Title: The Cabin Author: Sabby Rated: PG-13 Spoilers: Nicodemus, Exodus, Exile, Phoenix, Extinction, Slumber Summary: Lex and Clark spend a week in a Cabin in the woods, following the aftermath of 'Slumber.' *** A/N: This is my first and definitely LAST attempt at writing this pairing, cuz frankly, I find out I sucked and I couldn't have done this on my own or without the help of Kat, Cousin Fran,Blue, Rachel, Nate (grovels heavily),Rachael, Seth and why do I have the feeling I forgot at least another half dozen people? Anyway thanks to them all and whatever in this story sucks (especially towards and through the end) is entirely MY FAULT. That said, try to enjoy the story. *** That song made his teeth ache, but if Clark enjoyed it, he would endure it. "Ken Ai ken Ai have this kiss foreeehvah." Lex's jaw clenched. Then again, maybe not. "Para Siempraea-aea!" Ok definitely not. Just because he liked the boy, who was currently sitting in the passenger seat of his car, a lot didn't mean he had to put up with everything said boy did. And enduring the off key farm boy version of an Enrique Iglesias ballad was definitely not mentioned in the handbook of friendship, if said handbook existed. The song was bad enough in and off itself and Clark managed to make it three times worse with his singing. "Clark, could you switch the channel and see if you can find news somewhere?" Whatever had possessed him to give Clark complete control over the radio and cd-player during this trip? Hell what had possessed him to agree to the trip itself? Oh yeah, right. Clark had asked and had given him the killing puppy-dog look and pout combination and Lex had caved like the fool he seemed to be whenever Clark was concerned. "Le-ex, you promised! Nothing work related this week." There it came again, now tripled with the disappointed/disapproving/you-just-kicked-my-puppy-out-of-the-window look. Lex would start looking into an antidote for that as soon as they got back home. "I wanted to hear the weather forecast, Clark. It wasn't about work." "OK, but can we wait till this song is over? I really like this one, have you ever listened to it?" Clark asked. Lex cringed inwardly. 'No, because I usually don't go for girly Latino crap' was on the tip of his tongue, but Clark gave him this expectant and hopeful look. 'How long can that song be anyway?' "Sure, Clark, anything you want." "Do you mean that?" A smile as blinding as the sun broke out over Clark's face. Lex arched an eyebrow at his friend, trying to figure out what was going on in the boy's head. "Of course. I mean, this is your week, so you should get what you want, not the other way around, don't you think? "Really? Cool." Clark beamed his thousand watt grin and turned his face to the window, looking out at the passing landscape. Lex drove on in silence, frequently glancing at the offending radio with its offending song playing on it. 'Do they make an extended version of every song now?'. Finally it was over and Lex breathed a soft sigh of relief, letting his mind wander to the next few days he would spend in bare necessity comfort with Clark. Lex turned up the dirty path that constituted the road to his cabin, sloshing through the mud. "It's a good thing we took the truck," Clark stated. "Well, after Lana completely ripped the bottom off my car last year on her little impromptu field trip, and knowing this terrain, I thought it in my better interest to use the truck," Lex replied, somehow not sounding bitter, though his words cut. Lex was surprised when Clark didn't automatically jump to Lana's defense. "Did she ever apologize for that?" "No, but I didn't expect it with what was happening at the time." Lex had heard all about the rest of Lana's walk on the wild side. Smallville was your average rumor mill. "Well, she still could have said she was sorry," Clark said, sounding annoyed at Lana's lack of courtesy. Lex looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow, not for the first time that day. "Clark Kent actually criticizing Lana Lang. Who would have thought it?" His voice was tinged with enough humor to cushion the blow. "The last few months put a lot of things into perspective. I know now that Lana isn't what I really want. I realized that I tried to make her something she can't be." Lex didn't ask for an elaboration on what it was. He knew what Clark had shaped Lana into, the image of the perfect girl. No one could live up to that. Lex drove around the last bend in the road and pulled up to his cabin. "Here we are. What do you think?" A house that was just shy of too big for a cabin in the woods was directly in front of them. It was set in the middle of a large clearing with the woods surrounding it on all sides. "I think it's -- huge." Clark said, sounding surprised. Lex smirked at the look on Clark's face. His brows were furrowed and the smile on his face was shaky as he tried not to seem phased by the impressions that were assaulting him. Clark's hands were drumming against his thighs. Lex's smirk turned into a subtle frown when he realized that his friend was obviously nervous about something. "You alright, Clark?" The boy's head turned to him so fast it should have given him whiplash. "Yea! Great! Why wouldn't I be? I just didn't expect the cabin to be so--big." The smile on Clark's face still looked a little forced but after a deep breath, he seemed to relax slowly but surely. Lex stared at him intently for all of two seconds before getting out of the truck. Sometimes Clark just really baffled him to no end. Shrugging it off, he walked to the back of the truck to get their bags. They were stashed in the truck bed along with a basket of food that Martha had prepared for their trip. Lex was leaning into the truck bed to reach for his second duffel bag when suddenly a flannel clad arm came around his waist, brushing against his chest. When he whipped his head around, Clark was standing far too close. "Let me get that," Clark offered. Lex was frozen in place and shot Clark a curious look. The boy gave a bashful grin in return and pulled his arm back, again with that slow brushing motion, taking the bag with him. Before Lex could make a comment, Clark was halfway to the front door of the cabin, carrying all three duffel bags. Lex shook himself out of his stupor, grabbed the food basket and moved to catch up with him at the door. Clark took the bags back toward the bedrooms. "Lex, which room do you want?" he called back as Lex went to the kitchen with the basket. "Whichever one you don't want," he replied. "I have no preference." 'At least now I don't,' Lex thought. A year ago he would have tried to get Clark into his bed had he been given an opportunity like this, but a lot had happened since then and Lex had let go of his feelings for him, pushing them to the back of his mind. He hadn't thought of the boy in that way for a long while. "Would you mind if I grab a shower?" Clark called out from one of the two bedrooms. "Be my guest, Clark. You don't have to ask for everything, make yourself comfortable." Lex decided to check the food basket as he heard the water from the shower start. Grabbing an apple, he moved to the small living room and sprawled over the soft leather sofa, lounging comfortably with the apple in one hand and the TV remote in the other. 'Let's see what the market's doing.' He thought lazily. Switching on to CNN, he read the closing numbers of the NASDAQ and groaned. 'Great! Lionel is having a heyday again.' Lex flipped through the channels with a vengeance, trying to find something remotely interesting to take his mind of the stock. "Uhm...Lex?" Clark called tentatively from the bathroom, the sound of the shower still running. Lex twisted his head towards the bathroom. "What is it, Clark?" "Would you mind getting my soap from my bag? I forgot it." Lex tossed the remote aside and pulled himself from his comfortable position. "Sure, no problem." He leisurely strolled into the bedroom on the left. Of course Clark had picked the smaller of the two for himself. Lex easily found the soap in Clark's duffle bag on the bed. For a split second the thought of sniffing it flashed through his brain, but he shook it off as ridiculous, straightened his back and made his way to the bathroom. He tapped on the closed bathroom door. "Here, Clark." Clark opened the door more than halfway, giving Lex a good view of wet, toned muscles, broad shoulders, and a flat stomach above the towel wrapped around his waist. "Thanks, Lex," he said, taking the soap with that shy farm boy smile. "Don't mention it." Lex turned around and closed the bathroom door behind himself. He exhaled slowly and turned back towards the living room. 'And I thought the farm chores did his body good,' he thought idly. 'His activities in Metropolis must have been intense.' Reseating himself on the couch, he realized where his mind was wandering and grabbed the remote. 'No, not going to think on that. No way.' He forced himself to focus on the Barbie doll that called herself an MTV moderator. 