A/N – I do not own Superman, Smallville or anything else worth any money :( This story contains adult situations both slash (2 boys together) and straight, so consider yourselves warned. It is rated M for very good reason. I'll also tell you right up front that this is a short story (at least by my standards) and I have no intention of continuing it past this 'episode'. Sorry. I already have way too much on my plate! Needless to say, there is no way in Hell you could link this back up with canon at the end, so I'm not even going to try. This takes place somewhere later in the second season (I'd say approximately between episodes 19 & 20) MINUS the duplicitous, doe-eyed doctor! Let's just forget she ever existed, shall we? Whitney is dead, Lana is over it, everything is 'normal'. Clark's relationships with Lana and Chloe are currently the standard unrequited lust with passive aggressive mixed signals, but no one is particularly pissed off at anyone else at the moment. So, let's get started!
Chapter 1
Market Day
"Clark! Thought I'd find you here."
Clark looked over, spotting Lex strolling towards him. "Hey, Lex." He replied as he grabbed up two tall pie carriers with one hand and heaved them easily out of the bed of the truck. "What brings you here?"
"Honestly?" Lex asked as he came to a stop beside him. He glanced around for listeners, then shifted a bit closer, "Trying to improve my public image. Showing interest in local events shows 'I care'... and quite frankly, walking around and buying the odd handicraft or two is the cheapest PR boost you can get." he replied mischievously.
Clark gave him a smile, "Glad you're so interested in our community." He said with sarcastic amusement, then his face became apologetic, "Sorry, but I can't hang around and talk right now. We're running late. The market officially starts in about five minutes and we just got here!"
Lex nodded, "Let me give you a hand, then." He said, grabbed up the last two carriers. He was obviously surprised by their weight (considering Clark was carrying four already), but followed after Clark without comment. "When did your mother find time to bake this many pies?" Lex asked, trying to estimate how many pies each carrier held and how many could be baked at a time in the Kent's oven.
"We were baking all day yesterday." Clark said, shifting at an angle a bit to get through the cones that cordoned off the market area without bumping into them.
"You helped her? I didn't know you did much baking." Lex said with a little teasing tone. He just couldn't imagine Clark in a little apron, baking pies.
"Well, when mom has a big order I do the peeling and chopping and such for all the fruits and make the dough. I'm pretty good with a paring knife, and preparing dough is easy enough. The actual making of the pies and baking them is too slow and time consuming, though. It drives me nuts. But cutting up the fruit keeps me busy at least. Besides, mom thinks working with the delicate fruit will help teach me to handle things more gently. I squished more than one peach when she first started teaching me how, that's for sure!" He admitted with a self-depreciating smile.
Lex chuckled, "I bet you did." He said, imagining Clark's big, farm hardened hands trying to handle something as delicate as a ripe peach.
"Luckily she knows how to make preserves, too." Clark quipped.
Lex just chuckled softly.
They carried the pies over to the table at the end of the row that Martha was covering with a red plaid table cloth.
"Where you want these, mom?" Clark asked.
Martha spun around, spotting them. "Oh, put them on the table so we can unload them. Thank you for your help, Lex." She added, giving him a warm smile.
"No problem, Mrs. Kent. It's my pleasure." Lex replied.
"Now, now! I told you to call me Martha." She said with a smile.
"Of course. My apologies, Martha." Lex replied, glancing around, "Where's Mr. Kent?"
Clark smiled to himself as he set down the pie containers and took the other two from Lex. He knew the question had less to do with idle conversation and more to do with finding out which direction to watch to avoid the next verbal altercation.
"Jonathan won't be joining us today. He's working on the back forty." Martha replied as she opened one of the containers and started setting out pies. She set one of each kind out on the front of the table, setting the rest of that kind behind it in a stack, still in their boxes. "There was no point in him coming. Clark was here to help haul, and once I'm set up I just have to sit here and sell pies. It's rather boring, I'm afraid."
"Perhaps, but I'm sure everyone's glad you go to the trouble. Everyone loves your pies. In fact, if you have any left over I'm sure the Talon could use some more. From what Lana was saying when I stopped in earlier she was thinking she might need to increase her order to keep up with her customers."
"Well, that's wonderful! I'll be sure to go by and see her when I'm done here." Martha said with a smile, looking over at Lex gratefully.
Lex smiled back. It might be indirect, but the Talon seemed to be the only way he could find to help the Kents out financially without Jonathan objecting. He made sure to ask Lana not to tell anyone he had ordered seven of the extra pies she would be requiring this next week himself. He got regular allotments of vegetables and baked goods of course, which Jonathan grudgingly allowed, but the man usually got suspicious if he upped the order significantly... and Lex didn't really care to admit why he needed them. He was planning on having a small dinner for some local politicians and a few other people he needed to get in the good graces of in order to get some plans and permits pushed through... and an array of Martha Kent's wonderful home made pies would probably make a more favorable impression on the down to earth locals than the usual sorbets, fancy cakes and gourmet chocolates.
He looked over at Clark, who was working efficiently, already having emptied half of the containers and stacked the pies neatly on the table. "So, Clark... what are you going to be doing once you're all set up here?"
Clark just gave a little shrug, putting the now empty container out of sight under the table. "Just sitting here reading a book for a school assignment." He said, pulling a small, worn paperback out of his back pocket and tossing it on the edge of the table, "It's not actually due for another week and a half, but it's something to do anyway. I need to stick around to help my mom get everything packed back up when this is over."
Lex nodded, "In that case..." He said, shifting his attention to Martha, "Martha? Would you mind terribly if I borrowed Clark for a while?" He asked politely, "I suspect he knows more of the people here than I do, and I would really appreciate it if he could introduce me to some of them."
Martha looked up in surprise, "Oh... well of course. Go ahead, Clark."
Clark's face lit up, "Really?"
She smiled warmly at her son, "This doesn't require much set up and you'd just be taking up a chair here. Go on. Have fun. I'll be fine. Just be sure to get back here before closing time."
"Thanks, mom! I'll be sure to be back, but I doubt there'll be much left to haul by then!" He said, giving her a peck on the cheek before dodging around the table and over to Lex.
Luckily, their table was at the end of one of the rows, so they just started from there. The weather was perfect. There were just a few fluffy white clouds drifting by, the sun bright and the air a comfortable temperature, still in the low seventies this early in the morning.
Lex made sure to look over every booth and talk to each artisan and vendor. Many of them were a bit standoffish and obviously uncomfortable at first when approached by Lex Luthor, but Clark introducing them with his warm, innocent farm-boy smile and enthusiasm went far with loosening them up. Clark knew bringing him along was at least partially a political move, but he enjoyed it nonetheless.
