Perhaps Lex had a bit of an alcohol problem; Bruce wouldn't blame him if he did. Chances are Bruce would never blame Lex for anything. Each time Bruce's eyes moved over Lex's body the younger man took another sip from the glass of cognac, probably to water down the anxiety that was overwhelming his thin frame. Bruce could not help but be attracted to Lex's obvious discomfort, a quality that the young Luthor never seemed to grow out of, no matter how many times Bruce took Lex's clothes off for him. During their time in prep school it had been almost every night that Bruce's hands felt all over Lex's pale body, exploring places that Lex had been too afraid to explore himself. Lex had seemed so nervous then, and he appeared to be nervous now. After a few moments Bruce decided to spare Lex the discomfort and look into his eyes, something that he was sure his old friend would prefer.
"Our companies? I have no company. Any concept of possessing my own LeXCorp was very publicly truncated by my father, you know that. As far as anyone is concerned, there is only LuthorCorp. I wouldn't say I've been particularly busy with that anyway. No, actually, I've been wasting my time in Smallville until my father deems me fit to run things from Metropolis."
"You'll get LexCorp, I know you will. It's just a matter of time. One day your father will realize that you're more of a threat than he could have ever imagined, and gaining control of LuthorCorp and creating LexCorp will be just another walk in the park." Bruce smiled and took a sip of champagne, letting the pleasant bubbly liquid sensation trickle down his throat. "To be frank, the only reason that I have complete control of Wayne Enterprises is because I have no parents to share the power with."
Bruce's smile faltered for a moment but then regained its charming structure, leaving only slight evidence of his continuing mourning over his parents' murders. As a child and even now, despite the fact that Bruce and Lex were quite wrapped up in their own complicated lives, Bruce often wondered whether it was worse to not have parents or to have a father like Lionel, constantly asserting his power over you, purposefully creating a weak creature to blindly follow his every step. While Bruce did not envy his friend's position, the selfish part of his being forced him to feel that some parent was better than no parent at all.
Although to the common outsider it would seem as if Lex changed subjects from LuthorCorp to the small town farm boy rather quickly, Bruce had known the young man long enough to notice when the cogs in Lex's head were turning and changing direction. The way that his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, Bruce could tell that there was something important coming along, waiting to fall from Lex's soft lips. He watched Lex's mouth closely as he commenced speaking.
"I met this boy named Clark Kent. He's a peculiar boy, really. I'll have to tell you more about him in a bit. I'm not really hungry and frankly, I prefer not to stay in any of Lionel's humble abodes. So, do you mind going back to your place?"
"Yes, you will have to tell me all about your new boyfriend. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't dying for details." Deciding not to push the issue further, Bruce called and paid for the check, leading Lex outside. He wasn't surprised when Lex said that he wasn't hungry, he often wasn't, and didn't mind whisking him away back to one of his penthouses instead of sitting inside the restaurant, despite how sentimental it was to them. Or Bruce, at least.
The two got into Bruce's limo, finding themselves in downtown Gotham in a matter of minutes thanks to the chauffeur's excellent driving. They talked about simple things, pointless things. Business matters, weather patterns. Bruce briefly mentioned the new head of public relations, a young and fresh Joseph Kerr, graduate of Gotham University. Thinking about Joey made Bruce's heart ache for a minute. He should not have left Joe so quickly, but he couldn't reject an invitation to see Lex. Bruce would make it up to Joe once Lex left. Go out to dinner, take him shopping, buy him a new suit or television or car, whatever Joe wanted. It was easy to please the boy, and he would forgive Bruce for his minor transgression. Yes, he would forgive him easily. No need to worry about Joe, Harleen would take care of him, she always did. Lex was here now, Lex needed him.
"Take off your coat, stay a while."
Bruce's place was immaculate, not a piece of furniture that did not match, not a book or magazine out of its place from the shelves that lined the walls. Each painting and photograph was framed and hung perfectly on the wall. There was a large patio outside behind sparkling glass doors that overlooked Gotham. The lights from the city were bright but somehow Gotham still seemed to look gloomy and dark, an aspect of Gotham nightlife of which many newcomers immediately took note.