'How much plastic can you put into a person, anyway?' Lex was still flipping through channels, when Clark returned to the living room, freshly showered and dressed, his hair still a little damp. "Hey, anything good?" Clark motioned to the T.V. and flopped down on the couch beside him. Very close beside him. Lex would have shifted away if he could, but he was already sitting by the armrest with his elbow propped, his chin supported by his hand. Besides, this was Clark. "Not really, I was thinking of throwing in a DVD." Lex caught the subtle scent of pine when he turned his head toward Clark. 'Hmmm, I like it.' He quickly snapped his mind back to reality when he caught a very subtle smirk form on Clark's lips. "Here, your turn for cable surfing," he said suddenly and handed Clark the remote. "I think I'll take a shower myself." With that he removed himself from the couch and headed for the bathroom. Lex entered the living room about a half hour later, finding Clark staring almost blindly into the empty fireplace. "We can get some logs from behind the house and make a fire if you want to." Clark snapped out of his reverie, his eyes blinking rapidly. Lex followed their movement down his throat to his half exposed chest beneath his unbuttoned shirt. "Ah, yea, we can do that," Clark replied, looking away with flushed cheeks. Lex buttoned up his shirt with a bemused smirk as Clark relaxed back into the couch and ran his hands through his hair. If Lex had to bet on it, he would say he'd caught the farm boy in the middle of a daydream. "You know, Clark, if being stuck here with me for a week becomes to tiring we can always cut the week short." "Why would you want to do that?" Clark asked his expression one of mild panic. "It's obvious you're already missing a certain lady from home, or am I wrong in that assumption." "No, you're wrong. Lana and me broke up. That's it, there's no going back." Clark stood up and moved to the door, stepping outside to gather some wood for the fireplace. Lex looked after Clark's retreating back, arching an eyebrow out of habit. 'So the star-crossed lovers finally gave up. I wonder how long that'll last' He shrugged the thought off and turned to the fireplace to prepare it for the logs. Clark returned a minute later, carrying a bunch of logs. He made his way to the fireplace and crouched down beside Lex. Taking a couple of logs from the top of the pile in Clark's arms, Lex started to arrange them in the fireplace. "You know, on the island, the hardest thing was learning how to make a fire with nothing but sticks and a shard of glass. I spent my first three nights freezing my ass off before it finally worked You never know how much you appreciate the close company of a human body, before you find yourself alone and on the edge of hypothermia." Clark chuckled lightly. "Well, I'm here with you now, so I'll make sure you don't freeze your ass off." Lex chuckled softly in response and reached for the fireplace matches to get a flame started. After a few minutes he breathed with frustration and tossed another burned match into the still cold fireplace. "The logs must be damp," "Here, let me try," Clark offered, and took the box of matches from Lex as he stood and went to the kitchen. "I'm gonna see if I can find some lighter fluid." Opening the cabinet under the sink, Lex hit the jackpot and put his hand directly on a can of lighter fluid. With a triumphant smirk he stood and turned back to the living room just in time to see a poof of smoke erupt in the fireplace, then a small flame catch on the wood. "What was that?" "What was what?" Clark asked innocently. Lex narrowed his eyes and locked his gaze with Clark's. "The fire, how did you do that?" Clark shrugged and held up the matches. "I threw one in there and must've hit the right spot. It worked." Lex nodded slowly and let it slide. He wanted to confront Clark about it, but getting into a fight was not what Lex had planned for this trip. He knew that Clark was lying him point blank in the face once again, the way he did every time when some unexplainable thing would happen and Clark was the center of it. "So I guess we won't need this after all." He wiggled the lighter fluid, then crossed the room to the fireplace and set the small canister on the mantel. Lex tried to shove his disappointment about yet another lie between them aside and decided to get on with the evening. "So, since you made me promise not to work while we're here, what did you have in mind for the rest of the evening?" Clark left the room with a devilish grin. He returned a few moments later, holding up a deck of cards with his right hand. "Wanna play 'Go Fish'?" Lex had spent half of the night awake, absorbed in his own thoughts. He hadn't slept all that well since he'd come back from the island, and most nights he was still bothered by the things that happened during and following that stint. He had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let his emotions overrule his rational thinking again. Helen had been the last straw. How he could have been so blind as to her real intentions was still a mystery to Lex. Sure, he had loved Helen, but he'd loved before and he'd not been that blind as to not see what was going on around him. Why this time? How could he have brushed off the fact that she obviously had been playing games behind his back when he'd even had the proof for it? Lex turned on his side and faced the window. It was still pitch black outside. He rolled over and faced the wall that connected his room to Clark's. Clark Kent. Not for the first time Lex wondered what it was that always brought him back to the farmboy. It seemed that no matter what happened in between to either of them, they'd always inevitably be drawn back to each other. Now he was lying here in a cabin that he hadn't visited for years, looking forward to a full week without luxury or his work, which was a necessity for him. Lex needed his work to keep his head straight and distract him from all the questions that he really didn't want to ponder if he had a choice. Lex held still, silently waiting to hear any signs of life from the next room. When he picked up a faint snoring noise from the other side of the wall, one corner of his mouth curled lightly in a smirk. Since when did Clark snore? When Lex came to the next time, the sun was shining through the window and straight across his face. He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, shaking his head to clear it from sleep. Yawning, he rubbed his hands over his face, clearing the sand from his eyes. Lex's back gave a loud crack when he stretched his arms to loosen up his muscles. He put on his sweatpants, but didn't bother with a new shirt, that could wait until he'd showered. Stepping out of the room, Lex caught a subtle scent of something frying. Usually, Lex wasn't one for breakfast, but his stomach seemed to disagree with him on that this morning and made itself known with a loud growl. He followed the scent to the kitchen area and what he found there made him stop dead halfway into the room, an amused expression stealing its way on his face. Clark Kent was shimming his hips in front of the stove, singing under his breath and stirring something in a frying pan while he dumped some spice into a pot beside it. "Aww, sweetheart, you know you didn't have to." Lex's voice was dripping with sarcasm and he knew he had a shit eating grin on his face. Clark whirled around faster than Lex could blink, emitting a very unmanly shriek and dropping the plastic container as he did. "Shit. Lex! You scared me." He was five shades of red and his eyes did an incredible impression of saucers as he looked at Lex. "Obviously." The grin turned into a smug smirk as Lex sauntered up beside Clark and bent down to retrieve the canister from the floor. He looked at the box and read the label. Salt. "So what're you cooking?" He tried to peer around Clark and into the pot and pan. "Nothing fancy." Clark seemed to get his wind back, slowly. He stepped aside to give Lex some room to move. "Just Eggs, sunny side up, sausages, some hard eggs, pancakes, and then scrambled eggs." Lex looked up from the pan, arching a questioning eyebrow at Clark. "Let me guess, there wasn't much in the fridge except for eggs." Cue, the blush. It was really too easy to fluster the farmboy. "No, I just didn't know how you liked them, so I kinda went with everything I could do with them." `Anywhere other than my plate,' was what sprung to mind, but Lex wouldn't say that. Clark was trying to do something nice, but the only eggs Lex favored had nothing to do with food whatsoever. "It's ok Clark, I'm sure they're great." He got two plates out of the cupboard above the sink and held them out. "Cool. It's actually one of the few things I know how to cook." He heaped a huge spoonful of scrambled eggs on Lex's plate. "Mom can get very territorial when it comes to her kitchen." Clark shrugged and forked a few sausages onto the plate. Thankfully, they didn't land anywhere near the eggs. Lex held up the other plate and patiently waited for Clark to load it with eggs, pancakes and sausages until it couldn't hold anymore. How the guy could eat so much and still look like a goddamn fitness guru was beyond Lex. They settled down across from each other at the kitchen table. Clark had already prepared coffee and glasses with orange juice for both of