The booths were a random collection. There were local artisans, farmers selling home grown fruits and vegetables, crafters, flea market type stands, food venders and even one stand that sold nothing but lawn ornaments made out of repurposed old metal objects like hubcaps, hedge shears, golf clubs and there was even a flamingo-like bird made with steel rebar, bolts for eyes, scissors for a beak and an antique metal bedpan for a body!
That got a chuckle out of them both. The old singer sewing machine made into a tractor made Clark smile as well, reminding him of the ancient tractor his father was driving at that very moment.
Lex bought things, as well. One of his first purchases was a shopping bag made from a flour sack that a long haired young man with several tattoos on his arms (very rare in this area) had covered in wildly stylistic, stark black images reminiscent of those found in artistic black and white comic books. There were streaks near the top that looked to have something to do with the meteor shower, but the closer to the bottom it got, the more different people, animals and other images crowded together in an amazingly intricate manner. Clark recognized several well known locals and local landmarks depicted on it, but he would have to examine it closer to see all of the images it held. Even from a distance it was amazing work. Still, while it was probably one of the best ones the young man had, and had undoubtedly taken several hours at the very least, he wasn't sure it was worth a hundred and fifty dollars! Lex hadn't even batted an eye when he'd been quoted the price. He'd just pulled out the money and paid him.
With an item that expensive, Clark was a little surprised when Lex made his next purchase... and actually used the bag for his shopping! He'd thought Lex would handle it carefully and put it in one of those glass cases he likes so much when he got it home.
This market was big... much larger than it had been last year, but then last year had been its first year and not everyone had known about it yet. The variety of goods available was amazing, really. About halfway down the third row they came across a booth with hand made jewelry. Clark knew he'd never seen Lex wear anything other than watches worth thousands of dollars, gold or platinum cuff links, and on very rare occasion a simple (and obviously very expensive) chain around his neck... and yet he spent a good ten minutes looking through the wares available. Of course the most likely reason for his interest was the lovely, buxom young blonde the booth belonged to sitting at the end of the table in short cut-off jeans and a shirt that she'd obviously outgrown. If Clark recalled correctly, her name was Trish, and she'd just graduated from Smallville High the year before. Lex asked her about each different type of jewelry, smiling warmly as she gushed about her passion for making jewelry.
Admittedly, the pieces were decently well made for the most part, but she didn't seem to be able to settle on one type of jewelry. She had beaded necklaces, bolo ties, wire wrapped rocks, woven seed bead key chains, painted paper bead necklaces, carved wooden animal beads and even glass pendants she'd made herself, though she said she'd tired of that medium.
It made Clark wonder what her parents thought of her fickle nature. It took equipment to make most of that jewelry, especially the hand made fused glass pendants, and he suspected that equipment wasn't cheap! He just stood there, waiting for Lex to lose interest in the girl... erm, in the lovely jewelry that is.
There were some crystal point necklaces next to Clark. He started looking at them with mild interest as he waited. They each looked to be real, natural points with a simple, thin band of metal around the end to affix it to the leather cord. The pendants had a nice kind of primitive feel to their design, though the cords were obviously the cheap, mass produced type.
"I love working with those."
Clark looked up, realizing Trish was addressing him.
"Those are all completely natural crystals. They have wonderful metaphysical properties. If you hold them in your hand and close your eyes you can feel the power in them. It connects you with the earth." She said, smiling but obviously being completely serious. "Go on. Try it. You'll see what I mean."
Clark wasn't exactly a believer in metaphysics, but he humored her, gently taking one of the clear crystals in his hand.
"Well?" She prompted, "Can you feel it?"
He gave her a little apologetic smile, releasing the crystal. "Sorry..." He said, shaking his head.
"Well then that's just not the kind that resonates with you. Clear quartz is strong, but not for everyone. Try the others." She said, hopping up and coming over, snagging a brownish yellow crystal up and handing it to him. "Try citron. I really like that one."
Clark did try. It's not like he wouldn't like to feel more connected to this planet! Still, he wasn't feeling it, and he couldn't bring himself to lie to her just to humor her. He did like the color, but the leather cord was a bit short for his taste, and the clasp looked small and cheap, so he handed it back to her.
"Ok, try amethyst." She said, quickly switching out the yellow one with a deep purple crystal. "Close your eyes!" She commanded.
He closed his eyes, catching one last glimpse of Lex smirking, obviously enjoying Clark's discomfort at the young woman's insistence. He held it, trying, but after a minute just shook his head.
"Just keep them closed." She said as she took the crystal from his hand and placed another there.
He gave it a moment, then shook his head.
She gave a little huff and he heard the soft clinking of the crystals hitting together as she looked for a different one. After a moment she switched the crystal in his hand for a new one.
Clark instantly felt a tingle where the new crystal touched his skin. He furrowed his brow and closed his hand around it. It was about an inch long and very thin, yet he could feel it making his whole hand tingle as it felt almost like it was vibrating in his grasp. He opened his eyes, then opened his hand and looked down at it. It was just an innocuous looking little point with a rich, clear rosy color to it.
"You can feel it, can't you?" She asked excitedly. "Rose quartz harmonizes well with passionate souls."
Clark blushed a bit at the comment. He picked the thin crystal up between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it gently between his fingers before laying it out flat on his palm once more. It had a lot more facets than he'd expect. Not that he wanted to air doubts about the 'completely natural' crystal, but it didn't look like any natural crystal he'd seen.
"Passionate souls?" Lex asked with a little smirk, making Clark's cheeks a shade darker. He reached out for the little crystal.
The crystal seemed to try to give one last little surge of 'metaphysical' power, tingling against Clark's palm almost like a mild electric shock as Lex's fingers grazed him, plucking it up, then the sensation was gone.
Lex placed it on his own palm, gazing down at it for a minute, then sighed. "Guess I'm not as passionate as you, Clark."
"Maybe you just need a higher grade of rose quartz." Trish replied in an obviously flirting manner. She took the crystal necklace and hung it back up, barely glancing at the rack, then hurried back over to the end of the booth. "Come check these out." She said as she resumed her perch on her stool and pulled over a rack of what looked like wire wrapped marbles. "Obviously they aren't natural in shape, but they're natural stones."
Lex went over, examining the small stone spheres as requested. "Do you make these as well?"
"Well, I wrapped them, but I didn't make the stone spheres. From what I hear that is way too time consuming! Besides, I could never make them for what I pay for them pre-made, so why bother, right? Besides, wouldn't want to take the job away from some poor six year old in China!" She said with a little snort at her own joke.
