Title: Marco Polo

Author: Orithain and Rina

Archive: Yes

Category: First Time, Romance, Drama

Series: Games 1

Rating: NC-17

Spoilers: Minor for all of Season 1

Summary: A hot summer's day and a wet Clark prove to be more than Lex can handle.

Notes: We fought the addiction, but when we fell, we fell hard and wrote this entire thing in approximately one week. Talk about being possessed!

Marco Polo
By Orithain and Rina
July 2002

The sweltering heat lay across the Kansas plains like the layers of a thick, wool blanket, too heavy and uncomfortable for the season but borne of necessity. The sky was a flat steel gray though the thickening of green-tinted clouds in the west heralded a coming storm. Hopefully it would break the heat wave, but it was doubtful.

Wiping his forearm across his sweaty forehead, Clark Kent turned the tractor back toward the barn, thankful he was finished with the last of his chores for the day.

School was out for the summer, and helping out around the farm was pretty much what his world had narrowed down to for the next few months. Chloe was in Metropolis for her internship at the Daily Planet; Pete was on a family vacation with his parents, and Lana - well, he really hadn't seen much of her since the tornado, though he wasn't certain if it was his choice or hers. Even Lex was conspicuously absent around Smallville, though apparently he'd worked out a deal with his father to keep the fertilizer plant open, something which earned him quite a bit of goodwill around the area.

Sighing, Clark reached up again, pushing his dark hair off his forehead. Whoever said summertimes were the best part of youth obviously hadn't been in Smallville. Hell, even his parents were gone for the weekend. An old classmate of his mother's was getting married--for the third time--and, after much deliberation, they'd decided to attend and make a weekend in Metropolis out of it. Fine and good, they deserved the trip, but damn, was it quiet out here. If he wanted to, Clark knew he could run into town, but with his closest friends gone, was there a point?

Steering the tractor into the barn's shade, Clark turned it off and climbed down. The shade really didn't offer any respite from the afternoon sun, and he knew that it wouldn't be much cooler inside the house. Visions of ice-cold, crystal lakes filled his thoughts, and he groaned with longing at the idea of finding a cold body of water and diving in to stay under until he felt human again. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything like that nearby, but there was the hose.

Pulling off his sweaty red t-shirt, Clark tossed it onto the tractor seat and walked around to the outside of the barn. Turning on the spigot, he let it run until the water coming out of the hose was cool to the touch, then, bending over, he doused his head and neck, immediately feeling less sun-shriveled for the wetting.

Straightening up, he shook his head to get the water out of his eyes, then drank long and deep. Holding the hose over his head after he was finished drinking, Clark simply let the water run down over him, washing away most of the dust and dirt he'd accumulated in the fields. Over the sound of the water, he heard a low, throaty rumble and looked around the side of the barn to see a sleek gray sports car pull up in front of the house, one he recognized immediately. It looked like Lex was back in town.

Grinning, Clark turned off the water and raked his wet hair off his forehead. Ducking into the barn, he grabbed his shirt and, using it as a makeshift towel, headed toward the house. "Hey there," he called, breaking into a trot, his wet sneakers squishing with each stride and leaving muddy imprints behind him in the dirt.

Lex had returned to Smallville the night before, having finished up his business in Metropolis earlier than anticipated. Not even to himself would he admit that he'd pushed the negotiations as much as possible because he missed seeing a certain green-eyed farmboy whom he'd grown much too fond of chatting with. He had absolutely nothing in common with Clark Kent at first glance, but he'd discovered an amazingly astute mind behind those doe-eyes and a nearly unique ability and willingness to treat Lex Luthor the same as anyone else. With Clark he never had to wonder what he was after; Clark spent time with him because he actually liked him. And that despite his own father's opposition!

He'd been able to hold out until early afternoon, but as soon as he'd finished lunch, Lex had found himself in his car on his way to the Kent farm. Only he'd never anticipated something like this. As he'd pulled up, he'd been treated to the sight of a shirtless Clark standing in the yard with water gushing over him, looking like a centerfold or an incredibly erotic fantasy. Swallowing hard and praying his pants hid his erection, Lex smiled in return and got out of the car.

"Hi yourself." He glanced around, noticing that the Kents' truck was missing. "Your parents gone to town?"

"Yeah." Clark nodded. "They had a wedding to go to and somebody had to stay home to mind the farm." His grin widened at Lex's pained expression at his pun. "Besides, I'm too old to be sharing a hotel room with them any more, don't you think?"

"Ho--Oh, they went to Metropolis? Well, then, since you have some time on your hands, why not come back to my place? I can offer you a pool, air conditioning, and a good dinner. I'm sure we can figure out some way to pass the time." He ruthlessly clamped down on the mental images that leapt to his mind of how he'd like to pass the time with Clark.

"That sounds great!" Clark looked at Lex, who was dressed fashionably as always, his clothes not at all wrinkled from the drive over, then at his car. "I'd better get cleaned up first. Don't want to leave a huge wet spot on the leather. C'mon in and I'll change. Want something to drink?"

He was babbling, feeling oddly nervous around his friend, almost like he did with Lana at times, but the way Lex had looked at him when he was getting out of the car... it made his stomach clench and not in a way that was unpleasant.

God, was Clark _trying_ to drive him out of his mind? The last thing Lex needed to be thinking about was wet spots since that instantly made him imagine Clark sprawled bonelessly on his bed atop the wet spot he'd made when Lex fucked him into his first orgasm with another person. His mouth gone dry, Lex had to swallow a few times before he could manage to speak. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind something wet." He turned toward the house easily, heading for the kitchen and trying not to think about a naked Clark getting changed upstairs while Lex waited.

"Lemonade okay?" At Lex's nod, Clark pulled the pitcher out of the fridge and poured a glass, handing it to Lex before getting himself one and guzzling it down without stopping to breathe. "I'll be down in a minute. There's some cookies Mom left on the table if you want them."

Waiting until Lex sat, looking somewhat uncomfortable as he perched on the chair, Clark pounded up the stairs, kicking off his shoes and hanging his wet jeans and shirt over the shower rod before drying himself off with a towel. Grabbing clean clothes, he got dressed, raking his fingers through his hair before giving up when it flopped back down over his forehead like always. Not bothering with socks, he stepped into an old pair of sneakers and ran back down the stairs, getting halfway down before recalling Lex had mentioned the pool.

"Need to grab a bathing suit, I'll be right back!" he shouted, turning and heading back upstairs.

"Please don't bother on my account," Lex muttered, knowing that there was no way Clark could possibly hear him. What the hell was wrong with him? Usually he had more self-control than this, but ever since he'd arrived to the vision of a half-naked Clark, his hormones had been raging. He shifted uncomfortably, his pants much tighter than they should be, and took a long swallow of the glass of homemade lemonade.

"Don't bother?" Clark paused as he dug through his dresser drawer, looking for a pair of trunks. "Huh?" Wondering if maybe they weren't going swimming, he shrugged. He couldn't bring the subject up, not when there wasn't any normal way that he could have heard Lex, so it had to be ignored.

Wrapping his navy trunks in a towel, Clark banged down the stairs once again. "Think I've got everything this time. Just let me close the west windows in case it rains. I'd be dead if Mom and Dad came home to a wet house."

Lex groaned faintly once Clark had left the room. If he didn't stop talking about things getting wet soon, Lex wasn't going to be responsible for his actions. "And I'm going to be dead of sheer frustration!" he grumbled under his breath. "You're driving me crazy, Clark Kent!" Draining his glass, he carried it over to the sink to rinse it, remembering the expression on Jonathan Kent's face one time when he'd left a used dish on the table.

Lex's comment caught Clark unawares, and he closed the window with more strength then he should have used, sending it rattling in its frame. _Driving him... Frustration..._ That combined with the look he'd been given earlier caused the pieces to come together, though Clark almost couldn't believe the picture they presented. Lex...wanted him. He thought.

Whoa.

"Kay, got 'em." Trying to act as though he hadn't just had a startling revelation, Clark walked back into the kitchen. "Weather's moving in fast, so we'd better hurry or we're gonna get soaked."

Lex swallowed hard at _that_ mental image and made a note to himself to start buying pants a size larger for when he planned to spend any time around the teenager. "I'm ready whenever you are." _In more ways than one._

As he strode toward the door, he glanced casually back over his shoulder. "Your parents due back tonight? When do I need to get you home by, Cinderella?"

Reaching around Lex, Clark opened the door, holding it for him to go through. "They're staying over in Metropolis. Mini-vacation and all that." He winced, not wanting to think of how they might be spending the evening after the wedding. Jesus, you just didn't think of your folks like that! Of course, that thought segued to wondering just if and how Lex thought of him, and he just about tripped down the stairs.

"Ah. Well, you're perfectly welcome to spend the night, take advantage of the air-conditioning and all. I'm sure the homestead will be fine for a few hours without you." Lex very determinedly did _not_ think about Clark spending the night in _his_ bed, instead sliding into the car and behind the wheel, waiting till Clark was in and buckled up before starting the engine.

Clark glanced back at the house as he climbed into the car, his expression conflicted. If he went, things were going to change. He wasn't sure just how, but they would. "Promise to get me back in time to get my chores done before they come home?" he asked, locking his seatbelt and glancing at Lex, his decision made.

Shuddering ostentatiously at the idea of getting up at the crack of dawn, Lex agreed. "Just tell me that they're not coming back early in the morning?" he begged, unconsciously speeding slightly as he drove Clark back to his home. He could feel the unusual tension between them, and although he wasn't sure what was causing it, he realized that the slight electricity was only making him want Clark more.

"Not until after lunch." Clark had to laugh aloud at the sudden relief visible in Lex's expression. "There's a brunch or something tomorrow morning that they were going to." He paused. "If it's a problem, I don't mind walking, or I can come back tonight..."

"No, that's fine," Lex instantly replied in a slightly rougher than usual tone. "You might as well sleep comfortably. I have plenty of room." He pulled into the garage at the Luthor castle with relief, glad not to have to keep his attention on his driving any longer when all he wanted to concentrate on was Clark.

"I'll take you up to the room you can use first so you can put your stuff away," not mentioning that it was the connecting suite to Lex's own, "then we can have that swim and cool off."

"I'm looking forward to it." Clark followed Lex into the house and down hallways he'd grown familiar with over the past year. "Oh man, I didn't bring anything to sleep in." He frowned but inwardly was having to stifle a giggle at the sight of Lex's face when he heard _that_.

Lex thought he was going to burst through his pants. This was ridiculous! He glanced back at Clark. But damn, he was gorgeous! If he only knew what his innocent remarks were doing to his friend.

"Here it is." Lex gestured Clark inside the room, not entering himself. "I'll give you a few minutes to change, while I go back to my room and change too." _And jerk off so I don't embarrass myself!_ "I'll be right back."

Clark practically fell over his feet when Lex all but pushed him into the bedroom. "Yeah, sure. Want me to wait for you here or come over to your room when I'm done?"

Eyes widening into an expression of near horror, Lex hastily replied, "No, no, make yourself at home. I'll come back for you as soon as I change." Hastily bolting from the room, Lex fled the few feet down the hall to his own door and nearly fell inside. The door was barely closed behind him when his pants were down around his ankles and he was jerking himself off, moaning Clark's name as he came.

Panting, he slumped against the door, stunned by the heat of his lust for his friend. He sighed and scooped up his semen-spattered pants, tossing them into the small hamper that was emptied every day, and headed into his bathroom for a quick shower. Clark would just have to wait an extra minute or two while he washed the scent of sex from his body.

Both stunned and aroused because once he'd tuned into Lex, he couldn't _stop_ hearing him and everything he was doing and saying, Clark began gingerly removing his jeans, trying to will his erection down so that he could put on his bathing suit without being embarrassed about it.

Lex had... and thinking about him! The shower in the other room was running, letting Clark know that he had at least a little time, so he stripped, darted into the bathroom, and stood under a cold stream of water in the guest shower until he felt he could be seen in public. After quickly drying off, he pulled on his bathing suit and sat on the bed, waiting for Lex to come and get him.

Feeling much better once he'd showered, Lex pulled on his swimsuit and strolled down the hall to Clark's room, choosing not to use the connecting door and possibly spook him. Satisfied that his lust was back under control, he thought that he would be able to enjoy simply spending time with the younger man.

At least he thought so until he saw Clark sitting there nearly naked. Oh, he was _so_ screwed! "Come on, I don't know about you, but I definitely need to cool down."

Clark blinked at that and couldn't help the blush that heated his cheeks as he thought of what Lex had been doing to get himself hot. "I was beginning to think you got lost in there," he teased, standing and grabbing his towel, then crossing to where Lex stood at the door. "Just don't tell me your pool's heated, please?"

Lex could feel the heat of Clark's body, he stood so close, and he had to try a couple of times before he could force a word out of his dry throat. "No, I like it cold. There's always the Jacuzzi for afterward if we want hot water, though I can't imagine that in this weather." He pivoted on his heel, intent upon reaching the concealment of the cold water before Clark realized what was going on.

"No thanks, I've been hot for most of today; the cold's what I need." Lex was very quiet as they walked toward the pool, leaving Clark to fill the gaps with a run-down of what he'd been doing that day. "Probably not as exciting as yours I'll bet," he added with a grin as he tossed his towel onto one of the deck chairs.

Lex shrugged. "Nothing much. I got up, caught up on some work, had lunch, and decided that I needed company to play hooky from work for the rest of the day." He dove into the water with perfect form, hoping the sudden dousing of cold water would deal with his incipient erection before Clark noticed. Although seemingly oblivious to his own appeal, Clark was no fool, and he was bound to put two and two together if Lex spent all his time in his company with a hard on.

Clark slid into the water without the theatrics, ducking himself under and sighing happily as he floated on his back, tracking Lex by the sound of him swimming. "Glad I could be of assistance. How was Metropolis? Do anything interesting there?"

"Argued with my father, but that's neither new nor interesting." Lex swam a little closer and treaded water, helplessly running a hungry gaze over Clark when he thought the other man wasn't looking. "How 'bout you, enjoying your summer?"

"It's been quiet," Clark admitted, shifting to tread water when he heard Lex come up alongside him and felt the heat of his gaze, a heat that went right to his groin. "Everyone's been gone: Chloe, Pete, you..." He shrugged slightly and ducked his head under the water again, getting a very clear view of Lex's pale torso, down over his dark purple Speedos and over his legs, surfacing quickly before he became fixated on what was beneath that clinging fabric. "Sorry, don't mean to sound like I'm complaining."

"No problem, I suppose it is dull around here with everyone away. But you know you're welcome to come over whenever you like. Even if I'm not here, you could always use the pool and gym." Lex liked the idea of Clark spending time here, almost like he belonged. Realizing what he was thinking, he shook his head almost violently and threw himself into swimming laps, doing about a dozen before he worked off the frustration.

Realizing that Lex was as determined to avoid a conversation as he was about trying to start one, Clark stroked over to the edge of the pool and pushed himself out to sit on the ledge, watching Lex do laps, silently admiring the grace and precision of each stroke and the way Lex moved through the water.

When Lex finally stopped, he leaned forward. "Thanks for the offer. Is - are you going to be away a lot this summer?" God, now he sounded like a clingy kid, not good at all.

One eyebrow rose curiously, but Lex simply replied, "No, I think I'll stick around. It's easier to get things done without my father looking over my shoulder. Besides, friends hang around together, right?" He smiled at Clark, wondering what he would do if Lex suddenly swam over to him and kissed him. Not that he would, of course. Lex had no intention of losing Clark's friendship.

"Definitely." For a second there, Clark caught a glimpse of something in Lex's expression, but then it was gone, shuttered behind his normal smile. "I'm glad you came by today, Lex, and glad you invited me over." Clark slipped back into the water, swimming over to Lex. "Ever play Marco Polo?"

Lex looked blank. "No, what is it?" First insulated from others by his father's wealth and later by children's intolerance for those who were different, which Lex's baldness certainly made him, he had never really had friends growing up or played the games that most kids took for granted.

The image of Lex's isolation as a child hit Clark hard, and he felt an incredible urge to pull Lex to him and hug him close. "It's a game, a kids' game." He felt slightly embarrassed describing it. "One person closes their eyes and calls out 'Marco'; the other ones--or one in this case--has to answer 'Polo' and try to keep the one who's it from catching them... without getting out of the water."

He glanced around the large pool. "Might be hard to do here though, there's a lot of room to cover."

The idea of Clark reaching for him, hands brushing over his bare flesh, made Lex shiver and harden despite the cool water. "Sounds like it could be fun. Shall we give it a try?" He wondered if he was going to survive this day, but suffering unrequited lust in Clark's presence was infinitely better than anything else he could imagine just then.

"Do you want to be the hunter or the huntee - or should I even ask?" Clark's smile grew as he spoke. Either way he knew he'd have an advantage over his friend, but it never paid to discount Lex.

