The pain was excruciating.  The tightness of his mouth confirmed that his jaw was dislocated... again. 

“I’m sorry, Lex.  But you made me do that.  I didn’t want to hurt you, but you made me.”

Clark’s voice was deceptively quiet; fists tight, he paced around Lex who was lying prone in front of the fireplace.  Lex chanced to glance up, but kept his head down.  Luckily he hadn’t hit  his head on the marble tiles in front of the fireplace when he’d been struck.  He knew he couldn’t take another beating like he had the week before.  Even his mutated body could only heal so much damage. Lex lowered his eyes when Clark spoke again.

“You’re fucking that twink aren’t you?”  Clark grabbed Lex by the collar, his rage boiling under his skin.  “The redhead from the club!”

Lex shook his head and glared back defiantly.  He and Clark had been together for 8 years now and he’d never been unfaithful.  Though it wasn’t funny, Clark was the one who had been unfaithful.  He was like an alien on crack.

One day he was his normal loving, grown-up farmboy, and the next he was this insane mad alien.  Lex arrived home one day to find Clark in their bed with 2 strange men and a woman.  Clark had actually invited Lex to join the foursome, but Lex politely declined and retreated to the living room in a daze.

Clark came storming out accusing Lex of being ‘unenlightened’ and then, suddenly turning on the charm, cajoling him to join the romp in the bedroom.  Lex was infuriated, called Clark a slut and told him to get his whores out of his home immediately.  That’s when Clark backhanded Lex and sent him flying halfway across the room to land sprawled over the mahogany leather couch.  Clark yanked Lex’s pants down, ripped off his shirt and screamed at him in Kryptonian. 

Lex refused to be raped from behind; Clark would have to look at his face while he did this.  Being fucked without lube was one thing.  Being dry-fucked by a huge cock while being battered by Clark’s hands, was certainly rape in Lex’s book.  Especially since he kept screaming “No!” and their safe word, “Raven.”  Clark screamed obscenities at Lex while he slapped him over and over.

The trio from the bedroom emerged fully dressed, looking awfully young and frightened by the commotion in the living room. 

“Hey, uh, I think you’re really hurting him,” The blond said, stepping toward the violence as if to interfere.

“Get out!”  Clark screamed after them, continuing to pummel into Lex, holding his skull roughly, biting down on his nipples, causing Lex to scream in pain. 

The two others dragged the blond out the door and it slammed shut behind them.  Lex was nearly unconscious when Clark finally lost his rhythm, faltering, humping wildly. 

“Fuck!”  Clark cried out as he spasmed deep inside Lex.  He slumped on top of Lex for a moment before pushing himself  up with his hands on the couch on either side of Lex’s shoulders.  Clark pulled out roughly and snickered when he saw Lex’s flaccid dick.  “Damn, you didn’t get off.  My technique must be slipping.  Here, let me...”  He started to kneel.

Lex opened his eyes and with all his remaining strength, pulled his leg back and snapped out at Clark’s chest.  The kick caught Clark off guard and knocked him to the floor, laughing at the top of his lungs.  Trembling, Lex slid down the back of the couch.  The couch was slick with blood and come.

“You’d regret that if I wasn’t in such a good mood now.” Clark laughed and stood, eyes twinkling.  “I’m ready for some sleep... wanna come?”    

“No thanks,” Lex croaked and fell over in a heap.  God!  He needed Toby...

“I’m taking you to bed.”  Clark squinted, x-raying Lex’s body.  “You have a couple of cracked ribs and a hairline skull fracture.”  Clark picked Lex up carefully.  “You shouldn’t have made me mad at you Lex.  I didn’t want to hurt you.  But you’ll be better in a day or two.  I love you.”

Clark ran his finger tenderly along Lex’s jaw and it had taken everything in Lex’s psyche not to flinch.

Lex covered his face with his arms as he was yanked back to his feet.  Clark’s fist was poised for another blow..

“Talk to me or you’ll wish you never laid eyes on that twink!”  Clark screamed.

This time Clark punched him straight on and Lex heard his nose cartilage break before everything went black.  

Moaning, he rose to his elbow and tried to open his eyes.  His right eye was swollen shut, but his left eye slit open.  Focusing was a slow and painful process, but Lex reached out for the carpet and dragged his body off the cold tile and onto the soft thickness.

