It's Easy to Talk When No One's Listening
Sequel/Series: no
Pairing: CLex
Rating: PG
Category: romance, first time
Archive: list archive
Notes: this is what happens when I can’t sleep, yeesh
Warnings: I deny all knowledge of season 2, so forget canon
Disclaimer: not mine
Summary: Lex visits his mother
Almost reluctantly, Lex got out of the limo and stared up at the gates of the cemetery. All day, he’d had the unshakable urge to visit her, but he still hated coming here.
More than ever, he wished his mother was alive so she could actually answer all the questions he asked her. Questions he couldn’t ask anyone else. His life was… his life was complicated.
Despite everything that had happened to him, and all that his father had done to him, Lex still believed in love. He had to, not just for his own sanity, but because he could still remember how much his mother had truly loved his father, and she’d have had to, to stay with him for so long!
That and the small matter of his own heart and how he’d managed to give it away to his best friend. His best friend who was a seventeen year old boy and straight. Maybe not such a small matter after all.
And that was part of the reason he did need to talk to his mother; because he’d met someone. Someone nice, intelligent, funny… second best. But what else could he do? It was settle, or stay alone.
With a sigh, Lex made his way through the cemetery to the ostentatious monument that served as his mother’s headstone. Only, as he got closer, Lex realised there was someone already heading in that direction. Even though he was some distance away, Lex could tell from the red, flannel shirt, jeans and dark hair, that it was Clark.
What could Clark possibly be doing there?
Consumed with curiosity, Lex shadowed Clark carefully, stopping close by, but staying hidden when his friend came to a halt in front of his mother’s grave.
Lex watched, feeling more than a little odd as Clark knelt down and brushed a few stray leaves away.
“Hey, Mrs. Luthor, it’s Clark Kent again.”
Slightly shocked, Lex moved closer so he could hear better; wondering again what Clark could possibly be doing here, talking to *Lex’s* mother.
“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you any flowers, I kinda suddenly needed to talk.”
Lex saw rather than heard Clark’s sigh.
“I just don’t know what to do, Ma’am. It’s the same old story, but I’m so worried about Lex now.”
Frowning, Lex couldn’t work out why Clark would be worried about him.
“I mean, he doesn’t just attract trouble, it pretty much seems to know where he is at all times, but… Mrs. Luthor, how am I supposed to protect him when…” Clark sighed again and Lex sank further into confusion. Protect him?
“He met this woman, some doctor or something,” Clark made a rude noise that startled Lex, “Helen,” Clark continued, “I hate her. I do. And it’s terrible because she’s nice and Lex likes her and *God* I’m so jealous, I just want to…” Clark stopped, thankfully, because Lex was having trouble assimilating what he was hearing.
Jealous? Jealous how? As a friend, what? Lex somehow managed not to move, to keep listening.
“But, how can I say anything when I can’t even tell him I’m… when I can’t tell him who I am; *what* I am? And it’s not that I don’t trust him, you know I do. I trust him more than anyone. More than Pete, so how come I could tell him?”
Lex’s chest tightened painfully with hurt that Clark had confided in Pete and not him, despite what he’d said about trust. Lex started to back away, he shouldn’t be eavesdropping anyway, but something almost seemed to push at his back, forcing him to stay. Before he could wonder at that, Clark started to talk again.
“I mean, I always knew that. I always knew he was my best friend and I loved him, you know that Ma’am, I didn’t want to lose him. And then Desiree…”
Not quite suppressing a shudder at the mention of his ex-wife’s name, Lex shifted forward a little, wanting to know why Clark would bring her up.
“It’s funny. I couldn’t work out why she was so attractive to me the first time I met her. Until Lex walked straight past me to her.”
Lex’s eyebrows shot up in shock at the venom in Clark’s tone as he said that last word.
“It was because she smelled of Lex and I still didn’t realise, until I saw him kiss her, just how much I had fallen in love with him.”
Clark’s head bowed and Lex saw his shoulders hitch. He wanted to go to his friend, tell him it was okay, but the same pressure that had kept him from leaving, stopped him from moving again. Frustrated, Lex continued to listen.
“If I tell him my secret I could lose him, lose his trust and I just can’t risk that. But… but I know he knows when I lie to him. How much longer will he put up with that? Will I lose him anyway?” With that Clark’s voice broke and he sobbed loudly.
Finally, Lex could move and he closed the short distance between them, dropping to his knees beside his best friend and enfolding him in his arms.
“Lex?!” Clark gasped in fearful surprise. “Oh God!”
“Shh,” Lex said quietly, “It’s okay.”
“But I… oh, but…”
Lex gently put his finger on Clark’s lips. “It’s okay, Clark. Yes, I did hear what you said,” he said, answering the unasked question. Clark’s eyes widened, filling with pain and Lex sighed, “Just listen to me for a moment.” He waited until Clark nodded hesitantly.
“First, you’ll never lose me; ever. Second, I trust you enough that I can wait till you’re ready to tell me your secrets.”
Clark blinked at him, eyebrows crinkling together in an expression that bordered on disbelief. Lex continued anyway.
“And third,” Lex lifted his finger from Clark’s mouth and leaned forward to replace it with his lips, kissing him gently. At Clark’s gasp, he pulled back and smiled, “I’m in love with you.”
Clark stared at him unblinkingly, opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again.
“Clark?” Lex started in concern.
“I’m an alien, I come down the meteor shower and I have superhuman powers,” Clark rushed out in one breath.
It was Lex’s turn to stare unblinkingly. “I…” he started as he recovered, “Are you sure?”
Amazingly, Clark started to laugh; happily. No hint of hysteria or sarcasm. “Yeah, I’m sure,” he replied.
“Why are you laughing?” Lex asked, surprised.
“Because I never expected you to look so… so flabbergasted,” Clark chuckled.
Lex sat back on his heels and stared seriously at his best friend. It *was* a shock, but not a huge one considering some of the things they’d come across in Smallville. Everything was out in the open and Clark loved him. Did anything thing else really matter?
“You know,” Lex got up and brushed off his pants. Clark stared up at him worriedly. “It’s a good thing I love you or I might be pissed at you laughing at me.” He held out his hand and Clark took it, grinning as Lex pulled him up.
“So, we’re okay?” Clark asked quietly.
“Yeah,” Lex nodded. He wrapped an arm round Clark’s waist.
“Bye Mom,” Lex said quietly.
“Bye,” Clark added.
Lex squeezed him gently, and then they slowly walked back to the limo.
@>*~
Behind them, a figure stood and watched, her arms folded across her chest.
“Men,” she tutted, “Utterly useless without a woman to push them in the right direction.”
With a satisfied sigh, Lillian Luthor stepped back into her grave. Finally, Lex would be happy and that nice Clark Kent would have someone to take care of him, and his secret; and she could rest in peace.
end
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