Although he really wanted to feel Clark's hands on him, Lex decided that being the hunter gave him greater opportunity to perhaps cop a feel. "Hunter," he replied almost instantly with a toothy smile reminiscent of a shark.

Clark laughed. "I'm shocked." Turning Lex around, he gave him a small push toward the corner of the pool. "Go over there and close your eyes, then yell 'Marco' when you're ready to start." Funny, instead of pushing Lex away, he still wanted to pull him in, to give him that hug - or more. Well, if Lex wouldn't, maybe he'd get up enough nerve to do it.

Clark's hands seemed to leave burning impressions on Lex's shoulders, and he was glad to be facing away. He waded to the corner indicated and waited a moment to give Clark time to move away from where he'd seen him, then yelled, "Marco," and turned around again, eyes tightly shut. He slowly moved back toward the center of the pool, listening intently, trying to hear or feel Clark's nearness.

"Polo," Clark called back. He'd positioned himself in the corner nearest to Lex, and, the second after the other man began moving in his direction, dove under the water, pushing off for deeper water, careful not to use too much speed or strength.

Lex could feel the ripples in the water and tried to judge their direction, moving slowly so he wouldn't miss a hint of Clark's location. "Marco," he called again, hands outstretched toward where he thought Clark might be.

Stroking toward Lex, Clark pulled up just out of arm's reach, holding as still as possible. "Polo," he answered before diving to the bottom, coming up a distance behind Lex. He was grinning widely and contemplating his next move, one that could prove dangerous in more ways then one.

Lex whirled slightly toward the sound, but again Clark was gone before he could tag him. Getting a feel for the younger man's strategy, he spun around 180 degrees, and swam forward, trying to feel Clark's location. He thought he felt a ripple in the water from one side and changed direction, heading that way. He probed downward with one foot and realized that he could stand at this depth. Motionless, he reached out, arms sweeping around him, seeking Clark. "Marco."

When Lex stopped moving, Clark did too, and when the older man turned in his direction, Clark knew he was catching onto him. "Polo." There was no need to shout as they weren't that far apart, and Clark stayed in place as Lex started moving toward him, only ducking aside at the last second, reaching out to trail his fingers over Lex's bare--oh god, his skin was so warm!--stomach as he moved.

Stunned by Clark's actions, Lex still managed to grab hold of his wrist, and his eyes popped open to probe the clear green gaze. "Clark?" He kept hold of Clark's wrist, fingers moving slightly, caressingly.

Clark swallowed, looking downward before meeting Lex's questioning gaze again. "You're supposed to say, 'Marco'," he said, honestly amazed at how his voice sounded to his own ears. It was lower, huskier, and it made him think about sex, and touching - touching Lex.

Lex's tongue appeared to moisten his lips though he never looked away from Clark. "Marco," he whispered, standing motionless as though not to spook a wild animal.

Shivering, not from the coolness of the water, but because of the heat of Lex's gaze, Clark leaned in, closing the distance between them. It was what he'd hoped for when he'd come up with this half-baked plan, the plan he'd conceived somewhere between listening to Lex come with his name on his lips and realizing that the other man was trying to be noble about his feelings.

Clark might have been a virgin, but he wasn't totally innocent to the ways of the world, not in this age of cable television and the internet, but right now he wasn't thinking of any of that, just of the fact that he wanted this - whatever it was - and he wanted it with Lex. "Polo," he answered, his gaze flicking from Lex's lips to his eyes then back again before he as much fell into the kiss as initiated it. One minute they weren't touching, the next their lips, damp and cool from the pool water, were pressed together, and all Clark could think was how good it felt.

Lex wondered wildly if the latest Smallville weirdness involved him hallucinating about Clark, but no, that was most definitely a real tongue in his mouth and a real body that he was drawing closer to himself. He nearly fell over when he realized that he was feeling an answering hardness pressed against his own, and he finally dared to draw Clark as close as he wanted him, so close they should have melded together.

When Lex responded, Clark gave a frantic whimper, his hands scrabbling to reach around the smaller man, to touch every part of him that he could. All the while their tongues were sliding together, filling Clark's mouth with Lex's taste, something that reminded him of cherries and peppermint, and, inexplicably, moss but was so wonderful that he hated the thought of never tasting it again.

Slightly startled by Clark's strength, Lex was still more than happy to press closer. He took control of the kiss, teaching Clark what Lex liked and letting him find out for himself what he enjoyed. Their legs were intertwined, each one practically riding one of the other's thighs, and Lex groaned loudly as their cocks rubbed together.

Suddenly worried that he was holding Lex too tightly or that the other man needed to breathe, Clark pulled back, though he couldn't bring himself to let go of Lex entirely. "Lex? Are you..." His own pulse was pounding in his ears, making it hard to try to concentrate. What he could feel was Lex's erection pressing against his, and it was mind-blowing. "Are you okay?"

"'Okay'?! God, Clark." Lex shook his head, smiling. "I'm amazing. You're amazing. But I'd rather not drown, so maybe we should get out of the pool if we're going to continue this," he suggested, hoping Clark wouldn't come to his senses and flee.

"I wouldn't let you drown," Clark said in all seriousness, frowning as he flashed back to the moment they'd met and to dragging Lex's wet, limp body out of the water. That had been the first time their lips had touched, but he'd been much more concerned with bringing the other man back to life than how it had felt at the time.

"Not after going to so much trouble to save me last time," Lex agreed. "But it's a lot easier to move outside of the water." He continued to urge Clark out of the pool, wanting the freedom to explore him thoroughly, and that just wasn't going to happen here. For one thing, he needed to breathe, so blowing Clark could _not_ be accomplished in chest deep water, as he pointed out.

Stunned by Lex's comment, Clark suddenly found himself out of the pool with no idea of how he got there, but his arms were still around Lex, and that was good - very good. It wasn't that he couldn't guess what was going to happen; it was just that the reality of it was more than he could comprehend, so he concentrated on what he could deal with, namely his mouth on Lex's, his hands stroking over the other man's wet, pale skin, one moving over his back and the other stroking the bare nape of his neck and up the back of his head.

His feet were moving again, and pressure at the back of his knees had Clark losing his balance, falling onto a lounge chair so heavily that it creaked. Of course the fact that he hadn't let go of Lex, causing him to fall too, didn't help matters at all, but the feel of Lex's weight on top of him drove all thoughts of impending furniture doom from Clark's mind.

Momentarily startled to find himself so abruptly sprawled atop Clark when he'd just been in the pool, Lex filed the anomaly away for later consideration and simply enjoyed. The damp length of Clark's nearly naked body beneath him was his fantasies come to life, and he couldn't hold back a rumbling sound of satisfaction as he undulated slightly against him.

"God, you feel so good," he rasped an instant before his mouth fastened onto Clark's, his tongue exploring the sensitive surfaces of his lips and the interior of his mouth, tasting him thoroughly.

Squirming, trying to arrange both of them so that he could feel more of Lex against him, Clark made a noise of wordless agreement. Lex's tongue was in his mouth, and his smooth skin was under his hands, against his chest, covering and surrounding him, and all he could think of was that he wanted more.

Raising his head up, he opened his mouth wider, sucking on Lex's tongue as if trying to devour the older man, remembering how good it had felt when Lex had done that to him.

Shudders ran through Lex's body, and he pressed harder against Clark, only to draw back with a growl at the soggy constriction of their suits. "We need to lose the bathing suits, Clark," he said quietly, watching the other man for any signs of reluctance.

Large hands slid down Lex's back and were pulling at the stretchy nylon of his swimsuit before Clark even realized what he was doing, but even then he didn't stop. His cheeks heated in a blush, but he persisted, trying to get Lex out of the clinging material without tearing it, something that was proving difficult, especially when he felt Lex's hands on him.

"Umm, we may need to... I can't..." He mumbled, looking away. Lex was used to people skilled in this, and while he had ideas, Clark definitely hadn't had any experience.

Lex curled his fingers around Clark's jaw and turned him back to face him. "I want _you_, Clark. We'll work out the details together." He kissed him again, this time allowing his hunger free rein as he grew more secure in the knowledge that Clark wasn't going anywhere. He squirmed atop the teenager as he fought the wet fabric, finally managing to divest them both of their suits, not without a gasp of pleasure when Clark raised his hips to help. Naked, they lay together, cocks perfectly aligned between their bodies, and after another devouring kiss, Lex slid downward so he could reach Clark's chest, his tongue dragging over a nipple.

"Lex!" Clark gasped and arched upward, easily lifting both of them off the lounge, his hands clenching into fists in the air above Lex's shoulders. He was afraid to touch the other man, afraid that he'd leave bruises on that pale, perfect skin from a simple touch.

Growling softly, Lex raised his head to look up at Clark. "_Touch_ me, damnit!" He pushed upward until he came in contact with the hands above him, then sank back down to draw the damp nipple into his mouth, teeth scraping and tongue laving alternately.

Making a despairing sound, Clark flattened his palms on Lex's back. His arms were quivering with restraint, but his fingers kneaded the warming skin, dragging through the drops of water puddled there, moving down just to the curve of Lex's ass, then back up again.

"So good, feels so..." He twisted, wanting more of that wonderful feeling of Lex's mouth on his chest, torn between needing him where he was and wanting to feel the sensation on the opposite side.

Sensing Clark's desires, Lex switched his attention to the so-far neglected nipple, one hand rising to play with the now abandoned one, teasing and pinching it to diamond-hardness. He rubbed his belly lightly against Clark's upstanding cock, feeling warm liquid smear across him as he did, and ground his own cock against Clark's thigh, groaning with pained pleasure at the unyielding flesh.

"Lex, I want - I need..." It took all of Clark's willpower to keep from grabbing the older man and dragging him down so that he could thrust up against him. For a second, he didn't care about what Lex wanted or how it would feel to him, and that, more than anything, shocked him out of that mindset.

"Yes, Clark, I'll give you what you need," Lex murmured, his voice a velvety, dark purr promising everything a horny teenager could imagine. With a final hard suck on the nipple in his mouth, he drew back, allowing his teeth to scrape over the upstanding nubbin, and slowly slid down more, his tongue trailing down Clark's torso to his navel. He dallied there for a moment, nibbling on the hard, rippling flesh, then moved a little lower. He paused to eye the rigid erection already dripping with precome, and he licked his lips hungrily.

His expression almost pained, Clark relaxed back onto the cushions. His fingertips skittered over the hairless expanse of Lex's head, and he quivered, as aroused by the feeling of the thin skin beneath his fingers as he was by Lex's ever-moving mouth.

Was he... Oh, god, he was. Biting his lip to keep from screaming when Lex's mouth wrapped around his erection, Clark gave a muffled shout, at the same time wrenching his hands away from Lex's head to fist them at his sides.

Lex hummed with pleasure at Clark's reaction, prompting another cry of pleasure. For a time he concentrated on the head, nibbling gently, licking and sucking, then gradually, so slowly that at first Clark didn't realize what he was doing, he began to swallow more of him, more and more until Clark's full length was inside Lex's mouth, the head in his throat as he swallowed him whole.

Clark whimpered, lost in the overwhelming sensations. He thrust up blindly, wanting to bury himself in the warm, sucking wetness, to lose himself and never find his way back because it felt so right. He felt his body tighten and tried to gasp out a warning, but it was too late. Giving a bellow muffled by the arm he managed to throw over his mouth, Clark came, the ripples of Lex's throat muscles contracting around his erection when Lex swallowed drawing another round of tremors from him.

Lex eagerly swallowed every drop, sucking until Clark had nothing left and was whimpering softly at the continued stimulation of his sensitized flesh. Only then did Lex release him and shimmy back up his body to take his mouth again, letting Clark taste himself while Lex rubbed frantically into the cradle of his pelvis, desperate for his own climax.

"Lex..." He tasted different somehow, and Clark was shocked when it hit him that it was because it was his own semen that he was tasting. His semen in Lex's mouth. Lex Luthor had just sucked him off, and it was the most amazing thing he had ever felt.

"Lex," he tried again, when his friend - his lover? - didn't answer, just kept rubbing against him, his hard cock a brand against Clark's groin. "I want to - let me help, please?"

Those words made Lex shudder and groan as he stilled. "Oh god, yes, please, touch me, Clark." He pressed against him, moaning throatily as his arousal sparked through him.

The request proved to be all the catalyst Clark needed, and he twitched, flipping them over without giving a second's thought to the fact that it shouldn't have been so easy for him to maneuver them like that. Pushing up onto his knees, he stared down at Lex, drinking him in from the cool, icy blue of his eyes across his chest and down to his groin. The sight of Lex's straining cock hit Clark like a blow to the stomach, and he bit his lip again before coming to a decision. What Lex had done to him had been amazing, so it had to feel good from the other side - if he could do it right.

Leaning in, he stroked his hands over Lex's chest, following their path with his lips, getting lost once again in the feel of Lex's skin. He could smell the older man now, a musky scent that was overpowering the chlorine from the pool, one he found addictive.

Lex shivered, feeling Clark explore his body, and the knowledge that Clark had never done this before was even more arousing. He bit his lip as he fought to remain still, to allow the younger man to proceed at his own pace and however he wanted. But every tentative touch of that gorgeous mouth was pushing Lex that much closer to his climax, and he didn't know how long he could hold out. But, god, he wanted to feel Clark's mouth on him.

He shifted restlessly, legs spreading as much as they could with Clark straddling him as he knelt above him, and his hands fisted on the sides of the lounge chair.

"You taste so good," Clark whispered, hardly aware that he was speaking as he worked his way lower, brushing his lips over Lex's nipples before moving lower, grazing over his ribs. "Better then Mom's pies even. Thought your mouth tasted good, but this..."

He trailed off when Lex groaned, almost asking again if Lex was all right before recognizing the sound for what it was - need. That he could bring as sophisticated and worldly a man as Lex to this sent a shiver through Clark, and he kissed Lex's stomach, one of his hands sliding lower to at first tentatively, then more firmly stroke the older man's erection.

The only thing Lex could compare this moment to was when the meteor hit Smallville, and he thought this just might be more of a shock to his system... and much more pleasant. His hips nearly leapt off the chair into Clark's fist, and a high-pitched moan--not a whine, Luthors never whined!--of need escaped him. "Oh yes, Clark, please," he panted, heavy-lidded silvery blue eyes peering down at the young man kneeling astride him.

A smile of surprised pleasure stole over Clark's face, and he risked a glance at Lex, though the sight of the expression of total want and desire on his face made Clark whine, much as Lex had done a moment ago. His hand was still moving over Lex's cock, but he wanted to do more, to give Lex more.

Sliding back, shifting so that he was kneeling between Lex's thighs, Clark licked his lips, took a deep breath, and dipped his head downward, the next sweep of his tongue moving across the silky smooth skin of the head of Lex's cock. Flavor exploded over his tastebuds, and he whimpered. It was everything he'd tasted before from Lex but even more primal and visceral, simply, more Lex. Wanting more, he licked again, and again, until his mouth was moving along the underside of Lex's shaft, seeking every bit of flavor he could find.

Lex's eyes fell shut again, the pleasure overwhelming him as Clark seemingly tried to eat him whole. The butterfly sensation of his young lover's lips moving along his shaft nearly made him scream, and a strangled moan did force its way past his lips when Clark reached the head and began to push the tip of his tongue into the slit.

"God, Clark, gonna come..."

Pausing, Clark looked up at Lex again, taking in the clenched muscles that showed just how tightly he was trying to keep himself in control. Clark saw all this in the blink of an eye, and suddenly he wanted nothing in the world more than to taste Lex's essence, as if his semen would be the distilled mead of his spirit brought forth for Clark alone to drink.

"Please," he whispered, before lowering his head again, this time closing his lips around Lex's cock and sucking, not able to keep any kind of rhythm because Lex was thrusting up into his mouth but trying all the same.

Lex's hands suddenly released the sides of the lounger and combed through Clark's slightly long, dark hair, clutching the curling strands as he stiffened and arched upward, crying out Clark's name as he exploded. His universe narrowed to the hot, sucking mouth enclosing his cock and the white-hot ecstasy tearing through his entire body, radiating outward from his center to his very fingertips and toes.

Hot and salty and so, so Lex... Instead of backing off from the jets of thick liquid filling his mouth, Clark moved closer, wanting more, wanting all of Lex he could possess, even for this short time. He stayed there, licking and nuzzling Lex's spent flesh, not caring if he never moved again.

Finally, Lex used his grip on Clark's hair to draw him away from his sensitized flesh, pulling him up into a ravenous kiss as he sought to taste himself in Clark's mouth, licking and sucking on his tongue until all he could taste again was pure Clark. Letting the other man go to gasp in some much-needed air, although Clark didn't seem to be suffering from the same need, Lex stared at him from eyes nearly silver with satiated pleasure.

