The Memoirs

Pete wasn't much in the partying mood. He knew that much. He wasn't much in any mood at all right now, aside from losing himself in his video games, but Chloe had called him and demanded he come immediately, so here he was. Bored. Slightly tired. Wondering what the fuck Chloe had planned.

He knew for sure Shay wasn't in the partying mood, either, but there wasn't much he could do. He wanted to cheer her up, especially lately, so he'd go out on a limb and do a little dance if it meant she smiled.

He was plopped on Shay's floor in front of her bed, watching the end of Men in Black with Whitney as the girls gossiped on the bed about something or other. They were waiting for Steve to get here, which Farrah had assured them was coming. So he yawned softly, and sighed, and looked at Whitney helplessly.

Whitney had no idea either. And he knew his girlfriend knew what the fuck was up, because Lex had called her this morning at six fucking thirty in the morning. How did he know this? Because the phone had woken him up. He'd grunted unintelligibly at Lex and passed the phone over to Chloe, who had emitted such an ear-piercing shriek that he'd thrown a pillow over his head and tried to go back to sleep.

He was miserable, sitting in this house, because the sadness of everyone in it was weighing down on his shoulders, like a real, oppressive weight, and it was an effort to shrug his shoulders in return to Pete, and throw in an eye roll for good measure.

Pete nodded. No words needed, he got it. He felt the same way--Shay's sadness was like a rock at the back of his throat, and he wanted nothing but to take care of her, make her happy, anything. he was failing, miserably, of course. So he just sighed and looked at the TV again, taking the DVD off as it finished, and handed the remote to Whitney.

Chloe was sitting on Shay's bed, her back to the headboard, legs crossed, as she and Farrah and Shay looked at the mountain of magazines between them. Shay, god bless her pointed little head, never threw things away, and it was good for them because they got to read quizzes and look at fashions from a year ago, comparing what was still in their closets and what wasn't.

And Farrah was having a ball. She never got to hang out with just the girls, because most of her friends had been boys for so long. It was great, even if the guys were grumbling on the floor behind them. She stretched out on one elbow, tossing her black hair over her shoulder, and turned the page in her magazine to giggle. "Look, that was the Alanis Morisette phase."

"Oh, God yes." Shay was trying very, very hard to be cheerful. "Yeah, if you look in the... one of the Edgy Miss issues, there's a whole layout of it. And oh! There's one of those International Male catalogs--that's where I got Pete's birthday present from, but don't tell him that," she said, dropping her voice. "He thinks all the clothes from that place is gay, and... well, he's right, but there's this blue and white shirt that'll look so great on him." She gave a little hiccup as she remembered how she bought it, but plowed on. "I still have a bunch of those Morisette phase clothes, but most of them I sold to the thrift shop when I hit my brief goth period, which come to think of it, wasn't all that different."

Whitney took the remote, and sighed. Then he raised his voice. "I am not watching anything with a British actor in it. Now, what do you want to watch next?"

"Morisette was nice, goth wasn't so nice. I went through the Doc Martins, black lipstick, dreds ARE cool! phase too." Farrah sighed, deeply, making a face at herself even as she grinned and rolled onto her stomach. "I got a belt and boots from International Male for Steven, too. He was wild about it... I just didn't bother to tell him where I found it." A little giggle, as she squeezed Shayla's knee, gave her a supportive smile, and kept looking in Edgy Miss.

"What is this International Male of which you speak?" Chloe asked, eyebrow up high as she rubbed her belly in soothing circles.

"We're boycotting the British actors!" Pete glared, as he looked over his shoulder at the girls who weren't even paying attention.

"They'll kill us if they ever find out where we order this stuff from." She dug through the pile of magazines and catalogs, and found one of the more recent Holiday catalogs. "Here, Chloe, this is International Male." On the cover was a bearded youngish model in a purple velvet suit and sparkly cummerbund. "The meteorite shirt that I got is on page thirty-three."

"They're not listening. Put in Fast and the Furious. Or Days of Thunder." He rooted through the DVDs at the bottom of the TV cabinet, and came up with Fast and the Furious. "There we go." He looked at his watch. "And where the fuck is Steve?"

Chloe visibly choked and began to cough violently as she stared at the cover. Oh. Dear. GOD!

Farrah couldn't help exploding into giggles as she peered over Chloe's hand at the cover, shaking her head fondly. "That's Andrew Tegasi. Isn't he hot? There's another one, of a younger bearded man, who I swear I'm leaving Steven for and running away to Acapulco with. He looks smashing in a bathing suit." Farrah grinned wickedly and let her feet bob in the air. "The purple velvet is very... erm..."

"Fast and the Furious! Hell yes! I love Vin Diesel." Pete might have purred, but he talked so fast it didn't matter if he did.

"Gay, I think, is the word you're searching for?" Shay asked sweetly. "Hey, if you go to the website, they've got bios on all the models and everything, so if you want to land one? You'll have the goods to do it with."

"Yeah, he's good, as long as you don't ask him to you know, act or anything. Just stand there, flex, and drive the cars real fast. He's good at that." Whitney snorted, and pitched the remote in the floor.

Farrah snapped her fingers, and heaved a sigh. "Stupid fates. Too bad I was born without a cock." Was that sarcasm dripping from her voice? Yes, yes it was, but she coupled it with a wicked grin as she bopped her feet and turned the pages in her magazine.

Chloe was about to ask about the model on the first page of the catalogue when she heard "flex", "fast", "good", and she giggled like a loon. "Whitney baby, are you watching Vin Diesel again?"

"Of course he is. Not like he watches anything else." Steve was exhausted. He'd just worked his last two shifts at McDonald's--scheduled back to back out spite, he was sure--and he'd gone home, showered twice to get the grease smell out of his hair and off his body, burned his old clothes, and put on jeans and a Smallville Crows jersey as he came in. He avoided the bed entirely except for his girlfriend, rolling her over onto her back and kissing her before tickling her ribs and stomach, and then he flopped down on the floor.

"Yeah, fuck you too," Whitney said, flipping him off and then shaking his hand as he sat down, giving him a quick, manly hug before leaning back against his pillows. "It was either Fast and the Furious or something else with Brits in it, and we're boycotting."

"Heeey, Steve. Man, 'm up to here," He smacked his head with the corner of his palm. "With fucking Hugh Grant. If I've got to watch another Knotting Sweethearts or whatever the fuck, I'm going to chew my own leg off."

"If you do sweetie, Shay can't give you your Christmas present." Chloe said sweetly from the bed, having watched Steven tickle Farrah to her disgruntled joy, and grinned at the back of his head as she pointed sweetly at the velvet hell and then pointed to the backs of the three boys heads.

Steve blinked. "You've been fuckin' Hugh Grant? News to me, man." He snorted. "Yeah, know what you mean there. Fair's been chewing my fucking ear off to go see Love Actually and I'm turnin' cartwheels not to go."

Whitney just nodded. "Kay. I got a plan about this, see. We hog tie the girls and drop them off in the theater playing that Love whatever movie. You, me and Pete? Score tickets to the last Lord of the Rings movie."

Chloe stopped Pete from saying anything by flicking the back of Whitney's head. hard. "Would it kill you, you stupid Fordman, to have a romantic bone in your thoroughly boyish body? Huh?"

"Ooohhhh, smacked!" Pete snickered, and ducked Shay should she decide to throw the same fate on him, grinning as Farrah giggled helplessly and covered his head. "Don't hit me!"

"Hey, I have a romantic bone. Roses? White fur rug? Fireplace? Feeding ducks, romantic dinner, giving you my jacket? Any of this ringing a bell?" He glared, and rubbed the back of his head where he got smacked.

Steve just rolled to the side, just in case Farrah decided to take a swing at him.

Shay made a little kissy mouth at Pete. "Don't worry, baby, your reputation is safe with me. Nobody will know you're a squishy marshmallow at heart."

At that, Pete glared. "Shay, not in front of my boys."

Chloe glared. "Underwear and socks all over the floor? Leaving the milk uncovered on the counter? Tracking mud into the house? Falling asleep watching the game? Any of this ringing a bell?" But there was a teasing glint in her eye, even a she remained as stern as possible.

She just grinned back at him, and picked up one of her magazines again.

"Hey, it's not my fault I fell asleep. I was up until four AM that morning studying for the test on Monday!" He just sighed. "Look, we're all here, and you're about to bust, so what's the big secret that we're all here for?"

"Four am my pregnant ass." but Chloe let it go as she rose to her feet with an oomph, groaning softly until she straightened, sighed, and then settled into the desk chair that was beside the TV. "Alright, kiddos. Clark's not here, but he already knows. We all know Steven and Whitney are graduating tomorrow. What you all don't know that instead of going to Chem Free, you are all in fact going to come in here for a lock in, and get stinking drunk."

Whitney blinked. "And possibly get laid?"

"Of course." She snorted, and Farrah cracked up on the bed, making Chloe grin. "Just not with each other, of course. Clark and Lex are going to be with us, and so is a friend of theirs, though Clark didn't have a chance to tell me who. So, what do you say?"

"I'm in. No problem. I'll supply pizza." Pete grinned from the floor.

"Me too!" Farrah chirped. "Steven and I will bring soda and beer."

"Yeah, I'm in. Bet I know who it is too, that blond guy that's been workin' for him? Runs his mouth off about fifty miles a minute, hits on everything with tits and some of it with a dick?"

Shay wrinkled her nose. "That would be Wally, and if he hits on me one more time, I'm gonna be hittin' back. Just not the way he thinks."

Whitney nodded. "It's unanimous then. I'll bring burgers and chips and something safe for Chloe to drink."

"Excellent." Chloe grinned at all of them. "I've got a list of things you need to bring." She picked up the sheet of paper she'd left on Shayla's desk. "Bathing suit. Towels. A change of clothes. A sleeping bag, though Lex already said he'd be making a nice nest of blankets and pillows and stuff, you never know."

"Man's got a hundred fuckin' rooms in this mausoleum, and we're sleepin' on the damn floor? I gotta rethink this shit," Steve groused.

"Yeah right. You've never had a sleepover Luthor-style." Chloe smiled at him, and shook her head. "The guy goes all out. Don't worry. I know Lex intimately, and he won't let us suffer in his quarter million dollar mansion."

"Cept when a body's going around having to step on come." Pete growled under his breath.

"Well, if we're lucky, we won't be stepping in anybody's come," Shayla chirped.

Steve just looked up at that. "Do I even want to know?" he asked, addressing the room at large.

Whitney shook his head. "Chances are? Hell no."

Pete shook his head. "Hell no. Ugh. I puked for a week."

"So says Pete, the bisexual leprechaun." Chloe smirked back, and was rewarded with a glare and twitching lips from her dear friend. "Bringing pizza, you said?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He groused. "About twelve should do it?"

"Honey, Clarks going to be there. Make it at least eighteen."

"Check."

"So's Whitney," she pointed out. "Who could clean out half that by himself."

Steve glared at his girlfriend. "You. Not one damn word about my appetite."

"Honey, since you started working at McDonalds I don't have to worry about it anymore." Farrah answered back serenely as she flipped the page in her magazine.

"Okay. Pete, you pick up ten. I'll have Clark pick up another ten, and Shay, you get five?" Chloe asked, scribbling on her little notepad to make sure everything stayed in order.

