Long pale fingers gently traced the edge of one delicate papery petal trapped beneath the glass. It was deceptive in it’s strange beauty, and would have been dangerous as well, were it not for the fact that this particular specimen had been completely sterilized before being preserved. No, he thought to himself as his eyes glazed over in memory, this dried bloom was just a harmless reminder of how his life had changed forever…  

Lex was alternately pissed off and depressed, and in desperate need of caffeine. The former emotion was caused by a combination of things, the primary two being the manner in which Jonathan Kent had expressed his true feelings towards all things Luthor, and that Hamilton was definitely a crackpot. The latter was the result of said Kent’s voicing his mindset in the presence of the two people he actually liked, and who he hoped liked him; Martha and Clark. Martha was the consummate mother, able to rouse emotions in him that he’d thought had been burned away long ago. And Clark… he was everything to Lex. Not that the boy would ever know it… And this melancholia was the reason Lex needed a coffee boost, and thus driving through Smallville on his way to the Talon.  

Getting out of his car, Lex first heard the angry honking of a horn, before he noticed the fact that said honking was coming from a familiar-looking truck. His curiosity piqued as to why Jonathan Kent would be driving in such a manner as to emulate himself, Lex wandered over to the bank. As Lex neared the corner, he heard Clark’s voice arguing with his father. One phrase caused his heart to stutter dangerously, and his pace sped up. 

“Not with a shotgun. Dad, you gotta slow down, you're not thinking!” He recognized the voice…  

Lex rounded the corner just as Clark tugged at the gun his father was holding. His heart completely stopped as it fired a round point blank into Clark’s chest.  

“NO!! CLARK!” Lex found himself shouting in denial even as the shotgun clattered to the floor, followed slowly by a body. But not the body he was expecting, and Lex clutched at his chest and his suddenly pounding heart even as clues and suspicions rapidly came together to a conclusion in his mind.  

“L-lex…” Clark stuttered fearfully, eyes darting quickly from the pale shaken form of his best friend, to the gun on the ground, to the body of his dad in his arms. The word snapped Lex out of his shock, and he hurried to Clark’s side, falling to his knees and instinctively running shaking hands over the teenager’s chest. He felt the ragged edges of flannel, fingers twisting in the ravaged fibers, but underneath nothing but smooth, unbroken, warm skin.  

“How… you… I thought I’d lost you, Clark!” Lex choked out. His eyes stung, and it took him a few moments to realize that he actually felt tears in them.

“Lex…I’m fine. I promise, I’ll explain everything to you. We have to get my dad to the hospital, and after I’ll tell you everything, okay?” Hazel eyes dark with worry stared beseechingly into blue-grey swirling with emotion. “Please, Lex!” He nodded decisively, and took a deep breath to try and regain some semblance of composure.  

“You had damn well better, Clark. Let’s go.” Lex was rather proud of himself. The waver in his voice was nearly undetectable, considering.

Strong arms wrapping around his waist and warm lips to the back of his head brought him out of his reverie. He sighed as he settled back into his lover’s warmth. “You‘re thinking too hard again.” The statement was accompanied by a slight squeeze by the arms around his waist.  

“Mmm.” Lex replied, closing his eyes in bliss. “It’s worth it.”  

“Stupid flower.”  

“Not so much, I think.” Lex replied, putting the dried framed flower back on the desk and turning in his lover’s arms. “Imagine what would have happened if Jonathan hadn’t been infected, and I hadn’t witnessed him shooting you.” He raised his hands to run his fingers through dark waves of hair, tugging while tilting his head up for a proper kiss. “Would you have confessed then, Clark? Revealed to me your secrets? For that matter, would I have finally admitted my attraction to you? I don’t think so…I believe I would have continued my research into kryptonite, and subsequently traveled down a dark path, indeed. I think I would have become just like, no, worse than my father was, and could ever hope to be. The tragedy of it…you the hero you were always meant to be, and I the villain whose sole purpose in life is to destroy my once-friend… You have to admit, Clark, it makes sense.” Clark captured Lex’ lips in a long, sweet, sensuous kiss. When they finally broke apart for air, Clark pressed his lips to Lex’ forehead and spoke softly.  

“I’m happy that Hamilton discovered them, then. Even though I could have done without the troubles that those flowers caused…at least they forced us to come clean to each other. I don‘t want to imagine what my life would be like if I didn‘t have you by my side. You are my life, my love, my reason for being.” He murmured. “Now come back to bed…” And as Lex allowed his life mate to pull them gently back towards their bed, he spared one last glance at the Nicodemus flower on the desk. No…he didn’t want to imagine a life without Clark by his side, either.

End