Challenge: CLFF Wave 3.Written for Challenge #2, Light Level 15000 words in 30 days

Bonus Challenge: AU. Lionel sends Lex to a mental institution for some reason (possibly to hide his embarrassment of a son) and whilst there Lex meets Clark. Clark is there either because they think he is delusional because he says he's an alien or because he can hear voices (super-hearing) or you could come up with your own if these don't suit.  A relationship ensues in the most unlikely of places. Bonus points if Lex makes reference to either "Girl, Interrupted." or "K-Pax". (Jezebel the Temptress)

A/N: There will most likely be a sequel to this. Just to let you know. And since this is AU and I’ve messed with their ages, the meteor shower was in...well, you do the math.

Warning: This fic is about 30 pages long. You've been warned.

Had Lex been sober, he might have realized the significance of what was going on. Hell, if he had even been paying attention, he might have gotten it. But as it was, he was staring at his father’s shoes and trying not to throw up as Lionel paced the room angrily.

“I’m sorry, Alexander, but you’ve made too much of a nuisance of yourself. I can barely afford to keep you around, what with your constant idiotic pranks and rebellions getting in the way. The truth is, I’m disappointed in you, Lex.” It was strange that this was the closest thing to a father/son talk that they’d ever had. Hilarious, actually, so funny that Lex couldn’t help the giggles that erupted from him.

“Dammit, Lex! Listen to me!!” It was even funnier now because Lionel never lost his temper. At least not in front of Lex.

The older man seemed to calm himself, and ceased his pacing. Lex’s whole world sort of spun then, and he fought to keep himself sitting semi-upright. “The fact is, Lex, you’re a liability. To me, to the company. And I can’t afford to keep you around.” Then Lionel pulled out a cell phone and dialed. “Yes, you can come pick him up. I’m afraid he’s trying to hurt himself again. Thank you again.”

This was funny because it sounded like Lionel was talking to himself. Lex laughed and laughed until he was red in the face, and then he threw up. Which was when the men in the white coats came to take him away.

The rest of the evening was a blur. In the morning, Lex wouldn’t even remember most of it. But the one thing he did remember was that his father was standing on the driveway, looking on sadly as they took him away. Or at least, he looked sad. On the inside, he was probably rejoicing.

***

When Lex awoke, he was in a room. There were two beds, white walls, and bars on the windows. He noticed immediately that there was nothing that could be viewed as potentially dangerous. No pens or pencils on the desk, no scissors. The next thing he noticed was the blinding headache caused by way too much cheap liquor and some nameless drug that he only remembered taking now, when he could feel the effects on his body.

Fighting the pain, he sat up. He ignored the nagging in his mind that something was very, very wrong. He didn’t remember what he’d done or who, but he knew that all it would take was a phone call and he could go home. Knew with a desperate certainty that he couldn’t remember what he thought he remembered, that is, seeing his father wave goodbye, and snatches about being disinherited. He knew that couldn’t be right.

He wobbled to his feet, and was surprised to find a glass of water placed considerately on the desk. He took a sip, and then saw the little white pills next to it.

Thinking someone had been considerate of the pain he would be in, and grateful for it, he swallowed the pills with the water. And then he pushed the door open.

He couldn’t define his feelings upon first realizing that he was in a mental institution. Only a mind-numbing realization that something very big and very bad had happened the night before, and that now he was paying the price.

There was no way this was an accident. No one could mistake Lex Luthor for anything other than what he was, not without large amounts of money. And no one would put Lex Luthor in a mental institution. Well, no one except Lionel Luthor.

The light streaming in through the windows was too bright. He flinched away from it, and turned towards what seemed to be a common room. A nurse smiled at him and went on her way, carrying a tray loaded with empty paper cups.

Lex had a good idea why he was here, even if he couldn’t remember. His father had threatened to send him off to some small town in Kansas. Smallville, he thought it was called. And then he had actually decided to do it.

Lex had been, to say the least, unhappy. After a fit of impotent rage against his father’s study only earned him a ‘Luthors don’t throw temper tantrums, Lex’, he’d gone out and gotten horribly, horribly wasted. And then it was all a blank.

He bared his teeth at the nurse’s back in a strange parody of a smile. Then he turned and walked towards the common room. It had a couch and a TV, and a table which was presumably for games. Outside, he could see well-kept gardens rolling on until they hit the main highway.

Lex didn’t have much of a problem with the fact that this wasn’t the best facility in Metropolis. He’d been in worse places by far, and those by choice. His problem was that, essentially, he’d been caged. Trapped, confined, restrained, any way you wanted to look at it, he was stuck until Lionel decided that he had spent enough time in this…prison.

Seeing nothing else to do, he sat on the couch. The other residents looked at him. Some had crazy eyes, some were old, and most were unkempt. But there was one there that immediately drew his attention and took his breath away.

The boy was young, no older than seventeen, with sparkling green eyes. His raven hair was ruffled, but somehow it looked adorable on him. His high cheekbones and dark skin tone added to his magnificence and Lex knew that there was a beautiful body hidden beneath the baggy clothes he was wearing. But it all paled in comparison when he smiled at Lex.

His smile split his face and his white teeth shone through under perfect, full lips. He was smiling directly at Lex, as though he was the only person in the world. It made Lex want to smile, too, but for real this time. There was a kind of sincere light behind his eyes, a genuine happy personality that seemed to shine through his features. Lex was bedazzled.

If he’d believed in love at first sight, he would have taken the boy back to his room and ravished him right then. But after the immediate impressions of goodness and sincerity, Lex pulled back, chastising himself for being so foolish and sentimental. The boy was probably schizophrenic, or a sociopath or something. Definitely not the sort he wanted to get involved with, if he could help it. But that smile…

He turned away. It was just beginning to sink in. He was going to be trapped in an asylum with a bunch of crazies because he’d been stupid enough to incur his father’s wrath. God, he was an idiot.

He’d expected the boy to leave, or lose interest. After all, the kid was clinically insane. He must have better things to do than stare at Lex all morning. But a second later, he felt the gorgeous man-child sit down next to him.

“Hi. I’m Clark.” Clark extended his hand, and Lex was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the sanity that was so apparent in Clark’s face and eyes, or the simple normalcy in his voice. He decided he was going to stop assuming things about this boy.

“Lex,” he said. “Lex Luthor.” Casually dropping his last name, partially as habit, and partially because he wanted to see if Clark knew him. Lex didn’t shake his hand.

The green eyes changed in recognition, but there was none of the awe there that Lex was accustomed to. Nor was there the desperate rush to make an impression of any kind. Clark simply smiled, and when he realized that Lex wasn’t going to shake his hand, he turned to watch the TV, his smile fading slightly. For the first time in his life, Lex wished he hadn’t been so rude.

***

Lex found himself becoming bored very rapidly. It had been a week since he’d been committed, and the way things were run, every day it was the same thing. He could almost feel his brain cells dying under the lack of stimulation.

The patients in his ward were relatively calm, most of them being placidly insane. There were a few incidents late at night, but Lex never paid any attention to those. Nothing new ever came of them.

The one thing that still bothered him was Clark. He’d been watching him very carefully from afar, and as far as he could tell, there wasn’t anything wrong with him. They hadn’t spoken much, as Lex mostly kept to himself. He found that he wasn’t interested in any of the other patients, as they were all simply crazy. But Clark was intriguing, and Lex made it his personal mission to find out exactly why he was there. After all, it wasn’t as if there was anything better to do.

***

It was late one night when Lex awoke to the sounds of screaming. He cringed, and rolled over, trying to go back to sleep. But the screaming didn’t stop. And then Lex realized that it sounded familiar. It was the boy, Clark Kent.

Tired, but too interested to pass up the opportunity to learn more, Lex sat up in bed. The screams were suddenly cut off. There was the sound of muffled grunts in the hallway, and then relative silence.

Lex got quietly out of bed, and crept stealthily towards the door, careful not to wake his roommate. It was locked, but by now he’d learned how to pick the simple things. A mangled pin that he’d found on the floor one day did the trick, and he peered cautiously out into the hallway.

He couldn’t hear what was said, but he watched the orderlies stab Clark with a wicked looking needle. And he watched as the boy slowly stopped struggling, falling limply into their arms. Then they dragged him away, and Lex could still hear the soft whispering of his body as it was taken away.

He had half a mind to follow them, but just then, the beam of a flashlight appeared at the end of the hall. Quickly ducking back into his room, he slid into his bed and closed his eyes. But there would be no sleeping for him tonight. He’d seen no signs of insanity from Clark all week, and yet, suddenly, he’s screaming for no reason in the middle of the night and being drugged and dragged away. It made no sense.

Lex decided that maybe, since subterfuge wasn’t working as well and as fast as he wanted, he would just come out and talk to Clark. If he even showed up the next morning.

***

Clark was there the next morning. The boy looked sleepy and out of sorts. Lex was surprised to feel a pang of concern. Since when had he started caring about Clark?

He took a moment to compose himself, then stood up and started towards the other end of the mess hall, where Clark was sitting. Surprisingly, before he’d even gotten two steps, Clark’s head had turned and the boy was watching him with green eyes.

Lex felt suddenly self-conscious as Clark’s eyes bored into him. Almost like he could see straight through him. Strangely, Lex didn’t want such an innocent creature to be able to see the darkness that was his past, and that would be his future.

