“Lex, I need a favor.”   

Lex looked up and almost flinched from those words alone.  Lately, they prefaced any and all visits from his supposed best friend, taking the place of hello and inevitably leading to an unpleasant turn of events. “What can I help you with?” 

“I sort of promised someone something and I was hoping you could help me out,” Clark vaguely replied, actually batting his eyelashes. 

“Money?” 

“No.” 

“Tickets?” 

Clark shook his head and Lex pursed his lips, waiting for the answer.   

“What are you doing Saturday night?” 

“Saturday night?”  Lex briefly thought about the society dinner he was dying to get out of.  “Nothing.” 

“Good, I’ll come over at about three and we can drive up to Metropolis then.”  Clark grinned mischievously and then bolted from the room.   

“Clark, wait!” Lex yelled at the blue and red blur that had exited his office.  He hadn’t even been told what this favor was. 

“What are we doing Clark?”  Lex asked as soon as they hit the highway on Saturday afternoon. 

Clark looked out the window and pretended not to hear him. 

A few minutes passed by in silence.  “Clark!” Lex raised his voice slightly in irritation. “I know you haven’t suddenly gone deaf.  What are we doing?” 

The younger man looked over at him quizzically, as if he didn’t quite understand Lex’s question.  “Driving.” 

Lex inhaled and counted to ten.  “I mean this favor, what is it?” 

“Oh that…you’ll see.” 

“I’d rather know ahead of time,” he insisted. 

“It might be better if you didn’t.”  Clark smirked.  “You might change your mind if you knew.” 

“I might change my mind if you refuse to tell me,” Lex threatened.   

Clark raised an eyebrow in challenge.  “But you said you’d help me,” Clark whined.  “And I need you.” 

“You need me?” Lex parroted back doubtfully.   

“Need you,” Clark confirmed.  “And I want you for tonight…no one else. I mean, I could have asked one of the girls, and Lois probably would have done it, god knows she has the experience…” Clark’s voice softened, “…but I wanted you.” 

Lex’s mind went to places that he had spent years learning to actively avoid when it came to Clark.  Surely, he wasn’t talking about what Lex thought he was talking about.  “Why?” he asked, his voice becoming rough from a suddenly dry throat. 

“Because we’re closer than brothers,” Clark answered, “like Achilles and Patroclus.  Alexander and Hephestian.  Frodo and Sam.”  He smiled goofily and added, “Plus, I thought this would be a really good way to bond and work on our relationship.” 

Clark’s response did nothing to stop the naughty thoughts running through his head.  “Did you see that movie about Alexander last year?” 

“Nope, you said it wasn’t any good. Why?”  

“Just curious.” 

“Hey Clark, thanks for coming,” a young lady dressed up in a simple black dress and sparkly costume jewelry answered the door and hugged Clark.  “I’m so happy you’re doing this.” 

“It’s no problem. I’m glad I could help.”   

The woman withdrew from the embrace and looked over at Lex.   

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought a friend.  Jesse, this is Lex. Lex, this is Jesse,” he introduced them.  “I don’t think you two met in Smallville.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”  Lex reached out to shake her hand while his mind raced to put a history with the name.  “Did you live there long?” 

She shook his hand briefly with amusement in her eyes.  “No, I barely stopped while passing through.” 

“You remember when I borrowed the Porsche?”  Clark jogged his memory.  

Lex suddenly recalled hearing about a brash young woman that Clark had briefly associated with when he was going through one of his stranger, rebellious phases.  “Oh...that Jesse.”  

“Yep, that’s me.”  She gave him a little wave and then moved out of the entranceway.  “Why don’t you guys come in and make yourselves at home.” 

He followed Clark into the small apartment, curiosity about the “favor” eating him up.  “I didn’t know you two still kept in touch.”  

“We e-mail each other and stuff,” Clark replied.  “We’re just friends.” 

“Ok.  The emergency list is by the phone.  The bottles are in the fridge.  Everything else is in the nursery.  Here’s my cell number.  If you have any questions, just call me,” she instructed Clark, while Lex helped her put on her coat and she retrieved her purse.  “And don’t be nervous about watching them,” she added, “You’ve been around here enough to know what to do.”  

“Clark?”  Lex asked once they were alone.   

“Yes.” 

