause... I mean... Chloe's a friend. You can't count hooking up with a friend when you're talking girls."

Chloe pointed to her chest. "Um, okay, Clark, in case you haven't noticed, I am a girl and I got the --"

"CHLOE!" Clark bellowed. "SO didn't need that image in my head!!"

Pete craned his neck. "Why not, man? It's a nice--"

"Don't finish that thought, Pete."

"Damn, girlfriend, back off. Brother's just sayin'..."

"Nothing, is what this brother is saying, right?" Chloe stared daggers at Pete until he sat back in the seat.

"Whatever, man."

Chloe turned and trained her glare back on Clark. "Now... me and girlhood?"

Clark felt like his blush should be scalding his cheeks. "Um... yeah?"

"Clark, I hate to the be the one to break this to you, but I sort of am a girl here."

"Well, duh."

"And?"

"Okay. It's not that... it's just... okay, you're a friend who happens to be a girl. You're not a girlfriend, and Pete can't call it that way."

"But you do acknowledge that I am a girl."

"Kinda hard not to, Chloe."

"Just checking to make sure, cause you know that even though I'm not Lana Lang, I do fall into the same half of the species."

"Chloe, you made your point, all right?"

"No, Clark, it's not all right." Chloe turned her glare on full bore. "I'm sitting here all but flashing you, and you're turning cartwheels to keep from admitting that I'm a girl and you might find me the smallest bit attractive."

"What? Chloe, come on."

"No, Clark. I want to know, right now. Do you even think of me as a girl, or just one of the guys?" Chloe's flashing eyes told Clark that she wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Pete..."

"Leave me out of this, man," Pete said, burrowing back into the seat. "Not even involved."

"Nowhere else to hide, Clark. Do or die time." Chloe glared at him.

Clark hated the feeling that he was getting of his entire friendship with Chloe riding on his answer to this question. "Sometimes, yeah, okay? I do think of you as a girl."

"Just not a Lana kind of girl."

"Will you please stop throwing Lana up in my face?" Clark shouted angrily. "She doesn't mean anything to me, all right? She's Whitney's girlfriend, and she's like you, Chloe, just a friend!"

"A friend whose house you used to watch with your telescope!"

"I did not!"

"Clark, yes, you did! You were so not subtle! Every time I came into the barn, the telescope was pointed directly at her house! You were all but stalking her, and I don't mean that in the good sense of the word!"

"Stalking has a good sense?" Pete interjected.

"Shut up, Pete!"

The young black man tensed at the dual shouts of Clark and Chloe. "Damn, but this is going to be a long-ass ride."

Clark looked over at Chloe. "I was not stalking her, all right? So I watched her and Whitney on the front porch when they were kissing. Wondered what it would be like to kiss Lana. But that's done, okay?"

"Oh? Who are you spying on now? Or do I even have to bother asking? At least all your initials stay the same."

"What the hell are you implying, Chloe?"

"Implying? I'm sorry, Clark, I thought I was being outright."

"What is with you tonight? I thought we were going to go out and have fun, the three of us! But now you're all over me, and right now, I don't really give a damn about the movie or anything else, I just want to go back home!"

"That's right, Clark, run back home to your telescope and your fancy truck and your blue water bottles and forget the rest of us."

"First Lana and now Lex? Pete I can understand--sort of--but you? Come on, Chloe, what's the real problem here?"

"The real problem, Clark, is that you are fucking oblivious to anyone and anything that doesn't involve those of the L.L. initials."

"You know something? I almost wish I'd gone with Lex!"

Chloe blinked. "What?"

"Lex invited me to Metropolis with him this weekend. Said I could stay in the penthouse while he took care of some LuthorCorp business and then he'd show me the nightlife. But I told him no, cause we had plans for tonight!"

"You... you turned Lex down?"

"Yes!"

"Wow. Don't I feel like an ass." Chloe was blushing. "Damn, Clark, why didn't you say something. We could have rescheduled."

"I don't blow my friends off," Clark said pointedly. "Not unless someone's life is at stake."

She waited for the next stoplight, and then put her hand on his arm. "Clark...I'm sorry. I was just... jealous. Blowing up, you know? I didn't know that you'd turned him down for us."

"Yeah, well, you could give me a little credit here, you know. I don't forget who my friends are. Lex is my friend, but so are you and Pete. It's not a competition, okay?" The light turned green, and Clark pulled through the stoplight, petting Chloe's hand before turning his attention back to the road.

"Man, I just totally ruined the whole trip," Chloe moaned, still mortified.

"It's okay, Chloe. Friends have fights and make up. I hate fighting with you, you hate fighting with me. It's cool." He took his eyes off the road and flashed Chloe a grin. "Promise."

"You're a great guy, Clark." Chloe leaned over the seat and hugged Clark, and then sat back on her side of the truck.

"Are we there yet?" asked Pete from the back seat. Hysterical laughter from Chloe and Clark both met the insane request. Pete smiled, happy with his attempt to lighten the mood. Like Chloe, he had his own reservations about Clark's friendship with Lex, but he didn't say anything. They'd just averted one disaster. "Clark... yo, Leadfoot! Back it down!"

Clark looked down at the speedometer as his laughter trailed down. "Oops. Shit."

Chloe strained to look over. They were doing eighty-five on the interstate. "Wow. I thought you hated to fly, Clark."

"Very funny, Chloe. Pete distracted me."

"Me, man, shit! I always get the blame!"

Chloe let a giggle squeeze out. She couldn't believe how close she'd come to ruining the whole trip. "Thanks again, Clark. I'm sorry. But we're gonna have fun."

"Whistling out our asses fun, right," Pete chirped in.

"Right. Chloe, relax. It's okay. I'm not angry."

"Hey, we're halfway there!" Chloe grabbed the tape from the tape deck and flipped it. "I know I sorta got us off track before, so just listen to this. Remember the words if you can, okay?"

"Sure," Clark said, and turned the volume up as the tape began to play.

The rest of the drive was spent in near-silence. Chloe refused to answer Pete's questions and shushed Clark, and they finally arrived at the theater as the tape clicked off. "That was severely weird, Chloe," Clark said, waiting until everyone had piled out of the car. He used the remote to lock the doors and set the alarm, and then deliberately slung his arm around Chloe's shoulder and took the bag of water pistols and newspapers from her. "Okay, where are we going?"

"Inside." And then Chloe broke into a run. "Dori!!"

"Chloe!!!!!" Clark watched in amazement as a young brunette came pelting out of the theater to hug Chloe. "Oh, man, you're here! You had to fly, we weren't expecting you for another half an hour!"

"Blame Clark, he drove with his foot in the carburetor the whole way here." Chloe waited for the two guys to catch up. "Clark, Pete, this is Dori Taylor. Dori, this is Clark Kent and Pete Ross."

"He's cute," Dori whispered, checking out Pete first and then Clark.

"Which one?" Chloe whispered back.

"Both of them." Then Dori giggled. "Oh, man, you're totally going to die over this new Frank. He's just... wait... these guys are virgins?"

"Chloe!!" Clark was scarlet when he heard that. "I can't believe--"

"Um, Clark... she's not talking about that," Chloe said, clearing her throat. "Virgins are people who haven't been to the show before."

"Show? I thought we were seeing a movie?" Pete questioned.

Dori laughed as she looked to Chloe. "You... didn't tell them, did you?"

"Nope."

"Oh God. Come on, fellas... you gotta meet the rest of the guys and we gotta get you ready."

"Pop their cherries good," Chloe called out, snagging her bag from Clark.

Clark's arm didn't release her bag, and he used it to reel her in. "Pop our cherries?"

"Don't tell me you don't understand that, Clark. Because I will have to hurt you."

"Don't understand what?" Clark asked, still dragging Chloe along with him.

"Do you really need me to draw you pictures of the sexual metaphor, Clark?"

"I am not having sex in public."

Chloe couldn't stop herself; she slapped him in the back of the head. "And don't even try and tell me that hurt." Clark bit his ouch off in midstream. "Popping your cherry means--in the crudest terms, that you're going to get fucked. In HorrorSpeak, it means you get to do something very zany and wild to prove that you fit in with the rest of us nuts."

"So I'm not getting laid." Clark actually sounded slightly... depressed.

"Clark... I'm going to hurt you." But she grinned and slipped her arm around Clark's waist. "Come on. We'll see what they've got planned for you."

"Pete... don't leave me, man."

"Coward," the black teen shot back.

"Hey, just remember, I'm not the only virgin in this group."

"Asshole. At least my blush doesn't show."

"Alex!!" Dori called out the name and then whistled shrilly. Four other heads turned around, then headed towards the small group.

"Oh my God, Chloe wasn't kidding, they're HOT!"

"Oh shit, man. Queenie, you're gonna be in heaven."

"Fuck off, precious, the tall one is mine."

"ot;I hate it when you call me precious."

Clark's mind boggled as he tried to follow the introductions. Chloe saw his confusion and whistled herself, getting everyone's attention. "Guys, you're scaring the straights!" She grinned. "The tall one is Clark, and the short one is Pete." Then she turned to her friends. "Dori, Alex, Queenie, Diana, Chrissie."

Diana eyed Clark critically. "I wouldn't kick him out of bed... damn but he's got the lips for Frank!"

"So tell me about this new Frank," Chloe said.

Queenie came around, slipped his arm around Chloe's waist, and briefly checked out Clark's ass. "Oh, precious, he is just simply divine. The chemistry he's got with Rocky... mm mm mm. Man could fuck me any day of the week!"

Clark--on the other side of Chloe--was blushing. "Are you sure we're old enough to see this?"

"Yes, you're old enough."

Queenie flicked his eyes over Clark's long frame. "Precious, you should have told me about this one a long time ago. I'd have come to Smalltown."

"Smallville," Chloe corrected. "And Queenie... behave. I don't think Clark swings that way."

Pete snickered. "I don't think Clark even knows where the swing is."

"Clark does indeed know where that swing is, Pete, and whether I do or not... I don't know."

Queenie immediately switched places with Chloe, pressing himself tightly along Clark's side. "Well, big daddy... come on in and let me help you decide."

"Queenie!" shouted Alex. "Give it up and don't embarrass the virgins."

"Oh, man, before we go inside, let's divvy up," Diana reminded.

"Yeah!" Chloe dumped the water pistols and the newspapers on the ground. "Clark, Pete, catch." She threw Clark a purple plastic pistol, and she threw Pete a yellow one. "Fill them up at the water fountains or in the bathrooms, and don't let the newspapers get wet."

Dori dumped her satchel out too, spilling bags of rice, Hershey bars, toilet paper, outrageous plastic sunglasses, and compacts of white pancake makeup. "Dibs on the toucans!" Chloe shouted. She grabbed the sunglasses with the toucans, and then selected two pairs for her clueless friends. "You'll need to put those on during the party."

"Party?" Clark asked, totally lost.

"Come along, handsome," Queenie said, plastering himself to Clark's side. "I'll take care of you."

Clark threw a pleading look towards Chloe as his arms were laden with toilet paper and chocolate, a pair of blue sunglasses, his purple water pistol, two bags of rice, and two sets of newspapers. "Help," he whimpered. Pete was similarly beleaguered by Alex, and Chloe was going a mile a minute with Dori and Chrissie.

"Come on," Queenie said again, and dragged Clark into the lobby of the theater. Wolf whistles greeted them, along with a great deal of clapping.

"Queenie baby, I didn't think you liked virgins!" came one voice amid the catcalls.

"Look at him, darling, wouldn't you make an exception!" Queenie ran his hand over Clark's bulging bicep. "Don't listen to them, big daddy."

"I really wish you wouldn't call me that." His eyes searched frantically for Pete, who was separated by Alex over to the side.

The gay man batted his eyelashes, and for the first time Clark noticed the glitter flaked on them. "Well, precious, what would you like me to call you?"

"How about Clark?"

"Oh, pooh. That's just too plain." Queenie made a production of examining Clark from head to toe. "Cheekbones." Clark rolled his eyes. "Oh, and you blush so beautifully, Cheekbones! Come on, we need to get you primed and ready to go up."

"Go... up?" He twisted around and saw Chloe following behind them as Dori slipped off down a side hall, and Diana came up from behind to take her place with Chrissie. "Chloe?"

"You get to go up on stage and get your cherry popped," she answered, then turned back to Diana and Chrissie.

"Anyway, doll, you'll love this Frank. He's not built like a shithouse, but he's got that lean muscle thing going on. His skin is just so porcelain white, he doesn't even need that much pancake either," Diana informed her.

"But does he have the lips?"

"Not like your friend," Chrissie said. "But he's got just this teeniest little scar that makes his mouth quirk when he smiles... just totally twists his mouth up so sexy that you're dying to kiss it. And oh man, the Atlas scene... you should see him riding that sawhorse!" Her voice turned into an almost-squeal at the end of the sentence.

"Oh, wow, this guy sounds great." Chloe kept an eye on her two friends as they were engulfed in the theater. "Clark! Pete! Toss me your guns, I'll fill them up!" Two plastic pistols sailed through the air, and Diana caught one as Chloe caught the other. "You think I can trust Queenie not to maul Clark?"

"Are you kidding? Long, tall, and too cute for words? Sister-sibling, you gotta be nuts if you don't jump his ass yourself!"

"Believe me, Chris, I've tried. He just ain't interested."

"Then he's gotta be blind." Chrissie kissed Chloe's cheek, then rubbed the red smudge away. "Come on, let's hurry. As soon as Clark hits the door to the screen room, they're gonna pop him like there's no tomorrow, and you don't wanna miss it."

At that, Chloe giggled. "Okay, no. I don't want to miss that." She let the other two girls drag her along, her dismay at Clark's lack of interest forgotten.

By the time they got into the packed house, Clark and Pete were both up on the stage. The whole place was filled with whistles and catcalls, and Chloe joined in, putting her fingers in her mouth and whistling shrilly.

Alex dropped in beside them for a moment. "Sorry to run, luv, but I have to get behind the curtain and get the cast ready. Frank's been dying to take a peek at the virgins tonight."

Alex disappeared behind the curtain, and dropped into the chair beside their prize performer. "Ready to go tonight?"

The man's scarred mouth quirked into a smile under the deep black-lacquer lipstick. "Absolutely."

"There's these two entirely delicious virgins out there tonight," she said, leaning in to adjust the curly black wig. "Doesn't that scratch?"

He shrugged. "Nothing that I can't handle. Have I said thank you lately?"

Alex shrugged. "What are ex-lovers for, Lex? If not to snag you prime parts in a cult-movie live show cast." Her fingertips smoothed several of the layers of shadow over his eyes into the blend, and adjusted the pearls around his neck. "There. They're going to be popped pretty soon, if you're going to preside, you better hurry and get out there."

"Microphone?"

"On the stand waiting for you. Knock them dead, darling."

"Don't I always?" Lex rose gracefully to his feet as he waited for his cue.

Queenie was standing on the stage, pacing in front of Clark and Pete. "Look what we have here tonight! We've got a couple of prime-cut, home grown VIRGINS!" At the mention of the v-word, the theater erupted into cheers. "And guess who is gonna help us pop their cherries tonight?"

The crowd started chanting. "Frank-N-Furter! Frank-N-Furter!"

"That's right, our very own Sweet Transvestite, Dr. Frank-N-Furter!!!!!"

The curtains pulled open just enough to let a striking figure walk out on stage and stop in front of the virgins, back to them as he walked by. Shapely long legs were encased in black fishnet leggings, and small feet were clad in large black platform sandals. As Clark's eyes traveled up the body, he realized that with the exception of the corset--which Clark wasn't even sure how he recognized--and the... briefs?--codpiece?...the actor was naked. Both corset and codpiece were done in black leather with silver spangles. From the arch of throat that Clark could see, he was reminded vaguely of Lex as the wild black Afro wig perched on top of the shapely head.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Frank turned around, and his elaborately made-up eyes widened as he clapped his hand over the microphone. "Clark?"

"Lex?" Clark's eyes were huge. "What the--" What the hell was Lex doing here, dressed up in this Halloween outfit and sounding... gay? The most disturbing part to this entire fucked-up situation was that Clark found Lex oddly alluring in the getup. Okay, Clark... Kinky much?