"Lex, you really should not go so long again without coming to see me. Next time you do, I'm coming for you." Sometime in between walking from the doorway to the couch in the livingroom, Bruce had discarded his coat and unbuttoned his dress shirt, run his fingers through his hair and mussed it in just the way that he had when he was a teenager. Something had begun to stir inside of Bruce, a little voice had been nagging him beginning the very second that he had seen Lex approach the table inside Antonelli's. Just a whisper then, it was screaming now. Screaming, panting, yelling, a screeching banshee locked inside of his brain that had to be released, that could only be released with the feel of Lex's body against his own.
With a sharp turn towards Lex and a strong, determined hand, Bruce pulled the shorter man towards him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "You can tell me about your boyfriend," he whispered, his lips brushing against Lex's cheek as he spoke, "you can tell me about your father. You can whisper all your dreams and desires if you want. But I'd much rather you scream them." His lips were hot against Lex's, his heart was pounding in his chest. Lex's lean body was the perfect counter to Bruce's muscular build. Bruce's kiss was filled with passion and lust, a carnal desire that the older man had to satisfy before the screaming tore through his temporal lobe and left him deaf for the rest of his life.
"You want to know my philosophy, Harley, hm? You want to know what makes Mr Joe Kerr tick, tick, tick?"
"Sure, Joseph. Tell me what makes you tock."
Joe smirked at Harleen's cute little joke. That's what it was, cute. Like Harley. Harley was cute. "Well, Miss Quinzel," Joe slurred, his breath smelling of vodka, "my philosophy, theory, whateveryouwannacallit, is one bad day. Just one! It can change everything. One bad day can make a man go fucking crazy, y'see?"
"How, Joseph? How can just one day drive someone insane?"
"It's simple, really. You put the sanest man on the planet, you take him and you put him in the most horrific situation possible, you can drive him mad. His tiny little brain won't be able to cope with the tragedy, the trauma that's washing over him like a tsunami from hell and he'll just POP. Like a sanity balloon, just pop and there'll be nothing left but pure insanity."
Harleen paused and tilted her head, pursing her lips as she thought. "I dunno, Joey. Some people have more coping skills than others. I'm sure that there are some people that can resist the temptations of psychosis."
"You sure about that?"
"Well, no, of course I'm not sure. How could I be? It's just a thought."
"I'm telling ya, Harley. One bad day, that's all that it takes."
"Have you had a bad day, Joseph?"
"My whole life is one bad day."
- in this city -
The hand Bruce had placed on the small of his back as he led Lex to his awaiting limo burned vivaciously over his skin, sending a tingling warmth up his spine and down his hairless arms. He was sure if he did, in fact, had hair, it would most certainly be standing on its end. Of course Bruce had this effect over him. In fact, Bruce contained a lot of power over Lex. Perhaps it was odd that he knew this and yet did nothing to avoid it. He wasn't sure what he or Bruce was intending as they slid into the pristine leather seats in the back of the limo.
No. That was a lie. He knew exactly what Bruce wanted from him. Lex always knew what Bruce wanted. The older man was so very direct with his desires. If Bruce wanted something, he wouldn't take no for an answer; perhaps it was the spoiled billionaire in him. Lex, on the other hand, meticulously planned and schemed until he got what he wanted. Granted, it was the long and complicated way around such things but frankly, it didn't matter. Eventually, he would get whatever it was he wanted. Although, it would always seem like Lex had the tendency to also lose whatever he gained as well. Two steps forward, one step back. Right Lex?
Bruce had placed himself dangerously close to Lex. Their thighs were lightly touching each other, which made Lex incredibly nervous for the first time in years. Why was he feeling this way? He had known this man since he was thirteen. Come to think of it, this was the same way he felt when Bruce had first introduced himself. When everyone had called the older man (then boy) Spooky. The thought made him chuckle internally. Children they had been, once and long ago. When dreams were a possibility and a blooming romance once danced within Lex's (and maybe even Bruce's) vivid blue eyes. A time when Bruce's hands had eagerly explored Lex's pale lean body. He remembered the warmth it filled him with, how it eased his anxiety. He shook such sentimental inklings from his thoughts and occupied himself by staring out the window.
