The hand on his shoulder was cold. Very, very cold. Clark Kent closed his eyes and counted to three, then turned around. "Hey, Sean."
The burly young man, a little on the blue side, smiled down at him. Sean frowned as he turned his attention to the hand that still rested on Clark's shoulder. He turned a little knob on the briefcase-sized machine with "LuthorCorp, Inc" embossed on it hanging at his side. Both Clark and Sean breathed a sigh of relief as Sean's skin started to turn a faint pink.
"Clark, just wanted to let you know that Jeremy and I will definitely be there on Saturday. Do you want to do it before or after the dramatics?"
Clark pondered Sean Kelvin using the word 'dramatics'. But as Chloe always said, 'Smallville - land of the weird, home of the strange'.
"I'm not sure. Maybe you should ask Thaddeus?" Clark replied. He felt a momentary flash of guilt for putting this on Lex's houseman, who seemed to have inherited this mess the minute Lex realized how weird it was all likely to get. His guilt was only mildly assuaged by Lex's continual reassurances that Thaddeus' monthly bonus was going to be enough to buy a small country in South America.
"Will do, Clark." Sean gave him a frosty, yet friendly smile. Seeing his roommate and usual power source, Jeremy Creek, standing across the cafeteria, Sean left Clark and his friends to their trays of mystery meat hotdish. When he had reached the door, Sean put his hand on Jeremy's arm. The electric current running just below the skin of the former Smallville homecoming scarecrow suffused Sean's body with energy, his skin almost glowing in its pinkness.
Pete just stared as the former football player and currently on parole murderer left the cafeteria. He turned back to his girlfriend, Jody, who was poking the mystery meat hotdish with a kind of fascinated disdain. "It's dead, I think." Jody gave him a wonderful smile. Chloe and Clark exchanged a grin. It was so good to see their friends so happy, especially now that Jody no longer had to eat the body fat of a cow every day.
"True," she said, taking a bite. Her eyes grew huge, and she put a napkin to her mouth. Once the food was gone, wrapped daintily in the napkin on the tray, Jody frowned. "I don't think it was completely dead."
Chloe opened a package of Twinkies and gave Jody one, splitting the second with Pete. At Clark's look, Chloe gave him a bright smile, her eyes dancing merrily. "Lex can feed you after school."
Clark sighed, barely blushing at the mention of his boyfriend of six months. He knew that the food he'd be served after school at the manor would be far, far better than... whatever the hell this was. He planted his fork in the middle of the gray-green mess, just south of a cluster of pimentos. Everyone at the table watched with resigned horror as the fork stood upright, reminding Clark of one of Lex's little Trojan warriors. Deciding it was better to cut bait, he opened the zipper on the side pocket of his backpack, rooting around until he found his emergency candy bar stash. He scarfed the chocolate and caramel down as the bell rang.
~s~S~s~
Three hours later, Clark was sitting on the leather couch in Lex's study, eating a roast beef sandwich and watching as Lex talked on the phone with Gabe Sullivan, Plant Number Three's manager and Chloe's dad.
"All right, Gabe. That should be fine. Set up the meeting for Monday, and we'll get the oversights cleared up. Bye." Lex hung up the phone with a relieved sigh. "Okay. So what was the problem?" he asked, turning his attention back to Clark.
"Sean wanted to know when the ice skating would be," Clark paused. "Before or after the 'dramatics'."
Lex raised an eyebrow. "He actually used the word 'dramatics'?"
"Yeah."
Lex stood up and came to sit by Clark's side, turning to sit sideways, grabbing the long, firm, kosher dill pickle from the plate. He licked it, biting and sucking some of the brine, then started to munch. "Living with Jeremy must be improving his vocabulary."
Clark nodded, trying to think beyond the sight of Lex savoring his pickle.
Sean and Jeremy lived in the halfway house on the other side of Smallville, along with the rest of the people providing the entertainment for Clark's eighteenth birthday party, to be held at the manor in two days time. While Smallville had all the prejudices of a small town, there were some things - like gainful employment - that were held as a basic necessity of life by every good Smallvillian. Even for those citizens who had mutated, murdered, and were now permanently attached to a lo-jack.
Thaddeus entered the room, as if he knew that his planning assistance was needed. "There were some concerns about Mr. Clark's party, Mr. Lex?"
"Yes, Thaddeus," Lex replied. "Could you call Sean Kelvin and give him an idea of when you'd like the ice skating to start?" He grinned at Clark. "Before or after the dramatics, I think the question was."
Thaddeus bowed slightly, the silk of his clothes whispering across the room. "Very well, Mr. Lex."
