Title: Always Now, Always Will Be
Author: wishland ()
Category: AU, Clark/Lex friendship, WIP
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Clark rescues Lex before he is shocked, but that doesn´t mean their troubles are over.
Chapter One: Escape
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Dad, don´t do this!'
Lex´s screams echo down the cold metal corridor. All Clark can do in response is run faster. Faster.
The screams turn into muffled shrieks. They sound like sheer terror. Pain. Misery, and Clark gets to the window just in time to see the so-called doctor finish gagging Lex´s mouth, completing the horror movie tableau.
Be strong, be strong,' Lionel Luthor simpers, touching his son in the most sickening way and fury is the only thing Clark feels as he shatters his way through the viewing glass.
The white-coated men stare at him in shock. The sickly gleam in Lionel´s eyes turns to surprise, then rage, but it doesn´t matter since he´s only on his feet for a moment before dangling helplessly in Clark´s enraged grasp.
You make me sick,' Clark hisses before throwing Lionel against the wall like a rag doll.
The older man slumps, then passes out in an undignified heap on the floor, still breathing. Clark knows he should be grateful the evil old bastard isn´t dead, but there´s something darkly unsatisfying about the rattling breaths still coming from Lionel Luthor´s windpipe.
But no time to think about that now. Not with the panicked doctors running and screaming for help. It takes all Clark´s concentration to quickly ... and gently ... remove the restraints from Lex´s shaking form without hurting him. They´d tied him so tightly, the chin strap nearly breaking his neck and Clark has to handle them gingerly, but fast.
The awful gag is the last thing to go. Lex´s eyes are huge and he´s wheezing for air, the color of his skin telling Clark he´s going into shock. Clark looks down at the bare white feet, and without another thought he gathers Lex into his arms, instructing him softly: Hold on tight and close your eyes.'
Trembling violently, somehow Lex manages to do as he´s told and in the blink of an eye, they are gone.
Running as fast as he can, Clark finds the truck he parked a mile away from the asylum's gates within seconds.
We´re here,' he says softly. It´s okay, Lex. You can relax now.'
Easier said than done, since Lex´s arms are wound so tightly around him, it feels like he´ll never let go. His battered face is buried in Clark´s shoulder and it takes a few minutes of soothing words, promises of safety before Lex will even look up and examine his surroundings.
We have to go.' Clark puts some urgency in his voice. Come on, let me help you into the truck.'
Reluctantly, Lex slides down, wincing when his bare feet hit the rocky terrain. A minute later, Clark has him bundled in the back seat, turned earlier in to a makeshift bed; a pillow and thick blanket already arranged against Lex needing them.
Clark takes a minute to tuck Lex in, shielding his face with the blanket. He´s planning on taking the back roads to avoid any traps Lionel might have set up against an escape, but still, he´s not going to take any chances. They´ve come this far and he´s not going to let anything stop them.
Not this time.
The gas is hit and the vehicle roars off. One hundred miles in the distance sits Mr. Reidy´s summer cabin by the lake in Granville, the one Clark and his father rented once, years ago, for their annual fishing trip. That´s when they had the money to do such things and Clark´s prays his father won´t remember the place.
Prays his father won´t come looking for them ... or worse, tell Lionel Luthor that´s where he thinks they might be.
It´s not that Clark doesn´t trust his father, but .... How´s it going back there?' he asks, hearing only shaky breathing behind him. Don´t worry, Lex. I´ve got a place that´s good, at least for a night or two. I checked and the owner doesn´t even visit there anymore. Only rents in July and August, so it´s definitely empty. I´ve got some food in the back too. Mom´s canned stuff, some soup and bread, so I think we´ll be okay. All right, Lex? I´m sure it´s got to be better than that stuff they were giving you back there, huh?'
He´s babbling now, especially since Lex´s hollow breathing is slowly turning into short, choked sobs.
Lex. Lex is crying in the back seat, and Clark can barely stand the sound. He swallows past a huge lump in his throat. And don´t worry about the highway. I´m taking the dirt roads. They might be bumpy, but no one will be on them. Just hold on, okay?'
No response, except for the same heartbreaking sound. Clark listens as Lex tries to muffle it with the pillow, tries to force it down but it´s no use. Everything he´s gone through seems to be coming out in one horrible rush and the tears start to run down Clark´s face, making the road in front of him blurry.
Clark wants to stop the truck. Wants to crawl into the back seat and hold Lex until it´s over, but he can´t. They have to keep moving and maybe this is something Lex has to weather himself. The violent end to a terrible storm that began perhaps the day he was born.
What a terrible fate, to come into the world, with a father like that. To live with him, to suffer his abuse and finally, to be tortured in such a violating way ... the thought makes Clark shudder.
Lex would be lucky if he ever stopped crying.
But Clark will be there anyway, until the bitter end.
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They reach Reidy´s cabin in record time, a little over an hour. The truck is quiet, except for the news station Clark´s tuned into, listening for signs that someone might be on their trail. Nothing, and Clark´s breathes a sigh of relief when he can finally park the truck in the cabin´s driveway, conveniently nestled in the back of the house, not visible from the road.
He hops out of the driver´s seat, hoping that Lex might be asleep and he can carry him in without a fuss. He´s brought some clean clothes along with the food, but can't remember if he´s brought shoes and he isn't about to go looking now.
Pushing the front seat down, Clark peers into the back, only to see Lex´s red-rimmed eyes staring back at him. The bruises on his face and lip look raw and Clark resists the urge to soothe them with a touch. Instead, he kneels and helps Lex into a sitting position, making sure to keep the blanket wrapped around his friend's thin shoulders.