More than slightly unnerved, he arrived at the table where Clark was sitting by himself. “Can I sit here?” He asked, gesturing towards an empty seat. Clark nodded slowly. His eyes were out of focus as if he was thinking about something very deeply. Lex sighed inwardly and wondered if he should come back later. Clark didn’t seem to be in much of a mood for talking. But he somehow had to know.

“What happened last night?” Lex asked, and fought the urge to clap his hands over his mouth. He wondered when he’d been possessed. He never used to be so lacking in tact and finesse.

He found startling green eyes staring at him with caution and surprise. “What do you mean?” The boy asked slowly and carefully.

“I mean, the screaming and the being dragged away.” What if the boy…Clark, really was crazy? What if that was all there was to it, and Lex was just seeing things that weren’t there?

“I don’t know what you mean.” Lex looked at him hard, and could immediately tell that he was lying. And Clark knew it. He blew out a puff of air. “All right, fine. Sometimes I have these…episodes at night, and they have to take me to that padded cell at the end of the hall. To keep me from hurting myself or my roommate.”

Clark acted like he was telling the truth, but Lex didn’t buy it. Something else was going on here. He’d been lied to enough times to know when someone was telling the truth, and Clark wasn’t.

But he decided not to press. Clark didn’t want to tell him. So, he’d wait. Make friends with Clark. Try to figure out what his deal was. Because now his interest had been piqued, and he had nothing else to distract him. So, if Clark was hiding something, then he’d better watch his back. Because Lex was going to find out what it was, no matter what the cost.

***

Over the ensuing weeks, Lex made friends with Clark. It wasn’t hard to do. He’d eventually realized that even if Clark did end up being a psychopath, then at least he could carry on a normal conversation.

He learned that Clark came from Smallville, the exact town that Lionel had been threatening to send him to. He’d been adopted when he was four, and he was a junior in high school. Only a year younger than Lex.

But the worst thing of all was that the friendship Lex had begun as a ruse to get close to Clark had somehow turned real. He found himself wanting to know what was wrong with him because he cared. He didn’t want anything to happen to Clark.

Clark knew all this. He knew when Lex pretended to like him to find out his secrets, and he knew the exact second that Lex’s feelings turned real. And he found that, despite his attempts to stay neutral and uninvolved with anyone here, he began to become more attached to Lex. He’d been told the whole story about his father, and the being banished here after enraging Lionel one time too many.

He wished he could make things right for the young Luthor. He didn’t deserve that kind of parent. No one did. Clark couldn’t even imagine growing up with that kind of pressure. From what he’d learned, Lex had spent his entire life without love. And from what he felt, he learned that inside, Lex wanted his father’s love more than anything else. Knowing that it was never going to happen made him suspect that he was unlovable. That he would never feel love again. And a creeping part of Clark wanted to change that.

“Hey, Lex,” he greeted, joining his companion on the couch. Lex looked up and smiled. A true, genuine smile. And he realized, for the first time, that only his mother had made him smile like that. It startled him, and scared him, yet at the same time, thrilled him.

They sat in silence for a moment. “Lex…” Clark started, unsure of what he’d expected to say. His secret was on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn’t come out. He’d had so many years of practice in keeping it hidden, and then…this had happened. This whole mess here, at the asylum. He knew he could trust Lex, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to. He wasn’t sure if he was willing to give that part of himself up. Even to Lex.

Lex seemed to understand. He didn’t press for the rest of the sentence, nor did he ask any incriminating questions. He just smiled at Clark again.

A few seconds later, the nurse came around. Pills on a tray were passed out to all the inmates, including the two on the couch. Lex took his disdainfully; he still wasn’t sure exactly what they were, but they made him somewhat loopy. Clark swallowed his down without thinking about it, making Lex wonder how long he’d been there. Through all they’d revealed to one another, Clark had avoided the subject of his incarceration, and the circumstances regarding. Lex still didn’t even know what exactly was wrong with him, except for the so-called ‘episodes’ that he still had occasionally, at night. But for once in his life, he was willing to let it go.

“Did you hear about Mr. Wardley?” Clark asked, quietly. Mr. Wardly was a kindly old crazy whose only sin was the occasional lapse into hallucinations and the constant need to bicker with himself.

“Yeah. Makes you wonder if we‘re ever going to get out of here, huh?”

“Aren’t you happy for him? I mean, he got to go home, even if we don‘t.”

Lex shrugged. “I guess.” Clark frowned, but left it at that.

A moment later, a loud screaming began. Both of their heads whipped around to see one of the patients, Alan Baird, launching himself at someone else. The screams were coming from the unfortunate soul on the receiving end of Mr. Baird’s attack.

One of the nurses started calling for an orderly. Panicked, some of the patients ran and hid. One of them started moaning, “Oh, it’s all ruined. All that hard work on the potatoes. Ruined!” Lex, unable to control his curiosity, moved closer.

Alan lifted his head and snarled animalistically at Lex. Then he tackled him and started beating him.

Lex felt only fear as he looked up into Alan’s crazed eyes and realized that this wasn’t going to stop if he could help it. The blows rained down on him, his chest, his face, his abdomen. He tried to fight back at first, but the other man was far stronger. Pain welled up all over his body, and the blood flowed freely. He was so helpless...He couldn’t even defend himself. His weak attempts to defend himself were utterly ignored. He couldn’t help but wonder what he’d done to deserve this pain...

Just when he thought it would never stop…it did. Alan was pulled away from him by someone with great strength, and then tossed away like a rag doll. And there, in his place, stood Clark Kent.

“Oh my god, Lex! Are you all right?” Lex bit back a snarky remark. Clark cared about him. He cared enough to put himself in danger, just to prevent Lex from being hurt. Lex didn’t even notice when the orderlies came and dragged Alan away, kicking and screaming. His eyes seemed to have glued themselves to Clark’s. He couldn’t stop staring at him. He was so beautiful…Lex remembered the first time he saw him. How he had assumed that someone so beautiful would have to have something wrong with them. How inhumanly angelic he had seemed.

Clark held out his hand, and Lex took it gratefully. Now that he thought about it, his injuries didn’t seem so bad. The nurse on duty rushed over to give him medical attention, but Clark didn’t want to let him go. He held on to Lex’s hand, even after he had stood up.

Reluctantly, he let go as the nurse ushered him away. But Lex gave him one last look over his shoulder, one that made Clark’s heart warm and beat in double time.

***

He waited for Lex. It was about a half-hour before he saw his…friend? come walking down the hallway. He fought the urge to jump up immediately, not wanting to seem needy. But… he had been worried for Lex.

He smiled when Lex came to him. And was rewarded with a brushing of their fingertips which may or may not have been accidental. He shivered slightly at the sensation, but kept his other reactions tightly in check. He and Lex were friends. That was all.

“Are you okay?” he asked anxiously. Lex looked fine but…what if he wasn’t? What if…

“I’m fine, Clark. Just a few cuts and bruises.” It was on the tip of his tongue to say thank you, but Luthors didn’t say thank you. Even if Clark had saved his life. Even if Clark seemed to really care about him, even though he was in an asylum and of no use for anything.

“Oh. Good.” Clark fought the urge to take Lex’s hand in his and walk him back to his room. Just to make sure he could make it. Just to make sure that he wouldn’t be attacked again.

***

It was late afternoon. Clark didn’t expect to see Lex again until the next day, but later that night, there was a sound at the door. “Clark!” a familiar voice hissed.

Clark dropped the book he had been reading, effectively losing his place. But it was…Lex, and the need to care for him was almost overpowering.

“Come in,” he called, hoping his voice didn’t sound too emotional. He supposed it wasn’t healthy to get so attached to one person, especially if that person was a straight male who considered you clinically insane.

Clark was surprised. When Lex entered, he could see that any part of him not covered in bandages was bruised black and purple. He knew Lex had delicate skin, from the time he spent watching his friend, but to see it contrast so starkly against the purple of broken blood vessels…

“It looks worse than it is,” Lex said, seeming to read his mind. He seemed a bit more nervous than he had that morning. He was almost…fidgeting. In all the time they’d been friends, Clark had never seen Lex fidget before.

“Lex? What’s up?” he asked cautiously. It was a loaded question. Clark got up and started towards his friend, stopping halfway. He wasn’t sure whether he should go closer, or what he would do if he did give in to the temptation to…touch his friend. To run his hands gently over the bruises, to kiss it all better. To just take the pain into himself and away from Lex.

Big green eyes blinked suddenly in surprise. Where had all that come from?!? Lex was looking at him oddly, and Clark took that moment to step back to the relative safety of the bed and his own personal space.

Or maybe not so safe, as Lex sat down next to him. “Not a lot. The nurses told me to get some sleep, but I couldn’t.” He suddenly turned bashful, another thing Clark had never seen him do. Today was full of firsts. “I thought maybe I could…stay here.” He mumbled the last part, as if only half wanting Clark to hear him.

“Of course!” Clark answered, surprised at the seemingly simple request. “Here, you can use my roommate’s old bed. He was the one who…” The mood suddenly turned dark. Clark couldn’t bear to finish the sentence. His old room mate had committed suicide only recently. Clark hadn’t known him personally but still, it was hard to have someone you knew…do that.

