Title: Honesty Prequel 1 -- Protection
Author: PepperjackCandy
Series: Comes before "Christmas"
Archive : Smallville Slash Archive, my writing at fanfiction.net
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Category: Established Relationship
Spoilers for: References to Jitters
Disclaimer: I own nothing Smallville-related, or related in any other way to Clark Kent, Superman or any of the various creations of the wonderful folks at DC Comics.
Feedback: Always welcome, either by e-mail or using the review system at fanfiction.net.
A/N: I think I've followed the Honesty universe to it's beginning. As many of us do, I see Jitters as a turning point for our boys. This is more or less a ficlet just showing where it all starts.
========
Lex was having nightmares again. Every night since the Level 3 debacle, it was the same nightmare.
~~~
He hung from the catwalk, yelling Clark's name.
Clark pulled him up. "I've got you, Lex."
Lex looked dubiously at what was left of the catwalk as he floated upwards, suspended by Clark's preternaturally-strong arm. "You've got me? But who's got you?
And every night, the dream ended the same, with dream-Clark giving Lex a strange, secretive smile.
~~~
Every morning, he awoke earlier, and every day he needed more caffeine to make it through.
Finally, he woke one Friday to find his car about to smash into a lamp post. He pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Jesus!" He swore. "I'm falling asleep behind the wheel. I need some more coffee."
Not trusting himself to drive, Lex climbed out of his car and walked the rest of the way to the Beanery, both longing for and dreading seeing Clark again.
Sure enough, as he reached forward for the handle of the door, the door swung open, and Clark emerged, crashing right into him.
"Oh, sorry, Lex!" Clark's eyes were wide with surprise.
"That's all right." Lex smiled expansively, stifling a yawn as he did so. "Why don't you come and sit down with me for a while?"
"Sorry, Lex. I can't. Lana and I are working on a project for school, and we've . . ."
Too late, Lex noticed Lana standing at Clark's side. His smile faded from his eyes. "Oh. Then go right on ahead. Good luck."
Clark gave Lex a dazzling grin. "Thanks. I'll see you around."
Lana's smile was more subdued. "See you later, Lex."
Together, they walked away. Lex, suddenly lonely, walked into the Beanery. He walked to the counter and ordered a cappuccino to go. As the waitress handed his drink to him, he heard a familiar, vicious voice snarl the word, "Kent."
Lex calmly looked over, seeing Whitney Fordman and lecturing some of his cronies. Guzzling half of the cappuccino quickly, Lex headed for the table.
"But what if we hurt him?" Lex heard one of the vapid jocks surrounding Fordman ask.
"Don't worry about that. He's gotta learn not to mess with my girlfriend."
That did it. Lex could neither allow Clark to be hurt, nor could he stand for Clark's uncanny durability to be discovered. He swallowed the rest of the beverage, then approached Whitney.
"Fordman." He said civilly. "Can we . . . talk?"
"Sure."
"Not here. Let's go someplace more private." Lex indicated an empty booth on the other side of the restaurant.
The two men walked in silence to the empty booth.
Whitney opened the conversation with, "What do you want?"
"I want," Lex held up the now-empty cup, looking into it, rather than at Fordman. "You to stop harassing Clark Kent."
"I wasn't . . ."
"Weren't you?"
"Well, I was, but . . ."
"But he's doing a school project with your girlfriend. A. school. project."
"But he's just doing it to get close to her."
"And you're insulted that he appreciates your taste in girlfriends?" Lex asked mockingly.
"Mr. Luthor -" Whitney began angrily.
"Look, Fordman. Kent's my friend. And I take threats to my friends as threats to me." He silently, instantly, crushing the cardboard cup in one hand.
Whitney swallowed audibly. "Yes, Mr. Luthor." He nodded.
"I thought you'd understand." Lex gave Whitney a false, cold smile.
The combination of caffeine from the cappuccino and adrenaline from his confrontation with Whitney was enough to keep him awake the rest of the way home. After he arrived at Luthor Manor, he fell immediately into bed.
~~~
He hung from the catwalk, yelling Clark's name.
Clark pulled him up. "I've got you, Lex."
Lex looked dubiously at what was left of the catwalk as he floated upwards, suspended by Clark's preternaturally-strong arm. "You've got me?" He stopped, then, as Clark brought him to stand on the rickety remains of the catwalk, realization dawning in his eyes. "I've got you, too, don't I?" Lex asked with a smile.
Dream-Clark's return smile was dazzling. "I thought you'd never figure that out." Then dream-Clark leaned forward, catching Lex's mouth in a sizzlingly-passionate kiss.
~~~
Lex awoke to the sound of his alarm clock, realizing that he'd gotten his first full night's sleep since the Level 3 fiasco. And with that realization came the memory of his dream, and the knowledge that he wanted, no, needed Clark Kent.
But can I afford to pursue him? Lex asked himself as he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Can I afford not to?