"I'll get five too," Steve offered. "That'll make thirty for the seven of us, cause I'm betting Motormouth can pack it in too."

"Jesus, man, we're not pigs!" Whitney pointed out. "Besides, leave it to Lex. He'll have all kinds of shit set out--he did last time."

Farrah rolled up the magazine she was reading without losing her place and thunked Steven on the head with it. Opened it again, and continued reading. "her name is Shayla, Grease Boy."

"Yeah, Lex likes parties. So, Steve, you get the soda instead, alright?"

"Ow!!" Steve rubbed the back of his head. "Not her! Lex's Mystery Date! Bitca!" He glared. "Yeah, I can get the soda, no problem. I gotta hit the grocery store for Mom tonight anyway, I'll grab it then."

"Yeah, Morgan says Lex'd never admit it but he loves the planning and shit that goes into having a party, because it suits his anal-retentive nature be able to make lists and delegate responsibility." Shayla just shrugged.

At that, Chloe had to stop and wonder if that's why she and Lex were most suited as ashikana and ashimel, and she snickered to herself as she continued to write, gently smoothing over the reference to Dominic. "I think so. Lex has a stick up his ass by nature. Clark loosens it." Evil grin.

"See? See? Could have gone for one conversation without mention of Clark and Lex bucking like bunnies. Really. THANKS Chloe." Pete glared.

"Hey, in defense of the pregnant woman with the rolled-up magazine, she did not say it was Clark's stick up Lex's ass. See? She really didn't." Steve made sure he was out of swatting range.

"No, I just insinuated strongly." Chloe beamed.

"But you didn't say it," Steve pointed out again. "So, you didn't mention it." He kept his eyes on the rolled up magazine, and rubbed the back of his head protectively.

"No, I didn't. Thank you, Steven." Chloe smiled at him, before looking at the others. "Anything else anyone can think to bring? Lex has a huge DVD and music selection, so don't worry about CDs."

"No pets," Whitney said suddenly, turning towards Farrah. "I know you carry that hairless little rat Chihuahua everywhere with you, but Clark and Lex have three puppies that'll eat that rat for breakfast."

"HEY!" Farrah rolled the magazine up again and thumped Whitney, this time. "He is not a rat! His name is Valentino Suave, and you better remember that!"

"It's a hairless rat," Steve whispered to Pete.

"Right, right, Valentino. If you don't want Valentino to become Purina, leave him at home in his cage."

"Don't forget Freddie lives here too," she said, pointing to the gray-dappled fluff that was currently snoozing on her pillow. "He's my brother's kitten; Marquise Frederick Von Kittenstamp, but we all call him Freddie."

"See? That's a proper name for a little prince." Of course, the little cat had taken to her right away, but all little fuzzy things, or hairless things in Valentino's case, often did. She grinned at Shay as she gently stroked soft kitty ears, and beamed. "He's adorable."

"Mental." Pete motioned towards the girls behind him, then turned on Vin Diesel again. "Tomorrow, party, got it. What time?"

"Seven." With a push Chloe heaved herself out of the chair to her feet, grunting with the effort, and walked over to the bed as well with a tired sigh.

"Yeah, he is. He misses Morgan, though, and he's scared to come near Lionel again. I think Lionel must have yelled at him or something." She petted the little kitten gently, stroking his soft fur and trying not to cry.

"So, we all gonna meet here with our shit at a quarter of, right?" Nods all around. "Okay, that's good." Whitney settled back on the cushions to watch the movie too.

- = -

Whitney stared at his reflection in the mirror as he straightened his tie. He couldn't bring himself to wear the black suit hanging in his closet, because he'd worn it to two funerals already, so instead he chose the only other suit that he owned, a new dark navy suit that he'd bought a week ago from his own store, just for this occasion. He'd had it fitted to him, tailored perfectly, and the tie that Chloe had helped him picked out matched the navy to a single shade.

His red gown and red mortarboard with yellow tassel sat on the bed behind him, ready to be worn as his symbol of graduation.

He'd barely made it this year, and had failed one class entirely, but he had had enough credits that it didn't matter. He was graduating high school, and despite the fact that he was so thrilled never to have to go back to that school ever again... he was sad. He had, over the last year, come to terms with the fact that his father wasn't going to be there for him. He hadn't gotten used to the thought that his mother wasn't.

Luckily, Chloe was.

So she had kept Whitney's mind off of everything that was happening most of the morning. They'd made exquisite love upon waking up, as quietly as possible of course, and then had showered together. Chloe was standing right behind him, already in her dress, a long, deep maroon that matched her hair and complexion. She had curled her hair and had it pinned up in ringlets that fell down her cheeks, and was glad she'd let it grow out a little. She and Shay were trying for super long hair by next year for their proms, so although it had looked shaggy for the first few weeks, it was looking nice now, straight and shiny. Except when she curled it, of course.

She was standing beside her boyfriend, slicking on a third layer of lipstick to get just the hue she wanted, and grinned at him as he tied his tie. "You're the only guy I know who can do that, except for Lex."

"Dad taught me how," Whitney said quietly. "When I was about eight or nine. He taught me how, he was patient... took me two years, I swear, but by the time I was twelve, I could tie my own tie despite having boat paddles for hands." He wiggled his large fingers in example, straightened his tie, and dropped his hands. "I've been doing it ever since."

"A little crooked, but there's nothing to say for not trying." Chloe answered, as she leaned forward to straighten his tie just so, making sure the flaps came down over it crisply, and smiled up at him as she did it. "You look so handsome. I'm so proud of you, you know."

"Yeah, that straight part always gets me. Mom used to make me present myself for dress check. And the drill sergeant? Busted my ass proper once for going out with it crooked, before they sent me back, anyway." He sighed, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. "Chloe... thank you. I wouldn't be standing here if not for you. Graduating, I mean."

"Sure you would. You'd just be crooked." Chloe answered, but looked at him as if to tell him he didn't need to say anything else. She just kissed his chin… grinned and rubbed the lipstick away, then continued to fix his tie properly. "You're so handsome, honey."

He couldn't quite see that in the mirror, so he just shrugged. "Chloe... come here. Sit down." He nodded towards the edge of his bed, and he pulled her down with him. "I need to talk to you."

No conversation that ended well ever began with those words. So she just inched forward, still barefoot, and with a slight oomph sad down on the edge of the bed, rubbing her belly absently through her dress. "What's wrong?"

"I know you're going to be angry with me for this," he said quietly. "Especially because you dressed up so beautifully, and you look... so gorgeous." His fingers stroked through one of the little curls that fell loose at her temple, and rubbed it between his fingertips. "And I should have told you this earlier, but it just sort of finally crystallized. I don't... Don't come to my graduation. It's not that I don't want you there, but... I think it's better right now if I go alone."

She stared at him. For two beats. "Are you joking? If you are, Whitney Fordman, that is not at all funny."

"No, I'm not joking. But this... this is something that I need to do alone."

"No, I'm sorry." Chloe answered serenely, and rose back to her feet to go back to putting her lipstick on. She picked up her makeup case and looked through it for the gold lipstick to add a faint highlight around the center of her lip, peering through it and riffling until she found it.

"Chloe, please. I mean it. Mom and Dad... they're not going to be there. It's going to be very strange and very not-comfortable to me with someone else instead of them."

"No, they won't be there." Chloe said carefully, gently, as she turned to look at him again. "But your son is, and so is your fiancée. We're just a different kind of family. I want to be there for you, Whitney."

"I know... I know, Chloe. It's just... it feels empty without Mom and Dad. I mean, I'd just gotten used to the fact that my father wasn't going to be there to watch his son walk across that state and get his diploma, which was something he always wanted to do. I've understood that, as much as I hate it. But Mom? Mom was there. She was going to be there for her and for Dad, and she was going to tell me how... how proud they both would have been of me. And now, that's not. I don't have either of my parents, and Chloe, God, I love you, but... it's not the same."

Chloe set her lipstick down and walked back to the bed, sitting down again, and took Whitney's hands tightly in both of her own. "Whitney, I adore you beyond comprehension. If you seriously don't want me there, then I won't be. I don't mind, okay?" She did, a little, but it paled in light of what Whitney wanted. She stroked his hands in hers, then his face, and nodded. "I promise."

"I just don't want to hurt you," he said quietly. "And part of me knows you should be there. But... I don't know."

"Well, think about it, okay? I understand why you don't want to. They will be there anyway, Whitney, in your heart." She squeezed his hands gently and brought them to her mouth to kiss.

"She's right, you know," Gabe said, from his lean against Whitney's doorframe. "I didn't want to interrupt what was obviously an important conversation, but she's right. Whitney... just because they're not here doesn't mean they're gone. It's a fine distinction." He came into the room, just a little bit, and sat down on the farthest end of the bed. "More than anything in the world, your mother wanted you to graduate, Whitney. And then go to college, and make something good out of yourself, because she knew you can do it, and should do it, because you deserve it. This is an accomplishment, and don't you think it's something that should be shared with the person--people--who care about you?"

Chloe looked at her father in shock, and felt heavy love bloom in her heart at her fathers words. She wasn't always the most eloquent of people, despite her writing, and her father put it into words she couldn't have. After he finished speaking, asking Whitney the question, Chloe looked at him and squeezed his hands firmly. Everything her father had said was true, and she watched her boyfriend, gently.

Whitney looked up at Gabe, and his eyes were shiny. "I can see why my mom liked you, Mr. Sullivan. I didn't, for a while, but now... yeah. I see what she would have liked in you." He looked back down at Chloe. "He's right. Mom would have wanted you to be there; you should be there. Like I said before... it's because of you I'm here, you worked with me and helped me understand and do my homework and everything. It's because of you I'm graduating today, and you should be there to see it."

"No. I just believed in you, sweetie." Chloe said gently, and kissed his cheek tenderly, cupping it as she brought him close to hug her. "I love you so much. I'm so proud of you, baby, you have no idea how much." Another hard squeeze, and a kiss to his cheek again.

Whitney squeezed her back, stroking her shoulders and spine gently. "I love you, Chloe. I was wrong; please come."

Gabe nodded. "That's my boy. I'll see you when you get back; I'd like to go, but I have a few things to do, and something that your mother left me to pull together for you. So, I'll see you afterwards. Chloe, you can take my camera if you want."

"That's okay." Chloe answered, and turned to give her dad a huge, tight hug as well, before she got up to her feet. "We're almost ready to go, dad. Will you call Luthor mansion, and tell Lex we'll be at the mansion by seven?"

Gabe nodded. "Of course I will. You have a good time, okay?" He kissed his daughter's forehead, and then held his hand out to Whitney.

Whitney looked down, and then shook Gabe's hand firmly, then hugged him. "Thank you, Mr. Sullivan." He let him go, and then put his arms around Chloe's shoulders. "And thank you too, Chloe."

"Yeah, yeah, mushy stuff. Come on." She grinned at him as she let go of them both. "I'm going to get my shoes and my sweater. Whitney, you get the car started?"

"Yeah, I can do that." He picked up the red gown and hat, and draped them over his shoulder. "Not wearing this thing until I get there." He snickered and held up the fashion nightmare. "I love you, Chloe."