Lex raised the microphone to his lips. "Guess what, my Unconventional Conventionalists? Tonight's virgins are very close personal friends of mine." He ran his fingers over Clark's throat, an in-character gesture that he very much enjoyed. "We're going to have to make sure that you boys get... popped but good." He held his hand out. "Lipstick."

A tube of fuck-me red lipstick was placed in Lex's hand, and he reverently slipped the top off, stroking it suggestively as he rolled the colored stick up. He walked up to Clark, not stopping until he was standing inside the young man's personal space. The hand not holding the lipstick went to the back of Clark's head, holding it steady as Lex slowly raised the lipstick. He brushed it over Clark's lips first, coloring them vividly red. He pressed his own lips together, and Clark unconsciously imitated him, evening and spreading the color over his full lips. Catcalls and wolf-whistles filled the room behind him as Lex artfully traced the lipstick around Clark's lips, outlining them and causing them to stand out. Then with an evil smirk, he raised the lipstick tube to Clark's forehead, and before Clark could move, Lex had scrawled a large V on the smooth skin. "Now that's what I call beautiful!" Lex said in his Frank voice, and then muffled the microphone again. "This is a surprise; you turned me down to come and see this movie with Chloe? I'm impressed."

Clark didn't have a chance to respond before Lex was holding his hand out again. "Briefs." A box was placed in Lex's hands, and he opened the box to withdraw an oversized pair of red spandex briefs. Holding them aloft, Lex displayed the back of the briefs, where VIRGIN was stenciled in white. "Put these on. They'll make you feel less... vulnerable." The pause was rife with innuendo, and briefly Lex ran through all the words that he could insert in that pause. But in the end, he continued with his scripted line, and handed the oversized underwear to Clark. Clark looked at them as though he'd been handed a dead animal carcass, but he slid them on anyway, over his jeans.

Lex bit his lip. Red briefs over blue jeans and that should have looked totally absurd on anyone else but actually looked sexy on Clark. "Turn around." As soon as he turned around and presented his ass to the crowd, another set of cheers erupted. Lex couldn't help himself. He reached down and ran his ass over the red fabric, groping and squeezing Clark's ass as he did. He moaned into the microphone. "Ooh! I'm in heaven!" he cried out dramatically, and then his hands gripped Clark's hips and ground his codpiece against the denim and nylon clad ass of his young friend. Clark jumped as if burned and whirled to glare at Lex. Amid another round of claps and catcalls, Lex leaned over Clark's shoulder and laughed. "Payback's a bitch, farmboy," he said, dropping the microphone so that his words went only to Clark. "Tell me something, Clark, did you have any clue in hell what you were getting yourself into?"

A frantic head shake was his expected answer, and he laughed again. "Charming, simply charming!" Lex slipped back into Frank-N-Furter character. "And oh, what have we here?" Lex seemed to flow across the stage in the slingback platform pumps as he glided around Pete's stiff body.

"Get your hands off me," Pete growled, chocolate skin glowing with an angry blush.

"Oh, how nice. He's got... spunk!" Lex took the lipstick tube, and Pete looked as though he wanted to rip Lex apart, but he submitted to the same ritual that Clark had, submitting to the lipstick and the briefs without complaint, even going so far as to accept the touching and the quick groping of his ass without mayhem.

Clark was actually glad of the oversized briefs as he watched Lex's performance with Pete. The sensual movements with which Lex oozed and slinked around Pete were making Clark's cock do very nice things in his suddenly too-tight jeans. The gentle brush of Lex's groin against Pete's ass, the click of stiletto heels, the wet smack of shimmery-lipsticked lips as Lex whispered into Pete's ear, and the entire outfit that somehow enhanced Lex's masculinity instead of hiding it all combined to send the blood from Clark's big head down to his little head. Lex... was sexy as a cross-dresser. As he watched Lex with Pete, he wondered if he had looked that uncomfortable himself.

"Oh. My. God." Chloe nearly fainted when Lex Luthor walked out onto the stage in all his glory. "Oh. My. God. That's Lex fucking Luthor!"

Chrissie just grinned. "Ain't he hot?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You're acting like it's a big deal, doll! He's been doing this for... God, almost a year!"

"Since he's been in Smallville," she filled in. Though she wasn't really surprised. "Wait a minute... how did...?"

"Alex," she smirked. "When Lex was making his club circuit, he and Alex hooked up several times. Nothing serious, they're still cool about it, but she got him into the cast when he called up complaining about being bored in Smalltown."

"Smallville," Chloe emphasized.

"The ass end of nowhere," Chrissie clarified. "We're talking a small town full of small potatoes."

"Hey, those small potatoes are my friends."

Chrissie smiled. "And they're hot potatoes."

"Will you please stop calling them potatoes!" Chloe couldn't tear her eyes off of Lex on stage with Clark. "Oh. My. God. He's going to fuck Clark here and now!"

"Bring it on, baby... bring it on!" catcalled Chrissie.

As soon as Lex moved away from Clark and over to Pete, Chloe found herself staring at Clark. The bright red lipstick only accentuated the fullness of his lips, giving them a slick shine that made Chloe think of something wet--Lex's cock--sliding in and out of Clark's mouth. She slammed her eyes shut as that thought rocketed briefly through her mind and she shook her head. "No... I did not just think that."

"Think what?" Diana asked curiously. She put her arm around Chloe's shoulder. Chloe leaned over and whispered. "Oh, don't worry, hon. Lex makes everybody think that."

"Think what?" demanded Chrissie. "Think what?"

"Of Clark in that lipstick sucking Lex's cock," she said, and then yelped as Chloe punched her arm. "Ow, Goddammit!"

"Way to go, Chloe!" Chrissie hugged her friend. "Welcome to the wonderful world of Midnight Metropolis!" She winked at Chloe. "Hey, Frankie! Bust their cherries good!!"

"What do you mean?" Chloe demanded, as the rest of the crowd took up the chant of "Bust! Bust! Bust! Bust!"

"It means that Frank is going to kiss them both. Probably giving Clarkbar there tongue."

"CHRISSIE!!!"

Lex looked up as the bust chant got louder and louder. He knew the second that Chrissie had belted out her idea that it was her, and he turned to pose for the crowd, scanning them until he found Chloe, Chrissie, and Diana sitting in the second row center. "Well now. How nice. Such beautiful boys we have here tonight, don't you think?" He caught Chrissie's eye with a glittery wink, then licked his lips as he thought of what was coming next, and he turned back to the mortified boys on stage. "Well, our time together, such as it is, is growing to an end. But here, let me... leave you with something to remember me by." He put the microphone back on the stand and then strutted back over to the boys. Bypassing Clark, he stopped in front of Pete first. He slinked around behind the black teen, and then plastered himself against Pete's back. He wrapped his arms around Pete's torso, hands moving dramatically over it, his legs effectively blocking Pete's escape. Using the handholds for leverage, Lex spun Pete around and kissed him, dipping him slightly for dramatic effect. Pete stiffened and shoved Lex away, earning the good natured laughter of the people in the theater as Queenie led Pete down the steps to the seats of honor on the first row.

Lex smoothed his lipstick by rubbing his lips together, then turned to face Clark. "Come here, Clark."

Clark stood in awed fascination while Lex moved against Pete, and then his eyes almost sizzled in their sockets as Lex kissed the black teen. The idea that Lex was coming for him next sent sparks of fire dancing through every nerve ending he possessed. He felt his skin tingling as Lex slowly turned around and trained a half-lidded glare on him.

"Come here, Clark."

Clark, used to obeying Lex, stepped forward into Lex's space when he demanded it, and before Clark could think, Lex wrapped himself around Clark's body, rubbing the front of his codpiece against Clark's red briefs suggestively as he kissed the boy.

Clark shivered as Lex's mouth touched his, and the only thing he possessed at that moment was instinct as he opened his mouth to admit Lex. The costumed man in his arms moved slightly, but it was too low for Clark. The teen slid his hands around Lex's hips, gripping him by the ass and lifting, the undulations now causing the hard leather of Lex's codpiece to rub against Clark's own throbbing cock.

The crowd in the theater screamed and hooted, but it turned into a deafening roar as Clark's hands came up to grip Lex's ass and lift him, situating their bodies even closer together before he realized what he was doing, and nearly dropped Lex entirely.

Lex was breathless by the time Clark let him go, and he slithered down the tall frame to land on his feet, knees weak from the kiss. He reached out and put his hand on his friend's chest. "I'll be out to sit with you when my part's done; we switch roles about halfway through." He dug his nails in lightly. "We can... move to the back row." He saw the puzzlement in Clark's eyes. "You'll understand in a few minutes."

The entire theater rolled with the sound of feet stamping on the concrete floor and hands drumming on the seat backs, calling for encores and another performance. Lex merely waved and disappeared behind the curtain again, and Queenie escorted Clark down to the front row to sit beside Pete.

"Man, don't even look at me!" Pete said angrily.

"Pete?"

"Just shut up, man! You just..."

"Clark! Oh my God! I can't believe you kissed Lex Luthor!" Chloe was hanging over his shoulder. "I know I was jealous of him in the car, but my God, you didn't tell me it was for real!"

"Guys, guys, you think you could take a break here? There's nothing going on between me and Lex." Clark slouched in the seat, trying to make himself as small as possible. "Nothing."

"Cheekbones, that didn't look like nothing to us," Queenie said with a grand gesture as he dumped Clark's props in his lap. "I think we figured out which side of the swing you sit on."

"Queenie..." Clark sighed. "Stop with the X-rated video in your head, all right?"

Pete had moved down a chair, and Queenie settled in between the two virgin teens, leaning over to hang against Clark. "Oh, I know you've already got your heart and your cock set on our beautiful little Frankie here, but come on... can't a queen dream?"

Chrissie draped over the back of Queenie's chair to get to Clark. "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, Clarkbar. And that river sure as hell don't run through Metropolis."

Clark was still slouched in his seat. "Chloe..."

"Clark! You kissed Lex Luthor! You had your hands on his ass and you were going at it to beat the band! You expect us to believe there's nothing there??"

Diana had shifted down a seat to talk to Pete. "Pete?"

"I knew it was a bad idea for me to come along, but Chloe asked," he groused. "Did you see him up there, kissing fucking Lex Luthor like he was Britney Spears!"

"What's the matter Pete? Lex kisses everybody, it's part of the show."

"Yeah, but that don't mean they've got to kiss back, now does it?"

"You're on the football team, right? Chloe tells us all about you guys."

"Yeah, so?"

"Pete... is it Lex, or is it just the fact that Clark kissed a guy and liked it?"

"You gotta be kidding me, right? I don't give a flying rat's ass who Clark kisses, as long as it ain't Lex Luthor! The man's a snake, his family are snakes, and they end up hurtin' everybody they come in contact with!"

Diana looked mildly surprised. "I've known Lex for a few years now, longer than you have. Yeah, he used to drag the clubs, popped God only knows what kind of pills he cooked up in his lab, fucked pretty much anything that moved, but he also bought Alex a new car when hers got chopped, and he helped me pay my last semester's tuition at Met U. His dad walked in on him handing me the tuition check, and Lionel asked him if it was for sex, drugs, or both. Lex said it was merely an investment in the future." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what your past beef with Lex is, but you need to wake up and see what's going on around you, because if you don't, you could lose your friend."

"Whaddya mean, lose a friend?"

"I mean Clark. Chloe told us that he's... well, infatuated wasn't the word she used but it's nice enough for public consumption. Infatuated with Lex, and from that kiss, I'd say it's a hell of a lot more than that. So you think about it, Pete. Is whatever you got against Lex going to keep you from being Clark's friend?"

The lights went down in the theater and the movie started before Pete could answer.

Note: Audience Participation interjections will be shown in all caps.

Clark pried Queenie's hand off his thigh for the third time as the movie finally started. At first, he was shocked at the pair of large red lips that appeared on the screen, but then as he licked his lips and tasted the lipstick still on his mouth, that didn't seem quite so odd anymore.

AND GOD SAID... LET THERE BE LIPS.

Michael Rennie was ill
The Day the Earth Stood Still
But he told us where we stand ON OUR FEET! And Flash Gordon was there
In EDIBLE silver underwear KINKY
Claude Rains was The Invisible Man BUT HE DIDN'T SHOW UP!

Nothing in the lyrics made sense. Nothing except Flash Gordon, anyway. Flash Gordon was his father's favorite Superhero. But what really startled him was when the audience--almost as a single voice started talking back to the screen.

Then something went wrong
For Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a SEXUAL celluloid jam Then at a deadly pace
It Came WHERE? From Outer Space ON JANET'S FACE And this is how the message ran...

Dana Andrews said prunes
Gave him the runes THE SHITS!
And passing them used lots of skills
But When Worlds Collide BAM
Said George Pal to his bride
I'm gonna give you some terrible SEXUAL! thrills Like a...

Clark pretty much zoned out on the rest of the lyrics until the finale of the song.

I wanna go - Oh oh oh oh
To the late night, double feature, picture show By R.K.O. - Wo oh oh oh
To the late night, double feature, picture show In the back row - Oh oh oh oh Fuck in the back row! To the late night, double feature, picture show

Clark shot up straight in his seat, and that earned him a thump from Chloe. "Stay down, you're blocking the screen!"

Queenie looked over. "What is it, Cheekbones? Just figure out why Lexy invited you to the back row?" Clark's blush burned his cheeks, and he couldn't wait for the start of the dialogue. However, he found himself showered with rice as the movie opened up onto a wedding scene. He tried to brush it out of his hair, but Queenie stilled him. "Oh, stop it, Precious, and just watch the fucking movie!"

Clark blushed the further they got into the wedding scene. Chloe was shouting her lines from the second row with great relish, and Clark realized he would never look at her the same way ever again. There was so much sexual innuendo in the movie that he was surprised that he and the rest of the underage people in the theater weren't being escorted out. He elbowed Queenie. "When does Frank come on?"

"Oh, just you wait, you eager little thing you. I know Brad and Janet are boring as shit, but it's oh so much fun to make fun of them. Here, let me help you." Queenie leaned in and coached Clark on the next few lines, and he was able to shout the responses back with the rest of the audience. "You see?"

"Yeah! It is... kinda cool, actually." He was getting to call someone an asshole and not even worry about it! He was getting to say all kinds of words he didn't get to say at home, he'd gotten kissed by his best friend, his cock still throbbed when he thought about it, and he had a flaming queen attached to his left arm. "I'm glad Chloe said to come. This is... cool. Odd... but cool."

After a few long moments during which someone with no neck named the Criminologist played Exposition Fairy and explained what was going on, Queenie elbowed Clark and then turned to Chloe. "Give him back the water gun." Chloe surrendered the purple pistol and handed it to Clark, who nodded his thanks. "Get your newspaper ready, Cheekbones. And oh, here, before we forget, pass out the little flashlights." Queenie gave Clark a miniature flashlight, then Chrissie and Diana passed some out to Chloe, Pete, and Alex who had joined them at some point. "Look, here come Brad and Janet!"

The curtain rose on the small stage as a man and a woman dressed similarly to Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandon came out to sit on the chairs provided. The man pretended to be driving the car, and the woman was reading the newspaper, much like the action on the screen. Queenie continued to coach Clark carefully, feeding him lines to shout at the screen as he folded their newspapers into little hats. "Here you are. Put this on when Janet gets out of the car."

Not quite sure what to expect, Clark did as he was told and put the little paper hat on as soon as Janet did, and then an instant later, water from the hundreds of water pistols started coming down like raindrops. "I get it now!" Clark raised his pistol up and started shooting as well, showering the people behind him with raindrops. "This is great! I love this movie!!!"

A wild cheer met his virginal proclamation. "Congratulations, precious, your cherry just got busted," Queenie said, and groped his ass firmly under the briefs. Clark just laughed and shot Queenie with his water pistol.

This time, Clark was holding onto Queenie in his excitement. Chloe had all but climbed over the back of the chair and was sitting nearly in Clark's lap as they waited for Lex to come out. As soon as the side curtain opened, Lex swaggered out onto the stage, and Clark was barely able to tear his eyes away when Chloe elbowed him. "Oh my God, the cape Clark!! He's wearing the fucking cape!"

