The apartment was silent when Clark closed the door behind him. Lex was probably at work. Clark usually stopped in five nights a week and, four out of those five nights, Lex was at work, no matter how late Clark showed up. 

When Clark went into the kitchen to rummage for snacks, he noticed something strange in the dining room. He paused, trying to figure out what was out of the ordinary. It took a minute. His laptop, usually set up on the dining room table, was gone. Clark stalked into the room and instead of his laptop he found a slip of paper. He picked it up and read. 

Clark 

I moved all your things into the guest room. Make yourself at home.  I'll see you when I see you, 

Lex 

Clark couldn't help the bright grin that lit up his face. All his things?  Clark only had a laptop, which Lex had gotten for him when he'd graduated from Smallville High, and a few textbooks here. 

He went to the kitchen to fix a light snack. He grabbed his book bag on the way to the guest bedroom, whistling a tune he couldn't remember the name of as he balanced the plate in one hand and the bag in the other. When he flicked the light switch, he saw that not only was his laptop set up and ready to go on the wooden desk in the far corner, but his blanket from the loft was spread out on the bed. He didn't remember bringing his blanket from the loft to Lex's apartment. 

Clark shrugged and set his bag down, then walked over to put his plate on the desk beside the laptop. He sped out to the kitchen and poured a tall glass of milk and sped back, smiling when he noted he hadn't spilled one drop. He was getting really good at the small bursts of speed and tidiness, though Lex still complained about how messy Clark could get. 

After eating both sandwiches he'd made, crumbs neatly brushed onto the carpeted floor, he checked his e-mail. There was nothing in his inbox unless you counted the one that promised to add three inches to his penis length. Logging off and turning his attention to academic matters, Clark cracked the books for two hours, finishing the first draft of his western civilization paper. Too tired to do much else, he slid his shoes off and tucked his socks into them. He hated wearing socks in bed, even if he was only going to take a nap. He lay down on the bed and pulled his blanket around himself, tucking it under his chin. He loved this blanket. It held fond memories of home. Clark drifted off with a grin. 

He woke to the sound of angry shouts. Clark blinked the sleep out of his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms. Without even thinking he tuned his special hearing into the other room. One of the voices was Lex. Clark smiled to hear Lex's voice; at least Lex was home, even if he was in the middle of an argument. The other voice belonged to Lex's girlfriend, Sara. Lex wasn't shouting but she was. 

As always Lex was speaking calmly. 

Clark sat up, tugging down his t-shirt, which had ridden up to his armpits. He'd been having a nice dream about Lex, but then in his dreams somebody had started to yell. Like the music from his radio sometimes invaded his sleep, it had woken him. 

He shook his head, his brain still felt muzzy, and he didn't quite understand what Lex and Sara were saying. The words 'always here', and 'kicked him out' managed to penetrate his mind. Clark frowned and tuned them out. It was rude to listen in to his friend's personal conversations. A few months back when Clark had fallen asleep in the guest room, he had woken to the sounds of lovemaking. That had been embarrassing. When Clark had rushed out of the apartment, trying his hardest not to make noise, he'd tripped over the coffee table, smashing the glass top and sending broken glass everywhere. 

Clark distinctly remembered how angry Sara had been that time. Maybe she'd come in and found Clark asleep. 

He had to let them know he was here. It was even ruder just to sit and wait for the argument to finish. 

Clark walked out into the hallway and peeked around the corner to the living room. Sara stood by the sliding balcony door, her slender arms wrapped around her body. She was wearing a long, dark blue winter coat and her black, shoulder-length wavy hair was tucked neatly under a purple wool cap.   

Lex stood a few feet away from her, his back to Clark. His black coat was already slung over the back of the sofa. Lex stood with his legs firmly planted and his hands in his pants pockets. Clark couldn't help it when his eyes trailed down to stare at Lex's perfect ass. His charcoal grey slacks were stretched taut across his rounded cheeks. The crotch of Clark's jeans tightened despite his best efforts. This was not the time to be thinking about his best friend's ass. 