“Thanks, Clark.” Lex got up and then gingerly laid down on the bed across from him. His eyes closed almost of their own accord. He relaxed only fraction by fraction, but Clark couldn’t seem to take his eyes off his best friend. Only now, made peaceful by sleep, could Clark honestly inspect the damage that had been done. He had a couple of black eyes, and a cut on his forehead, which had been bandaged. His lips were puffy and swollen and bruised, and there were finger marks on his neck where Alan had tried to choke him momentarily. Clothes hid the remainder, but as he moved in his sleep, Clark caught sight of finger-shaped bruises encircling his wrists.

Lex winced in his sleep.

Clark’s fingers twitched. He figured he should do something else, something less obsessive, like go back to reading his book, or take a nap himself, or even go out into the common room and watch TV. But some part of him rebelled at the thought of leaving Lex in here alone. He decided to stay, but couldn’t bring himself to stop staring at Lex.

He really was beautiful. Pale skin, high cheekbones, eyes the color of a storm. Though they were closed, Clark recalled the color and shading perfectly.

And he really needed to stop this, like, right now. But he couldn’t stop staring…

And then Lex moaned his name. “Clark…need you…please, save me…” Clark’s eyes widened. What was he saying? “Clark...”

Clark noticed the beads of sweat forming on Lex’s pale forehead, and realized suddenly that his best friend, and maybe more, was having a nightmare. The urge to comfort him became too great, and he finally succumbed. “Lex?” He gently touched his friend on the shoulder.

Lex moaned and rolled over. Clark saw his fingertips twitch, and his body suddenly jerk. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around Lex’s body. “Shhh,” he said soothingly, cradling Lex’s body to his protectively. Something about Lex aroused these...feelings in him. The need to protect and to stake his claim on his territory. He felt feral and wild, and more in touch with his alien heritage than he’d ever been. And horny. Very, very horny.

It took him a moment to realize that he was growling deep in his chest. Lex had quieted somewhat, though he still uttered the occasional whimper. Clark’s heart swelled with warm feelings towards Lex, and in that moment, he knew he was in love.

Also in that moment, Lex began to stir. Not thinking, Clark jumped back like he’d been bitten. That woke Lex fully.

He blinked his bleary eyes, and looked around the room in slight confusion. He didn’t remember...Oh, yes. He’d come here for the unspoken feelings of safety Clark gave him. He finally came to focus on the confused man-child staring at him.

Clark watched Lex’s cloudy blue eyes clear, and then, strangely, turn cold and hard. Lex was shutting him out. He hadn’t done that since...well, since a long time ago. It worried Clark, and it hurt him. He hated to see that shuttered, emotionless look directed at him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered softly. “Did I wake you?”

Lex waved his hand dismissively. “What? Oh, no. I should probably be getting back to my room.” Lex wanted to kick himself as soon as the words were out. He most definitely did not want to be going back to his room. He wanted to stay here. He wanted to bask in the feeling of safety and inner peace that Clark gave him. Unfortunately, the Luthor in him just couldn’t seem to let that happen without a fight.

Clark looked crestfallen. “Oh, right. I’ll, umm,” here he cleared his throat, and then his voice became stronger. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Lex didn’t want to leave. He really, really didn’t. But now, because of his own idiocy, Clark was asking him to go. There was nothing left now but to...leave. To go back to his empty room full of ghosts and phantom attackers. Hauntings he hadn’t had to deal with since the meteor shower had taken his hair at the age of nine. He didn’t want to be alone.

But he’d already stuck his foot in his mouth, and now he had to leave. “Goodnight, Clark,” he said, surprising himself with the steady quality of his voice. Years of training as a Luthor, he decided.

As Lex was turning the doorknob, Clark grabbed his arm and pulled him around so they were facing. Then, to the surprise of all parties involved, he crushed his lips to Lex’s.

Something inside him howled then, urging Clark to do more. To just take Lex, lay him down on the bed and slam into him with everything he had. The rational part of him knew that that would probably be a bad idea, but the rational part of him was rapidly fading into the background, to be replaced by something foreign.

Lex wasn’t sure what was happening at first. He thought maybe in his exhaustion, he’d strayed into a dream. But the bruising force of Clark’s lips told him otherwise. When the shock wore off, it left behind a core of desire burning hotly in his lower belly. He knew Clark was inexperienced, through the simple roughness of their first kiss. But he wasn’t, and he managed to gain control of their kiss. He wanted to show Clark what a real, good kiss could feel like.

Clark pushed him up against the door, not quite willing to give up his newfound dominance. He felt Lex become pliant in his arms, and that only spurred him on. The other’s mouth was talented, there was no denying that. But Clark was the stronger of the two, and determined to remain in charge.

His hands flew up to cradle Lex’s bald head with a tenderness that contradicted his other actions. He felt, rather than saw, Lex wince in pain.

The sudden reminder of the other’s injuries was like a bucket of cold water dumped on his head. He pulled back suddenly, wild eyes surveying the damage he’d done to Lex. His lips were flushed red with blood, and they were bleeding. He put a hand to his own mouth, and found that he had Lex’s blood on it.

“I’m so sorry, Lex,” he muttered, looking down at the floor, unable to look his best friend in the eye. How could he have done that? Taking advantage when Lex was injured and vulnerable. Christ, he’d come to Clark for protection, not to be mauled by him.

Lex laughed then. “You’re sorry? Whatever for?” He didn’t seem to have noticed that he was bleeding, or if he had, he didn’t seem to care.

“For jumping on you like that. I didn’t mean...I’m sorry...” he whispered lamely.

“Clark. It’s fine. If you hadn’t done it, sooner or later, I would’ve. Now come back here.” He reached out and grabbed Clark’s hand, pulling him towards him.

All his fiery instincts of moments before gone, Clark was reluctant. Their kiss this time was soft and sweet, and Lex didn’t let go of his hand as they gently sucked and nibbled at each other’s lips.

“Stay,” Clark whispered, next to Lex’s ear.

“Yes,” Lex said. He still had not let go of Clark’s hand. Clark led him to his roommate’s old bed. Lex lay down. It went unspoken that Clark wasn’t ready for anything more, and as Lex wasn’t sure he would be able to keep his hands to himself, they wouldn’t share a bed that night. Much as Lex yearned to be close to Clark, he could sense the nervous fear in him, and so he let it go. Another night, perhaps.

***

The next morning, Clark awoke to the sweet sensation of Lex’s arms around him. Beyond the immediate surprise he felt, he felt lazy. And loved. Lex was warm, and his arms were wrapped possessively around Clark’s waist. It was...nice.

It took him a moment, but then he remembered what had happened. In the middle of the night, Lex had had a nightmare. He’d woken from it shaking and sweating. It broke Clark’s heart to see the man he’d always regarded as strong so weak. Mind still foggy from sleep, he’d taken Lex in his arms, and then led him back to his own bed, where they’d fallen asleep.

Warm sunshine spilled into the room now, but Clark didn’t want to wake up. He was irrationally tired from the previous day. All the worrying...It had taken a lot out of him.

But probably more out of Lex, who was still sound asleep. His deep, even breathing was hypnotic, and Clark lay there for a few minutes, just listening to his...friend? boyfriend? breathe. But he wanted to see Lex.

He turned slowly in Lex’s arms, so as not to wake him, and smiled softly when Lex pulled him closer.

He’d never seen Lex this relaxed. He was...beautiful. Peaceful. The lines of worry and stress and premature age that showed on his face when he was awake were just...gone. Clark hadn’t even noticed them before now, when he saw Lex’s face without them.

He reached a hand up and gently stroked the side of Lex’s face. But breakfast was in twenty minutes, and if they didn’t show up, the nurses would come charging in looking for them. Suicides and escapes wouldn’t be ruled out until they were spotted. And Clark wasn’t sure what the protocol was on things like this, but he was sure that he didn’t want to be found like this. They hadn’t slept together yet, and he didn’t want other people thinking they had. He felt guilty about it, but that was the way he felt.

Lost in his musings, he didn’t notice when Lex woke up. He continued his soothing stroking motions, totally oblivious.

Seeing Clark’s faraway look, Lex smiled. His large palms felt good against his skin, and he wished they didn’t have to leave. Ever. But... He knew things would look different once he snapped out of the euphoria that stemmed from waking in Clark’s arms. He’d start to doubt himself, and worse, Clark. He’d worry that Clark was taking advantage of him, he’d worry about the fact that he still didn’t know why Clark was here, and he’d worry about what would happen if his father found out.

Worst of all, he’d come to the realization that he and Clark were impossible. Star-crossed, from two different worlds, both men...

But he promised himself he wouldn’t touch on any of that now. He just wanted to live in the here and now.

“Morning, sleepyhead.” Lex looked up into Clark’s eyes, bright and clear in the morning sun.

“Good morning, Clark.” Lex didn’t seem at all ruffled to find himself in such a compromising position. In fact, he snuggled closer to Clark’s chest, and buried his head in the juncture at his shoulder and neck.

“Umm, Lex? Not that I don’t appreciate the attention, but, we’ve gotta get to breakfast. If we’re missing, they’ll come looking for us.”

Lex nodded, and started to get up. Belatedly, he wondered if the reason Clark didn’t want people looking for them was that he didn’t want them to be seen together. The idea was like a little pinprick of ice in his heart. It didn’t hurt, but as he became more and more certain that that’s what it was, the coldness began to spread, numbing him.

