Part 11
Lex followed Bruce through the now very quiet halls of Wayne Manor to the master bedroom. It was late--well past midnight by now. The guests were all long gone and Bruce had assured him that even the servants wouldn't be awakened by their entry. Bruce had bits of grass in his hair. Lex had dirt stains on his tuxedo and his body was chilled from the night air. He caught sight of them in a full-length mirror on one wall of the bedchamber. They both looked rumpled and worn from both the long day and their recent activities in the garden. Lex thought their reflections also looked sated and happy, and he knew it wasn't a trick of the looking glass. For the moment, he was both.
Turning his attention away from the mirror, he followed his host's lead and undressed, slipping into the big bed without bothering to shower. They could always do that in the morning and right now, he was enjoying the earthy, rugged smell Bruce exuded... like night air, rare rose petals, dewy earth, sweat and an underlying hint of sex. It was pleasant, Lex decided as he allowed himself to be encircled by his lover's arms.
"Tired?" Bruce whispered, feathering gentle kisses across his skin. Lex nodded lazily.
"A little." More than a little, actually, as minutes later, he drifted off to sleep--lulled by the warm sensation of Bruce holding him and butterfly kisses on his forehead.
*L*E*X*
Lex's eyes sprang open when something contacted rather forcefully with his leg. He sat up, scooting to one edge of the huge bed as he watched the scene unfolding before him. Bruce was wrestling with the bed sheets and was hopelessly tangled in them as a result. His eyes were screwed shut, sweat beading on his brow. He was still asleep, Lex realized when his called Bruce's name and received no response but a grunt and increased thrashing from the mass of man and sheet.
"Bruce!" he said again, louder, this time, reaching out to shake the man in bed with him.
Nothing. Lex frowned. It was obviously some sort of nightmare, but if he didn't wake up soon, Bruce was likely to choke himself in the sheets. And that made up Lex's mind. He reached for his lover and began to unwind the sheets. It wasn't easy, either, with Bruce fighting them--and therefore him, as well--so hard.
When he finally managed to get the cloth free from Bruce's head and arms, something unthinkable and quite unexpected happened. Lex looked up from a knot in the sheet he was trying to undo, only to find one fisted hand coming straight for him. There wasn't time to avoid it, and the fist impacted with his stomach, producing an audible "oof." Within seconds, the other fist connected with his ribcage, followed by a series of quick, hard punches that forced him to go crashing from the bed. A strangled, shocked scream escaped his lips as he landed unceremoniously on the floor.
And then... nothing. He'd curled into a fetal position, expecting further attack, but none came. Looking up, he found Bruce staring at him in disbelief, anguish clearly visible in his dark eyes.
"Lex!?" His attacker slipped from the bed, the sheets Lex had untangled falling away from his body. "Are you all right?" he asked, kneeling beside him.
Lex blinked, both at the reversal and in pain. "I--" he began to assure Bruce he was fine, but a painful inhalation of breath choked the lie into submission.
"You're not." Bruce's voice sounded strange--dark and full of self-loathing. "Stay here. I'll get help."
Before Lex could say anything, his lover was gone and he was alone.
Lex was easing himself up and onto the bed when Alfred arrived moments later. The older man rushed to his side instantly. "Do not move, Master Lex," he admonished as he looked Lex's body over.
"I'm fine," Lex insisted. "Just... got the wind knocked out of me is all."
Alfred studied his face before running sure fingers along Lex's ribcage, feeling for breaks. "Nothing appears to be broken, but I'll warrant you'll bruise by morning. I'll fetch you something for the pain, now. You just climb back in bed and--"
"I don't need anything. Really. Where's Bruce?" he asked, looking towards the door, expecting to see his friend lingering there. He wasn't. He turned back to the butler only to find his eyes averted. "Alfred? Where's Bruce?" His voice was more insistent this time.
"Master Bruce is... " began Alfred, seeming to search for the right words. "...indisposed," he finished, sounding sorrowful to have to say it. Lex could see something in the other man's eyes, and he knew without asking that Bruce Wayne would not be returning to the room that night. He didn't know whether to be hurt or angry... or both.