"I love you, Whitney." Chloe murmured, shyly, grinned at her dad, and scooted out of the room as much as a six months pregnant woman can. She slipped into her room and picked up the light sweater that matched her maroon dress, and pulled it on, as well as slipping into her high heels. Her feet would be killing her, she knew, but for now she got them on comfortably, grinned dopily at her reflection, and picked up her purse. She splashed on a little bit of perfume at her throat and wrists, and emerged in the hall again.

Whitney had already gone, but Gabe was standing in the hallway waiting for her. "You look beautiful, honey," he said quietly. "I'm proud of you, for what you said. For letting Whitney make his own choice. That was a very grown up thing to do."

"Hurt like hell." Chloe confided to him with a whisper, as she leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I'm proud of you, for what you said." She repeated, looking into his face. "You accept him. You don't understand what that means to me, dad."

Gabe gave a little smile. "He's not that much unlike his mother, all things told," he said softly. "He might have been Jack's son, but there's a lot of Lorry in him too. It just takes a while to come out and be seen."

"Of course it does." Chloe leaned up to kiss his cheek again. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, sweetie. Now, you better hurry, or you're not going to get a good seat. Do you have your ticket?"

She patted her purse, and beamed at him as she turned and started down the steps. It was slow business, because she couldn't see her feet anymore, but she made it down and out the door without problem. She rose a hand to her dad, cried out a "Bye!" and closed the door behind her.

She walked down the walk to Whitney's truck, which was already humming softly, and grinned at her boyfriend.

Whitney was leaning against the door, waiting on her to come out, and he sprang up the sidewalk to offer his arm as she walked the rest of the way down. "Can I offer you a ride, m'lady?"

"Why yes, I believe you can." Chloe answered back, as Whitney opened the truck door for her. With a grip on his hand she got up into the truck, sighing deeply, and settled back with a smile at him as she pulled on her seat belt. "Thanks, honey."

"You're quite welcome!" Whitney closed the door for her and sprinted around to his side, sliding in behind the wheel and gripping it tightly. "I think Farrah's going with Steve's parents, if you want to sit with them."

"Nah. I'll see Farrah tonight. This is your day, honey." Chloe murmured, and kissed her boyfriends cheek gently, as she smiled at him lovingly. "Don't wrinkle your suit, now." She set the disposable camera she'd brought along with her in her purse, and snuggled in for the ride.

"I won't wrinkle it," Whitney said, giving her a smile. "You'll have to yell real loud for me, okay?"

"Are you joking? I'm gonna be the crazy person in front, yelling my head off."

Whitney grinned, and slid his arm around Chloe's shoulder. "We're gonna be great, you know," he said quietly. "This is gonna be good."

"Of course it is. its us, isn't it?" Chloe smiled up at him, and leaned into his arm gently.

- = -

Whitney's graduation was a huge success.

Everyone had been dressed beautifully, the awards handed out, talents given, and Chloe had been so proud she could have burst. Or cried. Which she did, a lot of in fact. She'd kissed him silly when he'd come to grin at her, and she couldn't help throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight.

They'd gone out to dinner, a new steak restaurant in town, and had eaten until they were blue. Afterward, they'd gone home, taken a short nap, showered again, and gotten ready for Lex's party. Chloe was dressed down, in black warm up pants and a baby blue t-shirt, hair pulled back into a slick ponytail. She'd dabbed on some makeup and had retrieved two cases of soda from the local 7-11, while Whitney slept. She'd also picked up some ice cream, four gallons worth, and had it all sitting in the car when she came back in for Whitney.

They left together, Whitney still a little groggy, and had arrived at Luthor Manor five minutes to seven.

Chloe put the car in park, pulled the brake, and took the keys out of the ignition, grinning at her sweet boyfriend and kissing his lips gently. "Ready for drunken fun honey?"

Whitney grunted. He scrubbed his hands over his eyes, dug in his heels as he rubbed his cheeks, and shook his head. "Ready for napping fun." He drug stiff fingers through his head and tried to shake it off. He'd dressed normally for him, a pair of jeans, old sneakers, a white t-shirt, and his Crows jersey thrown over the top of it.

And looked smashing, of course. Chloe beamed at him and kissed him, which she'd been doing on and off all day, and slid out of the car quickly. She closed the door of the truck behind her as she hopped to the ground, and opened the bed to get the bags of ice cream and things out.

"Don't you even," he grunted again, holding his arms out. "Pack me up, baby."

"Don't I even?" Chloe asked sweetly, even as she loaded his arms with bags, got one of the cases of soda herself, and closed the bed of the trunk all in what seemed one movement. She slung her backpack over her arm as well, which contained all of her things including clothes and all, and carefully started towards the front door.

"GIVE ME THAT SODA!" he bellowed, staggering slightly under the weight until he got the load balanced in his arms. "You don't need to be carrying that!"

Chloe ignored him outright as she rang the doorbell about four times and waited, patiently, for someone to open it as Whitney staggered a few feet behind her.

"I'll get it!" Wally bellowed. Didn't matter that he was on the other end of the house--he sped all the away across the house in a second to throw open the door. And he grinned his highest watt grin. "Hello, my lovely lady, please come in and grace this humble abode with your heavenly presence." He kissed her hand as he led her in, and didn't let it go.

"Oh, my GOD! Its you!" Chloe yelled, and glared at him as she yanked her hand away. "What the fuck are you doing here? Go away! We're having a party and you are so not invited!*"

"Yeeeeees, I am," Wally said smoothly. "I was invited by Mr. Chromedome himself, as a reward for all the good work I've been doing!"

"LEX!" Chloe screamed as she walked in, setting her soda's down on the floor right as she got in. "ALEXANDER LUTHOR!"

Clark looked up at the scream. He'd been aware his sha'nauch had walked in, but... well. He was having five very private minutes with his lover, and he let Lex's cock slide from his mouth with one slow, soft slurp as he lifted his head from Lex's hips and looked at their closed bedroom door. "Uht oh."

Lex's hands were still fisted tightly in Clark's hair, and he chuckled softly at the bellow. "I do believe our darling Chloe caught wind of the fact that Wally's here tonight." He petted Clark's head gently, then pulled him up to his feet. "Come on; let's go and defuse the situation, and then we can finish this."

"Kay." Clark grinned at his lover and carefully zipped him up, making sure not to catch delicate skin, and sat up himself. He swiped the back of his hand over his mouth, hoping against hope his lips weren't too swollen, and took Lex's hand as he willed his own body to relax.

Lex leaned forward and nibbled on Clark's lips until they were red and swollen. "There. Now you look like you've just been blowing your boyfriend." He laced his fingers tightly through Clark's, and tugged him close.

Wally was leaning against the banister, still attempting to flirt with Chloe. Whitney, on the other hand, was seething and everything in his arms had been more or less dropped as he stood there, itching to wrap his fingers around Wally's throat.

Clark purred, deeply, as his lover licked and kissed and bit on him, and his stomach flipped and tightened pleasantly before he motioned towards the door and nodded. His cheeks held a nice flush to them, and he blushed quietly as they walked down the stairs together.

"LEX!" Chloe snarled it at him as the two of them came down, with stupid expressions on their faces, and her voice reached a fever pitch as she yelled. "You... invited this... DOG to our party! Knowing how... he... IS!"

"Yes, I did," Lex said softly. "Because like myself, Wally has been working nearly non-stop since Dominic's accident, and he deserves a time to relax. Unlike me, however, he doesn't have quite so many friends in town. Most of them were left behind in Gotham City, and since he has been so kind to me, I thought it was only appropriate that I invite him to share this good time with us."

"Oh, don't talk to me all soft-like, Lex!" Chloe yelled, and glared so fiercely at him that she saw Clark wince out of the corner of her eye. "Bullllshit. He is going to sit here and flirt with anything that moves! SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT TONIGHT!"

"But it is not going to be any of my friends, is that understood?" Lex's voice was still quiet, but it had gone from velvet to steel.

Chloe glared at him even more fierce than before. "Do not even fuck with me, Lex, I am sincerely not in the mood. You know exactly what I meant, so don't you dare turn it around to me."

"And you know precisely what I meant," Lex added. "Do I look as though I am in the mood to be fucked with? Do you think it's really a wise idea? If you wish to question my judgment, by all means, feel free to do so, but do not be surprised if you are told to leave if you do not like my guest list." He folded his arms over his chest.

"Hey, now," Whitney said, glaring at Lex. "Don't go talking to her like that."

Chloe glared even darker at Lex as Clark nudged Lex to get him to stop, and her eyes filled with tears. "You know what, I think I will." She turned on her heal and marched right back to the door.

"Lex." Clark hissed, nudging him in the side and looking pointedly at Chloe.

"I will not apologize for inviting a friend. She may question my judgment if she likes, but the consequences are also hers to deal with." He refused to budge on this.

Wally flipped his eyes back and forth, and he was suddenly wondering if this kind of thing is the kind of thing Bruce had sent him here to watch out for. He sped to the door, and waved. "Hi. Yeah, remember me, the root of the problem? There's a real easy solution to this, kay? You stay, I go, we're all cool. Kay? You good?"

"It is so not even about you!" Chloe yelled at him, and turned to point at Lex. "Its him, being a bastard! A BASTARD!"

Wally yanked down the pointing finger. "You forgettin' that his stepfather's in the hospital, honey? Father's there too, thinkin' Dominic's gonna kick the bucket? Think he's got a right to be stressed, don't you?"

"You know what, Wally? How about you not insinuate that I don't know what's going on? How about you not give him a crutch for being rude to his ashikana?" Chloe snarled at him, and glared at Lex all the harder for it.

"Well, I'd give you a break if you did know what's going on, but since you don't? Lemme help you out a little." He glared at Lex over his shoulder, and then bodily dragged Chloe a few steps back. "You ever known Chromey there to see a shrink, voluntarily?"

Chloe wrenched her arm out of Wally's grip and hissed at him. "Don't you ever insinuate I don't know what's going on with MY sha'nauch ever again you worthless little toad."

Yeah, well. Clark was catching the signs here of some of the sheer alienness he'd given to Whitney and Chloe since they joined him and Lex as sha'nauch, and he carefully stepped up, bodily lifted Chloe much to her chagrin, and moved her out of Wally's path, because if he knew her like he thought he did, he knew she was about to go ape shit. So he gently squeezed her arm and set her down in the chair by the library door. "Alright. Wally, why don't you and I go get the snacks set up? Whit? Come with us please?"

"Damn, Clark, you stronger'n I thought, lifting that lovely lady." He gave a windy sigh. "Sweet darlin', one of these days, you gonna realize that you don't know it all, and neither do I. But in this case? I know cause I been doin' eighteen hours a day with Lex and you ain't." He held up his thumb and his forefinger about 2 millimeters apart. "He's about this far from' crackin' like the Liberty Bell." But he shrugged, and followed Clark. "Yeah, I can do food. I'm like, starving."

Whitney balked at being asked to follow Wally, but he did without complaint, trusting his ashimel not to lead him astray. "One of these days, West, you're gonna find me kickin' your ass from here to Keystone City and back," he grumbled loudly.

Chloe glared at Wally's back and crossed her arms, looking away from all four men and to the door, fighting back tears and not saying a damn word.

Lex remained standing where he was, with his arms crossed over his chest and glaring at his ashikana.