Frankly, it surprised him. He hadn’t known that he was so invested in Clark. That he cared enough about him that his heart had been unfrozen in the first place. For the first time, he’d been feeling genuinely cared about, maybe even loved, by a lover. Clark didn’t want his money. He was sure of that. And he didn’t want him for his body, because they’d had the opportunity last night, and he hadn’t taken it. He didn’t want the status, because he was obviously embarrassed to be seen with him...

And it had come full circle again, back to that. He told himself that he was overreacting. A couple of kisses and a night spent cuddling didn’t mean much of anything. Clark was at the age when most kids started exploring their sexuality. Unlike Lex, who was not most kids, and, prior to this, had fucked almost anything that walked, man or woman.

Clark watched Lex leave, and wondered why he didn’t say goodbye. He hadn’t even smiled at him, or spoken to him at all, after they’d woken up. He wondered if something was wrong. If he’d done something to offend Lex. Maybe he’d acted too familiar. Too intimate. It was just a couple of kisses, he chided himself. No reason he should’ve expected more. God, why had he jumped on Lex like that?

He got up and headed to the mess hall alone.

***

Clark and Lex sat together, as they always did, but they didn’t speak, focusing their full attention on their thoughts and their food.

When the meal was over, they sat on the couch in the common room, at a loss at what to do now. Both knew they needed to talk about their new relationship, but neither really wanted to. Clark was terrified that he would find out that Lex didn’t want him like that, and was just indulging a friend. Lex worried that Clark only wanted him because of who he was, and now that he found himself caring so deeply about the other, he worried that when Clark crushed his heart, he wouldn’t be able to come back from it.

Night came, and still they hadn’t spoken. But long after the lights went out, Lex still wasn’t asleep. He thought he’d recovered fully from the beating, mentally, at least, but he still saw horror in each shadow that moved across the walls. He remembered vividly, and in full color, the way he’d been pinned to the ground, helpless. Unable to move as blow after blow rained down on his head and body. He didn’t want to close his eyes, because he was afraid that he’d wake up and it would still be happening.

When he was being honest with himself, the only time he really felt safe anymore was with Clark. Clark, who had ended the nightmare and offered his hand to help him up. Clark, who had woken him this morning by gently and tenderly caressing his face. Clark, with whom he was in love with.

With the realization, he knew that he had to tell Clark. He just knew somehow, in his very being, that just those three words could make everything right between them. But only if Clark felt the same way. Lex had nothing to do. He wouldn’t get any sleep tonight without Clark by his side.

He crept on silent feet to Clark’s room, and twisted the doorknob quietly. The door didn’t make so much as a creak when he opened it, but somehow, Clark was already awake and staring at the door.

“Lex,” he said in a voice half-choked with sleep. “Why are you here?” He asked. Straight to the point. Not that he wasn’t glad to see Lex, but...they hadn’t spoken all day. Things between them had been tense ever since last night, and Clark found himself anxious as to what was going to happen here tonight.

“I...I need to tell you something.” Now that he was facing his love, his brilliant epiphany began to lose focus. He wondered if this was really a good idea. He’d never done this before. And it was against his nature to lay himself so completely bare and vulnerable to someone who could easily rip his heart out. Metaphorically, of course.

It was Clark’s trusting gaze that was his undoing. He couldn’t help but love him, and the way Clark looked at him with total trust and caring made him feel like he could say anything, and Clark would accept it.

“I think I’m in love with you,” he said softly. The words came out easily, flowing from his mouth naturally, and he didn’t know what he’d gotten so worked up over.

Clark’s sea-green eyes filled with tears. Lex was immediately apprehensive. From his knowledge on love, which wasn’t that great, people shouldn’t cry when they’re told someone loves them.

“Oh, Lex,” he sighed. Lex wished he could take back the words. He could practically feel the void forming between them.

“You don’t have to---”

But Clark cut him off. “I love you, too.” And just like that, Lex’s mood swung upward. It should have been worrying to be so affected by one person. But Lex couldn’t find it in himself to care.

They met halfway across the room in a kiss. Tender, with fire behind it. Clark was ready. He was sure of it. Now that the words had been said, he could feel exactly how deep his well of love for Lex went. And it was infinite. He knew what he wanted now. He wanted to feel Lex‘s love for him. Just to make sure that it was real. And true. He wanted to feel him moving inside him, or to be the one penetrating. He wanted to be as close as he could to Lex, and would’ve crawled inside his skin and not come out if he could have.

But he would have to settle for making love to him instead.

Clark ended their kiss. He looked deep into Lex’s eyes and said, “I’m ready.”

There was no question as to what he meant. Lex looked back at him unwaveringly. “Are you sure?”

Clark nodded firmly. “This is what I want.” He gently grabbed Lex’s hand and led him to the bed.

“But wait. You don’t have...I mean, we don’t have...anything to...”

“Yes we do. I got some Crisco from the kitchen.” He suddenly turned a bright red. “You know, just in case,” he added softly.

“Of course. And I’m glad you had the foresight that I didn’t.” Then the words stopped, and Lex gently began to unbutton Clark’s top. He’d had sex before, many times, with many people. But he’d never been with a virgin. And just the fact that it was Clark made it that much more special. He was the experienced one here; it was his job to make sure that Clark’s first time was magical, and nothing like his own.

Once he had divested Clark of his shirt, he started on his pants. Clark’s cock was already partially hard. Nervousness kept him from being fully erect. He knew full well Lex’s wild past; he did read the newspaper occasionally. He knew that he couldn’t possibly compare to all those other lovers, experienced and, he imagined, amazing. He was just a virgin with no idea what he was doing. He only hoped that Lex could live with that.

When Clark stood naked before him, Lex took a moment to simply stare. The boy was simply beautiful. His arms and abs were sculpted from years of farm work. His thick and hardening member was nestled in a thicket of black pubic hair. His legs were long, and Lex could see the contours of the muscles in his thighs. All in all, a beautiful specimen.

Clark was nervous. Well, that was an understatement. Lex was staring at him like he was a piece of meat and Lex had been starving for weeks. He was surprised there was no drool. Actually, what really surprised him was that Lex seemed to find him sexy at all. He’d never thought of himself as cute, or handsome, or sexy, or anything. He was just plain old Clark Kent, and now, he was plain old insane Clark Kent. But something in him told him that Lex had never seen him that way.

Lex had finally found his voice. “Lie down,” he said huskily. Clark did. “Where’s the Crisco?” he asked. Normally, Clark would have found that statement funny. But neither of them was laughing now.

“Under the bed,” he said thickly. Lex immediately dropped to his knees and found it quickly. His fingers were shaking as he opened it and smeared copious quantities on his fingers. He’d done this too many times to count, but this time it really counted. He had to do this right. And he didn’t want to hurt Clark.

“Clark,” he fairly panted, “turn over for me.” Clark obeyed, twitching as his now-hard cock rubbed against the bed.

He rubbed the lube between his hands to warm it up. But suddenly, he stopped. “Clark, are you sure this is what you want? I mean, there’s...other stuff we can do. We don’t have to do this.” His cock was twitching and he ached to be inside Clark, to be complete, but not if Clark didn’t want it. He couldn’t bear to have violated him like that if it wasn’t what he wanted.

“God, yesss,” he hissed, squirming to get the much needed friction against his cock.

Lex breathed a soft sigh of relief. Gently, always gently, he spread his cheeks. One hand trailed down to his opening, while the other reached around Clark to stroke his cock. Clark gave a long, low moan, and thrust forward into the warm palm caressing him. Lex took the opportunity to slip a finger inside of him. He hissed, and then thrust upwards, trying to get more. “Should I keep going?”

“Yes, Lex, yes! And you don’t have to keep asking,” he said through clenched teeth. Cautiously, Lex added another finger, and scissored them open to stretch him out. He absolutely did not want this to hurt, so as much as he wanted to be in Clark, he would take his time and get him properly prepared.

A third finger, and Clark had to bite his lip so hard it bled to keep from screaming. It hurt, but the pain was gentled by the pleasure, and he was halfway between wanting to scream in pain and wanting to scream in ecstasy. He settled for giving a deep growl from deep in his chest, and thrusting up backwards. He wanted Lex in him. He wanted his cock, filling him in new ways and making him whole like never before. And he wanted it now.

“I’m ready, Lex,” he choked out, surprised he could still form coherent thought at all.

By now, Lex’s breathing had become shallow as well. He eased a hand down to touch himself, hissing with the pleasure. “Clark. Turn back over.” He didn’t give a reason, but Clark did it anyway. He couldn’t have known that Lex wanted to see his eyes when he fuck...no. When he made love to him.

Lex lifted himself up, and positioned his cock in front of Clark’s opening. He looked up into Clark’s eyes, as if fearing to be rejected, but all he found there was love and lust. He pushed in.

Clark’s eyes teared up, but when Lex asked him yet again if he wanted to stop, gritting his teeth as he said it, Clark shook his head. He didn’t want this to stop. Instinctively, he knew that the pain would stop soon. It wasn’t that bad, after all.

Lex pushed in farther, and winced when he heard a tiny whimper come from Clark. It was all he could do to keep from pounding into him over and over again, finding his release in the hot, tight channel he now found himself encased in.

