Title: From The Heart
Author/Pseudonym: AtieJen
Email: atiejen@yahoo.com 
Pairing: Clark /Lex
Rating: PG-13
Summary:  With the gifts being passed round, whose birthday is it anyway?

Challenge: response; It is Lex’s birthday and what he asks for is one day where he can spoil Clark rotten.  Jonathan reluctantly agrees.
DISCLAIMER: The WB, DC Comics, MillarGoughInk, Tolin, Robbins, and Davola [along with whomever else] own this wonderful show. I am merely borrowing the characters to use in my own slashy way and will try to return them as mentally cognizant and stable as when I took them, Thank You
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Part of the CLEX Fest at http://www.kardasi.com/Lexclusive/ClexFest/ .
Notes: Please forgive the mistakes and bear with me.
Beta:  Not Beta’d

From The Heart.

By AtieJen

Clark walked into the torch feeling as if he was on top of the world, which he might as well have been.  He was still on the best of terms with all his friends, his secret was still very secret despite his running around Smallville helping people, he had no detention and his parents were not upset with him for anything.  There was nothing that would put a frown on his face, or so he thought, until he saw the smug look on Chloe’s face as she turned from the computer to face him.

“Okay, Chloe, I recognise that look.  What is going on?”

She singsong-ed at him, ‘I know something you don’t know.’  She was definitely throwing a gauntlet and for a moment he was tempted to pick it up but he remembered his previous happiness and refused to play her game.  “You know a great many things that I don’t know Chlo, what have you found out?”

“Spoiling my fun.”  She pouted at him with a smile.

“I know.  … So, what are you working on, Chloe?”

“Ask me nicely and I might tell you.”  She told him to draw out the suspense.

“Okay, Chloe.  We’ll do this your way. Please tell me, what do you know that I don’t know.”

“Right.  Since you ask so nicely, I’ll tell you this itsy bitsy little thing, but you’ll owe me.”

“If it’s worth it, I might.”

“I found out Lex’s birthday.”

“Oh!”  He gulped at her.  He wasn’t expecting that.  He knew the birth dates of all his friends and family except Lex.

“When is it?”  He asked her.

“Is it worth it?”  She asked him still looking self-satisfied.

“Okay, it’s worth it.  What do you want?”

“Let me think.”  She then cocked her head in a thinking position and he was sure that it was just to see him squirm.  After a short moment, “I’ve got it.  Let me be the first person to see his birthday present.”

After thinking for a split second, he decided that her request was doable so he agreed with her, “Ok.  When is it?”

“On the 15^th.”  She told him smugly.

“The 15^th?  But … But that’s in three days.  It’s Wednesday.”  He panicked slightly.  Lex was one of his best friends if not his very best friend, and the reason for his panicking was that he couldn’t imagine a birthday present that was good enough.  What could he possibly get for Lex in the space of two days?  He barely heard Chloe’s annoying and unwanted reply to his statement.

“Yep it’s Wednesday so you better start cracking.”

“What am I going to get him?”  He asked her, even though he was unsure of the reason.  It was not as if she could really help him, or … maybe she could.

“What?!”

“Yes, Chloe, you know, what am I going to get him? … What would you get him?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, take a deep breath, now, why are you asking me?  He’s your friend.”

“Come on, please help me out here, Chloe.  If you were in my position, what would you get him?”

“First of all, I’m not in your position.  Second, I’m not that close to the guy and third, please; I am so not going to go there.  The thing between you and Lex is just that, between the both of you and … I don’t want to know.”

“What are you saying, Chloe? I just want help to get him a birthday present.” He asked her, looking at her confusedly.  He had a suspicion of  what she was alluding to but he had long learnt that his confused expression gave him an air of naivety that put off awkward questions.  She looked at him intensely for a while before answering him but there was no mistaking the disappointing expression she now had.

“Okay.  Then I can’t help you this time Clark, sorry.”  With that, she turned back to her computer.  He watched her for a moment before leaving the Torch office. 