He rose from the bed and reached for his clothing, pulling on his pants and nothing else. "Tell him... " That it's safe to come back now, he almost said. "I'll be in my room."
"Master Lex--" Alfred seemed on the verge of saying something important, but Lex waved him into silence.
"It's okay, Alfred," Lex said, his voice sounding as resigned as the other man's. It wasn't really okay, though, and they both knew it. The only thing that could possibly make it okay was if Bruce had come back, too. But he had not, and there was something in that fact that Lex couldn't quite grasp, but he was too tired and too sore to seek this unattainable truth right now.
*L*E*X*
Sun was flooding through the window, showering Lex with natural warmth as he woke. He opened his eyes slowly. The guest bedroom was empty save for himself, and Lex felt a pang of disappointment. Bruce should have been there, and wasn't. But Alfred had been, Lex noted, finding a small bottle of over-the-counter painkillers on the nightstand beside a glass of water.
Lex eased himself up slowly, feeling stiff but no longer as sore as he had been the night before. Thinking back to yesterday and Bruce's "morning constitutional," he had to count himself lucky. Had his friend been seriously trying, he probably would have killed him. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He rose from the bed, and padded to the private bathroom. A soak in some nice hot water would aid the painkillers in easing any residual discomfort... not to mention feel good. But as he eased himself into the steaming water, his eyes fell on the bruises that had darkened as he slept. They weren't so bad, but on his light skin, they stood out as angry reminders what had happened.
*L*E*X*
A maid showed Lex onto a terrace where a brunch buffet had been set out. Bruce sat at a table with Jonathan Kent, talking leisurely as the teens filled their plates.
"Hey, Lex!" Clark beamed. "We were wondering when we'd see you."
"Were we?" Lex countered with a small, wan smile. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
"Not at all, Lex," Bruce spoke, looking in Lex's direction for the first time. "We all slept in, it seems. Busy night and all." His voice sounded strained for a second. Then he recovered and said, "Grab a plate and join us. I was just about to tell Jonathan how much of an impression he and the kids made on Donovan last night." Bruce was all smiles this morning, shining so brightly that it hurt Lex to look at him. Lex sighed inwardly. He really wasn't up for small talk this morning.
Nodding, he reached for the plate Clark held out to him, eyeing the food to take his mind off his host. "They did, eh?" he inquired.
"I can't see how," Pete commented around a mouthful of blueberry waffles. "These are good, by the way," he told Bruce, indicating to the square of berry and fried batter he was about to shove into his mouth.
Their host chuckled. "I'll tell the cook you enjoyed them," he said with a smile. "Seriously though, between Clark's description of your farm and Lana's knack for big business ventures, Donovan's talking about paying a visit later this year."
"Strictly business?" Lex asked.
"Actually... he mentioned something about fishing." Bruce focused his attention on the Kent father and son. "He said you'd discussed it?"
"Dad and I go every year," Clark offered up. "Mr. Gilcrest asked if we'd show him where the best spots were."
Lex forced a smile and a small laugh. "Won't that just tickle Van and Ames?" he commented to Bruce, who gave his own slight smile in return.
"It certainly would, but Donny'll love it. He's really big on the great outdoors. Spent his birthday last year white water rafting. Used Dad's--my cabin." A look crossed Bruce Wayne's face... a quiet, pained look.
It was a slip up Lex was certain Bruce didn't make often. But before any of the guests could comment on it--and Chloe looked like she was on the verge of an interview quality question--Bruce was saved by Alfred's sudden appearance.
"Pardon me, Master Bruce, but there's a call for you on line two," the butler said politely.
His employer rose from his seat gracefully, giving his guests an apologetic smile. "No rest for the wicked, I'm afraid," he quipped as he made his exit.
Alfred followed him, but returned a few minutes later. "Master Lex," he began, getting Lex's attention. "Master Bruce wishes to speak with you when you've finished your meal," he informed Lex.
Lex ate the rest of his waffle very quickly.