An idea came to him, and he reached for Clark’s cock. He gently began to pump him, and Clark let out a whisper of encouragement. He began to relax, and it was then that he pushed himself all the way in.

Try as he might, Clark couldn’t contain the single cry that escaped him. Lex didn’t stop his ministrations, despite the feel of being balls deep in his love. Clark nodded through the tears at him. “Move,” he whispered.

Lex, not caring to inspect the pain in his voice, did as he was told. It wasn’t long before they were rocking together in ecstasy, the occasional cry of joy and pleasure escaping from both. For the first time in their lives, both felt complete. As if there was nothing in the world that could hurt them. Clark reached up and wrapped his arms around Lex, pulling him close.

This allowed Lex to change the trajectory of his strokes just in the slightest, and he hit Clark’s prostate.

Clark was so shocked by the sudden rush of new pleasure that he came on the spot. Ribbons of milky liquid coated their stomachs, and Clark knew he should have been embarrassed, but it was Lex.

Lex looked up into the clear green eyes, and with a cry, part of love, part of pleasure, he came, spilling himself deep inside of Clark. He was surprised to find that he was crying.

Clark smiled and reached out his hand, stroking Lex’s cheek with his thumb. “I love you,” he whispered. Which did nothing to abate the tears of happiness Lex found himself shedding.

“I love you too, Clark,” he said, leaning into his lover’s gentle touch.

***

Later that night, Lex was awakened by footsteps in the hall. He raised his head from its comfortable resting place on Clark’s chest. His lover was already awake, and his green eyes showed a fear in them Lex had never seen before.

“Oh shit.” He got up quickly, not seeming to care that his motion jostled Lex off his chest.

“Clark? What is it?” Lex sat up, suddenly worried.

“Lex, you need to leave. You need to leave now.” He tossed Lex the pile of clothes that belonged to him, clearly expecting Lex to get dressed and leave. The footsteps grew closer.

“Clark, what’s going on?” Lex ignored the pile of wrinkled clothes in his lap.

“Dammit! It’s too late. Lex, you need to hide. They can’t see you. I don’t know what will happen if they find you here...”

“If who finds me here? Clark, tell me what’s happening!” There was the muffled sound of voices right outside the door. Without further arguing, Clark pulled Lex down, and told him to hide under the bed. This time, Lex listened to him, scuttling under, where he stayed hidden among the dust bunnies that threatened to attack.

The door opened. He could see feet in boots coming to stand by the bed. “We gonna have to restrain you this time, Kent?”

“No, sir.” Clark said meekly.

“I don’t trust him,” another male voice said.

“Good call,” the first one said.

“Please no,” Clark pleaded. He held out his arms in supplication. “I promise I’ll behave.”

“And why should we believe you? We know what you are, Kent. And I don’t see any reason why we should trust the likes of you. Sedate him, Andy.”

The second orderly pulled out a shot. It was filled with a green liquid. Before Clark could move, the other one had grabbed him by the arm, and the second orderly stabbed the needle viciously into his arm.

Clark gave a long, low, animal moan of pain, and then collapsed in a heap on the floor. Lex’s eyes widened in shock. It only got worse as his love’s body was dragged unceremoniously across the floor and out of the room. The door clicked shut, and he heard the footsteps receding into the distance. Only then did he climb from his hiding place under the bed.

He brushed himself off, and then stopped and stared at his hands in surprise. He was trembling. Though from anger or fear, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he was going to find out what was going on. And he was going to make sure that those bastards paid for what they did to his lover.

***

Clark tried not to think about what was going to happen. He’d managed to block it out for so long, repressing memories and ignoring the residual pain, but now... He’d just had the most wonderful experience of his life. He didn’t know if he could survive it this time.

He couldn’t move his body. He could barely even feel it. After all, they didn’t need his body for what was going to happen next. Just his brain.

They reached the lab quickly, Clark wincing every time his body was ‘accidently’ bumped into a wall or scraped along a corner. It didn’t hurt, but it was so...degrading. They could do whatever they wanted to him, and he couldn’t stop them. Unfortunately, they’d both realized this long ago, and though Clark healed quickly, he was constantly finding unexplained bruises and cuts on his body.

He closed his eyes with resignation as they swiped their key card and the door opened. Neon lights were too bright against his eyelids, and there was the sound of typing. Of movement. The acrid scent of chemicals. Things Clark had come to associate with this particular brand of ‘science’.

and despised above all else. The scene of all his nightmares. The Green Room, they called it. He refused to open his eyes. He didn’t want to see the instruments of pain that were excused by science. Or the computer that would shortly be hooked up to his brain to give him sharp electric shocks and monitor the results.

The doctor, as he called himself, came in. He didn’t bother with niceties; he’d given up pretending that this was innocent science long ago. As far as he was concerned, Clark was a guinea pig.

Eyes still closed, Clark lay limp as his clothing was removed. He was in a chair, similar to that of a dentist. He knew this without having to open his eyes.

Small pads were suctioned onto his chest and his head. Needles were poked into his arm. Blood was drawn. He took a shaky breath. It would be so easy to fool himself into thinking that this was as bad as it was going to get. But he knew that the worst was yet to come.

“Clark. Open your eyes.” He took a second before complying. He was actually quite surprised that he’d been called by his name at all. Usually, he was just #13.

The room was close to what he’d remembered. The only difference was that a strange looking machine had been wheeled in and now stood next to him. Clark shrank back from it unconsciously. He had no curiosity whatsoever, no want to know what it was. It really didn’t matter. He knew it would be used to cause him pain, to hurt and rip and tear and torture. He really didn’t need any more information than that.

Dr. Rasmussen sat down at his computer. “Don’t be so scared, number thirteen. It’s all in the name of science.

The torture began before Clark could even scream.

***

As it turned out, the orderlies had locked the door behind them. Lex had played with the lock for a long time, but he couldn’t get it open. Eventually, he gave up, and just laid down in Clark’s bed. It was filled with his scent, and Lex found it easy to fall into a light sleep.

He woke about an hour before dawn, when the familiar sounds of footsteps and a dragging body returned. He felt an irrational fear. He didn’t want to know what they’d done to Clark. It had been hours. And the reason they’d taken him in the first place was not a good one.

Lex hid once more under the bed, but this time it seemed not to be necessary. They just tossed in Clark’s body, and then turned around and closed the door behind them. Lex wasted no time in rushing to his form, which lay still on the floor.

Relief washed over him when he could find nothing physically wrong with Clark. But on its heels followed a strange sort of dread. Something told him that all was not right here. Clark was still unconscious, and his face was deathly pale.

Lex needed answers. And he needed them now. “Clark, wake up.” When the dark-haired teen didn’t open his eyes, Lex shook him. “Clark, wake up!”

Finally, Clark blinked groggily. “Lex?” he slurred.

“Yeah. What happened, Clark?” Lex did a second check over Clark’s body, patting down his chest, his legs, his abdomen. But Clark neither flinched nor showed any indication of being in physical pain.

“It’s a...”he paused to draw a shaky, rattling breath, “really long story. Please, just help me to bed. I...I promise I’ll tell you tomorrow.” And with that, he passed out again.

Hauling Clark to his bed wasn’t an easy task. He was a big man, and Lex hadn’t been working out very much recently. What with being in an insane asylum and all. He was also still achy from his encounter with Alan. But he couldn’t just leave his lover passed out on the floor.

He dragged Clark up onto his bed, and crawled into bed with him before covering them both up.

He didn’t sleep for a long time.

***

The next morning, Clark woke with the sun. Lex immediately felt a slight jerk from his side of the bed. “Clark?”

“Mmmnn.” Clark moaned. He put a hand to his head, rubbing in circles as though he had a headache. Lex sat up.

“Clark what’s wrong?”

“I just have a headache, that’s all.” His tone was defensive, and as he said it, he turned over, so that he wasn’t facing Lex.

“Clark, please. No bullshit. What happened last night?” Lex was in full Luthor mode. As much as he tried to deny it, he was still very much his father’s son. And he hated being lied to.

Clark was angry now, too. He sat up abruptly. “You want the truth? Fine. I’m not in any way insane. I’m an alien. I’m empathic, and sometimes I can hear people’s thoughts. And I’m here because when they were experimenting on me, I tried to tell. So now they’ve sold me off as insane. I can’t go anywhere, and once a month, they drag me off to experiment on me and drain my mental energies. Does that work for you, Lex?” He spat it all out angrily, without breathing once.

Lex sat with disbelief. He couldn’t believe that Clark would rather create such an elaborate story instead of telling him the truth, which had to be simpler than that. But Clark held his gaze, and then Lex knew instinctively that he was telling the truth. Or at least, he thought he was. Well, at least he’d discovered why he was here.

“You don’t believe me.” Clark stated. All the anger had drained out of him now, leaving him sad and pale. “You think that that story’s the reason I’m in here. Because I told it, not because it’s true.”

“You’re not an alien, Clark. You’re just good at guessing people’s thoughts.”

Clark sat back crossing his legs. “Fine then. Maybe I am just a crazy. But what if I’m right?”

Lex had been about to leave. He loved Clark, and he wanted to stay, but this was just too much. He couldn’t deal with this right now. But what stopped him was the niggling voice in the back of his head that was wondering what would happen if Clark was correct. He sat back down.

“Alright. Let’s test you then, shall we?” Lex felt incredibly foolish, but he had to know. He just had to.

