The Memoirs

"I love me some hiiim...I'll never love this way again. I love me some you… another man will never do."

Or so Clark was humming.

It was just barely five thirty, and Clark was already awake. Sort of awake, anyway. Because he was having a thought, a very Jerry Maguire-esk thought at that. He'd been up since two, writing, and he looked at his lovers laptop for a good long moment, biting his lip… and then biting into a cookie. His eyes were heavy… hardly open. His socked feet were crossed at the ankle under the desk, and cookie crumbs littered his lovers desk planner. But all of it went unnoticed, as he poised his fingers and wrote another sentence.

How can we as people, as Americans who stand for freedom, justice, and the perseverance of happiness above all else discriminate those around us in the ways that we do?

A moment's thought.

Just because I'm gay doesn't mean I'm alien,--couldn't help that one, and Clark snorted--a freak, or strange. Just because my personal life doesn't coincide with those of my peers doesn't mean I'm raping men in bathroom stalls and baring my all to strangers in dark, dreary hotel rooms. Why, I ask you, does being gay mean you're different?

Lex barely stirred in his sleep, usually only shifting positions to sleep closer to Clark. When he found the bed beside him empty, Lex cracked open an eye, and saw Clark at the computer. Not an odd occurrence, that, unless it was... five o'clock in the fucking morning. "Clark? My darling little rooster, why are you awake at the ass-crack of dawn and on my computer, not that I mind?"

Yeah. Clark heard? Riiight. He just kept typing, his fingers flying over the keypad, a pencil in his mouth as he did. He stopped, crossed something out on the pad beneath his hand, and kept writing.

"Mmm. I see. Quite engrossing, I must say, because you're NOT LISTENING TO A WORD I SAY!" Lex sighed, scrubbed his face with his hands, and rolled out of bed with a grunt. "I'm going to hurt you for waking me up this early... not that my alarm wouldn't go off in half an hour anyway, and YOU HAVE CRUMBS ALL OVER MY DESK!!"

Clark looked up… blinked. His lover was yapping, and he just stared at him, for a half a moment, tugging his leg up under him. "Lex? You're rambling, baby. I didn't know you could wake up babbling... come on." He climbed up to his feet, gently, setting the pencil down and carefully sweeping his lover up into his arms, with a warm, quiet little nuzzle. "Sorry. Come on... shhh. You'll wake up the puppies. Go back to bed, beloved." He lay him down on the coverlets, gently, tucking the blankets back up. "Sleep, aushna'. I'm just finishing an article."

"Yes, I'm rambling. I'm rambling about crumbs all over my desk planner, little grease spots decorating my calendar, and I'm thanking God they're not in the sheets," he groused. "And don't tuck me back in, I have to be up in thirty minutes anyway."

"You wake up bitching." Clark murmured with a little smile. "Lay down. Rest. You technically don't have to go in until eight. So shhh, and sleep, beloved." He looked up, longingly, towards the laptop, but finding it... eh, he slid into the bed with his lover. "Come here... snuggle up with me. I'm sorry I woke you."

"Technically, no, I don't, but I do have to roust Wally's ass up and going on your passport. I have printed out all the forms we're going to need, and I've cut the checks for the emergency processing fees, and he's going to be taking you this afternoon to get the photographs taken--I think it's going to be in the accountant's building, top floor, is I think where processing was moved to, and as soon as we get the pictures, we'll have your passport in hand by this time tomorrow morning."

Clark blinked. Twice. His lover woke up talking but this was absurd, and Clarks fingers slipped around to his lovers belly, giving it a gentle rub where he knew, his come was still inside. He gently, carefully, stroked over the plug lodged into his lovers body from just a few hours ago, and gently stroked over the base as he slipped it out. "Shhhh, beloved."

Lex whimpered softly as Clark withdrew the plug, and tried to hold it in his body a little longer. "I'll shut up if you'll slide it back in," he compromised.

Clark smiled, gently, and gave Lex's ass a quiet squeeze as he set the toy on the floor beside him, so they could clean it. "Lex, aushna'... calm your mind. You woke up running to the races." He gently, carefully, tucked Lex back against his chest. The morning sun had yet to show its pretty face... the sky was still dark, the night sounds still chirping, and he gave in to the quiet, just stroking a slender, long hip gently.

"I can't help it; it's how I always wake up. You're just not usually around to see it. If I sleep any later, I wake up a zombie and I get nothing done the rest of the day."

"You don't have to sleep. Just calm down... you're the poster child for Starbucks." Amused little chuckle into the shell of a warm ear, and he licked it, softly. "Shay told me yesterday that you're a, and I quote, a disgustingly cheerful morning person who should be shot." Clark smiled, and rubbed his lips against the back of a long neck.

"I haven't even had my coffee yet, and that little pink Smurf is one to talk about disgusting cheerfulness."

Clark smiled, very gently, very warmly, though his eyes drooped quietly with sleepiness. "Mmm. I wrote all morning."

Lex brought his fingers up to run through Clark's hair. "Is that what you were doing?" He stroked Clark's hair carefully, nibbling gently at his nose, then kissing his cheeks. "What were you writing about?"

"Being gay." A quiet yawn. "After what Dominic talked about in chat the other day." After yawn, and he snuggled in close to his lover. "I wish I could call in to school sick."

"Mmm. Why can't you? Toby will be happy to supply you with a note saying you've come down with anything from Ebola to mono."