How could anyone live in such a dark, gloomy and criminally infested city? Granted, Gotham had its Batman (the thought always made Lex chuckle) to protect its citizens, but even so, the atmosphere was just so uninhabitable. Gotham was the true antithesis of everything Metropolis looked and stood for. While the bright Metropolis sun stood blazing over the city's tallest skyscrapers, the Gotham sun was hidden beneath the dreary overcast skies. Gazing through the windows (quipping idle chatter to avoid any unwanted silence in the expansive limo) with bemused eyes, Lex observed the Gothic architecture. The burly faces of gargoyles peered back at him, staring him down as the limo moved swiftly (almost elegantly so) through Gotham's downtown district. In the near distance, he could see the building that held his father's penthouse, it was not far from Bruce's prime real estate. The limo made a rather sharp turn, forcing Lex to bump shoulders with Bruce. He clenched his jaw. Think about Clark... what about Clark? There was nothing going on between him and the farm boy. Nothing at all. Not by design of course, but rather.. well, Clark was just a boy. That was just it. So, what had he to feel ashamed about?
Absolutely nothing.
Lex mumbled a faint apology and stared at his shoes. The limo came to a halt in front of Bruce's luxurious building. The older man held the door for him as he exited the vehicle. In what seemed like a blur of words, noises and colors, he was soon led up through the elevator into Bruce's penthouse suite, complete with a full bar, aquarium and whatever else a bachelor could possibly want. Lex considered making a bee-line straight for the bar. Resisting the urge (partly deciding that he had enough to drink for the night), he entertained himself simply by observing a framed photo on the wall. It was a picture of him and Bruce; Bruce's arm was slung over his shoulder and his face held a genuine piercing smile. It lit his face, making his eyes sparkle. This was the Bruce he knew; his hair a tousled mess, falling into his dark eyes and his body hard, toned with the years of training in the Orient with the various renown Kung Fu masters.
"Take off your coat, stay a while."
"I probably shouldn't stay long, Bruce," he started. Bad things might happen, silently added. "Business meetings bright and early tomorrow. Besides, you know how Daddy Dearest will react if his boy fails to attend his precious business dealings."
Actually, he wouldn't care if Lex failed to show up, but he wasn't going to mention that.
"Lex, you really should not go so long again without coming to see me. Next time you do, I'm coming for you."
The young Luthor scion gulped. "You know I don't mean to. Things simply come up, surely you understand how that goes."
Lex moved to follow Bruce into the living room. Evidently, Bruce didn't take much time to get himself settled in, having discarded his coat and unbuttoned his dress shirt, so that his defined muscles peaked from beneath. The image made it very hard for Lex to avoid raking his eyes over Bruce, head to foot and over again. His heart began to pick up pace within his chest. Did Bruce ever age? With his hair mussed in that perfect way, he looked as if he were eighteen again. He bit down on his tongue. No, Bruce wasn't his anymore. Bruce didn't want him. Isn't that the impression he had made when the other man stormed out on him the day he announced "his" decision to go to Metropolis University instead of Gotham University? So, what was he playing at now?
Bruce had suddenly stopped just a couple of steps ahead of him, his back foot swerved toward him and in a rush of desperate desire, Lex found his waist being grasped with strong arms. "Bruce?" he dared to whisper. Although, it came out more as a gasp than anything else. "What are you--"
He was cut off by Bruce. "You can tell me about your boyfriend; you can tell me about your father. You can whisper all your dreams and desires if you want. But I'd much rather you scream them."
His best friend's lips were so close to his own. The man's breath felt so hot against his cold pale skin. He grasped Bruce's shirt into his hands to support his weight. He felt light headed and lost in the man's clear desires. Bruce wanted him. Did he still love him then? Whatever the case, whatever the reason or story behind it, the mere fact that Bruce wanted him made Lex feel alive. It sparked a fire within him that he had thought disappeared and died like their boyhood relationship had. His lips were suddenly engulfed by Bruce's, lost within those lush rosy lips. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, his hand snaked around to grasp Bruce's thin waist as the other quickly assaulted the belt the man wore, quickly releasing the buckle.