What she said had struck a chord with him but not for the reasons she probably thought.  Yes, he hadn't known Lex a long time but he seemed closer to him than his other friends.  Yes, Lex was his very best friend and even though there were so many things that he was keeping from his friends and Lex in particular; if there was someone he could and would tell his secrets, it would be Lex.

He’d heard the rumours about his friendship with Lex.  Some people thought that he was just there for whatever he could get from his rich friend and while there was no doubt about the Luthor heir’s wealth, he didn’t like the man for that.

The other school of thought was that they were having a wild affair behind his parents back and of course neither was true.

In Lex, he saw and felt a sense of otherworldliness, separateness and kinship that he could very easily relate to.  Sometimes, he envied his older friend’s poise and self-confidence.  Something he didn’t think came with the money.  Yes the money helped, but Lex had a sense of self that he couldn’t really relate to for now, ‘as if he ever would’, he thought to himself piteously.

As for the wild affair, he accepted that they both felt out of place in the world but that was where it ended.  With Lex’s sense of self, what would he do with an awkward, gauche high school farm boy from Hicksville?  There was no doubt in his mind, that what he felt when he saw and thought of his best friend was a lot more than what he felt for all his other male and female friends, except Lana.

But even so, he knew that if it weren’t love now, it definitely would be if he spent the same length of time nurturing it as he did with his feelings for Lana.

Since he felt that any of his feelings that went beyond friendship would no doubt be unrequited, he tried not to spend a lot of time on it.  Because he knew that with Lex, he would fall in love and fall very hard. The kind of love that would be titled ‘forever and I don’t need anyone else.’

The present heartbreak of his teenage years, Lana, was enough for him.  If Lex broke his heart, it would hurt too much.  Also at the moment, he would rather have Lex as best friend than as a lover to experiment with. Experiments that should they fail, would hurt and would likely destroy him.  Destroy him in the sense that he knew that there really was no way that he would have an affair with Lex without telling him his secrets.  If things didn’t work out, then he would have a crisis on his hands.

This reasoning accounted for the time he spent with Lex doing what he could in cultivating their friendship outside of his romantic inclinations.  He believed that if nothing came out of his crush/love for Lex, at least he would still have his best friend; someone who hopefully liked him enough when he got to know him.

Sometimes, in his more sober and reflective moments, he knew that he really hated keeping secrets from Lex because it served as an additional barrier between them.

The first of those barriers was Lex’s own secrets and the second was his father’s opinion of the Luthor’s.  His parents barely tolerated his unique friendship with Lex, anything more would be out of the question and probably cause a falling out in his family.

All this of course was a speculation of the highest order because he wasn’t sure of Lex’s feelings towards him.  While he knew that the other man liked him, there was no mistaking the lengths they’d both gone for each other and would probably go in the future, he wasn’t sure if Lex thought that there could be more in their relationship the way he did.

By the time Clark finished his thinking, he found himself in front of The Talon.  Going in there would give him the opportunity to see Lana, something that he often looked forward to, but for some reason, today he didn’t feel like smiling while he fought off the effects of her meteorite necklace, all the time listening to her talk about Whitney.

Making an about turn, he made his way towards home.  He got to a place where there was no-one looking and speeded home.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Hi, Mom.”  He greeted his mom when he entered the house and saw her cooking in the kitchen.

She spared him a glance as he opened the fridge and looked pointedly at the bag he’d dropped by the door.

“I know, I know I’ll take it to my room.”  He told her pouring out a glass of milk.

“Thanks. … How was school?”  She asked him when he came down the stairs.

“Oh, you know, the usual. … I found out that a friend’s birthday is coming up.”

“That’s nice.  Whose.”  She asked him.  He paused for an instant, thinking that he didn’t really want to answer her.  While he knew that she didn’t object as strongly as his dad to his friendship with Lex, he knew that she objected.  Right now was not the time to try justifying the friendship again.  His main thought was on what to get his best friend. 

On the other hand, perhaps she could help him think of a present, hopefully without reacting in the same way as Chloe.