"For an innocent, Clark Kent, you certainly know how to drive a man wild." He wrapped his arms around his nude lover, pulling Clark down to lie on top of him, luxuriating in his weight pressing him into the thick, waterproof cushions.

Clark didn't even bother to try and deny the accusation. "Just because I haven't - hadn't _done_ anything doesn't mean I hadn't thought about it." He rested his cheek on Lex's shoulder, concerned about crushing the smaller man, but Lex didn't seem uncomfortable, and, knowing him, if he was, Clark would soon know.

"Just not..." He stopped speaking and blushed. "I like how you sounded. And how you tasted."

Lex's eyes closed again briefly as he shuddered with lust at the words. "Damnit, Clark, are you trying to kill me?" He could feel the rush of blood to his groin, and if he hadn't just had the most explosive orgasm of his life, he was sure he would have been hard again. "For the record, I liked how you tasted too... even if I'm not quite sure what made up your mind?" He was curious; he'd been sure that Clark had no idea of his attraction to him.

"No!" Clark exclaimed before frowning in confusion, trying to come up with a plausible reason aside from the real one, the one he couldn't share. "I just... The way you looked at me before, back at the farm. It made me think, or think more anyway, about you, about... this."

He shrugged, and lifted his head to look down at Lex. "I made up my mind when I said I'd spend the night that if you didn't kiss me, I was going to find a way to kiss you so we both didn't go crazy."

Lex frowned. He didn't think he'd looked at Clark any differently than he had a hundred times before; then again, who knew when someone might clue in to someone else's attraction? His expression cleared, and he smiled into the green eyes so close to his own. "I'm glad you did. I was afraid that if I said anything to you, I'd lose your friendship. I would never have risked that."

"Can't people be friends and... lovers at the same time?" Clark felt his blush deepen at the last, and he cursed himself for acting like such a child.

"Of course they can," Lex hastened to reassure him. "But only if that's what they both want, and I had no idea if you did." He shrugged as much as possible in his current position. "I'm glad you did. Do. You know what I mean." He shifted a little uncomfortably. "Want to go back to swimming, or shall we go inside and find something to eat?"

"I do." Clark nodded and kissed Lex gently trying not to give in to his desire to curl up around the older man and not let go for years. He looked over at their bathing suits lying on the tiled floor in a wet, tangled mess, and grimaced at the thought of pulling the cold fabric onto his body. "Something to eat sounds good." He almost suggested getting cleaned up, but he smelled like Lex, and Lex smelled like him, and he wanted to keep things that way for as long as possible.

Having noticed Clark's glance at their discarded suits, Lex suggested that they make use of two of the robes kept in the pool house instead. "I'd hate for either of us to catch a cold from putting wet things back on." When Clark nodded and shifted off of him, he stretched and stood up, strolling over to the small pool house, unabashedly naked, and returned with two robes over his arm.

"Does this mean that you'll be sharing my bed tonight?"

Taking the robe, Clark pulled it on, feeling an odd mix of loss and relaxation when Lex belted his around his waist, covering his body. He wanted to ask if Lex wanted him to, but no, he wasn't going to be needy, begging for attention. Lex was Lex, and that meant complicated; he'd known the other man long enough to understand that. Clark may not have understood everything about him, but he did know that Lex hated weakness, a trait passed down from his father.

Taking a breath, knowing this was something he'd set in motion with that first touch, that first kiss, Clark looked at Lex, his gaze steady. "Yes."

"I'm glad." Lex took the necessary step forward to kiss Clark, then smiled the open smile that was reserved for his friend and lover. "So now I definitely need to feed you so you won't pass out on me," he teased, motioning toward the French doors into the house.

"I think you'd have a hard time carrying me if I did." Clark laughed as he spoke before moving up beside Lex and sliding an arm around his waist. Seeing that smile had made everything even more right, and he felt a curl of warmth within him that had nothing to do with sex and everything to do with true affection.

"I was thinking more along the lines of in bed," Lex admitted with a laugh, putting an arm around him as well. "Unlike a certain farmboy, I'm sure I couldn't manage to cart someone around." He smiled to show that he was only teasing as they padded through the house toward the kitchen, intent on quieting the pangs of appetite they'd worked up.

"Clean living and organic vegetables," Clark replied. "Don't forget getting up early and chores, lots of chores," he added at Lex's grimace before his stomach growled, demanding food after their exercise.

"I think I'll stick to unclean living in that case." Lex shook his head. His idea of morning chores was drinking his coffee without burning himself. What on earth was he doing with this boy? Meeting Clark's eyes, he knew that no matter what a mismatch they seemed on the surface, they were drawn together, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"My cook has gone out for the afternoon, but she'll be back before dinner. In the meantime, we'll just have to scrounge for whatever we can find. Sandwiches okay with you?" Lex frankly didn't think he'd know how to make anything else.

Cook... Clark fought the urge to cringe as he recalled the staff Lex had here at the castle. What if one of them had walked out to the pool while they had... Deciding that avoiding that train of thought would be the safest thing for now, Clark nodded. "Yeah, a sandwich sounds good. All that - uh - swimming makes you hungry."

"Swimming, huh? Is that what we're calling it now?" Lex smiled, a slightly sharp edge to it as he eyed Clark. "Personally, I found that _you_ made me hungriest, and not for food." He knew he should make allowances for Clark's age and lack of experience, but he'd always been himself with the teenager, and he didn't want that to change because of this new dimension to their relationship.

Clark felt his face heat and ducked his head but found the inner strength to respond in kind. "What? Saying you want seconds already? And they say teenagers are insatiable..."

Lex stopped and drew Clark to a halt as well, then tilted his head back up so that he could kiss him. "I'm not _that_ much older that you, you know," he pointed out huskily. "And for the record, I want seconds, thirds and fourths... we can negotiate after that." He nipped gently at Clark's lower lip and stepped back to continue toward the kitchen.

"Is there a point?" Clark asked, his tongue running out over his lip as he wished, for a very different reason than usual, that he was normal. If he could be bruised, he'd wake up in the morning and see the evidence of Lex's bite, and it would remind him that this had really happened.

"I've seen how you negotiate; I'm betting I should just give in gracefully now." He followed Lex into the kitchen, realizing that this was the first time he'd been in the large, modern space. "Want some help with the food?"

Looking around almost helplessly, Lex shrugged and nodded. "I had a cook in my apartment when I was at college too. I'm afraid my skills are maybe up to slapping something between two slices of bread." He wandered over to the fridge and peered inside, apparently hoping a fully made meal would leap out at him.

Clark moved closer, leaning over Lex's back to peer into the fridge and found himself unable to resist pressing a kiss on the back of Lex's head. "How about you let me make the sandwiches then. Mom may do most of the cooking, but she made damn sure I could at least fend for myself if I had to."

With a sense of relief--and a shiver of pleasure at the touch of Clark's lips--Lex backed away from the fridge and left their sustenance in the younger man's capable hands. Unable to tear his eyes away from said hands and the gorgeous body they were attached to, he nearly stumbled over a chair before he managed to sit down.

"Sounds good to me. At least that way we won't have to worry about me accidentally poisoning both of us. There are a lot more interesting things I'd like to do to you." He smiled quickly, eyes fixed on Clark's ass.

While he doubted that anything on earth aside from the meteor rocks could poison him, Clark grinned and nodded, playing along. "What would you have done for food then if I hadn't come over?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder, eyebrows raised questioningly, before looking at the shelves of food again and beginning to make his selections. God, there was stuff in here he'd never heard of, let alone seen; where was the turkey or peanut butter?

"I wouldn't have had quite so much exercise, so I wouldn't have needed anything before dinner," Lex pointed out dryly. "However, I think the benefits more than outweigh the hunger." He frowned very slightly, curious as to what could possibly be taking Clark so long in there, not that he wasn't enjoying the view. "Is something wrong?" he finally asked.

"No..." Clark picked up something wrapped in butcher's paper that looked like it could be deli meat - if such a thing was allowed to exist in a Luthor home. "Does pro... sciutto sound good to you?"

"Sure," Lex said agreeably. "There should be some asiago in there somewhere too, some tomatoes, whole seed Dijon, and I think there should be some bread left over here." He glanced over at the counter where he thought he'd seen some of his favorite Russian black bread.

"Can I ask you something, Lex?" When the older man nodded, Clark chuckled. "Have you ever eaten anything that didn't have a three-syllable name?"

"Yup. Clark Kent only has two syllables."

Clark turned beet red and almost dropped the package of sliced meat on the floor. "Not if you include my middle name," he mumbled, grabbing lettuce, tomatoes and what looked like mustard out of the fridge and setting them on the counter.

Unable to resist how adorable Clark looked when he blushed-- and when did adorable become part of his vocabulary?--Lex stood up and walked over to his lover, pressing him back against the counter as he kissed him thoroughly. When he straightened away again after a final flick of his tongue over that tempting lower lip, he said, "I didn't need a third syllable to know that you're better than anything else I've ever had."

Gripping the countertop so tightly he wondered if he was going to leave dents, but not wanting to grab Lex because if he did, neither of them would be eating anything except Lex's non-three-syllable meal, Clark shook his head. "I think the hunger is affecting your judgment."

"I agree, but I don't think we're talking about the same hunger." Lex reached the same conclusion Clark had, so he forced himself to move away and sit back down. He turned an interested gaze on the young man still standing motionless, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Is the fact that you've left finger-length indentations in the marble of my countertop another of those things I'm not supposed to notice?"

Clark blinked and turned pale. He could feel the ridges under his fingers and wondered just how deep they had to be for Lex to have noticed them from where he was sitting. But then, this was Lex, so maybe it wasn't a surprise after all. "I guess chalking it up to organic produce and lots of chores won't cut it?"

"About as much as telling me that I didn't hit you at 60 miles an hour," Lex replied sweetly, a tone that in itself was a warning sign. "I'm not an idiot, Clark... but I can't protect you if I don't what I'm protecting you against." For the first time he admitted to himself and to Clark just why he'd done some of the things he'd done.

Food now forgotten, Clark let his knees give way and slid to the floor, the tiling cool against his butt and the back of his legs through the robe. "You can't protect me from myself, Lex," he sighed, tilting his head to half-look in Lex's direction. "I'm - You know how the meteor rocks are different? Well, I'm like them. Different, like with the car and why getting shot point blank didn't kill me and... this..." He reached up, running a fingertip over the indentations, his troubled green eyes following the path of his hand.

Lex rose and came to crouch in front of Clark, trying to understand. "Like the rocks, Clark? I can say from personal experience that while parts of you can be very hard," he gave him an encouraging smile, "you're definitely no stone statue.

"As for the rest, frankly, I find it comforting to know that it's pretty much impossible to hurt you." Lex was already contemplating how much of a target Clark would become if, when, people found out that he was Lex Luthor's one weakness. At least he'd never have to worry about kidnapping and ransom demands.

"Not like them that way." Lost in his concern for what his parents would say when they found out Lex knew and the gnawing worry that his best friend who had just become something much, much more, would think he was a freak, Clark had missed Lex's second comment. "I... arrived when they did. It's my fault they're here and that people get hurt because of them."

"You... arrived..." Lex trailed off into silence, pale blue eyes fixed on the miserable young man on his floor, that brilliant mind putting all the pieces together with what Clark had just told him. "My god," he said slowly. "You're an alien?"

Oh god, this was it. Now Lex would tell him to get out and go and try to scrub off even the memory of touching him. Strangled by his constricting throat, Clark could only nod.

Lex almost laughed with relief, only managing to restrain himself because he knew Clark would take it the wrong way. "It's good to know I'm not losing my mind," he said almost cheerfully. "And equally good to know that the things that you do are natural to you and not the result of some new, bizarre mutation caused by this damn town and those bloody rocks... which are _not_ your fault, by the way," he added sharply.

"They came down when my ship did; how can they not be?" Clark lifted his head just enough to look at Lex, the fact that he was still there both amazing and terrifying. Lex knew. He _knew_ and he was still there.

"That's like saying that a baby born during a tornado is responsible for its destruction," Lex pointed out with irrefutable logic. "Even if you did come from the same place, which seems likely judging by your reaction to the damned things," he added, a number of things suddenly making sense to him, "you're no more to blame than I am for a volcano erupting on the world _I_ was born on."

It was nothing he hadn't heard from his parents a thousand times, but somehow, when Lex presented the argument in his logical way, Clark believed it - or believed more than he had before. "I'm not human," he said quietly. "I can do other stuff. I can see through things. I can float sometimes, and I don't know how or why I keep changing." With a lurch, he leaned forward, catching Lex in his arms and pulling them together, his face buried in the warm skin of Lex's neck as he fought tears at finally saying things he'd only thought to himself before.

Nearly toppling over as Clark yanked him forward, Lex went with the motion, ending up kneeling on his kitchen floor with his lover in his arms. "It's called growing up, Clark," he pointed out ruefully. "Welcome to the joys of being a teenager. You just get to experience some unique changes, at least on this planet, but everyone goes through hell for a couple of years. But you have your parents... and me. I'm here for you whenever you need or want to talk." If his father could hear him at that moment, Lex knew that Lionel would disinherit him on the spot.

Clark gave a hiccup that was part laugh and lifted his head from Lex's shoulder. His eyes were bright with tears, but his expression was calmer, more open. "I don't think any sex ed class ever covered what I'm going through," he sniffled, swiping the back of his hand across his eyes. "But I'm glad you're here. I really - even with Mom and Dad there have been times when I thought I was going crazy."

Lex chuckled. "At the risk of sounding both repetitive and like a parent, every teenager goes through the same thing... although admittedly most don't have to deal with floating. And homosexuality in Smallville, Kansas of all places. And getting involved with someone older." He thought about that. "Okay, you're right, you do have more than your share." He smiled. "You just have to do things big, don't you?"

Clark couldn't keep himself from snickering. "Maybe I'm hoping any one of them will distract everyone from the others." He sobered, and brought a hand up to touch the side of Lex's face. "I'm just glad it was you. All of it. I - this makes it worthwhile."

"Me too," Lex admitted. "But the age thing could be a problem, Clark. I'd really rather be with you to explore this thing happening between us, but your father could send me to jail for a long time. You're underage. And Kansas has those quaint homosexuality laws. We're going to have to be careful."

"I know, and even your dad's money wouldn't be enough to keep my dad from coming after you if he thought you'd molested me - which you didn't!" He sighed and leaned back against the cabinetry, unconsciously pulling Lex closer, turning the other man around and resting his head on his shoulder from behind. "I - I'm going to have to tell them. I want to be with you too, Lex, but I can't lie to them, and maybe, maybe they'll be okay."

Lex groaned faintly. "Promise to visit me in prison?" He was not quite joking. But he knew that Clark Kent was the world's worst liar, at least when it came to the people he cared about, so it really was the only option. "God, your father already can't stand me; this is _not_ going to help." His arms covered Clark's around his waist, and he pressed them against himself, needing to feel him.

Determination coursed through Clark. He was going to find a way to keep the people he loved from being hurt, especially by each other, or he'd die trying. "He always says he wants me to be happy, and what I need to be happy is you. He loves me, and I love you, and - and I don't know what he's going to do, but he's not going to send you to jail!"

"I certainly hope you're right," Lex muttered, but he left it at that. It would serve no purpose to upset Clark by pressing the issue. Reluctantly pushing to his feet, he glanced down at the teen. "So what happened to my snack? And can you do something to fix that?" He nodded at the dents in the counter, hoping Clark could smooth it down in some way so he didn't have to figure out how to explain it to the kitchen staff.

Clark followed Lex up, as much to stay in contact with him as to get to work on the forgotten meal. Eyeing the dents, he frowned, raking a hand through his hair. "I can try." Squatting down so that he was eye level with the marble countertop, Clark used his x-ray vision to study the stress lines inside the rock. Taking a deep breath, he applied pressure at certain junctures, and was relieved when the flat surface was restored with just a few ripples to show where he'd crushed it.

That was one down, now for the food. "Do you know where your plates are?" he asked, wondering if Lex had any idea or if they'd just eat off napkins.

Tearing his bemused gaze away from the once again flat countertop, Lex glanced around vaguely. "In one of the cupboards, I'm sure." He gestured toward the rows of cabinets
filling the upper half of two walls. He shook his head sharply and focused on Clark again. "You make the sandwiches; I'll find the plates." He strode toward the cabinets like a man on a mission.

Deciding that it would be better not to have to wait a half an hour while Lex went through all his cupboards, Clark swiveled his head, studying the contents of each before spying the cabinet with the plates, though why anyone other then Lex would need eighty dinner plates and all the extras was beyond him.

"Third one on your left," he called, setting out the fixings on the countertop, reaching for the bread and beginning to slice the toppings with a sharp knife he'd located near the sink.

