Tower of drabble

[scribblinlenore]

Here's my entry for the challenge...



The Tree of Knowledge
by Lenore


Clark truly believes that Lex knows everything. Not just his own secrets, but every detail of life in the city they share.

Certainly, he knows about Tuesday afternoons, room #53, the Starlight Motel.

Helen is beautiful, as ever. Clark kisses and undresses her. He has no doubt that across the city somewhere Lex is listening, understanding. Who these kisses are really meant for. How Clark imagines his touch wiping away the years of estrangement. What it means when Clark comes inside Lex's wife calling Lex's name.

Lex knows. Everything. And Clark can't understand why he doesn't do something about it.

***

Lex doesn't love her. So Helen settles for having what he has, knowing what he knows.

The first time Lex tried to leave her, she made it clear his methods were hers, too. No divorce, no mysterious accidents, or the world would learn everything about a certain superhero.

Clark, of course, has no idea she engineered the rift. When they sleep together, he touches her like he's touching Lex. And she loves taking what belongs to her husband, knowing that he knows.

No doubt, Clark hopes Lex will choose him someday. Helen's favorite project is seeing that he never can.

***

On Tuesdays, Lex works from the penthouse office and is not to be disturbed.

It seems silly he once worried Helen was his father's spy or marrying him for money. When he should have been terrified she was marrying him for love. Nothing goes bad faster than affection that's not returned.

Now all Lex can do is listen. Clark's moans always go straight to his cock. He doesn't want to touch himself. But he knows this is for him, every gasp, every whimper, a secret message. When Clark comes calling his name, Lex cries out for him, just as desperately.

***

Lex seems calm at breakfast, but Helen isn't fooled. He fucked her last night, always does after she's been with Clark, his kisses passionate, not like the quick pecks he usually gives her. He never speaks Clark's name, but Helen knows. Just as she knows how much he hates her on these mornings after.

"Time for some more evil-doing, Lex."

He glares. "Don't you think it's enough already?"

"You know our arrangement."

"Fine."

She watches him leave for the office. She often regrets giving up her own career. But at least torturing Lex gives her something to do besides shopping.

***

A warehouse full of illegal arms. And Lex. And Clark is so damned tired of it.

"I don't want to do this anymore."

"Am I boring you, alien?"

"I'm sick of that, too."

"Superman is just so pretentious."

"How about Clark?"

Lex's game face falters.

"Stop pretending. You know who I am. I know these 'weapons' are so rusted they couldn't fire a shot. I know your heroin was sugar. I know you're not a criminal."

"All part of my plan, alien." But Lex's bravado is failing.

"I don't know why you're doing this. But I will, Lex. I will."

***

Lex isn't ready for this. His people haven't found Helen's stash of evidence. And Clark can't know anything until it's safe.

"You overestimate yourself, alien."

"Oh, fuck this!"

Clark is quickly on him, kissing, touching, frantically. Lex needs to make him stop, but he's been waiting for this for twenty years. And Clark feels so good, tastes so sweet.

Only fear for Clark makes him strong enough to pull away.

"Lex, please--"

"I can't. Helen."

Clark freezes, terrible guilt in his eyes. Thinking he's miscalculated and Lex really does love his wife.

"I'm sorry," he whispers and flies away.

***

Lex is on the phone yelling that he needs results when Helen gets to his office.

"Problem, darling?" She takes a seat.

"Nothing I can't handle. What brings you by? Big sale downtown?"

She smiles sweetly. "Clark stood me up again."

Lex looks startled. They never actually admit she's fucking the love of his life.

"Happen to know why?" she asks.

"How would I?"

"Maybe you've broken our agreement."

"Maybe Clark's wised up."

She laughs. He can't hurt her anymore. "It's too bad, though. Alien stamina is an amazing thing."

Lex's face darkens, and that makes it worth the trip.

***

It takes Clark a week to realize Lex played him. Another few days to find him alone.

Lex looks startled when he lands on the penthouse balcony. "What do--"

"I know you love me. Not her."

"Clark--" Lex stops when he realizes his mistake.

Clark kisses him hungrily. "Say it again."

"Clark--" Lex moans when Clark sucks his neck. "You have to stop."

"Just tell me what she has on you. We'll figure something out."

