---------------------------
Part 4 - Moving out, Moving on…
The next time that Clark woke up he was a little more aware of where he was. Being
alone he had more time to survey his surroundings, doing what he had learned to each
time he was moved and catalogued any possible dangers, for the first time in a long
while he did not feel that there was a threat. Something inside him implicitly trusted
Lex, although his father had remained sceptical where the older boy was concerned
Clark had never questioned the man's integrity, Lex was no more to blame for being a
Luthor than Clark was of being an alien. Certain things you were born with and
certain things were instilled in you by parents or society, he only hoped that Lionel
had not hurt Lex while he had been away.
Clark took a few tentative steps out of the bed before he saw a silver platter laid out at
the end of his bed on a table, there was a bowl of water and a jug and some fresh
towels, obviously laid out so that he could wash and next to it was a pile of clothes.
They were expensive and more to Lex's tastes than his own but the black trousers and
white silk shirt, with matching black socks and boxers were a great change to hospital
scrubs which Clark wore at the moment. Slipping out of the scrubs Clark washed
quickly and pulled on the new clothes fast enough that he would not be caught in his
change but slowly enough that he could savour the feel of the soft materials against
his skin and the feeling of finally being completely covered again, he wondered if
shoes were not provided to prevent him from leaving or if they were just more
difficult to get hold of and decided that he would explore the room outside. X-ray
vision allowed him to see that the room was almost empty, Lex sat alone with some
papers in front of him and gentle jazz played in the background. As Clark gently
opened the door he saw Lex turn completely and look directly at him. Clark felt in
two minds as to whether he ought to go back to the bed he had been put in or if he
should come out but Lex held out a hand and beckoned him to come and join him, as
he did so Clark felt his first rush of freedom, it was the first time he had voluntarily
left a room in a long while and even if Lex was still in control he knew that he had a
level of freedom that he had not had before, in truth it was good to know that there
was someone that was still looking out for him because Clark was not sure that he was
equiped to deal with life on his own anymore.
-------------------------
Lex had left Clark to make some calls, calls that he thought he needed to make when
he was planning on taking three months off of work in order to reintegrate his friend
back into society. Of course he didn't even know if Clark would want his help, he
was fully aware that he may have to monitor his progress from a distance but he was
sure that given time Clark would come back to him, if only for a loan of money which
Lex would freely give. Iris had yelled blue murder when he had told her of his plans,
of course she had thought it was some whim he had that had caused him to take the
personal time but he warned her that it was not her place to lecture him and ended the
call. The board of directors had been easier, they had understood that he was taking
time to finish his PhD research and that the biochemist's first love had always been
science, Lex had enough people that he trusted running his businesses and was
planning on keeping enough of an eye that he would still be around but would just
delegate some of the work so that he could concentrate on his project.
Lex had been relaxing with some plans for the labs he had recently acquired, a chance
to turn them into a free research lab for aspiring doctors and chemists, when Clark had
taken his first hesitant steps into the room. His friend had paused as soon as Lex had
noticed him, stopping like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car but as
soon as he had held out a hand Clark had come to him and that was what worried Lex
more. Clark was not as strong as he had once been, he was like a bright eyed puppy
that had since been tamed by a cruel master; beaten into submission and left timid and
afraid. While Lex was glad that it would make keeping Clark with him easier he also
saw how easy it would be for someone else, or perhaps even a darker version of
himself to manipulate the boy into doing what he wanted.
Clark was sitting next to Lex on the sofa, his knees pulled up to his chin as he
wondered what to do or say and the billionaire decided that as the older and more
mature one he would have to take the moral high ground, making sure that Clark
knew he was free to leave at any time and that he would not end up blaming Lex in
the long run for denying him some freedom that he had coveted.
"Clark?" Lex asked, the boy looked up, no longer looking his 21 years but instead
curled up as if he was a tiny child away from his parents for the first time. "I want
you to know that you're free to leave at any time." Lex began. "You don't have to stay
and you don't owe me anything for getting you out of that place."
"Don't you want me here?" Clark asked, his eyes tearing up as if Lex was stealing the
basis of his entire world. Lex realised what a precarious position he was in, if he
reached out and helped the boy he risked him growing far too dependent but if he took
away the only thing that Clark had left right now he risked cutting the last string of
the boy's sanity.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, I just want you to know that you have a
choice." Lex stated plainly, not wanting to show his fear or concern and using the well
adjusted mask to cover his emotions.