Lex shot a sharp glance over his shoulder at the oblivious teenager, then took two plates out of the cabinet indicated. "Useful as well as decorative," he drawled as he placed them on the counter beside Clark. "You can see through things?" He was still trying to get a handle on what Clark could do.

"Yeah." Clark set slices of bread on the china. "That started back in the fall. It was really bad for a while; I couldn't tell when it was going to pop on and off." He paused, then grinned. "It comes in handy sometimes, like when I want to tell if it's really you or someone who's been around the meteor rocks and has just morphed to look like you."

That got a blink of surprise from Lex, then a slow smile. "Thanks. And I never have to worry about not being able to find a cufflink when you're around, do I." He sat back down in the chair, watching Clark as intently as if he'd never seen anyone make a sandwich before... and it was quite possible that he hadn't.

"Useful as well as decorative," Clark mimicked while slathering the mustard onto the thick black bread. He caught a glimpse of the price tag on the lid of the bottle and thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head. French's cost seventy-nine cents at the grocery store, and here was Lex paying seventeen dollars for mustard? But then he supposed that Lex had never tasted French's, and if this was what he liked, well, he certainly could afford it.

Closing the sandwiches, he sliced them diagonally and handed a plate to Lex. "Want something to drink? I can find the glasses unless you want to get the ones in your study."

"There should be some bottles of water in the fridge." Lex suddenly realized that he was thirsty. "Point me to the glasses." When Clark had again scanned the cupboards and found the stemware, Lex retrieved two heavy crystal glasses, which passed for everyday ware in the Luthor household, and brought them back to the table. Looking from the sandwiches to Clark, who sat patiently waiting, the manners drummed into him by Martha Kent not allowing him to start until Lex was seated and ready to eat as well, Lex suddenly grinned.

"I think this may just qualify as a first date."

"I thought those went meal and conversation before making out?" Clark asked innocently, waiting until Lex had raised his glass to his lips to pose the question.

Nearly choking on his water, Lex gave Clark a dirty look over the linen napkin as he dried his face. "We're hitting all the steps, just in a different order. That lets us revisit the more interesting ones before we're done." He gave Clark the patented Luthor toothy grin that would not have looked out of place on a shark.

"Ahhh..." Clark nodded sagely though his eyes were dancing with merriment as he bit into his sandwich. Chewing and swallowing, he licked his lips before regarding the sandwich carefully. "Hey, this prosciutto stuff isn't half bad."

"As if I would have anything that was." Lex looked down his nose though the laughter sparkling in his blue eyes gave him away. Then again, Clark hadn't been overly impressed by his first introduction to caviar, the finest Russian beluga available. "Eat up," he said mock sternly, cutting off the comment he could see Clark about to make. "You need your energy."

If anyone had told him that morning that he and Clark Kent would be lovers before the day was done, he'd have decided that yet another Smallville inhabitant had had an overly close encounter with the meteor rocks, but here they were. He smiled, hiding the almost fatuous expression behind a big bite of his sandwich.

Clark shuddered at the remembrance of the one bite he'd had of the fish eggs, then shivered again at the thought of why he'd need his energy later. "If that's the case, I'd better make you more to eat. I've got lots of energy." Energy that was now prodding him to stare at Lex's finely formed mouth as he took another drink of water, at the long lines of his throat as he swallowed, at the shadows cast on his skin by the robe and... Whoa, Clark, chill or you aren't going to be able to stand up any time soon.

Lex's mouth went dry at the hungry look being trained on him, and he suddenly knew how a mouse must feel when it's staring into the cat's eyes... only he expected to enjoy his fate a lot more than the mouse ever could. "This is all I need," he managed to say, eyes locked onto Clark's. "I don't want to overeat so I end up sleepy and lethargic." He licked his lips.

"No, that would be bad." Even though he'd eaten only a little more than half of his sandwich, Clark had lost all interest in food, unless seeing Lex spread out like a banquet in front of him qualified. He'd thought he'd felt love before, thought he'd felt lust before, but nothing prepared him for the desire he had to crawl across the countertop separating them and simply devour Lex's mouth, licking every bit of the taste of his meal from him until all Clark could taste was pure, unadulterated Lex.

Lex put down the sandwich that suddenly held all the appeal of sawdust. "Spell it out for me, Clark. I'm not sure what, how much you're ready for and want from me. More of the same, or... more?"

"I don't know." Conscious of the state of Lex's furniture, Clark avoided touching anything around him by grabbing one hand with the other and squeezing so tightly that the veins stood out on his forearms in stark relief. "I want to touch you, to taste you. It's all I can think about, Lex! I just don't know - what comes next."

"Then we'll work it out together. Just remember, if you don't like something or aren't ready for it, _tell_ me. I already have far more than I ever dreamed I could." Lex moved around to Clark's side and kissed him. "I think it's time to go upstairs, don't you?"

Breathless, Clark nodded, before turning a guilty look to the leftover food and dirty dishes on the counter. "Shouldn't we clean up first?"

Lex simply shook his head, watching Clark. "Someone will take care of it. I'd rather take care of you." He moved a little closer, crowding Clark, though neither of them ever really respected the other's personal space; they hadn't since they'd first met. "Come up to my bedroom, Clark." Lex's very tone was an invitation.

The flicker of guilt vanished in the growing glow of warmth inside him, and Clark stood, wrapping his arms around Lex, holding him close, nuzzling his neck to fill his nostrils with his lover's scent again. "And your bed?" he asked, his voice going low and husky again.

"Oh, definitely my bed. And the shower, and probably a chair or two, and maybe a desk. The walls have possibilities too." Lex punctuated his words with kisses, quick ones and longer, sucking ones, licking kisses and kisses that ended with nips. "Interested?" He rubbed against Clark, letting him feel his renewed arousal.

Clark gave a laugh that sounded pained and rocked his hips forward to grind his groin against Lex's, the layers of cloth between them a frustrating impediment. Lex's mouth was on his, in his, and while it was heaven, he wanted so, so much more.

"In anything with you," he whispered, rubbing his face against Lex's before nibbling on his earlobe, sucking the bit of soft flesh into his mouth.

"Then we definitely need to get upstairs, or the kitchen staff is likely to find us in a very embarrassing position when they get back." Lex slowly backed toward the door, drawing Clark with him, not willing to lose a single inch of contact between their bodies.

The thought of how embarrassing _that_ would be goaded Clark into action, and he shifted his hold on Lex, picking the older man up and super-speeding it to his bedroom, tumbling them both to the massive bed while the echoes from him closing the door were still ringing in their ears.

Eyes wide, Lex stared up at Clark, trying to take in the fact that in the time it had taken him to blink, Clark had moved them from vertical in the kitchen downstairs to horizontal in his bed, with the door shut and locked behind them. "Fast too," he said inanely before abandoning words in favor of touching.

The expensive robes were consigned to crumpled heaps on the floor without a second thought, and Lex rumbled his pleasure as his hands ran over the silky, hot flesh that was Clark.

"Um hmm." Clark didn't even know what he was agreeing to; all he knew was that he had Lex in his arms, and even better, naked, aroused Lex in his arms. Twisting up into the feel of the other man's hands on his back, then down into the angular press of Lex's body, Clark moaned, wanting to follow where Lex led but also just wanting to explore.

Remembering his own feelings the first time he'd done this, at a much younger age than Clark, Lex understood some of what Clark was thinking. He sprawled back amidst the pillows, watching his lover out of heavy-lidded eyes. "Touch me, Clark. I want to feel your hands on me."

Stunned and aroused by the fact that he'd pretty much just been given permission to do whatever he wanted, Clark pushed up onto his knees as he licked his suddenly dry lips. Wanting to take his time, because as amazing as what they had done by the pool had been, he really didn't remember any of it, Clark reached out, running a hand down the center of Lex's chest, feeling muscles jump and twitch beneath his fair, hairless skin.

"You look..." Like sex was the only description that Clark could come up with, and that just wasn't something he could say out loud. Lex was relaxed against his pillows, his gaze electric, but also seeming as at ease as if he were fully clothed and out for a stroll. Shifting again, Clark added his other hand, running them both over Lex's body from shoulders to hips, then back again, his eyes never leaving the silvery-blue ones staring up at him.

A full body shiver ran through Lex as Clark petted him, and he realized that somewhere along the line his noble intentions of not taking this too far had fallen by the wayside. So long as Clark was willing and unafraid, which seemed pretty obvious, at least one of them was going to get fucked before they left this bed.

"You look like one of Raphael's angels, beautiful and tempting," Lex murmured, one hand rising to run a teasing thumb over the full lower lip that figured so prominently in his fantasies.

"Sorry, I can't fly." Clark smiled before catching Lex's thumb between his lips and licking it, drawing more and more of it into his mouth while he rolled Lex's nipples between his fingers.

This was a virgin? How had Lionel Luthor's son ever gotten so lucky? His back arching off the bed, Lex had to try a couple of times before he could force words out of his throat. "J- just as well. I might never be able to catch you then." Involuntarily, his legs spread, knees coming up to press against Clark's waist, his gaze fixed on his thumb being so inexpertly but arousingly fellated.

Letting Lex's thumb fall from his mouth, Clark couldn't help arching his hips forward to rub against the older man's groin. "You'd find a way," he rasped, leaning in to kiss Lex again, unable to survive without feeling those thin, elegant lips under his again.

Lex moaned into the mouth covering his, more aroused by kissing Clark than he'd been by fucking other men in the past. When Clark finally raised his head, a hint of smug satisfaction in the green eyes for the response he engendered in Lex, the older man simply said, "Yes." Yes, he wanted Clark; yes, they belonged together; yes, Clark could do whatever he wanted to him; and yes, Lex would find a way to have him no matter what, powers of flight notwithstanding.

A truly boyish smile lit Clark's face, and he kissed Lex again, this time tenderly, lovingly. "I love you." It was so easy to say the words, so right, and Clark knew they were true, no matter what anyone said or did, even his parents, even Lex. Dropping down again, he nuzzled Lex's neck, almost at a loss as to what to do next. He wanted, oh how he wanted, but he didn't want to hurt his lover, and he was terrified he'd do just that.

"Me too." It was the closest Lex could come to telling Clark what he felt, at least just then, but the expression in his eyes as he looked down at the dark head burrowed against him said so much more. He ran a not quite shaky hand down Clark's back, coming to a stop with his hand on the younger man's ass, a finger just lying in the hollow at the base of his spine. "You're going to have to tell me what you want, Clark. I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for."

"You - everything - I don't know!" Clark babbled, unsure of how he was even stringing words together at this point. "Show me, Lex; I don't want to do anything wrong, so you need to show me. I just want you... in me." The last was said with desperation as Clark lifted his head, his eyes frantic with desire and nerves.

Lex couldn't hide the soul-deep shudder of arousal that ripped through him at those words. "Then that's what you'll get. Whatever you want, Clark," he vowed recklessly, lowering his head to bite sharply at a nipple, pretty sure by now that what would hurt anyone else would only feel good to Clark. He reached over to the nightstand, managing to open the drawer and remove the squeeze bottle of lubricant without ever losing contact with Clark.

"You." Clark whimpered the word, his whole body tensing when Lex bit him. Collapsing to the side, he pulled Lex with him so that he was staring up into the face that hid so much from the world but showed him everything. "You're all I want."

"Oh, Clark..." He was so wrong for this Kansas farmboy, this _good_ man, and Lex knew it. And he knew that he should walk away, call his father and do whatever it took to get himself redeemed from exile to Smallville, and leave Clark unsullied by too close association with him. But he was too much a Luthor--and too much in love for the first time in his life-- to give Clark up. "You have me."

He squirted some of the thick gel into the palm of one hand, rubbing it between his hands until it had warmed to body temperature, then slowly reached down. He trailed a single finger over Clark's balls and the hypersensitive area behind them, then brought it to rest against the tight ring of muscle, watching Clark's eyes for his reaction.

Taking a deep breath, Clark deliberately made himself relax though his heart felt as if it was about to pound out of his chest. His gaze held only trust and love mixed with a good bit of arousal, and he managed a smile, hoping to reassure Lex.

Oh god, did he have any idea how irresistible he looked? Lex carefully pushed a single finger into Clark to the first knuckle before pausing to give him a chance to get accustomed to the sensation of something inside him. He groaned harshly when Clark tightened around him, almost painfully, and he imagined that hot grip on his cock. Slowly he pushed the finger deeper, then began to work it in and out, waiting until Clark rose to meet each in-thrust to add a second finger.

It didn't hurt, not in the least, though there was a faint burn, like when he over-exerted even his inhuman limits. Clark moaned, his hips twisting up to meet Lex's hand, his back bowing off the sheets. "Please, Lex, more," he begged. "Can't hurt me."

Blinking in surprise, Lex realized that if hitting Clark with a car didn't hurt him, fucking him certainly wouldn't. If anything, the preparation was going to be more for Lex himself. Instantly the fingers were gone, and Lex smiled as Clark made a beautiful pleading sound and tried to follow them.

"You're going to like this _so_ much better..." He leaned over to drag his tongue over a rigid nipple, and at the same time, he pushed inside Clark, driving to the root in a single, long stroke.

The increased pressure drew a gasp from Clark, but it was Lex in him, Lex filling him and covering him, and it was better than anything. He spread his legs wider, wanting to give the older man more room and ran careful hands over Lex's scalp and shoulders, his arms shaking with restrained strength and desire.

The incredibly tight heat wrenched a groan of joy from Lex, and he opened his eyes, thin rings of color around widely dilated pupils, to stare down at Clark. "Mine," he rasped, pulling back almost out of Clark only to drive into him again, the pleasure indescribable.

"Yes, love you. Love you, Lex," Clark chanted, trying to match his movements to Lex's, but then an inward thrust hit something inside of him that threatened to blow the top of his head off, and all he could do was lie there on the sheets, shuddering.

"Nice to know you have a prostate too," Lex managed to chuckle, avidly watching every reaction. "Nice, huh?" He thrust again, hitting the gland dead on, and making Clark cry out. God. This was going to kill him, but what a way to go.

"Nice?" Saying what he was feeling was _nice_ was like saying the Luthors had a little bit of money. This was so far beyond nice it was in another galaxy. "Does... feel good for you?" he gasped, arching up off the bed again, his body tightening down around Lex's cock as he spasmed, on the edge of orgasm.

"God, yes!" Lex shook as he fought to hold on a little longer, something that was nearly impossible as Clark's body rippled around him, driving him higher and higher. "Want you... to come," he panted, working a hand between them so that he could wrap his fist around Clark's cock and pump him.

At the first touch of Lex's hand on him, Clark jerked as if he'd touched a live wire. His fingers dug into the sheets and mattress, leaving rents in the fabric, and he bucked upward, his climax boiling over and out of him to wet his stomach and Lex's palm while his ass tightened down on the older man's erection with each spurt of come, only long ingrained reflexes keeping his strength at something approaching human.

Finally freed to take his own pleasure, Lex pounded into Clark a few more times as the teenager's body spasmed around him, and he bit down on Clark's shoulder to muffle his howl as he came, body jerking in ecstasy.

When he came back to himself, he was sprawled atop Clark, still inside him, though just barely, and he'd never felt better in his life, despite the sticky puddle cooling between their bellies. "When I'm resurrected, we need a good soak in the Jacuzzi."

Clark was sweaty, sticky, and sleepy, and he didn't care if they never moved again, as long as it allowed him to hold onto Lex like this forever. "Hot water?" he asked, making a face before snuggling back into the pillows, holding Lex close.

"Cold shower?" Lex suggested with a smile in response to Clark's expression. "Later." No more than Clark did he want to move. He was still having a bit of trouble believing all this was real, so curling up and falling asleep in Clark's arms was going a long way toward convincing him. He shifted just enough to come out of his lover, closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the air redolent of them and sex, and simply lay there contentedly.

Clark closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of warm, sleepy Lex draped over him. He ran a hand over the older man's back for a time, then opened his eyes, a question nagging at him.

"Lex?" The murmured answer proved that he was at least somewhat awake, so Clark continued. "How long have you been thinking about... this?"

Suddenly wide awake, Lex thought franticly, trying to decide how Clark would react to the truth. Of course, Clark could feel his reactions, as close as they were at that moment, so
lying wasn't going to help him. "Pretty much from the moment I came back to life with your mouth on mine," he admitted. "Which isn't to say that I don't _like_ you too. Becoming your friend was harder for me than wanting you, but you are my friend, Clark."

"Oh." Clark could feel the thread of tension running through Lex, and he continued stroking his back. "I didn't - well, maybe I did, but not consciously. You were my friend, my best friend, but this afternoon..." He swallowed, suddenly feeling like a peeping tom. "I heard you, when you went back in your room. When you called my name. It - it made all the unconscious stuff, conscious."