Author: PepperjackCandy
Series: Comes before "Christmas"
Archive : Smallville Slash Archive, my writing at fanfiction.net
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Category: Established Relationship
Spoilers for: References to Jitters
Disclaimer: I own nothing Smallville-related, or related in any other way to Clark Kent, Superman or any of the various creations of the wonderful folks at DC Comics.
Feedback: Always welcome, either by e-mail or using the review system at fanfiction.net.
A/N: I think I've followed the Honesty universe to it's beginning. As many of us do, I see Jitters as a turning point for our boys. This is more or less a ficlet just showing where it all starts.
========
Lex was having nightmares again. Every night since the Level 3 debacle, it was the same nightmare.
~~~
He hung from the catwalk, yelling Clark's name.
Clark pulled him up. "I've got you, Lex."
Lex looked dubiously at what was left of the catwalk as he floated upwards, suspended by Clark's preternaturally-strong arm. "You've got me? But who's got you?
And every night, the dream ended the same, with dream-Clark giving Lex a strange, secretive smile.
~~~
Every morning, he awoke earlier, and every day he needed more caffeine to make it through.
Finally, he woke one Friday to find his car about to smash into a lamp post. He pulled the car over to the side of the road. "Jesus!" He swore. "I'm falling asleep behind the wheel. I need some more coffee."
Not trusting himself to drive, Lex climbed out of his car and walked the rest of the way to the Beanery, both longing for and dreading seeing Clark again.
Sure enough, as he reached forward for the handle of the door, the door swung open, and Clark emerged, crashing right into him.
"Oh, sorry, Lex!" Clark's eyes were wide with surprise.
"That's all right." Lex smiled expansively, stifling a yawn as he did so. "Why don't you come and sit down with me for a while?"
"Sorry, Lex. I can't. Lana and I are working on a project for school, and we've . . ."
Too late, Lex noticed Lana standing at Clark's side. His smile faded from his eyes. "Oh. Then go right on ahead. Good luck."
Clark gave Lex a dazzling grin. "Thanks. I'll see you around."
Lana's smile was more subdued. "See you later, Lex."
Together, they walked away. Lex, suddenly lonely, walked into the Beanery. He walked to the counter and ordered a cappuccino to go. As the waitress handed his drink to him, he heard a familiar, vicious voice snarl the word, "Kent."
Lex calmly looked over, seeing Whitney Fordman and lecturing some of his cronies. Guzzling half of the cappuccino quickly, Lex headed for the table.
"But what if we hurt him?" Lex heard one of the vapid jocks surrounding Fordman ask.
"Don't worry about that. He's gotta learn not to mess with my girlfriend."
That did it. Lex could neither allow Clark to be hurt, nor could he stand for Clark's uncanny durability to be discovered. He swallowed the rest of the beverage, then approached Whitney.
"Fordman." He said civilly. "Can we . . . talk?"
"Sure."
"Not here. Let's go someplace more private." Lex indicated an empty booth on the other side of the restaurant.
The two men walked in silence to the empty booth.
Whitney opened the conversation with, "What do you want?"
"I want," Lex held up the now-empty cup, looking into it, rather than at Fordman. "You to stop harassing Clark Kent."
"I wasn't . . ."
"Weren't you?"
"Well, I was, but . . ."
"But he's doing a school project with your girlfriend. A. school. project."
"But he's just doing it to get close to her."
"And you're insulted that he appreciates your taste in girlfriends?" Lex asked mockingly.
"Mr. Luthor -" Whitney began angrily.
"Look, Fordman. Kent's my friend. And I take threats to my friends as threats to me." He silently, instantly, crushing the cardboard cup in one hand.
Whitney swallowed audibly. "Yes, Mr. Luthor." He nodded.
"I thought you'd understand." Lex gave Whitney a false, cold smile.
The combination of caffeine from the cappuccino and adrenaline from his confrontation with Whitney was enough to keep him awake the rest of the way home. After he arrived at Luthor Manor, he fell immediately into bed.
~~~
He hung from the catwalk, yelling Clark's name.
Clark pulled him up. "I've got you, Lex."
Lex looked dubiously at what was left of the catwalk as he floated upwards, suspended by Clark's preternaturally-strong arm. "You've got me?" He stopped, then, as Clark brought him to stand on the rickety remains of the catwalk, realization dawning in his eyes. "I've got you, too, don't I?" Lex asked with a smile.
Dream-Clark's return smile was dazzling. "I thought you'd never figure that out." Then dream-Clark leaned forward, catching Lex's mouth in a sizzlingly-passionate kiss.
~~~
Lex awoke to the sound of his alarm clock, realizing that he'd gotten his first full night's sleep since the Level 3 fiasco. And with that realization came the memory of his dream, and the knowledge that he wanted, no, needed Clark Kent.
But can I afford to pursue him? Lex asked himself as he stared at the ceiling of his bedroom. Can I afford not to?