them. Lex was getting a little suspicious. Had he given Clark any reason to act like this? It seemed as if he was trying to make up for something by catering to Lex's every whim. "So did you have anything planned for today?" Clark looked up from his plate, a full fork halfway to his mouth. He managed to shrug a shoulder without losing any of the food. "I don't know. I thought that maybe we could go tracking? But only if you feel up to it." The wheels in Lex's brain were turning. Had he done anything that caused Clark a bad conscience. It really seemed like the boy was trying hard, maybe even a little too hard to make up to him whatever he thought he'd done wrong. Maybe it was still because of what had happened at the wedding. Or maybe it was Clark's uncanny ability to feel guilty for things he couldn't be responsible for in any way. "Clark, you don't have to leave every decision to me, you know that, right? This is your vacation, too. If you wanna do something that you like, just tell me and we'll do it." In reaction to his statement, Lex got the strangest look he'd ever seen on Clark's face. A hopeful smile crossed the younger men's face, but it was immediately extinguished by a small frown. A split second later the frown was in turn replaced by another smile that didn't shine as brightly as the first though. Lex would pay good money if he could ever figure out the secrets behind those blue-green eyes and the almost painfully open face. "I know Lex. I just don't wanna drag you into anything that's abhorrent to you." Somehow, Lex got the feeling this wasn't about a hiking trip. "Clark, believe me, nothing you could come up with could ever be abhorrent to me." Lex smirked and turned back to his plate. He forked around in the scrambled eggs, then overcame his disgust and picked up a small bite. "You don't like them." It was meant as a simple statement, but Lex could hear the disappointment coming through in Clark's voice. `Dammit.' He looked up at Clark and pasted what he hoped was a reassuring smile on his face. "No, Clark. That's not it. I'm sure they're great, but..." Lex took a small breath. Why'd he bother anyway? Now he was the one making a fool of himself, trying to please Clark for no valid reason. "I don't like eggs." He deadpanned and put the fork down. "Never did. It's just something about the taste that irks me." Lex shrugged. "Oh," Clark looked surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, I can get you something else. There's still the pancakes if you like, or I could look in the fridge, see if I can come up with something..." "Clark." Lex smirked "Yeah?" Clark looked seriously inquiring, already halfway to the fridge. "It's ok, really. I'll just get myself something else." He pushed his plate away from him. "You can have mine. It looks like you can take it." Lex grinned as he stood up to get a new plate and some of the pancakes. "Oh, ok." Clark looked like somebody had kicked his favorite puppy, but it was obvious that he tried to mask it, because he pasted a small smile on his face as he sat back down on the table. Lex felt like an asshole, and he didn't even know why. Clark just had this air about him that made people want to do everything to see him happy. That made Lex want to see him happy. `Oh fuck it.' "Hey, I have an idea. There's a lake not far from here, I'd say about one to one and a half miles. If you want to, we can go there. I don't think the water is still warm enough to swim, but I remember it was the water source for the wildlife around here." Clark stopped staring at his eggs and Lex was awarded for his idea with a real smile that reached all the way up to the blue-green eyes. "Yeah, that'd be cool. Let's do that." Lex nodded and turned his attention back to the pancakes on his new plate. Sometimes he couldn't believe what he did for the farm boy. An hour later, they were marching through the woods, both shouldering backpacks. Clark was practically bounding through the under wood and over roots and fallen trees, while Lex tried to keep up. They'd fallen into a companionable silence awhile ago, after they had caught up on everything they had missed in each others lives, but still neither of them had touched the subject of Lex's time on the island or Clark's stint to Metropolis. "Clark, wait up. Let's take a break." He hated to be the one who called a stop first, but even though he'd gotten a lot of stamina during his forced months of survival training, Lex wasn't nearly as energetic as Clark about the whole hiking thing. The teen in question turned around and after a brief flash of confusion, Lex could see understanding dawning in Clark's eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I ... ok let's take a break. How about over there?" Lex followed the line of Clark's arm to where he was motioning at a small clearing. "Sure, sounds good to me." At that moment, any flat surface to sit down on would have sounded good to him. They made their way over to the clear, sunny spot and dropped their backpacks to the ground in front of a fallen tree. Sitting down side by side, they both leaned back against the trunk. After a few minutes of silence, Lex turned his head towards Clark. It was time to address what had been weighing on his mind for a while. "So what happened to you in Metropolis?" Not the most subtle start to lead into this conversation, but he didn't feel the need to put up pretenses around his friend. Lex adeptly noticed the guarded expression that briefly passed Clark's features before he answered. "I got myself into so much trouble, I needed my dad to come get me and take me back home to Smallville," he replied with a shrug. "Would you like to elaborate on that?" chuckling slightly. "What sort of trouble could Clark Kent possibly get himself into?" Clark smiled bashfully, "You might be surprised." Lex leaned back slightly, looking pointedly at Clark. "I'm not sure, whether to be intrigued or impressed." A small smirk curled his lips as he waited for Clark to continue. Images of him frequenting nightclubs, staying out all hours and womanizing just didn't seem like something Clark would be capable of doing in Lex's mind. He was jerked out of his thoughts by his friend's voice. "It's not something I'm proud of and I'm just lucky my dad was there when I needed him." Lex nodded understandingly. "You are lucky, Clark. My father left me for dead and buried me." He couldn't stop the bitterness from entering his tone. He didn't feel he had to in front of Clark. The younger man's features twisted into a frown of empathy. "My dad beat the shit out of me before he dragged me home. It's a good thing I don't bruise easily." He tried to smile. Lex looked at Clark thoughtfully, trying to discern how much of what Clark was telling him was the actual truth. It was no secret that Jonathan Kent had a temper, however, to actually use physical violence against his son? No, Lex couldn't imagine that. He tilted his head back, raising his eyebrows, giving an almost imperceptible shrug in response. "But hey, you survived worse." An expression of guilt consumed his features. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there when you needed me, Lex." A deep, sincere expression came over Lex's face. Should he tell Clark, that at least in thought the boy had been with him throughout the entire ordeal? Nah. "You can't save the world, Clark." "I know, but I wish I had at least been able to save the people that I care for the most." Lex chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "You saved me more times than I can count, more times than you're aware of, actually." He muttered the last part of his sentence under his breath. "You know what's great about this place?" Clark's abrupt change of topic had Lex raise his eyebrows. "No cows." Lex stared at Clark blankly at first before a small chuckle formed in his throat. The chuckle grew to a hearty laugh that racked his whole body, making his stomach muscles clench reflexively. After he had regained control, at least somewhat, he started to get up from the ground. Looking at Clark, who was directing his thousand watt grin in his direction, he couldn't help smiling himself. "Hey, how about we head back for the cabin? I think I've had quite enough outdoors activity for today." "But we didn't get to the lake, yet." Clark pouted. "We can do that tomorrow." He nonchalantly shrugged. "I obviously miscalculated the distance from the cabin." "Oh, ok." Clark pouted some more, but got up from his position on the ground, anyway. He picked up their backpacks then handed Lex's his before shouldering his own. `Brat' Lex didn't suppress rolling his eyes when his back was turned to Clark. Stepping back onto the path, they headed home to the cabin. Clark stepped from his bedroom just as Lex entered the living room with an armload of wood. "I could have helped with that, Lex" he stated, rushing to him as Lex dropped the wood on the floor by the fireplace. "I 'am' capable of handling a little bit of work, Clark," he replied, wiping his brow. "Or have you forgotten my stay at your farm? Your dad was most determined for me to yell quit, something he found out I don't do." "I know, but that was before..." Clark let his sentence