"Where else would I go?" Clark asked, his voice bewildered and Lex realised that the
boy had nothing, there was nothing left for him now and for the first time Lex realised
how close to Clark he really was, that he could relate to the pain that the boy felt at
the loss of his parents and could try to at least help him deal with that. He needed to
give Clark a good balance of space and support so that he did not feel crowded but so
similarly he did not feel abandoned and alone. It was a challenge but Lex knew that
he would fight hard to succeed, after all that was the true nature of a Luthor.
"You want something to eat?" Lex asked as he felt his own stomach rumble slightly
and he wondered when he himself had last eaten, he had a feeling that it would be
even longer for Clark.
"I don't have to eat." Clark said, his voice a little pathetic and Lex realised that this
was not something he would have learned with the Kents, the family that always had
freshly baked cookies and milk waiting for their growing boy. This was yet another
cruel thing he had learned at the hands of his captors.
"Do you want to?" Lex asked. "I'm going to get a steak with everything, but you can
have what you like."
"Anything?" Clark asked, his eyes lighting up like a small child at Christmas, a small
child that was not a Luthor of course. Lex nodded as he reached for the phone, ready
to order whatever Clark's heart desired. "Oatmeal and Raisin cookies, and milk."
Clark said as a tear fell down his cheek. "Unless…" He began, wondering if he was
supposed to order a meal.
"Yes, I'd like a plate of Oatmeal and Raisin cookies, a quart of milk and a steak
dinner." Lex said into the phone, Clark was surprised at this although he did recall the
castle in Smallville and he was just beginning to remember that Lex was more
powerful now than he had been then. He truly could have anything he wanted, and
Clark knew that it was more than just food or money. Lex had the power to rule the
world if he wanted to, he had always planned to do it by the time he was thirty and at
27 it seemed he'd had enough power to make whoever had captured Clark bend to his
will. For a moment Clark felt a little scared but then he realised that Lex was on his
side and as long as it stayed that way he was safe and he had that power protecting
him. With that he settled down and relaxed a little, enjoying the soft music that
floated out of some invisible speaker and into the air.
"Clark, do you want anything else?" Lex asked, but the young man was lost in another
world, a small smile on his face and a look of almost contentment as he listened to the
Jazz that Lex favoured. Lex realised that after four years of isolation even this was
probably bliss and vowed to make sure that in the next months he would make sure
that Clark not only enjoyed the simple things but managed to see how much the world
had to offer, especially when you were one of the richest men in the world, or at least
a friend of his.
---------------------------
Lex woke early the next morning, a habit of too many breakfast meetings and long
days spent in Metropolis, he was so used to being part of the 24 hour culture that he
hardly needed to sleep, faced with three months off he was sure that he could get used
to lie ins again. He was surprised that he was in bed, he had expected to sleep on the
sofa until he and Clark had decided where to go or what to do with their time off, he
was far too preoccupied the day before to think about sleeping arrangements and other
menial things.
"Good Morning." He said as he saw Clark sitting in the corner, a blanket wrapped
around his shoulders as he sat stiffly. "You want to tell me what you're doing all the
way over there?"
"Shhh…" Clark said. "There are people outside, moving, looking for something." He
said before realising that maybe Lex still didn't know his secret.
"It's okay Clark. It's just the servants, most of them work early in the mornings so
that everything is ready for when I wake up. They won't bother us." Lex said, as he
began to appreciate just how much work he had to do with Clark. "You get used to
it."
"Okay." Clark said, as he tried to allow his tenseness to ease just a little. Lex sighed
as he stood up and got out of bed, he was still dressed from the night before and
wondered how he had made it there after feeling so tired the night before. They had
sat quietly as Clark ate his cookies and then drifted off to sleep, Lex had put aside his
papers as he watched the young man sleep and wondered what it was like to be in his
mind and what nightmares it was that Clark seemed lost in.
"What do you want to do today?" Lex asked, Clark looked up at him, brown eyes
meeting blue with clear question. It was a long time since anyone had given Clark a
choice about anything where his life was concerned. "I thought maybe we might talk
a little about the future, what you want to do and where to do it." Lex said. "Then
maybe we can go out for a while or just hang out." Clark smiled at Lex's attempt at
being cool, he had never really fitted in and now he was trying too hard. Lex returned
his smile just happy to see Clark smiling again.
"That sounds good." Clark said softly as he wondered how long it would take for him
to get back to 'normal', his Mom had always told him that normality was relative but
he just wanted to feel safe and free again, anything else would just be a bonus and he
was sure that there was a lot that he had to catch up on as far as the world was
concerned, he didn't even know how long he had been in that place. It would be one
of his first questions to Lex when he was allowed to ask them.
----------------------
"I can't believe that it's 2008, that I was there four years…" Clark said as he paced the
room. "I missed everything in my life, graduation, college and a whole lot more." He
said. "They took that from me."