Clark shook his head and forced himself to look up. His mouth fell open when he saw that Sara was glaring at him, her arms crossed and her face pinched in anger. She looked really ugly when she was angry. Sara reminded Clark of Lex's ex-wife, Helen. 

Lex spun around to face him, and Clark lifted his left hand in a casual wave. 

"Clark," Lex said. He didn't look thrilled to see Clark. 

Sara stomped over to the dining room table and picked up her purse, slinging it over her shoulder in an exaggerated motion. 

"I should probably go," Clark started to say. 

"No, don't bother. I was leaving anyway," Sara interrupted. She always interrupted Clark when he talked. It was one of the things Clark ignored for the sake of his friendship with Lex. The truth was, Clark didn't like Sara at all and, if this was the final breakup, he was fighting hard not to cheer out loud. 

Clark smiled and waved. "Okay. See you later." 

As he predicted, Sara glared at him then at Lex, then stormed out the door, slamming it behind her. 

Clark turned to face Lex. The look of hurt on his friend's face killed Clark's own enthusiasm. Lex shook his head and sighed. He walked over to the wet bar in the corner and pulled out a glass, lifting the lid of the ice bucket. Clark watched him carefully. 

Lex quietly made a drink and lifted the glass to his lips. The silence was beginning to drive Clark nuts, and just as he was about to say something, Lex turned to face him. 

"Sara said she found you," Lex said on an exhalation, "...sniffing my shirt." Lex moved to sit on the sofa and motioned for Clark to join him. He neatly adjusted his pant creases and crossed his legs. The top two buttons on Lex's cream dress shirt were undone and Clark could make out a pale wedge of skin. He forced himself to look into Lex's eyes. 

"That's crazy," Clark said smoothly. Over the years he'd grown adept at lies. They slipped from his tongue with such ease that even Clark believed them. He walked over to the sofa and sat on the armrest, far from Lex. Clark leaned back, swinging one leg, toe digging into the carpet. 

Lex gazed into Clark's eyes, assessing, deciding. Clark recognized that Lex always stared at him like this when he was trying to decide if Clark was lying. 

"She said she stopped by to drop off the cufflinks I'd forgotten at her place, and found you in my room, sniffing my shirt," Lex replied, voice firm. He lifted his glass to his lips and took a swig. 

Clark toed the floor and lifted his head, looking into Lex's eyes through his lashes. "I didn't have any clean shirts and I went looking for one in your room. I didn't think you'd mind," Clark responded with every ounce of sincerity he could muster, adding a shrug to show how casual it all had been. It was just a big misunderstanding. Lex would believe him. 

Lex stared for a moment then lowered his drink, setting it on his knee. He nodded slowly, staring down at the coffee table. "So, does pizza sound good to you?" 

Clark grinned and slid onto the sofa, falling back in a comfortable sprawl, one arm tucked behind his head. 

Lex chuckled and finished his drink. "Easy come, easy go," he murmured. 

Clark leaned over to grab the cordless phone and speed-dialed their favorite pizzeria. He was asking for extra pepperoni when Lex stood and walked toward the bedrooms. Clark followed him with his eyes and smiled as Lex unbuttoned the last of the buttons on his shirt. It had not escaped Clark's attention that, in the two years he'd been living in the city, Lex had relaxed considerably around him, sometimes to the point of removing his shirt right in front of Clark. Not that Clark was complaining. Clark loved to catch every glimpse of Lex's bare flesh whenever possible. 

It seemed like the only time Lex ever got to relax was when he was with Clark. Lately, every time Lex had returned from her place, Lex was tense and stressed. 

Clark set the phone down in its cradle and turned just as Lex was coming back from the bedroom. He'd changed into his lounging faded jeans and a gray t-shirt. Clark gulped. Lex wasn't wearing shoes and his bare toes spread as he walked over to the bar to freshen his drink. 

"You have to spend the weekend here with me," Lex said as he poured himself a generous glass. 

Clark's eyes went wide and he slid across the sofa, sitting up straight so he could turn to look over his shoulder at Lex. "I do?" 