Audience participation forgotten, Clark's eyes were riveted on Lex, and he slid one hand down to grip his cock tightly. God, he ached. He wanted to come, he'd been anticipating Lex ever since the kiss, and he wasn't disappointed.

Lex's hips were swaying back and forth in time to the movie, an almost eerie echo of Tim Curry's motions. When he threw the cape back to reveal his outfit, Lex had added evening gloves that reached up to his biceps and had changed pearls. Clark's hearing noticed the shift in sound, noticing that the soundtrack on the film had been cut, and that it was Lex's voice that was carrying the song.

How do you do
I see you've met my faithful handyman
He's just a little brought down because When you knocked
He thought you were the candy man
Don't get strung out by the way I look
Don't judge a book by its cover
I'm not much of a man by the light of day But by night I'm one hell of a lover
I'm just a sweet transvestite
From Transsexual, Transylvania

Clark's entire body shivered as he listened to Lex's voice slide down the scale into rough and throaty on the last four lines of the song. His cock throbbed, and he pressed down with the heel of his hand, shuddering again.

Queenie petted his hand. "Don't worry, Cheekbones, Lexy'll be here soon."

So come up to the lab
And see what's on the slab
I see you shiver with antici...pation
But maybe the rain
Isn't really to blame
So I'll remove the cause YOUR CLOTHES! But not the symptom!

The way Lex drawled out anticipation did indeed send shivers up Clark's spine. Chloe's nails were digging into his shoulder. "Hey," he said, trying to distract her. "Where's Dori?"

"She's playing Columbia, you dork," she said, slapping the back of his head. "She did that kick-ass tap dance routine?"

"That was Dori?" Clark questioned, amazed. He'd been so busy waiting for Lex that he hadn't even realized it. "She's good!"

"Yeah, I know. Now sssh, it's about time for Lex to come back on!"

Clark watched as they got off the elevator on the screen, and then dropped his eyes down to where Lex was standing on a small raised platform. A ring of people in funny sunglasses, white pancake makeup and strange black suits were ringed around him, and he had donned pink rubber gloves over the evening gloves , along with a green surgical gown. Even that outfit couldn't make him look less than incredible. He acted superbly, sinewy body following Tim Curry's movements almost exactly.

Suddenly Alex was shaking Clark's shoulder. "Our Rocky hurt himself during Sword of Damocles and the replacement guy's not here yet! Lex said you'd do it."

Clark got a deer in the headlights look. "What do I have to do?"

"Basically, stand there, flex, and when the exercise equipment rolls out, use it."

"Okay, let's do it." He disengaged himself from Queenie's clinging grip and followed Alex backstage. "What's this?" he said, glaring at the gold-dyed briefs she handed him.

"Costume. You don't see Rocky in flannel and denim, do you?"

"Fuck. Okay. Room?"

"No time. Nothing I haven't seen before."

"Fuck." He stripped quickly, and before Alex could do more than whistle, he pulled the gold briefs up over his legs. "Okay, look?"

"Great. Get out. Follow Lex, he'll give you the cues."

Clark saw the large box that was representing the elevator, and he appeared beside it, and as soon as everyone realized who it was, the movie was drowned out for long moments as they roared their approval.

Lex turned to check out the replacement Rocky and his jaw dropped when he saw Clark standing there smiling at him. He would have asked what the hell he was doing there, but then the music cued for his second song.

The music cut out again, and Lex carried the second song almost entirely by himself.

A weakling weighing ninety-eight pounds Will get sand in his face
When kicked to the ground
And soon in the gym
With a determined chin
The sweat from his pores
As he works for his cause
Will make him glisten
And gleam, and with massage
And just a little bit of steam
He'll be pink and quite clean
He'll be a strong man
Oh, honey!

Lex couldn't take his eyes off Clark, which was just as well since Frank was obsessed with his new creation. Obsession didn't even take that much acting. He trailed his finger down the center of Clark's chest and tugged lightly at the waist of the gold fabric. "Beautiful," he mouthed during one of the lyric pauses, and was rewarded to see Clark flush.

Clark watched as they rolled out barbells first and then an exercise sawhorse. He recognized them both from Lex's gym. There was no struggle as Lex handed him the barbells and he started to flex, lifting the small weights with almost no effort. He was distracted by flashing in the front row, and he looked to see Chloe popping away with her digital camera. Queenie, too, had a disposable camera and was popping away.

"Hey, honey!" Dori popped up behind Clark. "Jump up and be still." Clark obediently jumped up onto the sawhorse, and then jumped again when Dori's hands started to wax his chest. "Just to make you shine... say cheese, Clark."

Clark grinned as Lex came over, and Dori nudged him in the shoulder. "Down for pushups and watch Lex!"

Clark did as he was told, not even wondering, and then as he watched, Lex vaulted easily into the saddle of the sawhorse, and then started sliding against the lower handle, tipping his hips up each time and throwing his head back. Clark forgot his pushups, forgot everything but watching Lex's body move. Then as Lex lowered himself off the sawhorse, Clark got up, and as Frank pulled Rocky into the elevator on the screen, Lex pulled Clark into the rectangular box that served as not only their elevator but a straight shot to backstage.

Music cued for the rock and roll sequence, and Alex was waiting backstage. "Clark, thank you! You did great, and there is room for you on the cast any time you want it!!"

"Uh, no, thanks," Clark said, blushing and looking hard at Lex. "I only did it because Lex asked." When he caught sight of Lex's glare at Alex, he flipped his eyes to Alex as well. "Or did he?"

Alex looked pleadingly at Lex, and the bald man sighed. "I would have if I'd thought about it." His arm was still around Clark's waist. "I think we can get rid of these, don't you?" he asked nudging the red virgin briefs with his foot. "I'd say his cherry's been sufficiently popped for one night."

"Guys, come on. Can we please not talk about the state of my virginity for the rest of the night?" Clark grabbed his jeans and flannel and disappeared behind the nearest curtain. He emerged seconds later, buttoning his jeans and tucking his t-shirt in. The red lipstick was battered and mixed with the dark lipstick from Lex's earlier kiss, but it still highlighted the fullness of his lips.

"Lose the flannel, and be ready for the curtain call." Lex quickly sat down at the small table and used the cold cream and oils from a monogrammed leather bag to remove the makeup and the wig. He took Clark's flannel shirt and stuffed it in the bottom of the bag, not listening to the young man's protests. "There. Thank you. One of these days I'm going to break you of that disturbing addiction to sheep's wool."

"There's nothing wrong with flannel."

Lex smirked in the mirror. "Of course there's not." He untied the corset and peeled off the gloves, and tossed them casually down on the table as he delved into the bag and pulled out a purple pullover, and slipped that over his bare chest. Clark swallowed hard as he watched the midriff top cling to Lex's chest and leave his stomach bared. The bald man grinned and kicked off the heels next, massaging his feet for a moment before delving into the monogrammed bag again and removing a pair of black leather hot pants, sliding them on over the fishnet hose and buttoning them up. He finished by slipping on a pair of black ankle boots with silver buckles on the side. Lex wiped the last of his stage makeup off with a wet cloth from the canister on the table, then stowed his costume underneath. "Don't stare, Clark, it's rude." He threw Clark a wet cloth, and watched as he scrubbed the red V off his forehead.

Clark started at Lex's feet and moved up. Fuck me boots, fishnet hose that made his legs look exquisite, black leather hot pants, a bare stomach, purple midriff top, and then his friend's smirk. "Wow." He swallowed hard. "You look..."

"Incredibly idiotic, I'm afraid, but my penthouse closet was appallingly bare of anything except clubbing clothes, and it's simply too hot for leather chaps."

"I was going to go with something like hot, but hey."

"Well, thank you." Lex slid his eyes over Clark's tight white t-shirt and jeans. "Come on. We're heading to the back row." Clark couldn't help the grin that spread over his face as Lex towed him through the crowded theater. The entire back row of the theater was roped off, and Lex unhooked the velvet rope, pushed Clark through, and then followed, hooking the rope back behind him. "All ours."

The entire theater had been refurbished with stadium seating, and Lex took advantage of it, pulling up the armrest between their seats and pressing himself alongside Clark's sprawled frame. Clark's arm came around his shoulders and then dropped to the chair. "I got an idea." Clark turned sideways in the narrow seats, stretching out along the length of several, and then he pulled Lex between his legs, back against Clark's chest.

Lex grinned as he settled in and felt Clark's cock pressing against the small of his back. "So I guess you liked the performance?" Lex asked quietly.

"Is that what it was?" Clark angled his head to look down. "A performance?"

"The kiss? No. The touching? No. The makeup? Yes. I'm not really a cross-dressing alien from another universe, you know."

The alien from another universe crack hit too close to home. "I know, Lex. I just didn't know what you meant." He watched the screen. "How'd you rank the back row all to yourself?"

"It's reserved for the cast. But most of us choose to hang out backstage; I just haven't seen the movie in a while and I didn't want you to miss your first time."

Clark's fingers curled around Lex's shoulder, loosely caressing his collarbone. Susan Sarandon was just welcoming Brad into her bed, and Clark sighed. "Lex?"

"Hmm?"

"I liked kissing you." His fingers still brushed over Lex's collarbone. "But could we try it without the lipstick maybe?"

Lex's chuckle trembled through his body. "Sorry about that, Clark. Call it... a personal kink."

Clark digested that. "You like kissing guys wearing lipstick?"

Lex nodded. "You don't really need that much, Clark. Just enough to bring out the natural color. And before you ask, no, I don't make a practice of wearing lipstick nor would it keep me from kissing you again if you wanted me to."

"I want you to," Clark said.

Lex half-twisted his torso around so that he faced the young man. "You realize that this is probably the most fucked-up place to meet someone?"

"Hey, it's not like we didn't already know each other. However, I will admit, on stage in front of a lot of people is not exactly the way I imagined my first kiss happening, but hey, I'm flexible."

"You also tasted like cherries."

"Cherries?" Clark questioned. He was only paying half attention as Janet gave into Frank-N-Furter. "How did I taste like cherries?"

"You're wearing flavored lipstick," Lex pointed out. "Didn't you taste it yourself?"

"No, not really." Clark determinedly licked his lips, trying to glean the taste of cherries. "Sorry, nope, don't taste it."

"I did. Your cherry... was delicious."

"Enough with the cherry jokes!"

Lex's grin was a wet gleam in the darkness. "You've got one more cherry to bust, Clark." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to Clark's ear. "You tell me when you're ready, and I'll bust it open too."

Clark's entire face and throat blushed bright red. "Lex!!"

Lex pulled back enough to look at the young man. "Yes?"

"You can have it whenever you want it."

Lex's hands fastened on Clark's t-shirt and hauled the young man up so that they were sitting face to face, nose to nose. "Are you serious, Clark? Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"That," Clark said, pointing to the screen where Frank-N-Furter had gone to Brad, and had the man's legs up around his waist.

"No, Clark, I'm talking about my cock up your ass, fucking you as hard as you can take, right now in the bathroom. Then I'm talking a shower at the penthouse, fucking you until neither of us can get it up, and then going home in the morning, fucking again in the limo and then whenever we have time alone," Lex growled. "I'm talking about possessing you, talking your hands on my ass pulling me into you and never stopping."

"Never?" Clark teased, leaning to nuzzle his lips against Lex's. "That's a long time, Lex... so you're serious about starting right now?" He thrust up against Lex's hip. "Cause... you know... I'm ready. Whenever you are."

Lex eased his grip on Clark's shirt and got to his feet. "Come on, then." Their departure together garnered a few catcalls and whistles from the rear of the theater. Lex dragged Clark through the hallways and into the men's room. The last stall on the end was the handicapped stall, and Lex made a beeline for it. He pushed Clark in first, then came in behind him and locked the door.

"Kiss me again, Lex." Clark was in the process of stripping his white shirt over his head, and when it was off, Lex was in his personal space. The bald man threw Clark's shirt over the side of the stall and his hands wove savagely through Clark's hair, dragging the young man's mouth to his own. Lex's lips and tongue were fierce against Clark's innocent mouth, and Lex maneuvered Clark so that the young man was pressed against the cinderblock wall. Clark's hands slipped down to firmly grip Lex's ass, using the handfuls of firm flesh to lift him. Lex's legs wound around Clark again, and their bodies pressed even closer together.

Lex heard a moan, but didn't know if it was his own or Clark's. It vibrated in his mouth, against his tongue, made him think it was Clark's but it didn't matter. Clark's hands were busy kneading his ass and God, didn't that feel glorious. He needed to be naked but didn't want to let go of Clark long enough to get that way. Finally he broke the kiss, panting softly, resting his head on Clark's shoulder. "Let me down. Get naked."

Reluctantly, Clark let Lex slide down, and he worked frantically at the button of his jeans until finally it gave, and Clark jerked the denim down in several hurried motions. His underwear followed, all bunched around his ankles as he kicked off his shoes and sent his clothing sailing to the corner of the stall. Lex was throwing his clothes in the same direction as Clark's, and finally they were both naked, their bodies coming back together as they kissed again.

Clark's hips were rocking, rubbing his cock against Lex's hip as their tongues twisted together, and then suddenly Lex pulled away. "Let me." Lex knelt on the cold floor in front of Clark, his mouth sucking the head of his lover's cock as his hand worked the shaft. His tongue swept over and around, devouring the precome that oozed from the head.

"Lex," Clark hissed, his hands skating lightly over Lex's face and head, cupping the back of his head gently before balling his hands into fists. No way he could risk hurting his lover. "Can you... shit, I want more... please..."

Lex whimpered. Clark was begging, and Lex did want to suck him down, massage Clark's cock in his throat until he came in Lex's waiting mouth, but he couldn't. Moving his mouth for a moment, he looked up at Clark, eyes communicating his own frustration as well. "Later, I swear it, Clark. I will give you the best goddamned blow job you'll ever have, but trust me, I know what I'm doing." Clark nodded his consent, and Lex kept stroking, jacking the young man's cock with hard, rapid strokes. Clark slammed his hands against the cinderblocks, pulling his strength at the last moment to barely avoid making dents in the stone as he instead dug his fingers into it. His hips thrust forward as he came, and Lex carefully collected every precious drop in his hands. "Turn around," Lex said hoarsely. "Brace yourself against the wall and bend over."

Clark whimpered, doing as he was told and bracing himself as he thrust his ass out towards Lex. Still on his knees, he was level with the tight, waiting opening of his lover's body, and he couldn't resist. Leaning forward, his mouth pressed against the puckered hole, tongue licking over it as he sucked gently at it, teeth worrying the skin. His tongue thrust forward, the tip barely working its way in before Clark cried out. A strangled cry of Lex's name, and he pushed back. "Oh... fuck me Lex, please... so fucking ready!"

As he pulled back, Lex licked over Clark's cheek, sinking his teeth in as he slipped one semen-slick finger into Clark's damp hole. "More," Clark begged, his lower lip caught between his teeth as his fingers dug into the stone. "I need more, Lex. Please... more."

Lex grunted as he pushed a second finger in alongside the first, turning and twisting. He couldn't ever remember being so hot and so desperate to be inside someone ever before. "God, Clark... fucking sexy... when you beg. Makes me... hot." His fingers pumped roughly in and out, finesse quickly going out the window in favor of his need. His need to make Clark his own, his need to be inside Clark and fucking Clark because nobody had ever made him feel like this before. "My little bitch... begging for it."

Clark moaned happily as Lex's fingers explored him. The names sounded deliciously dirty from Lex's lips, sounded unlike anything that Clark had ever heard from Lex before. It made him tingle, made him want more, and he rolled his hips back in approval. A wordless cry as the probing fingers rubbed against something inside of him and he saw stars, shouting loudly. "Too fucking sexy," Lex rasped, adding a third finger and stabbing at the same spot again and again. "Like that?" He grunted as Clark's opening throbbed around his fingers. "Like being my bitch?" He pulled his fingers out and slicked his cock with the remains of Clark's orgasm. "Want it, Clark?" His clean hand threaded through Clark's hair and jerked his head back. "Beg me for it, bitch," he growled. The sound of Clark's sweet pleas not only made Lex hard, they made him feel protective of the young man who trusted him enough to belong to him. And God, he wanted Clark to belong to him. In every way, in the worst way, in the best way. "Beg, Clark."