"Clark, believe me, I'm angry too but you need to put this in perspective, you may
have a hundred lifetimes ahead of you and in a few years this will look like nothing."
"They *killed* my parents" Clark said as he reached for something to throw, his
emotions were very near the surface and as he watched the vase fly across the room
and strike the wall above the mantel he realised that the drugs were still affecting him
a little more than he had given them credit for. "I'm sorry…" He said as he fell to his
knees the anger subsiding into sadness again, Lex remembered a very expensive Ming
vase of his father's he had broken just after his mother died and related completely to
where Clark was coming from. Of course Lionel had seen fit to take the expense of
the priceless vase out on the young boy with a thick leather belt, he was not going to
do that to Clark as the younger man was going through enough self flagellation but he
could empathise with the boy's anger.
"It's okay Clark, we'll deal with this later. Maybe we should start small, like where
you want to live?" Lex said. Clark's eyes looked at him with panic and Lex realised
that he was being misread again. "I mean if you want to go back to Smallville or if
you want to stay here in the city. I have a penthouse here or we can go to the
castle…" Lex trailed off not wanting to give too many options but knowing that
whatever destination Clark named he could have a property there within hours.
"I…" Clark swallowed, he didn't think he was ready to face Smallville yet, it seemed
too much like home and there were far too many memories tied to the place to really
return there too soon. "Maybe we ought to stay in Metropolis, I mean, you have work
and everything and..." He trailed off as he heard Lex talking into the phone, he was
already making plans to have things moved to the Penthouse and to have a car pick
them up. Clark was surprised at how different Lex's command voice was to the one
that he was used to hearing and he began to realise that he knew very little about the
man that he had called 'friend'.
"Okay, that's a roof sorted out, next item on the agenda would be clothes." Lex said.
Clark graoned slightly, not even wanting to think about having to shop he had hated
shopping so much when he was a teen and even four years of isolation did not make
the task seem any more pleasant.
"Can't you just order me stuff?" Clark asked hopefully, Lex looked at him critically
for a moment wondering if he was doing too much for the young man but then he saw
the dread in Kent's eyes and realised that it was just the event of shopping he hated.
"Why don't I show you one of the things you missed while you were…gone." Lex
said as he took out what looked like a laptop and opened it up to reveal a computer
many light years ahead of the last one that Clark had seen. Of course he had been
used to the ones at school and they were a little behind the times but this was above
even the top ones on the market when he had the accident. "It's got a wireless modem
with hyperspeed download and it links you to just about every store in the city." Lex
said as he placed it on his desk and indicated Clark take a seat. "So I guess the only
question left to ask is 'Where do you want to go today?'"
Clark stared for a moment at the machine in front of him, almost afraid to touch it in
case he broke it. Lex touched the screen softly and it came to life, a split second later
he watched as Clark smiled and reached tentatively to touch the keys. Within half an
hour he had mastered the new system and Lex watched as he chose a few select items
to put in his virtual basket.
"Don't forget that you'll need almost a whole new wardrobe, I didn't think it was
possible but I think you must have grown at least another inch." Lex said, Clark
looked at him for a moment uncertainly and then added another few pairs of jeans to
the total, Lex sighed, Clark was going to have to get used to being a little freer with
money if he was going to be with Lex, 'as a friend', the billionaire's mind added
quickly as he shook any nefarious thoughts out of his mind. After all the last thing
Clark needed was to be let down by the only man left that he trusted.
"Lex?" Clark asked a moment later, the older man looked over and saw the insecurity
on his eyes. "Will I need suits and things, I mean, I'll probably have to get a
job…although maybe I won't get anything that good without a high school
certificate…" He said as if thinking out loud and Lex saw the small confidence that
Clark had won drain from his body as he slumped defeatedly.
"Okay, that's something else we'll add to the list, I am pretty sure that I can get your
credits awarded and you were only a few months off graduation."
"But Clark Kent is dead." Clark said and Lex knew that those were not his words but
some put in his mouth by someone wanting to break the spirit of the man Lex had
fallen in love with. Thinking on his feet Lex wondered how hard it would be to set up
a story for Clark's absence and then he remembered something his father had once
told him about using what you had. Lex had a man in the FBI after all, it would not
be too hard to get a cover story.
"No, he's just been in Witness Protection." Lex said with a faint smile, Clark looked at
him dubiously before remembering that chances were Lex could have himself
inaugerated as president with the right persuasion, of course he could get Clark some
false papers that said that he had just been hiding for the last few years.