“Lex.”  He told her, making a production of sitting himself at the table in an effort to cover up his hiatus.

“_Oh_!”  She responded, with an infinitesimal pause in the apple peeling she was doing.

“Yes, It’s on Saturday and I don’t quite know what to get for him.  I’ve spent the whole afternoon thinking about it.  I mean, even though he is my best friend, what do you get the man who has everything?”

“I can see where that would be a problem, but I can’t help you there, Clark?”  She told him, still peeling her apples.

He tried not to, but his disappointment must have come through.  “Neither could Chloe.”  He commented softly.

“How is that?” 

“It’s not important, Mom.” He brushed it off.

“Oh, Clark, well, what kind of things does he like?”  Martha made an effort simply because it was her son asking.

“I don’t think anything I can afford is on that list Mom.” He told her dejectedly.  “If I had more time to think about it, I probably would be able to come up with something.  I really want it to be good you know.”

“Well, he is your friend, Clark and I’m sure he’d like anything that you got for him.”

"I guess, … but what can I get for him that would be meaningful.  It is my first birthday present to him you know and I _”

“_want it to be good I heard.  He is _your_ friend, Clark and you know him better than either Chloe or I so our suggestions will probably be out of place.”

“You’re right Mom, but if he was your friend, what would you think of getting for him?”  He knew that he was just a small step above whining and that annoyed his mom but he couldn’t help it.  He needed help and she usually gave it.

With a deep breath, she asked him, “Have you thought of asking him what he wants?”

“What?  He doesn’t even know that I know.”

“How so?”

“Well, Chloe found it somewhere and told me.”

“So you’re not really sure that it is his birthday, then.”  That was true, but he didn’t think that Chloe was joking with him about this.   Especially with her last reaction and the condition she exacted from him for telling him.

“I don’t think she was joking, Mom.”

“You can’t be too sure.  Why don’t you make sure that it is really his birthday, then ask him what he wants.”

“People don’t really like to be asked about things like that Mom.  I never know what to say when I’m asked.  It’s better if it’s a surprise anyway.”

“I agree that surprises are better but you are in a jam right now aren’t you?”  She pointed out to him.

“Surprises, jam?  What is going on?”  Jonathan asked them as he came into the kitchen from outside.

“Hi, Dad.”

“Clark, I thought you might be back, but I didn’t see you outside.”

“Oh, sorry Dad, I got talking to Mom and forgot the time. I’ll get to my chores right away.”  With that, he stood from his chair, rinsed out his milk glass and went to do his chores.  What he wasn’t aware of was the conversation that continued in his absence.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“What is this about a surprise, Martha?”

“I don’t know if I should be telling you this, … but it’s Lex’s birthday on Saturday and Clark doesn’t know what to get for him.”

“_Hmm_, does he have to get him anything?”  Jonathan grunted out at his wife.

“Don’t be mean, Jon; you know that Clark thinks of him as his best friend.”

“And what does Lex think about Clark?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t exactly been asking him you know.”  She answered her husband wryly.

“Yes, that is what I’m worried about.  Does he think that we haven’t heard what people have been saying about their friendship?”

“You know it isn’t true right?”  She asked him as she too had heard the rumours.  In a town as small as Smallville, it wasn’t long before stories made the rounds.  It sometimes surprised her how possible it had been for them to keep Clark’s abilities a secret.  She would remain ever grateful to whatever benevolent god that was on her side.  She noticed that her husband hadn't answered her. So she repeated her question.

“Jonathan, you know it is not true right?”

“I know, Martha but you have to admit that Lex’s interest in Clark is not straightforward, no matter what he says.”

“Could it be that like Clark, he just wants a friend?”  How often did she have to play devils advocate to her husband in the friendship between her son and the young millionaire?  She wondered to herself.  There was one thing she knew, and that was that Clark was committed to making and keeping his friendship with Lex no matter what.  If they continued to push, the way Jonathan was wont to do, then they may hurt Clark more than the hurt they were trying to keep him from in his acquaintance with Lex.