Lex nodded and sipped his drink, his back to Clark. "Yup, I need to be cheered up." He spun around and smirked. "Sara broke it off and I need my best friend to make it all better." Lex's tone was harsh. 

Clark looked up at Lex with a somber expression. "I'm really sorry, Lex." He blinked and affected a look of pure concern. Clark wasn't sorry at all, but for his friend's sake he'd fake it. As far as Clark was concerned, Lex was better off. 

"Thanks, Clark," Lex said with a smug smile. "I know how much you're going to miss her presence." 

Ouch -- was that sarcasm? Clark dropped the act. "Okay, so I'm not sorry, but she was not really your type. Come on, Lex. She was so..." Clark searched hard for a polite-enough word. 

"Condescending? Smug? Bitchy?" Lex supplied. 

Clark slumped in his seat. "She was mean," he sulked and sneaked a glance at Lex. 

Lex sighed and sat down on the sofa beside Clark. "I guess she was." 

Thirty minutes later two pizzas arrived. The meat-lover's was for Clark. He handed the fancy one with sun-ripened tomatoes on it to Lex. Clark sat on the floor in front of the glass-topped coffee table as Lex sat on the sofa nearby. If she had been here, he would never have been allowed to sprawl so casually. 

Clark pulled his first slice out of the box, biting off the long string of cheese and twirling it around his tongue. As he chewed the gooey combination of cheese and tomato sauce, he watched Lex out of the corner of his eye. He swallowed his mouthful and grinned at Lex, hopeful that his friend was not that upset at the loss of his latest girlfriend. 

"That's the third girlfriend in a year," Lex said then bit down on a slice. 

Clark didn't respond. He stuffed another slice into his mouth, ensuring that he wouldn't be able to respond. 

Lex sighed. "You seem to do that a lot." 

Clark coughed and swallowed, wiping sauce from the corner of mouth with a napkin. "Me? What did I do? It's not my fault you can't keep a girl," Clark tried to lighten the mood. He leaned back against the sofa, resting his shoulder on Lex's warm thigh. 

Lex sighed. "I suppose you're right," he mused, picking up a napkin and dabbing at his lips. "I should probably just try celibacy next." Lex winked at Clark and grinned crookedly. "Or just date you." 

Clark almost choked on his next bite, and reached for his coke. "Lex! Don't say stuff like that." He batted Lex with his free hand. Clark's heart pounded in his chest, and his face felt hot. There was no way he was hearing this right. Lex would never say these things. 

"Well, Clark, you might as well be my boyfriend. Every time I have somebody in my life, they break it off because of you. Ever since I moved into this penthouse, the guest room has been your room. That was why I moved your things in there." 

Clark slowly set his slice down in the cardboard box and turned his body so he could look into his friend's eyes. Lex wasn't looking at him. He was about to bite into his slice when he paused and caught Clark staring. 

Lex grinned like a fool. The only time Lex ever grinned like that was when he was looking at Clark. Every time Clark saw that smile, it made him hard and ache for something he had always thought was out of reach. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it wasn't as out of reach as he'd imagined. 

"Clark, close your mouth. I was just kidding." 

As soon as the words were out, Clark turned away. He was terribly afraid the shock and disappointed he felt was plainly written all over his face. 

Clark swallowed hard and nodded. "Right." There was no way he could stay out here with Lex after that. The sudden humiliation Clark felt was too overwhelming. The words echoed in Clark's head. He was just kidding. Of course, Lex was just kidding. In the five years Clark had known Lex, his friend had never gone past light flirtation, flirtation that drove Clark insane.  

Clark stood and tossed his crumpled napkin on top of the half-eaten pizza. "I just remembered I have a really important paper to write. I'm totally slacking off." He stepped around the table unable to look at Lex directly. He heard movement and noise behind him. 

"Wait, Clark." 

Clark paused when Lex grabbed at his arm. He took a deep breath and spun around. Clark couldn't hold back. "Okay, look... we both know how I feel about you. It's no secret. I've felt this way since the first time I saved you. It's not like I hide it." He needed to get it out. He needed to unburden himself, and to hell with the consequences. All his life, he'd done nothing but run from or dodge anything resembling something beyond friendship with anybody. 