Chloe felt the glare and she didn't say a word, just holding herself rigid as she glared at the door.

"Who are you, that you so demand from me who and who is not welcome in my home, or to celebrate with me?" he finally asked at length. "You, who were chosen by me, over Whitney, you question my judgment and demand that I bend to your will? Know you nothing of who I am?"

"Its not about him." Chloe turned, and snarled it. "That you thought I meant I myself would hurt someone makes me wonder just how much you really think of me. I meant that having him here was going to be a disaster because he flirts with everything that has two legs, and Pete's not known for his ability to keep it in his pants, and Farrah, either."

Lex gave a sharp bark of laughter. "No. I meant that Wally has already promised to be on his best behavior tonight, however questionable that may be. He will not hurt any of you."

Chloe glared at him, and kept her head held high. "I'm still leaving."

"I will not ask you to stay. You know this."

"Because you're a cold blooded bastard." Chloe said with as much poise she could, never mind the sob. She rose to her feet, threw back her hair, and leaned down for her bookbag.

The bookbag sailed across the room before she could touch it, and it slammed against the wall, clothes exploding out of it as though they were projectiles. Then everything fell into a heap, lying there limply against the wall as Lex looked at it with something akin to surprise. "I have been called worse before," is all he said, blinking at the bookbag.

Chloe gasped as the bag flew, then jumped when everything came out. She turned, snarled at Lex, and walked across the hall. She got on her knees and started jamming everything back in it, crying now sincerely as she did it. "You fucker!"

Against his better judgment, Lex followed, kneeling beside her and putting his arms around her shoulders. "You are mine," he said softly.

"If I were yours, you wouldn't be so horrible to me!" Chloe yelled, and tried to wrench away. All she got in return was grasping him tighter against her, even though she wanted to claw his eyes out.

"Yes, I am horrible," he confessed softly. "I'm a very horrible person. I believe that Dominic is going to die because I can't afford to hope otherwise. I believe that Clark is so worried about me he's not taking care of himself, and yet I can't quite bring myself to mind it too much. I'm a horrible man because I am working from five in the morning until nine or ten at night and ignoring everyone else in the process." He held her tightly as he made his confessions. "You're right. I am horrible."

"Fuck you., you bastard," Chloe whispered into his neck, grasping him as tightly as she could. "While you've been dealing, so have I. Shayla is a wreck, she won't eat, she won't sleep, she spends most nights at my house crying herself to sleep, and there's nothing I can do to make my best friend feel better. Don't make yourself the martyr, Lex, don't make me feel bad for what you're doing."

"There is no martyr in this situation, ashikana," he said softly, stroking her hair. "There are, however, people other than you who are dealing with this in their own ways. Just remember that."

"I am. I'm not stupid, or ignorant, or whatever." Chloe snarled into his shoulder, wetting his shirt with her tears as she clenched to him tightly.

"Then show that," he said, cradling her gently. "Show that by being understanding when ordinarily you would not. You will be the better person for having done so, and in doing it, will make all burdens easier to bear, including your own." He brought his hand up and wiped her cheek clean with his thumb.

"Don't talk to me like a child!" Chloe cried, and smacked his hand from her face, even though she was rightthere and wasn't moving for the world.

"I'm not," he answered, and he let her shove his hand away, but he didn't loosen his grip.

"Yes, you are. You are talking to me like a child. I'm not, dammit!" she sniffled sadly and rubbed her cheek dry on her shirt shoulder, glaring at him. "I do understand, I'm not stupid."

"I know you understand," he reassured her. "And no, you're not stupid."

"Then don't treat me like I do! Don't tell me to be understanding, or, or how I will be the better person." She glared again and shoved another shirt into her bookbag.

"Even if it's the truth?" Lex let her pick her clothing up, and wanted to apologize for throwing it, even though he wasn't quite sure how he'd done it. "I'm sorry about your bag," he temporized. "That wasn't intentional."

"Like hell." She snapped back at him, and stuffed a third shirt into her bag, followed by her toothpaste and her bag of toothbrush and razor. She stopped, then, just for a moment, and glared at him for a long moment. "I'm sorry I went off the handle."

"You were provoked," is all he said, silently accepting her apology.

"Lex, don't let him flirt with Pete. Okay? Just don't let him flirt with Pete." She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand and sniffled. "The last thing Shay needs is to wonder if her boyfriend would rather have cock, okay?"

"He's been warned to stay away from Pete, from Shayla, and from Steve and his girlfriend just on the sheer instinct that I don't know them that well nor how they would react to him. He will concentrate on you, Whitney, Clark and myself. As I said, none of my friends will be hurt tonight." He offered her another tissue from his pocket.

Chloe shook her head at it, hiccupping as she zipped her bookbag up and rose to her feet. It took her a moment to get her balance, and she sniffled again as she put her bookbag over her shoulder. "I'm going to go find Shay."

"I think she and Pete are still upstairs in her bedroom packing, but what or why I'm not sure." Lex paused. "I'm glad you're staying."

"I'm staying for my boyfriend." She answered with poise and grace, throwing her head back and starting for the steps.

"Doesn't that include me as well?" he asked, with a little smile shadowing the corners of his mouth.

"Hell no." Another sniffle, a toss of her pony tail over her shoulder, but her lips twitched a little to, even as she glared at him and started up the stairs.

"The last I looked, I was a boy," he called back, feeling his cock briefly as though to reassure himself that it was still there and he did indeed qualify as part of the masculine half of the species. "For whatever reason you're staying, I'm glad of it."

"Perhaps a boy, but not always my friend." Chloe said back, though the heaviness of seriousness wasn't in her voice as she preened her way up the steps.

Lex frowned softly at that, but let it slide as she went up the stairs. "Please be careful," he called after her, having sudden nightmarish flashes of Chloe taking the same tumble down the stairs that Dominic had, and it terrified him.

As soon as the yells stopped, and Clark heard the telltale thump of someone walking up the steps, he motioned a shoulder to the guys and picked up four of the pizza boxes and a liter of coke as he walked back out of the kitchen. "Hey, get the beer, Wally? Oooh, Lex. How'd everything go?" Clark asked of his lover, as he walked past him and up the steps with the food in his arms.

"Chloe's going upstairs to see Shayla," he answered automatically, following Clark up the stairs.

"Beer, check!" He zoomed into the kitchen and zoomed back out, joining them two seconds later with two cases of beer, one in each hand. "I got the beer."

Whitney was carrying another stack of pizza boxes, balanced on top of a cardboard box filled with liquor bottles and soda bottles. "If you don't stop zooming around here like a fucking boomerang, I'm going to break your neck," Whitney growled. "Just because you're special is no need to show it off."

"Hey, I get sick of playing normal all the time. Clark here didn't wig you kiddies out, I figure I'm just a walk in the proverbial park." Wally winked. "You're just jealous because I'm gettin' somewhere with your lovely lady."

"The day you get anywhere with Chloe, Wally, will be the day that not only Pigs fly, but perform a stunning rendition of Oklahoma for George Dubya, strapped to a rocket." Clark shot serenely, stepping over Freddie who was bopping down the steps. "And besides, don't go all zippee ya kiyay upstairs, kay? Steven and Farrah... don't know. And I think Pete's still dealing with come stepping trauma to really fall for it."

Wally pouted. "Damn, man, I'm tired of being a normal. Hell, even that dumb dick Charlie fell for the I ran to the coffee shop line when I shoveled it out last week." He sighed. "Okay, okay, no running in front of the normal people. Sheesh."

"Aren't you sweet." Clark deadpanned, but it was with a grin and a smirk as he heard the first threads of old sixties music sounding from the party room they'd claimed as their own. It was a huge room with couches, pillows, a huge TV with all the fixings, and a ton of games. Clark pushed the door open with his hip and stepped in, grinning at the girls. "Here. With food! We're just waiting for Farrah and Steven, now."

"Always, my man, always." He grinned as he followed. "And drink!" He slid into the door behind Clark, and started opening the cases, dropping some of the cans in the huge cooler sitting beside the sofa, and some in the miniature fridge in the corner, which he was not at all shocked to see there. "Dude, Lex... you have the shit set out."

Shay just rolled her eyes at that. "My God, will you just please grow the fuck UP already?" she groused, and curled up tighter around her little stuffed pig.

"Its okay, Shay. You stick with me tonight." Chloe answered her, as the sixties rock played in the background. She had kicked off her shoes and set them, and her bag, in the corner. Rainbow toes peaked out from under the too-long pants--as they were Whitney's that wasn't really a wonder, after all. She shifted to get comfortable on the couch, a bottle of iced tea in hand, and snuggled beside Shay, kissing her cheek gently. "We should totally watch The Goonies tonight."

"Ewww, no. Spaceballs, if you don't mind. And then like, Young Frankenstein or something, because I'm serious need of some laughs."

"Oh, dude, I got one for you. Guy walks into a bar with no pants, carrying a duck under his arm, and--"

"Wally, why don't you make yourself useful and ah, run back down to the kitchen for the rest of the pizzas, and the four dozen cookies Ms. Bird made for us, hmm?" Lex inserted smoothly, over whatever the rest of the joke was going to be.

Clark choked down the snickers as hard as he could, turning and pushing Wally back through the door, making him follow as he started down the steps before Wally could finish whatever it was he was going to say.

It was the first thing Farrah saw. Clark Kent pushing some hunk she was definitely going to have to talk to. Her eyebrow rose and she shifted her hips, flaunting them a bit as she walked by, a coy smile gracing her face at him as she headed past the two of them to the room.

"Oh, HELL-O," Wally called out at the swinging hips. Didn't even get a good look at what they were attached to until he looked up and he grinned. "Hello, hello, hello, my lovely-dove."

Farrah stopped at the door, turned, gave the cute guy a saucy wink, and slipped into the room.

"Two words, Wally. Jail. Bait. Walk!" Clark pushed Wally towards the back stairs leading to the kitchen, stomping down after him as they walked. "She's seventeen. You're, what, twenty two? You will be in jail for the rest of your natural life, after you get out of the hospital after her boyfriend beats the shit out of you."

"Hey, hey, sweet seventeen is legal in the state of Kansas," he pointed out. "The lady obviously has very, very fine taste, because did you see her checkin' out my stuff?" His chest puffed out. "Mmm mm mmm. Walter West just might be lucky tonight after all," he said, preening his hair and smile into place.

"What part of "boyfriend" didn't you hear? Should I add big boyfriend? Big mean boyfriend?!" Clark prodded him through the double doors, grinned at Freddie coiled around Ms. Birds legs, and picked up another four pizza's.

"Yeah, saw him. Big stupid ox, 'bout the size of your blond goddess' honey?" Little snort. "He won't be able to touch the Flash, you know that." Saucy wink to Ms. Bird as Wally picked up six more, and piled the last ones on top of Clark's stack.

Clark oomphed, for show of course, and glared at Wally. "Doesn't matter. Don't hit on her." Then he glared sharply at Wally, and motioned his head a fraction of an inch at Ms. Bird, before shaking his head just as softly. Another roll of his eyes and he turned, stomping back up the steps.

"Hey, hey, you saw it. Honey was hitting on ME before I even flashed the pearly whites and my oh so charming personality."