"You... heard... me." Lex wasn't quite sure how he felt about that. No privacy, no way to hide... but this was Clark. It was okay. And it would probably make him a better person, knowing that Clark would know what he did. "I'm glad... if you are?" He still didn't know if this was something that Clark would have come to on his own.

"I didn't mean to; it's like the vision; sometimes I can't control it." Clark's expression crumbled, and he felt sick because now Lex thought he was spying on him. He shifted a bit and worried his lower lip between his teeth. "And I'm glad too. I wouldn't have done that, in the pool, if I didn't want to. You make me feel so much, Lex. It's like it almost hurts inside, there's so much in me."

"Clark, it's okay." And it really was. "I'm certainly not going to complain about something that brought us together before I'd gone mad with the frustration." He settled a bit more comfortably on top of Clark. "I have no idea what we're going to do about it though, about your parents. God, your dad is going to kill me." Much to his surprise, the thought that the Kents would be disappointed in him bothered Lex.

"No, he isn't." Clark's voice was dead firm and full of resolve. "Nothing's going to happen to you, ever. I'll figure something out. I'm going to be sixteen soon, so they can't say anything about it being illegal because of my age. And honestly, how do any of us know what's normal for me? Maybe where I'm from puberty is at ten and people are married at thirteen."

"Unfortunately, whether that's true or not, we're still in Kansas, and here you're a minor." Lex sighed. "Hopefully your parents will be a little more open-minded than the laws though, or I'm going to be in a world of trouble." He looked down into the clear green gaze. "I don't want to lose you, Clark."

Clark's jaw set in a stubborn line. "I'd knock down the jail if they put you in there, then everyone would know what I am. They don't want that." He sighed. "They're just trying to
protect me. They'll listen to me - I think. I'll make them."

Lex groaned. Whatever had happened to his nice, uncomplicated life? Oh yeah, he fell in lust then love with a Kansas teenager who happened to be a super-powered alien. "I'm warning you right now, I plan to hide behind you when we tell your parents."

Clark grinned at that. "I'll protect you, I promise. But... what about your dad? What's he going to think?" Obviously Lex had experience with men, and from what he knew of Lionel Luthor, the man was very aware of everything his son and heir did. "He'll find out too, won't he?"

"Eventually, yes. But we'll put that off as long as possible. I won't lie to you, Clark; he's not going to be happy about this. He's never liked it that I'm bi, and you, well, Lionel Luthor is not the most egalitarian man around. I think he might possibly consider Prince William sufficiently well connected not to be totally dismissed, but I'm not convinced.

"But you're the one I want. I love you, Clark." He finally said the words, calmly and very definitely.

Hearing those words made everything all right, and Clark shivered before relaxing again, his arms locked tightly around Lex's lower back. "I'll protect you," he whispered, kissing the corner of Lex's mouth. "From everyone."

"And no one will protect me from you. Thank god." Lex turned his head so that their mouths met fully, kissing Clark with everything he felt. "And there's still so much we have ahead of us." He was really looking forward to feeling Clark inside him; it wasn't something he often wanted, but with Clark... he shivered.

"What?" Clark's voice was low and rough again, and his eyes were half-lidded as he smiled up at his lover, Lex's flavor still coating his tongue.

"Should I blame it on you being a teenager or an alien?" Lex laughed throatily, shifting against the renewed erection beneath him. "I was just thinking that you can't really decide if you prefer topping or bottoming till you've tried both."

"Dunno." Clark shrugged, trying not to blush. "Maybe both? And you would let... me?" His voice rose to a squeak before lowering again. "I don't want to hurt you, Lex. I'm scared I would."

"Clark, you're not going to hurt me. You've had plenty of opportunities up till now, and you've restrained yourself every time. I'm not afraid of you, and I would really like to feel you deep inside me, making us both crazy with the pleasure..." His voice trailed off into a throaty rasp, his own arousal climbing again.

Clark couldn't stop from whimpering at that thought and squirmed, rubbing against Lex before flipping them both over to bite and lick at the fair skin of his throat. "I want to, Lex. Want to be in you, to crawl deep in you and never come out. Just--" Clark paused and looked up, his gaze serious. "You need to tell me if it hurts. If I did that, it'd kill me."

"You're not going to hurt me," Lex said with an edge of exasperation before giving in. "But yes, if something hurts, I'll tell you." He was shivering as he imagined Clark possessing him, possessing his body the way he already owned the rest of him, and his legs almost involuntarily parted and rose to wrap around Clark's waist, drawing him closer. "Want you."

"Okay." Clark's whisper barely made a sound, and he dragged his gaze from Lex's face down his body, his hands framing the rigid length of Lex's cock before trailing over it to stroke his balls, the bare skin silky soft under his fingertips.

Tactile memory reminded him that he needed something, and he looked around almost wildly. "Where's the - whatever it was?"

Barely able to think with Clark touching him, it took Lex a moment to figure out what Clark was asking him. He grabbed for the lube he'd dropped back onto the nightstand and slapped it into Clark's waiting hand. He was sure that if he hadn't come so recently, he would have just from the look on Clark's face and the knowledge of what they were about to do.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Clark leaned in to kiss Lex, his tongue leisurely exploring the older man's mouth though the tension building in his body contradicted the pace. "Thanks," he whispered, sitting back and opening the tube to squirt some of the slick gel into his palm. It was cool, and he doubted that Lex would like an ice cube up his butt, so he warmed it between his palms, giggling slightly at the image as he did so.

Eyebrows rising slightly, Lex looked a question at him. "Something funny?" He watched Clark warming the lube, and he thought about where it was going, and he got even harder. He shifted restlessly, arching upward slightly, practically offering himself to the younger man.

"Umm, I'll tell you later." Stifling his giggles, though the flesh around his eyes was still wrinkled from humor, Clark recalled what they were in the middle of, and his amusement faded. Recalling what Lex had done, he stroked one slick hand over Lex's cock while tracing farther back. When the older man simply groaned and arched his body more, Clark shivered, and, meeting Lex's gaze, carefully pressed a finger into the tight muscular opening.

Although he was far from a virgin, it had been some time since Lex had had a male lover and even longer since he'd allowed one to take him, so he was tight. Very tight. Clark's finger felt huge inside him, and it was both fulfilling a hunger he'd barely recognized he had and creating a deeper one for more. "Oh yes," he gasped, knowing he'd have to lead Clark through this. "Y-you have to stretch me, slowly, first one finger then two, then move them inside me." He nearly whimpered as he imagined how it was going to be.

"Slowly, okay." Terrified that he was going to do something wrong, Clark pressed his finger in infinitesimally slowly though the feel of Lex's body surrounding him as well as the thought of how it would feel around his cock had him trembling. "T-tell me when it's okay."

"Not _that_ slowly," Lex nearly growled through gritted teeth, his entire body tense with anticipation. "More, Clark, need more." This was Clark touching him, pressing inside him, and his fantasies hadn't been nearly as good as the reality. He suddenly lurched up, forcing Clark's finger all the way, and demanded more still.

Green eyes widened in shock, and Clark almost jerked back before realizing that Lex's moans weren't of pain but of need. Praying that he didn't come just from watching this, Clark pulled his finger back and, adding another one, began pressing them in again, this time moving a more quickly, though probably not fast enough for Lex, judging by his growls.

Lex thought he might come on the spot when Clark's fingertips raked over his prostate, and he yelled with the pleasure, prompting Clark to do it again. Shortly Lex Luthor was nothing more than a mewling, squirming mass of hungry flesh begging to be fucked.

Lex had to be ready now; if he wasn't, both of them were going to come without even getting close to what they wanted! Grabbing the lube again, Clark stroked some onto his erection, whimpering as the cool gel slid over his sensitized flesh. Feeling Lex's legs wind up around his waist, he leaned in, panting for breath as he pressed the head of his cock against the entrance to Lex's body.

Oh my god, he was going to fuck Lex Luthor. He was going to be in--he _was_ in him, all the way, and it was more then he could take. Tears spilled down over Clark's cheeks, and he caught Lex's hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it.

A sharp cry forced its way past his lips when Clark finally slid inside him, and Lex realized that he'd been waiting for him forever. He felt Clark's lips on his hand and the dampness of his tears, and he raised a shaky hand to brush them away. "I'm not worth it, Clark," he rasped even as his back arched to take Clark deeper inside him. _But I'll try to be,_ he thought but couldn't say, his body seizing control from his mind.

Clark froze before shaking his head wildly. "Yes, you are, you're everything. Everything." He kissed Lex then, his tongue sweeping into the other man's mouth, tasting him, craving him, loving him, and all the while his hips moved, thrusting faster and faster into the warm cradle of Lex's hips and the tight grip of his ass.

Lex could hear hungry whimpers, and he refused to admit that they might be coming from him--Luthors don't whimper. Instead he concentrated on the kiss that was claiming him utterly and the sensations racing through his body, and he hooked his arms under his knees, pulling them back and opening himself still more to Clark's possession.

The thought that Lex might need to breathe even if he didn't made Clark draw back although he kept moving, trying to make Lex feel as good as he had earlier. It all felt so amazing though, he didn't know if he could hold out. "Lex, want to feel you - please," he rasped, sliding one hand between them to stroke his lover's cock, his palm slick with lube and pre-come.

And that was all it took. Lex Luthor, self-proclaimed jaded libertine, the man who'd done everything by the time he'd been sixteen, came with a throat-tearing scream of pleasure when Clark closed his fist around his cock. His body shook as if fevered, and he cried Clark's name again and again as the pleasure ripped through him, making him clamp down on the welcome intruder buried deep inside him.

"Lex..." Driving forward, Clark buried himself in the tightly clenching body, his own orgasm ripping through him to explode into Lex. For a moment his vision went haywire and he could see through Lex, through the bed and down to the first floor of the castle where Lex's staff was preparing the evening meal.

Not wanting to crush the smaller man, Clark braced himself on shaking arms, his body still quaking with his pleasure. "Lex, that was.. oh god."

"Yeah." Lex licked his lips, aftershocks of pleasure still racing through his body. "I may have to rethink my opinion on the existence of a deity; I'm pretty sure I just saw his face." He smiled shakily. How could he tell a fifteen-year-old, who was destined for greatness and in the throes of his first crush, that he was in love with him, the forever kind of love? Lex couldn't imagine ever wanting anyone else again, but he couldn't say that. Instead he raised his head enough to brush his lips over Clark's and urged the other man to lie down at his side.

The room was dark around them, and Clark could hear the splash of raindrops against the windows near the bed. Rolling to the side, he curled up alongside Lex, his arm and leg still lying across Lex's body. "I love you," he murmured, pressing a kiss against the perfectly formed ear near his face. "I've never felt this good before, this ... normal."

Lex's eyes closed briefly, then opened again so that he could meet Clark's gaze. Their bodies were nestled together amidst the tangled sheets, and it all felt so right. "Please don't ever let me hurt you," he murmured so softly that nothing human could have heard him. But Clark wasn't quite human.

"Lex?" Clark frowned in confusion. "You help me all the time. You've helped the whole town, why shouldn't I let you..." he trailed off, perplexed.

Lex shook off the dark mood that had fallen on him and kissed Clark lightly. "No matter. I think just having you here and having to be able to meet that oh-so-honest gaze of yours will change a lot of things. No one who's Clark Kent's friend could ever follow in Lionel Luthor's footsteps." _And while that's going to make things very difficult for me for a while, I think I'm glad._ Lex relaxed fully, curling a little closer to Clark. "I think you've saved me more often than you know, Clark."

Turning Lex onto his side so that he could curl totally around him, Clark pressed a gentle kiss to the back of his head. "That's me, useful and decorative both."

Laughing, Lex leaned back against Clark's strength, allowing it to support him. "Glad to hear it since I'm going to need both when we face your parents tomorrow. I'm definitely going to be hiding behind you, so I'll be able to admire the decorative aspects, while enjoying the useful part of you blocking whatever your father tries to shoot me with." He sighed, only half-joking. "But you know what? You're worth it."

Clark sighed and shook his head, refusing to think about tomorrow until tomorrow. "You know what?" he asked, kissing Lex again. "You are too."

Remembering the reactions of some past lovers when they'd seen his hairless body, Lex snorted softly. Had he not been who he was, those men and women would have fled, but instead they swallowed their distaste for the chance to share the Luthor heir's bed... and Lex let them, taking out his anger on them, and then never saw them again. "You may be the only person in the world who thinks so, but thank you."

Troubled by Lex's comment, Clark tightened his arms around the smaller man's body. "Hardly." Maybe the attitude was because of his father; god knew Lionel Luthor wasn't exactly a loving parent, or maybe it was because everyone always wanted something from Lex, but Clark was going to do what he could to prove that he loved Lex for himself and that he'd keep on loving him.

"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Lex pointed out reasonably. "You're the one sharing my bed, and as long as you don't mind my freakishness, no one else matters." And much to his surprise, he found himself meaning that. Yet another thing to thank Clark for.

"Freakishness?" Suddenly needing to see Lex's expression, Clark reached over and flipped on the bedside light before propping himself over and around his lover. "What are you talking about? Lex, you - you're everything. Smart, handsome, fair, and sexy." He smiled at the last. "All I ever wanted in a guy."

"You never wanted a guy," Lex pointed out, but he was smiling. "And I think you're nuts, but I'm grateful for it. You, now..." Lex ran an admiring gaze over the younger man.

"Well, in a person then." Clark fought temptation for a moment, then stuck his tongue out at Lex. "And I'm not nuts; I'm just me."

"I think those are the same thing," Lex laughed before kissing him quickly. "But that's okay, that's part of your charm.

"Can you see if the staff is back yet? I don't think I'm up to another kitchen raid, and we're going to need an actual meal sometime soon."

"Sure." Canting his head, Clark looked in the direction of the kitchen, watching a skeletal form move between the counters and the oven before blinking, returning his sight back to normal. "Someone's down there; it looks like they're cooking--or starting to anyway. If we're going to eat, should we, ummm, clean up or something?"

"I think a shower is definitely in order... and we might even manage _only_ to clean up." Lex reluctantly sat up away from Clark, although he did give in to the temptation to run a possessive hand down his chest. "Coming?"

Feeling like he should be purring, Clark sat up as well, though his smile turned into a grimace at the feel of semen drying on what felt like most of his body. "A shower sounds good, and something to eat." Lex flashed him a leer, and Clark gave up trying to fight his blush. "Food, Lex!"

Laughing, Lex stood up and walked across the room toward the master bath, comfortable in his nudity. "Yes, definitely some food. You're going to need your... strength," he tossed over his shoulder.

Deciding Lex looked a little too smug just then, Clark blurred into motion so that he could greet Lex from the shower when the other man finally got there. "Yeah, I can see that protecting you is going to keep me busy," he teased, figuring out the faucets and turning the shower on before moving back to give Lex room to come in.

Pausing midstep, Lex looked momentarily startled, then carried on with his customary aplomb. "Protecting me?" he repeated musingly. "Not quite what I had in mind, but if that's all you're up to..." He reached for the loofah and expensive body wash made just for him, mentally counting the seconds as he waited for Clark's response.

Okay, so he couldn't beat Lex in a game of words, but Clark had other, albeit more childish, ways of responding. "Are you saying you're up for more?" he asked, before moving to super-speed again, turning the water on full cold before darting out of the glass enclosure.

"I don't know, Lex. You look a little blue, and shriveled to me," he giggled.

Suddenly doused in icy water, Lex let out a yowl before scrambling for the taps and switching the shower back to a more comfortable temperature. That done and his shivering stopped, he shot a dirty look at the other man. "Just remember that later on," he threatened.

"Ooo, I'm so scared!" Clark laughed, stepping back into the shower and ducking his head under the spray then shaking his hair out of his face, much as he'd done earlier that afternoon by the barn.

Lex sighed. "It's going to be very hard to be properly intimidating to someone who's superhuman and who knows he can twist me around his little finger." He started washing Clark for the sheer pleasure of touching him. "I'll just have to try harder to find ways."

Clark sighed happily and slumped back against the cool tiles, loving the feel of Lex's hands on him and the spray of the water on his skin. "Like I'd ever do anything bad to you," he mumbled, turning obediently when Lex nudged him so that the older man could get his back.

Lex had to smile at that. The one person in Smallville who actually stood a chance of stopping him from doing anything was the same one who believed the best of him. And because he was, Lex found himself trying to live up to that belief. "Thank you," he said suddenly.

Turning his head to look back at Lex, Clark frowned. "For what? I haven't even had a chance to wash _you_ yet."

"For being you and for believing in me even when you shouldn't. I like myself better since I met you, Clark."

Clark turned fully around and wrapped his arms around Lex, bringing the shorter man in closer so that he could hug him. "What's not to like?" Even as he asked the question, Clark knew that Lex had areas of himself and his life that he kept secret. But maybe, just maybe, their being together would help break down the walls or make them unnecessary. "Now give me the soap."

