I'm Feeling the Love

[scribblinlenore]

I've read a lot of SV stories I've enjoyed lately, and here are some of them...



A Real Boy by CJ
I really enjoy stories that portray Clark's sexual coming of age and how that's made more complicated by his alienhood. This story is by turns poignant, funny and incredibly erotic.

Inside Out by corinna_5
This is such a great AU I can't say enough good things about it! Set during New York's Stonewall uprising, it takes the issues of identity that Clark and Lex face on the show and explores them in a different context.

Married Sex by rosenho
If this is a rut, then sign me up! This is seriously hot, and I enjoy the thought that fifteen years later the boys' sex life will still be going strong.

The Oldtimer by ingrid_m (formerly known around LJ as LexluvsClark)
Hee! Lex is convinced he's got one foot in the grave, and it's up to Clark to convince him otherwise. There are too many hilarious lines to quote them all, but now when I stand in front of the mirror obsessing over some wrinkle or the other, this always comes to mind:

There were bags, no, an entire set of luggage, sitting beneath his eyes, with wrinkles lurking everywhere, even on his scalp. (Whoever heard of scalp wrinkles?) A permanent look of grouchiness and damn it ... he had SPOTS!

Either that or he was seeing spots. It didn't matter, both were bad.

Plus! There's this incredibly smart, sensible and poised assistant named Lenore who knows just who to call when Lex starts to freak out. Read this story for her, if for no other reason. *g*

(Yes, I did enjoy my birthday present. Can you tell?)

Not Less Than Everything by isagel
It's odd. There are many first person Sentinel stories I like, but for whatever reason, it really puts me off in SV. But not this story, told from Lex's POV. It's beautifully written, believably Lex, filled with wonderful insights, and very, very sensual.

Circumstances by joyfulgirl41
I'm really interested in what separates Clark from Superman, and this story has a fascinating take on it. An original idea that really made me think.

Agenda by lanning
There's probably no one who hasn't already read this story and isn't eagerly awaiting the next part of the series. But I did want to publicly show it the love. I usually find stories about Lex and Clark narrated from a third party's perspective kind of annoying, but this, told from original character Eli Cohen's POV, is incredibly poignant. I am so in love with Lanning's Lex. She doesn't file away his hard edges. He's still complicated. He still has dark places in him. But she shows us the man he could be if he had a family to love, to love him in return, a reason to be his best self. Lanning's Lex has the potential to become that truly great man he longs to be, and it's exciting to watch his development.

There were many moving moments in this, but this passage about Lex's feelings for Pamela and Eli almost made me cry (and I'm not a weepy woman):

"Defeat?" Clark's voice rose in amazement. "You won tonight, Lex."

Lex raised a skeptical eyebrow. "My father and Karloff seem blissfully unaware of this victory, Clark."

"You got two important pieces of your life back."

"Pieces Karloff didn't want."

"Do you want them?"

"Yes," Lex said instantly. God, yes. His voice thickened. "Yes. I want them."

Lex's need for a family hits every emotional button I have. And this piece is an amazing exploration of that theme. *sniff* Just beautiful!

Lied by Mererid
Okay, I admit it. Jealous!Clark really does it for me. In this story, the way he deals with women always asking him to introduce them to Lex is truly hilarious:

"His last fianc... she left him with a little, shall we say, biological present?" He whispered, and the woman leaned even more closely. At the word 'biological', she jerked back.

Hee! And SneakyRetribution!Lex is just as much fun. This story was wonderfully funny and hot.

Brand New Normal by runpunkrun
I like Punk's writing. A whole, whole lot. In this story, she said she wanted to get Lex's lead box away from Lana and back to Clark where it belonged, and she does it beautifully. She captures Clark's teenaged boy confusion and Lex's barely restrained desire, and the result is both touching and incredibly sexy.

Wonderland by rhiannonhero
It's Clark's birthday, and Lex says he can have anything he wants. Man! That Clark has some ideas. For anyone who thinks Clark and Lex having sex in Clark's teenboy twin bed while his parents are conveniently gone for the day is hot enough to melt the paint right off those farmhouse walls, then this is definitely the story for you. *g*

Doing the Unstuck by rhiannonhero
Broken-hearted. Hopeful. Broken-hearted. Hopeful. It's a real tightrope in this story, and that's the great pleasure of it. Love, hate, need so palpable you feel it in the pit of your own stomach. In the end, Rhi promises us that: It's never too late. And I, for one, believe her.

White Lightning by rosesmove
What a fun way to answer Nerodi's Historical Challenge! Set back in prohibition days, Lex is a government agent, and Clark is a super-strong, moonshine-running hick, who makes me think of a young Elvis for some reason. I really like Lex's characterization, showing us what all that focus and ambition of his might look like in a different, more upright life. And the sex? Really hot!

One Hundred Years by oxoniensis
The beginning and the end. And along the way, the people who make Clark the man he is. I found this beautiful and sad and really, really right.

I love dolimir's take on Mercy in A Touch of Mercy. According to her notes, she had Eliza Dushku in mind, and that totally comes through in this tough, wise-cracking, but still somehow vulnerable version of the character.

Primary by velvetglove
There are different ways authors tend to treat the whole rift business. There's outright denial (which I usually choose!), the it's-all-been-a-terrible-misunderstanding route, and the enemies-forever option. What makes "Primary" such a special story is that Lex actually learns from his mistakes. There is a rift. He did have the wrong intentions. And he regrets it. I make it sound simple, but the way Velvetglove writes it, it's layered and complicated and real and moving. You're not sure that Lex is never going to be tempted again. But you're reminded that things do go wrong in relationships, people lose sight of what's really important, and then they come to their senses. And they fix it. And that's incredibly reassuring.

I love Clark's sister Franny in this. She's a real girl, sometimes bratty, other times powerfully insightful, and always determined to get what she wants. She's wonderful, and it makes me sad all over again that BabyKent met such a horrible end on the show. They've already parted ways with Superman canon anyway, and that could have been such an interesting arc to explore. But at least we have "Primary" to show us what might have been.

A Christmas Tale, v. 2.0 by hackthis
Lex is put out that Clark misses Christmas Eve, but his gift makes up for everything. A must-read for Warrior Angel aficionados and anyone who loves the idea of Lex sounding like a little kid, so eager to open his present that you know he's going to be able to sleep a wink.

"Clark?"

A yawn. "Yeah."

"Can I see it now?"

"No, you have to wait until Christmas morning."

"Technically it is Christmas morning."

"No, Lex."

"Please?"

"No."

"But."

"Good night, Lex."

Hee! I just love it.

Five Lies Your Mother Never Told You by tstar78
This is one of the most amazing stories I've read in a while. Five vignettes of how things might have been that all ring incredibly true. The first one, about who Lana might have been if her mother had lived, is some of the best insight into what drives Lana that I've ever seen.



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I know there are more stories I meant to recommend, but sadly, the old brain is not what she used to be. Ah, well. When I remember, I'll be back with more. *g*

ETA: Okay, as soon as I posted this, I remembered at least one other story I loved. And I can't believe I left it off in the first place. Doh!