"That doesn't mean you should!" Clark yelled over his shoulder. Because he knew quite well what a flirt Farrah was--she'd flirted with him more than once. But it was just flirting, he knew--Steven had told him they hadn't ever had sex, and he knew for a fact Farrah was a virgin. Woo boy, was she ever playing with fire in regards to Wally.

Wally flung a glare at Clark's back, and could almost see it bounce off. "What, deny that lovely lady my company for the night? Clark, Clark, Clark, Walter West is NOTHING if he ain't a gentleman, know what I'm sayin'? He never ever leaves the ladies hanging." He gave a smirk over the top of his pizza boxes as they climbed the stairs.

"He does when the girls are virgins and have no clue what they're doing." Clark answered benignly back. Yeah. Thoughts of his own loss of virginity, again, brought a flush of heat over his body that he definitely enjoyed for several moments as he walked down the hall. By the time he got to the door he had it under control again, and glared at Wally again.

"Then she needs the slow, wonderful touch of Walter West to ease her into the wide wide world of love," he said smoothly, gliding into the room past Clark's glare and looking around for the hottie he'd passed in the hallway.

Who was sitting on the big couch with Shay and Chloe, chatting animatedly to them about the stack of magazines she'd brought with her, including Vogue's copy with Orlando Bloom on the cover, who oh muh guh was so hot.

Chloe looked up as the boys entered and gave Wally the Glare of Death.

Wally plopped his pizzas down on the table and glided over to the couch. "Why hello there. I don't believe I've ever seen three such lovely ladies in the same room together before. Surely this is a treasure." He bowed. "My name is Walter West, though you can call me--"

"Dickhead?" Shay asked sweetly.

Whitney, who was packing more beer into the cooler by the couch, promptly fell over in the attempt to bury his snickers.

"Nice to meet you, Dickhead." Farrah grinned her most coy, inviting smile, and bat her lashes as she crossed her legs to give him a nice sight of tight jean-encased thigh.

"This is not good." Clark muttered to Lex on the way past him, sitting the pizzas on the floor before turning to the guys. "Spaceballs, then?"

Wally's smile flashed up about four watts, and he eyed the offered flesh hungrily. "Nice to meet you too, and you can call me anything you want, as long as you call me yours." He held his hand out to Farrah, waiting to hear her name.

"Tell me about it," Lex muttered in return, pushing himself back up to his feet. "Wally, you're one of the few people not a minor here tonight; why don't you help me pour the alcohol and serve it? That way you can go to jail and not me. Chloe... we have water, juice, soda, diet soda, and... non-alcoholic wine coolers, which I don't comprehend the purpose of because that takes the fun out of them anyway."

"A lot of things aren't fun when you take vital parts off and out of it." Chloe threatened Wally with dark eyes. "I'll have some juice, thank you, Lex."

"Farrah." Farrah said, charmed, offering her hand and smiling brilliantly.

"Hey, guys!" Pete suddenly announced, from the door, carrying his ten pizza's in his arms, as well as a book bag. "Sorry I'm late! Got pulled over dude, my back light is out again, piece of shit. Hey, Farrah, close your thighs, I can see your panties through the crotch of your jeans. Help me out here, Whit?"

"Farrah," Wally repeated with a smile, and he kissed her hand quickly. "I'll be back. Don't move. I want to remember you just the way you are." He kissed her hand again, and then got to his feet, joining Lex at the mini-bar he'd set up.

Whitney was laughing his ass off as Pete came in, but he jumped to his feet. "Yeah, man, no problem. Here, give me those pizzas." He took the boxes carefully from Pete and carried them over to the table, stacking them alongside the rest of them.

Steve was glaring. "Yeah, Fair, I can see the little pink lace edges, so close 'em and stop giving out free previews," he grumped, and helped Whitney unload in front of the table.

Lex dropped several cubes of ice in a glass and filled it with juice, doing a little headcount as he crossed the room. "Me, Clark, you, Whitney, Pete, Shayla, Steve, Farrah, and Wally." He smiled as he handed the glass to Chloe. "If you'll excuse me, it's time for me to lock us in."

"God help us." Chloe groaned.

Pete grinned at Chloe's sighs and leaned down to kiss Shayla's lovely, smooth lips, pressing his mouth gently to hers before helping the guys finish up all they were doing.

"Wouldn't know what they looked like if you weren't checking it out too." Farrah said darkly, throwing her hair back off her shoulder and turning the page in her magazine as she closed her legs and sniffed.

Shayla leaned into Pete's kiss, even if she was a little soggy from before, and then settled back onto the sofa as she popped Farrah's shoulder. "Pink's my color!" she teased. "Go get your own!"

Steve flipped his girlfriend off over his shoulder. "Course I'm checkin' it out, I'm your BOYFRIEND. That's what I DO!"

Chloe grinned at the interaction, and rose to her feet as she started the first game of the night. "Alright, kiddos! I hope all of you wore clean underwear." She grinned, and lifted a bowl she'd preset, with all of their names written on a scrap of paper. "Our first game of the night is called the Undie Exchange. You're going to pull a name---you have to trade underwear with the person you get. Bras don't count." She grinned cheekily at Pete's shocked look. "Lets start." She thrust the bowl out at Steven.

"Whitney, man, I hope I get your fuckin' name." He reached into the bowl, and pulled out one of the folded scraps of paper. "Dude, you look. I'm scared to." He held it up to Chloe to read.

Chloe took the paper... and grinned. Broadly. "Lex!"

Clark choked, exploding into giggles and covering his mouth firmly with his hand as he looked from Lex to Steven and back again. He knew plenty well Lex wasn't wearing any underwear, and he choked on the giggles as he looked away, trying to keep his hands busy.

Lex just gave a congenial smile. "You're in luck, Mr. Olsen. I don't happen to be wearing underwear."

Steve slapped a hand to his face. "Mr. Luthor--Lex?--more'n I ever need to know." He just groaned.

Whitney beamed up at his girlfriend. "Guess you should have checked beforehand, huh?"

"Course not. This just means Steven gets to go free as the wind, and Lex is going to be the fine inhabitant of tighty whities or boxer briefs." Bright smile. "Go take 'um off, Stevie babe. Whitney! Your turn!"

Pete was still snickering, delighted over Clark's choked laughter, and he couldn't help adding to it as he rolled his eyes at how cheerful Chloe was.

Whitney was laughing so hard, he didn't notice Lex glaring at the bowl and shuffling the papers around. He picked the one in his palm, and he opened it up.

And the laughter stopped. "CHLOE!" he bellowed. "YOU RIGGED THIS!" He waved the piece of paper with Farrah's name on it under her nose.

Chloe cracked up, couldn't help it, laughing hysterically at her poor lover's sudden horrified face as she pointed at Farrah, and then at Whitney. "Well honey, who knows? Someone might get your name, and you might get to trade again. For now, pony up!"

Farrah grinned broadly and rose to her feet, lowering the hip of her jean to show one lime green edge of her multicolored thong, and flounced to the bathroom cheerfully, tugging Whitney after her.

Pete couldn't stop snickering, rolling his eyes as he plunked on the couch with a wine cooler for himself and one for Shay, and set his feet up on the small table.

Steve came back in looking very disgruntled, as he was not used to dangling free--athletic supporters were the least of what he usually wore, and he dropped one pair of tighty whities on Lex's lap. "There you go, big man."

Shay tucked her feet up under her, and snuggled in close to Pete, putting her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his tummy. "I hope you get my name," she murmured softly. "Pink thong."

Lex merely raised an eyebrow at the underwear dumped in his lap.

There was a loud burst of swearing coming from the bathroom in Whitney's raised voice, something about not opening the fucking shower curtain yet!

Pete purred quietly in Shay's ear, but smiled and kissed her cheek softly. "Doesn't work that way. I'll probably end up with Chloe's pregnancy garters or something."

And the swearing coming back that how the fuck was Farrah supposed to know he was a damn slow poke?

Clark was still giggling, deeply, helplessly, as Chloe offered him the bowl. He closed his eyes and peered inside of it, picking a piece of paper up… then grinned as he read it. "Cool. I got Steven. Except I don't have any underwear on either, so I guess that doesn't count, huh?"

Chloe grinned at him, gave him an approving look, winked, and kept going, thrusting the bowl under Wally's nose.

Wally's hand dove into the bowl, hovering over each piece of paper, and finally he picked the piece that seemed to have the best vibe for him.

And when he opened it, he couldn't help jumping up from his seat and doing a little dance, right there in front of them all. Then he held his arm out to Chloe as he displayed the slip of paper with her name on it to everybody. "Lovely lady, those panties are mine."

Whitney slammed out of the bathroom, very disgruntled, a few moments later, and tossed himself back down onto the cushion in the floor.

Pete was literally choking on the laughter he was holding back as Whitney wriggled and plunked on the ground. He nearly fell over Shay trying to hold it in, hand clasped over his mouth as he looked down at his friend through watering eyes. "Investigating panties?" He finally managed, and burst out laughing.

Chloe grinned, sweetly, up at Wally, a little... too sweetly.

Smiling himself, Clark helped his sweet lover up and gave him a nudge toward the bathroom.

Shayla was just wheezing as Pete fell over her, and she was trying to bury her giggles in his shoulder and not succeeding. At all. "Wally? I'd hide anything precious to you," she warned between giggles, and then petted poor Whitney on the shoulder.

Whitney snarled. "Riding into the fucking unknown!"

Lex gave a little snort that sounded suspiciously like, "no chance in hell, Clark."

Wally, on the other hand, was beaming like a lunatic as he put his arm around Chloe's shoulder.

"Why don't you give me a minute?" Chloe said, and she disappeared into the bathroom. When she returned, five minutes later, she was carrying her small white panties. What Wally didn't know? They were made of extreme elastic materiel, to give her belly support. So she handed them over, sweetly, and picked up her bowl again. "Lex, your turn!"

"Oh, that's no fun at all, baby girl, but you wait here, and I'll be right back with mine." He gave her a little wink and disappeared into the bathroom.

Lex crooked an eyebrow but he humored his ashikana, and reached into the bowl. And gave a little snicker. "Clark, it's your lucky day." He displayed the sheet of paper bearing Clark's name to the whole group, and tossed Steven's underwear to Clark. "Wear it in good health."

"Damn!" But Clark grinned anyway, flouncing to wait by the bathroom door. "At least I didn't get fucked over. Poor Whitney."

Chloe grinned and offered the bowl to Farrah, who had plunked by Shay with an uncomfortable look on her face. "Farrah?"

Farrah drew the first slip of paper... and grinned. "Pete. Cool. One set of boxers for another."

"Nice, satiny ones too." Pete beamed, winking cheerfully.

Whitney's dry cough sounded a lot like gay as he cleared his throat, but he didn't say another word.

Shayla pouted. "That sucks." But then she perked up. "Maybe I'll get your boxers back, Whitney? Though I'd have to like, wear them on my head because they're too huge for me."

Wally came bouncing out of the bathroom a few minutes later, and dropped a leopard print G-string on Chloe's shoulder. "There you are, hot stuff." He shook his butt as he plopped back down on the floor and beamed up.

Chloe couldn't help it--she laughed. Rolled her eyes. But laughed. "Wally, I'm six months pregnant. I couldn't fit that up one thigh. Lets just wait, and see who I get." Another grin, and she pointed at Shay. "Your turn, sweetums."