"Nothing."

Clark freezes. "Shit! You're not protecting yourself. This stupid rift was because--"

"No, it wasn't--"

"She knows about me."

***

Clark has on his sacrificial lamb expression, and Lex has to talk fast.

"I married her to find out what she knew. But she stole information from me instead. She has proof, Clark."

"Don't stay in this marriage to protect me."

"Not just you. Your parents. Hannah."

Playing the family card is dirty, but Lex is desperate. Clark looks less confident.

"Give me some time. When I find her files--"

Clark's face goes pale. "Don't do that. Not for me."

Lex holds him, strokes his hair. He'd like to make promises, but they both know he'd only break them.

***

After a long evening, Helen sits at her dressing table, takes off her jewelry.

Lex has found her insurance policy, a possibility she was always prepared for. If you're going to play, you have to risk everything, and she's not sorry.

She runs her brush through her hair.

Whatever happens will be subtle, untraceable--a car accident, a mugging gone bad. He'll pretend to mourn. He'll think he's free. That he's won.

But Helen listens too, and she knows one person will realize the truth. And Lex won't have won anything.

Helen smiles into the mirror. Checkmate, darling, she thinks.


***

Here's the original drabble:

The Message

Clark truly believes that Lex knows everything. Not just his own secrets, but every detail of life in the city they share.

Certainly, he knows about Tuesday afternoons, room #53, the Starlight Motel.

Helen is beautiful, still. Clark kisses and undresses her. He has no doubt that across the city somewhere Lex is listening, understanding. Who these kisses are really meant for. How Clark imagines his touch wiping away the years of estrangement. What it means when Clark comes inside Lex's wife calling Lex's name.

Lex knows. Everything. And Clark can only hope that someday he'll do something about it.



Big thanks to xnitelite and kormanfan for the speedy beta!

Comments

[alee-gothphyle.livejournal.com]

Ahh! This version of the future is just... chilling. So easy to imagine so much going wrong all because of misplaced or unreturned emotions, and somehow the notion that everything falls apart because of scorned passion is just perfectly apropos. Sad, and anxious, and wonderful. Thanks!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the feedback, Alee! I'm so glad you liked the story. Whenever I see Lex and Helen on screen together, even when they do seem to love each other, they never seem to like one another. I can't help feeling that if they got married and stayed married, for whatever reason, it would just be disastrous.

[dolimir-k.livejournal.com]

Ohhh...good stuff.

But I think she's wrong. If Lex is trying to sell rusty guns and sugar as heroin, he might just let her live. Living with the uncertainty would certainly be the best revenge. *eg*

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Dolimir! And, you know, you're right. Helen may well be wrong. Nobody beats Lex at this game except Lionel, and devious though she is, Helen still ain't no Magnificent Bastard. *g*

[meret.livejournal.com]

Wow! Remind me never to get on your bad side. You eviiiilll. It's great. *eg*

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*preens* I've always wanted to be evil. *g*

Glad you liked it, Meret!

The Tree of Knowledge

[(Anonymous)]

Wow!

That was so amazing, the "voices" were right on. I'd love to see what happens next but I guess that's the mark of a good story, always wanting there to be more of it.

I think Lex letting her live with the threat of his doing something to her would be a pretty good punishment. I just can't give up the thought of Lex and Clark finding a way to be together.

icarus

Re: The Tree of Knowledge

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much, Icarus! I'm so glad you liked it. :)

And I think you're right. Helen may be convinced that Lex is going to kill her, but he's still the master games-player. And may have some surprises for her yet.

I'm a romantic at heart myself and also like to think they'd find a way to be together. Even if there were a lot of obstacles in their path.

[celli]

*awe*

This is *great.*

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Celli! I'm so glad you liked it. :)

[cruisedirector]

I know this is wrong, but I absolutely adore your Helen. So much better than the one on the show. This one has motivation and energy, a life beyond "does he loooove me," a sense of reality. (I love your Lex too, but that's almost secondary here!)

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Hey, deviousness is fun! *g* That is one of my big criticisms of SV. They take all the life out of the female characters. It's fun to try to put some back into them.

Thanks so much for the feedback!

[corinna-5.livejournal.com]

Aaaaaaah! Nicely twisty, and a chilling ending.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thanks, Corinna! I'm branching out beyond my usual happy-ending fare. Glad you liked it!