Eyebrows rising, Lex handed it over with a mock salute. "Let the guy top once and suddenly he thinks he's in charge," he teased lightly. "Should I start calling you sir now?"

"Hmmm, I think I like the sound of that..." Clark snickered and poured some of the spicy smelling liquid into his palm. Taking a careful sniff, he cocked his head to the side and regarded Lex. "Now I know why you smell the way you do. I thought it was cologne, but it's the soap."

Lex shrugged. "It was made up specially for me years ago. It's all I use. Wouldn't want to get dry skin on my scalp," he added self-mockingly. He liked the idea that Clark was going to smell like him; it made him feel that much more like the other man was his and marked as such.

Working the silky liquid to a foam between his hands, Clark reached out and rubbed his fingertips over Lex's head, taking care to keep the lather out of his eyes. "Mmm, that's why I like the feel of the skin so much there, then," he murmured, trailing his fingers down the curved dome of Lex's skull and darting his thumbs behind the curve of his ears.

Lex eyed him rather oddly. "You know, Clark, I can honestly say that you're the first person I've known who has a kink about my head." He shook his head slightly, laughing. "You are a very odd man."

Clark shrugged. "Do you mind?" he asked, now working the soap into the back of Lex's neck and down over his shoulders. Okay, so maybe he was a little obsessed, but the only thing that would make him stop was if it made Lex uncomfortable.

"Not at all. I don't I could ever mind anything you did," he admitted frankly, nearly purring as Clark worked the knots out of his muscles. "God, you're good at that." He suddenly wished Clark was older so that he didn't have to take him home the next day to his parents but could move him into his home and always have him close. But not too many high school freshmen had live-in lovers. He sighed.

"You're thinking too much," Clark murmured, turning Lex around so that he could work on the rest of his back, waiting until the water rinsed the lather from his head to kiss the damp skin there. "Don't."

"Yes, sir," Lex replied, promising himself just to enjoy this day with Clark being all his. He could worry about the future tomorrow, if he had one after they faced Clark's parents. "We should probably think about getting out of here; my fingers are starting to prune." But he made not the slightest move to step away from Clark.

"In a minute, I'm not done yet." Wrapping an arm around Lex's waist, Clark used his other hand to soap his lover's chest, his hand dipping lower and lower with each sweep before finally skittering away from Lex's groin as he finally released Lex. "There, all clean now."

Lex groaned. "And more interested in you again than food!" He made himself step away from the strong body behind him and turn the water off, then reached for one of the fluffy towels. "We'd better get dressed quickly, or we may never get dinner tonight."

Unable to resist pouting, Clark dried himself off, stealing peeks at Lex doing the same thing the whole while. "Or dinner might just turn out to be breakfast," he commented, before straightening and walking into the bedroom. "Umm, Lex. I don't have any clothes in here."

Looking almost sheepish, Lex pointed at a door on the far side of the room. "That's a connecting door to the room I gave you earlier." He turned to his closet, busying himself with finding an outfit so he wouldn't have to meet the oddly knowing green gaze.

Clark arched his eyebrows, his expression very reminiscent of Lex's when the other man didn't quite believe something. "Connecting rooms? And here I thought you were trying to be noble," he murmured before darting through the door and pulling on his clothes, his jeans and shirt feeling odd after several hours of wearing nothing more than a robe.

"I _was_. That's why I didn't tell you about it," Lex muttered as he pulled on a fresh pair of silk boxers and stepped into a pair of black pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt, also black, of course. "Ready to go downstairs?" he called, raising his voice, momentarily forgetting Clark's hearing.

"After this." Clark was smiling as he walked closer and gave Lex a long, thorough kiss. "Thank you."

Eagerly returning the kiss, Lex was panting by the time Clark let him breathe again. "You're welcome... but for what?" His arms around Clark's waist, he was perfectly content to stand there forever.

Clark frowned, thinking it should be obvious. "For being noble."

Lex's eyebrows shot up, and he couldn't have looked more poleaxed if one of the various mutants populating Chloe's Wall of Weird walked in. "You clearly need nourishment. Come on." He caught one of Clark's hands in his as he tugged him toward the door, and as they walked downstairs, for the first time in his life, Lex Luthor held hands with a lover.

Twining his fingers with Lex's, Clark kept his attention on the older man as they walked back down the stairs, this time turning toward the dining room. "Why won't you believe it?" he asked, offering a silent prayer that they didn't eat in the huge formal room because he just knew he'd break something.

"Because I'm Lex Luthor," Lex said, as if that explained it all, and to him it did. But maybe, just maybe, with Clark he really could be something better... and actually want to be. He led Clark into the dining room where his staff, seemingly psychic as all good servants are, had set the head of the table with two places, intimately close together.

Deciding that pushing the topic more might lead to a fight, Clark settled for the lesser evil of contemplating the rows of silverware next to the china plates. "Lex," he muttered, "why do we need five forks for dinner?"

"So that when I break one trying to stab you with it, there will be still be enough to get through the meal," Lex replied blithely, feeling high on life.

"Clark, it's just you and me here. Use whatever damn fork you want to or none at all. I'm not going to care."

"Well, I will," Clark grumped, before lightening up and giving Lex a gentle poke in the side with his free hand. "And your fork is not what I want you stabbing me with."

"First food then play... I don't want either of us passing out and missing the good part because we're undernourished." Lex pressed a kiss to the hand he held, then released it to slide into his seat. Realizing how thirsty he was, he drained the glass of water at his place in long swallows, then pressed the discreet buzzer built into the head of the table to request more.

Clark sighed, pretending to be annoyed when in all reality, he _was_ hungry. Taking a drink from his own glass, he almost jumped out of his skin when the maid appeared by his elbow to refill it. "How do they do that?" he hissed, once Lex's glass was full and the woman was gone.

Laughing at his expression, Lex took the mystery out of it by explaining about the buzzer. "Instant gratification, Clark. It works well." He picked up one of the lush strawberries from the dish in the center of the table and offered it to Clark.

"Sneak," Clark muttered before taking the strawberry and biting into it, belatedly thinking that it might have been more adult to have simply eaten it from Lex's fingers.

Lex watched the sharp white teeth bite into the juicy berry, and he felt his cock jump as he imagined those teeth on him, marking him. He moaned faintly and grabbed his water again. It apparently was going to take a miracle for them not to end up on top of the table before the meal was over.

Seeing Lex squirm slightly had Clark making the same move. "Maybe this would be safer if we were at opposite ends of the table."

"Probably, but it wouldn't be nearly as much fun. I'm not going to get to have you all to myself very often, so I'm not giving up one moment of this." He reached over and took one of Clark's hands into his own for a moment before letting go again.

"Okay..." Clark said warily, feeling the lingering warmth where Lex's hand had touched his and trying to cool it by taking a drink. "But if you want to eat, you have to stop looking at me like, like..." The maid returned, this time carrying what Clark thought was a soup tureen. "... like sex!" he hissed, leaning closer to Lex so that she wouldn't hear.

Lex glanced from Clark to the maid, and his expression instantly smoothed to the utter blankness he gave to most of the world. He gave Clark a polite, meaningless smile as he picked up his spoon, skimmed it through the gazpacho, and brought it to his lips.

So. Well, that rather answered some questions Lex hadn't known how to ask. Clark was embarrassed by this. Not surprising, he supposed, and he should be glad for the sake of his own freedom that Clark seemed to want to keep this secret, but... he wasn't.

Frowning, not sure what had caused the sudden change in Lex's demeanor, Clark shifted in the hair, ignoring the soup--cold soup, what was with that?--in front of him. "I'm sorry. I did something, didn't I?" he asked, after a long silence.

"Of course not," Lex instantly replied, though the warm, intimate tone was missing. "You're perfectly within your rights not to want anyone to know about... us." _What the hell am I doing, telling him what's bothering me? Never show a weakness!_ Lex's mind screamed at him, sounding remarkably like his father.

"Huh?" Clark was really lost now. "Not want anyone to... Where'd you get that idea? I love you, Lex; I don't want to have to hide that away like I do so many other things!"

Lex frowned. Had he misunderstood? "When Amanda brought the soup in, you asked me not to look at you, and you whispered it so she wouldn't hear you. How else was I supposed to interpret that?"

"No!" Ignoring the fact that the chair he was sitting in was probably some expensive antique, Clark toppled it over as he moved to Lex's side, catching the other man's hand between his and holding on tightly. "I didn't mean that I cared if she knew. I just meant that seeing you look at me like that made me just want to go back upstairs, and... and I was too chicken to say it out loud in front of her."

Desperate to get Lex to believe him, Clark found the buzzer, pressed it, and caught Lex's face between his hands, pulling him in for a hungry, determined kiss.

Relieved and instantly aroused by Clark's hands on him and the kiss, Lex simply gave himself up to the sensations, rising out of his seat so that he could press his full length to Clark's. He moaned as he felt a matching erection press into his belly, and suddenly their privacy, or lack of it, was the farthest thing from his mind.

Not even caring that the maid was in the room, though he hadn't missed her entrance or her discreet cough, Clark continued kissing Lex, his hands roaming everywhere he could reach, keeping himself in check so as not to destroy Lex's clothes when all he wanted was them off. "Sorry, so sorry," he gasped, between kisses. "Love you, all that matters..."

"No, 'sallright," Lex slurred, pressing impossibly closer. "I shouldn't assume the worst, not with you, never with you." He finally registered the maid's presence and asked her for more water, the first thing he could think of to get rid of her.

"Oh, Clark, what are we going to do?" He was sure, almost sure, that the intensity between would die down and level off to a more normal plane as they grew used to each other-- unless it was something to do with Clark's alien biochemistry--but in the meantime, it was going to kill him to take Clark back to his parents' farm the next day.

"Love each other?" Clark suggested tentatively. "And eat fast so that we can curl up together upstairs?" Even if his folks were cool with the whole 'oh by the way, Mom and Dad, I'm gay, and I'm in love with Lex,' thing, he knew there was no way they were going to condone sleepovers at the Luthor castle any time in the foreseeable future.

"Sounds like a plan." Lex nodded and sat back down, reminding himself of his vow just to enjoy this time without worrying about the future yet. "Eat up; the salad will be along soon."

Hating to let go of Lex, Clark forced himself to do just that and, after setting the chair upright again, sat and picked up a spoon. "Umm, Lex? Is this soup supposed to look like really runny salsa?"

He was _not_ going to laugh! Praying that his voice wouldn't tremble and betray his amusement, Lex suggested, "Why don't you try it? It's not to everyone's taste, so you may not like it, but I find it very refreshing in the hot weather."

"If you say so..." Looking doubtfully at the red soup, Clark dipped up a spoonful and took a tentative taste, appearing for all the world to be trying some new and horrible-tasting medicine. "It's... different," he offered, gamely trying another spoonful and deciding that maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

Now grinning, Lex just shook his head. "You don't have to eat it if you don't like it, you know. I don't insist that you clean your plate." He spared a thought to hope that his chef had stuck to relatively plain fare that night. He really didn't think Clark would be impressed by a salad with five different kinds of lettuce, none of which he recognized.

"I like it; it just took a little getting used to." Clark's coloring deepened. "Like other things." He hastily ate the rest of his soup before the maid cleared the bowl away and set a salad in front of him. "Is this our produce or are you cheating on me?" he asked, grinning.

With relief, Lex saw that it was, in fact, local produce, and he vowed to double the chef's salary the very next day. "Would I eat anything but the very best? Of course it's yours. I love eating what you produce," he added with a straight face.

"Which is the very best," Clark managed to get out before he looked away, knowing if this kept up, he was going to be under the table - though that wasn't a bad idea if and when he got the nerve.

Lex laughed and behaved himself for the rest of the meal, keeping his hands to himself until they got up from the table after the final course. "Do you want to go the study for coffee and dessert or have it upstairs?" he asked. Either way was fine by Lex: Clark in his study, naked on the fine leather of his sofa, or Clark again in his bed, smeared with chocolate so Lex could lick him clean.

"Upstairs," Clark replied eagerly. The meal had been good, he was sure of it, but honestly, he couldn't remember just what he'd eaten, nor did he care.

"I think I've created a monster." But Lex didn't sound at all reluctant. In fact the speed with which he drew Clark upstairs might have made an observer wonder which one of them had the super speed and strength.

"Mmmm, much better," he sighed once they were back in his bedroom, which he was already thinking of as theirs.

"Like you're any better," Clark muttered as he busily divested them both of their clothes. "After all that, you still looked at me like sex the whole meal! I'm fifteen; I'm supposed to be obsessed. You're supposed to be an adult!"

"Please don't remind me," Lex replied in a pained tone. "Not that I have any objection to the whole obsession thing; I'm rather enjoying that. But I'd really rather not think too much about our relative ages, if you don't mind. Prison orange doesn't suit me at all."

"I bet you'd make them change the coveralls to purple," Clark teased, scooping Lex into his arms and darting for the bed where he settled them both into the sheets - clean sheets, oh god, someone had come in here and changed the sheets!

"Well, maybe." Lex flashed a grin. "But I'd rather stay here and enjoy you than defend my nonexistent honor from somebody named Bubba." He rolled on top of Clark and propped his chin on his wrists as he watched him with pleasure, enjoying just being able to do this now. "Anything else you'd like to try tonight?"

"What else is there?" Clark's eyes widened as he asked the question. Blow jobs, got that, he'd taken Lex and been taken... he shivered a bit at the memory. What else was there without resorting to the weird stuff he'd caught glimpses of in the magazines he wasn't supposed to look at?

"To quote an old TV show, infinite diversity in infinite combinations," Lex chuckled. "So very many ways for two bodies to come together, Clark, and that's without any of the kinky stuff you're probably thinking of," he added. "Riding your lover is a lot of fun, and it gives both of you a lot more access to each other... and there's just plain being together and enjoying each other." The latter seemed to be exclusive to Clark, at least in Lex's experience, but it was wonderful.

"I like the sound of that, being together." Yes, he was still aroused, but Clark just wanted to hold and be held, touching Lex, imprinting on him like one of those goslings in that movie Pete's mom had taken them to see a few years ago. "What do you like best?"

"You." That was the easiest and most terrifying question Lex had ever been asked in his life.

"Me? That's not what I meant - Oh..." Clark fell silent before leaning over and kissing Lex, one hand stroking over his bare chest, the other supporting them both. "That's cool."

"Then what did you mean?" Lex surprised himself with his willingness to tell Clark whatever he wanted to know, and he thought that he was going to have to get over being surprised by his reactions to his lover. A perpetual state of surprise simply looked half-witted.

Oh damn, maybe he should have just agreed with Lex's answer. "I meant... in bed. What do you like?" Clark managed to keep his chin up and his eyes locked with Lex's. "Hey, recent virgin here, I'm open to just about anything."

Remembering just how open Clark had been sent a shudder of lust down Lex's spine. "I like having my partner ride me while I'm flat on my back. It lets me touch so much and go so deep..." His voice trailed off, hoarse and hungry, and the silver-blue eyes fixed on Clark like lasers.

"Okay." The low rasp of Clark's voice added volumes to his simple reply, and he let go of Lex so the other man could recline back on the bed. "Ready when you are," he added, giving a small smile.

Eyes widening, Lex slowly sank back against the pillows while staring at Clark. "You're amazing," he breathed, one hand stroking along Clark's abdomen and thigh before reaching for the bottle of lubricant once again. "C'mere, I need to get you ready," he started then remembered that he didn't really, then decided that he enjoyed it, so what the hell.

Wondering if he should be worried about his blind desire to do whatever Lex wanted him to, Clark shook his head, deciding he didn't care, not then anyway. Crawling over so that he was straddling Lex, he sat up, resting his hands on Lex's chest, his skin dark against the fairness. "Here?" he asked, tilting his head so that he could meet Lex's gaze.

Lex stared at the gorgeous body straddling him, and he knew he was lost. "I love you," he said in a strangled tone, repeating words that he'd spoken for the first time earlier that very day, now meaning them even more profoundly. This teenaged farmboy/super-powered alien meant more to him than anything else.

With trembling hands he squeezed some of the lubricant onto his fingers, rubbing them together to warm it, then reached for Clark. His fingers glided easily over the taut opening, then pushed inside, slicking him while Lex's body screamed for more.

Back arching, head tipped back, Clark smiled almost beatifically. "Love you too," he whispered, unable to stop the rocking motion of his body as Lex slid his fingers in and out of him. "Please, Lex. I need you so bad..." he moaned, closing his eyes and whimpering as a third finger was added, but it still wasn't enough.

Equally needy, Lex stopped tormenting them both and shifted his hands to Clark's hips, urging him up and back until he was hovering over Lex's erection. "Reach back and take me in your hand; hold me upright so that you can slide down onto me," he directed huskily. "You control how much and how fast."