“Would you mind telling me what we‘re doing tonight?”  

lark laughed.  “We’re babysitting.” 

Lex stared daggers into his friend. “Babysitting?”  

“Babysitting?”  Lex asked once the front door shut.   

“It’s for a good cause,” Clark pleaded.  “She hasn’t been out with anyone her own age for months. Her dad would have watched the boys, but he’s on a business trip.”  

“Boys?  As in more than one?  Isn’t she your age?” Lex grilled Clark.  An unlikely thought occurred to him.  “How old are they?” 

“Yep, two boys.  They’re twins, three months old.  And yes, Jesse is the same age as me.” 

Lex’s eyebrows knit together as he did some quick mental calculations.  These children would’ve been conceived sometime around last May, at about the same time Clark disappeared for the summer.  

A shrill cry interrupted whatever other question that was about to come out of Lex’s mouth.  It was soon joined by a second. 

Clark flinched. “I guess I better go and see what they need.” 

“I guess you better,” Lex answered without much sympathy. 

Lex sulked on the well-worn couch, casually flipping through cable channels and ignoring the crying from the other room.  It wasn’t that he hated babysitting or children or anything like that.  He felt a bit led on, even though he doubted Clark had been blatantly manipulating him.  The distinctly Luthor part of him wondered why he kept letting Clark lead him around like this, but it wasn’t like he actually expected Clark to want him back or anything.  Even if the boy did turn out as gay as Lex thought he might, it didn’t mean Lex was his type.  And they had a lot of history between them, so a relationship between them probably wouldn’t be the best idea. 

But helping to babysit was so far from what he thought Clark was asking for, Lex couldn’t help but feel let down and disappointed.  He didn’t know what he thought Clark wanted, except that babysitting sure wasn’t it.  Moreover, he couldn’t help but wonder why Clark would want to maneuver him into this particular situation.  It wasn’t as if Lex had much experience with babies beyond Julian, and Lex did not dwell on that particular subject.   

But what if these were Clark’s children and he needed help supporting them?  

Clark broke Lex out of his reverie by clearing his throat.  “Can you hold him?”  Clark asked defensively, balancing one baby in each arm and holding out the left one towards Lex.  “I know you’re mad at me, but I need to clean Kevin up and I can’t do it while holding Jason.”  

Lex stood up and reluctantly took one of the children.  Clark quickly moved towards the kitchen as Lex rocked the crying bundle experimentally.   

It still cried. 

He tried pacing the room with him while still rocking gently, to no effect.   

Lex thought briefly of offering the baby a truck if it would just stop crying.  Instead, he tried grabbing one of the stuffed animals sitting randomly all over the living room and distracting the unhappy boy with it.  It worked momentarily, but then a particularly loud wail from his brother in the other room set off Jason’s crying again.   

Lex sighed, counted to ten in Latin, and then resumed his pacing. 

He racked his brain for solutions to his dilemma.  Mothers held and rocked their children to get them to stop crying.  They changed their diapers, but this one didn’t need to be changed.  They fed them, but Jesse said they just ate.   

Mothers cooed to their children and made funny faces.  Lex wasn’t about to do that. 

Mothers also sang to their babies to get them to quiet down.  

He stopped his pacing and looked down at the red-faced person in his arms.  “If you tell anyone about this, I’ll see to it you never get into kindergarten,” he diligently threatened before launching into an off-key rendition of the song he always remembered his mother singing to him when Lex was very young.  

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” 

The baby stopped screaming quite so loud and opened its eyes.   

“You make me happy when life is gray…” 

The crying ceased and the baby looked genuinely interested.   

“You’ll never know dear, how much I love you…” 

It babbled something and stared wide-eyed up at him.   

“Please don’t take my sunshine away.” 

“I think you’ve found the answer,” Clark said, looking at him fondly and holding a much cleaner baby. 

“Trial and error,” he explained.   

The babies started to squirm and complain. 

“Don’t stop,” Clark pleaded and walked over to stand next to him. 

Lex started over from the chorus and tried to remember other verses from the song. 

Fours hours, a dozen or so lullabies and two bottles later, Clark and Lex plopped down on the couch, exhausted after finally getting the two babies to sleep and putting them in their cribs.  Lex laid his head back and closed his eyes. 

“How do parents do this all the time?”  Clark asked. 