"Will kick me out." Clark yawned, softly, and let his eyelashes droop down closed. "Plus, have to get the Torch out today." Another yawn and he shivered, softly, sliding their blankets up.

"I'm sure if there's a medical doctor willing to certify that you were ill and unable to attend class, that Principal Reynolds will listen to the concerns of your health over his asinine policies." But he slid his arms around Clark's shoulders and snuggled in, letting his head rest against Clark's.

"The devil. Will not listen." but his lips quirked, as he peeked up... and he carefully let his face fall. "I miss your dad and Dominic. I keep expecting to see them at breakfast.

"I miss them too," Lex confessed. "I talked to Dad late last night; he and Dominic were having dinner with Crystabel. He says Dominic misses us both terribly, but I know my Dad well enough to read between those lines. He misses us too."

"Its weird not being with them." He confessed, softly. "Sometimes... don't tell Chloe this, but sometimes I feel closer to them both than I do to our sha'nauch."

Lex gave a little yawn, and he nodded against Clark's head. "I know what you mean. Not Dad so much for me, but Dominic. I mean, I love Dad, and I miss him, but... it's still not there yet, you know? But it's better than it was."

"Dominic is way too lively. Its weird, the house is just too quiet and boring." Clark answered, and rubbed his cheek against a warm shoulder. "Shay and Pete are going for their competition on Saturday… and I need a suit for it. Problem is? I don't own one."

"Yeah, it is. I keep expecting music to blare out at any moment." Then he grinned. "Next Saturday, and don't worry. I've already got Rico scheduled to come and fit you before we leave, and it'll be ready when we get home next week."

He looked absolutely horrified. "Fit me?"

"Fit you. Take your measurements, see how clothes hang on you so he knows how to cut the suit, see what style looks best on you, and while he's here, he's going to take mine too, and fit me a new Versace tux." Lex paused. "Speaking of that, do you have one?"

"That's what I said." Clarks throat bobbed, hard, and he looked up under the blankets and pillows at his lover. "I don't own a suit. Or a tux. Or anything resembling that."

"Then we'll remedy that. When he fits your suit, he'll fit you for a tux too." Lex nodded firmly. "I'll call him and let him know when I'm in the office."

More horror, though he hid it under a pillow, and muffled and wined, "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do." He peeked under the pillow, and snuggled his head in beside his lover. "If you'd like, we can do the fittings naked. I'm sure Rico wouldn't mind."

Clark blinked at the dark shadow of his lover, hiding under the pillow with him, and whined again. "Does he have to touch... everything?" Another whine. "I hate shopping, fitting, whatever, for clothes."

"Yes, he does, because he's going to be taking your inseam measurements, and believe me, Clark, with the duck you have in your pants, you *want* an accurate inseam."

"LEX!"

"That is my name."

"You... you freaking suck!" He cried it, burning, and hid even more. "You... I do not have a duck in my pants!"

"Would you rather I call it a zucchini? It's certainly the size of it. I'm just grateful that it's not Whitney sized, and Chloe is more of a woman than I ever believed her to be to take that on what I assume to be a fairly regular basis."

Clark. Just. Glared. "Yours is bigger than mine, so shut up. It's not that big. I can't believe you're calling me monster cock, here." He tweaked his lover's nipple.

Lex gave a pleasured little hiss at the tweak, and grinned under the pillow. "Of course it's that big. Mine isn't that much bigger, you know, and believe me, I'm appreciative of my inseams."

Clark just shook his head, cause he'd caught the grin alright, and he pressed a kiss to the side of his lovers cheek. "That's one thing I'll never understand about humans... why cock size even matters. As long as you can pleasure your mate, who cares?"

Lex just shrugged as he snuggled back in close to his lover. "It's not the boat, Clark, it's the motion of the ocean. It just so happens that a big boat can move through the ocean better than little boats."

Clark blinked, choked on the giggle, and rolled his eyes. "You're pretty dumb, but I love you anyway. I just don't get what means so much, you know? Its just size. How much you have to fold up in the morning."

Lex just shrugged. "I like my cocks on the big side. Like yours, like Whitney's, like Blue's. Some people would rather he split open with a shorter, thick cock. Some would rather have a slimmer, longer cock that goes deeper. Me, I like both." He rubbed his thigh against Clark's groin. "Luckily, my aushna' is well supplied."

A soft, gentle purr. "I don't really mind. I mean... whatever. As long as it can be used over, and over."

Lex raised his eyebrow at that, and turned over so that his ass nestled warmly into Clark's groin, and he rubbed again. "It... definitely can be."

Clark grinned, quietly, into his lovers ear, and pushed the pillow off their head. "Last night was really nice, Lex."

"Yeah. It was." He pushed back so that Clark's arm looped over his waist, and he gave a happy grunt into the warmth that radiated off his lover. "I'm not sure which part I liked best."

Clark gently slid his arms around his lover and slid them in close, spooned tightly, so his cock could get snuggly against the curve of his lovers warm cheeks. "I liked the whip." he murmured, into a soft shoulder blade.

Lex's eyes fell to half mast as he felt Clark nestling against him. "Mmmm... I did too. Even though it didn't mark you."

Clark smiled, quietly, though he didn't move, as the sun rose outside of their bedroom window. He was tired but it would do, because he'd gotten what he'd needed done. "Today... I've got work."