When the houseman had floated back out, closing the door behind him, Clark turned to Lex. "Are you really going to let Thaddeus be their agent, if they agree?"
"Sure," Lex shrugged in that elegantly fluid way he had. "They need to get better gigs, and Thaddeus does have a flair for the dramatic."
Clark grinned. "Just like his employer."
Lex gave him the innocent look. The one that was usually followed by much rolling around on the large bed upstairs. "Come on, I thought you liked the idea of having a party that celebrated the best in Smallville culture."
Clark gave him the look that was usually followed by an inordinate amount of making-up-for-being-snarky foreplay on Lex's part. "Well, hiring them for entertainment seemed to be better than your first suggestion of having an all creamed corn menu."
They had both agreed that it would be pretentious for Lex to hold a birthday party for Clark, both remembering, though Clark hadn't actually attended, Lana Lang's seventeenth birthday party. The return to the Smallville community of parolees who had served their time as juveniles and who were to be returned to public life had caused a stir. Most of them worked seasonal jobs, Greg Arkin in pest control, Coach Walt with the Department of Interior, creating controlled burns of grasslands. Tina Greer worked sometimes with the local TV news, filling in when the newsreaders went on vacation. Sean and Jeremy, who by their 'gifts' had to stay together, were most often hired to make snow during the usual snow skiing season. Luckily, LuthorCorp had managed to create a battery, which Jeremy could re-charge daily, which allowed Sean to have limited movement.
All of which were nice jobs, but not regular paying. So, when the idea had been floated to take their abilities into the entertainment sphere, the convicted felons had decided to try it out. Clark's party would be the first such event.
Lex laughed, and Clark joined in after a minute, leaning forward to put the plate on the table in front of the couch. The minute he finished, Lex slid across the supple leather, stretching a leg over to sit astride him. Seconds later, warm lips were on Clark's, and tongues began to war. Lex's hands were in Clark's hair, longer than usual and in desperate need of his mother's scissors and the Tupperware bowl she used to cut his hair for special occasions.
Lex's jacket and shirt, as well as Clark's shirt and undershirt, were hanging on the suit of armor in the corner when Lex pulled back. Running his pale fingers over Clark's chest, darkly tan after the summer, Lex stopped to twist the already tight nipples. Clark groaned, and Lex knew it was time to adjourn to the bedroom upstairs. He pressed his erection solidly against Clark's, both serviceable denim and expensive linen showing damp spots where pre-come had bled through.
One last kiss and Lex slid off Clark, getting to his feet, a little unsteady as need flowed with his blood, pooling in his cock. Clark got up behind him and held him steady, tightly. Something twisted inside Lex like fire at the feeling of Clark's chest to his back, but Clark just held him, not making an attempt to pick him up. They had had the 'don't carry me upstairs like I'm a girl, Clark', conversation a few months ago.
Super strength and speed suppressed for the moment, Clark growled as he followed Lex upstairs. Thankfully, there were never any servants around when they made this trip. When the door closed upstairs, they fell on the bed, tearing at their remaining clothes, the feel of skin against skin more important than air.
Arriving home for dinner after being well fucked by his best friend and lover was always an adventure for Clark. He ran straight to his room, hoping his mother didn't notice that the pair of jeans he wore now weren't the same ones he had left for school in. Usually he kept some spare clothes at Lex's, the maids washing those, then wearing the next. Unfortunately, the nicely worn jeans from this morning were in two pieces, one leg still probably on top of the armoire in Lex's bedroom. They hadn't been able to find the other leg. He hoped the window hadn't been open, since he hadn't had a chance to check the garden for it. Clark rolled up another pair of jeans into his backpack, reminding himself to put them in his drawer in Lex's bureau, tomorrow.
Galloping down the steps to the kitchen, Clark went to the cupboard to get the dishes to set the table. When his dad came in, Clark smiled at him, receiving a cautious smile in return. Jonathan hadn't been too happy with his son's current relationship. But when Whitney and Lana ran off to Vegas last month, Jonathan Kent had pretty much declared defeat when it came to his hopes of heterosexuality for his son.
As Martha took the chicken out of the oven, Jonathan washed up. He took the bowl of mashed potatoes to the table, Clark following with the bowl of creamed corn. He smiled to himself, thinking what Lex would say if he could see the gelatinous mass of corn. When they were all seated around the table, his mother said grace and they started to eat.
"How is the party planning going, Clark?" His father hadn't been in favor of the party, but Lex's comment that it was helping the local economy, including his own farm, had finally penetrated.