drop suddenly. "Before my accident?" Lex finished matter-of-factly. He bent down to stack the wood into a neat pile beside the fireplace. "Clark, of all people, I feel closest to you as a friend. I hope you don't feel that you have to tip-toe around the fact that I almost died. In fact, I'm beginning to think that that's the reason for this trip in the first place, and I would like to think... ouch!" "What's the matter? What happened?" Clark was on his knees beside Lex in a flash, making Lex do a double take as he shook his hand then raised his finger to his mouth to suck on the palm side of his first digit. "It's only a splinter," he chuckled lightly at the overly amount of concern showing in the farm boy's eyes. "Here, let me see it." "I'm sure I can just suck it out. That worked when I got them while working in your barn." "Maybe so, but let me see it anyway. If it's in too deep it can get infected." "You sound just like your mother," Lex remarked, handing over his finger for Clark's inspection. "That woman has an uncanny sense of whenever something goes wrong anywhere near that house," he added affectionately. Clark chuckled fondly. "I thought you said you just sucked them out?" he teased. "Well I would have," Lex shrugged. "If Martha hadn't been there to mother me to death at every turn." "Yea, that's my mom!" he beamed proudly. "She's great, isn't she?" "I envy you for it, Clark," Lex said seriously. "You're a lot like her in many ways," he added, meeting Clark's gaze. He suddenly became aware of Clark's thumb gently rubbing the inside of his palm, the effect pleasing, but not necessarily welcome at the moment. "And if I find out that you also carry a small knitting kit in your left pocket, a pair of tweezers in your right pocket, and a packet of tissues in your back pocket; I'm leaving you here by yourself!" Clark laughed heartily at Lex's humor. "No, I don't have any of those in my pockets, but, I got the splinter out." Lex looked down at their hands, his still resting atop of Clark's left palm while Clark held the offending splinter between his thumb and forefinger before his eyes. "I didn't even feel you pull that out," Lex remarked, a touch of awe in his voice. "Well, I learned from the best. I could kiss it and make it better if you like," he teased with a lopsided grin. Lex half laughed and slowly pulled his hand free. "I think I'll live, but thanks anyway." He watched Clark's back as he headed into the kitchen for a drink. Lex wasn't certain of what the hell was going on, but he had the most unsettling feeling that Clark had actually meant that offer and that it hadn't been just a passing joke. Putting his attention back to the firewood, he gave himself a mental shake and tried to ignore the old feelings he had once held for Clark Kent that were returning to the surface. Hours later, Lex was lying awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling. `This is absurd.' Lex couldn't believe that Clark had managed to dredge up his old feelings by simply removing a splinter from his hand. He lifted his right hand, dropping his gaze to the finger where the splinter had been. His mind drifted off as he imagined putting the digit to a much more pleasurable use. His cock stirred at the thought of what he wanted to do with Clark. His left hand slipped beneath the sheet that was pooled at his waist to touch himself. His fingers closed around his soft shaft just as the sound of a low moan filtered through the wall. Lex closed his eyes at the sound, firming his grip and began to gently stroke his cock. Another muffled grunt from the other room reached his ears. Vivid images of Clark came to life behind Lex's closed eyelids. His cock hardened in his hand as the mental image of Clark gazed back at him with lust filled eyes. He shifted his right hand below the covers to cup his balls, massaging them gently. His other hand moved up his shaft, to caress the smooth head with his left thumb. Feeling the release of pre come, he rubbed his palm over the tip to spread the slickness over his shaft. A loud passionate grunt from Clark sent a chill through Lex. His cock jumped in anticipation for release. The image in Lex's mind changed. Now Clark's face was inching closer to his erection. His hand was replaced with the younger man's mouth; a strong tongue licking the sensitive slit, where Lex's thumb rubbed over it. A soft groan escaped Lex's lips, though not loud enough to be heard by the other man. His stroking motions quickened; his grip firmer as he pictured Clark's lips slowly closing around his erection. His cock sleek with pre come, he imagined those lips engulfing his hardness, taking it deeper. His hips thrust in response to the visual of being inside the wet heat of Clark's mouth. The pulsing need to stroke harder, faster, overcame him. He thrashed his legs, throwing off the sheet. His teeth clenched tight, his face contorted in pained necessity. Stifling a grunt, he bent his knees, his hips surging off the mattress to meet the thrusts of his fist. His back arched convulsively, his eyes rolling back in his head as Clark's name passed from his lips on a shuddering breath. He limply slumped into the mattress, instinctively rolling into a fetal position. Gathering the blankets tightly around himself, he was asleep before his breathing returned to normal. It was close to noon and they were well on their way towards the lake. `I can't believe he got me to do this again' Lex suppressed a groan as they passed the small clearing they had rested in the day before. Jerking off the night before had been the best thing he could have done for himself. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep like that in a long time. Waking up that morning he felt rested and energetic, but that didn't mean he wanted to waste that new found energy on a hiking trip. `It's amazing. The things I do for this boy...' His thoughts trailed off as Clark turned midst ride to hold back a low hanging branch. Lex stepped past, nodding his thanks to Clark. Suddenly he felt something brushing across his shoulder. He turned his head to look back at Clark. "There was a bug." Clark explained, shrugging innocently. "Thank you." "What are friends for." Clark beamed brightly at him. Lex turned back around and continued walking. "You know, Clark, there were many times when I thought I had lost that friendship, most of them being my fault for one reason or another. But I'm glad that we were able to see past the mistakes and remain friends, it does mean a lot to me." He didn't look back, waiting for Clark to comment on or acknowledge his admission. "You know, it wasn't just the friendship that kept me hanging around." Lex almost stumbled over a protruding root, but caught himself before it actually happened. "Oh really?" "Yeah. Actually it was your pretty face and your captivating eyes." Now Lex knew for certain that Clark was kidding. He chuckled as he kept walking, going along with the spiel. "And here I thought it was my fancy cars and superior driving skills that attracted you." Clark joined in the laughter as they continued on their way. A few minutes later the lake finally came into view. Lex was tempted to holler in relief. `Fucking finally!' The first thing Lex did after dropping the backpack was to step up onto a semi flat boulder that was half settled in the water of the lake. Sitting down, he began untying his boots. "What are you doing?" "I didn't hike all this way not to get wet, Clark," he replied over his shoulder. Shoving his socks into the shaft, he tossed first one boot then the other onto the shore. He turned around more to look at his friend when he started into a coughing fit. "Are you alright?" Clark waved at him, bent over in half, trying to catch his breath. "Yea, I swallowed wrong," he replied, holding up the bottle of water in his other hand. Lex sat down on the boulder, letting his feet dangle in the water. It was warmer than he had expected. Lex cursed himself for not bringing trunks and of course he wasn't wearing any underwear either. With anybody else, he wouldn't have given a damn and just dropped his pants and dove right in. But with Clark, that wasn't an option. "Lex, I'll be right back, I have to take a leak." Lex threw a look over his shoulder, acknowledging the statement with a nod. As soon as Clark had vanished behind a row of high bushes, Lex made a quick decision. He was sweaty, he wanted to swim and at the moment he was not in the line of sight of his friend. He stood up on the rock, whipped his shirt over his head and tossed it towards the shore. Checking once more that Clark still was out of sight, he undid his pants and dropped them on the boulder as he jumped into the water. When he came back to the surface, Clark was standing on the waters edge, hands shoved into his pockets and grinning at him. "Nice tan lines." "Thanks. It's the only souvenir from my trip that I appreciate having." An intrigued smirk formed on his lips as he watched Clark, pull his shirt over his head. "How's the water?" Lex's cock reacted without any approval from him mentally when Clark started to unbutton his jeans. Clark had decided to remove his boots 'after' dropping his pants, giving him a far