Lex knew he couldn’t take much more of the abuse.  He loved Clark, but he was falling into the same tortuous relationship he’d had with Lionel.  Growing up, he’d always tried hard to get his father’s approval, but it never came.  Lionel’s favorite parental tactic was to ambush when least expected.  Like when Lex got straight ‘A’s on his report card and had been so proud... or when Lex won a national chemistry contest in his age group, Lionel used those times to castigate his son on his weak physical attributes.  Or when Lionel found out that Lex had been laughed at by a dignitary’s daughter during his first sexual experience at the age of 14, Lionel placed his son in the care of a ‘Madam’ for 2 weeks.  Lionel’s psychological abuse turned physical and Lex rebelled and began his head-first dive into drugs and debauchery.

He took a deep breath, which hurt, and tried to push himself to a sitting position.  He fell back and sharply drew in a breath.  Lex had learned that Clark didn’t take kindly to his ‘fragility’.  He had to be at work today.  Arrangements for a purchase critical to LexCorp’s bio-robotic research was being finalized and he couldn’t stay home.  He crawled toward the hall and managed to pull himself upright before he reached the their bedroom.   He peered in.   Clark was sleeping soundly, his naked body lying casually across the bed, his hands streaked with Lex’s blood.  

Lex stumbled into a guest bedroom and turned on the shower in the adjoining bath.  Lukewarm water was all he could tolerate to rinse the blood off his face.  He used his hands instead of the usual terry  washcloth to gently rub his skin with shower gel.  The bruising was so encompassing that he could barely see any undamaged skin. Luckily his nose didn’t appear crooked. Finishing quickly, he carefully dried himself and rinsed his mouth with mouthwash.  His jaw was too sore to brush his teeth.

The bruising on his face today was deep; he barely remembered Clark snapping his jaw back in place, but the pain was fading.  The make-up artist he’d gone to several weeks ago had shown him how to carefully apply a concealing mix that looked surprisingly light and natural.  And it was sweat proof, non-smudging, and fragrance-free.  Lex sighed as he rinsed the sponge applicator, placing the kit back under the sink.

Ever since the first fight, Lex kept clothes in this guest room.  He dressed as quickly as he could and walked back down the hall.

“Where are you going Lex?”  Clark’s voice was groggy and non-threatening.

“To work, Clark.  I have a company to buy.”  Lex hoped his cheerful voice would keep Clark in bed.

“‘kay, have a good day.  Love you.”  Then silence as Clark fell back asleep.

“Love you too.”  Lex quickly called for the limo, he wouldn’t be driving today.  He picked up his briefcase and carefully closed the door behind him.

Lex sat in his office during a short break from the negotiations.  He hurt all over.  Last night’s dislocated jaw was only his most recent injury.  His desk chair had a soft self-molding foam pillow permanently attached to the seat.  He couldn’t use the chair without it.  While he’d always protected his personal space, he was now even more guarded.  An accidental brushing or a casual touch could mean agony or at least a grimace. 

His cellphone rang and Lex answered recognizing the caller I.D. 

“Martha, it’s good to hear from you,” Lex said in his brightest voice.  “To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”  He smiled and turned to gaze over the Metropolis skyline from the ceiling to floor windows in his office.

“Jonathan and I are in town for a few hours and thought maybe you could have lunch with us.  We don’t see you boys much.  I couldn’t reach Clark, but we’d still like to see you.  That is if you’re not too busy.”

Fuck.  “No, Martha, I think I can get away in about an hour.”  He did not want to see Clark’s parents, but he also didn’t want them reporting to Clark that he’d stood them up.

“We actually have my car today, so can we pick you up at 12:30?”  Martha sounded genuinely pleased.

“That sounds fine.  I’ll go ahead and make a reservation.  See you then.”

Fuck!  Lex pounded the desk.  Just what he needed was a luncheon date with his ‘in-laws’.

“I don’t blush much in my old age, Lex, so tell me... what’s wrong with your bottom?”  Martha raised one eyebrow and continued to sip her soup.

Lex, who had been wriggling, stilled, his salad fork halfway to his mouth.

“Martha!”  Jonathan exclaimed.  “Give the boy some privacy.  You know what they... do.”

Martha rolled her eyes at Jonathan and returned to Lex who had set his fork beside his salad plate.

“And you’re wearing make-up?” she continued, rubbing her thumb across Lex’s cheek.  Lex jerked away from her touch.