Lex followed Bruce through the now very quiet halls of Wayne Manor to the master bedroom. It was late--well past midnight by now. The guests were all long gone and Bruce had assured him that even the servants wouldn't be awakened by their entry. Bruce had bits of grass in his hair. Lex had dirt stains on his tuxedo and his body was chilled from the night air. He caught sight of them in a full-length mirror on one wall of the bedchamber. They both looked rumpled and worn from both the long day and their recent activities in the garden. Lex thought their reflections also looked sated and happy, and he knew it wasn't a trick of the looking glass. For the moment, he was both.
Turning his attention away from the mirror, he followed his host's lead and undressed, slipping into the big bed without bothering to shower. They could always do that in the morning and right now, he was enjoying the earthy, rugged smell Bruce exuded... like night air, rare rose petals, dewy earth, sweat and an underlying hint of sex. It was pleasant, Lex decided as he allowed himself to be encircled by his lover's arms.
"Tired?" Bruce whispered, feathering gentle kisses across his skin. Lex nodded lazily.
"A little." More than a little, actually, as minutes later, he drifted off to sleep--lulled by the warm sensation of Bruce holding him and butterfly kisses on his forehead.
*L*E*X*
Lex's eyes sprang open when something contacted rather forcefully with his leg. He sat up, scooting to one edge of the huge bed as he watched the scene unfolding before him. Bruce was wrestling with the bed sheets and was hopelessly tangled in them as a result. His eyes were screwed shut, sweat beading on his brow. He was still asleep, Lex realized when his called Bruce's name and received no response but a grunt and increased thrashing from the mass of man and sheet.
"Bruce!" he said again, louder, this time, reaching out to shake the man in bed with him.
Nothing. Lex frowned. It was obviously some sort of nightmare, but if he didn't wake up soon, Bruce was likely to choke himself in the sheets. And that made up Lex's mind. He reached for his lover and began to unwind the sheets. It wasn't easy, either, with Bruce fighting them--and therefore him, as well--so hard.
When he finally managed to get the cloth free from Bruce's head and arms, something unthinkable and quite unexpected happened. Lex looked up from a knot in the sheet he was trying to undo, only to find one fisted hand coming straight for him. There wasn't time to avoid it, and the fist impacted with his stomach, producing an audible "oof." Within seconds, the other fist connected with his ribcage, followed by a series of quick, hard punches that forced him to go crashing from the bed. A strangled, shocked scream escaped his lips as he landed unceremoniously on the floor.
And then... nothing. He'd curled into a fetal position, expecting further attack, but none came. Looking up, he found Bruce staring at him in disbelief, anguish clearly visible in his dark eyes.
"Lex!?" His attacker slipped from the bed, the sheets Lex had untangled falling away from his body. "Are you all right?" he asked, kneeling beside him.
Lex blinked, both at the reversal and in pain. "I--" he began to assure Bruce he was fine, but a painful inhalation of breath choked the lie into submission.
"You're not." Bruce's voice sounded strange--dark and full of self-loathing. "Stay here. I'll get help."
Before Lex could say anything, his lover was gone and he was alone.
Lex was easing himself up and onto the bed when Alfred arrived moments later. The older man rushed to his side instantly. "Do not move, Master Lex," he admonished as he looked Lex's body over.
"I'm fine," Lex insisted. "Just... got the wind knocked out of me is all."
Alfred studied his face before running sure fingers along Lex's ribcage, feeling for breaks. "Nothing appears to be broken, but I'll warrant you'll bruise by morning. I'll fetch you something for the pain, now. You just climb back in bed and--"
"I don't need anything. Really. Where's Bruce?" he asked, looking towards the door, expecting to see his friend lingering there. He wasn't. He turned back to the butler only to find his eyes averted. "Alfred? Where's Bruce?" His voice was more insistent this time.
"Master Bruce is... " began Alfred, seeming to search for the right words. "...indisposed," he finished, sounding sorrowful to have to say it. Lex could see something in the other man's eyes, and he knew without asking that Bruce Wayne would not be returning to the room that night. He didn't know whether to be hurt or angry... or both.