better visual of his muscled body than Lex thought he would ever see. "Better than I expected," he smirked. Clark had finally struggled out of his jeans and quickly got himself into the water. Lex didn't know if he should be disappointed or relieved that the younger man was still wearing his boxer shorts. Lex turned and started cutting through the water with long strokes, swimming further out into the lake. Lex turned and started cutting through the water with long strokes, swimming further out into the lake. Within a few laps, Clark suddenly broke through the surface directly in front of him. Before he could turn his head, Clark splashed him in the face. He sputtered slightly and shook his head to shake off the water from his eyes. Narrowing his eyes, he glared at Clark. "You're going pay for that," Lex said in a playful threat. "Oh yeah? Let's see what you got," he grinned at him mischievously. Lex was taken aback for a second. He hadn't expected to be challenged on the matter and wasn't sure what would be appropriate to do next. Getting into the game would mean he had to get up close and personal with his friend and that was the last thing he needed, considering the state of arousal his cock had been in since Clark had taken his shirt off in front of him. The best he could come up with as a response was a half hearted chuckle, treading backwards in the water to put some distance between them. With another mischievous grin, Clark dove under the water. "Clark?" he called, looking through the water, trying to see where Clark went. "Clark!" he shouted again, wondering what his friend was up to this time. Suddenly he saw the splay of black hair coming up to the surface far too close to his chest for comfort. He tried to push himself backwards in the water, when he felt Clark's hand briefly grasp his dick. Next thing he knew, he was face to face with Clark, their noses only a few inches apart. "Tell me that was your hand." Lex barely choked the words out. Clark was blushing to the roots of his hair. "I... I didn't mean to," he stammered. Without thinking, Lex reached his hand up to touch Clarks face. Catching himself at the last moment, he ran his palm over his scalp instead to wipe away some stray drops of water. "I'm going to go swimming," Lex stated simply. "I'm going to go get dressed," Clark replied, still flustered. Lex dove beneath the water while Clark made his way back to the shore. 'He fucking touched my dick on purpose.' Lex thought as he dove deeper. 'And then he has the guts to put it off with that farm boy innocence, what's with that? He either wants it or he doesn't.' Lex neared the bottom of the lake. Memories of the last few days slowly came back to him. Things suddenly started to make sense. The way Clark had caressed his hand after he pulled out the splinter and offered to kiss it better. The supposedly innocent request to get the shower-gel, giving him an opportunity to check his friend out. The almost indecent way Clark had brushed up against him when they'd first arrived and gotten their bags from the truck. `He's been hitting on me, feeling me up since we fucking got here!' Lex turned, preparing to give Clark exactly what he'd been begging for since they'd arrived. Pushing his feet against the murky bottom, his leg got caught by something. Reaching down, he felt a string of underwater weed tangled around his calf. While trying to untangle his leg, the need for air became urgent. He could feel his lungs burning from the lack of oxygen. Fighting against the weeds in a panic, he only got himself caught up worst in the tangle. He tried pulling the weeds out by their roots, losing air from his lungs during the struggle. Just as he began to feel lightheaded, he felt strong arms around his waist, pulling him free and taking him towards the surface. His lungs begged for air when they finally broke through the surface. He took a deep gasping breath, spurting out the small amount of water he had swallowed. Still feeling dizzy, he gratefully let Clark keep his grip around him as his friend pulled him to shore. `Dj vu.' Relaxing into the arm around him, Lex heard Clark mumbling "...swear to god you love me saving your ass..." Lex smirked weakly. "...do this on purpose, don't you?" When they were close to the shore, he felt himself being swooped up into Clark's arms, one arm supporting his shoulder while the other went under his knees. His friend carried him to the shore like a fucking damsel in distress. He was placed onto solid ground and before he knew it, Clark's lips were covering his. Lex placed a hand on his friend's chest, pushing him away to catch his breath. "You could at least wait `til we get back to the cabin, Clark," he rasped, his throat still a little sore from the water he'd coughed up. Clark sat back on his heels, looking like the proverbial deer in headlights. "What do you mean?" Lex looked up at him pointedly, locking their eyes. "Cut the bullshit, Clark." "Ok Lex." At least he had the decency to feign an embarrassed expression. Lex shook his head and sat up, looking around for his clothes. Seeing his shirt nearby, he got to his feet. "Would you mind getting me my pants?" He bent down to pick up his shirt from the ground. Turning around he found Clark still sitting in the same spot, ogling him. "Clark, now would be a good time." "No problem, Lex, sure," he answered, eagerly jumping to his feet to do Lex's bidding. Lex shrugged on his shirt, and watched Clark bound onto the rock, pick up his pants, then turn with his good old boy grin on his face as he handed him the clothes. "You don't seem too surprised," Clark muttered quietly, diverting his eyes from Lex shyly. "Oh, I'm surprised, Clark. But I'm also curious about the reason behind your sudden change in interest." Clark seemed at a loss for words as he looked back at him. "Let's just say sometimes something happens and it really gives you a wakeup call." Lex hadn't expected an answer to his question, much less one as honest and heartfelt as this. Maybe he had finally been given an opening for a discussion that had been a long time in coming. "Why don't you get your clothes so we can head back to the cabin. We can finish this discussion in a more comfortable atmosphere." Clark nodded silently in agreement. Upon their return to the cabin both of them had showered, changed and prepared a small meal. Most of the time had been spent in comfortable silence or exchanging idle chit chat. Now, Lex walked over to the sofa, carrying two glasses of wine. Handing one to Clark, he seated himself next to him. "You're sitting down for this?" Clark asked, seeming surprised. "We're going to discuss a few things, are we not?" "Yea, but you usually pace back and forth a lot; I was just...never mind. I'm just nervous about having this conversation. I wasn't even sure if I would be able to admit to... well, if you picked up on my hints, you know?" "You grabbed my dick, Clark. It doesn't get any more obvious than that. Although, I have to admit, you had me guessing at every turn previous to that." He took a sip from his glass before continuing. "Not to put a wedge in this scenario, but what happened with Lana?" "I can't have her in my life, Lex. It's too dangerous." He turned his head and looked directly at Lex. "She's not strong enough first of all, and she's not who I really want to be with." "So, this isn't necessarily a new interest for you, is it?" "No, it's not." He admitted quietly, diverting his eyes briefly before reconnecting his gaze. "I've had feelings for you for a while now. I just wasn't sure how to handle them or what to do." Lex quirked his eyebrow, looking at Clark over the rim of his glass. "So you deemed it necessary to haul me all the way out here and bombard me with subtle hints," he smirked. "Seduction Clark Kent style." "Something like that. You're not mad?" He was giving him the puppy dog eyes again and Lex wondered idly how anyone could ever resist that look. He made a mental note to get pointers from Martha Kent as soon as possible. Obviously he'd been silent for too long, because Clark started to fidget uncomfortably. "Have I ever given you reason to believe I would be mad about something like you being attracted to me?" Lex lowered his goblet. "I seem to recall being the one to stress how invaluable our friendship is," he murmured, swirling the dark liquid in his glass. "Stuff of legends, hm?" Clark nudged Lex's knee with his own. "I wondered how long it would take you to figure that one out." Lex smirked sharply. "Who said it took me long? Just because I didn't mention it, doesn't mean I didn't know." Lex saw Clark's gaze shift from his eyes to his mouth. The younger man swallowed. "See something you like?" "Something I'd like to taste." Shifting closer, Lex slowly reached out and cupped Clark's cheek in his palm, gently urging him forward. He brought Clark's lips close to his, feeling warm uneven breaths fan his face. He let his lips brush against Clark's lightly. Lex felt the shudder that went through the boy's body at the contact and smiled to himself. "I want more room for this," Lex announced and stood from the sofa, his fingertips under Clark's chin holding the eye contact. "Okay, Lex." Clark