“Mrs. Kent.” Suddenly going formal.  Lex glanced at Jonathan who was still behind in the conversation.  “There is nothing wrong with my...  I’m fine.  Everything’s fine.  I just have a slight... discoloration I want to cover up, that’s all.”  He stabbed at his salad.

Martha looked at him disapprovingly, but dipped her spoon into her soup.

“Well, Lex,” Jonathan said, “I saw where you took a another beating last week during the increase in gasoline prices.”

Lex choked on a piece of endive and Jonathan rose and rapped on his back.  Lex stumbled away from the table, clutching his throat.  The lunch crowd scattered and the maitre d dialed 911 on his cellphone.

“Stand still Lex!”  Jonathan shouted as he tried to tackle Lex as he struggled.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around Lex’s middle and pulled in and up.  With the second try, the 

forlorn leaf shot out of Lex’s throat and landed on their table, just as the maitre d was talking to the 911 operator.  Jonathan gave him the thumbs up that their VIP guest was okay. The restaurant’s owner ran in, helping Lex to his chair, fussing over him.

“I’m fine.” Lex croaked.  “Now leave me alone!”

Martha bent over Lex rubbing his back gently.  Heavy tears from choking ran down his face and Martha wiped them with her napkin.  When she did, some of the make-up rubbed off revealing its secret.

“Oh my God,” she gasped, her left hand covering her mouth.  “Let’s get you out of here.  We’ll take you home.”

“No!”  Lex was trembling, clinging to Martha’s hand.  God knows what Clark might do to him if he found his parents at the penthouse with a bruised and battered ‘son-in-law’.

Jonathan helped Lex to his feet and Martha led Lex back to the car.  Jonathan promised the owner that no one would sue if he would just be quiet about the whole incident.  Once inside the car, Martha dialed Clark’s number at the Planet but only got his voicemail.

“No!”  Lex wailed and grabbed the phone, shutting it off.  

“Lex, you’re hurt and Clark will want to know, so he can help you,” Martha sat in the back seat trying to soothe Lex.

“Take me home with you?”  Lex asked carefully.  He didn’t want to appear frightened, but he couldn’t say any more right now.  Could he tell them the truth? 

“Jonathan, drive us home.”

“But, Clark...”  Jonathan began.

“Clark did this to you, didn’t he?”  Martha asked while Lex peered out the window.

“Martha!”  Jonathan said.  He pulled out of the restaurant’s parking lot and headed toward the Interstate entrance.

“Yes, Mrs. Kent,” Lex whispered.  “But he didn’t mean to.  He loves me.  I just do things to make him angry.  I try not to, but I always do.” 

He was filled with self-loathing when he realized that he believed all the hateful things Clark had been pouring into him.  He really was worthless.  Ask Lionel... he’d agree.  Clark was just punishing Lex for his audacity to take up space on this earth.  Martha was still talking to him, but his auditory senses ceased working.  Vision was of no use to him now and his eyes blurred.  He curled up on the floor of the car, tracing the old, fine scars on the insides of his arms.  The old internal dialogue of justifying his existence to himself began in earnest.

“Martha, there is no way Clark would do something like this,” Jonathan said as he paced the upstairs hallway.  “He’s our son.”

“I don’t want to think so, either.”  Martha gently washed Lex’s face and neck to remove the make-up.  “Here, help me out, he’s nearly comatose.  I want to see the entire damage before I decide whether or not to take him to the hospital.”

“He’ll love it when he wakes to find you checking him out.”  Jonathan mumbled as he held Lex upright on the bed.

Martha unbuttoned Lex’s shirt and inhaled sharply.  His torso was almost one solid bruise.  The only thing that separated them was the color.  Some were fading into a yellowish brown and some were still a deep purple. 

“His back too,” Jonathan added quietly.  “And he’s got some nasty scratches.  He’s delusional, Martha.  Clark did not do this.”

He laid Lex on the bed and unfastened his belt and slacks.  Lex, tried to curl up, but firm hands restrained him.  His eyes were still closed and no sound emerged from his lips.  Martha reached for his slacks and pulled them down.  He was thinner than usual and the slacks slid right off.  To her embarrassment, he was not wearing underwear, but Martha couldn’t fault him when she saw his groin and backside.

“He’s raw back here, Martha,” Jonathan reined in his disgust as he probed between Lex’s cheeks.