“Maybe, but he is a Luthor, Martha, and if there is one thing I know, it’s that the Luthor’s don’t have friends.”

“Maybe this one does.”  She told him quietly.

“The apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree Martha.”

“Maybe not, but you can’t say that Lex is no different to Lionel.  Luthor they both may be but Lex has Clark while Lionel didn’t.”

“Yes.  That is actually what I am worried about.  I don’t want our son to get hurt.”

“I don’t want that either Jonathan, but we’ve raised him in the best way we can.  We just have to trust him and be there for him.”

She could say this now, because she was keeping something from her husband.  Even if Clark hadn't realised it yet, she knew that there was more to their feelings for each other than Clark was saying.  Maybe it was a Mother’s intuition, or she was reading his eyes and nuances, but she knew that Clark loved Lex.

She first recognised it in Lex, and when she did, she was furious.  How dare _that Luthor_ come in and try to seduce and take away her only son.  Clark was the best gift she could ever have received and she loved him dearly.  Over time she saw that the lingering looks were not solely in Lex’s eyes, Clark returned them.  When she saw that the feelings she read in Clark’s eyes whenever he saw and talked about Lex far surpassed anything he expressed for Lana, she refrained from confronting them about it.  Time, and the knowledge that they had done nothing physical about their feelings allowed her accept their friendship.

It was with this newfound acceptance that she was able to ease Jonathan’s mind.  Even though he thought they were just best friends.  The kind of best friend he had once tried to be to Lionel Luthor.

“Yes, _Him_ I trust, it’s Luthor that I don’t.  Just see what associating with him has done to Clark’s reputation.”

“Oh leave off, Jonathan.  People will always look for something to say and they’ve always had something to say about Clark since his adoption.”  Martha told him quite seriously.

“I agree, but whatever they’ve said, it’s not been as bad as this.”

“This isn’t so bad is it?”  She nudged him laughing.

“If you think this isn’t bad, I shudder to think what is.”  He laughed back at her.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Out in the barn, Clark was multitasking his deeds.  He’d never been more grateful for the routine nature of his chores on the farm, for while his body was busy moving the livestock, he was busy thinking of what possible gift he could give to his best friend for his 22^nd birthday. 

By the time he finished, he was surprised at how he had somewhat dreamed his way through it all. But he was grateful for the time he had till supper.  That would give him some time to visit Lex and if possible, take his mother’s advise and ask Lex what he wanted.

“Mum, Dad, I’ve finished, can I go to Lex’s for a while?”

“What about your homework?”  Jonathan asked him.

“Ah, … I don’t have a lot of it, and I promise I wont be long, I’ll get it done when I get back.”

“Clark?”  His mom asked him questioningly

“Please, Mum.  I can’t think of anything and I’ve only got three days to work with.  At least, let me see if I can take your advice and ask him what he wants.”

“And if you can’t afford what he wants?”  He heard his dad ask with suspicion shadowing the question.  He thought about that for a moment and could only answer honestly,

“Lex knows me dad; he won’t ask for what I can’t afford.”  His parents exchanged a look at this, before his mother answered his request.

“Of course you can go, Clark.  Dinner is in an hour so don’t be late.”

As he was about to leave, his father stopped him, “Take the truck.”

“Why?  I’ll get there faster if I run.”

“I know you will, just take the truck okay.  Humour and old man, okay.”  At this they both laughed and he answered as this was their inside joke;  “You’ll never be old Dad.”

“Yea, Yea, make sure you’re back in an hour.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

He gave his dad a hug, smiled at his mom and left the house.  Driving to the mansion, he tried to imagine the numerous ways he could introduce the subject of Lex’s birthday, but nothing came to his mind.  When he got there, he decided to go with the flow, as he often did whenever he was with his friend.  With Lex, sometimes the silence made the most meaning and his teenage awkwardness wasn’t so embarrassing or rather; Lex didn’t make him feel as embarrassed as others did.

He met Lex in the middle of one of his usual pool games, concentrating as if it was the last thing he could ever think of doing.