Lex gave her a smile. Clark smiled as well, but less about her rude and callous joke, and more because he knew Lex well enough to know he didn't find it all that amusing either. He was using his humoring smile, though she obviously wasn't bright enough to catch the nuance.
As Trish went back to flirting with Lex, Clark let his mind drift. He really wasn't all that interested in her likes and hobbies.
He shifted uneasily as he waited, his stomach feeling a bit unsettled. He hadn't had more than some toast for breakfast, so he suspected he should get some food in him before his stomach started growling embarrassingly. He gazed down the row at a vendor selling funnel cakes. Not real filling, but they were definitely tempting. He wondered if Lex would eat something like that in public. He glanced over at him, looking at the slate grey dress shirt and crisp black trousers he was wearing. No, he probably wouldn't want to eat something covered in powdered sugar wearing that. It looked good on him though.
He was distracted as his hand that had been resting on the edge of the table nearly knocked something off when it shifted. He caught it before it could have any chance of falling of course. He picked up the odd piece, looking it over. It was a small, flat donut shaped pendant just a big bigger than a quarter on a black silk cord. He looked at it a bit more closely, trying to figure out what it was made of. It didn't feel like glass, being lighter, but it was clear except for the somewhat thick dusting of tiny bits of color suspended inside it that caught the sunlight in an interesting way. The bits were different sizes and shapes, though most looked to have sharp edges like fragments of something.
"Oh, that's resin." She quipped quickly, seeing his interest, her desire to make a sale once more trumping her flirting for the moment. "My brother Sam likes to cut stones for jewelry. He's got a booth in the next row over." She said, jerking her thumb towards the row behind her that they hadn't perused yet, "He let me have some of the little bits of stone that were left over. They were pretty, but too small to do anything with really, so my cousin gave me some resin she had sitting around. She wasn't using it anymore anyway. She just got it on a whim, but it smells bad when you first mix it until it sets up, so she didn't like it."
Sounded like the flighty nature ran in the family. Clark just smiled, "What kind of stone are the bits?"
She rolled her eyes up, thinking about it, "Oh, let's see... I think there's some garnet, some citron, some amethyst, couple of others I can't remember... there are some real silver and copper shavings... oh, and there might be some bits of meteor rock, too."
Clark's eyes immediately darted up to her, then back to the charm in his hand. He managed to keep himself from immediately dropping it and jerking away, but the temptation was strong. There were another four necklaces with resin charms laying there. Still... why wasn't he hurting? The pain of the proximity of meteor rock was usually immediate and easily recognizable. True, he felt a little queasy, and now that he thought about it, it did seem to be getting slowly worse the longer he stood there, but there was no pain. He gazed intently at the floating bits in the necklace. There were only a few tiny flecks of green in the one in his hand. Most of the bits were yellow, purple, a watery black and a dark, slightly purplish red along with some of the mentioned metal shavings. He squinted at the tiny green flecks, then looked down at the other necklaces. Two were simple donuts like the one he held, the other two each having a smaller resin donut just a bit bigger than a nickel on either side of a pounded copper donut about the same size as the larger resin donuts. He didn't see much green in them from where he was. The smaller donuts looked to have a higher concentration, but even those didn't have much. He looked back at the green flecks in the charm in his hand. "You sure those are meteor rock?" He asked curiously.
"Well," She said dubiously, "If those have some of the meteor rock, it's not much. Any of the charms I tried to make with much of that stuff in them wouldn't set up right, so I had to throw most of them out. The smallest bits were all mixed up, though, so I think all of those have at least a little in them. Here, let me look." She said, holding out her hand.
Glad for the excuse to get away from as much of the meteor rock as possible without drawing attention to it, he went over to where she was perched on her tall bar stool at the end of the table, holding it out to her. She took it and he noted her nails were very long and painted a rather gaudy orange. He wondered if they were fake, but then brushed off the irrelevant thought. She leaned forward to get it in the sunlight, the umbrella she had rigged up to shade her blocking out the sun where she sat.
Lex gazed toward her intently, a small smile on his face. It took a minute for Clark to realize that her position gave them a nice view straight down her top. In fact, if she shifted around too much things might get indecent. Lex was 'polite enough' not to point out the fashion faux pas. Clark just rolled his eyes at him.
"Ya, this one doesn't have much. I think some of the other ones might have more." She said, offering it back. He took it, then jerked his hand away as the sharp edge of one of the nails grazed his hand. He looked down in surprise, staring at the little pink scratch she'd left on his skin.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She said, spotting it.
Clark looked up at her, still a bit stunned that something as little and insignificant as an over polished fingernail could have damaged him. Not that it did much if any real damage or hurt, but still. He quickly forced a smile, "It's nothing." He quickly assured her. He carefully kept the smile on his face as he gazed down at the charm, his mind racing wildly. He didn't even really feel queasy anymore now that he wasn't close to the whole lot of charms, but she'd still been able to score his skin. He'd never thought to try trace amounts of meteor rock to see if it could lower his strength to normal! Ok, he wasn't sure how much his strength was diminished, and he was probably still much stronger than he should be by rights, but how much easier would it be to keep his secret if he had something that wouldn't cause him pain, but could make him a bit vulnerable when he needed to 'prove' he was normal? There was a brief fancy of keeping it on permanently and just living out his life like a normal human... but that was just a pipe dream and he knew it. He was well aware that the effects got worse with time. Still, he might be able to wear something like this for reasonably long stretches of time. He gazed down at it, imagining the possibilities, then saw the thirty dollar price tag attached to it and sighed. He only had about twenty on him.
He started to reach over to set it back on the table, but Lex snagged it out of his hand.
"I'll take it." Lex said, pulling out a couple of twenties and handing them to her. He then produced a business card and handed it to her as well. "You do some excellent work. In my opinion, the internet would be the perfect venue for your budding business. If you'd like, you can give me a call and we can have coffee some time. I'd be more than happy to give you some insights and pointers on how to create your own thriving internet outlet for your art."
She beamed, clutching the card, then came to her senses and quickly started searching for his change in her pocket.
"Keep the change." He assured her, giving her one of his warmest smiles and a nod before strolling on.
Clark quickly caught up with him.
"It's amazing what this fresh country air does to a body, isn't it?" Lex asked in an undertone, "Makes everything ripen up so nicely."
Clark gave a little snort. "Don't hold your breath waiting for a call... and if you actually get one, make excuses and get out of it if you know what's good for you."
Lex glanced over at him, "Does she have a jealous boyfriend?"
"Worse." Clark replied mirthfully, "Three older older brothers and a father who hates corporations and dearly loves his shotgun."
Lex made a little grimace, then smirked, "Message received. Thanks for the heads up." He said before tossing the necklace over to Clark.