“Think of an object. Something out of the ordinary. And I’ll tell you what it is.” Lex got a clear picture of a lily. He brought them to his mother fresh every month. He used to bring them more frequently, immediately following her death, but...Time went on. And he’d begun to let go.

“A white lily. It stands for your mother. You bring them to her every month because you still love her and after all the time she’s been dead, you still can’t let go.”

Lex’s mouth hung open. Clark might have had good guessing skills, but he couldn’t have guessed that. He’d known. Which meant, the odds were that he was telling the truth.

But Lex wasn’t given to complacency. He wanted to run a few more tests. “Let’s try another one.”

“Please no, Lex. I’m really...tired. Last night they...and I...I’m just tired, okay? I’m surprised it even worked at all.” When Lex looked at him, he could see that he was paler. His voice was barely a whisper, and he looked like he was five seconds away from collapse. Lex had been blinded by his scientific curiosity.

“Oh my god. I’m sorry Clark. I didn’t mean...Go to sleep. We can talk about it later.”

“Thank you, Lex.” Before Lex could even begin to wonder what he was being thanked for, Clark had laid down and curled up with his head in Lex’s lap. He was asleep before Lex could blink.

Breakfast wouldn’t be for a few hours. And Lex didn’t want to wake Clark, so he shifted carefully so that he was leaning up against the wall with Clark’s head still in his lap. He began to stroke the boy’s curls idly. After a while, he picked up the book he’d found that Clark had been reading. It was some sort of science fiction novel, which made sense if Clark was actually an alien.

God. It couldn’t be, could it? Clark was in an insane asylum. Maybe this was why. Or maybe it was like he claimed, and he was perfectly sane, and merely being held here. He’d been taken away last night for no reason that Lex could see. Not only that, but he’d been treated poorly, and returned this morning barely conscious. Even if Clark was nuts, that was no way to treat him.

So that left him with the only other option. Clark was telling the truth. He was an alien. The facts pointed in that direction. When you’ve eliminated all the possible solutions, go to the impossible. Or something to that effect.

And if that was true, then did it change anything? He knew that was why Clark hadn’t told him. Everything about the boy had been so trusting and loving from the start. He must have been afraid that Lex would be...freaked, if he found out.

Well, he’d been right. Lex was freaked. But that didn’t change anything. He still loved Clark. He still would do anything to protect him. And he still wanted him to be happy more than anything. Sure, this alien idea would be a little hard to conquer at first, but he’d get over it. For Clark’s sake, if nothing else.

He felt his lover shift in his sleep. A small whimper escaped his throat. “Shhh, it’s alright Clark, I’m here, nothing will happen to you. It’s okay.” He pulled Clark closer to him, desperately wanting to take away the pain and the fear.

Clark woke with a start. Hazel eyes looked up at Lex, misted with fear and anxiety. “Don’t let them take me again, Lex. Please...”

“I promise, angel.” Lex’s eyes hardened as the Luthor in him began planning the numerous ways to put a stop to this. “They won’t ever come near you again,” he said, voice filled with the steel resolution. He would not allow his love to be hurt. Ever. Again.

***

“I understand you wanted to see me, Lex,” Lionel didn’t make it a question. Lex had put in some quality groveling, and Lionel had come only after letting him dangle for a while.

Lex gritted his teeth to halt the biting response that wanted to escape. The way he played this was going to be crucial to both Clark and himself. Not to mention those pathetic excuses of human beings who had been experimenting on Clark. If this worked out right, their lives would never be the same. “Yes, Father.” Lex winced at his own submissive tone. He hadn’t spoken with such...weakness towards his father since his mother had died. Everything in him wanted to rebel against Lionel. But not now. Self-control Lex, self-control. Breathe deeply, and remember, it’s for Clark. Not for him.

“Well?” Lionel said impatiently. The CEO of LuthorCorp did not like to be kept waiting.

“I wanted...I wanted to ask you to let me out of here.” Lex could see the incredulity in Lionel’s eyes, shadowed also with suspicion.

He snorted. “If you think that’s enough--”

“Please, Dad!!” Lex let some of his desperation color his tone. “You don’t know what it’s like here! If you don’t let me out soon, I really will be insane!” Lex whined. God, he hated this new person he’d invented to win his father’s trust. He was so whiny.

Lionel appeared to consider the idea for a moment. “Why would you want to leave, Lex? From what I’ve heard, you’ve gotten awfully close with one of the patients. Tell me, how did such a pretty boy toy end up here?” he sneered. Lex paled. His hands were shaking with anger and a bit of fear. If his father knew about Clark...There was no telling what else he knew about his new boyfriend.

He opted for the shallow approach, finally. “What did you expect me to do, Dad? There are no women here. It’s been months. He’s the closest I can get to a good fuck. Please, just let me out...” Lex let his voice sound on the verge of tears. He thought about all the horrible things that could have been done to Clark in his time here. Clark had steadfastly denied him the knowledge. The thought of it spurred many emotions in him, and most of them were helpful to let Lionel see.

“We’ll see, Lex.” And then his father stormed out of the room, leaving him frustrated and hopeful at the same. Which had probably been his exact intentions. Make him squirm a little bit before delivering the news that it had all been in vain. That he had degraded himself like that for nothing.

He lay awake in Clark’s bed that night, while his lover cuddled close. It was December now, and cold as hell. But Clark always seemed to be willing to share his body heat with him. He’d put in a request to change rooms so that he could be a roommate with Clark. It had been approved, and he’d moved in here immediately. He may have been trapped in a mental ward, but he was still Lex Luthor, and people still respected his last name.

“I don’t know if it worked, Clark,” he whispered, voicing his worries and breaking the silence for the first time in an hour.

“It doesn’t matter, Lex. At least you tried. And it’s not that bad...” he trailed off, knowing that Lex would be able to hear the lie in his voice. Lex winced.

“Yes, it is, Clark. And if this doesn’t work, I’ll find another way. I’ll take on those bastards myself if that’s what it takes to keep you safe.” Lex felt better after making his statement. His mind was made up, and nothing was left to do but wait and see if it was even necessary.

Clark pressed a firm kiss to his mouth. “It’s the thought that matters, Lex.” He kissed the delicate column of his throat, down to the hollow at the bottom. “And I’m flattered that you care so much about me.” He kissed down his chest, laving the slight dip between his abs with his tongue.

“Clark,” Lex gasped, arching off the bed. All thoughts of Lionel immediately flew out of his head when faced with this...Clark’s mouth, hot and wet and firm, and still moving downwards.

Clark stopped at Lex’s cock. He’d pushed the covers off, but Lex wasn’t cold. His skin was flushed with blood, and much of it had pooled in his cock, which was now fully erect. For a moment, the only sound was his own shallow breathing.

Then, with one stroke, Clark took him into his mouth. All of him. Lex cried out, thrusting senselessly into the hot cavern. Clark took it all, and then Lex forced himself back under control. He gripped the sheets tightly, and held his hips still. This was the first time Clark had...Well, wow. But he didn’t want to scare him.

Clark gently eased off, leaving Lex’s cock aching and coated with saliva. Lex was afraid that he was going to stop, but then, he felt Clark’s inquisitive tongue lick the slit of his cock. He bucked up reflexively, and his hands let go of the sheet. Slowly, they crept up to Clark’s shaggy mop of hair, lacing themselves tightly in the raven-colored silk.

“Oh, God, Clark, that’s...” he murmured mindlessly. “Love you, baby...God, keep doing that...with your tongue...unnhh,” he sighed. Funny, he never used to be a talker.

Clark lifted his head at the words. “Like this?” He licked the slit with the flat part of his tongue, and then moved down, tracing the vein on the underside. Lex cried out. Suddenly, he was balls-deep in Clark’s mouth. His hands clutched spasmodically. “Clark...I’m gonna...I”m gonna cum...” Clark began to hum.

Lex shot deep in his throat. He moaned as he felt Clark’s throat muscles working around his cock, swallowing his seed.

When Clark released him, he pulled his boyfriend up for a kiss. “God, you’re amazing, angel.”

Clark cocked his head. “Angel? I like it.” Lex smiled softly. He’d liked the way it sounded, too.

“Then let’s keep it.” He smiled mischievously. “Oh, and by the way. It’s your turn.”

He disappeared beneath the covers.

***

The next morning, there was a strange person in the common room. He was speaking with one of the nurses. He looked to be upper class, from the way he held himself. Lex immediately suspected, but he didn’t want to get his hopes up. Just in case, he told Clark. “Look, angel, I might be going today. If I do leave, I want you to know that I’ll miss you. And that I’ll be back soon, to save you from these people.”

Clark had nodded then, his eyes sad with the knowledge that his lover might be leaving him soon. But he would endure it, if Lex could. “I understand,” he’d whispered into Lex’s ear. “I’ll be okay. Just come back, soon, okay?” He tried to smile, but it came out empty.

When they’d descended to the common room, the stranger had turned to face Lex. He nodded cordially, said a few more words to the nurse, and then came toward them. “Mr. Luthor,” he said. Lex knew then. “I’m Dominic, one of your father’s acquaintances. He’s asked me to come pick you up and bring you home.” That was just like Lionel, Lex thought. Send one of the lackeys to do your dirty works. But he was crowing inwardly. He was free now, and soon Clark would be too.