A little yawn. "At the Talon?"

"Mmm." Clark yawned, quietly and softly, himself. "Until six. We can meet up after? See how Whitney and Chloe are doing...maybe steal them away for the night."

"Wally'll pick you up from work for the pictures. Then you'll meet me out by the fountain in the center of the plaza, and we'll go see Whit and Chloe together, okay?"

Pictures?

Huh?

"Wha?"

"For your passport, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." He shifted. "I hate pictures, you know."

"Yes, I know you do. Unfortunately, there's no way to get around it this time. If there were, we would."

He nodded, and heaved another quiet yawn into his lovers back. He lay his head on Lex's shoulder blade, gently, and let his eyes close. "Lex...gotta be up by seven. Wake me up?"

"Of course." Lex leaned his head back, then reached out for the alarm. Turned it off just as it started to ring, and re-set it for six thirty. He closed his eyes too, and snuggled in as close as he could. "Sweet dreams, baby."

Clarks answer was a heavy snore.

Lex laughed softly and turned onto his back, so Clark's head fell onto his shoulder. He resisted the urge to pick up his phone and start his day early, and instead snuggled back down to sleep beside his lover.

 

- = - = -

Clark loved his job. He did. He could say it with a solid frame of mind--working was really, really fun. Not only did he get a good chunk of change for what he did, but he got to talk to the locals, pour coffee, serve people, and Clark was just one of those people who really enjoyed it.

He'd written the rest of his article early that morning, between third and fourth period, in his head, and by the end of lunch it was typed out on the computer and being printed. He had made four hundred copies, because there hadn't been enough last week, and had set them in their usual spots for people to pick them up around school.

By sixth period, they were gone, and Principle Reynolds was giving him dirty looks.

He didn't really give a rats ass of course, though now, as he served coffee to Charlie and Emily with a smile, he felt... well, a little odd. He'd been getting looks, whispers, and he wasn't too sure if he liked it or not.

He also hadn't seen his friends.

Whitney had taken the day off, to be with Chloe, and Pete and Shay had gotten into some sort of argument, because they were ignoring one another. Which sucked, of course, but Clark had talked to his lover for most of the day, about the article he'd written and the looks he was getting, plus what Lex had been doing-dealing with Wally.

Clark grinned, as he remembered his lovers curses, and wiped his hands on his apron as he walked around the counter.

Not that Wally exactly needed a car. It was kind of pointless, actually, but he had to keep up appearances, and he didn't think that he and Clark could quite take a brisk jog over to the plaza and not be noticed for displacing half the air in Smallville and possibly creating a small jet stream.

So he'd taken the money that Bruce had given him and bought himself a candy-apple red convertible Mustang. Not nearly as fancy as Lex's cars, but Wally was an Iowa boy and he appreciated American metal as much as the next boy.

He brushed his hair back from the windblown state, straightened the lapels of his suit, and sauntered into the Talon. Several girls caught his eye and he gave them suave winks, and blew a little kiss towards one teeny blond sitting in the corner by herself. Clark, of course, towered head and shoulders above everyone else, and Wally squeezed and wove through the tightly-packed coffeehouse to sit down at the bar. "Special K, are you ready to blow this java joint yet?"

Clark glanced up, startled. Who wouldn't be? He'd been staring at the car, through the window, as well as half the guys in the place. Yeah, Clark lived with the Car King, but there was something about red that drew his eye, and he gave a little lusty sigh. Sure, he owned a three hundred thousand dollar car, but it was really his and Lex's, so there was no problem staring and drooling a little. He looked up though at the odd name, and snorted at him, as he filled another cup. "Wally, right?"

"The one and only," Wally confirmed, doing a little spin on the swivel stools. "You and me have a date, buddy, in about ten minutes."

One of the football players clustered in the corner heard that, and elbowed Ted, their quarterback. "Hear that, Teddy? Kent's dippin' his wick in the new guy here; they've got a daaaaaate," he sang out snarkily.

Clark glanced up at the football guys sitting in the corner, and his eyebrows lowered, his chest puffing up a little as he glowered. No one fucked with him, and he barely restrained the snarl, as Nell looked up and over at him. He quickly continued to fill the lattes, sprinkling them with cinnamon and sugar.

"Nice little place you've got here, and oh, not to offend you or anything, but I've got a shirt in the car for you in case you wanna ditch the flannel before you get your picture taken, and I have a hairbrush too, but it doesn't look like your lovely little locks are gonna need it." Mock sigh.

Clark rolled his eyes quietly as he got another tray and carried the latte's over to two seniors sitting doing homework in one of the corner booths, and gave them their drinks with a smile, saying the normal, "Flag me over if you need me." before returning to the front bar. "Want anything to drink, Wally?"

Another flash of irresistible grin. "What I want? You guys don't have in this joint, and I seriously don't think it'd be legal to boot."

The football players snickered again at Wally's words.

"Y'know, K, your town breeds some seriously rude fuckers."

This time, it was Clark who snickered. "Tell me about it. Weak too--get beat down by skinny blonds." Clark answered, amiably, and built Wally a cappuccino to go, quickly. His shift was over, and he smiled at his replacement, a little red head named Lisa, as he set his apron up on a hook and slid from around the counter, setting the money in the cash register for the cappuccino. He handed it over and motioned his head toward the back room. "Let me get my jacket."