“I can’t believe he really has no hair... anywhere.”  He looked at Martha and rolled Lex onto his back.  

“Worm... mutant... offensive... repulsive... ”  The words whispered , barely heard.  Lex’s head lolled to the side.

“What are we going to do Jonathan?”  Martha asked, reaching for the blanket at the end of the bed.  “He’s been badly battered over an extended length of time.  I know he hates hospitals and I don’t see anything that shouldn’t heal on its own.  Thankfully he does heal quickly.”  She tucked the blanket in around Lex and kissed his cheek.

Downstairs Jonathan sipped on coffee.  Martha went about making soup.  She took a large container of beef stock out of the freezer and gathered tomatoes, green bean, and peas she’d picked yesterday morning.  To that she retrieved two jars of corn that she had put up last fall.

“Martha!”

She startled, “What?”  Realizing she was futzing, Martha pulled up a chair across from her husband.  “Lex will be hungry when he wakes.” She turned her gaze away.

“Clark will show up here sooner or later,” Jonathan said after a few moments.  “I doubt he’ll expect to find Lex here and we have to decide what we’re going to do.  How are we going to find out what’s wrong with our son?”  He sat back in his chair and tilted his head toward the ceiling.  “Could it be Red K?  None of the other symptoms are showing.  He’s not living out any deep desires, he’s just abusing his... uh, Lex.  Anyway, I think Lex would have called us long before now if he thought it was Red K.”

“Just abusing Lex?”  Martha’s gaze turned hard.  Silence grew between them.

“Do you think if I went down to the caves, Jor-el might talk to me?”  Jonathan stared at his coffee.

“I don’t want you going back there.”  Martha closed her hand around her husband’s.  “Jor-el hasn’t been very patient with us in the past.

“I know.  But he can’t like this new development in Clark.  Surely Jor-el wouldn’t want Clark beating his mate, even if Clark were the Ruler of Earth.”

“Maybe.”  Martha kissed her husband.  “Just don’t bargain with that... apparition.  I don’t want your health destroyed.”

“I’ll go now, before it gets dark,” Jonathan said grabbing his jacket.  “I don’t want this to wait until morning.”

Clark burst into the house before daybreak.  Martha and Jonathan were drinking coffee and reading the morning edition of the Daily Planet.

“Son, it’s good to see you,” Jonathan stood to give his son a hug.

“Where is he?”  Clark demanded.  He stomped into the kitchen, eyes blazing.  He looked intensely at the ceiling.  “I thought so!”

“Clark wait!”  Martha grabbed her son’s hand.

Clark pulled away and raised his fist.  Jonathan backhanded him, hard.  It hurt, a lot, but it brought Clark’s attention back.

“Don’t you ever lift a hand to your mother, mister!”  Jonathan stood between his wife and son.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Clark stood back, sheepishly.  “But why is Lex here?  What did he tell you?”

“Nothing,” Jonathan said.  “Lex didn’t tell us anything.  Through no action of his own, we found out what you’ve been doing to him.”

“What I’ve been doing to him?”  The color in Clark’s eyes seemed to swirl.  “Did he tell you what he’s done to me?  The lies, the cheating?  He goes out of his way to make me angry.”

“So you hit him, you hurt him sexually?”  Jonathan’s voice raised an octave.  “And he wouldn’t do that to you!  Son, don’t you remember anything we taught you?  You’re not human!  We always drilled it into you.  ‘Be careful’.  ‘Be gentle’.  ‘Don’t hurt people’.”

“I don’t hurt anyone!”  Clark growled, the green in his eyes swirling separately from the brown.

“What do you call what you’ve done to Lex?”  Martha pleaded.  She reached out, but didn’t touch her son.

“He has to know that he’s mine!”  Clark screamed, holding his fists out to his sides.

“How could I not know that?”

Everyone turned  to the stairs to see Lex standing there, wearing an pair of Clark’s enormous sweatpants hanging on his hips.  He wasn’t wearing a shirt.  The nails of his right hand bit into the railing.

“Lex!”  Clark’s hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.  He stormed toward Lex and Jonathan rushed to stand in front of Lex at the bottom of the stairs.

“Clark I know what’s wrong with you,” Jonathan said.  “I visited the caves.”

“What?”  Clark’s face tensed and his eyes narrowed. 

“Dear, your father is trying to help...”  Martha stood beside Jonathan, blocking Lex from Clark.