Lex nodded coldly, and shook Dominic’s hand.

***

Life without Lex was lonely. Every night, Clark retired to his bed, and wondered what his lover was doing right at that moment. He wondered if he’d forgotten Clark. It had been a week now, and he’d heard nothing. Maybe Lex had moved on. Found some new girl in the city. After all, Clark apparently wasn’t even a good fuck. Or at least, that’s what Lex had told Lionel. Maybe at that very moment, Lex was screwing some gorgeous model who would love him forever and help him attain the high status he deserved.

Clark quashed these doubts down whenever he could. Even with his depleted powers, he’d been able to sense Lex’s strong devotion and love toward him. He knew in his heart that Lex would never forget about him. If he had to wait for a year, he would still know that Lex would still come back for him. No matter what.

And so he waited. Ever so patiently, he waited for the return of his boyfriend, the one and only person he would ever love. Ever since he’d first seen Lex, and felt the waves of emotion and sheer personality coming off of him, he’d known that he was the one. That he was the one that he was meant to love forever. Lex was his fabled soul mate. And for him, he would wait forever.

But it was still a surprise, that morning when he came down to the common room like he always did, only to find his parents waiting. His mother was in tears, and his father looked close to sobbing himself. Clark felt a welling up of happiness, and ran to embrace his family.

“Clark,” his father said, voice sounding broken and emotional. “We’ve missed you, son.” Clark let out a soft sob that had both of his parents clutching him even more tightly.

“I’ve missed you, too,” he whispered.

***

Once he was home, Clark waited for contact from Lex. He was out of the asylum, but he still didn’t have what he truly wanted. The first few days back had been filled with tearful reunions with all the people he had known before he went away. He fondly returned to farm life, rejoicing in the simple, normal tasks of his every day life. But he was still waiting for Lex, still wishing and wanting for his other half.

A year later, contact still hadn’t come. The joys of normal life had worn off quickly, and Clark found himself yearning for Lex with everything that he was. Problem was, Lex didn’t seem to feel the same. He followed his love’s actions through the news, watching the war between LuthorCorp and the newly emerged LexCorp escalate in proportion. He watched with longing the video clips of Lex, giving statements or simply fighting his way through the paparazzi.

Finally, he could wait no longer. A clear view of Lex’s haggard face in his mind, he went to his parents and told them everything. About his tryst with Lex, about the way that he had never stopped loving him, about the way that he would do anything to have him back. They’d been surprisingly understanding, and his mother had urged him to go after Lex.

So he did.

***

They’d spent two years in an asylum together. They’d pledged their love to each other forever. And now Clark was planning on making good that pledge.

The tall glass skyscraper that was LexCorp headquarters was intimidating, to say the least. Clark felt immediately out of place in the imposing and elegant building.

“I-I need to speak with Lex Luthor, please,” he stuttered. The secretary looked at him down her nose, as if he were something she might find on the bottom of her shoe. Clark winced. He wanted to curl up in a little hole and wait for the world to pass him by. But his resolve remained intact. He had to see Lex. Even if just for closure.

“Mr. Luthor is in a meeting right now. You can wait here. But I doubt he’ll see you. He’s a very busy man, Mr...”

“Kent.” Clark supplied, feeling like an utter doofus. He’d changed his mind. All he wanted was for Lex to come and hold him.

“You can sit over there, Mr. Kent.” She gestured toward a chair, and then picked up her nail file, going back to utterly ignoring him.

Clark waited for about an hour. For the first fifteen minutes, he fidgeted constantly in his chair, trying to get comfortable. The secretary glared at him then, and he accepted the fact that he was never going to be comfortable with her sitting right there, ready to judge him unfit to even speak to the esteemed Lex Luthor.

Finally, the door to the meeting room opened. Businessmen in expensive suits filed past, paying him no notice. But no Lex. Clark began to deflate, thinking that maybe what he was thinking was impossible. Lex had probably forgotten him now. He wouldn’t be able to bear seeing the blank look on his soul mate’s face when he looked at him. ‘Who are you?’ he could just picture him saying. And he could picture himself collapsing on the floor, unable to accept that he’d been waiting all this time for nothing.

But then, there he was.

Clark had seen him since he’d left the asylum. But only on TV. And Lex had always been so guarded. It was almost as if he were two different people.

Lex had trained himself well enough that his jaw didn‘t drop. He thought he stumbled into a waking dream. He hadn’t seen Clark in...well, a year. But still, every day, he would start at a dark haired man moving through the crowd. Or a shadow that bore a passing resemblance to his love. Every time, it was nothing. Every time, he watched his hopes fade like the recognition. Gone.

But this mirage didn’t disappear. He stayed where he was, trying to compose himself. He needed to find the cold hard center that he’d grown so used to showing. But the sight of his long lost love undid him.

“Clark.” His name was forced through a dry mouth and hoarsely whispered. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Clark looked down at his shoes. “Lex. Why....why did you leave me?” That’s right, Clark. Don’t beat around the bush or anything. No need for those silly formalities. God, he was an idiot. Now he knew why Lex had left him in the first place.

“Clark...I. I don’t know how to explain this.” Lex said haltingly. He’d never imagined having to explain this particular situation to Clark. Actually, he’d never imagined he’d see his love again. According to the plan, Clark was supposed to be dating some lily-pure beauty by now, gearing up towards his career and his life. Not still worrying about some twenty-one year old business magnate, who had nothing to hold onto but his empty dreams and the flood of useless money.

“Well, I really don’t care, Lex. You promised...” Clark’s voice became soft here, close to tears as he was. He was a few seconds away from a total breakdown. “You promised you’d come back for me. I waited...”

Lex noticed the strange looks he was getting from his secretary. He ushered Clark into his office, trying to ignore the heartbreaking sadness in his voice. The utter devestation that he had caused single-handedly.

Once the door was closed and they were alone, Lex began to pace. He simply couldn’t say what he had to while looking at that innocent face. “Clark,” he began. He didn’t know where to start or what to say, so he decided on something revolutionary for him. The truth. “Once I was out in the world again, I realized that you deserve better. Look at you. You’re twenty. You should be in college. Starting your job. Someday you’ll want to get married to a pretty hometown girl. You’ll have kids, a mini-van, and arguments with your wife over who’s taking the kids to soccer practice. I can’t give you any of those things. You don’t deserve the kind of life I could give you. The press would always be in your face, you’d never have kids. If you worked at all, people around you would constantly be wondering what I had done to get you the job. I couldn’t let you live like that. So I had to stay away.”

Clark still looked confused, but now there was more than a little anger mixed in. “Maybe so, Lex, but it isn’t your place to decide that for me. I love you, and that won’t change. I wouldn’t care if you were a homeless beggar, or the President of the United States. You have to believe me, Lex,” he pleaded. He couldn’t understand why Lex would deny them their happiness. Until he began picking up on something.

“You’re scared,” he said suddenly, an epiphany he could only now understand.

“Yeah, I am. There are so many things...Clark, do you realize all the things that would keep us apart. If you were in the public eye all the time, it would only be a matter of time before your secret was discovered...There are so many things that are keeping us apart. And...I‘ve changed.”

Clark grabbed Lex’s arm to stop him from pacing. “Lex. There are so many things we have keeping us together. For one, I love you. For another, you love me. ‘For if I lose my love, then I lose my all.’ It can be enough, Lex. If you want it bad enough, it can work. The question now is: do you? Am I really what you want?” Clark’s voice was firm and questioning. He disregarded his feelings, knowing that if he let them color his voice, it would bias Lex. This needed to be his decision, once and for all.

“I love you, Clark.” Lex stated. It wasn’t an answer, but it was a start. There had been so many reasons...When he looked at them all critically, not a one was at all substantial. His cover was gone, and now he had to face up to the truth. He was scared. He was afraid that somehow, seeing him, knowing him, would make Clark hate him. So he’d left Clark before it could be the other way around.

He knew of the other’s abilities, so it didn’t surprise him when tears began to stream down Clark’s face. “I was scared, Clark. I was scared that you’d leave me all alone...” It had seemed easier to make a clean break, to run and not look back, trying not to remember what he’d left behind. But Clark had finally caught up with him.

“I’m sorry...” His decision was clear in his mind. He loved Clark. If he couldn’t outrun the phantom hurt, then he would embrace the only thing that could save him from it. “Please forgive me, angel.” His voice cracked, full of emotion.

“Oh, Lex. I’ve already forgiven you. And I love you.” Clark pulled Lex into his sheltering embrace, the churning in his heart finally stilled at the touch of the one it yearned for. Truthfully, it felt like he was finally home.

***

“Mr. Kent. Mrs. Kent.” Lex extended his hand while watching his lover’s parents warily. He didn’t know what to expect from Jonathan Kent. Or Martha, for that matter. He’d heard a lot about them from Clark, but he was their child. He didn’t know what to expect, or how he’d be treated. So, he pulled a patented Lex trick, and withdrew into his business man shell.

Clark glanced at Lex through his peripheral vision. He sighed softly to himself. He hated when Lex got like this. It was almost as if he’d had a personality-ectomy. He would be cold and indifferent until Clark drew him out of his shell again. Clark hated that. He hated that Lex felt he had to hide from the world. And he hated that Lionel had brought him up to think that.