"Please, Lex. Fuck me... shove your cock in my ass and fuck me hard. I want you... I need you inside me, right now." He threw his head back, arching it until he felt like it should be breaking, the feel of Lex's fingers twisting in his hair sending shocks to his cock. "Make me yours, Lex... I want to be yours. Just yours."

"God!" Lex shouted, shuddering. Clark wanted to be his. Bitter lump in his throat for a moment as he wondered if Clark knew just what he'd committed himself to. No one had ever given themselves to him so completely before. He wanted Clark for his own, dammit, and not just because of this. Because of everything, the trust, the friendship, and God, the fact that Clark could give Lex this feeling of being needed. These thoughts flew through in split-seconds, and Lex thrust forward quickly, inching his hips forward as he impaled Clark on his cock. "Fuck... tight! Busting... that cherry good, Clark." He pushed forward until his balls rested against the curve of Clark's ass. Virgin no longer, Clark had gifted Lex with his first time. The bitter lump rose in his throat again, and Lex fought back hot tears as he rested his head against Clark's shoulder, listening to the soft cries from his lover. His tongue lapped at the salty skin as Clark's tight sheath throbbed, eliciting groans from Lex with each pulse. He was already sweating, and as he leaned over Clark, his chest skated across Clark's back, slick skin pressing against slick skin as Lex started to move. "Mine, Clark. Mine now." His hand slipped from its grip in Clark's hair and moved down to gently caress his body as his hips began to slowly move. "Mine always."

Clark moved clumsily at first until Lex's hands came to his hips and guided the movement. The gentle touches and the whispered possessives caused Clark to rub his cheek against the rough stone. He had thought that sex with Lex would be easy, but oh God, he was fast learning that was not the case. He wanted to lose himself in Lex, just for a little while. Be Clark, Lex's lover and not Clark the Super-Freak. He wanted to give Lex everything. "Yes," Clark said, his voice throaty and raw. "Yours for as long as you want me, Lex," he whispered back, his hands digging further into the wall as he rocked against Lex. "Fuck me, love me, make me yours," he pled, his words punctuated by the fierce, stabbing thrusts of Lex's cock.

"Clark!" The name tore from Lex's throat, a primal cry as he thrust savagely, possessively into the pliant body under him. He saw droplets splashing on Clark's back before he felt the rivulets on his cheeks, and he shuddered, arms slipping around Clark's waist to pull him close. "Clark," he whispered again, face slick as he made love to his Clark.

Clark felt the hot drops on his skin, and thought they were sweat until he turned his head and saw Lex's head thrown back, neck arched as tears slid down his face and his throat to pool in the small hollow before spilling down his chest. Lex's cock was still pounding into him, and Clark watched over his shoulder as Lex raised his head and looked him in the eye. Clark's breath was taken away by the intense feeling he saw shining through the falling tears, and three words tore out of his throat. "I love you."

Lex stilled for a brief moment as he absorbed his lover's words. The bitterness in his throat died away, and his arms went to circle Clark's waist again. "I adore you, Clark, I need you... I love you, too." His mouth kissed every inch of Clark's skin that he could reach, and then for long moments there were no other words as his tears fell on Clark's skin and his cock hammered his ass. He only let go of Clark long enough to shift the young man's hips, and his next stroke shot across his prostate.

"Lex!!" Clark's body convulsed once, the intense spike of pleasure shooting through him fifty ways at once. "Oh, God, do that again!"

"This, love?" Lex repeated the stroke, his cock sliding against the projection again and again. He gritted his teeth as each stroke caused Clark's sheath to throb tightly around him, and he cried out. "Clark... love... Christ... going to come... touch yourself."

Clark moved one hand to wrap around his cock, stroking the hard length as hard as he could, twisting the foreskin and jacking himself savagely. He was thrusting back against Lex as he stroked himself, and he didn't recognize the growling noises that came out of his throat. Lex was whispering to him, calling him love, and finally when Lex whispered another "I love you," Clark came, his seed spraying the wall and the floor.

Lex's fingers dug into Clark's hips, stilling him as he came. Lex's cock throbbed as Clark's sheath rippled and tightened around him, massaging him in hard pulses until he came, shuddering, his body dropping across Clark's back as his hips made shallow thrusts that emptied his cock into Clark's clinging heat. "I love you, Clark. I love you."

"I love you, Lex." Clark trembled as Lex held him. Slowly he felt Lex pull out and he winced slightly at the loss. He startled when he felt Lex's hand underneath him, then he realized that Lex was checking for injury. "I'm fine, Lex, it's okay. I'm okay." He pulled his lover around until they were face to face, and he kissed Lex softly but deeply, then broke it off, his hands framing Lex's face. "I love you," he said, finally face to face.

Lex buried his face in Clark's sweaty shoulder and breathed the young man's scent in before looking up at him again. "I love you, Clark. I always will." His hands slid up Clark's chest to tangle in his hair, pulling him into another intoxicatingly sweet kiss. One of Clark's large hands splayed protectively over the small of Lex's back while the other tenderly cradled his head, and Lex had never felt this cherished in his life.

Clark held tightly to Lex until they both slowly disentangled themselves. Lex picked up the blue cotton boxers that Clark had worn and wet them in the sink by the toilet, and he wiped Clark and himself down as best he could. The smell of sex still hung heavily on both of them, and Lex loved it. They dressed together, stealing kisses and touches, and Lex looked at himself in the mirror.

His lips were red and swollen, the scar standing out starkly white. His eyes remained half-lidded and smoky, and the smile that curved his lips screamed out that he was well-fucked and happy. He looked at Clark's reflection, and the first thing that he noticed was that Clark was blushing. "Lover?"

Clark blushed even deeper red at the endearment that seemed so unlike Lex, but he loved it nevertheless. "Um. There's um... a handprint. My handprint, actually. On. Um. Your. Ass."

Lex twisted around in the mirror and grinned when he saw the finger-shaped marks peeking out from the hem of the short pants. "Beautiful."

"Lex... um... people see that... they're gonna know. That we... fucked. In the bathroom."

Lex pointedly stared at Clark's tousled hair, heavy eyes, satisfied smirk, and with a wave of his hand indicated the sex scent that clung to them both. "Like they won't already?"

"Oh. Yeah." Clark's grin widened. "I'm glad I came to the movie."

"I am too, Clark." Lex opened the stall as they walked out by the row of sinks, and Lex checked out the handprint on his ass again. "I should have that tattooed on there." He rested his hand on the door. "We should get back in there before anyone knows we're gone."

"Little too late for that, darling!" came muffled through the door.

"Fuck," said Lex, thudding his head against the door.

As soon as Lex had dragged Clark off the stage, Queenie had elbowed Diana who had tapped Pete, who passed it back to Dori who smacked Chrissie who bopped Alex who finally got Chloe's attention. "Your two hot potatoes are heading for the back row," Chrissie smirked.

Pete and Chloe both jumped to their feet and swiveled their heads around in time to see Lex's bald head settling against a white cotton clad chest. "I'll be goddamned," Chloe swore. Her Metropolis friends always brought out the worst in her vocabulary.

Pete rolled his eyes in disgust and dropped back down into the seat. "Just leave me out of it."

Everyone else settled back into their seats, Chloe half-turning to keep an eye on Clark and Lex. Queenie grabbed her and turned her around. "Let them have their privacy, Precious, they've put on enough of a show for one night. Cheekbones has earned a few minutes alone with Lexy."

About ten minutes or so later, it was Alex who noticed a ripple in the crowd, a ripple of catcalls, whistles, and claps. She listened, and finally someone tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey! Lexy and that really cute guy that played Rocky tonight just took out of here together like their asses were on fire!"

Alex choked, and Dori pounded her helpfully on the back. "Outside. Come on!" She headed towards the door, and after trading mystified looks, everyone traipsed out after her. Once they were outside in the lobby, Alex whooped loudly. "Lex and Clark just disappeared together."

Queenie rolled his eyes. "Of course they did, darling. What, you thought they'd sit back there and play footsie all night? That poor boy was so horny he'd have humped a table leg."

Chloe broke out into giggles. "Clark? Horny? He doesn't know the meaning of the word!"

Queenie let his flamingo sunglasses slide down the bridge of his nose and looked at Chloe over the rims. "Want to bet me on that, Precious? Your little Clarky had a tent in his pants that the Boy Scouts would be proud of."

Chrissie was rocking back and forth. "Must not make Boy Scout joke."

A loud cry of Lex's name echoed through the lobby, and Queenie raised an eyebrow. "You know, I think I know where they are," he said dryly.

"You and everyone else in a five mile radius," Dori giggled.

An equally loud cry of Clark's name led them to the men's room. "All right, boys and girls, we're camping out here until they come out," Chloe proclaimed. She was feeling... bold. Voyeuristic, listening in on Clark and Lex. "Someone pass out sodas and munchies!"

Alex snorted. "Chloe, that could be a while. You don't know Lex. He gives endurance a whole new meaning."

Queenie draped his arm over her shoulders. "Oh, do tell, darling! We're all ears!"

"Bite me, Queenie. I don't kiss and tell and you know it."

"Oh, fuck off then. Come on, surely someone's got some naughty stories to share about our boys." He shooed everyone together in a semi-circle facing the door, and he sat against it like some sort of guru. "Anyone?"

"Queenie, shut up or I'll strangle you with your boa," Chrissie threatened.

"You're just jealous that you don't have Lexy stories like Alex."

"And you're just horny because Clark got you hot and bothered but went with Lex," Diana teased.

"Oh, please, like you girls weren't just creaming your lacy little panties over tall dark and sexy." Queenie made a grand dismissive gesture with his hands. "And don't even try to tell me otherwise."

Chloe saw Pete trying to sneak off and dragged him back down beside her. "Sit down, Pete."

He glared. "If it's all the same to you, I'd really rather not sit here and listen to my best friend getting fucked by Lex Luthor." He walked back into the theater, and Queenie shrugged.

"Your loss, Miss Pissypants!" he called out after Pete, who merely flipped him off. "Brilliant comeback, darling! Is that your age or your IQ?" Queenie looked around the group. "Now, I say we keep count and see who comes first. Bets, anyone?"

A few minutes later, Queenie counted up his total sheet. "Girls, shame on you! You all put your money on Lex coming first!"

Chloe snorted. "Clark is slow as molasses. Lex will be off first, I guarantee it." Then she squinted at the paper. "Hey, you bet on Clark!"

"Trust me, darling, I know what I'm doing."

Half an hour later, the bathroom had grown quiet. The Paper-Rock-Scissors marathon halted in mid-play as they listened hard.

"They're getting dressed," Queenie whispered. "Get the rice and the party hats ready!"

Everyone scrambled to their feet, sliding the cardboard party hats on their heads. Dori, Alex and Chrissie had noisemakers, and everyone had huge double-handfuls of rice. Queenie shushed everyone as he pressed his ear to the door and heard Lex mumbling about getting back before they were missed. "Little too late for that, darling!" he sang out. He danced back from the door and waited.

Lex looked back at Clark. "They're going to hit us as soon as we get out of the door."

"Yeah, I know." Clark put his hand on Lex's shoulder and drew him back. Lex smiled crookedly and reached up to meet Clark's kiss halfway, his hands threading through Clark's already-mussed hair. It was a sweet, lazy kiss, and both of them totally ignored the pounding and the whooping on the other side of the door. "For luck," Clark breathed into the kiss.

"We make our own luck," Lex breathed back, licking Clark's lips with his own. "I'll go out first."

"Yeah, you go out first," Clark agreed amiably.

"Thanks," he said dryly, and took a deep breath. "Just keep repeating to yourself, Clark... they're my friends, and I can't kill them."

"They're my friends and I can't kill them because I have no place to hide the bodies."

"You're learning!" Lex opened the door, and before they'd had a chance to take two steps, both he and Clark were pelted with huge handfuls of rice and the squealing fanfare of noisemakers.

"Congratulations, you lovebirds!!" Queenie headed for them both and made a large production of kissing Lex on the cheek first, and then Clark. "Oh, you lucky, lucky boys. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride," he sniffled. "I come out looking to get laid, and everyone but me gets lucky."

Clark patted Queenie awkwardly on the back. "It'll happen for you one of these days, you know that."

Queenie brightened. "So do you have a brother, Clark?"

At that, Lex moved and gently pried the clinging queen off of his lover. "All right, all right, hands off."

Queenie pouted until he walked around behind them, and then he whooped. "Man oh man oh man," he said, putting his hand against Lex's ass and trying to fit the handprint. "Clark, I didn't realize your hands were so... huge." Queenie spun Lex around and everyone's eyes went straight for the handprint.

"Clark!" Chloe said, reaching out and grabbing one of Clark's hands while he blushed, mortified.

"Chloe... let me go!"

Chloe held his hand up. "My God, Clark, what have they been feeding you at home?? I knew you were tall but damn!"

Clark growled deep in his throat.

Chrissie pelted him with more rice. "You know, I don't know who I am more jealous of, you or Lex."

"What, are you kidding?" Alex teased. "I've been in Clark's place. I know just how damn good it is."

"Alexia Monique." Lex's voice was hard, totally devoid of the teasing edge it had had before as he looked at Clark, who had suddenly dropped his eyes.

Alex blushed as she realized what she'd just said. "Clark man... sorry."

"It's okay." Clark cleared his throat. "I'm okay with it."

"Still... shoulda thought before I said that."

Everyone was silent for a moment as the awkward pause stretched, then Dori saved the day. "Well, I haven't been where Clark is, and I wanna be!"

Everyone laughed at that, and even Clark grinned. "No chance in hell."

Lex slipped his arm around Clark's waist and pulled the tall boy close to him. "Absolutely no chance."

Chloe had stepped back and just looked quietly at Clark and Lex. Clark was taller than Lex, though not by much, and Lex's head fit almost perfectly against Clark's shoulder. Their bodies curved together in all the right places, and although it was something she'd never seen before, not even with her parents or anyone else's, she imagined it was how people fit together when they were in love. Clark's smile was easy and open, and Lex's face was even more relaxed than she was used to seeing it. He looked exotic in the Metropolis clothes, instead of the trendy black suits that she was used to. Clark looked... relaxed, as though somehow, the weight of the world no longer rested on his shoulders when he was with Lex. She was struck by the rightness of them being together.

"You know, Clark, you could have at least given us warning that you were going to take Lex off the market," Diana ribbed. "Some of us would have liked a chance first."

Clark blushed and ducked his head down, mumbling. "Wasn't exactly planned, you know. He kissed me and then that was sort of it."

"We're happy for you, Clark," Chloe reassured him. "Jealous," she continued with a grin. "But happy."

Lex was using his free hand to brush ineffectively at the rice that stuck to his head, and Clark laughed. "Here, let me." He moved so that Lex was standing directly in front of him, and Clark put both his hands on Lex's scalp and brushed them down, dusting his hands of all the grains. "There."

"Beautiful work, precious!" Queenie snapped a party hat onto Lex's head, and stuck a noisemaker in his mouth.

Lex sighed, causing the noisemaker to blow loudly. Chloe scrambled for her camera and rapidly snapped pictures. After about four pictures, Lex spit the noisemaker out. "Don't you guys have a movie to watch or something?"

"Lex, you're kidding, right?" Chrissie rolled her eyes and held out her hands like balancing scales. "Gee, let's see... watching the movie we've all seen fourteen billion and five times, or watching two of the hottest men on the planet getting it on?" She moved her hands up and down. "Wonder which one we'd pick?"

"You're not watching us.... Oh hell no!" Clark was flushed red again.

"Clark, calm down. She's jerking your chain," Diana said, disapproving glare thrown at her friend.

"Wish it was more than your chain I was jerking there, Clarkbar."

"Chrissie!!"

God, you're easy," Chrissie pouted.

Chloe almost howled with laughter, and Clark rolled his eyes. "We just had that discussion in the car on the way here!" Chloe choked out between laughs. "Clark is soooo easy!"

"Enough's enough," Lex finally said, giving dirty looks all around. "We're going home."