"I can wait. That new baby of mine will get us there in a flash." He snickered at his own private joke. "Time and photography wait for no men but us, Special K. However? Lex told me to tell you, move that corn-fed ass." He cocked his head. "And oh, what an ass to move."

Clark's eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder, before turning and burning six shades of pink and red. He ducked into the back storeroom before Wally could see it and grabbed his jacket and backpack, sliding the satchel up over his head and onto his shoulder, before trudging out again.

The football crew had completely cracked up by that time, and when Clark came out, they were still laughing. "Check out our very own cock jockey, ladies and gentlemen! One's not enough for our boy!" Ted leaned forward. "How many more you got on the string there, Kent?"

Alright. Well.

Clark set his jacket down on the stool and ever so carefully slid into the booth, right in front of Ted, and leaned over, like he was imparting a great secret. "Ted? I'd watch your mouth. Lex Luthor, multi-billionaire, with more mob connections than Al Capone, is my fiancé. You wouldn't want to anger him, now would you, by angering me?"

"Oooooh. I'm so scared." Ted let his body do a series of fake tremors. "You're stupid to threaten me in front of all these people, Clark."

"I'm not threatening you, Ted. I'm giving you some good, solid advice. Do not fuck with me."

More fake trembles, and a series of little ooooos. "Yea, right. Go fuck your boyfriends, Kent, and leave the rest of us alone."

A quiet smile. "Alright. I don't want to hurt you, Ted... Whitney beat the crap out of you, so I'd be really upset to see what I could do."

Ted's face flushed red. "He got cheap shots in and you know it!"

"Cheap shots? What cheap shots? Bashing your face in? Punching you in the gut? I didn't see anything cheap about it. Fought like a man, actually. You... cried, if I remember correctly." He looked at Ted's two buffoons, one sitting beside him, the other beside Ted, and tipped his head, mock quizzically. "I think that's right, right? You guys saw it, after all."

The other two guys were stone silent, though the one who had been Whitney's friend, Steven, was trying not to grin and getting an elbow in the ribs from the other guy. "I didn't cry!!" Ted shoved the table back and launched himself at Clark.

Wally's arm slammed against the guy's chest. "I really don't think you wanna do that," he said conversationally, draping an arm around Clark's shoulders. "See, I know Special K here, and once he's pissed off? Yeah. Not a pretty sight, and if you've already gotten your ass kicked once, do you really want to try that again?"

Clark had been up on his feet, ready to crack some ribs, when Wally draped his arm casually around his shoulders. He calmed at the touch, because he could feel his lover telling him no, and he took a deep, silent breath, his face still casually clear and a little smile playing on his lips. "I'm sure Whitney could help."

"Yeah, me too," even though Wally didn't have a clue in fuck who this Whitney chick was. Didn't think too much of the guy if he got his ass seriously kicked by a girl, but hey. All kinds of things happen. "C'mon, K, let's blow."

Steven couldn't help it. He laughed. Elbow in the ribs aside, he just busted out laughing at the reminder of the beating Whitney had given Ted. "Hey, Kent, wait up. I'll walk out with you." He boosted himself out of the booth, crawled over the table, and snarled at Ted on the way out. "Great article you did, man. Made me think about some things."

Clark looked at Steven, sideways, for a moment, before seeing there wasn't any hostility in the look, and motioned his shoulder for him to follow. Clark knew Whitney and Steven had once been close friends, though Clark hadn't a clue what had happened, he let him follow them out. "Thanks. Wrote it this morning, actually." A little smile, though he glared back at Ted for a moment before allowing Wally to tug him out. "Hangin' out with the wrong people, Steven, man."

"Yeah, I'm findin' that out." He sighed. "There's a whole thing. But yeah. That article? Hit home for me, lotta ways. Didn't realize I thought like that till I read about it in the newspaper, and I realized I didn't wanna be that way."

Clark's brows wrinkled for a moment. "Be what way?"

He shrugged, and held the door open for Clark and his new friend. "Ted's way. A homophobic jackass."

His lips quirked. One down, four hundred million to go. "I got ticked off. People treat me differently than they used to, and I don't get why." A shake of his head as he stepped out onto to the curb. "Hey man, this is Wally. Works for Lex, he's his assistant."

"How are ya?" Wally's arm was still firmly around Clark's shoulders. "Nice to see you finally joined the side of the angels."

Steve gave a little coughing grin. "Yeah, took me a while. Gotta apologize to you, Clark, and Whit too."

Clark shrugged a shoulder. "Whit's bi, man. Just so you know, so you don't stick your foot in your mouth or somethin'." Another shrug, but it was coupled with a little smile. "Its alright, by the way. I just had to write somethin' about it, cause I'm thinking of putting together a GLBT association on campus. Its time Smallville High had one."

Steve shrugged. "I think my brother's gay--I think he's been tryin' to tell us that for a couple of years now, and we just weren't listening--me and Dad, anyway. Gonna sit down and talk to him tonight."

Clark nodded, quietly. "Its hard, Steven. Harder then you think. You know how I went after Lana all the time... kinda hiding behind her, as an insecurity. You know? Its good that you're gonna talk to him." He smiled, a little, at him, and motioned for Wally to go wait in the car or whatever, so he could talk to Steve alone.

All Wally did was tap his watch face. "Time's goin'; if I don't have your shit together and FedEx'd outta here by seven thirty, your boyfriend's gonna have my ass for breakfast." But he jumped into the driver's side of the Mustang, preening behind the wheel.

