Love for Sale (aka Hooker!Clark), Part 11
Nov. 9th, 2003 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scribblinlenoreIt turns out that the angst in this story is not just angsty, but long. This is really just pre-angst here. The true angst comes next time. Also, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
raincitygirl, I put in that scene just for you. And nerodi, there's a moment inspired by you, as well.
***
There was a reason why stories always ended with a hasty "happily ever after," Lex was convinced. The details were just so hard to picture, the everyday reality so casually glossed over in the overly simple notion of "the rest of our lives together." To be honest, Lex had no idea what to expect. He had no way of knowing if it was normal that he found such fierce joy in such small things, standing side-by-side with Clark in the mornings as they brushed their teeth, knowing how Clark liked his coffee (dark and sweet) and what his favorite cereal was (Captain Crunch), every kiss goodbye, good morning, goodnight, hello.
He'd never gotten to this point in any of his relationships before. By now, the other person had usually tried to poison or stab him. He and Clark, on the other hand, had settled with almost startling ease into domestic tranquility. Clark had started his college prep classes and still saw a good deal of Mitzi, who was helping him study in between tennis dates and bridge games.
"I'm not supposed to let anyone know how good she is at math," Clark had told him with a smile. "She says it would ruin her reputation as a frivolous socialite."
In the evenings, they went out, or more usually, stayed in, just the two of them, intimate, together. Many nights, they went to bed early. Making love felt different now. Before, there had always been a frantic edge to it, Lex too aware that it could all end at any time, that Clark could get tired of their arrangement and take off and Lex might never see him again. It always made him just a little bit desperate during sex. Now there was a sense of forever, and Lex could relax, luxuriate in every touch, secure that everything he had with Clark would still be there tomorrow.
Life had never been better, almost too good, and sometimes Lex had trouble letting himself trust it. In the past, anytime he'd felt comfortable, it had merely been the deceptive calm before some new, horrific kind of storm. So he couldn't help keeping a wary eye out, on the watch for whatever hard note of reality would bring him plummeting back to earth.
It arrived, not surprisingly, in the form of his father, who showed up unannounced one Saturday morning.
"Dad. What brings you by so early?" Lex asked, as he let him in.
"This. Naturally." He tossed Lex a copy of the Planet, open to a picture of him and Clark at a recent fundraising event.
"You want to make a donation? That's very generous of you."
"I'm here to put a stop to it."
Lex arched an eyebrow. "The new children's hospital? Won't that be bad for your image?"
"Don't be flippant, Lex. You're not half as amusing as you like to think. You know perfectly well what I mean."
"I do." Lex strolled over to the table where breakfast was set up. "Juice?" He poured himself a glass and held up the pitcher.
"No. Now let's hear what you have to say for yourself."
Lex shrugged. "Nothing." He took a leisurely sip. "I don't owe you any explanations for how I lead my life."
Clark came striding down the hall, backpack on his shoulder. "Hey, Lex, I'm getting ready to take off--" He stopped, startled to see Lionel. "Sorry. I didn't realize you had company."
"I don't. My father's not staying."
Lionel shot him an irritated look. Clark moved closer to Lex, as if to shield him or perhaps simply to offer moral support. Lex hadn't told him everything, but he knew enough to realize this wasn't a pleasant family visit. "Do you want me to-- I could stay."
"No, Clark. Everything's fine. Really. And you don't want to fall behind."
Clark hesitated. "I don't mind."
"And I appreciate that. But it's really not necessary."
"If you're sure?" He still sounded rather reluctant.
Lex wondered, as he often did, how he'd gotten lucky enough to have someone like Clark in his life. He kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm sure. Have a good class."
"Thanks." Clark kissed him back. "I'll see you later." He nodded coolly in Lionel's direction. "Mr. Luthor."
Lionel smiled dryly. "Young man."
Clark gave Lex one last uncertain look before finally heading off.
"How sweet," Lionel said, once he was gone. "To have your little lapdog jumping to your defense."
Lex ignored the insult. "I don't expect you to understand the normal concern people have for one another when they're in a relationship." He sat down on the sofa and picked up the pile of the contracts he'd been going through before his father arrived. "Are we finished here?"
Lionel's face darkened. "No. And we won't be finished until you extricate yourself from this unfortunate liaison." His voice went softer, more coaxing. "Son, surely you can see this is the fastest way to destroy everything you've worked so hard for."
"Yes, well, the LexCorp stock price would beg to differ."
"You think the novelty won't wear off? Trust me. Soon enough, people are going to grow tired of seeing you gallivanting all over town with your boyfriend on your arm. Business is inherently conservative. You know that. What investors want to see is stability. That means a wife and children. If you must--" He waved his hand in the air. "Then do it discreetly. Not out in public where everyone can see."
"Because, of course, that approach worked so well in your marriage."
"Whatever you may think, your mother and I had an understanding. She enjoyed her position in society, and if I occasionally turned elsewhere for companionship, she took it in stride. It was an arrangement that worked quite well. For both of us."
"Funny. If it suited Mom so well, then why did I hear her crying in her room all those evenings when you were out with one of your--" He voice went thick with sarcasm. "Companions?"
"Haven't you outgrown these petulant recriminations by now, Lex?" He sighed. "Fine. I admit it. I was not a perfect husband. But I loved your mother, and I did the best I could. You're not a child anymore, and I've had enough of your petty adolescent rebellions. You wanted to get my attention with this inappropriate relationship? Well, you have it. Now it's time to stop making a spectacle of yourself with your little boytoy."
Lex set his jaw angrily. "First of all, Dad." He put all the bitterness he felt into the word. "Not everything is about you, believe it or not. And second, insulting Clark is the fastest way to get thrown out of here. Something you should bear in mind."
His father gave him a long appraising look. "That's quite a sense of loyalty you have toward your young paramour. I wonder, though. How much of it do you think is reciprocated?"
Lex's face went hot. "You don't know anything about him. So don't even try to malign him."