Clark emerged himself a minute later, the peculiar feeling of cotton boxers against his skin strange, and slightly arousing. He hadn't worn underwear in so long that it felt like having a second skin, and he wriggled as he plopped on the floor by Lex's feet, setting his head on Lex's knees.

Lex reached down and ran his fingers gently through Clark's hair, soothing them both with the touch as he kissed the back if his lover's head and wiggled his socked toes against Clark's thigh.

Shay reached into the bowl and pulled out a slip. And then very nearly tossed it back in the bowl. "I got Wally!" she pouted.

"Hey Shay, at least you know my underwear's comfy!" Chloe grinned at her. "Farrah, you and Pete go change. Pete, you're the last one, honey." She offered the bowl to him, and smiled gently at him.

Pete grinned and lifted the name without really having to look at it. "Shay. Great. I get pregnancy underwear, and you get Whitney's boxers."

"Hey, if it'll make you feel better, I'll take Wally's little G-string and wear it instead of Whitney's boxers," she offered with a little grin.

"NO." Pete almost choked snarling the word, then winced as everyone looked at him. "Sorry. No offence, Wally."

All Chloe knew was that she got to forfeit because of her pregnancy, and that made her incredibly happy. She grinned, cheerfully, and threw the g-string at Wally as she set the bowl down. "All set! Yay! Now, Lex, you take over while everyone gets their undies changed."

Lex just snorted. "Take over?" He asked.

"Yeah. You know. Take over." She smiled sweetly at him. "You are our host, after all."

He snorted again. "But you, my pregnant peach, are--or were--in charge of the party games, because at the time, you pooh-poohed my idea of naked Twister."

Wally perked up at that. "I could go for naked Twister."

Whitney rolled his eyes. "See? This is why the idea was pooh-poohed." Then he made a face, as though he couldn't believe he just said "pooh-poohed."

Steve snorted. "I've got a game. It's called, Everybody Gets Their Underwear Back."

"You're just cranky cause I'm about to wear Sexy Pete's Sexy Underwear." Farrah snorted on her way to the bathroom with Pete himself.

"Well, the only games I brought are Swingers, Jenga, and Brains. But hey, food first. Mmm. Pizza." Chloe purred, as she picked up a paper plate, handed one to Whitney sitting on the floor, and started to get some for herself.

Clark was busily quiet, enjoying Lex's strokes in his hair and half asleep, and half aroused, with every stroke. It was nice, and wonderful, and he sighed softly at the feeling.

"Yeah, well, at least it's Pete's underwear and not Mr. Leopard-Skin Thong over here!" he yelled back, wiggling uncomfortably and feeling more than a little chafed in sensitive areas.

"I have a very serious feeling that I'm going to regret asking this, but what, exactly is Brains?"

"A game of mental challenge and daring!" Chloe declared, as she got three slices and KNEW she'd be back for more, instead sitting in the chair by the coffee table and setting her soda on the floor at her feet.

"Which doesn't answer my question, but I'll live." Lex straightened his legs out and wrapped them around Clark's waist, pulling Clark back against his chest so he could continue stroking.

Shayla came out of the bathroom in Whitney's boxers, the legs of which dangled almost to her knees and shone out from under the shorts she was wearing. the waistband was hitched up and she was using the shorts as a kind of belt to hold the boxers up as she wandered over to the pizza, taking the half-pizza left in the top box for her and Pete to share.

Wally was actively leering at the bathroom door, waiting for Farrah to come out so that he could offer her a drink and a charming smile.

Pete grinned, adoringly, at his too-cute girlfriend, and got himself a slice of pizza as well. Chloe's underwear was sitting on his shoulder as he waited for his turn in the bathroom, and he smirked at Whitney sideways as he handed him a loaded plate of pizza. "You're gonna be seriously uncomfortable all night, dude."

"Master of the obvious!" Farrah sang, as she hopped out, the blue boxers gathered at the waist with a hair scrunchy, over her jeans. Her jeans were too tight to wear underneath, so she thought she'd go all super hero and wear them on the outside. God knew they were comfortable, after all!

"Yeah, well, maybe if he sweet-talks me real nice, I'll give him his underwear back," Shay teased gently, grinning at Whitney.

"Yeah, well, if somebody's string breaks, it ain't gonna be my fault; these fucking things weren't meant to be stretched out anyway." Whitney grunted as he shifted again, in fact, urging the strings to snap.

Steve snorted his beer and nearly sprayed Clark and Lex with. "Fair, baby... remember. Underwear inside, jeans outside. Kay?"

Farrah grinned back, eyebrow raised at her boyfriend as she took the drink Wally had offered without looking at him, just walking past him to sit on the floor by Chloe. "Would you like to get these bulky things in these jeans? Couldn't even if I tried."

Clark wasn't particularly paying attention. He was just softly kissing Lex's fingertips, each one, gently, paying attention to all the folds of flesh and all the curves of fingernail, and having incredible fun with his treat. He licked the pad of each fingertip tenderly and kissed down the thumb, not saying a word.

"No, man, I gotta say, in all honestly, they weren't." Pete smirked at Whitney behind Lex, and rolled his eyes.

"Then I guess we're going to have to return all the early stocking stuffers Shay and I bought," Chloe sighed dramatically at her lover.

"I floss my teeth. I wash my ass. I have no need to floss my ass crack," Whitney groused, and reached out with his foot, thumping Clark in the leg. "If I don't get to nibble on my girlfriend, you don't get to nibble on your boyfriend."

"Yes he does," Lex said serenely, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of Clark's tongue on his fingertips. "I get to lay the ground rules and rule is Clark can do whatever he wants to because he's the boss."

Wally burst out laughing, so hard he had to grab his stomach for support. "Christ, Lex, are you whipped!!" he howled.

Clark grinned sweetly at Whitney, blushing softly at his ashimel, then harder at Wally's laugh, and he let Lex go to sit with his back supported by Lex's chair, shifting a little and picking up his own pizza.

The first bite tasted like pizza flavored Lex.

It was something he could get used to.

"Aweee, don't tease him." Chloe grinned, totally charmed by Clark's blush, and beamed at him so he'd stop looking so horrified. "Its alright, honey, ignore the bastards."

"Yeah, I don't see anyone else being so loving here," Farrah said, peering directly at Steven, before tossing her head back and glaring.

Wally perked up at Farrah's comment. "All you had to do was ask," he said, scooting across the floor to nestle up beside her leg. "Mr. West is here to fulfill your every desire, m'lady."

Lex slid out of his chair, down to sit in the floor with his aushna' again, and made sure that his legs were open wide enough to snuggle Clark back into them as he ate. He glared at Wally, then leaned forward and gently nuzzled Clark's ear, murmuring soothing little love words into it as he hugged.

Clark turned his head when Lex came down to sit behind him, and leaned back against his lover, grinning at the words he was whispering and blushing again, softly. He offered Lex a bite of his pizza over his shoulder, nuzzling his lovers cheek gently with his nose, and grinned at him adoringly.

"Alright, I don't need to hear any of that shit. Come on, lets get started here or whatever." Chloe glared at Wally, then beamed and put the DVD player on. She moved from her chair to the floor beside her own lover so she was more comfortable and her legs supported the weight of her stomach. "What're we gonna watch?"

Lex nibbled at the end of the pizza being offered to him, and he grinned softly at the cheek nuzzle as he wrapped his arms around Clark's chest. "Keep in mind I do have nearly every DVD in existence, including several new releases which have not, as yet, become available to the general public."

Shay just shrugged. "Something funny. With a lot of laughing." She put her head on Pete's shoulder and wrapped both her arms around the one of his closest to her. "No sad, please. Please."

"Check. Mindless comedy. Lets see... oh! Adam Sandler?" She grinned at the rest of them, arched a brow.

"Chloe, you put that jackass on the television and I'll never talk to you again." Clark murmured, in between nibbles to his lovers throat, then his mouth after his lover had finished swallowing his mouthful, licking the pizza taste from his mouth and sighing softly.

"Yeah, baby, you put him on the screen? You and me are done, baby. For like, ever." Whitney glared, but he put his arm around his girlfriend's shoulder anyway.

"Don't know what the hell you guys got against Adam Sandler, man's a--Ow!" Wally rubbed the back of his head, where a pizza crust had just caromed off the back.

"No. Adam. Sandler," Shayla said, very clearly. "No Chicago, either," she said, glaring at her best friend. "Although, I wouldn't mind seeing the Harry--"

"Shay, you finish that sentence, and I'll have to hurt you," Whitney added. "I vote for Vin Diesel."

Steve kicked Whitney's foot. "You always vote for Vin Diesel, man, you got a crush on him or what!"

"I do." Clark answered for Whitney, grinning shyly at Steve. "Any man who can make a fur coat look good is alright in my book."

Pete grinned, himself. "Me too. Vin's hot. And also, kick ass cool."

"We are NOT watching Vin Diesel! As for Harry Potter," Chloe grinned at Shay, "That's for tonight when all of the guys are stone cold drunk."

"What about... mmm... Fargo? Or...Oh! Sum of all Fears!" Farrah offered.

"Dude, Samuel L was fuckin' awesome in that movie," Pete agreed, as he offered a piece of mushroom pizza to Shay.

"Children, please. We are not discussing bald men in furs," Lex said pointedly.

Whitney flipped Lex off. "Okay, fine. You tell us what to watch, oh wise Guru."

Lex gave a too-casual shrug. "I always liked the Wizard of Oz when I was a child, but then again, I was often told I was a strange child, so take that for what it's worth."

Shay just nodded as she took a bite of the pizza, carefully avoiding the mushrooms. " 's one o'my fav'rites," she answered through a mouthful of crust.

"Ain't watchin' no damn movie that has grown men prancin' and singin' as they follow the Yellow Brick Road," Whitney groused.

Steve kicked Whitney again. "Hey, come on now, you've done your own fair share of prancing, admit it."

"We're not watching it. A, its creepy. B? SO creepy!" Chloe cried and shuddered all over. "Dear God, no."

"What about My Fair Lady?" Farrah asked, suddenly perking up. "I love that movie!"

"That's worse than offering Moulin Rouge." Clark made a face. "Just because Dominic likes it doesn't mean jack."

"Dominic also likes Buffy and Harry Potter. His tastes are exquisite." Chloe preened sweetly, then turned and glared at Wally. "You've been quiet. What do you think we should watch?"

Wally had just been watching carefully, first the blond headed kid who was Dom's little sister, and then Lex himself, and he just cocked his head to the side. "Well, I don't think we should be watchin' anything that Dom'nic likes, just outta consideration for his kid sister and stepson," he said casually. "Other'n that? I'm easy."

"I agree." Pete answered, from the DVD player, where he was already sticking in a movie as everyone argued and paid no attention to him. Sometimes, he had to admit, it was a godsend.

"What about Die Hard?" Chloe asked.

"You only want to see it because Young, Dark, and Pre-Snape Alan Rickman is the big bad hunka burnin' love." Farrah chided, but beamed at Chloe in agreement. "Good aspirations. But no. Bruce Willis and bombs make me ill."

"I guess something like Armageddon is out of the picture, right?" At four sets of glares he flinched. "Alright! Alright! Sorry!"