“Hey, Lex.”

“Clark.”  Lex answered him, continuing with his game as if there had been no interruption.  “What are you doing here so late?  I would have thought you had chores or some farm thing to finish.”

“Yeah, I’m done with my chores for the day.”

“Ahhhh.  Good for you.  Wish I was that lucky.”

“What?  You have chores too?  I thought this was your relaxing period.”

“Ah but you see my friend, we all have chores, and I don’t think I can ever stop doing mine, even now.”

“Hmm.  Can you take a break from your chores Mr Luthor?”  He asked his friend wryly, injecting some levity into the suddenly serious atmosphere.  Lex understood and chuckled at him.

“For you, Clark Kent, I would.  So what can I do for you?”

“Do you always have to be doing something for me?  Can’t I just come and visit you?”  He asked Lex, trying to get a feel of his mood in order to begin the birthday discussion in the right manner.

“Yes, Clark you can always come and visit me, but not today, …  I don’t think. What is going on?”

Clark looked down at his shoes for a moment.

“Umm, well.”

“Is something wrong?”

“No! Nothing is wrong.  I just …”

“Come on, Clark, out with it.  You know you can tell me anything.”

“I know.”

“So what is it?”  Lex asked him, looking at him intently.  Their eyes met for a moment and he looked away before telling his friend,

“Umm, ChloefoundoutthatitwasyourbirthdayonSaturdayandIcan’tthinkofwhattogetyouandIwaswonderingifyoucouldtellmewhattogetforyou.”

That, definitely didn’t come out the way he had wanted it to, but at least he’d got his point across, only to look up at Lex and see him blinking rapidly.

“You know, Clark, even after living in Smallville as long as I have, I still couldn’t decipher what you just said, feel like repeating?”  Lex told him wryly and he saw the older man smiling when he took a chance glance at him.

Clark took a deep breath and told him,

“I know that your birthday is on Saturday, and I don’t know what to get for you.”

Lex’s face showed his surprise at this, “How did you find out?”

“Chloe.”

“Yes, the indefatigable Miss Sullivan.”  Lex said but didn’t say anything after that.  Before the silence could become oppressive, Clark made his query.

“I know you are my best friend, Lex, but I don’t know what to get for you, I mean, what do you get someone who has everything?”

“I don’t know Clark, what do you get him?”  Lex volleyed the question back to him.

“You see, that is what I have been thinking about all day, what to get for you and then, Mom suggested that I ask you, so, please, what can I get you for your birthday?”

Lex smiled at him, not one of his half smirks, but an honest full smile.  “You don’t have to get me anything Clark.”

“That is not possible, Lex.  I can’t just not get you anything for your birthday; … I just need a little help.”  Softly, he continued.  “What can I get you?”  And then more loudly, “That I can afford anyway.”  Lex laughed out loudly at that, and then cocked his head in a thinking fashion.

“I can’t think of anything right now Clark, but if I do, I’ll make sure to let you know.”

“Definitely before your birthday right.”  He asked him somewhat suspiciously.

“Yes, before my birthday.”

“Promise.”  He wasn’t sure why he was insisting, but if Lex was able to come up with something, it saved him from cracking his brain; instead, he would save his energy for getting whatever Lex asked for.

“Alright, give me till tomorrow afternoon, I’ll let you know.”

“Thanks, Lex.  I have to go before I’m grounded till your birthday.”

“Can’t let that happen.”  Lex told him smugly.

“Right.  See you later Lex.”

“Tomorrow, Clark”

Clark returned to the farm and spent the rest of the evening relatively stress free.  He told his mom about his decision to leave the worrying to Lex and she just smiled at him.

His homework didn’t take a long time and he slept the sleep of the innocent.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

His Thursday was spent on relative tenterhooks, as he couldn’t stop thinking about what Lex would ask for.  His finances weren’t that great, but he would get whatever Lex wanted, he just hoped that Lex wouldn’t want something really, really expensive.  There was some level of coolness between Chloe and himself as none of them was prepared to apologize.  They didn’t tell Pete the reason for their fallout so he allowed them their space but kept looking between them in bewilderment.