"I know he's very young. And quite good-looking. I can see that he's gotten very comfortable here. But then--" He swept out his arm. "This is the life, isn't it? And all he has to do for this luxury is--" He smiled in a way that made Lex's skin crawl. "Take care of your-- needs, shall we say? Not a bad deal, really." He moved closer, his voice taking on a confidential tone. "But who's taking care of his needs? Did you ever consider that? A vigorous young man like him. Do you really think the obligatory sex he has with you is enough to satisfy him? I'm sure he has offers all the time. Temptations. Do you honestly believe he's sitting here all alone all day long doing nothing but-- studying?"
Rage burned through him, but his voice was glacial. "Get out."
His father's smile was sly and satisfied. Even though Lex had seen it so many times before, it still pushed every last button he had. Only the knowledge that his father would take lashing out as an even greater sign of victory helped him keep his temper.
"It is hard to hear the truth, isn't it, son?" his father smirked, knowing perfectly well that Lex wanted nothing more than to hit him right then. "I have to be off now." He sauntered to the door. "Give my regards to-- Clark, was it?" Another devious smile, and he was gone.
Lex paced the room angrily long after he'd gone. If he still lived alone, he would have worked off some of his excess fury trashing the place. But he didn't want Clark coming home to a mess, asking questions he'd rather not answer, so he managed to contain himself. Leave it to his father, though, to take the best thing that had ever happened to him and twist it into something unrecognizably ugly. The man was practically an evil genius at killing off hope, but this time, Lex wasn't going to let him get inside his head and ruin his happiness.
He repeated this, out loud, like a mantra, as he treaded an agitated circuit around the living room. Finally, he just needed to do something, and he knew the perfect "fuck you" gesture. He picked up the phone and put in the call he'd been meaning to make to his lawyer for some time now.
"Randolph, I need to change my will."
"Lex?"
"Yes," he said impatiently. "I need you to get this down."
"Look, Lex, you caught me on the golf course. Do you think it could possibly wait until--"
"No. It can't. I have some very important provisions to make."
The near hit-and-run had started Lex thinking about what would become of Clark if anything ever happened to him. The prospect of him going back to his old life, turning tricks in some grimy alleyway, made Lex crazy. Then, too, there was the issue of what they'd do if anyone ever found out about Clark's secrets. He'd developed action plans for every foreseeable contingency, even secured forged papers to give them both new identities if it ever came to that. Now all he had to do was arrange this one last thing, and Clark's future would be secure.
Randolph sighed. "Fine. I'll take down what I can, but I won't be able to draw up the papers until Monday."
"Good. I want to get the ball rolling." He rattled off the new terms of his will.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. "You're sure about this?"
"I'm sure. Put it together and send it over. I want to sign it as soon as possible."
"Okay. If that's really what you want."
"It is. Watch out for the sand trap on the ninth hole."
"Yes, well, unfortunately I've already bogeyed it. I'll talk to you on Monday."
Lex hung up, took a deep breath and felt much better. Screw his father, anyway. For once in his life, he'd found someone he could actually trust, and he was going to love him and protect him and there was nothing his father could do about it.
By the time Clark came home, he was calm again. He brushed aside questions about his morning and got Clark to tell him about class instead. The way his face lit up when he talked about what he'd learned was the best antidote to his father's poison.
***
Lex made a concerted effort to put everything his father had said completely out of mind, but knowledge, unfortunately, was an apple of ruin. Suddenly, he was all too aware of the attention other people paid Clark. It was different somehow than it had been before when he'd taken a gloating pride in it. Now it felt as if a veil had been torn away, and he could really see. Everywhere they went, everywhere he looked, there was someone staring at Clark, greedy calculation lighting up their eyes. Doubt was the mental equivalent of bamboo under the fingernails, a constant, insidious torment. What were all these horny, salivating bastards doing to Clark in their fantasies? And could Clark possibly be thinking about them in return?
Occasionally during one of these mental torture sessions, he'd catch Clark watching him, frowning with concern. Sometimes he'd even come right out and ask if everything was okay. And Lex always said it was. Because he knew it was unfair, and he thought he could handle it. He really did.
At work, he tried to concentrate on business, tried not to obsess over imaginary personal problems. He reviewed new contracts, met with his management team to discuss expanding their supply chain and held his weekly conference call with the Tokyo office getting briefed on developments in the Asian market. Still, his thoughts kept drifting back to Clark, wondering what he was doing, and despite his best efforts, who he was doing it with.
He made it to lunchtime without calling to check on him, but then, he just couldn't keep himself from reaching for the phone. Maybe if he heard Clark's voice, he could get rid of this terrible sense of unease. He started to dial, but then stopped. His father's voice unspooled in his head. Do you really think he's sitting all alone all day doing nothing but studying? It occurred to Lex that he could just pop over, see for himself, put his unfounded doubts to rest for good. He called downstairs and ordered his car. Twenty minutes later, he was back at the penthouse.
He got off the elevator, went inside and stopped in his tracks. Soft sounds of talking and laughter floated out of the living room. One of the voices was Clark's; the other he didn't recognize. But it was male, and that was enough to freeze Lex there. He has offers all the time. Temptations. Do you really think the obligatory sex he has with you is enough to satisfy him? No doubt, this was something completely harmless. Lex knew that, but his stomach just went on churning anyway. He set his briefcase down and went to see for himself.
Clark was sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa, legs stretched out in front of him, schoolbook open on his lap. Another boy about his age, maybe a year or two older, was casually sprawled beside him. He had longish blonde hair, messy in the way that took hours of careful attention to achieve, big blue eyes and cheekbones so sharp they looked like they could cut something. He wore tight black jeans and a well-washed white shirt that hugged his body, open to the third button, hardly a casual outfit. Clark might believe this was all perfectly platonic, but Lex could see that this guy had a lot more on his mind than studying.
"Which amendment forbids unreasonable searches and seizures?" the blonde boy quizzed Clark.
"The fourth." Clark then asked, "What Supreme Court decision outlawed separate but equal public facilities?"