"Still say you oughta go for Fast and the Furious. Ain't nothin' wrong with that. We got fast cars for the guys, pretty boys for the girls, Vin Diesel for pretty much everybody--"

"Whitney, goddamn, lay off the Vin Diesel Worship!" yelled Steven.

"Yeah, but the girls in the film are half naked, with boobs the size of balloons, which they rub all over Vin Diesel's arm. Its kind of off-putting." Clark made a face. "No offense, girls."

"None taken, honey. You're gay as the driven snow, I can imagine how icky it is." Chloe answered, and realized the screen where the TV had been on was now blank at the beginning of a DVD. "Pete? What're you doing?"

"We're gonna watch one of the best movies of all time, by one of the creepiest directors this side of Tim Burton." Pete answered, as he scooted back, grasped one of the huge throw pillows on the floor, and got comfy on it. "Got a little Leo DiCaprio for the ladies, a little Claire Danes for the straight guys, and a whole lot of Shakespeare. I dig this movie. So shut up."

"Oh!" Farrah gasped. "I love love LOVE Romeo and Juliet!"

"Me too," Clark chimed in, and snuggled against his lover as he continued to eat.

Lex snickered softly. "In principle I like the play. I don't tend to like adaptations of it, however, I'm willing to give it a shot."

"Hey. There's cars. There's guns. I'm happy." He sighed in contentment as finally one of the thin strings of the thong he was wearing snapped, and it quit creeping up on him. "Oh, thank you God."

Shay just hunkered down with her little pig, and gave a little grin. Yeah, this should be good. She could handle this.

Oooh. Except Clark lost all interest in food or movie when Lex shifted behind him. His eyes all but rolled back in his head as he leaned back into Lex's slender, but powerful, body, and let his breath come out silent in a long, deep exhale. Wooboy. He wriggled a little, just a little, as everyone began to watch the TV, and looked back at Lex softly with hooded eyes.

"Best movie ever. I love the scene with Tybalt and Mercutio. Tybalt's one evil motherfuck." Pete chewed on his pizza comfortably, socked feet crossed at the ankle as he leaned on his elbow.

Lex leaned forward and nibbled at Clark's ear. "You want to go?" he asked softly. "Find a nice little room somewhere, make love as hard as we can, then come back and let everyone know what we've done?" Then he reached beside them, picked up one of the blankets off the pile, and spread it over their bodies. His hand slipped down the front of Clark's jeans, stroking quietly and slowly under the blanket. "Or do you want to stay here?"

Shay leaned on the sofa behind him, her chin resting on his hip as her other arm held onto the pig. The pizza was within easy reach of them both, and she took another bite of a second slice, chewing as she watched and nibbling the crust.

Steve crooked his finger at his girlfriend, patting the big, fleecy sleeping bag he'd brought and laid out for them to share, and dangled a beer bottle invitingly.

"Oh. How incredibly enticing." Farrah deadpanned, rolling her eyes and getting up off the couch anyway.

Mmm. Clark didn't really know, but if Lex kept doing that? He'd be very happy. He arched his hips the smallest bit, masking it as getting more comfortable and instead rubbing his hips against Lex's hand. He swallowed, quietly, letting his eyes close as someone lowered the lights in the room...Chloe, and let his eyes close in the sleepy haze of lust.

Steve just waited patiently, and as soon as Farrah had dropped down beside him, he snuggled her close and looped an arm around her waist. He really did care a lot about her, despite the fact she drove him absolutely bugnutty. He just kissed the back of her neck, and grinned into her shoulder.

Lex's fingers quietly worked Clark's zipper, easing it down as the movie played, masking the grate of metal on metal as he moved it down, his palm rubbing over the hardening length that was poking through the unfamiliar cotton boxers. "You think Steve will mind your come on his underwear?" Lex teased, coupling it with a bite to Clark's ear.

Clark just about died at the soft, teasing words in his ear. He swallowed the moan, though in his head the unspoken sound still echoed, as his fingers clenched on his lovers thighs. Here, where… in front of everyone! He was mortified, and turned the fuck on at the same time, then Lex's fingers had to stroke down the boxers and Clark decided he'd have rather died then made Lex stop.

"Yadda yadda." Farrah's eyes rolled again as she lay down beside him, getting more comfortable in front of the enormous television, and beaming at the little kisses, even if she was totally exasperated with him.

Chloe knew exactly what was going on. One couldn't be sha'nauch and not know. She rose her brow up at Whitney, then grinned at Clark's very intense, very quiet face, and smiled to herself as she drank her juice.

Lex gave a throaty little chuckle as he tugged the top of Clark's ear with his teeth, and he slid his hand inside white cotton to bring the long, uncut shaft out. It was even heavier in his hand than he remembered, and he murmured to his aushna' that he had grown again since the merge, and hefted the weight lightly to prove it, even as he started to stroke his fist down and around length.

"You may be exasperated with me," Steve teased as he heard the sigh, "But you know you love me anyway." He kissed her neck again, and then offered her a drink--not the beer bottle he'd enticed her over with, but a cherry vodka that he'd mixed for her, just because he knew it was her favorite. "Especially because I spoil you."

Whitney just snorted, and kissed Chloe's thigh as he put his head in her lap. "They're hopeless," he murmured, letting his ear rest against Chloe's stomach as he half watched the movie, and half listened for Fordman Jr. in there to kick and make noise.

I have not. Clark answered in exasperation, even if the feeling was replaced moments later when Lex's very delicious, very wonderful hand started stroking him. It was extremely, extremely personal, especially because it was here, and he clamped down on all of his sounds and movements as he stayed as still as possible and watched the movie with glassed eyes. Lex's hands were incredible, wonderful, perfect, and his hands slid down under the blankets as well, as if he were cuddling up under the warm wool.

Instead, his hands joined Lex's.

Aushna', I want. His mind whispered, even as he gave Lex exactly the thing he wanted. The two of them, Clark bent over the nearest flat surface, Lex reaming his ass so hard both of them cried out with each thrust.

Chloe gently stroked Whitney's hair, soft and slow, as she watched the film and tried to put Lex and Clark out of her mind. It was hard, and she wasn't succeeding at all, but she tried, anyway. She stroked Whitney's hair with her fingers, smiling down at him as he obviously was trying to listen for the baby. "He's sleeping." She whispered down to him, and smiled.

"Yes you have," Lex murmured, stroking a little faster and a little harder. His teeth closed on Clark's earlobe again, and he closed his eyes and gripped Clark's cock as hard as he could. "Mmm... we could slip out now. Nobody'd notice." He slid into Clark's mind the image of Clark pushed up against the wall, right outside the room, Lex's hand over his mouth as he fucked Clark hard. "Anything you want."

"He's a smart kid, little Fordman," he murmured softly to her stomach. "Knows when to sleep and everything." He kissed her stomach gently, then smiled up at her. "I can't wait to meet him."

Clark muffled a strangled cry, which instead came out as a soft cough, and shuddered all over as he began to push the blanket off and get to his feet.

Chloe beamed down at her lover. "Of course you c--" And then Clark started to get up frantically, and she looked up, feigned worry in her eyes. "Alright there, Clark?"

Clark shook his head... nodded... shook his head... had to grasp the blanket to him because his jeans were unbuttoned and even if they weren't, no way was he gonna be able to stuff his cock in them now.

Shay reached over Pete's hip and thumped Chloe in the back of the head. "Let the boy go and fuck Lex in peace," she muttered.

Lex rose gracefully after Clark, sliding his hands around Clark's waist and quickly zipping and tucking, just enough to toss the blanket to the floor and guide him to the door in the dim room. "We'll be back in... a little while," he said after a pause, and looked meaningfully at Wally. "Behave."

Chloe grinned in amusement at Shay. Couldn't help it, really. "Sorry. It was right there, I had to."

Yeah, well, Clark was hopping from foot to foot, fingers tugging on Lex's out the door insistently, no time to talk, other important things right now, yep.

"Have fun, honey, give a good scream for me." Farrah said without looking away from Leonardo, chewing on her second slice of pizza.

"We will," Lex reassured them all, and then followed Clark out the door, slamming it behind him as he shoved open the door across the hall. One of a hundred empty rooms, thank God, and it was currently being used to store furniture. His eyes lit happily on a long, dining-room table, and he pushed Clark towards it. "Bend."

Clark's entire body shuddered and he wrenched his jeans down. spreading his legs as much as he could with them still on, but wanted this fast and dirty and delicious. He bent over the table, flat stomach pressing against cold, slightly dusty wood, but he sincerely didn't care because his fingers wrapped around his hard cock and he began to pull on it, hips squirming and moving, begging like a bitch in heat, his lower lip caught between his teeth.

Lex didn't care either, but he slapped Clark's hand away from his cock and glared at him. "No. Touching. It's mine, and you don't get to touch until I say." He slapped Clark's ass next, just to get his point across. "Are we understood?" Even as he talked, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small handful of lubricated condoms.

"Yes, sir," Clark whispered, absolutely thrilled down to the bottom of his soul, and he felt a hot burst of precome shoot out, dribbling down and making him groan and gasp, mouth trembling open. The smack to his ass felt like it had been shot all the way to his brain, and he shook and shivered from it as he moaned. His fingers scrabbled for purchase on the tabletop, grasping the wood as firmly as he could, and moaned softly in begging as he arched his hips invitingly.

"Good." Lex ran his hands over Clark's ass, and then popped it again, just because he could. He tore open the first condom quickly, sliding it over his cock inside out, so that all the lubricant on the rubber smeared over the length of his shaft. He tore open a second packet, sliding the condom over his index and middle fingers, sliding them inside his lover with a quick thrust, to stretch and slick in one smooth motion.

"Gnuh!"

Lex's fingers slammed in without showing at all that's exactly what they were going to do, and Clark moaned deeply, setting his head on the tabletop and squirming back into his lovers fingers. He spread his legs further, as much as he could even if it wasn't much, but that only meant there would be a nice, tight ride, which was exactly what he wanted. "Yes, Lex, please, please Lex, I want, please, don't stop, please."

"I don't intend to stop," Lex said, leaning over and dragging his teeth down the back of Clark's neck. His fingers kept stroking, opening him up and spreading the lube from the condom into his lover's body, then he pulled back entirely. He peeled the one off from his fingers first, wiped them on Clark's hip, then peeled the one off his cock next and tossed them both into the wastebasket by the door. He took his slick cock and rubbed the head over Clark's little opening. "You ready?"

"Yes, please, yes, I'm ready yes, please," Clark babbled. It was incredibly sexy for his lover to master over him like this because it felt so good and Clark loved feeling good, especially just like this when he didn't have to be in control, when Lex was in control. He was naturally dominant, by nature, so feeling Lex making him submit was so fucking hot that sometimes, he could barely stand it. He gave a short, sharp cry as the head of Lex's cock rubbed against him and he humped back against it, moving his fingers back down to his weeping cock.

Lex reached around and slapped Clark's hand tightly, and then reached down to his belt. He pulled it free of the loops in several quick, practiced tugs, and he dragged Clark's hands around his back. "I told you not to touch!" He used the belt once to land a stinging slap across the fleshy globes of Clark's ass, and then wound his belt around Clark's wrists. "If you break that, I will be very unhappy with you, my bad little boy." His hand popped Clark's ass a third time, and then he pushed his cock in to the hilt, nails digging into Clark's hip as he hauled his lover back.

