Author: Katharos
Title: Krypton
Rating: PG
Challenge: alternative universe
 

KRYPTON

The purple sky was pure and wonderfully clear and cloudless, the red sun warm without being uncomfortably hot. A warm breeze blew, soft for so high in the mountains, ruffling the turquoise grass that grew in the small, sheltered indent in the harsh rocky mountainside. In this place, far from the sprawling cities and the constant roar of ‘Ships docking and taking-off at Krypton’s many ports, there was only the sounds of nature, and the soft ticking of two cooling hover-bike engines.

A pair of brightly plumaged kierlin wheeled in the still air, their high, piping voices mingling in pleasant harmony. Two youths watched them from where they lay on the soft grass by their ‘bikes, wrapped in each others arms. Occasionally, one would turn and press soft kisses to the others head and slip a knowing hand inside his tunic to caress the pale chest. The other lay quiescent in his lover's arms, staring up at the Kierlin, a small smile playing over his lips. Eventually he spoke:

Lex shifted onto his side to face his pouting lover. “The terms were quite clear Kal,” he said, smirking. “A race to this point, and the loser would owe the winner a forfeit.” His smirk blossomed into a full-blown grin. “Which I believe you do.”

“Leeexxx,” Kal whined.

“You are not getting out of this one,” Lex told the other boy sternly, trying to repress a grin. “I rather like the idea of a slave for a day.”

Kal glared at him, one lock of dark hair falling adorably into his eyes. “You cheated,” he accused. “I don’t know how, but I know you did!” muttering, he added: “I’m going to run a diagnostic on both ‘bikes next time.”

Snickering, Lex rolled over, pulling Kal further into his arms. His lover didn’t struggle too hard, reassuring him that he wasn’t too mad about the forfeit. After all, Lex mused, tugging on that stubborn lock and grinning when Kal glared at him.

Kal’s eyes lit up. “Yes! And I’ve found the perfect Yellow Class System. The planet’s beautiful, and uninhabited, so Father probably won’t find out this time – if we manage to get all the spy-eyes out of the Kierlin. I can’t wait to go flying again,” he added longingly.

“What do you call what we’ve just been doing then?” Lex teased.

Kal lifted his head from where he was sprawled on top of him to give him an incredulous look. “It’s not the same as flying ourselves.”

“No, it’s not,” Lex agreed quietly, remembering the last trip they had taken which had ended prematurely when and Lex smiled as he remembered the completely awe-inspiring experience of making love in mid air. From the blush staining Kal’s cheeks, he was remembering the same thing.

Lex sobered abruptly, recalling the reason for the El’s secretiveness. “They are right though,” he said quietly. “You’re parents,” he clarified at Kal’s puzzled look. “To keep this knowledge to themselves.”

Kal nodded, his face as serious as Lex. “Yes,” he agreed quietly. “What could be done with it…” he shuddered.

Lex nodded in agreement. “What my Father could do with it,” he added equally quiet.

Kal slipped his hand into his own, holding it tightly. “The power fades quickly

Kal grinned, his eyes full of light. “Father likes having a son-in-law he can talk shop with. He loses Mother and I after a while when he’s going on about some obscure scientific theory. You can keep up with him.”

Lex snorted, trying to hide who pleased the compliment made him. “Whereas my Father would be thrilled to have an alliance with one of the Great Houses – especially the House of El. Which is why he’s not going to know – at least not until it’s too late for him to wheedle some advantage out of it.”

Kal frowned. “Do you really think he would be thrilled? He’s not exactly

Lex shook his head. Kal,” he said tiredly, “he wouldn’t throw away a political advantage because of personal feelings – not one this big, anyway. Only members of the Great Houses are allowed to sit in the Ruling Council, and there’s no way Lionel-Thor is going to get himself adopted by one of them. His only way to get any power there is to have influence over someone who is already a prominent member of the Great Houses. And his son marrying Kal-El of the House of El, son of Jor-El and Lara-Za would give him that.”

Kal frowned. “But your House is already powerful,” he pointed out.

Lex sighed. “In trade and biasness, yes. Thor is one of the richest Houses on Krypton, richer than some of the Great Houses. We have huge influence in intergalactic trade, ThorCorp has branches on every major planet in the Web; what we don’t have, what we can’t have, is major involvement in the Kryptonian government. You would give him that.”

“But he loathes me!”

Lex found himself grinning. “Well, you did break the monopoly he had with the Cretenshans.”

Kal’s face grew hard. “They were desperate, and he was holding that contract they signed with ThorCorp over their head that said they could only engage in off-world trade through them to force them to pay exorbitant prices for food! That blight had killed off most of their crops – they were starving!”

“And you found that loophole in the contract and then shamed the other mega-corporations into offering free aid.”

Kal blushed. “You helped,” he mumbled.

“With the technicalities of the legal side of things,” Lex pointed out calmly. “Most of it was you.”

He smiled seductively. “I rather like the idea of a super-powered slave doing my every biding,” he purred, running his eyes up and down Kal’s beautiful body suggestively. Kal blushed, something Lex never tired of seeing – or causing. Casually he slipped an arm around his lover’s waist, fingers playing intimately over his hip,

END