“Mrs. Kent, Mr. Kent,” Lex said stepping off that last step.  He couldn’t have his ‘in-laws’ in the middle of his quarrels with Clark.  He touched Jonathan’s shoulder, who stepped aside.  Lex smiled at him briefly before turning to Clark.

Clark strode toward the stairs and Lex instinctually froze, staring straight ahead.  Blue eyes pleaded with swirling green ones.  They begged, “Please don’t start something under the Kent’s roof.”

“Clark!”  Jonathan’s stern voice got his son’s attention.  “I went to the caves and Jor-el graced me with his presence again.  There were things I needed to ask him.”

“Oh, and what did he have to say?”  Clark challenged, staring right at Lex. 

“He said...”  Jonathan stepped toward Clark and reached for his shoulders.  Clark turned his gaze to his father.  “He said your symptoms sounded like you may have a tiny brain tumor.  It causes erratic and violent behavior.”  He hesitated.  “It was common on Krypton and their physicians removed the tumors regularly without consequence.”

“Honey,” Martha spoke up and touched Clark’s arm.  “Jor-el said yours could only be removed by the A.I. at your Fortress in the Arctic.

“I want Lex now!”  Clark shook off his mother and reached out for Lex, yanking him forward by his arm.  “There is nothing wrong with me.” 

Clark’s tight grip nearly crushed Lex’s forearm and forced him to his knees.  The tenuous hold Lex had on his psyche began to slither away.  He didn’t even cover his face when Clark socked him, shattering his cheekbone.  He no longer heard the others screaming at Clark.  Clark twisted him around in an effort to hit him again and he knew he couldn’t be there when Clark let him go.  Lex heard a loud thud when Jonathan wrestled Clark away.  Martha kept screaming at Clark trying desperately to regain his focus.  Lex rolled to his side and crawled toward the kitchen.  In pain, face broken and eyes fixed; Lex took that last step into his own realm of nothingness.

“He doesn’t remember anything, Lex.”  Martha adjusted pillows behind his back, helping him to sit up.

“Whaaa?”  He didn’t hurt anywhere, but his mouth was dry.

Martha offered him a sip of water.  He looked up to find himself in his bedroom at the penthouse.  Lex drank all of the water and handed the glass back to Martha. 

“How long...?” 

“A week.  Your doctor friend Toby has been taking care of you.  He’s helped you rest and your body has mostly healed itself.”   

Martha wiped Lex’s face with a damp cloth and his mind began to clear.  A week! 

“Where is Clark?”  He asked hesitantly, pulling the covers up under his chin.

“In the living room dear,” Martha crooned.  “He doesn’t remember anything about the last couple of months.  We took him to the Fortress like Jor-el instructed.  There was a tiny tumor in his brain and the A.I. removed it... somehow.  I didn’t understand the technology.  Neither does Jonathan.  Clark knows about the surgery, but not about his previous behavior.  He thinks he accidentally found out about it from Jor-el and we took just him to get it removed.”

“How did you get to the Fortress?”  Lex stared into Martha’s eyes trying to make sense of it.

“We used the LexCorp jet for part of the distance, then one of your helicopters took us the rest of the way in.”

“Jesus, Martha!  No one can know about Clark or that Fortress.  The pilots... the ground crew... What were you thinking?”  Lex swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, wobbly, but stayed upright.  “My father mustn’t find out...”

“Honey, Lionel helped us,” Martha said, reaching out to Lex, but he was just outside her grip.

“No way!”  Lex pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Yes, he did.”  She confirmed.  “He knew about Clark and the Fortress.  He said he’d known about Clark being Superman for a long time and came to us when he heard about our trying to arrange the trip.  He wanted to help Clark... because he loves you.”

Lex hugged himself at this ridiculous notion, pacing the huge bedroom.  Stopping, he put his hand in the pockets of his pajamas.

“Martha, Lionel has hated me all of my life.  He did this for some other, sinister reason, believe me.  He’d never do anything to actually help me or Clark.”

“No!”  Martha was adamant.  “I know the man too, remember?  He specifically asked if the A.I. could also help you conquer your bi-polar disease.  Not erase any more memories, but to truly help you.”

“Oh, is that what we’re calling it now.”  Lex spat.  “Like I’m going to let him fuck with my head again.”  He watched as Martha stood to hug him and he settled into her arms.  “Clark really doesn’t remember anything he did to me?”