When Lex's hands brought his arms back and tied them behind his back, Clark didn't know what he was going to do with himself. One touch on his cock, one, and he was going to come. He wailed, sharply, though not in pain but steep, deep pleasure, and sobbed as he rubbed back against Lex's hips when his lover lunged forward and filled him with heat. He gave another sharp sound, then another, and then a third one, squeezing reflexively on what was filling him. He felt completely debauched and the feeling only heightened as Lex slapped his ass, making him corkscrew around Lex's hard length.

Lex gave his own, deep cry as Clark's ass tightened around his cock. If Clark had been human, he wouldn't have gone so hard and so fast without stretching his lover, but he knew that Clark could--would--take it. His hand slapped Clark's ass again and again, grunting hard with each tight squeeze around his cock, shivering hard and thrusting deep as he did. He leaned over Clark's bound hands, licked over the fingers and the palms before moving up to kiss Clark's neck and bite his ear. "Going to fuck you good, Clark. Won't be able to sit without feeling me inside you."

Clark sobbed out with the promise, begging as he wriggled and humped his hips back. It already felt like molten heat inside of him, steal and blood and bones and so fucking good he could cry. He squeezed again, whimpering softly as he lay his cheek on the hard wood and wanted so badly to rub himself to completion, while at the same time hoping, praying, it went on for ever and ever. He whimpered again, louder, then louder still, as his lover rocked into him as far as he could, and Clark was sure that if he swallowed hard enough, he'd feel his lovers cock in his throat. He wailed, choking on the sound and burying it into his shoulder as much as he could, when his lovers mouth crested his neck. "I'll be good, I promise, I'll be good, please, I won't break the belt, I'll be good, please fuck me, please, please fuck me!"

Lex caressed his lover's neck gently with his breath, tongue tracing wet stripes on the nape as his hand spanked hard. "Fuck you, Clark? Like I'm doing now?" He thrust harder, more viciously into Clark's welcoming body, letting his lover take all that he could give. "Own you? Like this? Keep you tied up so you never forget?" His groin pounded Clark's ass as his cock stroked fiercely, teeth scraping the tender skin that attached ear to head.

"YES!" Clark screamed, his voice echoing over the room as they began to move. Rutting, pounding against each other, Clark moved his hips back as Lex thrust forward, so they kept joining and meeting. He shut his eyes tightly as waves of goosebumps caressed his body like his lovers hands, his nipples feeling raw and used, his cock an aching slab of steel between his thighs, and his ass one wave of heat, and sharp pricks of pain that were gone before he could understand them, and such delightful, razor's edge pleasure that he gave another cry, then another, fingers clenching behind his back as Lex moved like he'd never stop. "Yes! Yes, please, own me, PLEASE!"

Lex deliberately avoided touching Clark below the neck, and kept his hand instead on Clark's hip, pulling him back into each surging thrust as he pushed forward. His tongue had slipped into Clark's ear, fucking the little orifice with the wet tip, blowing across it to cool the moisture his mouth left behind as he started to thrust again.

He didn't stop thrusting, rocking into Clark as loud as he could, feeling Clark's fingers scrabbling against his belly and leaning against them, letting them flex uselessly.

It was so. Fucking. Good. Clark was in ecstasy, his brain shutting down, his eyes dropping closed letting himself feel every single movement of Lex's delicious hips as they moved against him. The friction got so he couldn't feel Lex's cock anymore--just the hot ache of the movement they were making, the feeling they were creating, and it was so fucking good Clark thought he'd die. Lex was pounding against his prostate with each movement--he hadn't been stretched open very much, so every pound was pushing into his brain, every thrust was stroking against all the sensitive parts of his inner body and making him grunt and wail with each pounding movement.

Lex was closing his eyes, fighting off the need to come in an explosion that would boil them both to death. His willpower was crushing it, pushing it down as hard as he could as he shivered, the teasing gone for the moment as he sucked hard kisses from Clark's cheek, turning Clark's face so that their mouths could meet and he sucked the noises into his mouth.

"What if I don't let you come?" Lex hissed. "Take my belt, wrap it around your cock, squeeze it tight and keep you so bound up your balls will ache for days before I let you come?"

At the mere suggestion, Clark came without a touch to his cock.

He viced around Lex's pounding organ and wailed as he thrust forward, exploding all over the floor under the table as his entire body shuddered. He nearly wrenched his arms out of the sockets shuddering, and cried out as he begged for Lex to touch him, just a little, please, oh please!

Lex gave a hoarse, shattering cry as Clark's ass wrenched around him, coming explosively hard. His knees weakened with the force of it, and he was clinging to Clark as he came, still driving him with hard strokes even as he filled Clark's ass with his seed.

Breathless, he stroked his hands over Clark's body, his shoulders and chest, pinched hard little nipples until he knew they'd be red and sore, then dragged his nails down a clothed belly and found his lover's cock wet with semen.

And chuckled softly in Clark's ear as he stroked the limpening organ with his fist. "You... were a bad, bad, boy, Clark."

Clark was shuddering on the table, mouth open, eyes closed tight, panting harshly. His skin was damp with sweat, his eyes glassy under his lashes, and he lay, limp, along the table, unable to move as Lex stroked his skin through his orgasm. He whimpered softly when Lex whispered those delicious words in his ear, and shivered all over again, mewling softly in sated ache.

"Do you know what happens to bad boys, Clark?"

Clark shook his head firmly, even as his ass gave dull, post coital throbs, making him tighten around Lex, making him shiver and shudder.

"They get... punished." He nipped Clark's throat as he slowly pulled out of his lover, and knelt behind him, tongue swiping over Clark's opening and lapping as his come slowly trickled out. "I just haven't decided... how yet." He left Clark's hands tied behind his back, and bit lightly on one cheek. "One man I served made me crawl around the room, kissing everyone's feet and begging forgiveness."

Clark was still shuddering, and then Lex's tongue was stroking over his opening, and his eyes were rolling into his head as he began to count to a hundred in Greek. His cock, unmercifully, was stirring in interest, AGAIN, the bastard, and Clark shuddered as he shook his head a little at his cock, begging it not to even as Lex teased him. "P… punished?" He whispered, choking.

"Mmm. For coming... without permission." Lex kept nibbling and lapping around Clark's opening.

"I d-didn't mean t-t-to," Clark whispered, choking on the words as he squirmed softly, groaning low in his throat, "I… it… w-when you said, about the belt, I… I couldn't… couldn't help, couldn't stop it."

"I could do that to you now; tie you up, keep you limp as I rim your ass, keep you from getting hard until I take the belt off then all of a sudden... being so rock hard it hurts because the blood just slams through your cock like it's going to explode?"

Clark wailed softly at Lex's words, his body shaking again as he said it, cock lifting up and filling with blood just at the words. "Pl-please," But did he know what he was begging for? No, no unfortunately not. Not that he cared. He couldn't stop begging softly, as prettily as he could, whimpering softly and choking on the sounds as he shuddered.

Lex reached up and took the belt from around his lover's hands, freeing them for the moment and rocking back on his heels. "Turn around," he said, making sure the belt was untangled as he waited for Clark to move.

"No, please, yes, yes, no," Clark whispered, aware he wasn't making sense but not giving a rats ass. He turned as much as he could on the table, the front of his crotch and stomach painted with semen, his thighs shaking, and turned to lean against the table, supporting his arms against it.

Lex leaned forward, delicately lapping at the sticky treat in front of him as he slid Clark's cock deeper into his throat, licking all traces of come from the hard organ before snapping the belt between his hands, and then using the non-buckle end of it to gently, but firmly, slap Clark's balls.

"GNUH!" Clark bellowed, head falling back with a snap as Lex smacked his balls. The sting was outrageous, sexy and terrible all at the same time, and he tried to pull away even as he mewled with pleasure. His fingers slid behind him, over the ridge more distended when he was aroused, and stroked over it as his eyes fluttered shut.

Lex cracked the belt over Clark's cock and his balls several more times, until he was happy with the state of his lover's arousal, and then he stood up casually, weaving the belt back between the belt loops of his slacks, and straightening the pleat as he brushed his knees off. "Pull up your pants and get ready to go back," Lex said firmly.

Clark let out a hard, deep cry of pained pleasure as he firmly shook his head. "No, no please, nono, I can't, please no, please! Please, Lex, no!"

Lex leaned forward. "Yes you can. Because if you don't? You won't come for forty-eight hours. I guarantee it, Clark."

"That's okay, don't care, pleasepleasepleaseplease," Clark begged, forcedly, grasping his lovers shoulders. "Please, can't, will attack Chloe or Whitney and embarrass you, can't help myself, please, pleaseplease, oh PLEASE."

Lex's eyes sparked. "You won't attack them. You won't attack me. Because it would displease me. And you don't want to do that, do you, Clark?"

"No, but, no, but," Babbling, babbling, didn't care, ohhh how he did not care. "But I couldn't help it, and you'd love me anyway, and yes? And please? Please?"

"Of course I'd love you anyway." Lex leaned forward even further and kissed Clark hard, deeply and possessively as his tongue stroked into his lover's mouth, tasting every cranny and crevice as he sucked.

"Not gonna let me come?" He whimpered, the memory of Lex's mouth still too hot to ignore.

"Not going to let you come," Lex confirmed. "If you're good? I'll suck you off under the blankets tonight, when everyone else is asleep."

Clark nodded and heaved a shaky sigh, swallowing deeply and struggling with his jeans. His fingers were shaking, but he managed to get himself tucked away--how? No idea. But he gave his balls a tug to soften him up, just a little, and buttoned his jeans, zipping them firmly. He swallowed, hard, ever thankful for a long shirt instead of the normal short ones he wore, and rubbed his ankle with one socked foot.

Lex slinked around in front of his lover and ground his ass hard against Clark's cock. "Just... to remind you what you can have if you behave."

Oh, there went all of his composure. He gasped out as Lex walked in front of him, leaning over with a hand to his knee as he swallowed in a hard gasp and shivered all over. "You. Butthead."

Lex chuckled wickedly. "So you keep telling me."

"Well! You are!" But since Clark could see how being aroused for a while could be definitely satisfying at the end, he smiled and kissed Lex's head, then his neck, then his mouth, softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lex purred, kissing Clark back just as softly and gently as Clark kissed him. "I love you, Clark."

"I love you." He kissed him back, smiling gently and encircling his hips with big hands, holding him tenderly close and grinning as they stepped back out into the hall.

Lex let Clark lead him out of the bedroom with a smile, and he let his hands drop to cover Clark's.

However, if Lex had known what was happening at Smallville Medical Center at that particular moment, he would not have been smiling.

- = -

"What do those alarms mean?"

"Lionel, get out of the way, now. Nurse, get the crash cart in here, stat. Maru, hand me the ambu bag."

"Yes, doctor."

"Christ, that blood oxygen level keeps going down. If they don't get the respirator hooked up, we're going to lose him. Lionel, get out! Maru, take Mr. Luthor out into the waiting room and don't let him back here until I tell you!"

"Crash cart's arrived, doctor."

"Good, now, where's the vent tube?"

"It's coming, doctor. They're bringing it now."

"They'd better hurry, that's all I've got to say."

 

-fin-

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