"Awww, you can't leave. You haven't thrown a bouquet. And I want to be the one to strip the garter off Clark's leg," Chrissie grinned again.

"I'm going to throw something and it's not going to be a bouquet," Clark said over the teasing. He turned to Lex. "Sure you don't have some out of the way rock quarry or something?"

"Oooh, he's cranky," Alex said. "Lex, didn't you--" She snapped her jaw shut when she got a look at Lex's face. Apparently he was only going to allow so much teasing of his new lover. "Never mind."

"Good move. Now, unless anyone else has anything to say... I think we'll be going."

"Hey, wait!" Clark started digging in his pockets. "Chloe... wait, where's Pete?" He shoved the keys to the truck at Chloe. "This is the alarm, you'll have to turn it off before you get in the car, and then this is the ignition. The reservations are at the Claremont Marriott Hotel, and they're good through tomorrow afternoon." He looked back over his shoulder at Lex, who was smiling brilliantly at him. "And um... don't wait up."

"You know, Clark? Your mom's gonna kill me for bringing you here and getting you laid," Chloe said thoughtfully, hiding the smirk.

"Chloe Dawn Sullivan, you breathe a word of this to Mom or Dad and you are so dead! I'll tell them myself when I get back, but oh, man, if my dad is waiting at home for me with a gun on the porch, I swear to you, I'll... I'll... well, I don't know what I'll do but it'll hurt."

Chloe almost choked at the look of sheer panic on Clark's face. "It was a joke, Clark, don't worry. I won't tell, and I won't let Pete tell either." She hugged him. "This is your party, Clark."

Clark hugged back. "Thanks for being so cool about it, Chloe."

She rubbed her hand across her eyes, reminding herself not to cry. "And I'm sorry about all that stuff I said to you in the car."

"What stuff?" Clark dug through his pockets again and came up with a very battered and yet clean tissue. "Chloe? You all right?"

Chloe nodded and waved him off. "Go on, don't keep him waiting." She sniffed as she took the tissue from Clark. "And Lex? You better take care of him."

"You have my word on it," Lex said softly. "Come on, Clark... let's go."

"Da da da-daaaa... da da da-da...." Queenie started humming "The Wedding March" as Lex and Clark walked through the lobby together. "Toilet paper, people!"

Queenie remained behind with Chloe as the rest of the group took up the song, chasing after the departing pair, and he put his arm around Chloe. "Tell Auntie Queenie what's going on, precious?" Then he looked after Clark and Lex. "Or do I have to ask? Chloe, did you tell Clark?"

"No! Clark's not that kinda guy!" Chloe answered defensively. "I never told him. And I'm not going to. Look how happy he is with Lex." She raked the tissue over her nose again. "I should have known, Queenie. When it wasn't Lana, it was Lex. Always Lex."

Queenie hugged Chloe again. "Sometimes, precious... people are just meant to be together. And it makes us the bigger people when we can let the one we want go to be with who they're meant to be with."

Chloe snuffled again. "I know. That doesn't make it any easier."

"Nothing does, except seeing that they're happy together."

Chloe sniffed again and punched Queenie in the shoulder. "Hey, when did you get so bright?"

Queenie smiled. "Since the day I woke up gay, darling."

Chloe couldn't help herself. She laughed.

Clark slammed the door of the black Corvette in the teasing faces of his new friends. His mom would have a fit if she knew that he was going home with Lex Luthor. But he really didn't care. Everyone was banging on the car until Lex revved the engine and scared them back as he shifted into gear and squealed out of the parking lot. "New car, Lex?"

"Actually, this is one of my first cars. I leave it in Metropolis because I like to have something comfortable to take me from place to place. The limo will be here to pick us up in the morning and take us back to Smallville."

"Can we, like, not think about tomorrow morning yet?" Clark said, snuggling up to Lex. The Corvette was probably the only automatic transmission vehicle that Lex owned, and Clark liked being able to snuggle against his lover without a gearshift in the way.

"Clark... if you're serious about telling your parents, let me be there with you."

Clark sighed deeply. "You know my dad will flip out. He'll just flip out even worse if you're there. That thing I said about the gun? You think I'm joking?"

Lex slanted Clark a sideways look. "Well... exaggerating."

"Not even. He tried to drop hay bales on you, remember?"

"Oh yes. I remember. Vividly. The Hay Bale Shuffle."

"Lex, it's nothing to joke about. You know how my dad feels about you and all things Luthor. He'll totally flip out, and I can't let him hurt you, but I don't want to hurt him in the process of stopping him from hurting you."

Lex set his jaw. "I'm not letting you face them alone, Clark. There's two of us involved here, in case you didn't realize, and I have a right to be there."

"I'm their son, Lex. Mom and Dad won't flip out on me that bad. You on the other hand..."

"...Are the Son of Satan, the Devil Incarnate, and the worst thing to happen to the Earth since the twelve plagues of Egypt, I know."

"Lex, be serious." Clark gripped his arm. "Please. I want you to be there with me, you gotta know that, but Dad'll flip out when I tell him, and I don't know how Mom's gonna react to the news."

"Clark, I am being serious. I know exactly what your father thinks of me, but that's not going to stop me from being there with you when you tell them about us. Jonathan Kent already thinks that I'm a snake and a coward like my father, and if I'm not there with you, then that just proves everything he thinks about me by letting a sixteen year old boy take the brunt of the storm in my place." He squeezed Clark's hand where it had moved to rest on his leg. "I don't love lightly, Clark," he warned. "I love with everything that I am, and that means when you need me, I am going to be with you, come hell or high water. Either we tell your parents together, or I tell them without you."

Clark's eyes widened at the power that Lex had just put into his hands. "Lex... I... my God. I didn't know. We'll do it together."

"Good. I was hoping you'd say that." He picked up Clark's hand and brushed a lingering kiss over his knuckles.

"Lex... when we get to the penthouse, we need to talk. There's something I gotta tell you."

"It can wait, Clark." Lex's thumb rubbed over the back of Clark's hand. "I want you in my bed, where I can see your face when you cry out my name and come for me."

"No... it can't wait. Please."

As Lex pulled the sleek 'Vette into the parking space in front of the penthouse, he studied Clark's face intently in the street lights. "All right, Clark. As soon as we get upstairs, the floor is yours."

Lex reached for the door, but Clark caught his arm. "Lex... is there anything that I could say that would change the way you feel about me?"

Slowly, Lex closed the door, and turned the key so that the radio played in the background. He studied Clark again as he thought, a million scenarios running through his mind as he methodically discarded each one. Finally, he had an answer. "No, Clark. I don't think there's anything that you could say that would change the way I feel about you."

Clark nodded and bit his lip. "Let's go upstairs. I've got a lot to tell you."

Queenie and Chloe met up with the others, waiting for Pete to come out of the theater. He was nearly the last person left, and when he came out, his eyes lit first on Chloe, and then skimmed over the rest of the theater. "Hey, Chloe, what's up?" He slid a loose arm around her shoulders. "Where's Clark?"

Chloe swallowed. "He and Lex left. Um... bout fifteen minutes ago. He gave me the keys but..."

"I'll take those," Pete said quietly. "I'll drive us to the hotel."

"Thanks, Pete. Just not up for driving right now."

"Hey, it's what friends are for, right?"

Dori's eyes went from Pete to Chloe and back again, and then to Queenie. Queenie gave a half-shake of his head, and then grinned. "All right, darlings, the Queen is ready to retire for the night. Pete, you want one of us to drive you and Chloe back?"

"Nah, man, I got it, thanks." He was hugging Chloe's waist, a fact not unnoticed by the rest of the group. "Ready to go, Chloe?"

"I gotta get our stuff."

"We got it, Chloe," Alex chimed in. "It's in our bags; we'll sort it out and bring it to breakfast in the morning."

"Great. Come on, Chloe, let's go."

"Bye, guys. See you in the morning. Queenie... thanks."

"Anytime, precious!"

Dori waited for Pete and Chloe to disappear around the corner, then turned to Queenie. "Does he--"

"Oh, yeah."

"Does she--"

"Not a clue, darling. Not a clue."

"That's a shame."

Queenie smiled quietly. "Oh, I don't know. I think Pete could be just what she needs right now." That said, he followed the rest of the girls out to the Suburban that Alex drove and piled in for the drive home.

Lex was settled on the couch in the penthouse, a bottle of scotch on the coffee table. Clark was pacing agitatedly in front of him. Lex said nothing, just watched his lover moving across the room, and then finally reached out and stopped him on one pass. "You're going to wear a hole in my carpet if you don't sit down and tell me whatever it is that has you this worked up." He brushed his knuckles over Clark's cheek. "Don't be scared, Clark."

Clark stopped, kneeling between Lex's spread legs as the other man touched him and soothed him. He laid his cheek against Lex's thigh, and Lex's hand moved to gently stroke his hair. "I've wanted to tell you this for a long time... almost since the day you pulled me off the cross." His hands stroked the smooth skin of Lex's leg. "But I couldn't... I always thought that I'd only tell the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with, and I'm so glad that it's you, Lex. I'm glad, because it means I can finally get this thing off my chest. Finally share it with someone who understands what it's like to be different."

Lex said nothing, only stroked Clark's hair, offering silent comfort and encouragement to proceed.

"God... I thought about having this conversation with you a million times but I never quite figured out where to start."

"How about the beginning?" Lex asked quietly. He didn't want to interrupt, but obviously Clark had been looking for some kind of answer.

"I'm not even sure what the beginning is anymore."

"Hold it. Come on." Lex moved his legs around Clark and got up, pulling the young man into the penthouse bedroom. He backed Clark up until he was against the bed, and then pushed him down with a grin. That done, he rolled into bed, tucking himself against Clark's chest. "There. Now, tell me."

Clark clutched at Lex like a lifeline. "Okay. And remember, you promised not to hate me."

"I remember," Lex said, stroking the back of Clark's hands as they wove tightly around his waist.

"Okay. Um... back during the meteor shower... those green meteor rocks weren't the only thing that came down. I don't remember much about it, but... apparently... I was in the shower too."

"I never knew that," Lex said softly. "Were you hurt? Did they affect you, too?"

"No... not like that," Clark said quickly. "More like... I came down in the shower."

Lex blinked, but didn't stop his stroking. "I--what? How? I mean... what do you mean?"

"I mean that I was in a little ship and came down in the shower with the rest of the meteors. My ship landed--impacted--whatever, in one of the fields and that's where the Kents found me."

"Ship?"

"Pod? Ship? I don't know what to call it. But it's in our storm cellar." Clark sighed. "I didn't know myself until the day you hit me. I just thought I was like all the other Smallville freaks. Then you hit me and I'm fine... and when I got home that day, I stuck my arm in the wood chipper to show my dad, and that's when he told me."

"Clark!" Instinctively, Lex ran his hands up and down Clark's arms, checking.

"Lex, it didn't hurt me." Clark held his arms out for Lex's deeper inspection. "Nothing can hurt me... not even bullets."

"How?"

"I don't know. I can do other stuff too. I think it's cause I'm... different."

Lex's mind was reeling, trying to take everything in. "You lied to me," was the only thing he could come up with. "When I asked you about the accident, when you were in the hospital with broken ribs--how did that happen, Clark?"

"Some kind of freak accident with lightning and the meteor rocks. I got struck by lightning while this other kid was holding a meteor rock... it transferred my abilities to him for a while, but I got them back." Clark buried his face in the pillow, his next words muffled. "I didn't want to lie to you, Lex, but Mom and Dad would have flipped if I'd told you, and you wouldn't have believed me."

"Clark, I had the simulations. Everything else I had said that my car hit you, and I believed you over everything else." His hands tightened on Clark's as the young man tried to pull away. "No, don't. Listen. I... understand why you had to lie."

"You do?" Clark's voice was still muffled in the pillow, though it sounded hopeful.

"Yes, I do. I understand why. You didn't want anyone knowing about your secrets. I understand why your parents want to protect you, but I am not a threat to you, Clark."

"I never thought that you were. You've always been there for me, Lex. It was never about thinking you were a threat to me ... but thinking I might lose my best friend because you'd fear me or hate me or both."

"And I'm always going to be your best friend, Clark." He took a deep breath. "Now it's my turn. I have something to tell you."

"It's okay, Lex. I know about Dr. Hamilton," Clark said quietly. "I know he's working for you."

"What? How?"

"When Chloe found The Nicodemus Diaries that you checked out in Hamilton's barn, I asked you about it. You didn't totally deny it while not totally admitting it either. I... kinda figured you'd hired him to study the meteor rocks, to find out what they did to you when you were a kid. And then it just got out of hand. But you fixed it all in the end."

"You're not angry?"

"You can't be held responsible for another man's actions, Lex. Not even someone who works for you."

Lex marveled at Clark's nave outlook on the world for several moments. "Then aside from my desire to rule the world before I'm thirty, I don't have any other huge, dark secrets."

Clark laughed. "That I already knew. But you not having secrets, that's good, though. Cause neither do I. That means we're really ready to do this."

Clark's voice sounded amazed to Lex's ears. "Yes. We are really ready to do this." He turned over in Clark's arms and finally looked at the young man. "Details later, okay?"

Clark nodded. "Okay. Much later." He touched Lex's face gently. "You really don't hate me, do you?"

"No, I don't. I still love you, Clark. I still want you to be the one that I spend the rest of my life with. That's the bottom line. No matter what, that isn't going to change."

"I love you, Lex." Clark curled around his lover, and suddenly Lex found himself with an armful of snuggling Clark.

"I love you, Clark." He wrapped himself around Clark, and then strained to hear the next thing that Clark said.

"Do you have a copy of that movie here?"

Pete watched Chloe out of the corner of his eye as he drove them to the hotel, following her occasional spoken direction. "How do you know so much about Metropolis?"

"My mom used to live here," she said tonelessly. "Then she moved and disappeared. Nobody knows where she is now."

"Oh." Pete looked over at her. "Chloe, what's wrong? You ain't said two words hardly since we left the theater."

"You know what's wrong," she snapped. "The only good guy that I ever liked--one that wasn't a telekinetic killer or a heat-sucking leech--just tripped off on his merry way with someone else. Not only that, but that someone else happens to be another guy, which means that I really do know how to pick 'em. Gay or fucked up."

"You know, Chloe, the sun don't rise and set in Clark Kent's ass. He ain't the only good guy around here," Pete said pointedly.

"I know, Pete. You're a great guy too."

"That's not what I meant." Pete gripped the steering wheel tightly. "You're so busy crushing on Clark you don't even see anything else, and then you yell at him for being blind about Lana and Lex." He pulled the truck into the hotel parking lot and took the keys out of the ignition. Shoving them into his pocket, he turned to open the door.

"Pete?" Chloe's hand on his arm stopped him, and he turned back. "What are you saying?"

Pete didn't answer her, instead catching her arm and pulling her over to his side of the seat. He slid one arm around her waist and his other hand caught in her hair, holding her still as he kissed her.

Chloe's hands pressed at Pete's chest at first, but when he was insistent on the kiss, slowly her hands moved to wrap around his chest and hold him tightly, her breasts pressing softly against him as she sighed.

Pete took the initiative, his tongue lightly pressing against her barely-parted lips to flick once over hers before pulling back to face her. "That's what I'm saying, Chloe."

"Then say it again," she said quietly, panting softly.

Pete smiled and touched his mouth to hers again. This time Chloe responded eagerly, wrapping her arms around Pete as her body softened against his to fit his contours. His hands had moved, one resting on her waist as the other slid lightly over her throat and shoulders, slipping inside the open collar of her shirt to touch her skin. His hands stayed safely out of play, however, until Chloe reached up and pushed him back. "I..." She didn't know how to phrase what she wanted.

"I think we should go inside now," Pete said quietly. "Before we do something here that we both regret." His fingers brushed over her lips. "But I've been dying to do that for a long time."

Chloe slid out of the truck and came around to meet Pete at the tailgate. She looked at him for a brief moment and then slipped her hand into his as they headed into the hotel.

Sunlight streaming into the penthouse window woke Lex, and he cursed. "I'll kill the bastard who forgot to pull the drapes."

"Sorry, Lex, that's my fault," Clark called from the bathroom. "I just had to watch the sun rise."