Clark grinned at him slightly, and looked up at Steven. "Wanna get some food with us tonight? Lex, Whitney, Chloe, Pete... and Shay, I think, we're gonna go get some food over at Derchi's. It'd be awesome if you'd join us."

"You sure, man? I mean, yeah, I'd love to, but I don't wanna step in on anything, you know?"

"Naw, its really okay." He smiled, crookedly. "You're dating Farrah, right? You can bring her alone, too. I know she and Chloe and Shay are friends, so it should be fun."

"Yeah, we're still goin' out, though I'm not sure how happy she'll be that I dumped Ted and the gorilla, cause Ted's her stepbrother. So, I may be flyin' solo if she's holdin' out."

"It's all good." A little snort. "She can't not see that he's an ass, Steve." But he clapped him on the shoulder. "See you tonight, then. We'll be round Derchi's by eight, alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be there." He shook hands with Clark, and then gave him a little look. "I'm gonna give my brother your article, that cool? See if that'll get him comfortable enough to start talkin' to me again."

"Definitely. How's Jimmy doin', anyway? How's the free life treatin' him?" Clark asked, tipping his head at him.

"He's diggin' the Daily Planet pretty well. Got him runnin' like a maniac, but he's got a camera in his hands and he's happy. He's doin' the journalism and photography thing up at UMet, so he's busy."

If Clark's heart tripped with a little lusty sigh, he didn't say anything. "That sounds... fuckin' amazing dude. Tell me more at dinner, alright? I might talk to him about the journalism program when I finally get to university. Gotta run though, Wally ain't gonna wait." A motion at his agitated sorta friend, and Clark smiled, offering his hand. "See you at eight."

"Yeah? Alight, I can do that." Steve shook Clark's hand again. "I'll see ya there." He gave a little smile. "and thanks."

"No problem." Clark gave him a smile and turned, tugging his satchel to the side so he could slide into the mustang beside Wally. He closed the door with a little clack, and smiled at the guy with a little beam. "One down. A billion to go."

"Start small, win over the world." He put the Mustang in gear. "Hold on to your butts." He floored the pedal, and tore off from the sidewalk.

Steve went into his backpack and pulled out his little cell phone. He dialed the switchboard at his brother's newspaper, and sighed.

"Daily Planet, how can I connect your call?"

"Yeah, Jimmy Olsen, please."

"One moment."

Wally kept his foot down on the accelerator as he grinned at Clark. "How you hangin', K?"

If Clark weren't so damned accustomed to Lex driving like a bat out of hell, Clark might have been worried. As it was he just leaned back, setting his satchel and his jacket on his lap, and sighed. "Alright. Tired. I've been surviving off of three hours of sleep."

"Christ on a crutch, K, you might be a Special K, but you sure as hell need your damn sleep!!" He was cruisin' down the main drag on the way to the plaza, and he was blasting past everyone else like they were standing still.

Clark just stared. "Wally? Can I ask you something kind of personal?"

"Yeah, you can. You can ask anything you want, actually."

He shifted, quietly, and swallowed a little. "How... I mean, I know about... cause... well, you know." A shift. "How do you... you know? I mean, how did you..." Not making sense, Clark. "I mean, how did you know you were special? What… did something happen?"

"You mean, how did little Wally West turn into The Flash?" Little sigh. "I was struck by lightning, K. Literally. Working in the chem lab during a storm, and the bolt ran in the girders of the building and struck yours truly."

He winced, hard. "Ow."

"Yeah, ow is the least of it all. But, I got the hair issues under control, thanks to Paul Mitchell, the shocks are gone, and hey, I save a shitload of money on gas."

Clark blinked again, and stared at him. "Huh? What...what--" Don't be rude. "I mean.."

"What to which part?" He stopped the Mustang in front of the gates, and waited for the night guard to open the gate for him. "What to the hair issues, what to the shocks, or what to the gas?"

"Yeah. All of it." He nodded, quietly, shyly.

"What to the hair part? Hello, have you seen somebody after they've been shocked? Static electricity makes hair stand up and wave at the spectators."

He winced, nodded, and the last two parts clicked into place. "How fast can you go?"

"Seriously? Faster'n anyone's been able to measure." He shrugged as the gate finally clicked open and he pulled through into the plaza proper. "Pisses Bruce off that I don't even register on his radars."

Clark watched him, for a moment. "I don't go that fast. I mean… sort of."

Cocky grin. "Wanna race?"

He smiled a little, shook his head. "I don't really flat out run anymore, since I got past the law of gravity."

Wally's eyebrows shot up. "Holy shit, you're aerial!"

He blinked. "Sure?"

"You can fly, I mean." He turned the ignition off and headed towards the building. "Shit, briefcase. One sec." Wally disappeared from Clark's side, and back in another second, he was there, briefcase in hand. "Sorry, left it in my office."

Clark just… he shook his head, and grinned, as he stepped out of the car himself, and got his jacket tugged on, satchel hanging over his chest. "I don't go that fast. I can… do a lot of other things, though."

Wally smirked. "I really hope one of those things is sitting still and smiling for the birdie."