[rivkat.livejournal.com]

Argh! I am sending Amnesty International after you for your machinations against poor Clark and Lex. I really like the expanded version; the ending is terrible but inexorable.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, I am cruel and unusual. *g*

Glad you liked it, Rivka!

[ilexa.livejournal.com]

< reverant > Whoa. </ reverant >

*stunned*

Wow, Lenore. Creepy. Sexy. Heart-ripping. Creepy. Disturbing. Creepy...

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you, Ilexa! It was kind of weird not having a happy ending, but everything about the three of them is such a mess I really couldn't see one.

[hey-miss-missy.livejournal.com]

Wow. Awesome fic, Lenore. It gave me chills. My favorite line?

Lex looks startled. They never actually admit she's fucking the love of his life.

That just laid all the cards out on the table.

I do have a question, though, and it's probably because I'm really bad at interpreting fics sometimes. Seriously bad. I know why Clark is sleeping with Helen, and why Helen sleeps with Clark, but why does Clark think Helen sleeps with him? Just to have an affair or does he know she does it just to have what Lex wants? I'm sure it's clear in your fic, but I'm having trouble figuring it out.

Great story, Lenore!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much, Lady T! I'm so glad you liked it. :)

About your question... No, you didn't miss anything. I never mention what Clark thinks about Helen sleeping with him. But in part, I think he'd be so consumed with trying to get close to Lex that it might not even occur to him to wonder.

If he did, I suspect he'd conclude that Lex and Helen's marriage is just a sham. There's no love there anymore, on either side. He probably thinks Helen doesn't know Lex is listening. If he realized how Helen was tormenting Lex, he would never sleep with her.

I think Clark is really confused why Lex doesn't just get the message, doesn't leave his wife and come to him. Why he keeps picking fights with Superman. And that's why he finally decides to "out" himself. He's sick of all the games.

Little does he know... Poor woobie!

Thanks for the great question and the lovely feedback. :)

[semisuper.livejournal.com]

still absolutely loving this, lenore. You've done a wonderful job. :)

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thanks so much, Sarah! And thanks again for the beta reading. I tried to make the last section a little more clear. Do you think it works better now?

[edgecity.livejournal.com]

Lenore, this was wonderful. Excellent job. I loved the way you played each character on each other, how every action was for someone else. There are so many good parts...

Lex's face darkens, and that makes it worth the trip.

This is such an excellent line, and embodies Helen's motives completely.

"Clark--" Lex stops when he realizes his mistake.

Clark kisses him hungrily. "Say it again."

I love how Lex slipped up and said "Clark" instead of "Superman". Accidentally admitting that he knows it was Clark all along, just like Clark knew Lex was listening, and Helen knew she was destroying Lex.

Clark freezes. "Shit! You're not protecting yourself. This stupid rift was because--"

"No, it wasn't--"

"She knows about me."

This was the absolute best part, when Clark realizes Lex is protecting him, not himself. And the way this explains the whole rift, starting with Helen, is ingenious.

Clark's face goes pale. "Don't do that. Not for me."

Lex holds him, strokes his hair. He'd like to make promises, but they both know he'd only break them.

Yes. That is exactly what would happen, and everyone knows it. The ending doesn't matter. All that matters is that Clark knows who Lex is, and Lex knows who Clark is, and Helen was waiting for it all along. It's a lose-lose situation for both of them, and that's all Helen cares about.

Excellent job. Cheers.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback, SkaterBoy! I'm so glad you enjoyed the story. :)

All that matters is that Clark knows who Lex is, and Lex knows who Clark is, and Helen was waiting for it all along. It's a lose-lose situation for both of them, and that's all Helen cares about.

Yes, I think Helen more than anyone understands how fragile affection is, how easily it can turn. And that's her mission, to make sure neither Clark or Lex can have what she's been denied. I'm glad you thought it worked!

[timian.livejournal.com]

Oh, this was beautiful. Besides having some exquisite moments, your Helen has actual life. I've become weary of SV's depiction as women and screechy, needy accessories to men, so it's always a bonus to have someone rectify that.