He went straight home from school and finished his chores in record time.  Catching up with Lex in his study at the mansion, he could barely contain his excitement and impatience.

“So.  What do you want?”

“Hi, Clark?  How are you, how was school.  I am fine, thank you for asking.”  He could feel himself blush at the knowing look on Lex’s face as he said this.

“Sorry, how are you doing, Lex?”

“That is okay, Clark, and like I said, I am fine thank you.  So what brings you down my way today?”

He gaped at Lex for a moment before catching the smile in the older man’s eyes.

“Don’t tease, Lex.”  He told his friend looking at him through his lashes.

“Why not?  It is so much fun and you rise to it so well.”

For a moment, he just stared at Lex.  It wasn’t often that he got to see his friend let go and laugh as he was doing, and it always fascinated him to watch.  At other times, you could comfortably believe that Lex was always doing his chores, because he wore the mantle and bore the burdens of his name easily.  If, of course, you didn’t look closely, you would fail to see the repercussions of those burdens.  He had learned to look and because of that, wanted to make his friend laugh as much as possible, even if it was at his expense.  Doing anything to subtly lighten the load, as Lex would allow nothing else.

“Okay my young friend. Come in and have a seat.”  He followed the directive and sat on the couch facing his friend, the laughter was gone now but the air wasn’t too heavy.

“L-e-x, what do you want for your birthday, that I can afford.”

“So, … you’re no longer giving me carte blanche on the gift are you?”

“Sorry, Lex. I have the feeling you’d love to get out of it and I don’t want you to.”

Lex joined him at the other end of the couch and looked at him closely before asking

“Why is this so important to you?  You know that it doesn’t really matter, you’ll always be my friend.”

“That’s not it, Lex.  You’ll always be my friend too but wouldn’t you like to get me something for my birthday?”

“Of course I would.”  He answered hurriedly,  “When is it?”

“Not telling, but there you go, that’s what friends do.”

“Then surprise me; I seem to remember that’s the order of the day”

“I’d like to, but it’s my first birthday gift to you and I’d really like it to be special.”

“Anything from you would be special, Clark.”  Lex told him catching his eyes.  They maintained that look for a few seconds and in that time he suspected that his feelings for Lex were not quite as unrequited as he thought.  He broke the connection and looked down at his shoes, afraid of what Lex could read from his eyes. If he’d been able to read something from Lex’s, the king of blank and bland looks; then his eyes must be writing a novel.

“Clark?”  Lex asked him quietly, but he didn’t quite know how to answer.

“Please, Lex, what can I get you for your birthday.”  He asked him formally looking at him fleetingly.

“Okay, Clark, why don’t you let me spoil you for the day.”

“Mmm, I’m not quite sure I know what you mean, spoil me how?”

“You said something you could afford right?”

“Yes.”

“Then allow me to spend the day with you, and spend some money.”

“L-e-x, I’m supposed to be giving you the treat remember, and I’m sure my parents wouldn’t allow me keep any expensive gifts from you.”

“I would have thought that birthdays would be exempt from the gift rule.”  He said quietly and before Clark could tell him that it wasn’t his birthday, Lex continued.  “And you would be giving me a treat, spending the day with me.”

There was no way that Clark could avoid the blush on his face after hearing his best friend say that so he just looked at his shoes and answered,  “I’d like to spend the day with you, but I don’t think that my parents would let me get out of everything and _ “

“That’s okay Clark, it was just a thought.”  Lex interrupted him somewhat dejectedly.  It made such a difference from their earlier teasing that he said without thinking,

“Listen, … I’ll try and get them to agree alright.”

“Really, you don’t have to go out of your way, Clark.  Like I said, anything that you get for me will be fine.”

“Fine maybe, but not what you asked for, which is what I want to get for you.”  He reached out and placing his hand slightly above Lex’s elbow that was closest to him, he tried to reassure his friend.  “I’ll do my best okay.”  Lex looked at him and smiled slightly.