Lex thought of his own childhood.  “They don’t. They hire someone else to do it for them.”  

Clark laughed.   

“Thank you for helping,” he nudged Lex playfully.  “I really appreciate it.” 

“It’s alright.  I was just caught off guard by the babysitting.” 

“I know.” 

Lex opened his eyes and bravely asked the question that had been on his mind all night.  “Are they yours?” 

Clark blinked and looked thoroughly shocked.  “What?” 

“Are the boys your children?”  Lex reiterated. 

“Oh my god…you’ve been thinking that all this time?”  

Lex shrugged, but didn’t back down. 

“No,” Clark protested.  “They’re not mine.  Jesse’s just a friend,” he explained.  “We met up again after Smallville while I was on that field trip to LuthorCorp last year.  I felt bad about how we ended before, so I apologized and we’ve been e-mailing each other ever since.” 

Clark sighed and shifted around restlessly on the couch.  “We’ve kind of gotten close.  Jesse’s not in the middle of everything back home and sometimes it’s easier for me to talk to her about what’s going on in my life, especially when I’m writing it down and not having to say stuff out loud.” 

“So you’ve become pretty good friends?” Lex prodded. 

“Yeah,” Clark nodded, “and I’ve been helping her out ever since she got pregnant.” 

“Do your parents know?” 

“No…they wouldn’t understand.” 

“Lana?  Chloe?  Lois?” 

Clark shook his head.  “They’d probably jump to the same conclusions you did and I don’t particularly want to deal with what they’d have to say about me talking to Jesse when I won’t talk to them.” 

A fairly comfortable silence settled between them. 

Lex looked at Clark who was looking back at him as if trying to figure him out.  “So what do we do now?” 

“Well, you could sing to me,” Clark said with a grin, baiting Lex. 

Lex smirked and decided to treat him to his far from perfect singing voice.  Clark would regret his words. 

            “The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
            I dreamed I held you in my arms
            But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
            So I hung my head and I cried.”

            “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
            You make me happy when skies are gray
            You'll never know dear, how much I love you
            Please don't take my sunshine away” 

Lex made sure to look at him the entire time he sang, with an over-exaggerated gaze of a theatrically besotted admirer.  Clark giggled and stared back at Lex with both eyebrows raised.

            “I'll always love you and make you happy,
            If you will only say the same.
            But if you leave me and love another,
            You'll regret it all some day.”

            “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
            You make me happy when skies are gray
            You'll never know dear, how much I love you
            Please don't take my sunshine away” 

Clark’s laughter subsided and Lex noticed that his mocking expression had shifted into something more wistful in nature.

            “You told me once, dear, you really loved me
            And no one else could come between.
            But now you've left me and love another;
            You have shattered all of my dreams”

            “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
            You make me happy when skies are gray
            You'll never know dear, how much I love you
            Please don't take my sunshine away”

            “In all my dreams, dear, you seem to leave me
            When I awake my poor heart pains.
            So when you come back and make me happy
            I'll forgive you dear, I'll take all the blame.”

 Before Lex could repeat the chorus another time to end the song, Clark leaned forward and kissed him.  It was nothing special, dry lips and an almost chaste kiss. 

Clark pulled back, still looking at him thoughtfully.  Lex lifted his hand up to smooth back a long curl and tuck it behind Clark’s ear.  His hand drifted down to the back of Clark’s neck and he pulled him back towards him, while leaning forward to capture his mouth in another kiss. 

This time the contact was anything but chaste: a clear challenge on Lex’s part.  He was tired of all the games played between them.  This last year, it had all become too much.  The lies, the games, the secrets and the almost purposeful distance they had created between them had left Lex feeling so utterly alone. 

He reached out with his other hand to cup Clark’s shoulder just as the other man’s arms wound around him, holding Lex in a firm embrace.   

His hands moved over Clark’s broad shoulders and back, memorizing the feel of him.  Clark kept leaning forward, pushing Lex back. Soon, Clark was on top of him and their bodies adjusted to fit together perfectly.   

They didn’t stop kissing, as if afraid of what the other would say or what would tumble out of their own mouths. 

When Clark moved on top of him, Lex felt what was clearly an erection against his leg and became instantly hard himself.  He bucked up into Clark and swallowed the other man’s moan. 