What troubled Lex most was the look on Clark's face as he accepted his offer, not
even arguing that it was wrong or that it was a waste of government funds. The old
Clark had far too may morals to go along with something like Lex was suggesting, but
now the other man did not even question it, reminding Lex of himself when he first
started losing his conscience. He hoped that Clark would never get as far gone as he
was.
-----------------
-----------------------------
"So, this is the Penthouse home of the world's richest man…" Clark said as he walked
around the large den area of the open plan suite. Lex had never really seen the
apartment as anything but a place to rest while he was in the town, he had certainly
never called it home, Clark walked around as if he was marvelled by the size but
again it was not something that Lex had ever really stopped to think about. It was just
a place to live after all.
"You're room is on the left." Lex said, trying to think of a way to humour Clark as
best he could. It intrigued him that one minute the boy seemed his normal self and the
next he was more shy and uncertain than Lex had ever seen him. He hoped that
things would get better now that they were somewhere a little more permanent, he
hoped that Clark would put roots down and begin to rebuild his life.
"Thanks." Clark said with a small yawn. "I might go to bed now."
"Clark, you don't have to. There is a TV in the lounge room and you're quite
welcome to borrow a book from my study if you want to read. Anything else just ask
and I'll see about getting it for you."
"I can go in your study?" Clark asked uncertainly. Lex smiled indulgently, it seemed
that he had been right about the small things. Clark had just been offered the world
on a platter and he was awed that Lex would allow him access to his study. Only
someone as humble as Clark Kent could be that innocent.
"Mi Casa es su casa, Clark, go where you will." With that said Lex went in to his own
room and lay back on his bed. He wasn't really tired but he did wonder what Clark
would do left to his own devices, a few moments later there was a small click and
then the lounge was filled with the soft sound of the TV playing. Lex supposed that
this at least was something that had not changed, as he lay back down he felt the yawn
come and sleep take hold and he slept softly but peacefully with one less worry on his
shoulers.
-----------------------
Over the next few days Clark seemed to settle well, Lex had not anticipated that it
would be this easy although he was sure that there was something up, Clark did not
sleep well and he was up late most nights watching re-runs of something using the
excuse that he didn't need to sleep a lot and that he needed to catch up on four years of
TV. It was only on the third night of their being at the Penthouse apartment that Lex
found it was something different.
Luthors usually slept lightly, it was something to do with the inbred backstabbing in
their family or the part of their long history that meant they were likely to kill
opponents in business or war in their sleep. Lex had long known he too was cursed
with that particular gene. He was woken by the low whimpering at nearly two in the
morning, it sounded almost like a kitten mewling for its mother. When he went to
investigate, a loaded pistol in his hand for protection he was surprised to see that
Clark was the source of the low sound. He was rocking gently on the sofa in the
lounge room, the television playing some drama or other and he was sobbing as a
child would. Lex put the gun down realising that this was not a battle situation,
although he was sure a battle would be fought emotionally, and he wrapped Clark in
his arms holding him as the cries continued. For a long time he just held the boy,
allowing him to seek comfort in his embrace and it was only when Clark's tears
subsided that he tried to question the boy.
"Has it been like this every night?" He asked as Clark kept his face buried to the
crook of Lex's neck. The boy nodded faintly and Lex stroked his hand over the long
dark hair. "And you didn't want to tell me?" This got a faint shake of the head.
"…thought you wanted me to be strong…" Clark said quietly, Lex sighed as he
realised that he had not really dealt with emotions assuming that Clark would be open
if he needed to be. Lex was not comfortable with emotional people, his upbringing
had been cold and after his mother died… well the only other person to show him any
human feelings other than fear or contempt was Clark and he too had died, or so he
had thought. Lex Luthor was not the most ideally adapted person to help Clark come
out of his shell but similarly he would not trust anyone else with the job.
"I don't want you to be anything but you Clark." Lex said keeping his tone soft and
soothing. "If you want to cry, then cry, if you want to laugh, then laugh. We all
grieve in our own ways and no one's is better or worse than the others." Lex wasn't
sure where the words came from, perhaps some therapist or guru that Lionel had sent
him too after his mother's death, but they seemed appropriate for the situation. If he
ever remembered which it was he would have to remember to send them a large
cheque for their words, finally having some affect.
They stayed that way until the early hours, each lost in their own emotions and taking
the reassurance from the hug. There was still a long way to go, perhaps a longer
journey than Lex had anticipated but he was sure that the healing began that night and
perhaps not just for Clark, and as he drifted back to his room to sleep in that day he
felt some strength that had not been there before. Neither of them was alone anymore
and maybe everything would work out after all.