"Uh--" The blonde boy frowned, stalled by the question. Clearly, he wasn't as bright as Clark.
"I think the answer you're looking for is Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas."
"Lex." Clark's face lit up, and the flash of triumph Lex felt over the blonde kid was hardly to his credit. "I didn't realize you were coming home for lunch."
Lex shrugged. "Call it a whim."
"This is Brian. He's in my class."
Lex nodded. The blonde kid shifted positions uneasily. "Hey, Clark, maybe I should go?"
"No. Stay. By all means," Lex said, using his gracious host voice even if he really would have liked to kick the hair-gelled interloper out on his ass. "I'm just going to go find something to eat."
He beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen, poured himself a large glass of wine and drank it down. What the hell was he doing anyway? Sneaking up on Clark like this was the army instead of a relationship, and he was some kind of drill sergeant springing a surprise inspection. And what had he found? Clark engaged in the high crime of studying American history. God, he was pathetic. Twenty-four years of being manipulated by his father, and he still hadn't learned anything.
"Brian took off." Clark hovered uncertainly in the doorway.
"He didn't have to do that."
"I think he felt uncomfortable."
Lex stared down at the counter top. "I'm sorry." He meant it, in so many ways.
"Is it not okay for me to have people over? I just-- I want to know where the lines are."
Lex rubbed his hands over his face, feeling suddenly very tired and more than a little ashamed of himself. "Of course, it's okay, Clark. It's your home, too."
Clark moved closer. "Lex, Brian is-- He's just some guy in my class. You know?" He laid his hand on the back of Lex's neck, stroking his thumb in reassuring circles. "Was there some reason you came home today?" Clark's gaze was serious and searching, and Lex could feel it boring into him, unearthing parts of himself that he'd rather didn't see the light of day.
He took a deep breath and put on his sultriest smile. "I was hungry." He launched himself off the counter and onto Clark, kissing like a man who needed much, much more than lunch.
"Lex--"
This might have been a protest, Clark not particularly pleased that Lex was using sex to distract him. Of course, it could also have been a plea for more. That's how Lex chose to interpret it, anyway. He sank his fingers into Clark's hair, tilted his chin to deepen the kiss. Soon enough, Clark was kissing back and rubbing against him. Lex pushed him over to one of the kitchen chairs.
"I told you I was hungry." He dropped to his knees and opened Clark's pants, pressed his face against the white cotton of his briefs and breathed him in. He could feel Clark's pulse racing wildly, could feel the heat of his arousal beneath the fabric. He closed his eyes, savoring that this was his. His.
"Please!" Clark's voice was half-choked and desperate.
Lex eased his briefs over his hips, took his straining erection in his mouth, and it felt more like coming home than anything else ever had. Because Clark belonged with him, and he'd do everything in his power, use every trick he'd picked up from all those people who hadn't mattered, to make sure Clark was satisfied. That this was enough. That he was enough, finally.
"God, Lex!" Clark sounded as if he could barely breathe, and victory surged through Lex. He tongued and teased and cupped Clark's balls lightly in his hand, and then warm salt streamed into his mouth. He swallowed it down and petted Clark's hip through the last of his orgasm.
Clark slumped against the chair, spraddle-legged and slightly dazed, his hair damp along his forehead, bright spots of color in his cheeks. Lex sat back on his heels and admired his handiwork.
"So, um-- can you come home for lunch tomorrow?" Clark asked breathlessly.
Lex grinned. "I'll have to see about that." He rose up on his knees and kissed him.
"You know what, though?" Clark pressed his face against Lex's neck, his hot breath sending a shudder through Lex's body, making his already hard cock thrum insistently, demanding to be touched. "Now I'm hungry."
He sent Lex sprawling onto his back and slid off the chair onto his knees. He pulled Lex's pants all the way off and knelt between his splayed thighs. Lex moaned at the first, hot touch of Clark's mouth on him. He could just imagine the picture he made, naked from the waist down except for his shoes, splayed out on the kitchen floor, legs spread, greedy and sluttish. Then Clark did something so dirty and thrilling with his tongue it should probably have been illegal, and that put an end to any kind of thought for some time.
***
Afterwards, Clark let the subject of his impromptu visit drop, and he didn't seem angry, even though Lex felt certain he understood more about the motivation behind it than he would have liked. That left him feeling rather chastened. He made a strict resolution, no more surprises, unless they were the good kind, and he kept an eye out for ways to make it up to Clark. The annual Metropolis Chamber of Commerce Halloween Carnival seemed like just the thing.
He asked Clark about it the next evening. "So what do you think? Would you like to go?"
"It sounds a little bit like Halloween back home. There was always a haunted house and games and stuff. I'm sure this is a lot fancier, though."
"That's a yes then?"
Clark nodded. "Should be fun." He hesitated. "I just-- I wouldn't have thought it was your kind of thing."
Lex shrugged. "The whole business community will be there."
"Did you go last year?"
"Well, no--"
"So this is just for me, huh?"
He looked down at the table. "I just want you to be happy."
"Lex." Clark's voice was firm. "I am happy. Really." He covered Lex's face in soft little kisses. "You just need to believe that and stop worrying."
Lex wasn't sure he knew how to do that, but he didn't say anything. He took Clark's face in his hands and kissed him and kissed him, trying to communicate all the things he couldn't trust himself to put into words.
Clark grinned. "I'm still holding you to the carnival, though. 'Cause it really does sound like fun. Are you going to dress up?"
He shook his head. "I'm afraid my days of donning a peg leg and eye patch are over. It's strictly black tie for me."
"Oh." Clark dropped his eyes.
"You sound disappointed. You don't have some pirate fetish I should know about, do you?" Clark turned slightly pink, and Lex's eyes widened with interest. "You do?"
"No!" Clark insisted, adorably flustered. "It's just-- There was something I kind of wanted you to wear. It's in your closet, and I thought it could be a costume. You know, if you were going to dress up."
