Lex slowly woke up, sandwiched between Clark and the back of the couch. Even with no shirt or blanket, he was almost too warm. The ache in his muscles had mostly faded, replaced with an ache that had more to do with Clark's body pressing against him. He bit off a groan, and Clark started to pull away, but Lex tightened his arms possessively.

Laughing, Clark laid a hand over Lex's. "How did you sleep?"

"Best sleep of my life." He bent his neck and kissed Clark's shoulder, pleased at the sharp intake of breath that resulted. "You?"

Clark sounded breathless. "Yeah."

It was Lex's turn to laugh. Continuing to drop kisses across Clark's shoulder and up the side of his neck, he slid a hand under the bright blue t-shirt and over the hard muscles of Clark's stomach.

Clark gasped, his body trembling under Lex's fingers. "Lex… "

Lex stopped and pulled his hand back. "I'm sorry." God, if he ruined this…!

"No, don't be sorry." Clark twisted himself around and met Lex's eyes, smiling. He reached up and ran his fingertips over Lex's ear, sending a shiver through him. "It's just that… as much as I would love to laze around here with you, I need to be up soon to help my dad feed the cows."

Lex went very still. "Clark, your parents. Are you gonna tell them… about us?"

Clark nodded, studying Lex's eyes. "Yeah. Of course I will."

Lex pressed his lips together, and lifted his chin. "As Shakespeare suggested, I would deny my father and change my name."

Clark picked up one of Lex's hands and folded it between both of his. "You don't have to do that, Lex. They'll come around. You'll see."

Shaking his head slowly and staring at their joined hands, Lex said quietly, "You know them better than I do." And yet, he couldn't imagine that Jonathan Kent would ever be happy that his son's soulmate was a Luthor.

"Come on." Clark stood up and tugged Lex up with him. "My mom makes the best breakfasts." He grinned, eyeing Lex's shirtless torso. "But it's a no-shirt-no-shoes-no-service kitchen."

Lex raised an eyebrow at the look in Clark's eyes. "I think I left my shirt somewhere in the barn while I was mucking stalls yesterday. Do you think we have time to find it before your father arrives?"

Clark nodded thoughtfully. "Wait here," he said, and sped away, leaving Lex gaping. But before he had time to do more than wonder what the hell had just happened, Clark was back, handing him his shirt, and grinning impudently. "Not human, remember?"

"Yeah." Lex took the shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. "You're amazing, you know that, Clark?" A blush stained Clark's cheeks, and he ducked his head bashfully. God, how did Lex get so lucky? Tugging his shirt down over his hips, he stepped forward and smiled. "So… breakfast?"

Clark threw open the door and strode into the kitchen, taking a deep breath of bacon-scented air. "Good morning, Mom! Gosh, that smells good."

"Good morning, Clark." Martha Kent turned from the stove and smiled. "Good morning, Lex." She gestured toward the table with her spoon. "Have a seat."

Clark grinned at Lex and threw himself into a chair.

Turning back to the stove, Martha asked, "So, where were you last night, Clark?"

"What?" Clark fumbled the napkin he had just picked up. He had been hoping his parents wouldn't notice that he hadn't been in the house all night. Beside him, Lex ducked his head as he sat down, biting his lip as if he was trying not to laugh.

Martha turned around and pointed her spoon at Clark. "Don't give me that innocent look, Clark. I'm your mother; it doesn't work on me." She turned to Lex, who was studying the tablecloth as if it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. "You're a guest, Lex, and I don't have the right to police your comings and goings, but you were out all night too and, if Clark was with you, that makes it my business."

Lex raised his head, the humour gone from his expression. "You're right, Mrs Kent. And it was my fault."

"No." Clark leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, meeting his mother's eyes. "There was no fault, because we didn't do anything wrong." He shrugged. "I guess I should've told you where I was, so you wouldn't worry, but I was… distracted." That was putting it mildly. The grin that had kept returning ever since last night crept back onto his face.

Martha frowned, glancing back and forth between the two of them. "You both look like the cats that got the cream. Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"What happened?" Jonathan came into the kitchen, kissed his wife, and eyed Lex suspiciously.

"Clark was just going to tell me." Martha raised an eyebrow at Clark.

Clark raised his chin slightly and met her gaze steadily. He had nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to apologize for. "I found my soulmate."

Martha's hands flew up to cover her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Clark. Honey."

Jonathan's eyes flickered to Lex and narrowed. "Anyone we know?"

Turning to Lex, Clark took his hand and laced their fingers together. Seagreen eyes met his, hope warring with resignation in their depths. Smiling, Clark squeezed Lex's hand. "Yeah."

The crackle of the bacon frying on the stove, Lex's heartbeat and quickened breath, the soft lowing of the cattle outside… Clark's sensitive ears catalogued these and more while his parents stood frozen in shock. Lex's eyes held his, the light of hope fading behind cynical acceptance as the seconds ticked by.

Then Martha dropped her hands from her face with a gasping sob, ran around the table, and threw her arms around Lex. His eyes widened, and he stared at Clark as he hesitantly put an arm around her in return. Clark grinned at him, more relieved than he would admit. She squeezed Lex tightly, then straightened, wiping her eyes.

Clark turned toward his father. While he was relieved at his mother's reaction, he wasn't really surprised. His father, on the other hand… he wasn't sure what to expect. Jonathan leaned on the back of a chair and cleared his throat. "Are you very sure of this, Clark?"

Shrugging, Clark met Jonathan's eyes. "Both of our soulmarks reacted and changed colour. I don't see how I could be any more sure than that."

Nodding, Jonathan turned to Lex. "I guess I can't argue with fate. Welcome to the family, Lex."

Meeting Lex's dumbstruck gaze, Clark grinned again. He was sure he must be glowing—there was so much happiness inside him, it had to be leaking out. He felt as if he could fly.