Clark blushed, very softly, as he entered the compound. The lights in the offices, as he'd noticed, were turned off, with only a few stragglers left behind. The early evening shone down on the beautiful park in the middle of the compound, the pond gurgling quietly. He took in the late day sun as it set, noting that it was setting later than usual, which was always a good sign of the summer time around the corner. He smiled at it, quietly, and side glanced Wally with a speculative little eyebrow up. "I hate pictures."

"So I've been told, but you're not gonna get outta the country without smiling and having these two pictures taken. Why? American bureaucracy at it's finest. But them's the rules, and as soon as we get these two pretty pictures of that dazzling smile, I'm running these to Metropolis and you'll have your passport by 10 AM on Thursday, which works because you leave that evening."

He blushed, quietly, burning in the dusks light at Wally's words, and rubbed his cheek quietly as they made their way across the boardwalk leading to the Zeus building. "How do you like working for Lex?"

"Helluva lot better'n working for Bruce, gotta say that. Love Bruce, he's got a lot of great qualities, but a people person he ain't. You can talk at Bruce for eight hours a day and get five words back, if you're lucky. Lex? He'll talk to you until you shut him up." Little grin. "It's a challenge, though. Man works like a demon." He held the door open and waited for Clark to enter the building. "Come up, it's upstairs. Anyway, like I was saying, he works like a demon and expects you to keep you and holy Christ can he chew an ass out."

Clark beamed, in a quiet, deep pride. His eyes danced at Wally for a moment, his blush returning, though it was not of embarrassment but of pleasure. Hearing such a thing brought a great swell of pride to burst in Clarks chest, and he was just positively beaming as they walked up the stairs. "I know he does. He's a good worker."

"Good worker? If LuthorCorp had ten "good" workers like Lex, all five thousand of the rest of them would be shit out of luck."

Another huge beam, and Clark just barely kept the intonation of his homeland from his lips. "Of course they would. They should take example from him."

"Yeah, if none of 'em had a life. You know he's still up in his office working? Which, by the way, I'm supposed to take you over there as soon as you're done here cause there's people you're supposed to meet." He pressed the elevator button and rocked on his heels in impatience. "Christ almighty, I coulda been up and down those stairs already, hurry the fuck up!"

Clark slowed down just a hair, to annoy him, and quietly mounted the elevator.

And couldn't help his lips twitching.

"Give him ten seconds after seeing me. He'll be finished with work."

"Dude, man, don't even wanna know. What ya'll do in his office is 'tween you, him, the two guys in his office, and the security tape, okay?"

Clark grinned, and shook his head quietly as the elevator went up. "That's not what I meant. He already knows I'm here." Don't you, my beautiful aushna'?

In his office, Lex stopped his conversation in mid-stream and gave a little smile. Of course I do. And just for your information, I'm not working. I stopped working five minutes ago, when Rico and Aden got here.

Wally just rolled his eyes. "Not surprised. Not a bit. Man's got eyes in the back of his fuckin' head."

"You could say that." Please tell me Aden isn't going to scream when he sees my hair again. Clark offered a smile at Wally. "Being an alien has its perks."

Not unless you've butchered it in the last half hour. I've warned him that it hasn't grown out since he fixed it. Also? If you want to keep your flannel, hide it. Rico's got a lighter and he's threatening to bring up the kerosene in his trunk.

"Wally? Is there anything wrong with my flannel?" Clark looked down at his button down, with the sleeves rolled up to right under his elbows, jeans and yellow timberlands, and frowned.

Wally gave a snort. "Only that it belongs in Seattle, circa 1993."

His eyebrows drooped, and he pouted. Who wouldn't? "That's so uncool of you. I happen to look great. I walked out the door and no one made fun of me all day."

"Hello, you're six feet and two hundred pounds of a walking brick wall. I wouldn't make fun of you either, unless I had a serious wish of getting my ass kicked!!*" The elevator finally dinged, and Wally sighed. "Finally!!"

Clark stepped out of the elevator, and glared. "Six four, and two fifty, thank you."

Aden heard Clark before Clark had even made it down the hall. He had a very quiet voice, but the kind that traveled, and Aden slid off of Rico's lap and peaked out the door. Clarks hair! It was still so... stylish! A little rough around the edges, but hallelujah! He gave a butt wriggle at his lover from the door and beamed. "Its not a dead rat."

"I told you it wasn't," Lex said patiently. "It's the same as you left it."

Rico just sighed. "I don't even want to see this fashion travesty." He worked with the simplest possible tools; a tape measure, a piece of chalk, a notepad and a pen.

"Its just as Lex said." A gentle pat to Lex's hand. "Ill fitting jeans, horrid flannel, ugly boots. How he managed to leave the house that way is a horror. At least he isn't wearing those dreadful flip-flops." He made a face and shuddered, as he squeezed his lovers hand.

"I heard that." Clark glared from the doorway, though his face brightened as he looked at his lover. The first time all day, and the first thing he did was dump his book bag, cross the room, and kiss his beautiful aushna'.

Lex was waiting for it, and he wrapped his arms around Clark's neck and his legs around his lover's waist as he returned the kiss eagerly. The familiar wash of Clark's presence when they were this close flowed over the day's frazzled nerves and minor frustrations and let them all slide away as he ran his hands down Clark's back and brushed his fingertips under the waistband of Clark's jeans. I missed you, he thought softly, letting the thought slide like water into his aushna's mind.

Rico sighed again, but this time it was a happy sigh, and he pulled Aden over to him. "You shouldn't be seeing this," he teased, putting his hand over Aden's eyes and stealing little nibbles from his neck. "You're too... something."