Clark looked nervous but determined, and Lex was intrigued. "Show me."
Clark got up, and Lex followed him to their bedroom. Clark went into the closet and searched through the racks of clothes. He found what he was looking for, pulled it out and presented it to Lex, a little shyly.
Lex tilted his head. "Club clothes?" A pair of slim black pants and an obscenely tight fitting silk shirt he hadn't worn since-- well, since he'd found what he was looking for and no longer had any need to go out trolling at discos.
"You had it on. The first time I saw you."
Halloween suddenly seemed a much more promising holiday than he'd ever thought. "And what would I go as if I wore that?"
"A rock star, maybe?"
"Hmm. I don't know if I'm really the rock star type." He took a step into Clark's personal space and could feel the heat radiating off him. "But I could put the outfit on just for you."
"Would you?" He felt the rush of Clark's breath against his skin.
"Sure. If you want me to."
"Yes. Please. I just-- I've always imagined what it would have been like if you'd noticed me that night. If I could have done what I really wanted." He leaned in for a kiss. "I'll go put on some music and maybe we can--"
"No." Clark blinked in confusion. Lex kissed him again, with more heat. "The leather pants you used to wear at the club. Put them on for me. No shirt. Just like you were that night."
"But how--" Clark's eyes were wide and incredulous.
"You think I didn't notice you?" He ran a hand down Clark's chest, flirting with a nipple. "From the first moment you showed up, I never noticed anyone or anything else."
Clark inhaled sharply. "God. Lex."
A quick, almost vicious kiss, and Lex pushed him out of the room. "Go. Change. Put on that music. I'll be right there."
It was hard to skim into the tight black pants when his skin was damp with anticipatory sweat and his cock was already taking an interest, but these were the sacrifices he made for Clark. He couldn't say he felt the same nostalgia for those days of unsatisfied longing back at the club when he could look, but not touch. Still, the knowledge that Clark had fantasized about him then, still did even now, sent a white-hot thrill arcing through him.
He dressed, hurried to the living room and came to a sudden stop in the doorway. Sound blasted from the speakers, house music with a heavy, throbbing bass line, a CD that must belong to Clark. It definitely wasn't his. Watching Clark move to it, though, made him reassess his taste in music. Clark didn't gyrate or grind. His movements were smoother than that, more fluid, the sensual sway of hips and ass, hands running restlessly over his own skin, eyes closed, the black leather pants that Lex remembered with such fondness riding almost obscenely low on his body, hinting at, but not quite revealing, all the most interesting bits.
Clark's eyes popped open when realized Lex was standing there watching him. "Come here." His smile was a promise, and Lex obeyed, giving himself over to the music, pressing so close to Clark that every movement of their bodies was a caress.
They danced that way for several songs, and then Clark spun him around, his chest to Lex's back, arm wound tightly around his waist, the heavy heat of his erection nudging Lex's ass
Lex closed his eyes, leaned back into Clark's embrace. "Is this what you wanted?"
"Yes."
"You miss the club?"
Clark shook his head. "The only thing I've ever regretted is that I never got to dance with you. I love the way you move." Soft lips explored behind his ear, sending a hot shiver down his back, making his cock ache. "You didn't dance that often, but when you did-- It was so intense. Like everything you do."
"If I'd known you were paying so much attention, I would have made my move sooner."
He felt Clark's smile against the side of his face. "No, you wouldn't. You were watching, making sure. You weren't going to rush anything."
"It wasn't like that--"
Clark stroked his hands over his thighs. "It's okay, Lex. I wanted you to be sure. I liked that you had standards. All those other men were so obvious, so desperate. Any piece of ass would do. But you-- You were so cool." He punctuated it with a kiss to his neck. "Elegant." A soft swipe of tongue across his scalp. "Classy." Sweet kiss on the cheek. "Beautiful."
"You're the one who's beautiful, Clark. I wanted you from the first instant I saw you."
"Me too. I wanted you so much. Wanted to know everything about you, what you were thinking, what you wanted. Everybody else there was so-- empty. Nothing on their minds but getting laid. But you were different. You looked like you could conquer the world, and I wanted you to start with me."
It would have sounded like meaningless flattery from anyone else, but this was Clark. And Lex wanted very badly to say something witty or sexy, wanted so much to live up to that picture Clark had of him. But Clark's tongue was in his ear, his cock pressed against his ass like he planned to fuck him right through his clothes, and all he could finally manage was a half-strangled, "Shit!"
"I wanted to be the one. So bad, Lex. You have no idea. I wanted to make you lose some of that control." He slipped his hand down the front of Lex's pants. "I wanted to do this in front of everyone. I wanted them to see. That I was yours, and you'd let me."
"God," he groaned.
Clark tightened his grip on his cock, jerked him harder. "I wanted to make you lose it. Make you come right there, while everyone was watching. So they'd know. That I was the one. The only one."
"Fuck, Clark! Yeah. Yeah. Please!"
He felt the familiar tingling at the base of his cock, the telltale heaviness in his balls, so close to coming. This might have started out as Clark's fantasy, but after tonight it was going to make a frequent appearance in his own dreams. He surged forward into Clark's hand and then back against his cock, grinding his ass, because the only thing that could make this better was if Clark came in his pants, too.
"Yeah. That's it, Lex. I've got you. Just let go. Let go for me."
And he did, eyes squeezed so tightly shut it made the bones of his skull ache, no air in his lungs as he came and came, freefalling, too far gone to even realize Clark had come too until he finally regained his senses long moments later and felt the wetness on the back of his pants.
Clark turned him around and pulled him into his arms. Lex rested his face in the sweet curve of his neck, breathing in salt and warmth and that indefinable something that was all Clark and felt like home. Clark stroked his hands tenderly over his back and brushed soft kisses to his temples. He murmured something that Lex couldn't quite make out at first, but his voice was low and affectionate, and it soothed him, made him feel warm and whole and-- loved, he was startled to realize.
Then he understood what Clark was saying. "Only you, Lex. Only you."