Lex felt Clark move down against him once and then suddenly there was nothing but air on top of him.  He dazedly sat up to see Clark on the other side of the room and heard the lock click before the door opened. 

“Hey guys, how’d it go?”  Jesse asked as she walked in the door. 

Clark didn’t answer right away.   

“It was fine,” Lex replied for him.  “They’re asleep in the nursery.” 

She nodded and took off her coat.  “I’m going to go ahead and check on them before you go.  Or are you going to go ahead and stay the night?  The couch folds out.” 

“We’re going to go,” Lex didn’t have to think twice about his answer.  Clark looked over at him like he didn’t quite know what to do with himself, but he didn’t say anything. 

They left shortly afterwards and Clark looked blindly out of the passenger window throughout the entire drive.   

The car slowed down as Lex turned into the entrance to an underground parking garage.  Clark finally snapped to attention when Lex turned off the engine and got out of the car.   

“Where are we?” 

“Penthouse.”  Lex put the keycard into the elevator and waited for the doors to open.  “I’m not driving all the way back to Smallville tonight.  You can call your parents if you want when we get up there.” 

Clark stood behind him and Lex could practically feel the apprehension coming off the younger man in waves.  “No that’s okay.  I told them I might not be back tonight.”  

The elevator doors opened with a ping and Clark followed Lex into the confined space.  He kept fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.   

“I guess we should talk, huh?” Clark finally asked.  

Lex responded by shoving him up against one of the walls and not so much kissing him, as devouring him.  His right hand wound itself through Clark’s hair while the other gripped the back of Clark’s jacket, fisting the material.   

Lex yanked his head back and nibbled at Clark’s jaw line.  “We’re guys.  We don’t need to talk,” he stated between alternately licking and worrying the skin of Clark’s neck between his teeth.  

“But…we…should…” Clark attempted valiantly to protest.   

Lex nudged his legs apart with one knee until they were lined up perfectly to resume their earlier grinding.   

“…um…ok…yeah,” Clark groaned, lust finally short circuiting his coherent speech.   

“Wait,” Lex said and Clark whimpered when the other man drew back enough to speak, “what did you mean in the car?”  

“Huh?”

“Alexander and Hephestian?  Bonding?  That stuff?” 

‘Oh that?  I remembered Lois telling Chloe about how she used to make out with guys while she was babysitting, before Lucy was sent to boarding school.” Clark admitted. “And, I sort of wanted to… you know. And, I remembered what you said about Alexander and Hephestian… and how they, well, you know…bonded. So I thought…” Clark gulped nervously. “I’m not that good at this, am I?”   

“No, you’re perfect.”  Lex could feel himself smiling and he resumed kissing Clark. 

The doors to the elevator opened, and somehow Lex managed to maneuver them into the penthouse and down the hall into his bedroom, all without removing his lips from Clark’s skin.   

They were only half dressed by the time the backs of Lex’s calves hit the edge of the mattress.  He squeezed his hands between their bodies and unfastened Clark’s jeans by touch alone.   

With this action, Clark jumped backward, but not out of arms reach.   

“No earrings,” Clark said, breathing heavily. Lex could see that he was fully-flushed in the low lighting of the room. 

“What?” 

“I don’t want to be one of them,” Clark explained to the confusion of Lex.  “The diamond earrings.” 

Meanings clicked into a coherent form inside Lex’s mind.  “You never could.  I…this, between us,” Lex rambled.  “It means something.  It means a lot.” 

A big goofy grin spread across Clark’s face and he launched himself back into Lex’s arms, leaving Lex breathless.   

Lex felt a little out of sync, but wonderfully so, under Clark’s renewed enthusiasm and clumsy ministrations. 

It was better than any fantasy Lex had ever had.  In all his imagination, he had only ever pictured himself seducing a naïve Clark or worming his way into Clark’s secrets and his bed, but he had never dared dream that Clark would willingly give himself to Lex, or that the younger man would be with him simply because he wanted to. 

Sex had never meant a lot to Lex.  It was an enjoyable means to an end.  But for Clark, it meant so much more, and that suddenly made the passion that had sprung between them tonight fiercely richer in meaning and something else he wasn’t quite ready to name. 

He drew words on Clark’s skin with his tongue.  Words he didn’t want to think about, but felt vibrating throughout his body.   