------------------------
To Be Continued soon…
A/N: It started out angsty but I wanted some more happy chapters before the next big
chunk of angst…
Part 4 - Moving out, Moving on…
The next time that Clark woke up he was a little more aware of where he was. Being
alone he had more time to survey his surroundings, doing what he had learned to each
time he was moved and catalogued any possible dangers, for the first time in a long
while he did not feel that there was a threat. Something inside him implicitly trusted
Lex, although his father had remained sceptical where the older boy was concerned
Clark had never questioned the man's integrity, Lex was no more to blame for being a
Luthor than Clark was of being an alien. Certain things you were born with and
certain things were instilled in you by parents or society, he only hoped that Lionel
had not hurt Lex while he had been away.
Clark took a few tentative steps out of the bed before he saw a silver platter laid out at
the end of his bed on a table, there was a bowl of water and a jug and some fresh
towels, obviously laid out so that he could wash and next to it was a pile of clothes.
They were expensive and more to Lex's tastes than his own but the black trousers and
white silk shirt, with matching black socks and boxers were a great change to hospital
scrubs which Clark wore at the moment. Slipping out of the scrubs Clark washed
quickly and pulled on the new clothes fast enough that he would not be caught in his
change but slowly enough that he could savour the feel of the soft materials against
his skin and the feeling of finally being completely covered again, he wondered if
shoes were not provided to prevent him from leaving or if they were just more
difficult to get hold of and decided that he would explore the room outside. X-ray
vision allowed him to see that the room was almost empty, Lex sat alone with some
papers in front of him and gentle jazz played in the background. As Clark gently
opened the door he saw Lex turn completely and look directly at him. Clark felt in
two minds as to whether he ought to go back to the bed he had been put in or if he
should come out but Lex held out a hand and beckoned him to come and join him, as
he did so Clark felt his first rush of freedom, it was the first time he had voluntarily
left a room in a long while and even if Lex was still in control he knew that he had a
level of freedom that he had not had before, in truth it was good to know that there
was someone that was still looking out for him because Clark was not sure that he was
equiped to deal with life on his own anymore.
-------------------------
Lex had left Clark to make some calls, calls that he thought he needed to make when
he was planning on taking three months off of work in order to reintegrate his friend
back into society. Of course he didn't even know if Clark would want his help, he
was fully aware that he may have to monitor his progress from a distance but he was
sure that given time Clark would come back to him, if only for a loan of money which
Lex would freely give. Iris had yelled blue murder when he had told her of his plans,
of course she had thought it was some whim he had that had caused him to take the
personal time but he warned her that it was not her place to lecture him and ended the
call. The board of directors had been easier, they had understood that he was taking
time to finish his PhD research and that the biochemist's first love had always been
science, Lex had enough people that he trusted running his businesses and was
planning on keeping enough of an eye that he would still be around but would just
delegate some of the work so that he could concentrate on his project.
Lex had been relaxing with some plans for the labs he had recently acquired, a chance
to turn them into a free research lab for aspiring doctors and chemists, when Clark had
taken his first hesitant steps into the room. His friend had paused as soon as Lex had
noticed him, stopping like a rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car but as
soon as he had held out a hand Clark had come to him and that was what worried Lex
more. Clark was not as strong as he had once been, he was like a bright eyed puppy
that had since been tamed by a cruel master; beaten into submission and left timid and
afraid. While Lex was glad that it would make keeping Clark with him easier he also
saw how easy it would be for someone else, or perhaps even a darker version of
himself to manipulate the boy into doing what he wanted.
Clark was sitting next to Lex on the sofa, his knees pulled up to his chin as he
wondered what to do or say and the billionaire decided that as the older and more
mature one he would have to take the moral high ground, making sure that Clark
knew he was free to leave at any time and that he would not end up blaming Lex in
the long run for denying him some freedom that he had coveted.
"Clark?" Lex asked, the boy looked up, no longer looking his 21 years but instead
curled up as if he was a tiny child away from his parents for the first time. "I want
you to know that you're free to leave at any time." Lex began. "You don't have to stay
and you don't owe me anything for getting you out of that place."
"Don't you want me here?" Clark asked, his eyes tearing up as if Lex was stealing the
basis of his entire world. Lex realised what a precarious position he was in, if he
reached out and helped the boy he risked him growing far too dependent but if he took
away the only thing that Clark had left right now he risked cutting the last string of
the boy's sanity.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like, I just want you to know that you have a
choice." Lex stated plainly, not wanting to show his fear or concern and using the well
adjusted mask to cover his emotions.