Lex offers no resistance, not even when Clark gently pulls him out of the truck and into a fireman´s carry over his shoulder. Sorry,' he says, quickly striding toward the back door. It´s a wood chip driveway and I don´t know if I have shoes for you. It´ll just take a second.'
Clark glances around with his X-Ray vision, looking for the key and finds it, hidden inside a fake rock next to the door. A minute later, they´re inside and once a light is on, Clark sees that place is exactly as it was when he was last there.
Three rooms, including a mini-kitchen, a fold-out sofa bed in the living room and a fireplace, big enough to heat the entire cabin. Clark sets Lex down easily, steering him toward a comfy chair next to the couch. Just give me a sec, and we´ll be set.'
He uses his speed to ready the bed and fireplace, as well as his heat vision to start the fire. It felt good to be able to use his powers openly in front of his friend; he had no idea just how much of the burden would be lifted once Lex finally knew.
Minutes later, the fire is roaring and the bed made. Clark brushes his hands off and turns to Lex with a pleased expression. There. Now we can ...'
He stops mid-sentence, shocked. Lex is staring blankly ahead, expressionless, and Clark´s heart plummets. Could it be that he was too late? That they´d gotten a shock in at some point before he´d gotten to the room? Clark didn´t think it was possible, but he´d never seen anyone look the way the Lex did at that moment.
Numb. Blank. Utterly defeated.
Hey.' Clark kneels at the foot of the chair, his hand on Lex´s knee. It feels cold, even through the pajamas. Are you okay? Say something. Please?' Hoarsely, and he has to force down his fear. Tell me you´re okay. That I got there in time. I did, didn´t I? Lex, I tried. After I got away from those guys I ran so fast and was so scared ... please tell me I got there in time. Please, Lex. I don´t think I could take it if I didn´t.'
Slowly, Lex turns to him, and Clark sees what might possibly be the most beautiful sight ever.
A trembling nod. You did.' Rasping, and Lex goes back to staring at the fire. You did,' he repeats slowly, almost as an afterthought.
Relief floods Clark in waves. Things might not be good, but they weren´t as bad as they could have been. Then let´s get you into bed, okay? Come on ...'
Lex allows himself to be lead to the bed, even lets Clark tuck the blankets in over him, making sure his feet are covered. The bandages on Lex´s hands are bloody again, as is his lip. Hopefully, there´s a emergency kit in the cabin and if not, Clark will somehow make due.
For now, a little ice for Lex´s face and some soup for his stomach will have to suffice.
Clark makes himself busy at the stove, glancing back to keep an eye on Lex who watches the fire from his cocoon on the bed, the blankets covering all but a small portion of his face. Clark thinks back to the cold metal mattress and cruel straps that had been Lex´s bedding for the past week and shivers. And a cage ... the bastards had actually put a *cage* over a tied-up Lex and Clark couldn´t help but wonder if this was because they knew how strong Lex really was, inside and out.
They must have been terrified of him to use such restraints, especially Lionel. Lex was too strong for him, too strong for anyone to hold down for long. He´s a survivor, a fighter until the end, Clark thinks, stirring some canned soup into a warmed pot.
It didn´t matter that this time, they almost broke him. Clark was going to make him whole again. This time, without the lies. It was all going to be okay. They were going to be okay.
They had to be.
Soon, soup´s in the bowl and a small baggie of ice is on the tray. Clark carefully sets everything down, including himself at the foot of the bed. Dinner´s ready.'
Lex looks at the tray skeptically. I don´t know if I can eat right now, Clark.'
Oh, come on,' Clark says, forcing cheerfulness into his voice. It´s canned soup. Even I can´t screw that up.'
It´s not the food, but ...' Lex sighs deeply, then tries to struggle into a sitting position, obviously in pain.
Clark helps him up, propping pillows behind his back. Slides the tray up and examines the thick, reddened bandages on Lex´s hands. He hesitates before scooping the first spoonful up and holding it to Lex´s mouth. I´ll redo the bandages later. Let me help you with this for now.'
Another sigh, and Lex nods. All right. But if you tell anyone ...'
This is one secret we´ll keep,' Clark promises, watching as Lex sips up the soup. Alternates the spoon and the ice bag and soon a little bit of color comes back to Lex´s pale face. The bowl empties, and Clark puts the spoon down before helping Lex back down under the blankets. There. Now you can sleep.'
A short, bitter chuckle. I don´t know about that.' Quietly. I don´t think I´m ever going to sleep again.'
Just try,' Clark says softly. Gingerly, he reaches out to touch Lex´s face, but pulls back the last minute, thinking better of it. Remember, you´re safe now and I´m staying here. No matter what. Okay?'
Lex smiles wanly in reply. Thanks, Clark. Thank you for everything.'
You shouldn´t thank me, Clark thinks sadly, but doesn´t say anything except: You´re welcome.' The light switches come with dimmers and Clark turns them down to their lowest setting. Rest. I´ll wake you up later to fix those bandages.'
Right,' Lex breathes, already sounding sleepy, maybe from the food or care, or both.
A few minutes later, Lex´s breathing is regular, his eyes shut. Clark peers down closely at him, before settling into the chair, watching the flames dance across Lex´s pale skin.
He looks ... peaceful, at last, Clark thinks. Battleworn, but something that feels like hope fills Clark´s heart. A small, shimmering ray of it, but it´s there. There for him and Lex.
At least until morning comes.
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tbc in ...
Chapter Two: Morning arrives, and with it a revitalized Lex. Not to mention some problems.
Reviews are very much appreciated. Thanks for reading!