Lex rolled over to the bedside table and picked up his watch. "It's seven in the morning, Clark," he called out, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. "When you were awake fucking until three in the morning, it is customary to sleep in." Lex let his watch fall back onto the table as he put his arm over his eyes.

Clark appeared in the doorway, towel slung low over his hips. "I had to make sure the sun came up, Lex. Make sure the world didn't stop or anything."

Lex nodded. He understood the sentiment, if not the need. "Come back to bed."

"We have to get up in an hour anyway," Clark protested as he walked over to the bed and climbed in over his lover.

"So that gives us an hour to make love in." Lex reached out and started tugging on the corners of the towel.

Clark grinned as Lex's fingers deftly untied the loose knot that held the towel shut and then flung the damp terrycloth to the side. "I like the way you think."

Chloe woke up to the unfamiliar and yet totally wonderful sensation of someone's arms wrapped possessively around her. She felt the comforting warmth of someone's body against hers, and she ran her hand over Pete's arm, feeling the quiet strength that was hidden in his lean body. His breath tickled her ear, and his leg was thrown possessively over hers. The thick terrycloth robe she'd worn to bed was scratchy against her skin, but at least she was clean. She'd showered last night, then had her clothes and Pete's sent down to the hotel laundry to be cleaned, and then put it all on her dad's credit card. Pete was wrapped in another thick robe, but it had fallen open in the night to reveal his chest almost to the waist.

She turned to look at him, propping her head on her hand as her fingertips skated lightly over his exposed skin. She gasped when he caught her hand and kissed it. "Morning."

Chloe blushed at being caught exploring. "Good morning to you too." She leaned over and kissed him on the mouth, and he caught her face in his hands briefly before letting her go. "Thanks... for last night, I mean."

"It's what I'm here for." He'd promised her after they'd checked in that he wouldn't put any moves on her, and he hadn't. She'd kissed him again, but that was it, until she'd crawled fully clothed into his bed and cried herself to sleep. He'd held her close until he'd fallen asleep beside her. "Chloe--"

"I want a real date, Pete," she said suddenly. "You and me, I mean."

"Would you? I mean... you want to go to the prom with me?" he asked suddenly. "I know you were hoping--" He cut his own words off as Chloe put her finger over his lips.

"I'd love to," she answered back. "I'd love to go with you."

"Seriously?" Pete was stunned. "Wow. I mean, yeah. That's great." He leaned over and kissed her again, and Chloe's hands rested on his bare chest, burning where she touched him.

Chloe loved the feel of Pete's silky skin under her hands as she moved them up over his chest to rest on his shoulders, and the tiny moan he let out shocked her, causing a pull between her legs that she didn't recognize, but that made her hungry for something more.

Pete took the opportunity to pull away. "I think I better go now," he said, voice throaty.

That took a moment to register with Chloe's stunned brain. "Oh." Another flush stained her cheeks, and she noticed a heat rising in Pete's cheeks as well. "Yeah. I gotta... get dressed."

"Yeah, me too." Pete made sure to drag the folds of his robe tightly around him as he headed for the door that connected their suites.

"Hey, Pete?" Chloe wanted to call him back, to have him do with her all the things that she'd read about in the magazines she'd stolen from her father's dresser. Things that she knew the names of but wanted to experience.

"Yeah?" He stopped, turning to face her, trying to read the expressions that skated across her face.

"Nothing," she said finally, dropping her eyes to the floor. She couldn't admit it to him. Not when she'd already asked him to wait.

"Chloe?"

"Yeah?" she said hopefully, looking up at him.

"Me too." Then Pete disappeared through the door, and Chloe felt terribly alone, and very needy.

Queenie and the others were waiting downstairs for Chloe and Pete in the hotel lobby as the teens emerged from the elevator, holding hands. Behind his back, Queenie held out his hands and wiggled his fingers as four other people slapped twenty dollar bills in his hands. "Morning, Precious!" he sang out, waving at Chloe after stuffing the money in his pants pocket. "You look fabulous!"

"I feel better," she said, smiling at Pete.

"I told you, sleep would do you wonders." He air kissed both her and Pete. "So, where are we going this morning?"

Chloe checked her watch. "Well... we'd had plans to go to IHOP for breakfast, but that was before. I don't even know Lex's penthouse phone number, or I'd call and see what's going on, but they're late as it is. It's almost eight now, and that's when we were going to be at the restaurant."

"Well, we could always go and knock on the door," Chrissie suggested.

"Guys, chill." Alex dug in her purse and came up with a cell phone and an address book. "I have the penthouse phone number, unless Lex changed it." She dialed it, and when it rang, she passed it over to Chloe.

In the penthouse, Clark sprinted to catch the phone. "Hello?" Then he winced. Shit. What if Lex didn't want him answering?

"Clark?"

"Hey, Chloe! Shit!" He grabbed Lex's watch off the dresser. "We're late."

"Yeah, you are. What's the deal?"

"Lex is in the shower."

"Clark!" Lex called. "Who's on the phone?"

"It's Chloe!" he shouted back.

Chloe covered the mouthpiece with her hand and relayed the info. "Lex is in the shower, and they're figuring out when to meet us."

"Tell her we'll meet her wherever in fifteen minutes!"

Chloe rolled her eyes as she listened to the shouted dialogue. "I got it, Clark. Fifteen minutes."

Queenie grabbed the phone out of Chloe's hand. "Cheekbones! Did you get lucky again last night? And why aren't you sharing that shower with Lex, you naughty little boy?"

"I'll see you at breakfast, Queenie."

"Spoilsport."

Chloe grabbed the phone back. "Fifteen minutes, IHOP."

"I got it, Chloe. We'll be there."

Then there was a muffled yelp and a thud, and after a brief pause, Chloe heard Lex's voice. "Hang up the phone, Clark, and finish what you started."

"Gotta run, Chloe. See you later!" Clark hung up, and left Chloe giggling helplessly.

"Okay, if Clark and Lex make it to the restaurant in fifteen minutes... I'll stand on the table and sing Sweet Transvestite."

Queenie's digital watch had just happened to have a stopwatch feature, and everyone was crowded into the booth, watching the numbers on his wrist click by. At twelve minutes and forty-three seconds, Lex's black 'Vette tore into the driveway, and at fourteen minutes and thirty-six seconds, he was sliding into the booth and Clark was sliding in after him.

Queenie just looked at Chloe. "Showtime, baby."

"I hate you, Queenie." Chloe stuck her tongue out at Queenie, but, with an assist from Pete, climbed up on the table.

"What is going on?" Clark asked, shocked to see Chloe climbing onto the table.

"Well, Chloe bet that you couldn't get here within fifteen minutes. She said if you made it, she'd stand on the table and sing Sweet Transvestite."

"Chloe, get down!" Clark scolded. Chloe just threw Clark a dirty look as she started to belt out the song.

How do you do
I see you've met my faithful handyman
He's just a little brought down because When you knocked
He thought you were the candy man
Don't get strung out by the way I look
Don't judge a book by its cover
I'm not much of a man by the light of day But by night I'm one hell of a lover
I'm just a sweet transvestite
From Transexual, Transylvania

By the time Chloe finished with the first verse, the manager of the restaurant was making his way over to the table. Pete grabbed Chloe and pulled her down into the booth, and she hid her crimson face in his shoulder as Lex took control of the situation. "Mr. Anderson, how are you doing? Nice to see you're still in charge of this establishment. How'd that health department debacle turn out?" he asked, face smooth.

The man did a double-take. "Mr. Luthor! I had no idea this was your table."

Lex smiled coolly. "No, I imagine you didn't." His smile got slightly more wintry. "Is there a problem?"

The manager tried not to fidget under Lex's stare. "No, no, absolutely not. No problem. I hope you enjoy your meal here, and if you have any problems, please come to me personally."

"We'll do that." The smile turned from wintry to dismissive, and Lex half turned his head so that he faced the table full of friends again. Anderson made some sort of swift, abortive bow, and scurried away almost as quickly as he'd come in.

"Fuck me, darling, but you've got to teach me how you do that," Queenie said as the man walked off.

Chrissie spewed coffee all over the table, eliciting a chorus of ick and eww. "You really think that anyone else could pull a Lex like Lex? Come on, get over it. Nobody can do that cold as ice Lex Luthor fuck off and fly stare but the man himself."

"You should write a book, Lexy," Alex purred. "_Everything I Needed To Know In Life I Learned From Lex Luthor._"

"I'd buy it," Queenie chirped in suddenly, followed by a chorus of me too's!

Lex studied the table, noticing that Clark and Pete were uncharacteristically silent. Chloe and Pete seemed to be sitting nearly on top of each other, though if that were from the crowded round booth he wasn't quite sure. Pete seemed... somewhat stiff, as though he were still uncomfortable with something. Lex leaned over and murmured something in Clark's ear, and the young man shook his head vehemently in response.

"You're kidding!" Clark's exclamation cut through the conversation, and he blushed as he settled back into the booth beside Lex. "No way," he said, much more quietly.

"No?" Lex said against his ear. "Watch and see."

Clark leaned back against Lex, curling as much around his lover as Lex would allow as he watched. Sure enough, Chloe was making huge headway in pulling Pete into the conversation, and he knew them both better than Lex did. Chloe never sat that close to anyone, except maybe Clark and her dad. He turned to find Lex smirking slightly. "Okay, yes."

"Told you so." He studied Clark's serious expression. "You okay with that?"

Clark shook himself. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine with it. I just hope... well, you know... I kinda got the idea..."

"That she was in love with you?" Lex supplied in a whisper.

"Yeah. And now..."

"I know what you mean, Clark, but you can't protect people from getting their hearts broken. Even you have limits."

Their multiple conversations were derailed as the waitress took their orders. "So, Cheekbones. When are you going to come back and gift us with your Rocky impression again, hmm? You were simply divine."

The wheels started turning behind Clark's eyes. "Well... if my mom will let me do it...I'd love to." Lex turned an amused face to his lover. "As long as I get to be with Lex's Frank."

"I'll second that thought," Chrissie said. "You guys got chemistry out the wazoo, if you can stop eye-fucking each other long enough to do anything."

Clark flushed, and Lex grinned smoothly. "You're just jealous because Clark's mine and not yours."

There were identical winces that crossed Pete's and Chloe's faces, and as soon as Lex caught them, he wanted to kick himself for his thoughtless words. But they were covered by Chrissie's next comment.

"Yeah, right. More like I'm jealous that you're Clark's and not mine. I'd keep you--well, let's just say you wouldn't be seeing the light of day."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but whips and chains excite me," quipped Lex, earning blushes from the three teenagers and raucous laughter from the rest of the group.

Their pancakes arrived after that, and Chloe almost strangled on her first one as she suddenly flashed on a very cruel piece of graffiti that had been scrawled in one of the Smallville High girls room stalls.

Langcakes...mmm mmm good! International House of Langcakes Special of the Day... Langcakes a la meteorite!

Pete's hand was pounding her back as she wheezed, and she wondered how in the hell she was going to explain the fact that she'd suddenly found a piece of cruel graffiti utterly hysterical. She sipped water carefully, and then tried to speak. "Sucked it down the wrong pipe," she croaked, and that earned her a round of applause. "Yeah, yeah, bite me already."

There was an easy silence as everyone attacked stacks of pancakes, eggs, toast, hash browns and bacon. Lex broke the silence near the end of the meal. "So who all is coming back to Smallville with us? Anyone? I've got the limo ready to drive back as soon as Clark and I get back to the penthouse."

Chrissie snorted. "No thanks. Love ya, Lexy, but Spudville--"

"Smallville!" Chloe corrected, exasperated.

"--holds absolutely no appeal for me," she finished. "At least, not since the most eligible bachelor just got taken by the second most eligible." Then she smirked. "Or was it the most eligible doing the taking last night?"

Clark blushed, and Lex merely smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Darling, I hate to tell you this, but Cheekbones just told us everything we needed to know," Queenie pointed out.

At that, Pete started pushing his way out of the booth. "I gotta get some air, guys."

Chloe called out after him. "Pete!"

"I'll be waiting in the truck, Chloe!" he shouted back, and the rest of the table looked around at each other.

"I better go after him," Chloe said, and Queenie put a hand on her shoulder.

"No, let me," Clark said. "I got a feeling Pete's gotta get whatever this is out of his head before something bad happens to us." He squeezed Lex's hand under the table, and then headed out after Pete.

By the time he got outside, Pete was leaning against the hood of the car. "Pete? What was that all about?"

"Clark, man... you're my best friend, but just get out of my face right now!" he shouted.

Clark came to a halt a few steps away from Pete and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"

"What's going on? Where you want me to start? Ignoring the fact that Chloe's seriously crushing on you? Makin' her feel guilty for calling you on it when you tell her that you dumped Lex to hang out with us, like it's a huge problem for you to be making time for your friends! Or for breakin' her heart in front of all those people by mackin' up Lex in that freaky-ass outfit? Or for flauntin' you and him in her face!"

"This is all about Chloe?" Clark asked, surprised. "Pete?"

"It's about Lex and Chloe and you and me! It's about you blowing us off for your new boyfriend there, and it's about Chloe getting hurt every damn time!"

Clark blinked. "I never blow you guys off!"

"Are you kidding me? Every time rich boy there snaps his fingers, you drop whatever you're doing and run to his side! Chloe's helped you pull his ass outta the fire several times, and what do you do? Thanks Chloe and then you run off to your boyfriend! Wake up, Clark!"

"What do you want me to do, Pete? I can't pretend that I don't have feelings for Lex! Do you want me to be sorry for being happy with him? I love Chloe, but only as my best friend and my little sister! I'm in love with Lex, and if you can't live with that, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to drop him just cause you've got a problem with it!"

"There you go again!" Pete shoved off the car hood and ended up in Clark's face. "Everybody can see how you feel about Baldilocks in there, you don't gotta shove it down everybody's throat! I don't like Lex, and I don't like you going out with him, but you're gonna do what you wanna do! Just stop shoving it in my face and stop shoving it in Chloe's!"

Back inside the restaurant, Chloe was watching the angry words being exchanged, hearing the raised voices but not the words. It was taking Dori, Chrissie and Alex to keep Lex in his seat as soon as Clark's voice had raised the first time, and Queenie was sitting on Chloe while Diana took care of the check with Lex's credit card. "They need to work it out between them!" was the mantra repeated on both sides of the table, and Diana squeezed in Chloe's side of the booth to pin her in.

They were all watching out the window when Pete swung at Clark. As soon as he swung, Lex shoved his way out, Chrissie ending up on the floor as he shot out of the restaurant. Chloe was right behind him.

Clark easily caught his friend's fist. "You wanna hit me, Pete? Go ahead. But I'm not going to fight you!"

"Pete, stop it!" Chloe shouted at the top of her voice as soon as her feet hit the parking lot pavement. "Clark's your friend! Stop it, right now!" She didn't stop running until she standing between the two of them. "What's gotten into you?"

"I'm sick of it, Chloe. The way he treats you, everything. He's my friend, but he's not gonna keep treating you bad."

Lex was standing in front of Clark. "Clark, let me. You can't."

"I don't intend to, Lex. But if he thinks that hitting me is going to make him feel better then he can. It's not like he can hurt me."

"He'll be just as happy fighting me. He likes me even less than he does you at this moment."

"Lex, I'm not going to let my best friends fight each other!" Clark looked over to where Chloe had her arms around Pete's waist. "Besides, it looks like Chloe's getting Pete calmed down."

Chloe was restraining Pete. "Pete, God... you don't know what it means to me that finally, somebody is willing to defend my honor and think that I'm special enough to warrant it, but I'm not going to have you fighting over it, okay? It's done. I'm glad that Clark's found someone he can be happy with, okay? Hey... you listening to me? Clark's our friend, and we're happy for him. He ended up with who he wanted, and Lex makes him happy." She hugged a little harder. "And I found out that I've got a good friend of my own who I think could make me happy." Chloe was very careful with what she said; she didn't want to hurt Pete, but she needed to be as truthful with him as possible. "I'd like to find out if that's true, but not if it's going to mean that my two best friends are going to fight each other like a couple of dogs."