Clark caught it. "You bought this for me?" he asked in surprise.
Lex chuckled softly, "I'm certainly not going to be caught dead wearing that thing! Those bitchy fashionistas in the magazines would have a field day if anyone got a picture of me wearing something like that! It has a certain quaint, teenage charm, though. I think it'd look good on you."
Clark looked at the charm, knowing he should refuse the gift, but unable to make himself do it.
"Stop looking like that." Lex scolded. "It's just a bauble, not a truck. Certainly your father isn't going to throw a fit over something so trivial!" He gazed over at Clark with a smile. "Keep it. I know you want to. You should have seen the way your eyes lit up when you were looking at that charm."
Clark gazed over at him and smiled, quickly looping the silk cord over his head. "Thanks, Lex." He said gratefully.
A little ways further down the row Clark paused, looking over the booth containing dozens of home made wind chimes and spinners. Some were made from old silverware! He'd never thought to use silverware like that! He especially liked the piece that was a tapered strip of flat copper about three inches wide that had been twisted lengthwise until it formed a spiral that caught the wind and made it spin. The copper was weathered with a soft green patina except for a single shiny, bright copper streak down the middle where they had obviously dripped some clear varnish or something like that on it when it was freshly made. He watched it flash as it twirled in the wind and wondered if the streak had been made on purpose or if it was just a happy mistake.
When he looked around for Lex, he had to grin. Across the isle there was a flea market stand containing, among other things, six long white boxes full of comic books. Lex hadn't waited for an introduction at this booth. He was already leafing intently through the comics.
Clark came over, but Lex barely noticed him. The comics were alphabetical, and he was leafing through the Ws. It wasn't hard to figure out what he was perusing. Suddenly Lex let out a soft hiss of excitement and pulled out one of the comics. Sure enough, it was an issue of Warrior Angel.
"Number sixty six!" He said as he glanced over at Clark with an excited grin.
Clark chuckled, "I though you already owned the whole series!"
"I do, but this is the alternate cover! They were made for a special event and they only printed about a hundred of them!" He very gingerly opened the clear plastic sleeve and removed the comic, keeping his finger over the tape to make very sure it didn't catch on the comic and mar it. With the care of a surgeon, he examined it, touching it as little as humanly possible. When he was done with his inspection he very carefully put it back in its sleeve, then looked around for the owner of the booth. The owner was an overweight man in overalls sitting in a somewhat battered lawn chair (that didn't look quite up to the task of holding his weight).
"Hey, Mr. Nelson!" Clark said cheerfully.
The man looked over to him, but his eyes barely paused there before darting over to Lex. His eyes narrowed, his expression growing instantly sour.
"Um... I'm Clark Kent. Remember me? I helped you bail hay last year?" Clark said cheerfully, knowing from past experience that people looking at Lex in this manner were usually just a few heartbeats away from saying something nasty.
His eyes drifted back to Clark. "Ya, I remember you."
Clark smiled a bit wider, trying to will some of his good mood into the man, "This is my friend..."
"I know who he is." the man grumbled, spitting at the ground and nearly hitting Lex's finely crafted leather shoes. "Oops. Sorry about that, Luthor." He said insincerely with a wide grin.
"No problem." Lex said, his smile carefully maintained.
The man gazed back over at Clark, "Your parents know you're slumming with the likes of him?"
Clark's smile fell away, but Lex's hand brushed his arm soothingly. "I'm interested in this comic book." Lex said, pretending he hadn't just been insulted, "How much is it?"
The man looked him up and down, then drawled, "Hundred bucks."
Clark's jaw dropped as his head darted back over to the comic book boxes. "That sign says the comics are a dollar each!" He said, pointing to the sign.
"That's not a decimal point. It's just an unfortunately placed smudge of dirt. The sign says a hundred dollars." the man said with a malicious smile.
Clark opened his mouth indignantly, but Lex's hand on his arm stopped him once more. "That sounds fair." He replied with a forced smile. He pulled out his wallet and handed the man a hundred dollar bill, then slid the comic into his bag. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Nelson." he said before subtly pushing Clark away from the booth.
Mr. Nelson just laughed nastily, shoving the money away in his pocket.
Clark was fuming by this point, but Lex moved him along.
"It's ok, Clark." Lex reassured him, "let's just move on."
"But that jerk just made you pay a hundred bucks for a comic book!" Clark said indignantly.
"Yes," Lex agreed, "I just paid a hundred dollars for a comic book that is easily worth eight hundred."
Clark's eyes darted over to him, taking in the smug smile, then Clark broke into a smile and let out a laugh. The mood of the day lightened once more.
Once they started down the next row, Clark suddenly remembered what that girl had said... that her brother had a booth in this row. If she'd gotten meteor rock scraps from him, it stood to reason that he might have some larger meteor rocks at his booth. He kept an eye out for the booth, paying close attention to how he felt, waiting for the first signs of queasiness that warned him that he was about a foot away from pain.
Sure enough, when they were about two thirds the way down the row he felt it and jerked to a stop, having to back up a pace as the pain spiked almost instantly. His hand automatically darted to his stomach as his insides seemed to twist.
The sudden move caught Lex's attention and he stopped as well, looking back at him, "Clark? What is it?"
Clark forced a smile, darting his eyes around and searching for a reason for his sudden halt. "Um... that stand back there has pork tenderloins. They smell great, and I barely ate anything this morning." He said, patting his stomach, "My stomach is already growling. I think I'm going to get one. You want one?"
Lex flashed him a smile, "I ate right before I came, but you go right ahead."
"Don't wait for me. I'll catch up to you in a few minutes." Clark said quickly.
Lex gave him a nod and continued on as Clark darted off in the direction of the food stand. He came upon the brother's 'booth' in short order. It was actually just a bare card table covered with cut stone cabochons, a dozen or so of them put in settings and three already attached to a chain, though the chains were obviously cheap and just sprawled around them messily.
Lex paused at the table, looking over his wares. The presentation was severely lacking, but the workmanship was pretty good. "Hello, there." Lex said cordially, "You must be Sam. I believe I just spoke to your sister in the last row."
The young man looked up at him. He looked a bit wary, obviously recognizing him, but apparently had enough salesmanship skills to keep himself from saying anything to insult a potential customer... especially a rich one. "Mr. Luthor." He said with a little nod. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"
"Not sure." Lex said, gazing down at the stones. "I must say, you do appear skilled."
That got a little smile and a somewhat embarrassed expression.
"Your sister says you work with meteor rock."
He quickly nodded, pointing to several cabochons that were a rich, lustrous green color, "It cuts real easy, actually, and it's something you only find in Smallville, so it appeals to the occasional tourist and to parents who have kids that are going off to college. You know... to give them a little piece of Smallville to take with them."