***
You can read the previous parts here:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10
raincitygirl, I put in that scene just for you. And nerodi, there's a moment inspired by you, as well.***
There was a reason why stories always ended with a hasty "happily ever after," Lex was convinced. The details were just so hard to picture, the everyday reality so casually glossed over in the overly simple notion of "the rest of our lives together." To be honest, Lex had no idea what to expect. He had no way of knowing if it was normal that he found such fierce joy in such small things, standing side-by-side with Clark in the mornings as they brushed their teeth, knowing how Clark liked his coffee (dark and sweet) and what his favorite cereal was (Captain Crunch), every kiss goodbye, good morning, goodnight, hello.
He'd never gotten to this point in any of his relationships before. By now, the other person had usually tried to poison or stab him. He and Clark, on the other hand, had settled with almost startling ease into domestic tranquility. Clark had started his college prep classes and still saw a good deal of Mitzi, who was helping him study in between tennis dates and bridge games.
"I'm not supposed to let anyone know how good she is at math," Clark had told him with a smile. "She says it would ruin her reputation as a frivolous socialite."
In the evenings, they went out, or more usually, stayed in, just the two of them, intimate, together. Many nights, they went to bed early. Making love felt different now. Before, there had always been a frantic edge to it, Lex too aware that it could all end at any time, that Clark could get tired of their arrangement and take off and Lex might never see him again. It always made him just a little bit desperate during sex. Now there was a sense of forever, and Lex could relax, luxuriate in every touch, secure that everything he had with Clark would still be there tomorrow.
Life had never been better, almost too good, and sometimes Lex had trouble letting himself trust it. In the past, anytime he'd felt comfortable, it had merely been the deceptive calm before some new, horrific kind of storm. So he couldn't help keeping a wary eye out, on the watch for whatever hard note of reality would bring him plummeting back to earth.
It arrived, not surprisingly, in the form of his father, who showed up unannounced one Saturday morning.
"Dad. What brings you by so early?" Lex asked, as he let him in.
"This. Naturally." He tossed Lex a copy of the Planet, open to a picture of him and Clark at a recent fundraising event.
"You want to make a donation? That's very generous of you."
"I'm here to put a stop to it."
Lex arched an eyebrow. "The new children's hospital? Won't that be bad for your image?"
"Don't be flippant, Lex. You're not half as amusing as you like to think. You know perfectly well what I mean."
"I do." Lex strolled over to the table where breakfast was set up. "Juice?" He poured himself a glass and held up the pitcher.
"No. Now let's hear what you have to say for yourself."
Lex shrugged. "Nothing." He took a leisurely sip. "I don't owe you any explanations for how I lead my life."
Clark came striding down the hall, backpack on his shoulder. "Hey, Lex, I'm getting ready to take off--" He stopped, startled to see Lionel. "Sorry. I didn't realize you had company."
"I don't. My father's not staying."
Lionel shot him an irritated look. Clark moved closer to Lex, as if to shield him or perhaps simply to offer moral support. Lex hadn't told him everything, but he knew enough to realize this wasn't a pleasant family visit. "Do you want me to-- I could stay."
"No, Clark. Everything's fine. Really. And you don't want to fall behind."
Clark hesitated. "I don't mind."
"And I appreciate that. But it's really not necessary."
"If you're sure?" He still sounded rather reluctant.
Lex wondered, as he often did, how he'd gotten lucky enough to have someone like Clark in his life. He kissed him lightly on the lips. "I'm sure. Have a good class."
"Thanks." Clark kissed him back. "I'll see you later." He nodded coolly in Lionel's direction. "Mr. Luthor."
Lionel smiled dryly. "Young man."
Clark gave Lex one last uncertain look before finally heading off.
"How sweet," Lionel said, once he was gone. "To have your little lapdog jumping to your defense."
Lex ignored the insult. "I don't expect you to understand the normal concern people have for one another when they're in a relationship." He sat down on the sofa and picked up the pile of the contracts he'd been going through before his father arrived. "Are we finished here?"
Lionel's face darkened. "No. And we won't be finished until you extricate yourself from this unfortunate liaison." His voice went softer, more coaxing. "Son, surely you can see this is the fastest way to destroy everything you've worked so hard for."
"Yes, well, the LexCorp stock price would beg to differ."
"You think the novelty won't wear off? Trust me. Soon enough, people are going to grow tired of seeing you gallivanting all over town with your boyfriend on your arm. Business is inherently conservative. You know that. What investors want to see is stability. That means a wife and children. If you must--" He waved his hand in the air. "Then do it discreetly. Not out in public where everyone can see."
"Because, of course, that approach worked so well in your marriage."
"Whatever you may think, your mother and I had an understanding. She enjoyed her position in society, and if I occasionally turned elsewhere for companionship, she took it in stride. It was an arrangement that worked quite well. For both of us."
"Funny. If it suited Mom so well, then why did I hear her crying in her room all those evenings when you were out with one of your--" He voice went thick with sarcasm. "Companions?"
"Haven't you outgrown these petulant recriminations by now, Lex?" He sighed. "Fine. I admit it. I was not a perfect husband. But I loved your mother, and I did the best I could. You're not a child anymore, and I've had enough of your petty adolescent rebellions. You wanted to get my attention with this inappropriate relationship? Well, you have it. Now it's time to stop making a spectacle of yourself with your little boytoy."
Lex set his jaw angrily. "First of all, Dad." He put all the bitterness he felt into the word. "Not everything is about you, believe it or not. And second, insulting Clark is the fastest way to get thrown out of here. Something you should bear in mind."
His father gave him a long appraising look. "That's quite a sense of loyalty you have toward your young paramour. I wonder, though. How much of it do you think is reciprocated?"
Lex's face went hot. "You don't know anything about him. So don't even try to malign him."