"I'm just sick of the way he's always blind to you, Chloe."

Chloe was slowly realizing exactly what Pete was saying, and she understood why the frustration was bubbling to the surface. She hadn't exactly been subtle about wanting Clark, and Pete... was trying to protect her because he cared about her. "I don't want Clark anymore, Pete. Trust me. I mean, yeah, it would've been nice if it had happened, but it's better this way all around." She straightened the collar on his shirt. "Go and apologize to Clark. Then we'll get going home, and when we get back to Smallville, you'll come over to my house, and while my dad's at the LuthorCorp seminar, we'll grill hot dogs and have a little cookout."

"Chloe, I--"

"No. Don't, okay? I mean, not yet." Then she kissed him as his arms came around her.

Clark's eyebrows shot up as he held Lex loosely against him. "Wow, you were right. They really are. He'll be good for her."

Lex was quiet as he watched Pete break off and come over to Clark, towing Chloe behind him. He tensed as the new couple came to a stop a few steps away from them.

"Hey, Clark, man, I'm sorry. I just... well, Chloe's--"

"I saw, man, no problem." Clark reached around Lex and offered his hand to Pete, who shook it, and then pulled Clark into a hug. "Hey, you be good to her, Pete."

"I will, man, don't you worry. Like a queen."

There was an awkward silence, and then Chloe cleared her throat. "Hey, guys, it's almost nine thirty. We gotta get moving if we're gonna get back to Smallville on time."

Clark nodded. "I'll see you guys back in town; Lex is going to give me a ride home."

"Okay, cool. We'll see you back at home then." Chloe went to say goodbye to her friends, and then got in the truck beside Pete. Everyone waved as the truck pulled out, and Clark didn't miss how Chloe snuggled up against Pete.

"Clark, how can you forgive so easily?" Lex asked.

"Because he was trying to protect his friend," Clark answered honestly. "That's something I'd have thought you'd understand. *The truth is, I'd do anything to protect my friends,* you told me that once."

"And it's true."

"Then I guess you're not the only one."

The limo ride back to Smallville had been filled with love and sex, and Lex had insisted on going back to the mansion first. While Lex showered, Clark sped home, snuck in the barn, got clean clothes, and sped back to the mansion for his own turn in the shower. Once he was scrubbed clean and dressed in fresh clothes, he and Lex got into Lex's Ferrari, and they sat together in the garage for a few moments.

"You sure you want to do this, Lex?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I want you to be part of my life, Clark, and I mean a real part of it. We could sneak around, but that's not what I want. There are too many homosexual people in Kansas; there's no way they're going to enforce the law, and especially not in the case of a Luthor. This is my choice to make, Clark. And I choose you. I choose us. You're what I want, and I always get what I want."

"Let's talk to Mom first," Clark said, reaching over to touch Lex's hand on the gearshift. "Maybe she'll be easier to talk to than Dad."

"And then maybe she can help us hide the guns." Lex laughed quietly as he backed out of the garage and headed for the Kent Farm.

Luck was with the boys as Lex eased the black Ferrari into the Kents' long driveway. Lex could see a cloud of dust in the farthest field, where Clark assured him that would be his father running the combine. "If Dad's on the tractor, that means Mom's either in the house or the barn. You check the house, and I'll check the barn."

"And if it's your Dad?"

"It won't be. Mom won't run the far field because of the meteor rocks--she's afraid of picking up too much dust and bringing it back. That's why Dad does it. They're almost all gone now, though. I'll come to the house with you." Clark walked up the steps behind Lex. "Mom? I'm home!"

"Hey, Clark!" Martha dried her hands on her apron as she opened the door. "Lex! Come on in."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent." Lex entered the house slowly, and then watched as Clark hugged his mom.

"Did you talk to your father?"

"No, he's down on the back field and I didn't go and bother him. Look, Mom..."

"How was Metropolis? Did you enjoy the movie?"

"Mom, you have no idea. Lex was playing in the cast."

Martha grinned. "Lex! I never would have guessed."

Lex offered his best smile, feeling like he was being paraded as great boyfriend material. "It's something that I do from time to time. It upsets my father quite a bit, but it's harmless."

"I got to be in it too--just until their replacement got there. Lex worked it out for me, I got to be Rocky!"

Martha laughed. "That had to be fun, Clark! I wish that I could have seen that."

"You can," Lex said. "The tape should be arriving in a few days."

"Tape?" asked Clark. "They taped everything? Even me and Pete?" Clark's eyes flashed to Lex's in a quick panic.

"Of course you and Pete... but I'll edit that out, don't worry."

"Oh, come on, Clark. You'd deny your mother the chance to see you humiliated in front of a theater full of people?"

"Yes," he answered immediately. "Mom, wait. Just listen... we need to talk to you."

Martha studied her son's serious face for a moment. "Okay. Let me turn off the stove so I don't burn the pies." She got up from the table, and Clark pulled Lex to sit down beside him, squeezing his hand and taking a deep breath. They risked a quick peck while Martha was bent over the stove, and by the time she turned around, she found Clark and Lex sitting closely together at the table, shoulders nearly touching. "Okay, Clark, I'm all yours." Clark and Lex exchanged a couple of significant glances, but neither one started to talk. She watched the two of them together, the way that Lex watched Clark even when Clark wasn't looking at him. "Wait, let me help you out here, Clark. Now don't tell me... you two are together."

"Please don't be mad, Mom. I know Dad will flip out but I thought you'd understand. I love Lex, Mom, and he loves me."

Martha sighed heavily. "Clark... I'm not angry. I'm just waiting to hear the story."

"Mrs. Kent, I want you to know that this was my idea. I wanted to be here with Clark when he told you this, because your son means a great deal to me. I want him to be a significant part of my life. I value his friendship as one of the only true friendships I've had in my life, and I would do nothing to destroy that." Lex paused as he looked at Clark, questioning, and Clark nodded. "I know how... special Clark is, and I give you my word that I will protect him."

Martha trained her incredulous look on Clark. "You told him?"

"I had to, Mom. It was driving me crazy not being able to share it with Lex, once I realized how much he meant to me." Clark's face was completely serious, voice earnest. She watched as Lex leaned closer, his hand sliding over Clark's back, soothing the agitation that was growing in her son's body. "He told me all of his secrets too. He told me about Hamilton working for him on the meteor rocks." He looked over at Lex. "We were lying in bed and he held me and told me that nothing I had told him about my gifts changed the way he felt about me, that he still loved me and understood why I had to lie to him."

"Hold it on the bed talk, please. I don't want to know it. I can't know." Martha sighed. "Clark... you took a very big step here, and it was something that you should have talked over with your father and me."

"Why? I know what Dad would have said, he would have said to keep lying to Lex because you can't trust a Luthor!" Martha nodded in silent acknowledgement of her son's accurate statement.

"Mrs. Kent--"

"Considering the circumstances, don't you think you could call me Martha?"

"Very well. Martha, the bottom line is that I love your son, in every sense of the word. I want to be his friend, his lover, his confidante, his racquetball partner, what have you." He touched Clark's hand, then brought it to the tabletop where he joined their hands together. "Clark has changed my life in many ways, and there isn't anything that I want more than to spend that life with him."

Clark didn't say anything at first, too choked up by Lex's starkly honest declaration. Instead, he leaned over and wrapped his arms around Lex, holding his lover tightly--tenderly--to his heart. Finally, he whispered in Lex's ear. "I love you."

Lex turned so that their foreheads touched and he looked into Clark's eyes. "I love you, Clark. And I told you, it's going to work out."

Clark turned shining eyes to his mother. "Mom... please say it's okay. Cause even if you don't, I'm going to see him. I love him. He loves me. Please, Mom... don't make me choose. Please."

"Don't make you choose, what son?" Then Jonathan did a double take, blinking as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Clark was sitting at the kitchen table, arms wound around Lex and clinging like the bald man was his last hope. "What the hell is he doing in my house?"

Clark jolted to his feet, moving Lex behind him instinctively in the face of his Dad's clearly-brewing anger. "Between you guys and Lex."

"Hell, no." Jonathan said, glowering at the situation. It was eating at him, acid churning in his stomach as he saw Clark standing protectively in front of Lex Luthor. "Get out of my house, Luthor."

"I'm not going anywhere," Lex said firmly. "I'm right where I belong. With Clark."

"Mom!" Clark yelled for his mother as Jonathan stepped up to stand face to face with Clark.

"Son... get out of the way. I want that man out of my house."

"If he goes, then I go, Dad." Clark reached around behind him and groped blindly for Lex's hand, which came around to rest on his waist.

"Jonathan Hiram Kent, don't you say another word!" Martha warned sharply as she came around the table. "Clark, Lex, sit down. Jonathan, out on the porch, now."

"I want that man out of my house, Martha. Luthor, if you're not off my property in the next thirty seconds, I'm going for my gun." He caught sight of Lex's hand on Clark, and suddenly the acid churned again as he realized that his fears were confirmed. "Take your hands off my son."

Jonathan reached out, intending to grab Lex's hand and jerk him away from Clark. Instead, the angry father found his hand caught in the steely vise of his son's grip. "Leave. Lex. Alone," he growled. "You're not touching him, Dad. He's mine."

Jonathan tried to pull away, and Clark tightened his grip. Jonathan cried out, and Martha shook Clark frantically. "Clark, let go! You're hurting your father!"

Clark didn't let go until Lex's hand touched his wrist. "Clark. Let go. Now."

The young man dropped Jonathan's hand, and his father pillowed it against his chest. "That's it. I want you out of the house, Lex, and away from my son, before you hurt him any more."

"He's not hurting me. I love him. I'm going to be with him." He turned his back to his dad and wrapped his arms around Lex. "You didn't hear what he said, Dad."

"Jonathan Kent, if you open that big mouth of yours one more time, I promise you, you'll be sleeping downstairs for the next fifteen years." Martha's voice was stern. "Lex, can you get him to sit down and calm down?"

"Certainly." Lex put his hand on Clark's chest. "Come on, Clark. Sit back down. I'll sit with you." Lex pulled out Clark's chair and got the young man to sit down, and then sat down in the chair beside him. "You might want to check your father's hand, make sure that nothing's broken," he suggested softly.

Jonathan's eyebrows shot up at that. "What the hell?" He jerked his arm tightly against his chest, glaring daggers at Clark. "Clark Jerome Kent... what did you do?"

Clark turned around, refusing to answer until Martha prodded Jonathan into action. Finally, he relaxed his arm enough to allow examination. Clark concentrated, and swept his eyes over it. "It's not broken," he replied curtly.

"I'll get you some ice, Jonathan. Sit down at the table and don't say anything until I get back." Martha went to the icebox and started breaking up the bag of ice, piling the pieces into a towel. When it was full, she carried it to the table and dropped it none-too-gently on his wrist. "Try pulling your foot out of your mouth, Jonathan," she whispered snidely. Then she looked seriously up at the two young men in front of her. "As I was going to say before your father came in... Clark, I'm not setting out to make you make a choice here. Lex is not who I'd have chosen for you, for many reasons. And Lex, trust me, they're nothing to do with you and everything to do with your father and the world you live in."

"I understand," Lex said tightly. He didn't like the direction of this conversation.

"But... I listened to what you said about Clark, and your... feelings for him. I can't say as I'd be comfortable in the situation but... I can't deny that you really do love him. You sound like someone else I knew when I first met him at Metropolis University, and we're still together to this day. I don't want to lose my son, Lex. But if I have to... then I'm glad he's going to have you to take care of him."

"Mom?" Clark asked. "Are you okay or not?"

"No, I'm not okay with it, Clark. I'm not okay with the thought of my sixteen year old son being sexually active, and especially not with an older man. But I am okay with the feelings you have for each other."

"I'm not," Jonathan broke in. "Luthor, if you touch my son again, I'll have you arrested."

"There are places we can go, right, Lex?" Clark turned to his lover. "Places where it's okay?"

"Yes, there are," was all Lex replied.

"Will you take me there?"

"Clark!" bellowed Jonathan.

"Lex?"

Lex looked at Martha, who shook her head helplessly. "Yes, Clark. I will take you anywhere that you want to go," he said softly. "For as long as you want to go."

"Then come and help me pack. By the time Dad calls the cops, I should be ready to go." Clark started climbing the steps to his room, and Lex rose to follow him.

He paused by Martha's chair. "You have my word, nothing will happen to your son."

"Lex, I'll have you arrested for kidnapping. Clark's still a minor." Jonathan refused to back down.

"Mr. Kent... I sincerely wish that you'd think about what you're saying before you say it. Your son is upstairs, packing to leave the country, all to protect me from your wrath. I will take him anywhere that he wishes to go, and we will stay there for as long as he feels it necessary. I can run LuthorCorp from anywhere on the globe, and my father wouldn't give a damn, but Clark is your son. I have seen what he means to you. Please think about what you are doing here. Because it's not me you're hurting; it's Clark."

With that, Lex disappeared up the stairs to Clark's bedroom, and Martha turned to Jonathan. "Well now, what are you going to do?"

"Call the police. They'll stop Luthor before he gets out of Metropolis."

"Oh, for God's sake, Jonathan!" Martha slammed her hand down on the table. "I knew when I married you that you were a stubborn, prideful man, but this is too much. It's just too much! I'm about two seconds away from going up there and asking Lex if there's room for three on that plane. Damn your stubborn hide! You are letting our son walk out that door... hell, you're pushing him out! All because you don't like Lex and aren't willing to back down on your son's happiness?"

"Dammit, Martha, you know what the Luthors are like!"

"And I know what Lex is like! You didn't hear what Lex said about Clark, Jonathan. He was talking about Clark like Clark was the only thing that mattered in his life! And then the look on Clark's face was just... amazing. Like no matter what, he couldn't believe that someone thought he was that important, couldn't believe that someone was that touched by him!" Martha took her husband's face in her hands. "If you don't fix this with Clark, then I'm walking out that door with them, Jonathan. I'm not going to let my son disappear from my life like this."

Jonathan looked hard at his wife, who was unflinching. "Clark!" he shouted. "I'm coming upstairs to talk to you." Jonathan climbed the stairs, balancing carefully on his sore wrist as he pulled himself up. He walked into Clark's room to find Lex sitting on Clark's bed beside his suitcase, neatly folding and packing the clothes that Clark was flinging over his shoulder. "Clark."

"What do you want, Dad? We're going to be gone by the time you call the cops, even if I have to pick Lex up and run with him."

"Clark!"

"It's all right, Mr. Kent. I know about Clark's abilities."

"Jesus." Clark didn't stop throwing clothes to Lex. "Clark, stop." Clark ignored him. "I didn't call the police, all right?" That stopped Clark. "I didn't. I swear to you, son."

"Then why are you up here, Dad?"

"Because I don't want you to leave." He tried to move towards Clark, but at the boy's abrupt stiffening, he stopped in mid-step. "Lex, could you please excuse use for a little while?"

"No, Dad. Lex stays. He's going to be part of my life now, and that's just the way it's going to be." Clark started tossing clothes to Lex again.

Jonathan used his good hand to scrub across his eyes. Since when had his life gotten so complicated? "Dammit, Clark, can't you give me a break here? I need... I need time to get used to the... situation!" He looked up at Clark. "Please?"

Lex put his hand on Clark's arm. "It's okay, Clark. I need to make a few phone calls, set a few things in motion. I'll call the Metropolis gang and have them pack up some things for me from the penthouse, and then arrange for the plane to be waiting."

Lex started to walk out of the room, and Clark caught him before he left. "I love you, Lex," Clark said, and deliberately kissed his lover casually before letting him go.

Jonathan sighed. "Clark... son... do you have to rub it in my face like that? I just asked you for time."

"Take all the time you want, Dad. Mom will know how to get in touch with us." He threw a last few things into the suitcase on top of his clothes: CDs, paperback books, a small metal and leather box. He pushed down and locked it, and then hefted it.

"Your mother is going to go with you if you leave."

Clark dropped his suitcase back on the bed. "Gee, Dad... can't imagine why she'd want to."

"Son... you know how I feel about the Luthors."