"Pretty good, I think we'll be ready. Tina will be doing impressions, Greg has his flea circus and cockroach talent show, and Coach Walt will be breathing fire and running the grille, then midnight ice skating at the pond, according to Thaddeus."
Martha shook her head. "It's still... bizarre to me." Clark and Jonathan nodded. "Especially considering all these people have tried to kill you, Clark."
Clark sighed. It was an old argument. He had been responsible for bringing them all to justice, so he felt responsible. Besides, as Lex had said, it was giving them all a heads up in the entertainment business in Smallville. "I guess I just wanted them to have a second chance." His parents gave him that look he's gotten from them all his life. The one with which Clark was always reminded that his parents truly think he is god's gift. He shifted the conversation over to colleges and scholarships, and the rest of the meal passed quickly.
When the dishes were washed and put away, Clark and his mother went out to the porch. But instead of the special occasion bowl and scissors, his mother had his father bring the vacuum and the FlowBee. Just as the infomercials had promised, the Kent family all looked well trimmed in minutes.
The weather was perfect when Saturday finally rolled around. As Clark arrived at the manor carrying a garment bag with his suit in it, the sky was blue, the birds were singing. He slid into the house through the kitchen entrance and heard the chords of Chopin coming from the piano in the library. Great, Harry was here tuning the piano already.
He headed to Lex's office, stopping to talk with his friend Cassandra from the retirement home. While Cassandra generally didn't use her gifts on occasions like these, she had made an exception for Clark, whom she adored. She was dressed in a caftan and wore a swami's headdress. Her focusless eyes were looking at him, however, and Clark decided to wait to have his future seen. After all the last time it had happened he had ruined the back of a perfectly good jacket. As he left, Thaddeus was hanging a sign over a tent - 'Madame Cassandra tells all'.
Clark opened the door to the office and slid inside, watching Lex as he worked out on his treadmill. He must have been working out for awhile, for he was sweating, his shirt clinging to his chest. Moving behind Lex, Clark pulled the emergency stop cord, and the treadmill stopped. Lex slid back just enough to end up against Clark, who began licking the salty rivulets from his temples. He started to nip and kiss his way to Lex's mouth, their moans blending and echoing in his ears.
When they broke apart, Clark handed Lex a blue bottle from the cooler on the windowsill. He watched as Lex took a long pull on the bottle, wishing he had gotten here a little earlier, and that a few hundred people weren't about to arrive in another hour. Lex lowered the bottle and leered at him, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Clark's blush spread down to his toes. They left the library, heading to Lex's room where they showered and dressed, the lack of time frustrating them both.
Returning downstairs, Chopin was still coming from the library. Clark idly wondered if Harry knew anything else. Grabbing two more bottles of water, Clark and Lex headed out to the grounds. They found Thaddeus, in red silk today, in a conference with Coach Walt over a large barbecue pit. Lex and Thaddeus jumped back as the fire in the grille flared up.
"Sorry," Coach Walt said, closing his eyes again and the fire tamped down a bit.
Lex looked at him thoughtfully. "Maybe, Coach, we should put off the fire breathing, just at this performance?"
Coach Walt and Thaddeus nodded and Clark almost sighed in relief. He was glad to know he wouldn't have to worry as much where all the fire extinguishers were around the grounds today. One of the caterers was backing a refrigerated truck up to the pit, and Coach Walt lost interest in them, captivated by the fresh meat as the doors of the fridge on wheels were opened.
About halfway between the pond and the barbecue pit, Greg Arkin and Tina Greer were making out. Lex coughed, and the two matricidal mutants sprang apart, both blushing a bright red.
"Hey guys," Lex started, "you all ready for showtime?"
"I think so," Tina responded. "Thaddeus and Greg set up the stage, and Greg and the circus were practicing all night," she turned a warm smile on her beau. Greg nodded, letting Tina speak for both of them. He cocked his head and slipped a hand into a jacket pocket. He pulled out a butterfly, in a beautiful pattern of red and blue. He smiled to himself and let the butterfly fly into Tina's hair, where it sat, like a live barrette.
Greg moved away silently, grabbing a cage with looked to be an entire army of exotic cockroaches. He held it up, smiling delightedly at the bugs.
Clark felt Lex's hand at his back clench slightly. "How they doing, Greg?" he asked, feigning as much interest as he could in the creepy-crawlies.
"They're happy. They like performing," the bugmaster replied.
"Just make sure they don't get into the house, would you, Greg?" Lex asked.
"Of course not, Mr. Luthor. Don't want them to be hurt by any of the guests."