Wally? Was rolling his eyes with the best of them. "Great, the Gay Porn Hour. Guys? Hello? Not that this isn't all fun and hot and great, but um... I need Clark for pictures, and then you can have him. No, you can't keep his tongue or his ass, I need everything. Thirty seconds, Lex, and he'll be back. C'mon, let him up for air."

"Shut up, Wally."

Yeah right. Clark was kissing his lover, deeply, knees thunked on the floor, arms around his lovers back, and when he finally needed to come up for a breath, he hugged him. Just wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly close, feeling the slender, strong arms around him, and beamed into his lover's shoulder gently in happiness. He felt, immediately, like he was once again complete. "Thirty seconds? A whole thirty seconds? I thought Rico was going to make me blush."

Aden choked on the giggles, but let his lover give him kisses, because what were lovers, if not for kisses? He still blushed, and grew very quietly shy at the new guy standing there, and carefully rose to his feet, keeping his eyes averted.

I missed you, aushna'. I love you.

Lex stroked over Clark's shoulders and back, even the back of his neck and through his hair. I love you, Kal. He gave a little grin, and he rubbed his chest against his lover's once. "I think I can spare you for thirty seconds. Rico and I are going to be getting ready for you. Rico brought his dressing screen, you can undress behind that." Little lick to Clark's throat, and the faint scar there.

Rico pulled Aden back against him, arms looped around his waist. "Don't be shy, precious," he whispered softly, theatrical gayness gone from his demeanor. "You're just as good as he is, and you have every right to be here. You're Lex's guest and you're his friend. You belong here."

"Thirty seconds, I swear. Get you seated, snap the pics, send you back here. I'll develop them and run them into the city," Wally wheedled. "Lex? Please. Now? I can't take Clark's picture with you wrapped around him like cling wrap."

Clark heaved a quiet sigh, very quietly, rubbing back once as well and caressing his cheek gently before climbing back up to his feet. The lick burned like a hot coal against his skin and he purred, very gently, before giving Wally a goofy, half conscious little grin.

That is, until he realized what he'd just been told.

"Undress?"

"Of course." Aden didn't say anything to his lover, though he kissed him gently on the cheek, and straightened, pushing his little glasses up on his nose and peering at Clarks body type. "Hmm. Id say...rectangle, with a little pear. What do you think, Rico? The complexion... olive, with a hint of almost Greek tone, though not quite... hmm... black hair... he needs something green. What do you think? The tuxedo, I mean... It needs to be dark, dark green, almost black. Lex, are we still doing the new wardrobe?"

"No no no. Look at this body. He's not a pear. The shoulders are broad, the waist is tapered though, and look at his ass. Doesn't widen out past his hips. He needs something fitted, pleats at the sides, tucked in to his waist, and fitted through the shoulders. Hmmm... the tuxedo needs to be black with narrowing lapels to accent the shoulders, cummerbund needs to be that hunter green one--like those matching jelly dildos we've got? Almost that shade." He nodded, and he walked around Clark, examining. "Lex, please, tell me yes on the wardrobe. Please. I'm begging you. I'll give you the clothes for nothing."

Clark's eyes widened to beyond ovals, mouth dropping open. Okay. He didn't get a word of what Rico had just said, other than "shoulders" and something about him having a small ass. Which he glared over. "I'll have you know my ass is very nice."

"No doubt." Aden chirped, as he plucked at one of Clarks horrid shirt sleeves, thinking. "Hmm. Rico...not too many pleats. His waist is solid," A pinch at it, making Clark squeak, "And we don't want to have to try and hide it too much. Very nice hips, has to show them off. Partial pleats, I think." He thought for a moment. "Yes, green, like his eyes." A moments thought, resting his weight on one hip. "We'd give them to you for less than nothing, Lex. Honestly."

Lex was trying to hide his smirk. "Yes, we're still on for the new wardrobe. From the bottom up, and for both of us. I think it's time I replaced a few of my things."

"Darling, your ass is beautiful," Rico nodded. "I could write a poem about it. A love sonnet. Even an ode to that ass." He sighed. "But you've got to get it out of this horrid horrid thing you've got it in," he said, plucking at the jeans. "Burn that." He looked at Lex. "We're going to build a bonfire when you get home. Your wardrobe should be ready, barring any huge changes, and we'll burn everything."

If it was at all possible, Clark's eyes boggled even more, his mouth hanging at the hinge, and he slapped his hands over his face. "My clothes are not that bad!" Muffled.

"Baby... they're bad. Really bad." Aden clucked. "You have the body of a Grecian god, and you hide it in clothes that you think are the only ones that fit you. Believe me...there are people who make clothes for big men. And darling, you are big." A look up and down, a nod, and he motioned to the note pad on Lex's desk. "We made a list of what you'll need. We're going to measure you tonight, and go crazy tomorrow."

"Yes, they are that bad." Rico just shook his head despairingly. "I have kerosene in the trunk of my car if you don't believe how bad I think they are. You'll see. You'll be surprised just how good you like in something that fits."

Lex was chuckling softly at Wally's impatience, and at Clark's discomfiture. "Clark, go on. Go with Wally, and come back. We'll be waiting for you."

Clark turned his horrified stare at his lover, blinked, and shot off with Wally, grabbing his arm and dragging him out of the room. All this fashion talk was making him incredible uncomfortable, and he winced as he kept dragging Wally down the hall. "Holy Jesus."