"I know he's very young. And quite good-looking. I can see that he's gotten very comfortable here. But then--" He swept out his arm. "This is the life, isn't it? And all he has to do for this luxury is--" He smiled in a way that made Lex's skin crawl. "Take care of your-- needs, shall we say? Not a bad deal, really." He moved closer, his voice taking on a confidential tone. "But who's taking care of his needs? Did you ever consider that? A vigorous young man like him. Do you really think the obligatory sex he has with you is enough to satisfy him? I'm sure he has offers all the time. Temptations. Do you honestly believe he's sitting here all alone all day long doing nothing but-- studying?"
Rage burned through him, but his voice was glacial. "Get out."
His father's smile was sly and satisfied. Even though Lex had seen it so many times before, it still pushed every last button he had. Only the knowledge that his father would take lashing out as an even greater sign of victory helped him keep his temper.
"It is hard to hear the truth, isn't it, son?" his father smirked, knowing perfectly well that Lex wanted nothing more than to hit him right then. "I have to be off now." He sauntered to the door. "Give my regards to-- Clark, was it?" Another devious smile, and he was gone.
Lex paced the room angrily long after he'd gone. If he still lived alone, he would have worked off some of his excess fury trashing the place. But he didn't want Clark coming home to a mess, asking questions he'd rather not answer, so he managed to contain himself. Leave it to his father, though, to take the best thing that had ever happened to him and twist it into something unrecognizably ugly. The man was practically an evil genius at killing off hope, but this time, Lex wasn't going to let him get inside his head and ruin his happiness.
He repeated this, out loud, like a mantra, as he treaded an agitated circuit around the living room. Finally, he just needed to do something, and he knew the perfect "fuck you" gesture. He picked up the phone and put in the call he'd been meaning to make to his lawyer for some time now.
"Randolph, I need to change my will."
"Lex?"
"Yes," he said impatiently. "I need you to get this down."
"Look, Lex, you caught me on the golf course. Do you think it could possibly wait until--"
"No. It can't. I have some very important provisions to make."
The near hit-and-run had started Lex thinking about what would become of Clark if anything ever happened to him. The prospect of him going back to his old life, turning tricks in some grimy alleyway, made Lex crazy. Then, too, there was the issue of what they'd do if anyone ever found out about Clark's secrets. He'd developed action plans for every foreseeable contingency, even secured forged papers to give them both new identities if it ever came to that. Now all he had to do was arrange this one last thing, and Clark's future would be secure.
Randolph sighed. "Fine. I'll take down what I can, but I won't be able to draw up the papers until Monday."
"Good. I want to get the ball rolling." He rattled off the new terms of his will.
There was silence on the other end of the phone. "You're sure about this?"
"I'm sure. Put it together and send it over. I want to sign it as soon as possible."
"Okay. If that's really what you want."
"It is. Watch out for the sand trap on the ninth hole."
"Yes, well, unfortunately I've already bogeyed it. I'll talk to you on Monday."
Lex hung up, took a deep breath and felt much better. Screw his father, anyway. For once in his life, he'd found someone he could actually trust, and he was going to love him and protect him and there was nothing his father could do about it.
By the time Clark came home, he was calm again. He brushed aside questions about his morning and got Clark to tell him about class instead. The way his face lit up when he talked about what he'd learned was the best antidote to his father's poison.
***
Lex made a concerted effort to put everything his father had said completely out of mind, but knowledge, unfortunately, was an apple of ruin. Suddenly, he was all too aware of the attention other people paid Clark. It was different somehow than it had been before when he'd taken a gloating pride in it. Now it felt as if a veil had been torn away, and he could really see. Everywhere they went, everywhere he looked, there was someone staring at Clark, greedy calculation lighting up their eyes. Doubt was the mental equivalent of bamboo under the fingernails, a constant, insidious torment. What were all these horny, salivating bastards doing to Clark in their fantasies? And could Clark possibly be thinking about them in return?
Occasionally during one of these mental torture sessions, he'd catch Clark watching him, frowning with concern. Sometimes he'd even come right out and ask if everything was okay. And Lex always said it was. Because he knew it was unfair, and he thought he could handle it. He really did.
At work, he tried to concentrate on business, tried not to obsess over imaginary personal problems. He reviewed new contracts, met with his management team to discuss expanding their supply chain and held his weekly conference call with the Tokyo office getting briefed on developments in the Asian market. Still, his thoughts kept drifting back to Clark, wondering what he was doing, and despite his best efforts, who he was doing it with.
He made it to lunchtime without calling to check on him, but then, he just couldn't keep himself from reaching for the phone. Maybe if he heard Clark's voice, he could get rid of this terrible sense of unease. He started to dial, but then stopped. His father's voice unspooled in his head. Do you really think he's sitting all alone all day doing nothing but studying? It occurred to Lex that he could just pop over, see for himself, put his unfounded doubts to rest for good. He called downstairs and ordered his car. Twenty minutes later, he was back at the penthouse.
He got off the elevator, went inside and stopped in his tracks. Soft sounds of talking and laughter floated out of the living room. One of the voices was Clark's; the other he didn't recognize. But it was male, and that was enough to freeze Lex there. He has offers all the time. Temptations. Do you really think the obligatory sex he has with you is enough to satisfy him? No doubt, this was something completely harmless. Lex knew that, but his stomach just went on churning anyway. He set his briefcase down and went to see for himself.
Clark was sitting on the floor with his back against the sofa, legs stretched out in front of him, schoolbook open on his lap. Another boy about his age, maybe a year or two older, was casually sprawled beside him. He had longish blonde hair, messy in the way that took hours of careful attention to achieve, big blue eyes and cheekbones so sharp they looked like they could cut something. He wore tight black jeans and a well-washed white shirt that hugged his body, open to the third button, hardly a casual outfit. Clark might believe this was all perfectly platonic, but Lex could see that this guy had a lot more on his mind than studying.
"Which amendment forbids unreasonable searches and seizures?" the blonde boy quizzed Clark.
"The fourth." Clark then asked, "What Supreme Court decision outlawed separate but equal public facilities?"