"Where else would I go?" Clark asked, his voice bewildered and Lex realised that the
boy had nothing, there was nothing left for him now and for the first time Lex realised
how close to Clark he really was, that he could relate to the pain that the boy felt at
the loss of his parents and could try to at least help him deal with that. He needed to
give Clark a good balance of space and support so that he did not feel crowded but so
similarly he did not feel abandoned and alone. It was a challenge but Lex knew that
he would fight hard to succeed, after all that was the true nature of a Luthor.
"You want something to eat?" Lex asked as he felt his own stomach rumble slightly
and he wondered when he himself had last eaten, he had a feeling that it would be
even longer for Clark.
"I don't have to eat." Clark said, his voice a little pathetic and Lex realised that this
was not something he would have learned with the Kents, the family that always had
freshly baked cookies and milk waiting for their growing boy. This was yet another
cruel thing he had learned at the hands of his captors.
"Do you want to?" Lex asked. "I'm going to get a steak with everything, but you can
have what you like."
"Anything?" Clark asked, his eyes lighting up like a small child at Christmas, a small
child that was not a Luthor of course. Lex nodded as he reached for the phone, ready
to order whatever Clark's heart desired. "Oatmeal and Raisin cookies, and milk."
Clark said as a tear fell down his cheek. "Unless…" He began, wondering if he was
supposed to order a meal.
"Yes, I'd like a plate of Oatmeal and Raisin cookies, a quart of milk and a steak
dinner." Lex said into the phone, Clark was surprised at this although he did recall the
castle in Smallville and he was just beginning to remember that Lex was more
powerful now than he had been then. He truly could have anything he wanted, and
Clark knew that it was more than just food or money. Lex had the power to rule the
world if he wanted to, he had always planned to do it by the time he was thirty and at
27 it seemed he'd had enough power to make whoever had captured Clark bend to his
will. For a moment Clark felt a little scared but then he realised that Lex was on his
side and as long as it stayed that way he was safe and he had that power protecting
him. With that he settled down and relaxed a little, enjoying the soft music that
floated out of some invisible speaker and into the air.
"Clark, do you want anything else?" Lex asked, but the young man was lost in another
world, a small smile on his face and a look of almost contentment as he listened to the
Jazz that Lex favoured. Lex realised that after four years of isolation even this was
probably bliss and vowed to make sure that in the next months he would make sure
that Clark not only enjoyed the simple things but managed to see how much the world
had to offer, especially when you were one of the richest men in the world, or at least
a friend of his.
---------------------------
Lex woke early the next morning, a habit of too many breakfast meetings and long
days spent in Metropolis, he was so used to being part of the 24 hour culture that he
hardly needed to sleep, faced with three months off he was sure that he could get used
to lie ins again. He was surprised that he was in bed, he had expected to sleep on the
sofa until he and Clark had decided where to go or what to do with their time off, he
was far too preoccupied the day before to think about sleeping arrangements and other
menial things.
"Good Morning." He said as he saw Clark sitting in the corner, a blanket wrapped
around his shoulders as he sat stiffly. "You want to tell me what you're doing all the
way over there?"
"Shhh…" Clark said. "There are people outside, moving, looking for something." He
said before realising that maybe Lex still didn't know his secret.
"It's okay Clark. It's just the servants, most of them work early in the mornings so
that everything is ready for when I wake up. They won't bother us." Lex said, as he
began to appreciate just how much work he had to do with Clark. "You get used to
it."
"Okay." Clark said, as he tried to allow his tenseness to ease just a little. Lex sighed
as he stood up and got out of bed, he was still dressed from the night before and
wondered how he had made it there after feeling so tired the night before. They had
sat quietly as Clark ate his cookies and then drifted off to sleep, Lex had put aside his
papers as he watched the young man sleep and wondered what it was like to be in his
mind and what nightmares it was that Clark seemed lost in.
"What do you want to do today?" Lex asked, Clark looked up at him, brown eyes
meeting blue with clear question. It was a long time since anyone had given Clark a
choice about anything where his life was concerned. "I thought maybe we might talk
a little about the future, what you want to do and where to do it." Lex said. "Then
maybe we can go out for a while or just hang out." Clark smiled at Lex's attempt at
being cool, he had never really fitted in and now he was trying too hard. Lex returned
his smile just happy to see Clark smiling again.
"That sounds good." Clark said softly as he wondered how long it would take for him
to get back to 'normal', his Mom had always told him that normality was relative but
he just wanted to feel safe and free again, anything else would just be a bonus and he
was sure that there was a lot that he had to catch up on as far as the world was
concerned, he didn't even know how long he had been in that place. It would be one
of his first questions to Lex when he was allowed to ask them.
----------------------
"I can't believe that it's 2008, that I was there four years…" Clark said as he paced the
room. "I missed everything in my life, graduation, college and a whole lot more." He
said. "They took that from me."