He rose from the bed and reached for his clothing, pulling on his pants and nothing else. "Tell him... " That it's safe to come back now, he almost said. "I'll be in my room."
"Master Lex--" Alfred seemed on the verge of saying something important, but Lex waved him into silence.
"It's okay, Alfred," Lex said, his voice sounding as resigned as the other man's. It wasn't really okay, though, and they both knew it. The only thing that could possibly make it okay was if Bruce had come back, too. But he had not, and there was something in that fact that Lex couldn't quite grasp, but he was too tired and too sore to seek this unattainable truth right now.
*L*E*X*
Sun was flooding through the window, showering Lex with natural warmth as he woke. He opened his eyes slowly. The guest bedroom was empty save for himself, and Lex felt a pang of disappointment. Bruce should have been there, and wasn't. But Alfred had been, Lex noted, finding a small bottle of over-the-counter painkillers on the nightstand beside a glass of water.
Lex eased himself up slowly, feeling stiff but no longer as sore as he had been the night before. Thinking back to yesterday and Bruce's "morning constitutional," he had to count himself lucky. Had his friend been seriously trying, he probably would have killed him. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
He rose from the bed, and padded to the private bathroom. A soak in some nice hot water would aid the painkillers in easing any residual discomfort... not to mention feel good. But as he eased himself into the steaming water, his eyes fell on the bruises that had darkened as he slept. They weren't so bad, but on his light skin, they stood out as angry reminders what had happened.
*L*E*X*
A maid showed Lex onto a terrace where a brunch buffet had been set out. Bruce sat at a table with Jonathan Kent, talking leisurely as the teens filled their plates.
"Hey, Lex!" Clark beamed. "We were wondering when we'd see you."
"Were we?" Lex countered with a small, wan smile. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting."
"Not at all, Lex," Bruce spoke, looking in Lex's direction for the first time. "We all slept in, it seems. Busy night and all." His voice sounded strained for a second. Then he recovered and said, "Grab a plate and join us. I was just about to tell Jonathan how much of an impression he and the kids made on Donovan last night." Bruce was all smiles this morning, shining so brightly that it hurt Lex to look at him. Lex sighed inwardly. He really wasn't up for small talk this morning.
Nodding, he reached for the plate Clark held out to him, eyeing the food to take his mind off his host. "They did, eh?" he inquired.
"I can't see how," Pete commented around a mouthful of blueberry waffles. "These are good, by the way," he told Bruce, indicating to the square of berry and fried batter he was about to shove into his mouth.
Their host chuckled. "I'll tell the cook you enjoyed them," he said with a smile. "Seriously though, between Clark's description of your farm and Lana's knack for big business ventures, Donovan's talking about paying a visit later this year."
"Strictly business?" Lex asked.
"Actually... he mentioned something about fishing." Bruce focused his attention on the Kent father and son. "He said you'd discussed it?"
"Dad and I go every year," Clark offered up. "Mr. Gilcrest asked if we'd show him where the best spots were."
Lex forced a smile and a small laugh. "Won't that just tickle Van and Ames?" he commented to Bruce, who gave his own slight smile in return.
"It certainly would, but Donny'll love it. He's really big on the great outdoors. Spent his birthday last year white water rafting. Used Dad's--my cabin." A look crossed Bruce Wayne's face... a quiet, pained look.
It was a slip up Lex was certain Bruce didn't make often. But before any of the guests could comment on it--and Chloe looked like she was on the verge of an interview quality question--Bruce was saved by Alfred's sudden appearance.
"Pardon me, Master Bruce, but there's a call for you on line two," the butler said politely.
His employer rose from his seat gracefully, giving his guests an apologetic smile. "No rest for the wicked, I'm afraid," he quipped as he made his exit.
Alfred followed him, but returned a few minutes later. "Master Lex," he began, getting Lex's attention. "Master Bruce wishes to speak with you when you've finished your meal," he informed Lex.
Lex ate the rest of his waffle very quickly.