When Lex became aware of the sharp breaths, the deep moans and erratic pleas falling from Clark’s mouth, he fought his own lust drunk senses in order to memorize as much of the moment as he could.   

A playful bite on one of his nipples resulted in Clark hissing his name. 

“Lex…please…I need…” 

“What Clark?  What do you need?” 

He groaned in response and moved his hips sharply against Lex. 

“Do you want to come?” 

“Please,” he gasped. 

Lex pushed his jeans down off of his hips, taking cotton boxers with them, and then wrapped his hand firmly around Clark’s weeping cock.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of the younger man’s face. 

A few expert strokes and Clark came apart in his arms, moaning, and hissing, and trembling with both fists clenched tightly at his side.   

Lex had never seen anything more beautiful. 

Afterwards, with little help from Clark, Lex somehow managed to maneuver both of them into his bed and fully discard both of their clothes.  He wasn’t entirely sure the younger man was still conscious until Clark’s head hit the pillows and Lex could see half-slitted eyes watching him from below. 

Lex knelt above Clark’s body, straddling his leg while Lex’s left hand stroked his still hard cock.  

Clark watched eagerly, eyes roaming over every part of his exposed body, and tentatively reached out to trace the fingers of Lex’s right hand as it slid back and forth.   

Lex shuddered and swallowed shakily, momentarily closing his eyes.  When he opened them again, he met the other man’s sharp gaze as he entwined their fingers together so they were both stroking him off.  His body trembled as his breathing became harsher, and his balls drew up closer to his body.  A warm, electric sensation started at the base of his cock and spread throughout his body in waves.  His toes curled as he came moaning and biting his bottom lip. 

Still holding hands, he collapsed on top of Clark in a messy heap.  As he snuggled into Clark’s warmth, Lex flittered between semi-conscious states, trying desperately to hang onto wakefulness.  

“What comes next?” 

“Hmmm,” Lex sleepily responded. 

“After this, what comes next?” 

Lex took stock of their situation and responded monosyllabically, “Shower.” 

“And after that?” 

He lifted his head up and laid a soft kiss on Clark‘s lips. “One thing at a time, ok?” he replied. 

"You don't want to ask me anything?" 

Lex briefly thought about all the unanswered questions he still had regarding Clark and about how tired he was of asking them.  "No." 

Clark kissed his forehead.  “Ok.” 

But something still nagged at him.  Although he most certainly did not want to remind Clark of Lana or Chloe, Lex couldn’t help but wonder what Clark felt he could talk about with Jesse that he couldn’t with him.  Lex raised his head and studied Clark’s features as he contemplated how he wanted to phrase his question.   

“Lex?” Clark asked uncertainly.  

“You said it was easier to talk with Jessie about some things?” 

“Um, well…” Clark tensed a little underneath him, "When things get out of control, sometimes I need to vent and Jesse’s very good at listening.  She doesn’t need to know every detail like Chloe and she doesn’t make it all about her like…” he trailed off. 

“Lana?”  Lex answered for him. 

“Yeah.”  Clark snorted.  “And she doesn’t push.” 

“Like me?” 

“Sometimes,” Clark replied. 

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but lately I’ve been trying harder to restrain myself.” 

Clark traced the outline of Lex’s face with the tips of his fingers.  “Also, I’ve been talking to Jesse about you.” 

Lex blinked.  “Oh.” 

“I’ve been talking to her about my feelings for you and how I wanted to act on them.  She said…well, she said my plan sucked, but that it would be okay if I asked you to come up here with me as long as we didn’t do anything while they were awake.” Clark grinned at him “I’m really lucky you know so many lullabies.”  

Lex could feel his face heat up in an uncharacteristic blush.  “Shut up.” 

“And that you sing so well,” Clark continued on. 

“I’m warning you,” Lex threatened. 

“You have such an enchanting voice Lex.” 

Having given his friend fair warning, Lex grabbed the nearest pillow and proceeded to hit him with it.  Clark shook underneath him and Lex could hear his muffled laughter throughout the onslaught.   "You are to tell no one about that.  You hear me Clark?" 

Clark grabbed the pillow and held it still.  "What are you going to do?  Make sure I don't get into Kindergarten?"  

Clark broke into another fit of giggles and Lex did the only thing he could think of.  He silenced him with a kiss.

END