Lex nodded, "Nice clarity, rich color... I can see why they'd be popular." He said as he held one up to the light.
"I've got more than green, too!" The boy said quickly, "Check this one out..." He said, picking up a circular cab that was roughly half red and half green.
"I heard they'd found red." Lex said, putting down the cab he'd been holding and taking the multicolored one. "Very interesting."
"There are some really beautiful colors if you can manage to find them." The boy went on, "It's just extremely rare to find anything other than green. I have a cousin who works for the county, clearing public land. He gives me a call if he finds anything unusual."
Lex nodded, setting the cab back down. He had to admit, the dynamic play of colors was very interesting, but he really had no practical use for it. It's not like he was into making jewelry. Well, sure, he could have jewelry made for him... but when would that cab match anything he might wear? It was kind of christmas colors, really, and he didn't usually dress for holidays, especially with large, gaudily colored jewelry. It just wasn't his style. "I certainly hope you're careful when you're working with the meteor rock. Wearing a mask and such."
The boy blinked, "The government said the rocks were safe."
Lex flashed him a smile, "True, but I've heard far too many rumors to the contrary to dismiss caution entirely. Don't quote me, and I haven't had any conclusive tests done, but let's be frank... it's not like the government had time to do any long term exposure tests. Not trying to rain on your parade. Like I said, they're beautiful pieces... I'd just hate to see you having health issues ten years down the line because no one ever warned you about potential hazards."
"Well... thanks... I guess." The boy murmured uneasily.
Something caught Lex's eye and he picked it up. It was a pink stone octagon about the size of a half dollar. There were five of them laying there. "This is a rather unusual shape for a cabochon, isn't it?"
Eager for a change of subject, the boy smiled and nodded, "An old Indian lady asked me to make some for her. She makes jewelry. She's only about three booths down, in fact." He said, leaning out and gazing down the row, then pointing at a little old lady a ways down. Her table looked much more tastefully arranged, with a hand woven blanket over the table and a few dream catchers and such for ambiance. "I managed to find a crystal in a meteor deposit that was almost perfectly the right shape and size. You don't really get a lot of Earth crystals that form in a perfect octagon shape. Usually they're hexagon, or at the very least uneven. That one was just perfect for what she asked for, so I just slabbed it, bevelled the edges and polished it. I made more than she asked for so she'd have some to choose from. These are the extras."
"I haven't seen much Native American jewelry with octagonal shapes in it before." Lex ventured.
"Well, then you haven't seen her work." The boy replied. "She uses them a lot. Well, she didn't last year, but this year it looks like almost every new piece she's made has that shape and weird symbols on it."
"Really?" Lex murmured thoughtfully, then he drew his attention back to the boy. "Well, you've been very helpful, thank you." He said, darting his eyes down at the table and quickly picking out the two most expensive pieces he had; a nicely oriented oval rainbow obsidian cab and a necklace featuring a freeform faceted piece of quartz with bright golden threads of rutile through it. The cab might be interesting to have inlayed in a piece of furniture... and it never hurt to have a spare bit of jewelry around to gift to a woman to impress her. He'd definitely get a better chain for it, but the rutilated quartz was impressive enough to make even some of the snobby rich girls he usually dated smile.
He paid the boy, who smiled brilliantly. Lex smiled back, "Do you have a business card? I don't exactly know of many people who do this kind of work, and it'd be good to have a name in case I ever need anything unusual made."
"Oh... um..." The boy said, a bit flustered. He ripped a section off the brown bag he'd been writing sales on and quickly wrote his name and number on it, handing it to Lex. "Sorry, I don't have anything fancy made up." He apologized.
"No problem," Lex said, putting it with the pieces and slipping them into his bag, "This works just as well. I wish you luck with your sales." He said, giving him a nod before heading off.
He heard the boy call a quick thanks after him, but Lex barely noticed, intent on the old Indian woman's booth. He kept his pace relaxed of course, pretending to glance over the goods of the booths in between, though he didn't really pay much attention to them. There were a couple of people at the woman's booth, so he slowed, pretending to look at some sun catchers at the next booth over. He'd rather approach the booth alone so he could ask her about the pieces if he wanted to without other people noting his interest. He glanced over covertly while waiting for them to clear out.
There were three teenaged boys at the booth, two at the far end, one closer to Lex. Though they weren't wearing their letterman jackets he easily recognized them as Smallville High football players. He'd looked into all of their backgrounds the year before after finding Clark strung up in that corn field.
Suddenly the two at the far end started horsing around, knocking over one of the little stands holding up a dream catcher. The old woman hurriedly struggled up out of her chair and waddled over to set it back upright, shooing them away.
Lex strode quickly over and grabbed the third boy's arm as he tried to hurry after his friends. "Haven't you forgotten something, Mr. Jenkins?"
The boy spun around, looking surprised. He obviously recognized Lex instantly (as most people in Smallville could). He furrowed his brow and darted a glance after his friends, who had come to a stop, their smiles instantly gone. "What are you talking about?" Jenkins replied guardedly.
"I believe you haven't paid for that jewelry in your pocket yet." Lex replied evenly.
The boy's friends quickly pretended they didn't know him and walked off at a hurried pace.
Jenkins glared at their backs, his confidence obviously faltering a bit once he realized they'd left him to take the rap alone. "I don't know what you're talking about." The boy replied gruffly, trying to hurry off after them.
"You might want to rethink that response." Lex called after him, a threatening edge to his voice.
The boy spun around, looking at him. "You don't scare me, Luthor!" He spat. "You're just another spoiled rich kid who thinks he owns the world. You don't own me!"
"No." Lex replied evenly, "But both of your parents are in my employ. At least for the moment."
Jenkins' eyes widened, then narrowed. "You wouldn't fire my parents. My mom's one of your best researchers!"
Lex gave him a little smile. "Your mother does appear to be a good employee... but she's hardly irreplaceable. There were twenty three other applicants for her position, and I believe several of her close competition are still on the market. As for your father, he's an average employee at best, and in fact only landed the job because your mother insisted they were a package deal. If she should be replaced, they would remain a package deal. Surely you must be able to understand my trepidation... if they raised a son who sees no problem with stealing from a little old lady, it makes me wonder if the lack of morality reflects flaws in their own integrity. I certainly wouldn't want to risk having a couple of lying thieves in my employ, now would I?"
Jenkins glared at him for a long moment, then pulled a couple of necklaces out of his pocket and tossed them on the table and started to turn.
"The ring, too." Lex added helpfully, holding out his hand.
