Title: Confessions

Confessions
By Vigdis

A vague feeling of unease washed over the young man, followed closely by a desperate need to be elsewhere. Quickly, he ejected the disc from his laptop and tossed it on top of his papers as he
gathered them up, not bothering with organization. He just shoved them into a drawer, barely taking a moment to lock it before he headed out the door.

His distraction was notable in that he didn't even care which car he took. He just grabbed the keys to the closest one - a white BMW convertible - as he entered the garage. He slid quickly
behind the wheel, not bothering with his driving gloves, and drove off into the countryside. He wasn't even sure where he was going until he found himself at what seemed to be his destination. He sat in the car confused. Why here?

Realization burst into his consciousness and in the next instant he was out of the car and running into the depths of the cave. Reaching the bottom, he came to a sudden halt and let out a sigh of relief. The boy was sitting cross-legged on the cave floor gnawing gently on his bottom lip as he stared at the runes on the opposite wall.

Carefully, he moved closer. "Clark?" he said softly.

The boy didn't look up. "Hi, Lex," he murmured. His attention remained focused on the runes.

Lex sat down beside him, gazing intently at his profile.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Lex reached out gently to touch Clark's shoulder. "I don't like for you to be here."

Clark shot him a rebellious look.

Lex smiled sadly. "It worries me, Clark. It wasn't too long ago I walked in here to find you sprawled unconscious on the floor. And shortly after that, I found Dr. Walden in the same place,
catatonic! He'll probably never recover. I don't want you to be next, Clark."

Clark smiled wryly. "I won't."

"You can't be sure of that."

"It won't happen! I'm fine, Lex!" Clark insisted, exasperated.

Lex lowered his head into his hands for a moment. "Could we please just go somewhere else?"

"Why?"

Lex answered softly but vehemently. "Because this place makes me nervous and I don't want anything to happen to you!"

"What's the matter?" Clark asked, surprisingly snide. "Afraid my parents will sue?"

Lex snorted softly and leaned closer. "Not a chance!" he whispered loudly. "I'm afraid they'll lynch me," he grinned.

Clark tried, but he couldn't resist grinning back. Still, he made no move to get up.

Lex sighed, angry and frustrated. "I'm trying to keep you safe, Clark. I'm trying to protect you, but that's damned hard to do in the dark!" Clark looked up sharply. Lex looked away, shaking his
head in resignation. "I'm actually highly intelligent and extremely observant, Clark. Unfortunately, so is my father. Being blind didn't change that noticeably. It only made him more observant. He admits to 3 weeks of sight before the announcement, but he may be lying." With his attention on the floor of the cave, he didn't see Clark's eyes widen in shock. I don't know how much he suspects, but it's more than I'm comfortable with. Hell, Clark, if he suspects even a tenth of what I do, you could be in serious danger. Let me protect you!" he pleaded. Then, finally raising his eyes to meet Clark's, he whispered, "I need to protect you, Clark. I need to keep you safe."

"Why?" Clark asked, not daring to breathe.

Lex reached up slowly. He didn't quite brush Clark's cheek with his fingertips, but it was a close thing. "Are you sure you want me to tell you the truth?"

"Yes," Clark whispered firmly.

Lex swallowed hard. Never taking his eyes off the boy's, he quietly confessed, "Because I love you, Clark."

"As a friend?" Clark asked hesitantly, "a brother?"

"No, Clark." Lex's expression was deadly serious. "I'm in love with you." He took a deep breath at the shocked expression on his friend's face. "You're the truest friend I've ever known, Clark. I am aware that telling you this may irreparably damage our friendship. I know you don't - can't - return my feelings, but telling you how I feel is the only way I can make you understand how important your safety is to me."


Clark stared at him for a long moment before his shock gave way, first to stunned amazement, then to acceptance. He grinned - that grin that lit up Lex's world - and, with utter certainty, he said, "You're wrong, Lex. Dead wrong."

Lex's brow creased in confusion. Clark reached out and brushed his fingertips over the crease as if to smooth it out. Smiling radiantly, he said the words Lex Luthor had never expected to hear sincerely and honestly spoken by anyone - and he had certainly never expected to hear them from this beautiful boy.

"I love you, too, Lex."

END PART 1