stood and followed Lex into the bedroom. Pushing the door closed behind his back, Clark winced when it hit the frame maybe a little too hard. Lex turned around sharply, raising his eyebrows questioningly, his lips quirking into not quite a smile. Clark felt the blood rushing to his face, but managed a small shrug anyway. He forced himself to stop bumbling around and go for what he wanted. God, Lex looked hot. He couldn't wait to get his friend out of those clothes. Lex must be reading his mind as he slowly started pulling his shirt out of the waistband of his jeans, revealing more and more of his smooth skin beneath. This morning at the lake he'd already gotten a good view of Lex naked, and he still wasn't sure how he'd managed not to stumble over his own tongue when he'd seen the older man dive into the water with a sleek grace that Clark wished he possessed. The same sleek grace Lex used now, to slink up to Clark, closing the short distance between them, long, lean fingers reaching out to run up his chest. Clark closed his arms around the smaller man's waist, pulling him closer. He leaned down to steal another kiss from Lex's smirking lips, feeling the fingers on his chest wandering down as they unbuttoned his shirt. `Damn he's good at that' Clark was in a daze as the hands where back up at his chest, this time touching his skin. He pressed closer to Lex, seeking more contact between them, his hands leaving the small of Lex's back to slowly travel up the outside of Lex's arms to his shoulders. A groan rumbled in his chest as he felt a sharp, tingling heat centered at his right nipple. His grip on Lex's shoulders tightened reflexively before he could control himself. He felt Lex wince under his grip and a muffled `ow' against his lips. Instantly, guilt washed over him and he let go of the older man's arms. "Did I hurt you?" he asked fearfully. He hadn't been paying attention to his strength and suddenly had second thoughts if this was a good idea. He didn't have to be as gentle with the man as he did with Lana, or any woman in general, yet he feared what could happen if he lost control completely. The way Lex responded to his touches and the feel of Lex's fingers on his skin where a definite step in that direction. "Let yourself go, Clark." Lex breathed against his neck. Clark gritted his teeth when Lex nipped roughly at the skin on his neck while he eased the shirt down his arms and off his body. Lana had never been able to do that hard enough to make him feel anything more than a slight pinch. He was distinctly aware of the sound of a zipper being lowered and the pressure on his groin lessening considerably. Lex's hands eased his jeans passed his hips, adeptly ridding him of his boxers in the process. Holding on to Lex's shoulders, he stepped out of them, kicking them aside. Lex's hand reached between his thighs, warm fingers collecting the sensitive balls gently into his palm. Lex ground his hips against him, his still clothed groin rubbing against Clark's naked flesh. Clark threw his head back, his sharp intake of breath loud in the quiet room. He grabbed Lex's ass with a firm grip, grinding himself against the smaller man to make the contact more satisfying. His cock ached for more. He wanted release, and he wanted it now. "Would you like me to show you what we could do together, Clark?" Lex asked, his voice deep, his tone suggestive. "Show me, Lex, I want it all." Clark relaxed instantly, reassured by Lex's soothing touches and words. Setting his inhibitions aside, Clark reached out for his soon to be lover pulling him closer, anxious to get him onto the bed. He'd been waiting for this moment for so long and everything would be perfect. "Easy, Clark," Lex's tone was mild, but held a tinge of warning. "Sex like this is a bit different than with a woman." Clark bit his lower lip, trying not to flinch. He hoped he hadn't spoiled everything with his rushed moves, trying to move things along. What if Lex didn't even really want to go all the way? "It's all right, we'll just have to take it one step at a time, and you'll be fine." Lex reassured him, stroking a warm hand over his arm. "There's no wrong in this, Clark, we just need to make preparations." The proverbial light bulb lit up. Lex wasn't changing his mind or chastising him, he just wanted to make sure that everything would be as perfect as possible and thinking for both of them. Clark felt a little stupid for automatically assuming the worst. He hoped the smile he gave Lex would be enough of an apology, saving him from actually having to form words at this moment that would make him feel more like an idiot. Nodding, he shifted a little farther back on the bed and released Lex from his hold, giving him room to move. He watched Lex getting up from the bed and crossing the room, more specifically, he was watching Lex's ass. Clark wondered what he was up to now. "I'll be right back, I need to find the KY jelly, if I can remember where I put it," Lex's brow creased as he paused in the doorway, looking back at Clark. "Oh, I have some!" Clark leaped from the bed, pleased with himself that he'd thought of bringing it with him. When he'd first become aware of his feelings towards his best male friend, he'd done a little research and the first thing he'd found out was that lubrication was a must when it came to gay sex. However, when it came to actually going out and buying the tube of KY, he'd quickly reached the limit of his courage. In the end, he'd asked a girl that he knew from school to buy it for him, making up some story about needing it for his girlfriend but being too embarrassed to buy it. Not the best excuse, but the best he could come up with at that moment. As he stepped up to Lex, he caught his friends amused smirk and the finely shaped arched eyebrow. He must've seemed a little too eager there. "I guess I was really hoping that things would go my way." He murmured softly, staring at the floor for a moment before he could bring himself to meet Lex's eyes. "Then by all means, go get it," The amused smirk was still firmly in place as Lex opened the door for him. Clark rushed into his bedroom and got the tube of jelly from his duffel bag within a few seconds. When he returned to Lex's bedroom, he suddenly found himself at a lack for words. He tried for a coy smile and handed his friend the tube wordlessly, then slowly crossed the room to the bed and lay down on his side, waiting for Lex to join him. "You know, with anyone else, I'd probably be a nervous wreck at this point, but I don't feel that way being here with you, Lex." The corners of Lex's mouth curled up in one of those little half smiles as he joined Clark on the bed, lying down beside him. A slim hand reached out and long fingers skimmed over his cheekbone and past his chin, briefly flickering over his bottom lip. "I'm glad you feel that way Clark, because I want us both to enjoy this and it helps when you're relaxed." Lex placed the tube of KY aside for the time being and inched closer to him. His eyes closed as Lex's hand slowly moved down his chest. When he felt the strong fingers closing around his cock, a small moan escaped his lips. This felt so much better than when he did it to himself. It was even better than the one time Lana had done it, that night in the barn when they got together. His hand reached out to touch whatever part of Lex he could find; a small frown creasing his brows when his fingers brushed against the fabric of Lex's jeans. "Shouldn't you get those off?" He immediately flushed after the question had left his mouth like that without checking in with his brain first. `Way to sound like a virgin.' Lex's smile was somewhere between amused and decidedly evil. "Should I now?" Instead of making Clark suffer any more embarrassment though, he got up from the bed and removed his jeans without much teasing, though at the moment, everything that wasn't done at super-speed seemed like teasing to Clark. He let his eyes wander down the length of the older man's body, taking the time to really see Lex for the first time. Long lean muscles, a residing tan, lighter around his waist and down to his thighs where his skin hadn't been subjected to the burning sun of the Caribbean. A light smattering of auburn hair surrounded his already hardening cock. Clark's mouth watered at the sight of the uncut, mushroom shaped head and the thick pale shaft with the visible blue vein running all the way from the tip to the base. "Come here," He hardly recognized the growl that had become his voice as his eyes traveled back up to meet Lex's heated gaze. In an instant the older man was back at his side, their naked bodies pressing close as Lex devoured his mouth in a passionate kiss. His hands reached out to explore the warm skin of his lover trailing down Lex's spine and back up to his shoulder blades as Clark closed his eyes, letting him take control of the kiss. When Lex's lips released his own with a loud smacking sound that should have been embarrassing but at the moment only seemed hot, Clark took a deep breath. His hands followed on Lex's skin as the older man practically slithered down the length of his body, biting Clark's nipple and laving at his chest as he