“No, he just remembers the past couple of months being hectic and mostly a blur.”  Martha pulled away just enough to look at Lex.  “Honey, he loves you so much.  He’s worried right now because he doesn’t know what’s wrong with you.  He was kept in a deep sleep at the Fortress for the past week while you healed.  He doesn’t even know that much time has passed.  Everything that happens between the two of you from here on depends on you, Lex.”  Martha stepped back to allow Lex to consider everything she’d just told him.  “I’ll be in the living room.”  She smiled and closed the door behind her.

Lex sat on the bed.  Fuck Lionel.  But what if the A.I. could cure his psychological problems?  Bi-polar?  Well he’d been diagnosed with just about every other kind of disorder.  Would he still hate his father if he was cured?  He rather enjoyed hating his father.  And just because he wasn’t prone to bouts of depression or manic behavior anymore wouldn’t keep Lionel from fucking with him.  Would it?  He’d have to think about that.

More important right now was Clark.  How did he feel after what had happened recently?  He wasn’t sure but he knew there had been an ache in his heart that hadn’t been there since before he’d met the boy.  A loss.  An absence.  Could Clark fill that again?

“Lex!”  Clark stormed through the door, grinning, eyes huge, their normal hazel color shining brightly. 

Lex cried out in fear and scrabbled back onto the bed when Clark walked closer and reached out for him.  Clark froze, the bewildered look on his face confirmed everything Martha had said.

“Lex?”  Clark dropped one arm and just held out a hand toward Lex.  “What’s wrong?  I didn’t mean to startle you.”  His grin returned.  “Mom wouldn’t let me in here until you woke up on your own.  She said you’d been burning the midnight oil.”  He moved a little closer to the bed.  “But what’s new, huh?”

Lex didn’t move but he managed to put on a neutral expression.  Here was Clark, his Clark.  Just as Martha promised.  God he wanted to believe that Clark wouldn’t hurt him.  He wanted to believe that Clark’s violent behavior had been caused by a tiny mass in that super brain of his.  He wanted to believe that the A.I. removed the tumor and Clark was back to normal.  Panic welled up in his throat when Clark latched onto his hand though the warmth was nice.

“Lex?  Are you okay?  Is it alright if I sit down beside you?” 

Clark looked all of 17 again and Lex knew he couldn’t say no.  He loved Clark and couldn’t live without him and probably would have continued to live with the abuse until Clark killed him.  At that instant he knew he needed help.  Maybe the A.I. could work wonders.

“I’m fine, Clark.” Lex wrapped his arms around Clark and hugged him tightly.  Clark buried his head in Lex’s shoulder and gripped him gently.  “I was just tired, like your mom said.”

“I’m glad that’s all it was.”  Clark rubbed two fingers over Lex’s lips and smiled. 

Lex stilled momentarily then opened his lips and sucked in the fingers.  Clark moaned softly, tracing his tongue along Lex’s jaw. 

“Clark your parents are in the other room,” Lex whispered when Clark removed his fingers.

“No, they left go shopping.  Funny, but they said they might stay at your father’s new hotel, the L.C. Grand.  It’s really not like them to splurge.”

Lex smiled.  Leave it to Martha to give them what they needed most.  Time.  And they wouldn’t be paying for anything.  He’d make sure of it.

“Lex, make love to me,” Clark begged.  His eyes were dark with passion; not swirling with fury.

Lex closed his eyes and fought back the fear that threatened to destroy him.  He could do this.  He had to forgive Clark for something he wasn’t even responsible for.  But Clark would have to know what had happened.  They had made a pact long ago that there was to be truth between them.  It might not have been the Kent’s place to tell their son, but it was definitely Lex’s.  But today?  Now?

Clark’s hand slowly unbuttoned his pajama top and slid inside.  The caress was firm, but not threatening.  Lex opened his eyes and writhed when Clark sucked his nipple.  Lex’s hands were still at his sides because he’d not yet tried to touch Clark.

“Is everything okay?”  Clark cocked his head slightly and sucked in his bottom lip.  “I didn’t hurt you did I?”

Lex took Clark’s hands and held them gently.  He looked into those worried eyes and took a deep breath.

“Everything is going to be okay, Clark.  But there’s something important we need to talk about.”

“Anything,” Clark smiled, moving into the bed to sit next to Lex.  

end