“Thanks, Clark, I know you will.”  Clark smiled back at his friend and stood up to make leaving motions.  “Well, I have to go and start making plans, and get you a card at least.  Something that defines your old age of course.”  He told his friend cheekily and Lex laughed at him.

He got home to see his mom taking a breather in the kitchen.  He joined her after getting some milk from the fridge and decided to start out his ‘spend the day with Lex campaign’ with her.

“Hi, Mom,”

“Clark, you’re back.  How’s Lex?”

“He’s okay.  He’s told me what he wants for his birthday.”

“That must be a load off your mind.  What does he want and like your father asked, can you afford it?”

Now that the time had come, he didn’t quite know how to phrase his question.  How do you ask your parents to let you spend the day with the best friend you know that they don’t approve of? It also didn’t help that it is what the best friend wants, not your idea.

“Clark?  What is it?”

“Nothing, he just wants to give me a treat on that day.”

“Treat, what kind of treat?”  She asked him suspiciously.

“I don’t know mom, but I get the feeling that he hardly gets what he wants on his birthday, this is why this one kind of means a lot.”

“Every birthday means a lot to everyone, Clark, but you still haven’t explained.  What kind of treat.”

“Really, Mom, I don’t know.  He just wants to spend the day with me.”

“Spend the day doing what?  Having a party?  What?”  She asked him insistently.

“He didn’t say.”

“And you didn’t think to ask?  We can’t give you carte blanche like that, Clark and quite honestly, I don’t see why we should.”

“It’s nothing, Mom, it’s not like he can do anything to hurt me, you know he can’t.”

“Yes, but that’s not what I’m worried about and you know it.”  She told him, fixing her gaze on him, the same way she used to when she caught him doing something wrong when he was a kid.

“… What Mom.”  He looked away from her trying to hide his eyes.

“You know where I am coming from, Clark and you don’t really think your dad is going to say yes do you?”

“Dad, No; but what about you Mom, do you say yes?”

“Knowing what I do, absolutely not.”

“What _do_ you know Mum?”

She took a deep breath, and then answered.  “The answer is still no.”

“No to what?”  He heard his dad ask.  Oh, why was he always coming in when he didn’t need him to?  Clark wondered to himself.

“Lex’s birthday present.”

“Oh really.  What are you getting him?”

“He wants to spend the day with me.”

“Right.” His dad said and laughed snidely.  “Like that’ll ever happen.”

“Dad, please.  We’re friends and I asked him what he wanted, and like I told Mom, it doesn’t look like he always gets what he wants for his birthday anyway so I’d really would like to do this.”

“Not going to happen.  You forget, Clark, he’s a Luthor, he always gets what he wants and you are not one of those things.”

“Why is everyone doing this?”  He asked them exasperatedly.  “_He_ is my friend.  My best friend.”

“That’s what we are worried about.”  Jonathan said in a quiet mutter.

“You don’t have to worry, I’m the one with the powers remember and that’s besides the point. Please, Mum, Dad; I’d really like to do this.  It’s his first birthday since we met and since I can’t think of anything else, can I just do this?”

“Do what?  What are you doing on this day of yours?”  His father asked definitely suspicious.

“He wants to give me a treat.”

“Yes.”  Jonathan scoffed; “Like the truck. … Clark, you know what I think about things like that.”

“Yes, Dad, everyone knows and Lex won’t try to do something like that.  Anyway, it’s not my birthday, remember?”

“Yeah, but you’re getting the treat, aren’t you?”

“Am I?”  He asked them excitedly.

“I need to talk to Lex first.”  His dad informed him after he saw his parent’s exchange one of their usual glances.  He was too excited to stay still so he jumped up and hugged his parents in thanks making them smile and laugh.

He could barely get through the next day waiting for his parent’s final answer.  Just before he left school that afternoon, Chloe asked him what his gift was going to be.  They had gotten over their quarrel and were now back to being the best friends that they were.  He told her that he wasn’t sure yet but would tell her all about it when the birthday was over.&