He’d spoken to his parents the night before. He’d asked, well, begged really, that they accept Lex. He’d told them that he knew Lex could seem...uncaring at times, but he was wonderful once you got to know him. And he’d begged that they give him a chance.

But still, Jonathan and Martha looked at Lex with a curious eye, Jonathan with thinly veiled criticism. They’d only had the one son, and it was hard for them to accept that they would have to let him go. The least they could do was to make sure that the person they gave him to was suitable.

Lex was aware that he was being monitored. He’d never been so nervous in his life. He’d never had the intense need to genuinely please someone before. Well, with the exception of Clark.

He followed Clark’s redheaded mother into their house. His first impression was that of a home. People lived here, real people. He felt as though he was intruding in their private space. But Clark’s hand came up to his back, to steady him. He knew that over the months his boyfriend had become steadily more attuned to his thoughts and feelings, but it still surprised him how often he knew exactly what to do.

As his mother disappeared into the kitchen, his father trailing, Clark leaned forward to whisper in Lex’s ear. “Just relax, Lex. They’re only people, like you and me.”

Yeah, but they’re your parents. I want to make a good impression. Lex thought, knowing Clark would pick up on it. Clark merely smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“Do you need any help in there?” Clark called. Lex prayed he wasn’t going to be left alone. He didn’t know that he would know what to do. He thought that if he were to sit down somewhere, he might displace something. He felt distinctly out of place.

“No thanks, honey!” Martha yelled back. In reality, she was hoping that Clark and his boyfriend would be able to entertain themselves, cleanly, while she and Jonathan discussed some things.

“I don’t like him,” her husband growled in her ear. He was leaning on the counter next to her while she prepared the chicken.

“Give him a chance, Jonathan. For Clark’s sake,” she said softly. Her husband simply grunted and went to finish setting the table.

Martha smiled to herself. Unlike her husband, her first impression of Lex had been a good one. He seemed to be a self-contained young man, able to take care of himself and obviously very protective of Clark. All good things, she thought, despite whatever the tabloids said of him.

She loved Clark very much, and she didn’t want to let go. But she was also very good at first impressions. And her first impression of Lex told her that he would protect Clark, no matter what the cost. With the kind of resources at his disposal, Clark would be safer with Lex than he had been with them. Or even on his own.

During dinner, Jonathan remained gruff and terse when he spoke to Lex. But Martha could see him softening towards the young man. She did have one thing to say on the matter, though. After dinner was over, and the plates were cleared, she pulled Lex aside to speak to him privately.

“I like you, Lex.” The young man was obviously cagey, wondering where she was going with this. Well, that was for her to know and him to find out, she thought in a fit of jealousy.

“You may think that Jonathan is the one to fear in this family. That’s not true. He’s a marshmallow. Especially compared to what I will do to you if you ever hurt my baby in any way.” Used to her son’s telepathic abilities, she knew he could probably hear every word, or at least, get the gist of what she was saying. But she really didn’t care. “If you ever take him for granted, if you ever make light of his affection for you, if you ever cheat on him, if you ever hurt him in any way, I will hunt you down. And you will be looking down the barrel of our shotgun in a heartbeat. Understand?”

Lex’s eyes were wide and he felt the wall pressed against his back. He pulled himself together. Clark’s mom was scary. “I understand. And I want you to know that you have my full support in ‘hunting me down’ if I hurt Clark. I don’t want that to ever happen.”

Martha nodded, seemingly pleased with his response. “Well, I’m glad we had this talk, Lex. I do like you. I think you’ll take good care of Clark for us, I really do. I know you’ll be able to do whatever is necessary to protect his secrets.” Lex swelled with the faith that had been put in him. Now he had even more reasons to make sure no harm ever came to his boyfriend.

“I already have,” he whispered, remembering the orderlies from the asylum and the scientists that had been in charge of the experiments on Clark.

Clark, who had been guiltily listening through his boyfriend’s mind, stiffened at the mention of the experiments. He’d pretty much put the whole ordeal out of his mind as soon as Lex had set him free. But the thought of those nights...the endless pain and the thought that it would never end...It brought back repressed horrors.

Lex, who, through continual exposure to Clark, had developed the ability to somewhat feel his love’s feelings, knew instantly. Clark’s terror was greatly diluted. To Lex, it felt more like the tingly feeling you get when unknown eyes are watching you. But still, he knew that Clark needed him.

He excused himself from the discussion with Martha, offering his profound apologies, and then hurried to go check on Clark.

To the untrained eye, Clark was just fine. A little pale, maybe, but other than that, he seemed to be all right. But Lex knew better. The instant he looked at his angel, he knew that something was wrong. It was sort of a sixth sense he had developed regarding Clark.

They looked at each other mutely, and then Lex took Clark’s hand and led him outside. Spotting the barn, and seeing Clark’s nod, he took them upstairs and then sat Clark down on the ratty couch he found there.

“Clark, baby, what’s wrong?” Lex noticed his lover’s trembling hands.

“It’s nothing. I just...when you were thinking...what happened to those people? The ones who took me and...experimented on me.”

Lex’s gaze turned hard. “You don’t have to worry about them, Clark. Their lives--if you can call them that--will never be the same.” He reached out and touched Clark’s cheek. “I promised you that no one would ever hurt you again. I plan to keep that promise,” he said. His tone turned soft and loving, the one that Clark knew was reserved for him and him alone. It made him feel special...and loved.

“I believe you, Lex. It’s just...what happened in there. I don’t think I can ever...talk to anyone about it. It was...difficult, to say the least.” He smiled in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. “I still have nightmares about it sometimes.”

Lex smiled now, too. Neither of their smiles held much humor. “I know. Sometimes you cry out in your sleep. I just wish I knew how I could help.”

“You already do. Just knowing that when I wake up, you’re going to be there, that helps me. I never stay scared for long afterwards.”

Lex pressed a kiss to Clark’s forehead. There were unresolved issues there, but not ones that would be solved tonight. “I love you, Clark. And don’t think that I’m going to just let this go. But for now, we should probably get back inside. I think your parents like me.”

“I know they do,” Clark said, reaching for Lex’s hand gently and kissing his knuckles. “How could they not?” Lex refused to answer the question.

Clark stood up, still clinging to Lex’s hand. Lex looked down at the point of contact, where skin met skin, and smiled. He wouldn’t say anything to Clark about his aversion to PDA’s. For this once, he liked the feel. He liked the security he both gained and gave from such a small thing as holding hands.

They started down the stairs together. Martha met them out on the porch. “Dessert, boys.” She, too, noticed the fact that they were holding hands so intimately. And she knew that her boy had made the right choice. Lex would love him, and Clark would love him in return. And it would be enough.

They were beautiful together, she thought retrospectively. Clark’s dark hair and skin a contrast to Lex’s bleached color and stormy gray eyes. Not to mention their personalities. Dark and light. Hero and savior. It didn’t seem to matter to them that it was impossible to tell who was who at any given moment.

Tomorrow they would return to Metropolis. Clark would go back to his college classes, and Lex would return to work. She hadn’t known Lex for very long, and yet...she already loved him.

***

Among the ruins of Sunny Acres Mental Institution stood the remains of a laboratory. The place had been burned to the ground a year ago. Arson was suspected, but no one was ever convicted.

The rolling, grassy hills were marred by the hulking ruin of the building. Charred beams jutted up out of the ground, standing in defiance of the disaster that had ruined the building. The earth around the building site was scorched, but new grass was growing in the rich soil caused by the fire.

If one looked, one could find the places where the rooms once stood. The laboratory was outside of this. The blueprints never showed its existence, and no one but the scientists who worked in it had known of it. Well, them and their subject.

Dr. Steve Rasmussen had considered Subject #13 the greatest discovery mankind would ever make. Imagine, a real alien. But Subject #13 had escaped, and the place had burned. There was no evidence of him ever having existed. All of their work had been lost.

But he was there anyway. There based on the small sliver of hope that some of the research had survived. It was slim, but he was going bankrupt. His wife had left him, and he was utterly alone. All he had was this faint hope that his life’s greatest work could be recovered.

He picked his way gingerly through the skeleton of the building. Bits and pieces of debris blocked his path. Here and there a half-burned clipboard, or a stray pill bottle that had escaped destruction. Most of the occupants had made it out in time, but their belongings had not.

Finally, he reached the lab. Some of the blackened walls still stood. Framed pictures that had burned on the wall still stayed up. A gruesome facade of normalcy. Ruined and melted plastic was stuck to his old desk. The thing was barely recognizable anymore. But he still remembered where he’d kept the classified folders.

He fished in his pockets for the key for a moment, before finding it. For a moment, he thought that maybe it had been too badly damaged for it to open. But after jostling the key in the lock on the bottom drawer, it finally squeaked open.

And there the files were, sitting peacefully in their manila folders, exactly the way he’d left them. It looked almost as if they hadn’t been touched at all by the fire. Hands trembling, Steve lifted the files tenderly out of the drawer.

He opened the one on top. Every single word was in order. The information was there. All of it.

Tears sprang to his eyes, and he clutched the folders close to his chest. They were his life now. He would keep them no matter what the cost. And with a little careful negotiating, he could return to doing what he did best. Science. Pure and undiluted. They hadn’t even been close to finding out what made Subject #13 tick. And now, he could.

He left the ruins behind, striding with a new sense of purpose towards a world that would soon be forever changed.