Abaris' Arrow
by linda-seton
In a move of practiced grace, Lex drops into the chair behind his desk. Clark shifts from foot to foot in front of him.
"What's wrong, Clark?"
"I had no idea of how hard this was going to be."
The boy grows very still but makes no effort to speak.
Finally, Lex prompts, "Just start at the beginning, Clark."
"I have to tell you something, something I should have told you from the start but I couldn't."
"So, this is Clark Kent's deep, dark secret?"
"It's not so much of a secret anymore. Pete knows, Chloe knows…"
"I'm glad you consider me enough of a friend to trust me, Clark." Lex interlaces his finger and leans forward. Studying Clark's face, Lex tries to determine how hard he is going to have to work to make the young man talk.
Clark pivots and backs off a few steps. He finely offers, "I'm a little, a lot, different than anyone else in Smallville."
"All of Smallville?" Lex asks with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Probably the whole world."
"I was sixteen once, too, Clark. It's not that unusual to feel a little separated from the world at large."
Clark looks baffled. "No, I'm really separated from the world."
"You're otherworldly?" Lex asks with a laugh.
"Exactly." Clark blushes three varying shades of crimson and then smiles in relief. That wasn't as hard as he had thought. "You know I don't have many friends. And my dad would never let me do much stuff at school – like sports. Y'know, in case someone figured it out."
"Oh." Lex murmurs as he realizes what the blushing Clark is trying to tell him. "I've always had my suspicions. I just didn't want to bring it up."
"I thought you might. With all the stuff that's happened."
"I mean there's the Chloe-Lana situation." Lex shakes his head. "You have a perfectly lovely young woman actively pursuing you and you opt for the unobtainable homecoming queen – because after all she's what every 'normal' adolescent male wants."
Clark tilts his head to the side. He opens his mouth just as the phone rings.
A startled Lex apologizes. "I'm sorry. I have to get that. Only emergency calls come to this line."
Lex picks up the receiver and listens for a moment. "I'll be right there, thank you." He hangs up the phone. "I'm afraid we'll have to continue this conversation later. That was the hospital. Gabe Sullivan was in a car accident last night."
"Is he okay?"
"Nothing serious, apparently, but I want to see if there is anything I can do to help."
Clark nods and follows Lex toward the door.
"We can pick up our conversation later Clark. And thank you for feeling that you can trust me. I only imagine how difficult it is to be a gay teenager in a place the size of Smallville."
Lex hurries out of his office.
A dumbstruck Clark stops in his tracks and mutters to no one in particular, "I'm not gay."
by linda-seton
In a move of practiced grace, Lex drops into the chair behind his desk. Clark shifts from foot to foot in front of him.
"What's wrong, Clark?"
"I had no idea of how hard this was going to be."
The boy grows very still but makes no effort to speak.
Finally, Lex prompts, "Just start at the beginning, Clark."
"I have to tell you something, something I should have told you from the start but I couldn't."
"So, this is Clark Kent's deep, dark secret?"
"It's not so much of a secret anymore. Pete knows, Chloe knows…"
"I'm glad you consider me enough of a friend to trust me, Clark." Lex interlaces his finger and leans forward. Studying Clark's face, Lex tries to determine how hard he is going to have to work to make the young man talk.
Clark pivots and backs off a few steps. He finely offers, "I'm a little, a lot, different than anyone else in Smallville."
"All of Smallville?" Lex asks with just a hint of sarcasm.
"Probably the whole world."
"I was sixteen once, too, Clark. It's not that unusual to feel a little separated from the world at large."
Clark looks baffled. "No, I'm really separated from the world."
"You're otherworldly?" Lex asks with a laugh.
"Exactly." Clark blushes three varying shades of crimson and then smiles in relief. That wasn't as hard as he had thought. "You know I don't have many friends. And my dad would never let me do much stuff at school – like sports. Y'know, in case someone figured it out."
"Oh." Lex murmurs as he realizes what the blushing Clark is trying to tell him. "I've always had my suspicions. I just didn't want to bring it up."
"I thought you might. With all the stuff that's happened."
"I mean there's the Chloe-Lana situation." Lex shakes his head. "You have a perfectly lovely young woman actively pursuing you and you opt for the unobtainable homecoming queen – because after all she's what every 'normal' adolescent male wants."
Clark tilts his head to the side. He opens his mouth just as the phone rings.
A startled Lex apologizes. "I'm sorry. I have to get that. Only emergency calls come to this line."
Lex picks up the receiver and listens for a moment. "I'll be right there, thank you." He hangs up the phone. "I'm afraid we'll have to continue this conversation later. That was the hospital. Gabe Sullivan was in a car accident last night."
"Is he okay?"
"Nothing serious, apparently, but I want to see if there is anything I can do to help."
Clark nods and follows Lex toward the door.
"We can pick up our conversation later Clark. And thank you for feeling that you can trust me. I only imagine how difficult it is to be a gay teenager in a place the size of Smallville."
Lex hurries out of his office.
A dumbstruck Clark stops in his tracks and mutters to no one in particular, "I'm not gay."