"Uh--" The blonde boy frowned, stalled by the question. Clearly, he wasn't as bright as Clark.
"I think the answer you're looking for is Brown versus the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas."
"Lex." Clark's face lit up, and the flash of triumph Lex felt over the blonde kid was hardly to his credit. "I didn't realize you were coming home for lunch."
Lex shrugged. "Call it a whim."
"This is Brian. He's in my class."
Lex nodded. The blonde kid shifted positions uneasily. "Hey, Clark, maybe I should go?"
"No. Stay. By all means," Lex said, using his gracious host voice even if he really would have liked to kick the hair-gelled interloper out on his ass. "I'm just going to go find something to eat."
He beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen, poured himself a large glass of wine and drank it down. What the hell was he doing anyway? Sneaking up on Clark like this was the army instead of a relationship, and he was some kind of drill sergeant springing a surprise inspection. And what had he found? Clark engaged in the high crime of studying American history. God, he was pathetic. Twenty-four years of being manipulated by his father, and he still hadn't learned anything.
"Brian took off." Clark hovered uncertainly in the doorway.
"He didn't have to do that."
"I think he felt uncomfortable."
Lex stared down at the counter top. "I'm sorry." He meant it, in so many ways.
"Is it not okay for me to have people over? I just-- I want to know where the lines are."
Lex rubbed his hands over his face, feeling suddenly very tired and more than a little ashamed of himself. "Of course, it's okay, Clark. It's your home, too."
Clark moved closer. "Lex, Brian is-- He's just some guy in my class. You know?" He laid his hand on the back of Lex's neck, stroking his thumb in reassuring circles. "Was there some reason you came home today?" Clark's gaze was serious and searching, and Lex could feel it boring into him, unearthing parts of himself that he'd rather didn't see the light of day.
He took a deep breath and put on his sultriest smile. "I was hungry." He launched himself off the counter and onto Clark, kissing like a man who needed much, much more than lunch.
"Lex--"
This might have been a protest, Clark not particularly pleased that Lex was using sex to distract him. Of course, it could also have been a plea for more. That's how Lex chose to interpret it, anyway. He sank his fingers into Clark's hair, tilted his chin to deepen the kiss. Soon enough, Clark was kissing back and rubbing against him. Lex pushed him over to one of the kitchen chairs.
"I told you I was hungry." He dropped to his knees and opened Clark's pants, pressed his face against the white cotton of his briefs and breathed him in. He could feel Clark's pulse racing wildly, could feel the heat of his arousal beneath the fabric. He closed his eyes, savoring that this was his. His.
"Please!" Clark's voice was half-choked and desperate.
Lex eased his briefs over his hips, took his straining erection in his mouth, and it felt more like coming home than anything else ever had. Because Clark belonged with him, and he'd do everything in his power, use every trick he'd picked up from all those people who hadn't mattered, to make sure Clark was satisfied. That this was enough. That he was enough, finally.
"God, Lex!" Clark sounded as if he could barely breathe, and victory surged through Lex. He tongued and teased and cupped Clark's balls lightly in his hand, and then warm salt streamed into his mouth. He swallowed it down and petted Clark's hip through the last of his orgasm.
Clark slumped against the chair, spraddle-legged and slightly dazed, his hair damp along his forehead, bright spots of color in his cheeks. Lex sat back on his heels and admired his handiwork.
"So, um-- can you come home for lunch tomorrow?" Clark asked breathlessly.
Lex grinned. "I'll have to see about that." He rose up on his knees and kissed him.
"You know what, though?" Clark pressed his face against Lex's neck, his hot breath sending a shudder through Lex's body, making his already hard cock thrum insistently, demanding to be touched. "Now I'm hungry."
He sent Lex sprawling onto his back and slid off the chair onto his knees. He pulled Lex's pants all the way off and knelt between his splayed thighs. Lex moaned at the first, hot touch of Clark's mouth on him. He could just imagine the picture he made, naked from the waist down except for his shoes, splayed out on the kitchen floor, legs spread, greedy and sluttish. Then Clark did something so dirty and thrilling with his tongue it should probably have been illegal, and that put an end to any kind of thought for some time.
***
Afterwards, Clark let the subject of his impromptu visit drop, and he didn't seem angry, even though Lex felt certain he understood more about the motivation behind it than he would have liked. That left him feeling rather chastened. He made a strict resolution, no more surprises, unless they were the good kind, and he kept an eye out for ways to make it up to Clark. The annual Metropolis Chamber of Commerce Halloween Carnival seemed like just the thing.
He asked Clark about it the next evening. "So what do you think? Would you like to go?"
"It sounds a little bit like Halloween back home. There was always a haunted house and games and stuff. I'm sure this is a lot fancier, though."
"That's a yes then?"
Clark nodded. "Should be fun." He hesitated. "I just-- I wouldn't have thought it was your kind of thing."
Lex shrugged. "The whole business community will be there."
"Did you go last year?"
"Well, no--"
"So this is just for me, huh?"
He looked down at the table. "I just want you to be happy."
"Lex." Clark's voice was firm. "I am happy. Really." He covered Lex's face in soft little kisses. "You just need to believe that and stop worrying."
Lex wasn't sure he knew how to do that, but he didn't say anything. He took Clark's face in his hands and kissed him and kissed him, trying to communicate all the things he couldn't trust himself to put into words.
Clark grinned. "I'm still holding you to the carnival, though. 'Cause it really does sound like fun. Are you going to dress up?"
He shook his head. "I'm afraid my days of donning a peg leg and eye patch are over. It's strictly black tie for me."
"Oh." Clark dropped his eyes.
"You sound disappointed. You don't have some pirate fetish I should know about, do you?" Clark turned slightly pink, and Lex's eyes widened with interest. "You do?"
"No!" Clark insisted, adorably flustered. "It's just-- There was something I kind of wanted you to wear. It's in your closet, and I thought it could be a costume. You know, if you were going to dress up."
Clark looked nervous but determined, and Lex was intrigued. "Show me."