Weirdly enough (perhaps), as I read of the Game between Lex and Helen, I totally thought, "This could so easily have been Lillian and Lionel." I doubt it was over another man there, but the rape & pillage approach to relationship that Hex have really fits within the larger Luthor dynamic.

Also? I sincerely hope Clark isn't a stupidhead and pushes Lex away if he offs Helen. (For one thing, I actually like your Helen, or at least find her interesting.) Wonderful work, as always. :)

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you for the lovely feedback! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. :)

I hate how SV portrays women, too. I have to admit that I had a lot of fun making Helen into the roaring bitch I know she secretly wants to be. *g*

And,oooh, I love your insight about Lionel and Lillian's marriage. We already know that Lionel was a faithless husband. I love the idea of Lillian making him pay. Maybe part of their deal was that she decided how to raise Lex?

Sadly, I do think Clark would be a stupidhead. But I have faith that Lex is more clever than Helen gives him credit for. I like to believe he'd find a way to get back at her, whether he kills or not, and Clark would never be the wiser.

[rontgenkatze.livejournal.com]

It's unfortunate that Lex and Helen despise one another, since the *right woman* who possesses a spine, would serve his purposes well.
You make me respect Helen, which is something M&G have never accomplished.
I'm pointedly ignoring how heartbroken I am by the manufactured rift, too. I'll be strong and brave just like our boys. *sniff*
Fabulous work, Lenore. Thank you so much.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you for the lovely feedback, Katze!

You know, I really liked Helen in the first episode she was in. You could see her fire, her determination, and that's where my vision of this future Helen comes from. I don't know what it is about the SV writers, why they always need to smack down or beige over a female character when she gets too uppity.

I'm pointedly ignoring how heartbroken I am by the manufactured rift, too.

A lot of people are convinced that Lex wouldn't actually have Helen killed, that he'd just let her twist in the wind, thinking he was going to do it. And then Lex and Clark could be together, And, you know, I'm down with that vision. No more hearbreak! :)

[siobhan-w.livejournal.com]

::cries for her boys::

Those poor boys, so in love and they need each other so much. Yet fate, in the form of Helen, will always conspire to keep them apart.

Very well done!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the lovely feedback, Siobhan! I'm so glad you liked it. :)

You know, I usually prefer a happy ending, but Helen just insisted on being vindictive.

[sinisterf.livejournal.com]

I really wanted to see more of this when you first posted it on the Wed100 so I am so glad that you did decide to pursue it! The idea was just so perfectly twisted that I really wanted to see the reason behind each characters actions and the expansion on the original not only did that but was carried out wonderfully.

Nothing goes bad faster than affection that's not returned.

This was one of my favorite lines; I love how you made Helen's motive scorned love, and it actually made her so much more interesting than the show has been able to. Also the fact that Lex would suffer so much for Clark adds just the right amount of romance and angst (I am a sucker for stuff like that). I really enjoyed reading this!

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you so much, Brandy! I'm so glad you liked it. :)

I actually think that Helen does love Lex in canon, and I think he *wants* to love her, but can't quite. I could so easily see that going all kinds of wrong. And I really think Lex would do just about anything to protect Clark in that situation. Not just because he loves him, but because he would feel responsible. Helen stole the information from him, that he was collecting because he was obsessed with Clark. And you know how Lex protects his friends. *hugs Lex*

Thanks so much for the feedback, doll!

[sinisterf.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

I agree on all points, it does seem that Helen genuinely cares for Lex and that Lex is trying to do the same for her, but just can't quite manage it.

And I really think Lex would do just about anything to protect Clark in that situation. Not just because he loves him, but because he would feel responsible.

And this point of view is why your Lex is always so perfect *g* you can write an obsessed Lex in all his glory and yet behind it is that idea so it is always a likable Lex.

[yavannauk.livejournal.com]

Wow! I loved the original drabble and the expanded version more than lives up to it. Sad, chilling... This is wonderfully done.

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thanks, Yavanna! I'm so glad you thought it worked. :)

[evangelene.livejournal.com]

This was just so excellent. My favourite part:

"I know you love me. Not her."

"Clark--" Lex stops when he realizes his mistake.

Clark kisses him hungrily. "Say it again."

So hot. Well done! I never trusted that Helen...

[scribblinlenore.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Evangelene! I'm so glad you liked the story. :)