"Definitely not", Lex replied, and Clark was proud that the sarcasm was only barely detectable. Lex started forward, toward the pond, and Clark let himself be pushed, the warmth of Lex's hand a welcome distraction from the chittering of the bugs.
Jeremy and Sean were down by the pond, throwing a football. Sean tossed the ball at Jeremy, obviously a gentle throw for the ex-football player. Jeremy caught the ball and smiled, his face looking much less gloomy as he did.
"Heya, Clark, Lex!" Sean, his LuthorCorp, Inc battery sitting on one of the benches set up next to the pond, where the guests could sit to put on their skates, was already turning a light blue.
"Hey, Sean, Jeremy," Lex responded, looking over at the pond. "So, do you think you'll have any problems?"
"Nah," Sean looked over at the water, his face getting bluer and bluer. "I should be frosty enough in a few minutes to get this taken care of."
"Just make sure Jeremy heats you up as soon as it's done, Sean. Don't want you to turn into a total popsicle again," Clark added.
Jeremy looked over at his friend, a look of warmth passing between himself and the blue boy. "Don't worry, Clark, just a little zap and he'll be fine."
Clark nodded and looked up at the driveway. Cars were already starting to fill the blacktop. He sighed and looked over to where Lex standing, and knew it was showtime. He and Lex started across the grounds, heading to where Jonathan and Martha stood waving at them.
When they reached his parents, Lex was all charm and gracious host. "Can we get you anything? Something to drink, perhaps?"
Jonathan turned from where he had been looking over the colorful tents-cum-stages and Coach Walt and his fire pit. "Maybe a latte?" he asked cheerfully.
Lex blinked. At Clark's nudge to his back, he nodded. "Sure, lattes all around." Waving Clark's parents to go into the manor ahead of them, he looked at Clark. "Somehow, your father asking for a latte just drove home a certain..." he looked thoughtful, "insanity in the air."
Clark sputtered. "I'm glad you finally noticed, Lex," he said laughingly. "Come on. Showtime."
The fire was burning brightly in the fireplace in Lex's bedroom. Clark and Lex were lying on a fur rug in front of it, the yellow, orange, and red light of the fire reflecting on their damp skin.
Clark turned onto his back and yawned. "God, what a day."
Lex laughed. "It went better than I thought. I definitely owe Thaddeus that bonus."
"Who would have thought that it all would have worked out so well?" Clark said, shifting his hips as Lex's hand slid down his belly, stopping just above his cock. Warm skin on his like a brand and a promise.
"I was surprised, a bit," Lex confessed and qualified. "Thank god, Greg kept the bugs out in the grounds. I wasn't expecting the health inspectors today."
"Really? But you came out just before they got here." Clark turned to Lex with a raised eyebrow.
"Cassandra," Lex said grudgingly, "told me that some people were going to be coming to bug me." He frowned as Clark started to laugh, his long, large body shaking with it. Lex removed his hand, sliding a leg over Clark's, sliding on top of him, smiling at Clark stopped laughing, and the fine tremors that had nothing to do with laughter. "Did you enjoy your party?" he asked, leaning down to nibble on nipples already hard and peaked.
"Yeah," Clark replied, writhing as Lex bit a little harder. "It was fun, ice skating in September, especially."
Lex laughed against Clark's skin. When he lifted his head, Clark was asking the question with his cocked eyebrow. "Your mom told me she'd start knitting me a hat next week," he told Clark. "She doesn't want me to catch a cold. I told her I don't get sick, but she said she doesn't want my ears to freeze."
Clark's laugh turned into a giggle as Lex returned his attention to straining nipples. "What did you say to that?"
Lex left the right nipple with a regretful kiss. "What could I say? I thanked her for her concern, and steered her away from the arch in the garden, when I saw the other half of your jeans hanging there."
Clark grinned up at him, sliding his hands on Lex's smooth scalp. "You're going to be such a good son-in-law, you know."
Lex snorted, but leaned down for another kiss, undulating his hips against Clark's, cock sliding against cock as his tongue stole into Clark's mouth. When he needed to breathe again, he leaned back, regret in every cell, staring at Clark, his dark hair mixing with the white fur of the rug, his bronzed skin waiting for Lex's touch. "It was a good day?" he asked, smiling at his lover. Knowing that for the first time he'd be waking with Clark beside him, leaving him with a sort of relief, deep inside.
"Oh, yeah," Clark said, pulling Lex down for another kiss, his hands sliding over Lex's back, touching Lex's skin, soft as fine silk. "Much better than creamed corn."
© EAS, December, 2001
Disclaimer: All canon based Smallville characters belong to WB and/or DC Comics.
I am making no money, just enjoying playing in the sandbox.
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