Jenkins threw him another hateful glare, then worked a silver ring out of his other pocket and tossed it at him.
Lex caught it easily.
"Bald freak." The boy muttered spitefully as he stormed off.
Lex just gave his retreating back a rueful smirk before turning to the booth. He walked up to the table, gently placing the ring in an open spot.
"I suppose I should thank you." The old woman said, watching him warily.
Lex just gave his head a little shake. "That's ok. Don't bother. To be honest, it was more about them than it was about you. I suspect that was one of the boys who humiliated a friend of mine last year. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have knowingly let them get away with that even if they were some other kids, but I know how your tribe feels about Luthors, so I'm just saying it's ok to go on disliking me."
She let out a little bark of laughter. "Good to see you don't have unrealistic expectations." She replied, arranging the necklaces back in their places, then settling back on her seat.
Lex looked over the gathered items for sale. Many were old traditional symbols and styles... but a good several dozen were a decided departure from the standard Indian jewelry. The octagon shape was predominant in these, either in the shape of the inlayed stone or etched into the silver. There were symbols as well... symbols like the ones in the caves. The ones no one could translate.
"This is an interesting design." Lex opined, running his finger over one of the pieces. "Where did you get the idea for it?"
She chuckled. "Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to?" She asked. She pulled out a worn envelope and pulled out a couple of photos, laying them out before him. "Surely you've seen this. You're in charge of preserving it after all."
Lex peered at the photos. They were of the octagon carved into the cave wall, the strange symbols surrounding it. He nodded, "I was just curious if these symbols showed up anywhere else in your culture." He replied, wondering how many people had been through that cave and taken pictures of it before he'd taken custodianship of it.
"Nope." She replied, "Just this. It intrigues me. I feel like there's much more to it than appears on the surface..." She said, gazing down at the photos thoughtfully.
Lex looked at her and could easily tell she felt the same way he did about it... that there was something very important about that symbol, something that could change the world. Of course he might just be getting carried away, and it might just be nothing more than a curiosity on a cave wall... but somehow he doubted it. He reached over, running his finger over the symbols carved in one of the pieces. It was made of silver, almost the exact right size to fit the space in the wall. The symbols were etched into its surface, a round, bright green cabochon set in the middle. He'd never dream of wearing something so large and ostentatious, but it might look good in a case on a shelf. Then again, the rose colored stone octagons the boy had made had been put to good use as well. Several of them had been drilled and strung on leather cords, the symbols etched into them and filled in with black ink or paint so they showed up starkly. When he held one up and the sunlight came in the edge of it, it almost seemed to glow. Still... it was pink. He set it back down, going back to contemplating the one with a green stone.
Seeing his indecision, she let out a little chuckle. "Since you did do me a good turn, no matter the reason, I'll do you one in return. Come closer." She said, heaving herself up out of her chair once more.
He furrowed his brow, but moved a bit closer as requested. She was a short woman, looking at least eighty, and lifting herself out of the chair seemed to require a rather Herculean effort, so he felt it would be only polite to at least play along.
She reached out one of her thin, weathered hands and placed it flat on his chest over his heart, closing her eyes. She then held out the other hand and waved it slowly over her wares. After a moment of this she opened her eyes and reached down, picking up a thick silver bracelet and handing it to him. "That is the one." She declared, carefully lowering herself back down into her chair.
Lex looked it over. It was a solid piece of silver bent and smoothed into the proper shape, an octagon cut out of the center and replaced with one of the pink stone slabs, the symbols surrounding it just as on the cave wall. There were a few symbols carved into the stone as well. Lex's eyes widened a bit as he realized they seemed to match the metal disc he had once possessed. "These symbols." He said, indicating them and trying to sound casual, "They are in the octagon, but the octagon in the picture is solid. Why did you put them there? Is this from some other cave?"
She chuckled softly, "No. I just put them there because they felt like they wanted to be there."
"I see." He said, wondering if she knew more than she was letting on. He glanced down the row, noting Clark standing there at the end waiting for him. He must have passed by while he wasn't looking. He was just eating his sandwich, waiting patiently for Lex.
Lex sighed. It was obvious he wasn't going to get any answers out of this woman. Still, he wanted to get whatever points he could win from someone in her tribe, so he decided to buy something. There were several pieces he would like. The bracelet he held was a bit... pink though. He set it down and reached for the one with the green stone.
Her hand beat his there, covering the pendant. "That one will bring you sorrow. You need to get the bracelet. That is what your heart desires." She said with finality.
Lex pulled his hand back, looking down at the bracelet. "The green one costs more." He pointed out.
She gave a little snort, "You think the spirits care about money?"
It looked like he would have to get the one she wanted him to buy if he didn't want to upset her. Well, the extra symbols did intrigue him anyway, and it would still look decent on his shelf... or perhaps in front of a window so the sunlight could shine through the stone. "Of course not. Well, I can't argue with my own heart, now can I?" He asked with a little smile, pulling out the money and paying her. He took the bracelet and opened his shopping bag.
She held up her hand to stop him. "It wants to stay out. It likes the sun." She said, giving him a look that gave him no doubt he'd be scolded if he didn't listen to her.
He stared at her a moment, then flashed her a smile. "I see. Alright then." He said, closing his bag and keeping the bracelet in his hand. "Thank you very much."
She gave him a little nod, settling back in her chair a bit more.
Lex wandered over towards Clark. He didn't look back, but he could feel her eyes following him, so he kept the bracelet in plain view. He wasn't sure what it was about the old woman, but he felt oddly uneasy about the idea of upsetting her.
"You pick up anything new?" Clark asked with a smile, though he eyed the bag a bit warily.
"A couple of things. Just jewelry." Lex said.
Clark relaxed as Lex drew up beside him, still not feeling the pain of meteor rock. He'd feared Lex would buy one. That would have been hard to deal with tactfully. He flashed him a little smile. "What's with the pink bracelet?"
Lex glanced down at it. "Bought it from that old Indian woman down there." He said, nodding back towards the woman who was now looking the other way (though Lex had a sneaking suspicion she was still paying attention to him). "She was quite insistant, actually. I like the design, obviously, but it's not really my color. She wouldn't let me buy the green one. It was a nice one. Meteor rock, I think. She said it would 'bring me sorrow'." He said with amusement.
Clark flashed him a smile, feeling a wave of relief. "Well, I'd definitely listen to her. She looks wise. Still... um... why are you waving the pink one around?"
Lex chuckled. "She said not to put it away. She said it likes the sun. I suspect it's her way of trying to get free advertising."
"Does it fit?"
Lex shifted his bag up to the crook of his elbow, examining his new purchase. "No idea actually. Never tried it on. It looks a bit big." He tried it on and, sure enough, it was a bit loose on his wrist. "Now why would someone make a bracelet this big? It's not like I have small wrists."