He risked a quick glance at Lex's face. What he saw was not what he expected. Lex looked stunned. Clark swallowed and shuffled on the spot. Unsure what to do with his hands, he tucked them in his back pockets, then his front pockets, then finally settled on just gripping his hands behind his back. Lex wasn't saying anything. 

"It's not like the whole town didn't know." 

Lex stared and shifted from one foot to the other, rubbing his head in that very familiar nervous gesture that Clark loved so much. 

"It's not like my parents didn't know," Clark added, desperate to fill the uncomfortable silence. 

Lex rubbed his face and paced away from Clark. He stopped in front of the balcony window and stared out into the darkness. "I just assumed we had an unspoken understanding, Clark." 

Clark blinked. "I'd better get that paper done." He was obviously making Lex uncomfortable and that was the last thing he wanted to do. 

Lex nodded and turned but did not face Clark. "You can stay here tonight." 

Clark stared at Lex's profile; sure that Lex was going to say something else. When Lex didn't say anything else, Clark turned and went down the hall to the guest room. He closed the door, walked over to the desk chair and sat down hard, all thoughts of term papers gone. 

Humiliation was all his mind could focus on. 

There was no way he would get any sleep tonight.

Clark had tried for three hours to get to sleep. He'd finally given up and gone out to the balcony. The sky was clear tonight and the moon was full. Clark sighed and sat down in one of the plastic chairs that surrounded the metal table. He was in boxers and a t-shirt. He hadn't bothered to put on a robe and there was a chill in the air. Clark leaned back and stared straight up. He fought the urge to stand and launch himself up into the night sky. 

He wanted to run, but the lesson that running from your life never solved anything had been learned long ago, and at great expense. Now all he could do was sit alone in silence. The fact that he would be alone, probably for the rest of his life, had also been learned long ago. After what had happened tonight, the hope that some day something more would have developed between him and Lex was dead. 

The view of the city from Lex's penthouse apartment was one of the best. The apartment was the top floor of the building. The room Clark stayed in was on one the east side, and when the sun rose, it streamed into that room. When it set, it filled Lex's room on the west. When Lex was single, Clark was usually in the guest room. 

He turned at the sound of the glass door sliding open. Clark stood and walked over to the metal railing. It was up to his waist and if he leaned forward far enough, he could see the street below. 

"You're up late," Lex said as he approached from behind. 

Clark didn't turn around. Instead, he pretended to admire the view. 

Lex stopped beside him and leaned forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Clark could see the almost sad expression on Lex's face. His heart sank. Lex was going to break up with him before they even had a chance to actually go on a first date. 

Clark turned his head and pretended he was looking out at the city. He couldn't help it. His eyes fell on Lex's bare feet and traveled up until he was staring into Lex's own eyes. They were a deep blue with flecks of yellow from the city lights. Clark couldn't look away. He'd always been drawn to Lex's eyes. They looked like they held secrets that Clark could only guess at. When he'd been younger, Clark had imagined that those secrets were Lex's true feelings for him. 

"It's going to be hard to get used to living alone." Lex suddenly said. 

Clark turned away, unable to stare into that penetrating gaze any longer. 

"You'll miss her?" Clark asked, trying to hide any hint of annoyance that Lex was talking about her and not them. Clark turned around and leaned into the rail, resting his back against it. He tried hard to fight the urge to stare, but once his eyes fell on Lex's legs, the legs that were bare because Lex's robe had fallen open and Lex had boxer shorts and nothing else on underneath it, Clark couldn't help himself. 

Lex chuckled and shook his head. "Not really. She was here a lot and she did keep my bed warm, but that's about all she offered."   

Clark swallowed and looked away. The sun was peeking over the horizon. He rested his arms across the railing and leaned into it, hoping his weight would break the beam and he'd fall to his death. Beside him, Lex fell silent. They stood as the sun broke over the horizon. Despite the situation, Clark smiled and closed his eyes tilting his face into the warm glow. He didn't flinch or move when an arm slid around his waist. Instead he leaned into Lex's body and smiled harder. 