"Clark, believe me, I'm angry too but you need to put this in perspective, you may
have a hundred lifetimes ahead of you and in a few years this will look like nothing."
"They *killed* my parents" Clark said as he reached for something to throw, his
emotions were very near the surface and as he watched the vase fly across the room
and strike the wall above the mantel he realised that the drugs were still affecting him
a little more than he had given them credit for. "I'm sorry…" He said as he fell to his
knees the anger subsiding into sadness again, Lex remembered a very expensive Ming
vase of his father's he had broken just after his mother died and related completely to
where Clark was coming from. Of course Lionel had seen fit to take the expense of
the priceless vase out on the young boy with a thick leather belt, he was not going to
do that to Clark as the younger man was going through enough self flagellation but he
could empathise with the boy's anger.
"It's okay Clark, we'll deal with this later. Maybe we should start small, like where
you want to live?" Lex said. Clark's eyes looked at him with panic and Lex realised
that he was being misread again. "I mean if you want to go back to Smallville or if
you want to stay here in the city. I have a penthouse here or we can go to the
castle…" Lex trailed off not wanting to give too many options but knowing that
whatever destination Clark named he could have a property there within hours.
"I…" Clark swallowed, he didn't think he was ready to face Smallville yet, it seemed
too much like home and there were far too many memories tied to the place to really
return there too soon. "Maybe we ought to stay in Metropolis, I mean, you have work
and everything and..." He trailed off as he heard Lex talking into the phone, he was
already making plans to have things moved to the Penthouse and to have a car pick
them up. Clark was surprised at how different Lex's command voice was to the one
that he was used to hearing and he began to realise that he knew very little about the
man that he had called 'friend'.
"Okay, that's a roof sorted out, next item on the agenda would be clothes." Lex said.
Clark graoned slightly, not even wanting to think about having to shop he had hated
shopping so much when he was a teen and even four years of isolation did not make
the task seem any more pleasant.
"Can't you just order me stuff?" Clark asked hopefully, Lex looked at him critically
for a moment wondering if he was doing too much for the young man but then he saw
the dread in Kent's eyes and realised that it was just the event of shopping he hated.
"Why don't I show you one of the things you missed while you were…gone." Lex
said as he took out what looked like a laptop and opened it up to reveal a computer
many light years ahead of the last one that Clark had seen. Of course he had been
used to the ones at school and they were a little behind the times but this was above
even the top ones on the market when he had the accident. "It's got a wireless modem
with hyperspeed download and it links you to just about every store in the city." Lex
said as he placed it on his desk and indicated Clark take a seat. "So I guess the only
question left to ask is 'Where do you want to go today?'"
Clark stared for a moment at the machine in front of him, almost afraid to touch it in
case he broke it. Lex touched the screen softly and it came to life, a split second later
he watched as Clark smiled and reached tentatively to touch the keys. Within half an
hour he had mastered the new system and Lex watched as he chose a few select items
to put in his virtual basket.
"Don't forget that you'll need almost a whole new wardrobe, I didn't think it was
possible but I think you must have grown at least another inch." Lex said, Clark
looked at him for a moment uncertainly and then added another few pairs of jeans to
the total, Lex sighed, Clark was going to have to get used to being a little freer with
money if he was going to be with Lex, 'as a friend', the billionaire's mind added
quickly as he shook any nefarious thoughts out of his mind. After all the last thing
Clark needed was to be let down by the only man left that he trusted.
"Lex?" Clark asked a moment later, the older man looked over and saw the insecurity
on his eyes. "Will I need suits and things, I mean, I'll probably have to get a
job…although maybe I won't get anything that good without a high school
certificate…" He said as if thinking out loud and Lex saw the small confidence that
Clark had won drain from his body as he slumped defeatedly.
"Okay, that's something else we'll add to the list, I am pretty sure that I can get your
credits awarded and you were only a few months off graduation."
"But Clark Kent is dead." Clark said and Lex knew that those were not his words but
some put in his mouth by someone wanting to break the spirit of the man Lex had
fallen in love with. Thinking on his feet Lex wondered how hard it would be to set up
a story for Clark's absence and then he remembered something his father had once
told him about using what you had. Lex had a man in the FBI after all, it would not
be too hard to get a cover story.
"No, he's just been in Witness Protection." Lex said with a faint smile, Clark looked at
him dubiously before remembering that chances were Lex could have himself
inaugerated as president with the right persuasion, of course he could get Clark some
false papers that said that he had just been hiding for the last few years.
