Title: Red Ribbon
Author: Joani
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Ahh, if only I owned Clark and Lex. Lana isn't mine either
Feedback: Please do.

***

Lana isn't used to losing.

And, she finds, she hates the feeling immensely.

It really sucks, she thinks, leaning on the counter at the Talon, watching the couples bustle by with their coffees and their snacks. It's busy today, and everyone is rushing around.

A waitress jostles her and she doesn't even notice, because the winner has just walked in. Rather, one of the winners has walked in.

It was a tie, and Lana got the red ribbon.

She hates this feeling, and only offers Lex a nod as he smiles his quiet smile of acknowledgement to her. It used to be a polite smile, but Lana now thinks it's full of superiority, flaunting his winnings in her face. Lex is a man who knows when he's won the day, and if he doesn't know that, then Lana could hate him even more.

For a moment, she longs for her drawer of baubles and happy winnings. Betcha Lex never won anything like that.

Or maybe her prizes for riding, maybe that's even better, because she earned those.

But another look at Lex, settling in his seat in the corner, and Lana knows those prizes can't compare to this. Because Lex won the prize who's walking through the door.

Clark gets a stiff nod from her as well, and he grins his bright, happy smile back before veering off to sit with Lex. Clark's smile puts her on edge too, because he's won, and Lana just knows he doesn't think about it. Or even know about it.

At this moment, Lana hates Clark as well, because Clark let himself be won by Lex, and he won Lex at the same time.

Lana remembers seeing Lex that one time, in his pool in Metropolis, teaching the finer points of 'breaststroke' when she was old enough to connect the dots, but young enough not to see the whole picture.

She's starting to get the picture, and she was enjoying it more and more...

Until Clark won, too.

And now it's so complicated that Lana can't figure out where it ends and where it started, and she's just angry that she's not on top this time.

Watching Clark's strong fingers brush against Lex's slender ones as they speak in low, almost sensual tones, Lana can't help but see red.

Red ribbon, that is.