"You look gorgeous in the sunlight," Lex whispered into his ear. 

Clark felt his cheeks heat up. Even after all this time, Lex could still make him feel like that fifteen-year-old who trailed after him, hoping Lex would smile in his direction. "I thought you wanted to maintain status quo?" Clark didn't know why he said the words. He knew that if he just let this (whatever this was) happen, everything would suddenly be all right. He'd misread Lex's expression earlier. It wasn't unheard of: Lex was hard to read. Clark had yet to figure out what really went on in his friend's head. 

"I do, but at the same time, I don't want to live here alone." Lex's fingers slipped under Clark's t-shirt and rubbed his bare skin. Clark moaned and tilted his head without opening his eyes. He knew he'd found what he was seeking. 

Their lips gently brushed together, and the tip of Lex's tongue licked at Clark's mouth. Clark turned just a fraction more to nudge Lex's cheek and capture Lex's mouth. He didn't want sweet, teenage-crush, first-time kisses. Clark wanted the kisses to be toe-curling, cock-hardening and lip-bruising. With Lex, he'd always imagined the kisses would be filled with passion and war. 

He was right. Lex grabbed at Clark's hair with his hand and pulled his head down to meet Clark's kiss. Clark opened his mouth and moaned when Lex's warm wet tongue plunged in, licking at every corner and crevice. As they kissed, their bodies turned to face each other, and Clark got his first "up close and personal" experience with Lex Luthor's hard cock. Lex pressed the full length of his body against Clark and his robe was wide open. 

Clark slipped his arms around Lex's waist and pulled him in close, their tongues still dancing. Lex panted and broke away from Clark. His cheeks were flushed and his lips glistened in the morning light. Lex's eyes sparkled with glee. 

"It took you long enough, Kent." 

Clark's heart leaped in his chest. There was just a very small remote possibility that earlier tonight Lex had been playing with Clark.   

"Oh course, you know this means you will have to move in with me." 

Clark couldn't resist the urge to hug Lex close. The added bonus that Lex's very hard cock was pressed up against him and that very soon Clark would get to touch something he'd only ever dreamed about made him forget his earlier feelings of dejection completely. 

"Can we go to your bedroom now and do something naughty?" Clark moaned. 

Lex pulled out of Clark's embrace and took Clark's left hand in his. "You mean our bedroom." 

Clark knew he was grinning like a fool but he didn't care, because tonight he was finally going to get the man of his dreams. He eagerly followed Lex into the apartment, and to Lex's bedroom. 

As soon as Lex had closed the bedroom door, Clark had grabbed him and pressed his mouth against Lex's lips. Lex hands were all over Clark's body. They fell on top of the mattress in a lip-lock. Within minutes they were both naked on the bed, clothing tossed aside. It was unreal; he was with Lex and they were both naked. Clark forgot to feel self-conscious. Instead his hands roamed over the naked body before him. Lex's body was glorious. Sure Clark had seen him shirtless, even in shorts, but this was the first time he'd actually seen Lex bare and Lex was bare.   

Clark slid closer and licked, then kissed the smooth skin of Lex's bare chest. He recalled every incident in the past where he'd seen any part of Lex's bare skin that wasn't Lex's head, or hands, or neck. It wasn't a very long list. He propped himself up on one arm and looked down at Lex. Lex stopped and lay still, staring up into Clark's eyes. He quirked his lip, stretching the scar that Clark always stared at longingly whenever they would talk. Whenever Lex would smile, Clark had imagined kissing him. 

"What?" Lex whispered. His eyes sparkled coquettishly. 

Clark shook his head and just smiled. "You're perfect." 

Lex pulled Clark in for another toe-curling, cock-hardening kiss. The last thought Clark had before he wrapped his hand around Lex's very eager cock was how he was going to throw away all his furniture. After all, now that he had Lex's bed to sleep in, he didn't need his old broken bed anymore.

END