What troubled Lex most was the look on Clark's face as he accepted his offer, not
even arguing that it was wrong or that it was a waste of government funds. The old
Clark had far too may morals to go along with something like Lex was suggesting, but
now the other man did not even question it, reminding Lex of himself when he first
started losing his conscience. He hoped that Clark would never get as far gone as he
was.
-----------------
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"So, this is the Penthouse home of the world's richest man…" Clark said as he walked
around the large den area of the open plan suite. Lex had never really seen the
apartment as anything but a place to rest while he was in the town, he had certainly
never called it home, Clark walked around as if he was marvelled by the size but
again it was not something that Lex had ever really stopped to think about. It was just
a place to live after all.
"You're room is on the left." Lex said, trying to think of a way to humour Clark as
best he could. It intrigued him that one minute the boy seemed his normal self and the
next he was more shy and uncertain than Lex had ever seen him. He hoped that
things would get better now that they were somewhere a little more permanent, he
hoped that Clark would put roots down and begin to rebuild his life.
"Thanks." Clark said with a small yawn. "I might go to bed now."
"Clark, you don't have to. There is a TV in the lounge room and you're quite
welcome to borrow a book from my study if you want to read. Anything else just ask
and I'll see about getting it for you."
"I can go in your study?" Clark asked uncertainly. Lex smiled indulgently, it seemed
that he had been right about the small things. Clark had just been offered the world
on a platter and he was awed that Lex would allow him access to his study. Only
someone as humble as Clark Kent could be that innocent.
"Mi Casa es su casa, Clark, go where you will." With that said Lex went in to his own
room and lay back on his bed. He wasn't really tired but he did wonder what Clark
would do left to his own devices, a few moments later there was a small click and
then the lounge was filled with the soft sound of the TV playing. Lex supposed that
this at least was something that had not changed, as he lay back down he felt the yawn
come and sleep take hold and he slept softly but peacefully with one less worry on his
shoulers.
-----------------------
Over the next few days Clark seemed to settle well, Lex had not anticipated that it
would be this easy although he was sure that there was something up, Clark did not
sleep well and he was up late most nights watching re-runs of something using the
excuse that he didn't need to sleep a lot and that he needed to catch up on four years of
TV. It was only on the third night of their being at the Penthouse apartment that Lex
found it was something different.
Luthors usually slept lightly, it was something to do with the inbred backstabbing in
their family or the part of their long history that meant they were likely to kill
opponents in business or war in their sleep. Lex had long known he too was cursed
with that particular gene. He was woken by the low whimpering at nearly two in the
morning, it sounded almost like a kitten mewling for its mother. When he went to
investigate, a loaded pistol in his hand for protection he was surprised to see that
Clark was the source of the low sound. He was rocking gently on the sofa in the
lounge room, the television playing some drama or other and he was sobbing as a
child would. Lex put the gun down realising that this was not a battle situation,
although he was sure a battle would be fought emotionally, and he wrapped Clark in
his arms holding him as the cries continued. For a long time he just held the boy,
allowing him to seek comfort in his embrace and it was only when Clark's tears
subsided that he tried to question the boy.
"Has it been like this every night?" He asked as Clark kept his face buried to the
crook of Lex's neck. The boy nodded faintly and Lex stroked his hand over the long
dark hair. "And you didn't want to tell me?" This got a faint shake of the head.
"…thought you wanted me to be strong…" Clark said quietly, Lex sighed as he
realised that he had not really dealt with emotions assuming that Clark would be open
if he needed to be. Lex was not comfortable with emotional people, his upbringing
had been cold and after his mother died… well the only other person to show him any
human feelings other than fear or contempt was Clark and he too had died, or so he
had thought. Lex Luthor was not the most ideally adapted person to help Clark come
out of his shell but similarly he would not trust anyone else with the job.
"I don't want you to be anything but you Clark." Lex said keeping his tone soft and
soothing. "If you want to cry, then cry, if you want to laugh, then laugh. We all
grieve in our own ways and no one's is better or worse than the others." Lex wasn't
sure where the words came from, perhaps some therapist or guru that Lionel had sent
him too after his mother's death, but they seemed appropriate for the situation. If he
ever remembered which it was he would have to remember to send them a large
cheque for their words, finally having some affect.
They stayed that way until the early hours, each lost in their own emotions and taking
the reassurance from the hug. There was still a long way to go, perhaps a longer
journey than Lex had anticipated but he was sure that the healing began that night and
perhaps not just for Clark, and as he drifted back to his room to sleep in that day he
felt some strength that had not been there before. Neither of them was alone anymore
and maybe everything would work out after all.
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To Be Continued soon…
A/N: It started out angsty but I wanted some more happy chapters before the next big
chunk of angst…