"I think they make that type a bit big, then you're supposed to kind of bend them to fit." Clark said helpfully.
Lex just nodded, his attention caught by one of the booths down the last row.
Clark wiped his mouth with his napkin, then tossed his trash in the nearby trash can before returning his attention to Lex. "Here, let me help you." He said, reaching out and putting his hand over the bracelet to bend it into shape for him.
As soon as his palm made contact with it, Clark felt a shiver go through him. His heart raced and he felt light-headed for a moment, but then it passed. "May I?" He asked a bit dazedly.
Lex glanced over, then said "Sure." and let his wrist slip out of the bracelet, wandering over to a nearby booth selling preserves.
Clark slipped the bracelet on. It fit like it was made for him. He gazed down at the clear, rose colored stone as it seemed to glow back up at him. He searched the face of it for a moment, then spotted what he knew would be there. There was a little chip of red meteor rock embedded in the silver just above his father's symbol. It wasn't enough to completely unleash his id like he'd experienced before, but it took the edge off quite nicely. The worries that always whispered softly in his head faded away, leaving his mind calm and peaceful. The effect was pleasantly liberating, but not too overpowering. It was like getting a tiny taste of a favorite drug. He still had some vague, nagging thought that he should probably take it off, but it felt so good he just didn't want to! What harm could a piece that tiny do, after all? A grin spread over his face as he felt the effects radiate softly through him.
Clark wandered after Lex, coming to a stop beside him.
Lex glanced over, seeing it was him, then looked back at the jars before him. "Why doesn't anyone make any pear jams or preserves?"
Clark just shrugged.
Lex sighed and moved away from the booth, then stopped, looking down the row. Nothing down this last row looked all that interesting. He didn't need any quilts, afghans, dog treats, hand sewn purses or flowers, and he got his fresh vegetables from Martha, so the farmer stands held little interest.
"This row's boring." Clark said, expressing aloud what Lex had already noted. "Let's get out of here and do something! This thing doesn't close down until five, and I really don't want to sit around here all day twiddling my thumbs!"
Lex looked over at him and smirked, "I see you're feeling better now that you've gotten some food in you!" He gave the row one last look, then turned, "Care to join me at the Talon for a coffee?"
"It's not Metropolis, but it's better than nothing." Clark conceded grudgingly.
"We'll have to walk. I left my car there earlier." Lex said as they wove between the barricades that kept cars out of the market area and started for the heart of town. It wasn't too far away, just a few blocks really.
Lex pulled out his phone as they walked and started tapping on the keys.
"What ya doing?" Clark asked.
"Just typing myself a little reminder." Lex said.
Clark took in the somewhat evil smirk and shifted closer, peeking at what he was writing. "What's the note about?" he asked, spotting the name Jenkins on the screen before Lex slipped the phone back away.
"Oh, it was just about a young man I ran into earlier. He expressed an interest in gaining some discipline. His parents are employees of mine, so I thought I'd be generous and offer to pay his tuition for military school. It's the least I can do, and I can't think of anyone who is more deserving."
Clark let out a little burst of laughter and shifted his path a bit, bringing himself close to Lex and throwing his arm across his shoulders, "You can be a real vindictive bastard sometimes, you know that?"
"I have no idea what you mean." Lex replied innocently, though a faint smile remained on his lips.
"Don't get me wrong, Lex. I like it. You've got the balls to stand up to people when they piss you off. I admire that about you." Clark said mirthfully.
Lex looked over at him, arching an eyebrow. He glanced at the arm that was draped around him and noticed the bracelet on Clark's wrist. "I see it fits you." He commented.
Clark slipped his arm off of Lex's shoulders, "So what else did you buy while I was off?" He asked.
It was a pretty obvious redirect, and Lex noted Clark subtly brushing the sleeve of his flannel over the bracelet, but he let it slide. It's not like the piece of jewelry held any real personal interest for him anyway, and if Clark liked it he was more than welcome to it... but since it might feel odd giving him two things in one day he decided to just pretend to forget about it and let Clark take it if he wanted it. Clark was most likely just too embarrassed (or proud) to ask for it.
Lex reached into his bag and pulled out the two items he'd bought from the young man, letting Clark see them. Clark admired the pieces, then handed them back as they approached the Talon.
"Let me just toss this in the car." Lex said, ambling over the sleek Aston Martin he was driving that day. He opened it up and flipped the seat forward, slipping the bag in the narrow storage space behind the seat before closing the car back up. He glanced up as he closed the door, noting Jenkins and his buddies milling around across the street, obviously pretending not to see him. He made sure to hit the button to lock the doors and turn on the alarm before following Clark into the Talon.
Lex nodded to Lana as they entered, then went over, choosing a seat where he could keep an eye on the young hooligans outside. Yes, he could have his mechanics fix anything they might do to his vehicle, but he liked that car! Besides, if he witnessed any vandalism that would be a very persuasive argument to give his parents when offering the schooling. And he had every intention of making sure that disrespectful young man spent the remainder of his high school years with a neat uniform and a buzz cut!
"Looks like they're short handed today. What do you want? I'll run the order up." Clark offered.
"Cappuccino." Lex replied without the need for thought.
Clark went over to the counter where Lana was cutting a pie. "We'll have a cappuccino and..." He paused, considering, "A double chocolate mocha." He glanced over at the confections displayed in their little glass domes, "And a couple of those brownies."
Lana gave him a little half grin. "Sweet tooth today?"
Clark shrugged, "You only live once."
Lana gave a little nod, looking at him with amusement as she set down the knife and went over to get the order.
"Hey, Clark!" Chloe said as she tromped up beside him perkily.
He took one look at the clipboard in her hand and rolled his eyes, "What poll are you taking today?"
"I'm glad you asked!" She said with a chipper smile, "Considering the rash of hair dying at Smallville High recently, I thought I'd take a poll to find out what color the boys there really prefer. Just to kind of give the girls thinking about dying their hair something to consider when choosing a color. So, what color do you prefer? Brown, black... blond...?" She asked, smiling and batting her eyelashes at him.
He glanced over, noting the way Lana was subtly listening and rolled his eyes. Why were these two capricious girls always trying to get him to give them some indication that he liked them better than the other? It was blatantly obvious this was a test, though a lamely disguised one. He just rolled his eyes and waited silently until Lana turned back, handing him the drinks and the requested brownies.
"Well, Clark? Inquiring minds want to know!" Chloe prompted, making it clear he wasn't getting away without answering.
"Come on." Lana prodded with a little mischievous smile, "It's just a survey, Clark."