How much? How fast? How about all of it, now. Not quite able to say that out loud, Clark nodded and did as Lex instructed. His erection was hot and heavy against Clark's palm, and he licked his lower lip as his mouth went dry. Lex's hands were moving on his sides and legs, gentling him, but Clark didn't want gentle. Opening his eyes, which had slipped closed some time before, Clark met Lex's burning gaze and lowered himself in one smooth move, taking Lex into him to the root.

Lex let out a strangled scream at the tight fever-heat suddenly surrounding his cock, and he drove upward in an aborted thrust. His fingers closed on Clark's hips hard enough to have bruised anything human, then he sank back down to the bed, panting heavily. "Dear god, Clark.... so good."

"Yes, you are," Clark answered in between gasps for breath. This was different, deeper, and Lex felt bigger in him, but it felt so good. Rolling his hips, he experimented, trying to find the moves that made them both feel the best.

"_We_ are," Lex corrected with his final coherent thought before he gave himself up to the overwhelming pleasure he felt with this teenager, body arching up to meet each of Clark's downward glides, both of them gasping with the sensations.

Murmuring his agreement though he was in that place where he had no idea what he was agreeing to, Clark continued to move, undulating his hips to meet each of Lex's thrusts, his own erection slapping against his stomach with each jerk of his body.

Lex reached for his lover, hand encircling the swollen cock and pumping it rapidly, wanting to give Clark as much pleasure as he was giving him. "So gorgeous," he murmured, watching him through heavy-lidded eyes. "Want to watch you come while I come inside you..."

Clark's whole body clenched, and he bucked upward into Lex's grip, then down onto his cock. Each stroke rubbed the head of Lex's cock over his prostate, and when Lex rubbed the edge of his thumb just under the head of his erection, sparks blossomed in front of Clark's eyes.

"Please, yes, Lex..." he chanted, resting his hands on his lover's chest and moving faster and faster until he was coming, howling Lex's name, the pulses of his come splattering Lex's chest just as he felt the first spurts deep inside him.

Lex cried out Clark's name as he came as well, shuddering through the bursts of ecstasy and rippling clasp of Clark's body. As he panted beneath the younger man, his arms wrapped around Clark and drew him down to sprawl in satiated bliss atop Lex. Nearly boneless with post-coital lethargy, he still stroked the muscular body, needing to touch Clark to know that it was real.

"Nobody's going to come in and change the sheets under us if we don't move, are they?" Clark asked plaintively in between nuzzling and licking Lex's neck, enjoying the taste of his sweat.

Taken aback, Lex looked baffled as he peered down at Clark. "Uh no, we don't normally yank bedding out from under people, Clark." Shaking his head and dismissing the odd comment, he simply luxuriated in the loving touches. "Mmmm, don't ever stop."

"Good, then I won't." Relaxing now that the thought of hoards of servants racing in to get rid of the sticky sheets was banished from his brain, Clark continued tasting Lex's neck and ear, the movements getting slower and more languorous as sleep crept up on him.

"Mmm, love you, Lex," he sighed, shifting just enough so that his weight was mostly on the mattress and not Lex but that they were still touching the entire length of their bodies.

"Love you too," Lex murmured, slowly being soothed into sleep, so that he never knew when he dozed off, contentedly nestled against his lover.

***

Eyeing his watch, Lex watched Clark stall as he packed up his few things. "Come on, Clark. If we're late getting you back, your parents will get there before us, and then we'll really start off on the wrong foot."

"I know, I just..." Clark sighed and twisted his bathing suit in his hands, stopping when he heard the sound of fabric beginning to give. Lex had woken him up that morning with a killer blowjob, one he'd been all too glad to return once he'd gotten his brains back in place. After breakfast in bed, they'd tried out some more of Lex's favorite things before showering in preparation.

"Are you sure you want to be there for this?" he asked, letting go of his swimsuit with one hand and latching onto Lex's. "I can talk to them first if you want."

Lex used the hand to pull Clark closer so he could kiss him. Once Clark was silenced, he said, "No way. We're in this together, Clark. I'm not going to let you face them without me. Besides," he added, trying to lighten the atmosphere, "it's bad enough your parents are going to have to deal with me seducing their tender, young lamb, I don't want your dad to think I'm too much of a coward to face him too."

"Hey, who kissed who first here?" Clark asked, eyeing Lex sardonically. "It wasn't you as I recall, and that's the truth." They walked out of the bedroom together and down the hallway to the stairs and the front door. "So, does this mean you're going to help me finish my chores before they get home?"

Lex just looked at him. "Clark, do you honestly believe that I have the faintest idea how to do any of your 'chores'? I'll keep you company while you do whatever it is that you have to do. Hmmmm, watching you get hot and sweaty could become one of my new favorite things," he mock-leered.

"Do you really want my parents to get home to find us in the middle of what would happen if you did that?" Clark asked, grinning before kissing the side of Lex's head. "And I'd be glad to teach you if you want." Yeah, like that would happen. Of course, the thought of Lex in dusty jeans and a dirty flannel shirt was hysterical and threatened to send Clark into a fit of laughter.

Having a pretty good idea of what the teenager was snickering at, Lex simply looked down his nose and headed for the door, knowing that Clark would follow. "I'll supervise... and keep my hands to myself." He really had no desire to learn how to pitch hay or whatever it was Clark and his father did.

Clark shook his head, but couldn't resist one last little dig before they got into the Ferrari that had been pulled up outside the castle. "Don't you have to know what the people under you are doing to supervise them?"

"A good manager doesn't need all the little details, merely to ensure that the workers are productive," Lex replied airily, choosing not to mention that he'd fire on the spot any manager who couldn't also do the job in a pinch. "Are you going to try to tell me that you don't know exactly what you need to do?"

Clark slid into the car, buckling the seat belt as he settled himself against the soft leather. "Are you trying to tell me that you'd know if I didn't do something that needed to be done?"

Giving in, Lex laughed. "Nope, I wouldn't have a clue. I'll have to rely on your honesty... or I can sit back on the porch, drinking your mother's lemonade, while you do the work alone?"

"I'm honest." Clark couldn't help shifting in the seat, thinking of Lex in the barn with him or, better yet, up in his loft, on the couch, shirt undone... Okay... he really needed to think of something else, or walking was going to be painful. "There's not that much to do, just checking the irrigation system, haying the cows and watering Mom's garden. Shouldn't take more than a half hour." That he'd be doing all those at super-speed went without saying, no way he'd get everything done if not for it. "Then we can have that lemonade."

"Sounds good." Lex looked amused as he added, "I honestly don't think I've ever sat around waiting to be vetted by someone's parents before." He shook his head slightly. "Leave it to me to save it all up for the most important time in my life."

Clark reached over and squeezed Lex's hand. "Don't worry. Mom likes you, and Dad will come around. He's already starting to, I think." Of course that was before Clark had to tell him that Lionel Luthor's son was his boyfriend... No, he was going to think positive about all this. "I mean, what are they going to do? Lock me in my room? It won't do much good."

Lex darted a glance at him before looking back at the road. "Kinda hard to lock you up, I guess. Hopefully it won't come to that. I'd really rather have your parents at least accept
this if not favor it. I don't want to cause problems in your family, Clark."

"It'll be fine, Lex. I know it." Raising Lex's hand off the gearshift, Clark pressed it to his lips. "This is right; you're right for me, they'll see."

Lex thought Clark was being overly optimistic, but since there was nothing they could do about it either way, he let it go. He pulled up in front of the Kent home and got out. "Need any help bringing your stuff inside?"

Clark held up his swimsuit after he'd climbed out of the car and snickered. "I dunno; do you think I can carry this by myself?" Climbing the stairs, he unlocked the front door and held it open. "Want something cold to drink while you watch me get all hot and sweaty?"

"Mmmm, since I won't be able to do anything about it, yes, I'd better have something to cool down." Lex followed him inside and headed into the kitchen to wait, knowing that if he set foot in Clark's bedroom, the Kents would have way too much information about their relationship before they ever had a chance to discuss it.

"Could always turn the hose on you," Clark offered cheerfully, bounding up the stairs to put his bathing suit in his room, then speeding back down to pour Lex his drink. "Or you can sit in the shade and relax; I won't be long, and you don't need to get sunburned."

Ignoring the first suggestion with the disdain it deserved, Lex shrugged. "If it'll be easier for you, I can wait here, but I'd rather be with you even if all I can do is watch you... at whatever speed you're moving." He had a feeling that Clark might still be leery of showing him how different he was, and he wanted to make it clear that he didn't care, that he accepted Clark exactly the way he was.

"If you're sure..." Lex's nod convinced Clark, and he shrugged, trying to appear as if it didn't matter one way or the other. "Okay, barn first to get the hay, then out to check on the field. You ever ridden on a tractor before?"

"No, I can't say that I have. This weekend seems to be full of firsts." Indifferent to what damage might be done to his expensive clothes and loafers, Lex followed Clark, actually looking forward to watching Clark sling bales of hay.

"Now why doesn't that surprise me?" Clark snickered before leaning in and kissing Lex, then taking him by the arm to lead him to the barn.

A half an hour later, he shut off the tractor and grinned back at a decidedly hay-strewn and somewhat sweaty Lex Luthor. "Have fun?" he asked, not differentiating between the ride and the fact that Clark had dropped a handful of hay down Lex's shirt while feeding the cows.

Lex scratched again at his chest, giving his lover a dirty look. "You, Clark Kent, can be a total brat at times... and if we had time, I'd make you wash every bit of this off me." He grinned wickedly at the disappointed expression that flashed across Clark's face. "But yes, I did. Not exactly my usual thing but I enjoyed being with you. You love it here, don't you?" Lex wasn't sure what that was going to mean for them.

Clark frowned. "Well, yeah. It's my home." Why wouldn't he love it here? But then, the farm wasn't the Luthor penthouse in Metropolis or a huge, empty castle, so maybe there was a difference, not that Clark would mind being in either of those places if Lex was there.

"And I'm glad you enjoyed it. Next time you can help." Lex's mouth opened to disagree, but Clark cocked his head, hearing the sound of a familiar truck engine several miles away. "My folks are back," he said, fighting the clench of nerves in his stomach. "Want to wait out here or go in the house?"

Lex really wanted to run away and take Clark with him, but that wasn't an option. "Inside," he decided. "This isn't going to be a short conversation, and we might as well be as comfortable as possible. It's not like they'll be surprised to see me, considering my car is parked out front."

"Yeah, they do tend to notice it when it's here." Clark bit his lower lip before smiling at Lex. "Hang on, we need to get the tractor into the barn, then we can go inside." He shifted the balky piece of machinery into gear and drove them into the barn, stopping and turning off the engine before turning to Lex and kissing him. "I love you. Nothing's going to change that, I swear."

Lex nodded sharply, more nervous about this meeting than he'd ever been about ones on which millions of dollars were riding. "Let's hope your parents can agree with that too." He took Clark's hand as they walked inside to wait for the elder Kents in the kitchen.

Jonathan gave the red Ferrari a dirty look as he lifted his and Martha's overnight bag from the truck. "I suppose I should have expected him to show up while we were away." Seeing his wife's expression, he added defensively, "I know he's not his father, but he _is_ a Luthor, Martha. He could be dangerous to Clark."

"All he's done so far is to be Clark's friend, Jonathan," Martha answered, placing her hand on her husband's arm and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I know you don't like the family, and I know we have to be careful, but we can't shield him from everything... as much as we want to," she added in a quieter tone as they walked up the steps.

"Mom! Dad! How was the trip?" Clark asked, stepping forward to give both his parents a hug. Inside he was shaking and he felt sick, like when he was around the meteor rocks. How the hell was he going to bring this topic up?

"It was good, although the food was nowhere near as good as your mother makes," Jonathan replied, returning Clark's hug once he'd put the bag down. "Lex." He nodded acknowledgement to the young man who'd stood up when they entered the kitchen.

"Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent." Lex felt incredibly awkward, something very out of character for him, but this mattered. Not knowing what else to say, he subsided into silence, wondering how they were ever going to get through this.

"Hello, Lex," Martha smiled before motioning for him to sit again. "How was your weekend, dear?" she asked, smiling at Clark. He seemed very tense, but she wasn't sure why. Please, god, don't say another strange mutant appeared while they were gone.

"Good, really good." Clark darted a look back at Lex. "We had some rain yesterday, but nothing swamped in the fields. I..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, there's something I - we need to talk about."

Lex had to lace his hands tightly together to keep himself from reaching out to Clark, and he watched the Kents warily. So much was riding on this; because of Clark's age, they could keep them apart if he and Clark couldn't convince them that this was right for him.

Jonathan's eyes narrowed when he saw the glance his son shot at Lex, and he sat down, never looking away. "Has something happened, Clark?"

"No - yes - yeah." Clark uttered the last with finality. "Remember how when I was mooning around over Lana, you told me the perfect person was out there for me, I just hadn't found them yet?"

"That's right, and we still believe it," Martha answered. She glanced at Lex and felt her stomach twist.

"Well, I did." Knowing this was it, once he took this step, everything would change, Clark reached over and took Lex's hand.

Praying that this wasn't going to be the last thing he did in this life, Lex curled his fingers around Clark's, meeting the Kents' gazes nervously but directly.

Hands clenching on the edge of the table, Jonathan glared at the clasped hands. "What are you saying, Clark? Who?" He was still hoping for a last minute reprieve that would mean that his son, his wonderful, otherworldly, special son, didn't have a crush on Lex Luthor.

Martha placed her hand on Jonathan's arm, knowing she couldn't stop him if he went after Lex, but hoping that she could be a calming influence before things were done and said that left permanent scars on all of them.

Clark's expression crumbled, but he continued on, refusing to stop now. "I love, Lex, Dad, and he loves me. I know it's not what you want for me, but I can't help it. I..." He looked down at Lex, then at their linked hands. "I just do. He didn't seduce me or force me, and he didn't make me gay. I just... I love him."

Lex winced slightly when Clark mentioned seducing, having hoped not to have to deal with the sex part just yet, but he should have known better. Clark simply couldn't keep secrets from the people he cared about. "And I love Clark too," he spoke up for the first time, knowing that it was only going to infuriate Jonathan Kent more but needing to make it clear. Too bad the Kents had no way of knowing that he'd never used those words before.

"Of course you do," Jonathan snapped, anger dripping from every word. "Twenty-something millionaires with lurid pasts are well-known for falling in love with inexperienced small town boys. Happens all the time. No one would ever suspect you of using him!"

"Jonathan!" Martha gasped. This couldn't be happening. Her baby, no, Clark wasn't a baby, but he was hers even if he hadn't been born of her body. He was too young for this, and... gay? But only last month he'd been following Lana around like a lost puppy.

"He's not using me!" Clark took a step forward, as if to shield Lex from his father's anger. "He didn't want to; he tried not to. I did it, Dad, not Lex. Don't blame him for something I did, please." He stood where he was, a formidable wall of muscle braced against his father's anger, but inside, he wanted to cry and curl up, though if it was with Lex or his parents, he wasn't sure.

Hearing Clark's pain, Lex had to go to him, no matter what his parents thought. It wasn't even a conscious decision; one moment he was sitting at the table, the next he was standing behind Clark, arms wrapped firmly around him, glaring angrily at Jonathan Kent, practically daring him to hurt Clark any more.

Jonathan saw Lex's instinctive reaction and the look on his face, and the ball of rage inside him loosened slightly. He still wasn't happy about this situation and would have preferred almost anyone else for Clark, but he couldn't deny the depth of feeling revealed by Lex's actions. He really did care about Clark.

"Sit down, boys," he sighed, sinking back into his chair. "I think we have a lot to discuss... including just what went on in the few hours your mother and I have been away, Clark."

Needing something to do, Martha got up and poured them all glasses of lemonade, though both Lex and Jonathan looked as if they needed something stronger, and she thought she might as well.

Relaxing slightly at his father's words, though in all reality he'd done so when Lex pressed against his back, Clark sat next to Lex, keeping a firm hold on his hand. "We love each other," he said quietly. "I don't know what else you want me to say. I know there's the age thing and the money thing and the two guys thing, but it - it doesn't matter. You always told me to follow my heart, and this is where it wants to be." He looked over at Lex, love evident in his gaze.

Lex started to lean toward him to kiss him when he remembered Clark's parents were in the room and straightened up with an audible snap. Instead he raised their intertwined fingers to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Clark's hand. He smiled slightly, the special smile that was Clark's alone, and murmured, "I love you."

Watching them, Jonathan sighed. Much as he hated the whole situation, he could see that they really did appear to be in love. They were going to have to put some rules in place, but he remembered when he'd been a teenager and not even with the goad of loving a specific person. Besides, the barn door was open and that particular horse well and truly fled; trying to treat Clark like an innocent virgin who had to be protected would only add more unnecessary tension to this whole insane situation.

"So what do you think happens now?"