"You said that right." Wally shuddered. "Christ and a half. C'mon. We'll get you photographed, and then you can head back into Gayland."

"That's not even cool, Wally. Do you see what they're planning to do? Did you see the measuring tape? And I'm supposed to be naked? That's so cruel and unusual." Clark whimpered, and let go of Wally enough that Wally could lead the way. "I don't mind being gay, but when I'm thrust into the Aden and Rico orbit, I tend to get hair cuts and fashion tips."

Wally laughed softly. "The haircut you can do without--you ain't got hair to cut--but the fashion tips? Lose the flannel, and find a shirt that fits. I gotta agree with 'em there. Clark... you're a nice lookin' guy. Just because you're special don't mean you gotta hide everything you got! I mean, look at me!" He gestured to the fitted suit. "Do I look like I'm hiding under a basket cause I'm special?"

"I used to have long hair." Clark winced. "Really long hair. But then I sort of… chopped it off."

"Good move," Wally said, opening the door to the last empty office, and revealing a photo mat, and a passport camera. "You look good, Clark."

"I had to cut it." Clark answered quietly, as he looked into the room. "Ugh. I hate pictur-" He turned, then, and looked at Wally. "Can I ask you something personal?" Didn't stop to see the answer. "Before I start taking your sexy remarks for hits... are you... I mean, you know?"

"Am I gay? No. I swing on both sides, because I haven't found anyone I like well enough to make me decide," Wally answered honestly. "I figure this way, I get double the chance to be happy."

For some inexplicable reason, Clark really liked that, and he smiled. "You'll like me and my friends, then. All of us are bi. Well... except me.""

"K, let me tell you something about people outside of Hicksville here." He pointed to the stool in front of the photography mat. "Park it. Most people? Are bisexual, even if they won't admit it. Especially guys. For some reason, they get uptight. But in the circles you're running in, with the special people? No. You won't have a problem there."

Clark nodded, plunking down on the stool, and shifted until he was comfortable. "I always wondered. I had problems with it, too. So did Lex's dad, he told me about it." he looked up. "I can't wait for you to meet Lionel and Dominic. They're pit bulls, but like, really gentle, fluffy ones."

Wally looked through the camera, and adjusted it until Clark's face was in the center of the photo area. "I don't think I wanna. I have heard about both of 'em from Bruce, and hoo. Pit bulls ain't the word."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Right. Because Bruce is such a wonderful person and sees people exactly as they're supposed to be. No, he's not skewed."

Wally looked up. "Bruce has his problems, yeah, but he cares about Lex. That's why I'm here, you know."

"I know." Something set in Clark's jaw, and ticked, as he straightened for the camera without being asked too. "Believe me. I know all about it."

Wally leaned forward and clicked the shutter twice, watching the flash go off and the picture take. "I know you're not thrilled to have me here, but I'm not going anywhere."

"Its not that I don't like you." Clark straightened again, and didn't say anything else. Couldn't really air to Wally that he hated the enemy, now could he?

"You just don't like me being here, and you don't like me reporting back to Bruce."

"Pretty much. I think Bruce needs to keep the hell out of my relationship, and stop being the lord and every knowing master in it." He answered casually, as he shifted and scratched the side of his thigh absently.

Wally waited for the beep, and then opened the side of the camera. The two shots came out perfectly. "Well, I'm here until Bruce tells me he's happy." He held up the pics. "Come check 'em out, so we can reshoot 'em if we gotta."

Bruce could swallow a baseball bat and die for all Clark cared, and he climbed up, doing his best to hide and funnel his anger out from his body as he looked over Wally's shoulder. "Hmm. I look like a buck toothed ass in both so… I guess the right one."

"We can take two more if you don't like these," Wally offered. "And Clark, I ain't stupid. I know you don't like Bruce, and it's no skin off me. I don't care if you like him or not, and I don't care if you like me or not. But I got a job to do, and frankly, I'm more afraid of him than I am of you, so there's that."

"I don't want you to be afraid of me." Clark answered, quietly. "But if it came down to it, I could smash Bruce into little bits and pieces, and I haven't, because I know I could. So there's that." He sighed and turned. "Come on. Let's get these pictures to Lex to look at."

Wally shook his head. "Don't know about that. Never seen you in action yet, but I have seen Bruce take down people bigger than you. So my money's on the Bat until I know different." And then he shrugged. "I gotta get 'em to the FedEx office to rush 'em out tonight. You're the one that's gotta approve 'em, not Lex."

"Wally, you have no idea what I'm capable of. In fact, I hardly know sometimes what I'm capable of. But I'm telling you know... if I ever fought Bruce, I'd win." And he nodded, shrugged a big shoulder, and motioned. "That picture is fine."

Wally dug in his briefcase, and pulled out the FedEx envelope, and dropped the pictures in it, and read over his checklist. "All right. I'm ready to go. Tell Lex I ran into Metropolis with it, and I'll be back in about ten minutes."

"Mmm." He might have been a dash angry, but he didn't say anything as he turned and walked back down the hall to the gay fiesta that awaited him. Somehow, talking boxers or briefs was better than Wally talking Bruce.

Christ, he hated that guy.

Wally flew past Clark in half a second, and was halfway out the plaza in a blink.

 

 

-fin-

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