He looked up at her, then over at Chloe, then gave them both a warm smile and said, "Well, it's no contest, really. I prefer redheads."
They both stared at him, their eyes going wide.
"I mean what guy wouldn't?" He continued, "Sure, they may be a bit more temperamental, but they tend to be blunt almost to a fault. There's no guessing with them. They're straight forward, they say what they feel, and if they want to know what a guy is thinking or feeling they just ask. They don't play those maddening mind games all the time like some other girls do. We menfolk are simple creatures who prefer straight forward questions and honesty. I mean where's the honesty in trying to manipulate someone into saying what you want to hear? So, ya... definitely put me down for red."
With that he turned and headed back to where Lex was sitting, leaving the girls with their jaws hanging.
Though Lex didn't look over, there was a little smile on his lips. "That was cruel." he muttered under his breath as he accepted his drink.
Clark just chuckled, "They had it coming." he replied, keeping his voice low so only Lex could hear him. "I'm getting really sick and tired of their endless little trick questions and mental olympics. They want me, then they don't want me. I've never even officially dated either of them, and yet they both treat me like I'm a possessive ex-boyfriend. They have the absolute worst taste in boys... I mean they are literally freak magnets! And whenever I try to warn them that some guy they're interested in is bad news they instantly assume I'm just jealous. They take anyone else's word over mine, though I have never lied to either of them for jealous or petty reasons. It's ridiculous, really. I've come to the conclusion that women are insane."
Lex snickered. "You catch on quick!"
"They make it easy."
Lex leaned back, sipping his cappuccino. "You know, I was a redhead once upon a time." He mused.
Clark nodded, "I know. It was a brilliant shade of copper. It almost seemed to glow."
Lex looked over at him, furrowing his brow. His father had never cared for Lex's hair color, deeming it rather effeminate, so most (if not all) of his childhood pictures were printed in black and white. How could Clark possibly know what his hair had looked like? "You never saw me with hair."
Clark set down his mocha, gazing over at Lex. "I think I did once, actually. Kind of, anyway."
"What do you mean?" Lex asked curiously.
Clark shook his head, gazing at Lex. "I have this dream sometimes... and I think it's actually a memory. If it is, it's my first memory. I'm in the truck with my parents... it had to have been the day of the meteor shower, the day they were first bringing me home... you're beside me... someone's holding you, your father I suppose, but I'm not looking at him. You looked asleep. I just remember your head... it was bald except for this one little wisp of brilliant copper hair... it was the most beautiful color. I reached out and brushed my hand over your head. That's where the memory ends. Or dream. Whatever it was. My parents recently told me we did drive you to the hospital that day. Your father ran out into the road and they stopped. He was muttering something about his son being hurt. Dad ran out into the field and got you, then we drove you to the hospital. They only told me that after I'd already had that dream a good half dozen times, so I'm pretty sure it was real."
Lex just gazed at him, not sure what to say. The idea that they had met before, all those years ago when they were both so much younger... it was just mind boggling! Why hadn't his father ever told him it was the Kents that drove him to the hospital? And Jonathan Kent... he'd helped save Lex's life? He knew the doctors had said he would have died if he hadn't been rushed to the hospital so quickly. Sounded like Clark had just been carrying on a family tradition of saving Lex's life! But why did Jonathan hate him so much if he'd saved him? Did he wish he'd left him to die in that field all those years ago? He was broken out of his reverie by the feel of a large, warm hand brushing over his head.
"You have the most perfect head I have ever seen." Clark mused, gazing at the smooth skin beneath his fingers.
"Um... thanks." Lex said a bit uncomfortably, glancing around as he shifted his head away, "But I don't generally let people fondle it. Especially not in public." he said delicately.
Clark just dropped his hand, letting out a little chuckle, his sparkling blue eyes gazing at Lex without a hint of embarrassment.
"Are you feeling alright?" Lex asked tentatively.
"Never better. Don't worry about me." Clark replied merrily, dropping his hand down to pat Lex's knee before reaching over to grab up one of the brownies.
Lex stared at his knee where Clark's hand had been, then his eyes darted over to Clark. There was definitely something odd with Clark today. He usually avoided physical contact almost as much as Lex did. Then again, this was Clark. If there wasn't something odd going on with him it just wouldn't seem natural. Lex brushed it off, going back to sipping his drink.
Clark made a little sound like he'd just remembered something and quickly swallowed the bite of brownie in his mouth. "Oh, hey... that reminds me of this bumper sticker I saw once. It said something like 'God only made so many perfect heads – the rest he covered with hair'!" He said mirthfully.
Lex let out a little chuckle. "I'd never deface one of my cars with something like a bumper sticker, but if I ever decided to, that might be a good one to consider." He admitted.
Clark just grinned and nodded, offering the last brownie to Lex. Lex just shook his head, deferring. Though the brownies were huge, Clark's endless farm boy appetite let him rise to the challenge of polishing off that one as well.
As they sat in companionable silence, Lex's gaze drifted back out the window. Movement caught his eye. One of the boys who had left briefly returned and turned his back to the coffee house. The other two gathered around and Lex was pretty sure he had acquired something that he was distributing amongst them, most likely eggs or something of the kind. Then Jenkins looked to the side and patted his friends' arm. They quickly stuffed whatever it was away out of sight and looked over.
Lex followed his gaze. There was a man walking a bit unsteadily down the street, a large, half empty liquor bottle in his hand. The boys waited as the man walked nearer. The other two drifted back, leaning against the wall while Jenkins greeted the man. The man staggered to a halt. Jenkins spoke to him, and after a moment whatever he was saying made the man look towards the Talon.
Lex sighed irritably as he recognized the man. As he watched, the man turned, starting towards the Talon, his gate faster now, his expression angry.
This could get ugly.
- 0 – 0 – 0 -
A/N – well, hope you are enjoying this. I intended this as a one-shot, but it got WAY too long to be one chapter, so I broke it up into chapters. I have it pretty much written already, but there are still some gaps to fill in and the rest is still rough and will need to be gone over several more times when I have the time before I can post it. As always PLEASE REVIEW! This is my first foray into this particular fandom. If I get a good response, there may be further potential stories (though not a continuation of this one, I mean other one-shots, perhaps more). I recently purchased all nine seasons of Smallville that are out. My son and I watched up to about season five or six some years ago, but that was all they had on DVD at the time and we forgot about it until now. I hate watching shows one episode at a time with a week between. DVDs have spoiled me : ) At any rate, we have started back at the beginning again, so I could see this series holding my interest for a while. Whether I put that interest into writing or not will most likely depend on how well this one is received. Sooooo... PLEASE REVIEW! :)