Lex frowned slightly, darting a glance at Clark's father, then back to Clark. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "In large part, that's going to depend on you and on what Clark wants."

Jonathan nodded. "Clark?" He reached for Martha's hand, needing her support, and the fact that Clark had done the same with Lex didn't go unnoticed.

Clark slumped in his chair before in-grained manners had him straightening up again. "I want to be with Lex, and I want you to be okay with it," he finally answered. "I know you don't like it, but just give it a chance, please? I'm not stupid; I think I'd know if someone was using me."

"Clark, we never said we thought you were stupid." Martha placed her free hand on top of her husband's, wanting to stand and hug their son but for the first time not sure how he would react. As for Lex using Clark... she wanted to believe the best, and she'd try to, but if Lex Luthor hurt her boy, all the money in the world wouldn't be enough to save him from her fury.

Lex could see the warning edge in Martha's gaze, and he nodded acceptance. It would be pointless to say, since neither parent would believe it just then, but if he did somehow hurt Clark, anything they could do to him in retaliation would be welcome. He gripped Clark's hand more tightly, like a lifeline, and he admitted to himself how afraid he was. Not of going to jail, he was pretty sure that he could get himself out of that with enough money and blackmail if it came to it, but of the Kents making Clark choose and him losing.

Watching the two young men--and he had to accept that Clark was a man now, regardless of what the calendar or the law said--Jonathan saw the flash of fear in Lex's eyes, and the tight knot of his own protective, paternal fear loosened just a little more.

"So how do you plan to handle this?" he asked, reluctant acceptance clear in both words and tone.

Lex slumped in his chair, so relieved that for a moment he couldn't speak.

For a second Clark thought his dad was talking about sex, and he blushed a furious shade of red before realizing he'd been wrong, thank god. "One day at a time, like we've been handling everything else?" he asked hopefully. "Lex knows - everything," he added quietly.

"Everything?" Martha couldn't stop her gasp of shock. Seeing how Clark and Lex were interacting helped ease her worry some, but this... He could hurt her son in so many ways. "Clark, why..."

"Mom, I had to." Clark's expression was miserable. "I'm tired of lying to everyone all the time. Lex is smart; he'd have figured it out on his own eventually, and then maybe he'd think I lied about other stuff."

"Not really. You're a terrible liar, Clark," Lex teased lightly, trying to lighten the mood. "But he's right about one thing, I would have figured it out. I already had suspicions about some of it as well as the occasional scrap of proof, but not enough to really know everything." He relaxed into his chair, almost at ease, at least for the moment. "Now that I know the whole story, it'll be easier to head off pushy reporters and dirty cops."

Jonathan winced at the reminder of Phelan, but he had to admit that Lex Luthor on their side could have made things a lot easier. Within reason. "Define heading off," he demanded suspiciously.

Lex's lips quirked in a smile entirely devoid of humor. "Nonfatal. But that's all I'm willing to guarantee where Clark's safety is concerned."

"Geeze, it's not like anybody wants to dissect me or anything," Clark sighed, though even as he spoke, he wasn't sure he believed that. There were some sick people out there, even without the meteor rocks.

Martha sat quietly, studying Lex. Giving Jonathan's hand a squeeze, she stood and walked over to her son's... boyfriend. "All I'll ask you is to remember that no - no matter how he acts, Clark's still only fifteen." She rested her hand on Lex's shoulder, giving him as much a hug as she thought he'd allow. "And his curfew's at ten on a school night."

"Mom!" Clark moaned, burying his head against the tabletop. "I'll only be fifteen for a couple more months."

Lex groaned faintly. "I never had my _own_ curfew to worry about," he muttered sotto voce, not dumb enough to say that aloud in front of Clark's parents. Meeting his lover's worried gaze, however, he smiled. If that was what it took, he could live with that. "At least that gives us a few hours once chores are done." It still amused him to hear that word coming from his lips, but he wanted to make it clear that he understood Clark's responsibilities and wouldn't try to take him away entirely.

Jonathan nodded, hearing the unspoken message. "You'll stay for dinner, Lex?" He still wasn't happy about this turn of events, but for Clark's sake he would give Lex a chance. And watch very carefully.

"I... yes, thank you." Lex smiled politely, then more warmly when he met Clark's gaze again. He was worth it.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it." Martha gave Lex's shoulder another pat, then moved to kiss Clark on the top of the head. "We've got some time before it's ready, so you boys can talk outside if you'd like - after you set the table." All right, Clark wanted them to treat Lex like a part of the family, then she would until he gave her a reason not to. "And, Jonathan, will you take the suitcase upstairs for me?" she asked, brushing her auburn hair back from her face and thinking about what to make for their meal.

Feeling as if a heavy rock had been lifted from his chest, Clark smiled radiantly at both his parents and Lex. "Sure, Mom." Finally feeling as if he wasn't going to lose Lex if he let him go, Clark squeezed the older man's fingers a final time before loosing them and standing. "Don't worry, only one fork and knife here to deal with, and one plate," he teased.

Lex just gave him a look before looking around helplessly. "Uh... dishes?" he asked, eyeing the cabinets. No way was he about to go poking around the Kents' kitchen to find things and make them think he was trying to find out their secrets or something. He looked back at Clark. He'd already learned the only secret he cared about. Unable to resist, even though both the Kents were still in the room, he stepped closer to Clark and kissed him lightly. "Love you," he murmured.

Watching them, Jonathan relaxed a little more and smiled faintly as he picked up the bag to take it up to their room. If Lex was just pretending to love Clark, he was wasted in business; it was an Oscar-caliber performance. But Jonathan found himself believing it was exactly what it appeared, two young men who'd fallen in love and were willing to face the consequences.

Beaming a smile at Lex even as he turned red, Clark kissed the shorter man back. "Love you too, and they're in here." He reached up and opened a cabinet, pulling down four plates and handing them to Lex before getting the silverware from a drawer.

Even as she pulled a small roast from the refrigerator, Martha watched the two young men from the corner of her eye, smiling as they worked together to set the table, occasionally bumping into each other in a way she doubted was accidental. Clark would be good for Lex; he'd help smooth the sharp edges and harsh corners in the rich young man, and maybe, maybe Lex would be good for Clark too. She loved her son dearly, loved his innocence and trust, but he was growing up, and the world would gladly eat him alive with that attitude. She wanted to keep him the same but knew she couldn't.

"All done, Mom," Clark called, after they'd placed the glasses and napkins on the table. "We're going outside, okay?"

"Okay, dear. Supper will be ready in an hour and a half; don't go too far."

Barely hearing Martha's reply, Lex followed Clark outside and up to his getaway in the loft, eagerly moving into Clark's arms the moment they were alone. After a passionate kiss, he leaned back in the teen's strong embrace to look up at him. "Well, that didn't go nearly as badly as I feared. It looks like I will get to show you some more of my favorite things." His voice dropped to a husky, invitingly sensual purr.

"Here? Now?" Clark asked, only half-teasing. If he thought they could get away with it, he'd have Lex naked in a second, but somehow he'd bet that his dad was going to find a reason to come in the barn quite a bit when they were out there.

"Well, your mother did say we had an hour and a half..." Lex really wished they could, but he did _not_ want Clark's father coming out here and finding them mauling each other. That kind of embarrassment he did not need! Sighing, he curled a hand around Clark's neck. "How 'bout the next best thing, just sitting here together, talking and kissing, clothing _not_ optional?"

"Okay..." Clark tried to sound dejected, but if he couldn't be naked with Lex, just being curled up with him was good enough. He walked backward until they bumped into his couch and dropped down onto it, arms still around each other.

"I think they're gonna be okay with this." The relief was palpable in Clark's voice as he spoke. "Dad's a little freaked, but Mom seems pretty cool."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but both of them would kill me slowly if they thought I was a danger to you in any way." Lex tilted his head slightly as he watched Clark. "Good thing I only want to take care of you. But do you think this means I might actually get to give you the occasional gift now?" he teased.

"Like your dad wouldn't do the same to me if the situations were reversed?" Clark asked absently before leaning in to nuzzle the skin behind Lex's ear. "And maybe, on our anniversary or something." He started to snicker at that.

Stunned by the idea of Lionel Luthor doing more than making sure the Luthor reputation wasn't tarnished if anything were to happen to him, Lex could only stare at him for a long moment. "Uh, yeah. Right." He shrugged it off. "I guess I should start deciding what to get you for our one-week anniversary then."

Sensing that something had bothered Lex, if only for a minute, Clark hugged him closer. "What? Nothing for our one- day anniversary? Bastard."

"As if your parents would let me get away with that!" Lex laughed, nestling closer. "I think we'd be back to your dad giving me dirty looks like something he'd found on the bottom of his shoe."

Clark sighed, hating the tension between his parents and his boyfriend. Slipping his hand under Lex's shirt, he rubbed his palm over the other man's warm, firm stomach, enjoying the sensation, the rightness. "Guess you'd better not then, or maybe I'll just consider how you woke me up this morning my present."

Lex bit back a gasp as he remembered that morning and his body responded. "God, Clark, I don't need to go back inside and sit down with your parents with a hard on!" He shifted uncomfortably. "We're going to have to make time for us though." A thumb traced the tempting fullness of Clark's lower lip. "I'll go insane if I have to wait till you're older."

"Sorry!" Clark apologized quickly, wanting to mouth Lex's thumb but not wanting to torture either of them. "And we will. It's summer, no school, so curfew's later, right? And I can be from here to your place in a couple of minutes with even a slow start, so transportation isn't a problem."

He paused, weighing the thought of lying to his parents against being with Lex. "I could come over after everyone's gone to sleep and get back before dawn..."

"And be so tired that you're nodding off over your chores," Lex sighed. "I want to have as much time with you as I can, Clark, but not at your expense." He hugged Clark closer, pondering. "We'll find some time that doesn't involve you sneaking out."

Halfway up the stairs to check on his son, Jonathan overheard the conversation, and he stopped. Lex was clearly trying to do what was best for Clark, aside from getting involved with him in the first place, so Jonathan was going to trust him until he gave him reason not to. Turning silently, he left again to go back inside, leaving the two young men alone.

"Okay," Clark sighed, wondering how few and far between those times were going to be. "And what are we going to do?" He gave a tiny smile. "Go to the movies and out to dinner?"

"I'm not that noble," Lex snorted. "We'll have to do stuff like that sometimes to keep your parents from killing me, but I'd much rather have you in my bed so we can drive each other crazy. After all, two hours in bed are a lot more fun than two hours in a movie theater."

"I'll take your word on it," Clark chuckled, before kissing Lex again. "From what I've seen so far, I'd have to agree though."

Lex murmured happily and returned the kiss, practically crawling into Clark's lap as he pressed closer. "Glad to know I rank higher than Spiderman."

"Lex..." Clark moaned, arching up against the older man's body, fighting to remind himself why he couldn't give in to what he wanted to do here. His lips were covering Lex's, their tongues were sliding together, and oh god, if they didn't stop soon, he was going to have to change pants before dinner.

The sound of the screen door slamming broke through the haze surrounding Clark's thoughts, and he sighed, resting his forehead against Lex's. "I hate being fifteen," he muttered.

Panting, wondering when all his good intentions went up in smoke, Lex closed his eyes. "Well, I like you just the way you are... but I do wish the laws agreed with us," he said ruefully. "God, this is going to kill me... or be the making of me, some would say. We're going to need to talk to your parents though. If they're really okay with this and you're willing to deal with the fallout, we don't have to hide this. Just be really sure you want to become 'the gay student' at Smallville High," he warned seriously.

Clark put on a brave face, but inwardly, he cringed. "What's the worst they could do?" he asked, gathering his resolve and his determination not to disappoint Lex or his parents. "I mean, I've already been the scarecrow; the only way from there is up."

"Clark..." Lex could feel his tension, and he sighed. "This is only going to work if you're honest with me. That was a suggestion, not an order from on high. That's why I pointed out the drawbacks. And before you start getting all noble and self-sacrificing, let me just point out that if Whitney ever does anything else to you, I'll destroy him." The calm statement of fact was far more convincing than any growled threat could have been.

"You don't have to... protect me." The last two words came out as a whisper, and Clark looked down. Considering he wanted to do just that for the people he loved all the time, how could he tell Lex that he couldn't do the same thing? "And I don't want to hide this. I have to hide who I am, what I do; I don't want to hide who I love, damnit!"

Lex's arms tightened around him. "It's not a decision we have to make this second. We can always come out in public as a couple whenever we want to; it's making it a secret again afterward if we do it before we're both ready that's impossible." He saw Clark's expression.

"Sure, I want to go out with you and be able to say, 'He's mine,' but I want you to be comfortable with it, Clark. So long as _I_ know we're together, that's all I really care about."

As much as he wanted to argue, Clark saw the wisdom in Lex's words, and he nodded, probably less reluctantly than he might have under other circumstances. "If nobody knows by next year, your showing up with me at the Spring Fling will clue them in."

Lex burst into laughter. "My god, have you been watching _Queer as Folk_ again? Am I suddenly Brian to your Justin?" He nuzzled into Clark. "At least I won't ever have to worry about you getting hurt like he was. And yes, I'll go to your high school dance, Clark... if only to make sure no one else dances with you," he teased.

"You're hotter then Brian Kinney could ever dream of being." That said, Clark ducked and grinned, because he'd just admitted he _did_ watch that show - or tapes of it anyway since his folks didn't have Showtime. "And sorry, I've got more spine then Justin. The first time you slept with anyone else would be the last time you saw me."

"As if I would want anyone else when I have you," Lex scoffed. "If you ever see me with someone else, I can guarantee you that something's going on that qualifies for Chloe's Wall of Weird." He realized what he'd just promised and stiffened slightly with an indrawn breath, but he relaxed again almost immediately, smiling into the watchful green gaze.

"This is freaking you out, isn't it?" Clark smiled ruefully and skimmed his fingers over the back of Lex's head, shivering at the sensation. "Don't worry, I feel the same, but it's a good weird."

"A bit," Lex admitted. "But you're right, it's good. I'm just having a little trouble keeping up with all the changes in the last twenty-four hours. Yesterday morning, I was still discreetly lusting for you from afar, and a day later, we're together, and your parents are even sort of okay with it."

Clark nodded. "If it wasn't for the fact that I don't feel weak or sick, I'd think meteor rocks were involved somehow."

"No, just good old-fashioned lust... and love," Lex chuckled. "God, if my father only knew what a favor he did me when he 'exiled' me to Smallville! I might never have met you otherwise, not till we were older." He frowned thinking of it. "You'd have been helping people like you do, and I... I would have been a younger version of my father. We'd have hated each other." He shuddered.

"I don't think so." Clark cupped Lex's face in his hands and stared into his eyes as if seeking his soul. "You're stronger than that, Lex. Stronger than he is, better than he is. I know it, and I'm going to work at it until you know it too."

"I'm glad we'll never know for sure, glad I have you." Lex wondered at himself, admitting his need of a teenager, admitting any need at all, but it was mostly reflex, and he knew that it would fade in time, thanks to Clark. "I'm not like him... but I could have been," he mused. "Some people do good things because they say they want to be able to look themselves in mirror; I want to be able to look in _your_ eyes." He knew it was corny, but he had to say it, had to let Clark know what he felt.

Stroking his thumbs over Lex's cheekbones, Clark leaned in and kissed him gently. "Well, I'll just have to make sure you do that every day then, won't I?" He smiled. "Not that I mind in the least."

"I think I need to send a thank you gift to your mother's friend who got married," Lex smiled, pressing into Clark's caress like a cat being stroked. "Who knows how long we'd have waited if your parents hadn't gone away."

"Considering I was blind and you were noble? Too long." The screen door creaked again, and Martha Kent's voice rose on the evening air.

"Boys, supper! Come in and wash up!"

"This is _so_ weird." Lex got up from Clark's lap and grinned down at his disheveled lover. "You might want to tuck in your shirt and comb your hair before we go in there," he suggested, barely restraining his laughter. And lust. Clark looked like an invitation to sin, one Lex very much wanted to accept.

Clark glanced down, and snickered. "No, I think I'll keep my shirt un-tucked for now. Better button yours though." He flicked a finger over the gaps he'd made when his hand was under the material, then raked a hand through his hair, laughing when a bit of hay fluttered to the floor. "And a word of warning; don't just tell Mom you washed up, do it. She's got better eyes then I do!"

"So weird," Lex repeated. Being mothered was a new experience for him, and although it was confining, it was also oddly comforting. He shook his head in bemusement. "Washing up. Right. After you, Clark." He caught his lover's hand in his to go inside.

"Oh, one last thing..." Clark dipped his head, giving Lex a hard, almost bruising, kiss, and grinning proudly when he looked at the older man's mouth. Okay, he'd probably die of embarrassment if his folks noticed it, but... He supposed it was just his way of announcing that Lex was his. "Love you."

END