Title: Walking in the wilderness.
Author: Erika
Email: funhapjoy@yahoo.com
Fandom: Smallville
Rating: PG
Beta: Pollyanna.
Summary: ClarkLex Fest challenge: Lex and Clark go fishing together. Lex in the wilderness
is a strange concept for both of them. (Kira-nerys)
Authors Note: This would have been an otherwise normal story but Pollyanna was kind
enough to provide the slapstick.
Website:
http://www.geocities.com/carlajanep/Erika/EEpart00.html
WALKING IN THE WILDERNESS
by Erika
Sunlight streaming through the trees, birds twittering overhead, and a pesky butterfly
coming to rest upon his shoulder. If somebody had asked him yesterday what his plans
were for today this would not have been it. A trip to the masseuse, yes. A trip to Metropolis,
most definitely. Fishing? Lex might have had the person committed.
Luthors did not fish. Well, he thought as he looked around him, not this kind of fishing.
He could definitely see himself on a boat, on the ocean, fishing for sharks, which were
worthy adversaries, but this...
Lex sighed and tried not to lose sight of Clark who walked a few feet in front of him.
"And you do this for fun?" Lex found himself saying for the umpteenth time as he swatted
away another mosquito that seemed to be hell-bent on feasting on him.
"Lex." Clark just shook his head, trying to hide the smile on his lips at the sight of Lex
frowning at the insects attracted to his fresh blood. If looks could kill...Not that there
was much skin being exposed. In fact, Lex was covered from head to foot.
Looking at him, Clark wondered what Lex would do if he told him there was a chipmunk
playing peekaboo inside the fishing basket. "Come on, old man, we're almost there."
Clark heard Lex murmur, "Wise-ass," as they continued onward.
Ten minutes later Lex found himself stopping abruptly as his fishing rod refused to
accompany him any further. Glancing up, he saw that the top of the rod had become
entangled amongst the branches.
Fuck. Lex laid the basket on the ground and gently tugged at the rod. Nothing. He
pulled a little harder. Still nothing. He gave a yank, the line broke and he ended up flat
on his ass. A small animal chittered at him from the top of his basket. It appeared to be
laughing at him. This was so Clark's fault. Clark who was nowhere to be seen. Clark with
the pouty lips and beseeching eyes.
"Clark?" Lex called out, as he got up from the ground, dusting his jeans and in the process
smearing his beige fishing jacket with dry soil.
He then glared at the chipmunk which showed its intelligence by vacating the basket
immediately. Picking up the basket and the damned rod he strode down the path.
"Hey, Kent!" Lex called out again, heading toward the direction where he had last seen
Clark, finding his friend transfixed at the image standing before them. A deer and its fawn.
Lex held his breath and watched as the mother deer nuzzled its baby, unafraid of them. As a
child, while at a friends house, during a birthday party, he remembered watching an old Walt
Disney movie that was very reminiscent of this scene. So rarely after his accident had he been
invited to other children's parties, that he now remembered every single one.
Age five going over to the Wayne Manor for Halloween and being frightened of the gargoyles
that protected the house. Age nine, Thanksgiving spent at the Queen's residence playing
Robin Hood with Oliver. Fourth of July playing spin the bottle at the Hardwicks.
Receiving his first kiss from Rachel, a pixie with blonde hair. He hadn't known then that
in less than a year he would lose his hair and his friends. In many ways his childhood.
Lex stuck a smile onto his face as Clark slowly turned to him, not wanting to inflict on
Clark this feeling of melancholy that had settled within him.
"Did you see that?" Clark asked, wonderment in his voice.
"Yes," Lex whispered to him as they both watched the deer and its fawn walk out of the
small clearing and back into the bush.
"You okay?" Clark asked, noticing how the smile on Lex's lips did not reach his eyes.
"Yeah, just..." Lex found himself shrugging his shoulders. "The deer just stood there,
unafraid of us." Not afraid of me.
"Come on, we still have a bit more to go," stated Clark, giving his friend the space he
needed. If Lex wanted to talk he'd talk, but Clark wouldn't push him into it.
"You're growing up, Kent." Lex said, knowing what his friend was doing, and thanking him for it.
"Really?" A delightful smile was thrown his way.
"Leaps and bounds," Lex added, feeling generous. "So these fish, they wouldn't by any chance
be man-eaters, would they?"
"Lex, they're just fish."
"...but this is Smallville," Lex insisted, for one minute having a horrifying image of piranha-like
fish coming after them.
"I've been fishing here with my father for years and believe me the fish are completely normal."
"They’d better be."
"They are."
"Because I really don't want the headlines to read, 'Lex Luthor killed by fish'."
"You won't."
"Promise?"
"Lex," Clark said in an exasperate voice as he reached out and playfully knocked Lex's hat
out of the way.
"You are such a child, Kent." Clark stopped Lex's next words by putting his hand on Lex's
chest and quickly dropping a brief kiss on Lex's lips.
"..."
"Lex?"
"Huh?" was the startled reply.
Clark looked at Lex with a certain nervousness, watching the way Lex just seemed to stare
at him, his fingers unconsciously tracing the lips Clark had just kissed. Clark held his breath.
He hadn't meant to do that. He wasn't ready for this. Later maybe, but not now.
After a few tense moments, just staring at each other, Lex then seemed to nod as though
accepting whatever he found on Clark's face. Relaxing and then moving forward.
"So, this fish we're going to catch," Lex asked as they continued walking side by side,
stride by stride, "normal looking, one head, two eyed, one tail fish..."
And Clark breathed, thankful that Lex was giving them time, giving him time. Clark
wondered as they reached another path, if maybe Lex would let Clark kiss him, later on
the boat, or maybe in the car. Listening to his friend ramble on, Clark realized that in the
end it did not matter where they kissed just as long as it happened.
~oo00oo~
The End
~oo00oo~