"And you know how I feel about Lex!" Clark countered hotly. "Whatever the Luthors did in the past, Lex is not like them! And you've never been able to admit that. All you've ever done is thrown back into Lex's face, over and over again, what kind of man you think he is just because of his last name. You know, he told me what you said in the barn, that he'd never given you a reason to see anything other than his name. That's bullshit, Dad, and you know it! He saved our lives at the plant, he's tried to help you and Mom with the farm, he bought a whole new computer lab for the school! He's been a good friend to me, and how many times has he been hurt since he came here for doing the right thing? You're my father, and I love you, Dad, but... you're the one making me choose here. And I choose Lex. Because he has faith in me. He loves me. He trusts me. Things I'm not sure that you know anything about anymore." Clark picked up his suitcase. "I'll call Mom later."

Jonathan was sitting on Clark's bed as the teen walked to the door. "Clark...don't go. I don't want you to feel like you have to run away from your own home."

Clark turned around and looked at Jonathan. "Can you accept the fact that I love Lex? That I'm going to be with Lex? Physically and emotionally with Lex? Can you accept that, Dad? Think hard, all right?"

The thought of Lex Luthor touching his son in any way almost made Jonathan sick to his stomach. The quick, casual kiss they'd shared earlier had been nothing, he realized, compared to what Clark had just mentioned. And the alternative was to lose his son. Forever. "Clark... I just need time," he finally said.

Clark nodded sadly. "Then call me when you're ready to talk."

"Clark--" Jonathan heard a soft whoosh and realized his son had already sped down the stairs. Remaining on the bed, Jonathan cradled his head in his hands.

After Lex had made his phone calls, he had sat down at the kitchen table across from Martha Kent. "I won't let him go far, Mrs. Kent."

"Martha, please, Lex." She was wringing her hands as she talked to Lex.

"Martha. I promise you, I won't take Clark far. And if he doesn't contact you, I will. I'm going to try and persuade him to stay in Metropolis for a few days before deciding to go anywhere else. I think he'll stay, especially if the gang is there."

"The gang?"

"I didn't realize it until yesterday but Chloe and I share a very... unique group of friends. They adopted Clark almost immediately. Most of them work with me in the cast, and the few that don't still hang out together. They're more like a family... the family I never had."

Martha was the first to see Clark appearing down the stairs with his suitcase in hand. "Clark?"

"We're leaving, Mom. Dad asked for some time, so... I'm giving it to him. He said you wanted to come with us... you can't, Mom. I'm sorry. It needs to be just me and Lex."

"I couldn't leave your father, Clark. I was hoping that would slap him into doing something, but... I don't guess it worked." She got up and hugged Clark tightly. "Where are you going to go?"

Clark hugged her back, and then looked over at Lex. "I was thinking maybe back to Metropolis? Just for a while, until... until we figure out what comes next. Metropolis should be enough space, right?"

"It'd be perfect," Lex answered. When summer ends, we'll get you enrolled in one of the Metropolis high schools, and until then, we'll rehearse for the next showing and get you in the cast."

"That's all right, isn't it, Mom? That I get to be in the cast on a regular basis?"

Martha gave him a tiny smile. "Of course it is, honey. You'll be great."

Lex dipped into his wallet and extracted a LuthorCorp business card. Flipping it over, Lex scrawled an address and a phone number on the back. "This is where we'll be. If we move, I'll make sure to let you know." He turned to smile at Clark. "We'll take the Ferrari, and you can call Chloe from the road."

Clark and Lex both hugged Martha on their way out, and as the Ferrari pulled out of the driveway, she climbed the stairs and found Jonathan still sitting in Clark's bedroom. She dropped onto the bed beside him, and put her arms around him.

Clark used Lex's cell to call Chloe, and left the penthouse number on her answering machine. "Lex... I'm sorry you're getting dragged into this."

"I told you before, Clark. I'm with you all the way." He gripped Clark's hand tightly before shifting into gear. "You'll love being in the cast, Clark."

Clark looked out the window as they rolled onto the main highway that would eventually take them into Metropolis. "I hope Dad hurries up and gets his head around us."

Lex couldn't understand what it was like to have a father you cared about and who cared about you. "He will, Clark. You're his son. He won't let you go."

TEN WEEKS LATER:

"Cheekbones! Where's your wrap? You're on in ten and you're not even ready yet!!"

"Calm down, Queenie! God! The wrap's here, I'm getting into it now!" Clark was worming into a mummy-like costume for his big unveiling. "Hey! Get your hands off my balls!"

"You were the one complaining about how it constricted you."

"That wasn't an invitation to grope my nuts!" Clark slapped his friend's hand. "Here, close this up in the back."

"Mmm, mmm, mmm!! Whatever Lexy's been feeding you, holy God it's turned you into a total Adonis. That back, those arms, you get much bigger and we're going to have to get a new wrap!"

"Queenie?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Shut up and zip."

"Zipping, precious." Queenie tugged the zipper of Clark's wrappings up. "Okay, time to get in the fish tank!" Queenie helped the mummified Clark into the clear tank and wheeled him out on stage for Rocky's big unveiling. Once Clark was on stage and ready to rise from the solution, Queenie slipped back into the audience and sat between two new faces. "You're going to simply love this. Clark is just fabulous as Rocky. He and Lex just shine together up on that stage."

"You don't have to sell us, Davis. Clark's our son, we know how good he is."

"Queenie, please." The gay man made a moue of distaste as the blond man invoked his real name. "I haven't answered to Davis since I was fifteen."

"Sorry, I just can't call a grown man Queenie."

"Jonathan, shush. Clark's about to come on."

Jonathan watched in quiet awe and no small amount of amazement as his son acted a complete and total idiot on the stage. He blushed for Clark's sake when Lex--and that was a disturbing sight in and of itself, Lex in a corset and fishnet stockings--touched and teased his son, flirting with outrageous sexuality that flowed so easily between them.

"Oh my God. Queenie, you didn't tell us Clark was this good!" Martha enthused quietly. "He and Lex just..."

"Flow?"

"Yeah." Martha's voice was awestruck. "I haven't seen a performance like that in twenty years!"

"They pack the theater every weekend," Queenie pointed out. The rest of the gang were either on stage or backstage, and he had volunteered to shepherd the Kents through the program. "Ever since Clark came on as a steady cast member two months ago... we haven't had an empty seat in the house. Between him and Lexy... they've got half the Metropolis college population in lust."

Jonathan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Clark had turned seventeen over the months he'd been away from Smallville, and it looked like that hadn't been the only change. "When can we see Clark?"

"After the movie, of course! He and Lexy should be hanging out backstage prepping Diana for her first shot as Magenta next change, and then during the next break, they'll pop out to the back row and watch the rest of the movie with whatever other cast members show up back there."

Jonathan's ears burned when Queenie mentioned the back row. He'd heard the line--"Fuck in the back row!"--thrown up at the screen during the intro song, and even though he had come to terms with the idea that his son would always be linked to Lex, the thought of them having sex still nauseated him. "We--I, anyway--want to see him now."

Queenie sighed. "All right, but don't bitch to me if he tells you to get lost until after the movie's over!" He rolled his eyes as he led the Kent man to the backstage area. "There he is. Clark!! Precious!!"

Clark didn't even lift his head from the huddle with Lex and Diana, just waved at Queenie's voice. "In a minute, bitch!" came the teasing reply.

"Fuck you, darling! Here I bring one of your many admirers back here to see you and this is the thanks I get!" The dramatic tone in Queenie's voice made even Jonathan roll his eyes.

"If one more girl pinches my ass..." Clark straightened, and then put his hand on Lex's back as he saw his father. Lex straightened too, and then blanked the smile from his face as he saw Jonathan standing beside Queenie. "Hey, Dad. What are you doing here?"

"Came to see the show." Jonathan gestured around. "Davis was nice enough to show us around."

Clark burst into laughter. "Davis? Davis?"

Queenie shot him a withering look. "Piss off, precious."

"Fuck you, darling."

"Don't you wish you had a piece of this."

Lex snorted. "Not when he's got a piece of this."

Jonathan cleared his throat. "You look well, son."

"You too, Dad." Clark ran his hands through his hair, and then dropped one arm around Lex. "I gotta admit, I'm surprised to see you here."

Jonathan's laugh was nervous. "I was surprised to be here, actually. We called the penthouse when we got here, but we got the machine. Then your mother remembered the cast, and so here we are."

"I'm sorry you missed my birthday," Clark said softly. "It was a hell of a party."

"That's what your mother told me." Jonathan sighed. "Clark..."

"Dad... I'm happy here in Metropolis. Lex got me into this great private school, and I'm finishing my degree a whole year early. I've got my friends here, I've got the cast, and I'm going to be working with Lex part time for LuthorCorp."

Jonathan prayed that his son couldn't hear his teeth gritting. "Clark... I'd like you to come home," he said quietly. "I... am okay with you and Lex."

"Dad... I don't want to come home. I could never be out like this in Smallville."

Jonathan grabbed a tissue off the table and shoved it at Clark. "Take the lipstick off, it's distracting."

Clark took the tissue and stuffed it in his pocket. "This is what I mean, Dad. Nobody here gives me a second thought. Hell, nobody cares about my gifts. It's like... for the first time in my life, I'm normal. I have friends, I have someone who loves me, a job, a place to hang out... a place to be myself."

"All these people... know?"

"No. Only you, Mom and Lex. But it's so much better here, Dad. So much more good I can do with my gifts." He'd dropped his voice low for this. "I can help so many more people here. With Lex's resources, he finds the people who need help and I help them."

"Does your mother know about this, Clark?"

Clark nodded. "I think so. I think she knows I'm happy here. I think she knows I don't want to come back to Smallville. You were right, Dad. We both needed time. I needed time to find out who I am, and you needed time to come to terms with it."

Jonathan studied his son. The young man was dressed in a pair of low-slung jeans thrown hastily over the gold Rocky costume, his chest still bare, hair mussed. Lipstick shone lightly on his lips, as did the light sheen of makeup that highlighted his features for the show. He shifted his gaze to Lex, who was in the process of removing his whiteface pancake makeup and the excessive eye makeup. He wanted to blame the young Luthor for everything that had happened over the last few months, but he knew he couldn't. "Clark... Metropolis is a dangerous place. Don't let yourself be seduced by its pretty lights and pretty faces."

"I've got Lex and the rest of my friends to protect me," Clark answered, slipping his arm around his lover's waist. "Isn't that right, Queenie?"

"Absolutely," Queenie sang out.

"Clark... please come back home with your mother and me."

"Metropolis is my home now." He squeezed Lex's waist tightly. "Please, be happy for me, Dad. Be happy that I'm happy." Lex slipped his arm around Clark as they waited for Jonathan's reaction together.

Finally, Jonathan sighed, his shoulders slumping. "If you're happy, then of course I'm happy for you. What kind of father would I be if I weren't?" He held out his arms for Clark, and Clark threw himself into them. "I love you, Clark."

"I love you too, Dad. Thank you." Clark hugged Jonathan hard. "As soon as I start working with Lex, I'll start sending you some of my check. Dad, no. Don't. I'm not going to be there to help anymore, and you and Mom are going to need it. I'm working, and Lex has more money that we'll ever be able to spend. So let me do this, okay? Half to you guys and half to my checking account."

Jonathan's instincts rebelled at the thought of his son as a kept man. Then his common sense reminded him that Clark was working through school, and working a job as well as drawing his own paycheck. He still didn't like it, but it soothed him to think of it that way. He'd talk to Martha about setting the money up in some sort of trust for Clark when he got older. "Okay, Clark. If it'll make you happy."

"It will, Dad." He hugged his father again as Lex looked on. Jonathan tightened his grip on his son when Clark showed no intention of pulling away. "I'll be back to Smallville one day, I promise."

FIVE YEARS LATER, SMALLVILLE

Clark spread the large purple blanket out over the grassy field. Baker's Field had been plowed under two years ago, and now it was a beautiful flatland that afforded a view of the Kent Farm in the distance.

"Clark, a little help here, please?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Clark sprinted to get the cooler out of the back of the Lamborghini. The first car he'd bought with his own money, the sleek blue racer was his favorite vehicle.

"Well, if you wouldn't pack it like we're all as strong as you, we wouldn't have anything to worry about," Lex chided. "I think you just like showing off for me."

"Does it work?" Clark asked hopefully as he hefted the cooler as though it were weightless, and then set it on the middle of the blanket.

"Of course." Lex and Clark shared a long kiss before turning their attention to the food. "It was great of Martha to fix this for us."

"She knew we wanted something special for our anniversary, Lex. So she cooked."

Lex unpacked the home-cooked food. "I'm just glad she finally got Mr. Kent to agree to the overhaul. He can finally afford to take it easy now that the loans are paid off and they're turning a profit."

"It helps when you've got marketing, Lex. And with LuthorCorp marketing their organic produce over the whole state... it helped."

"Hey, that was the point of the contract," Lex pointed out.

Clark nodded as he looked around. "I can't believe how beautiful this place is." He looked over at Lex. "This is where I landed, you know."

"Martha told me a few years ago, when the field went up for sale."

"I wish I knew who bought it," Clark sighed. "It's too beautiful to put a development on."

"You bought it, Clark."

"What? Um, no. I think I'd have remembered a purchase of that size and that important."

"You'd just turned nineteen, Clark. I'd had the machinations in the works for a while, and when the sale finally went through, I had the deed transferred over to your name."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ever hear of surprises, Clark?" Lex opened a bottle of water and raised it in a toast. "I have my reasons. It's part of your anniversary present."

"Part?"

"Yeah. The rest of it's in the car."

Clark's curiosity was nearly eating him alive. "What else is there, Lex?"

"Be right back." Lex got to his feet and headed back to the car. While Lex was gone, Clark opened his own bottle of water and drank it down in a few gulps. He knew what he was going to give Lex, but it would have to wait until dark. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize Lex was bopping him on the head with a cardboard tube. "Here's the rest of it, love."

Clark took the lid off the tube and shook out the thin sheaf of papers rolled in it, spreading them out. "Blueprints?"

"Yes."

Clark examined them. "These are blueprints for a house."

"Yes, they are." A smile was playing at the corner of Lex's mouth.

"Lex?"

"They're blueprints for our house, Clark."

"Our house?" Clark's face broke into a huge grin. "Our house! You mean... like... ours?"

"I mean a house that has never been owned by anyone else, built to our specifications, right here on this field so that no one else can ever try and dig up anything on the meteor that crashed here. All the Kryptonite has been removed, thanks to the LuthorCorp cleanup project a few years back. It's currently being held in the old fertilizer plant awaiting destruction."

"When can we start?"

"Right away. I've had the construction crews on standby, just waiting for this. They'll start breaking ground tomorrow." Lex put down his bottle, expecting the missile-like attack of his lover, and quickly found himself pinned under an enthusiastic Clark. "I never knew construction got you horny, Clark."

"Not the construction... you. You did all this... for me." He sat up quickly and pulled Lex up with him. "Lex... do you remember when we first met, you asked me if I thought man could fly?"

"I remember."

"I can, finally," Clark confessed. "I've been practicing the last month or so... I want you to fly with me tonight, Lex."

"We always fly, angel," Lex said, curling around Clark's larger form. "I'd love to fly with you." Clark cuddled his beloved close, carefully rolling the blueprints back into the tube. "Clark?"

"Yeah, Lex?"

"You ever wonder what would have happened if you hadn't gone with Chloe to see the movie?"

"Sometimes." Clark ran his fingers lightly over Lex's bald scalp. "I think things would have turned out very differently. I had a dream once... you and I were enemies. We hated each other, tried to hurt each other every way we could. I woke up from it, and you were gone. You weren't far, only in the office working, but that was the most horrible feeling I ever had, the emptiness inside when I wondered for a split second if I was dreaming or not."

"It was just a dream, Clark." Lex leaned up to kiss his lover. "I could never hate you." He turned to find himself cradled against Clark's broad chest. "We're meant to be together, Clark."

"I know." He looked around. "It's almost dark. Almost time to fly."

"Hold me close?"

"Always," Clark swore. "Always."

The darkness must go
Down the river of night's dreaming
Flow morphia slow
Let the sun and light come streaming
Into my life, into my life
--Over At The Frankenstein Place

The End