went, a sharp intake of breath acknowledging the action. Suddenly, he felt heat touching the head of his dick and something soft and wet smoothing over the sensitive ridge at the tip. His hips jerked in response and he heard a small chuckle coming from Lex. Clark sucked in a breath, his eyes flying open and rooting on Lex's, as he felt the pad of a thumb firmly caress the thick vein on the underside of his shaft. His hand flew to Lex's shoulder, pulling the older man closer as he fought for his breath. "Oh, shit, Lex!" His eyelids drooped to half-mast again, even as Lex chuckled low in his throat. "Enjoy the ride, Clark, I haven't even started yet," He could feel Lex's breath whisper against the skin of his hipbone and an instant later, wet heat was surrounding the head of his dick. Lex's tongue lay flat against the underside and strong suction pulled him deeper into that luscious mouth. Clark was getting lost in the overwhelming feelings, his hand slowly moving to the back of Lex's neck, stroking over the smooth skin of his scalp. Clark turned on his back, submitting completely to Lex's ministrations. He felt the hand that was not holding the base of his cock moving to his balls and gently massage them, one finger stroking the soft skin behind them. Clark's back arched, every muscle tightening in response to the small touch that send lightning ripping through his whole body. A sound caught between a grunt and a moan escaped his throat as his arousal started to throb in a mixture of pleasure and pain. He forced his eyes to open and look down at Lex who'd closed his own eyes brushing his cheek against the length of Clark's cock, giving the hard shaft a small squeeze. Clark could feel Lex's arousal grow firmer against the inside of his legs as his lover reached up blindly, running his hand up Clark's chest and finding a nipple. Clark couldn't help the shudder that ran through his body when Lex pinched the hardened nub, his hand covering Lex's on his chest, leading him to the other nipple, silently begging for him to do it again. Wet heat slid up the pulsing vein of his dick, Lex's tongue snaking in criss-cross motions all the way up to the tip. Clark through his head back and groaned as he succumbed to the feeling. Tight heat closed around the head and the same luscious tongue touched against the slit, sending Clark's hips careening of the mattress with a sharp hiss. Lex was tasting him and the moan that reverberated from his throat went straight from his dick up Clark's spine. He reached out blindly, needing the contact, needing to touch Lex to ground himself, his fingers digging into his lover's shoulders as he held on for dear life. Lex started to suck his length deeper into his mouth, his hand still pumping the base of his dick. Clark's hips started to thrust up in counterpoint by their own volition, forcing his cock deeper into Lex's mouth until he felt Lex's breath against the skin of his belly, his dick enclosed by the tight heat of Lex's throat. The noise Clark made might have actually been a whimper, but he couldn't give a shit at the moment. Sharp teeth scraped ever so gently over the soft skin of his shaft and that was definitely a whimper coming out of his throat as Lex slowly pulled all the way up back to the tip. Lex's hand worked harder on his shaft, faster with a firmer grip, while he kept sucking on the head, licking it and tantalizing the underside with his tongue. Clark threw his head back into the pillow, bellowing Lex's name in a guttural growl before succumbing to an orgasmic climax. The next time Clark opened his eyes, Lex was back up at his side, smirking at him and idly running his fingers over his chest. He looked very much like the cat that ate the canary. Without thinking, Clark pulled him in and wiped that smirk of his face with a languid kiss. The edge of his passion had been taken off, but when Lex shifted closer, Clark became very much aware of the hard length pressing into his hip. Tentatively he reached one hand between their bodies, gliding his knuckles down Lex's chest until he reached his cock, giving the shaft a gentle squeeze. He heard the stifled groan, even as Lex bit hard into his shoulder, rocking into his fist. "Need help with this?" Another gentle squeeze and a slow tug upwards toward the tip. Lex's gaze lifted from the vicinity of his shoulders and his expression was positively predatory as he met Clark's eyes. "I definitely know what I want to do with it, but it's up to you Clark. Are you sure you want to do this?" Clark didn't know if to hug him or smack him upside the head. If he didn't want to do this he wouldn't have tried so hard to get Lex to where they were right now the past few days. He narrowed his eyes slightly, pretending to think. "Now that you mention it...." He let his sentence dangle in the air as he let go of Lex's hard cock. "Oh" The change in Lex's attitude was immediate and more than a little unsettling. He seemed to pull back into himself. Clark wanted to kick himself and hastened to correct his stupid and unnecessary mistake. "Lex, of course I'm sure! Gee, what do I have to do to prove to you that I'm being serious?" Lex smile came back full force, a dangerous glint to his eyes and Clark wondered for a split second if the whole pulling back reaction hadn't been an act on Lex's side. "Get on your back and spread your legs for a start." Lex was pushing him back onto the mattress even as he spoke. His cock giving a slight twitch of interest in response, Clark let himself be manhandled by his lover and obediently laid back, pulling the smaller man on top of him between the cradle of his legs. "Anything else?" He licked his lips as his hands smoothed down Lex's back to the curve of his ass, grinding their pelvises together. A hissed in breath was all the answer he got for a moment before Lex's eyes were back on him, the pupils so dilated that his eyes seemed darker in the light of the bedroom. "Yeah, shut up and kiss me." Clark grinned widely even as Lex's lips crashed on his own and his tongue engaged in a heated battle with Lex's. Blunt fingernails scraped down his chest as his own hands tightened on the globes of Lex's ass, starting a steady rocking motion of Lex's hips against his own. He swallowed his lover's moan before breaking the kiss to take a deep breath. "I really want you to fuck me now." Clark emphasized his words with a slightly harder thrust up, grinding Lex's erection against his rapidly hardening dick. Lex actually gasped, his eyes closing for a second before he slowly re-opened them to look down at Clark. "You keep using words like that and this will be over way to soon." And that must have been the smuggest grin ever on his face at that moment, but Clark honestly didn't care, because he'd never thought he could have that much an effect on Lex. "So you have a thing for dirty talk? Come one Lex I want you to take that big hard prick of yours and shove it up my a--ummph." The rest of his sentence was muffled by a big hand clamped over his mouth and a threatening glare from his lover. Though impact of the glare was greatly diminished by the smile that twitched at the corners of Lex's lips. "Evil," he muttered under his breath as his free hand reached for the lube he'd left on the bedside table. Beneath Lex's hand Clark grinned even wider and flicked his tongue out against the smooth palm covering his mouth sucking on the warm flesh and trying to catch it between his teeth. Lex returned his full attention to Clark, placing the tube on the bed beside them. "Now will you be a good boy and shut up, so I can prepare you before I fuck you into the mattress?" Under Lex's hand, Clark nodded frantically. God, Lex's voice was a huge turn on when he got that commanding business tone and his dick was already hard again and begging for attention. "Good." A sharky smirk and Lex released his mouth, sliding down his chest and towards his nipples, flicking out his tongue to tease one of the tight buds, his fingers pinching the other. Clark's hands roamed over Lex's skin, touching every inch of body they could reach. Lex's tongue was drawing lazy circles on his belly as his hands stroked over his hips and thighs, coaxing his legs wider apart. He let his head sink into the soft pillow and closed his eyes as Lex's lips trailed lower, bypassing his cock and wandering further down to his balls and the tight skin just behind them. Strong, lean fingers smoothed up the inside of his thighs only to disappear altogether. When Clark looked up, he found Lex looking up at him, face directly in front of his straining cock and squeezing some of the lube onto his fingers. "Ok, Clark, relax. It's probably gonna be a little cold for a second." Lex shifted closer again stroking his dry hand slowly up the inside of his thigh. Clark couldn't help the contented sigh as he relaxed back into the pillow. Only to jerk his hips high from the mattress the next second when he felt Lex's mouth close over the head of his cock. When his hips slowly sank back into the sheets, he was aware of gentle pressure against his asshole. Warm, slippery fingers rubbed against the puckered little opening as Lex continued to slowly swallow his dick, inch by inch. When one