Clark got up, and Lex followed him to their bedroom. Clark went into the closet and searched through the racks of clothes. He found what he was looking for, pulled it out and presented it to Lex, a little shyly.
Lex tilted his head. "Club clothes?" A pair of slim black pants and an obscenely tight fitting silk shirt he hadn't worn since-- well, since he'd found what he was looking for and no longer had any need to go out trolling at discos.
"You had it on. The first time I saw you."
Halloween suddenly seemed a much more promising holiday than he'd ever thought. "And what would I go as if I wore that?"
"A rock star, maybe?"
"Hmm. I don't know if I'm really the rock star type." He took a step into Clark's personal space and could feel the heat radiating off him. "But I could put the outfit on just for you."
"Would you?" He felt the rush of Clark's breath against his skin.
"Sure. If you want me to."
"Yes. Please. I just-- I've always imagined what it would have been like if you'd noticed me that night. If I could have done what I really wanted." He leaned in for a kiss. "I'll go put on some music and maybe we can--"
"No." Clark blinked in confusion. Lex kissed him again, with more heat. "The leather pants you used to wear at the club. Put them on for me. No shirt. Just like you were that night."
"But how--" Clark's eyes were wide and incredulous.
"You think I didn't notice you?" He ran a hand down Clark's chest, flirting with a nipple. "From the first moment you showed up, I never noticed anyone or anything else."
Clark inhaled sharply. "God. Lex."
A quick, almost vicious kiss, and Lex pushed him out of the room. "Go. Change. Put on that music. I'll be right there."
It was hard to skim into the tight black pants when his skin was damp with anticipatory sweat and his cock was already taking an interest, but these were the sacrifices he made for Clark. He couldn't say he felt the same nostalgia for those days of unsatisfied longing back at the club when he could look, but not touch. Still, the knowledge that Clark had fantasized about him then, still did even now, sent a white-hot thrill arcing through him.
He dressed, hurried to the living room and came to a sudden stop in the doorway. Sound blasted from the speakers, house music with a heavy, throbbing bass line, a CD that must belong to Clark. It definitely wasn't his. Watching Clark move to it, though, made him reassess his taste in music. Clark didn't gyrate or grind. His movements were smoother than that, more fluid, the sensual sway of hips and ass, hands running restlessly over his own skin, eyes closed, the black leather pants that Lex remembered with such fondness riding almost obscenely low on his body, hinting at, but not quite revealing, all the most interesting bits.
Clark's eyes popped open when realized Lex was standing there watching him. "Come here." His smile was a promise, and Lex obeyed, giving himself over to the music, pressing so close to Clark that every movement of their bodies was a caress.
They danced that way for several songs, and then Clark spun him around, his chest to Lex's back, arm wound tightly around his waist, the heavy heat of his erection nudging Lex's ass
Lex closed his eyes, leaned back into Clark's embrace. "Is this what you wanted?"
"Yes."
"You miss the club?"
Clark shook his head. "The only thing I've ever regretted is that I never got to dance with you. I love the way you move." Soft lips explored behind his ear, sending a hot shiver down his back, making his cock ache. "You didn't dance that often, but when you did-- It was so intense. Like everything you do."
"If I'd known you were paying so much attention, I would have made my move sooner."
He felt Clark's smile against the side of his face. "No, you wouldn't. You were watching, making sure. You weren't going to rush anything."
"It wasn't like that--"
Clark stroked his hands over his thighs. "It's okay, Lex. I wanted you to be sure. I liked that you had standards. All those other men were so obvious, so desperate. Any piece of ass would do. But you-- You were so cool." He punctuated it with a kiss to his neck. "Elegant." A soft swipe of tongue across his scalp. "Classy." Sweet kiss on the cheek. "Beautiful."
"You're the one who's beautiful, Clark. I wanted you from the first instant I saw you."
"Me too. I wanted you so much. Wanted to know everything about you, what you were thinking, what you wanted. Everybody else there was so-- empty. Nothing on their minds but getting laid. But you were different. You looked like you could conquer the world, and I wanted you to start with me."
It would have sounded like meaningless flattery from anyone else, but this was Clark. And Lex wanted very badly to say something witty or sexy, wanted so much to live up to that picture Clark had of him. But Clark's tongue was in his ear, his cock pressed against his ass like he planned to fuck him right through his clothes, and all he could finally manage was a half-strangled, "Shit!"
"I wanted to be the one. So bad, Lex. You have no idea. I wanted to make you lose some of that control." He slipped his hand down the front of Lex's pants. "I wanted to do this in front of everyone. I wanted them to see. That I was yours, and you'd let me."
"God," he groaned.
Clark tightened his grip on his cock, jerked him harder. "I wanted to make you lose it. Make you come right there, while everyone was watching. So they'd know. That I was the one. The only one."
"Fuck, Clark! Yeah. Yeah. Please!"
He felt the familiar tingling at the base of his cock, the telltale heaviness in his balls, so close to coming. This might have started out as Clark's fantasy, but after tonight it was going to make a frequent appearance in his own dreams. He surged forward into Clark's hand and then back against his cock, grinding his ass, because the only thing that could make this better was if Clark came in his pants, too.
"Yeah. That's it, Lex. I've got you. Just let go. Let go for me."
And he did, eyes squeezed so tightly shut it made the bones of his skull ache, no air in his lungs as he came and came, freefalling, too far gone to even realize Clark had come too until he finally regained his senses long moments later and felt the wetness on the back of his pants.
Clark turned him around and pulled him into his arms. Lex rested his face in the sweet curve of his neck, breathing in salt and warmth and that indefinable something that was all Clark and felt like home. Clark stroked his hands tenderly over his back and brushed soft kisses to his temples. He murmured something that Lex couldn't quite make out at first, but his voice was low and affectionate, and it soothed him, made him feel warm and whole and-- loved, he was startled to realize.
Then he understood what Clark was saying. "Only you, Lex. Only you."
***
You can read the previous parts here:
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10