of those long fingers slowly pressed past the sphincter and into him, it just felt...weird. Then the finger slipped deeper and crooked upward and Clark's eyes slammed shut as he saw stars. "Wow." It came out a little breathless. "Hmm-.hmm" Clark would swear Lex was trying to smirk around the cock in his mouth and that was a funny idea. "Do that again" Lex complied and Clark's hips snapped off the mattress as the finger crooked upwards once again, rubbing against the infamous prostate. "This is good." He pressed back into the finger stretching him, thoroughly enjoying the feeling now that the weirdness had been replaced with newly found pleasure. Clark felt the finger slowly receding from inside him, only to come back with a second finger pressing against his gradually relaxing hole. It felt like Lex was scissoring the two digits inside him, brushing against his prostate in irregular intervals, bringing him closer to the edge. The steady suction on the head of his dick just added to the incredible feeling. "More," It wasn't more than a hoarse whisper, but Lex seemed to understand as he moaned around his cock. Soon two fingers where replaced by three, thrusting in and out of his tight opening and churning inside him to stretch him wider. "God Lex" Another moan around his throbbing cock and Lex took him deeper into his mouth, the tip of his dick pushing against the back of Lex's throat. Clark's hands were fisted in the sheets beside his waist and he was pushing back onto Lex's fingers with every thrust in. "Now, Lex, please, now." Clark was teetering on the edge and he just needed more, needed Lex inside him, needed, period. Lex's mouth released his dick with a last kiss to the tip as he withdrew his fingers from Clark's body. He shifted back up, brushing against every part of Clark's body until they were face to face. "Shh, it's ok." Soft lips brushing over his mouth, quick flick of tongue between his parted lips. "Please." Clark's arms felt like lead as he brought them up to glide over the skin of Lex's back, pulling him closer. Another kiss, this time longer and Lex pulled away, sitting back on his knees between Clark's parted thighs. "Hold on," Lex grabbed for the lube once more, hissing as he spread the cold liquid over his shaft, giving the base a squeeze that made Clark wince in sympathy. Then Lex was back, hovering over him, one hand between their bodies, the other bracing him beside Clark's shoulder as the younger man pulled his knees closer to his chest. He forced his eyes to stay open and look at Lex, taking in the expressions shifting across his lover's face as he slowly thrust inside. His mouth fell slack as he felt the blunt pressure against his hole, slowly giving way to an incredible feeling of fullness as Lex's cock sank deeper into him. Lex's face was a frown of concentration as he visibly restrained himself from just plundering into Clark, but Clark had other ideas, he needed Lex inside, all the way, now. Raising his knees higher, his hands found the curve of Lex's ass and pushed down, forcing him deep and hard inside. Lex's eyes went wide as his breath rushed out on a groan of Clark's name. "More" was all Clark managed on a shaking breath. Slowly, Lex pulled out until just the head of his dick was still inside, a suspicious look passing his features so fast, Clark almost didn't catch it, before he slammed back in hard, forcing a scream out of Clark as the thrust brushed his prostate, sending tingling shards of pleasure through his entire body. He felt overwhelmed with the sensation of another orgasm. More intense than the first, he could feel the warmth pooling in his belly before his release, a small quiver in his cock the only tell-tale sign of his orgasm, before the thick spurts of his warm semen shot between their bodies as Lex kept pounding him "God, yes LEX!" Lex went rigid above him, his spine a straight line, his cock buried balls deep inside him, head arched back and mouth slack as he came, Clark's name a wrangled groan on his lips. Breathing harshly, he all but collapsed on top of his younger lover. ~~ "How did you know you could be so rough with me?" Clark asked in the dark "I've seen you walk away from fights, flying bullets, and exploding cars, without a scratch. I figured you have skin as tough as nails." "I'm just like everyone else, Lex. I thought I proved that to you already." "No, Clark, you're not like everyone else. Which is why I want you." He rolled over, pulling the covers with him. `Now's the time.' He could either tell Lex a half truth, or the complete truth, or do what he always did and lie, both knowing that he lied. His whole life, he'd been trained by his parents to protect his secrets at all cost. However, he knew that Lex was aware of his lying and that he had let it slide repeatedly for the sake of their friendship. Clark also knew that Lex wouldn't keep doing that indefinitely. The dream from a few weeks ago flashed through his mind. The look of hurt and betrayal on Lex's face as he'd confronted Clark with the sword in his hand and a weird tale of some monster disguised as a monk. It was time to let go of some of his secrets to save something that was worth more to him than Clark liked to admit. "You're right, Lex, I'm different. I'm stronger and faster than normal, but you already know that. There's a few other things I can do, too. I don't want to talk about those, because I honestly don't know much more than you do. I'm just figuring this stuff out as I go and sometimes it freaks me out. But I want you to trust me that I'd never hurt you." Lex lay unmoving on his side of the bed, his face still turned away from Clark, the column of his spine rigid. "I hope you can respect that the less you know, the safer it is for you. I care about you, Lex, a lot and I know that you want to protect me, and that you'd do anything to protect me whether I want you to or not, but you have to trust me on this one, ok?" Lex half rolled onto his back to look at Clark over his shoulder. "And all that would have something to do with the caves, wouldn't it, Clark?" "I was afraid you were going to go there," Clark mumbled under his breath before he looked from his lap up at Lex. "Yeah, it's one of those things that I'm still figuring out. Can we leave it at that for now?" "Absolutely," he replied, rolling fully over to Clark's side of the bed. His body was now pressed up against Clark's side. Lex took him by the chin, warm fingers holding him in place to make him hold the earnest gaze. "I never begrudged you your secrets, Clark. I just wanted you to admit that you have them." Clark nodded silently in acceptance. After a few moments of silence, Lex spoke up again. "Clark" "Yes, Lex?" "Where's the lube?" "On the floor." "Go get it." "Yes, Lex." *** The rest of the week had been an interesting mixture of conversation and mutual debauching. Lex of course had insisted to clear the remaining issues between them while Clark of course had insisted to make it clear that this wasn't just a casual fling or something that would be forgotten as soon as they arrived home.....over and over again. Lex had been strangely averse to going back to the lake but Clark had refrained from inquiring about it, shrugging it off as a Lex thing. Clark had been strangely adverse to showing him more of what he could do or generally talking about his abilities, but Lex had in turn just shrugged it off as a Clark thing. All in all, things couldn't have been better and their friendship was now on a more solid footing than it had ever been, plus the fact that the feelings Lex had denied and Clark had hidden so incredibly well that he hadn't known about them himself were steadily growing between them. Both had avoided talking about a possible coming out more than strictly necessary. They'd agreed to deal with these things when they became a real issue. Of course Lex was already making plans and back up plans in case the original plans shouldn't work and Clark counted on the fact that Lex would take charge in the more uncomfortable or socially challenging matters of their relationship. He did have more experience with this stuff after all. It was Sunday and time to leave their private little hideout and go back to Smallville. They'd cleaned up the cabin and emptied the fridge, leaving everything behind as neat as possible, Clark had insisted. The farm boy was just storing their duffel bags on the bed of the truck, when Lex came out, carrying the remains of the food in the basket Martha had sent with them. "Ready?" Clark turned around and took the basket from Lex, setting it next to the bags; then closed the lid to the bed with a loud thunk. "Ready," He nodded. Clark made his way to the passenger side, but was held up by Lex's hand on his arm. "Hey, tell you what." "Yeah?" Clark looked puzzled. "You get to drive back if I get full control over the choice of radio station." Lex smirked. Clark's frown deepened for a second, giving Lex a questioning look that was answered with a simple smile and an arched eyebrow. "Ok" He turned around and got behind the wheel. Lex settled into the passenger seat with a smug grin on his face, letting his eyes drift to half-mast as he looked out the windshield. <<