Title: Basketball Tuesdays (8/?)
Author: elgatoneun
Rating: NC-17 for language, slash, m/m interaction
Pairing: Clark/Whitney
Summary: Whitney and Clark and Lex, oh my!
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me, at all.
Spoilers: Everything up to and including Zero.
Feedback: Would be appreciated. Please let me know what you think.
Notes: You know Lex had to be in this series somewhere, right? This takes place at the end of Zero, the Grand Opening of the Talon (part two).
Whitney was on his knees; ready to gratify every single wet dream he had ever had about Clark Kent. Whitney looked up at Clark. His eyes were half-closed. He was biting his lower lip … in anticipation perhaps? Whitney squeezed Clark's dick with his hand. Clark gasped. Whitney flickered the tip of his tongue rapidly back and forth on the underside of Clark's phallus, right at the ridge. His cock swelled just a little bit more. Whitney smiled, pleased at the fruits of his labor.
Suddenly, Clark gripped his shoulders … hard.
"Someone's coming."
That's right, many, many times if Whitney had anything to say about it. He leaned his head forward.
Whitney suddenly felt his environment shift lightening fast. He was dizzy and disoriented. His perspective had changed so abruptly that he felt slightly nauseous. He took stock of his surroundings. He was no longer kneeling on the ground – but upright. One moment he had been contemplating a mouthful of Clark and now – his pants were suddenly zipped, his arms were at his sides and he had been hauled up to a standing position against the wall. What the hell?
The door opened casually. Since Whitney's head was lowered, he saw the expensive Italian leather shoes first. Lex Luthor had arrived on the scene. He immediately looked at Clark to see his reaction. Clark was standing at least three feet away from him, slightly hunched over with his hands in his pockets. Whitney was disappointed. That was definitely not the posture or expression he imagined on Clark after their little session, even if they had been interrupted precipitously. He looked at the intruder and saw him scrutinizing Clark closely. Lex also looked at him appraisingly, only the slightest lift of his eyebrows indicated his surprise at Whitney's presence.
"Hi Lex." Clark sounded breathless and guilty.
"Clark, I believe the lovely Misses Lang and Sullivan are looking for the two of you." Lex kept looking at the two of them, his eyes slowly running up and down each of them. Whitney couldn't process his jumbled thoughts. He was still trying to recall how everything had changed so quickly.
Clark shuffled past him to the door.
"I better go see Chloe." He looked apologetically over at Whitney.
"Sure. Tell Lana I'll be in soon." Clark went back inside, but not before he cast a lingering look at him … and Lex? Fuck.
Whitney was uncomfortably aware of the other man. He could imagine the smile and knowing glance. Lex probably knew exactly what was going on.
"You and Clark seem to have come to an understanding in your relationship," Lex said, his tone rife with innuendo. But his face was composed, bland even. Whitney's dad had told him once to always listen to a person's voice. That's what really guided you to their true feelings. A person's face, he said, was a mask deployed by the mind, but the voice was an instrument of the soul.
Lex's tone of voice left no doubt. He knew everything about Clark and Whitney.
"Yeah, we're okay now." That came out a little too defensively. He was annoyed when he saw Lex Luthor's distinctive smirk. The one he gave out to lesser mortals who amused him.
Lex walked to the railing of the stair steps. He turned and leaned back against them casually, hands in his pockets. It was a very GQ pose.
"I can see that you two are very okay." Lex stressed the last word, drawing it out.
"Just how okay are you?" Lex queried, his eyes raking Whitney from top to bottom, lingering in a few places that made heat flare through Whitney's body.
"We're sort of friends, I guess," was the resentful reply.
"Sort of friends? Well, I had some sort of friends like that too. They're nice to have around when you're feeling … friendly."
Whitney scowled, uneasy at being pinned down by Lex's insinuation, even if it was true. Resentment surged through him; he hated Lex Luthor's elegant condescension. He was still trying to pinpoint his own feelings, feelings he might have clarified if he hadn't been so rudely interrupted. He glared at the older man and received a disdainful glance of dislike tempered with jealousy.
Jealousy was something he recognized instantly, being on such good terms with it himself. It was something he understood very well, unfortunately.
"Clark's a friendly guy." Whitney threw those words out like a challenge. He was rewarded with a slight downturn of Lex's lips.
"Clark is warm and trusting. He chooses his friends carefully but not always wisely. You and I are both examples of that." The words were accompanied by a rueful but charming smile. And Lex was very charming, charismatic as it were. Whitney sometimes forgot about that. But Whitney could be too, at least when it came to Clark.
"I don't know, I think I could be a very good friend to Clark. He's been so good to me, already. I just want to … reciprocate." Whitney taunted Lex, he wasn't really good at sophisticated verbal sparring but he would not back down in front of Lex Luthor, especially when it had to do with Clark.
"I see. I hope Clark doesn't regret his choice then. He's very idealistic when it comes to those closest to him. He can be disappointed rather easily." Lex seemed almost thoughtful, as if he were providing a service, doling out advice and insight to the lovelorn. Whitney didn't appreciate it. Disappointing people seemed to be a specialty of his lately. He didn't need it to be so blatantly pointed out to him. He wasn't the only less than stellar example of humanity that gravitated towards Clark Kent.
"Know that for a fact, do you? I guess it's hard when you let your friends down."
"It's easier than you think, especially with Clark. He has certain … expectations. They can be hard to live up to." Lex shrugged and continued.
"Clark is naïve and innocent. He thinks everyone is basically good and should be given a chance. You and I know better." Lex leaned in closer to Whitney.
Whitney didn't speak. He didn't think it was necessary and wouldn't know what to say if it had been.
"Clark wants perfection, because he is perfection. And he will be disillusioned when he doesn't get it – when it isn't. That's why the first one … it won't work. It can't." Lex was close to him. His voice was low but full of conviction. Whitney didn't understand it exactly, but he got the gist. It had been fairly inarticulate considering Lex's much lauded reputation as a smooth operator. But it was powerful anyway, because it held a ring of truth.
Whitney hated Lex Luthor then, despised him at that moment. Lex seemed to be compassionate, almost kind. But it was cruel and played on his insecurities only too well.
He hated the way Lex seemed to have it all figured out. That his … relationship with Clark seemed destined for heartache. He hated mostly because he could see it like that too. Clark was too perfect for words. And it made sense; Clark probably had more schoolgirl fantasies about the perfect partner than Lana. Shit. Lana. She was perfection, too. Clark and Lana. The two most fucking perfect people he knew.
He knew Lex was right on that score. Clark put Lana up on a pedestal, worshipped at her altar like a supplicant. And she was starting to look at Clark as if her were her personal savior, always there to cherish and protect her. But that kind of reverence built barriers, it didn't encourage closeness. They were blind to each other's faults; as close to perfection as they were, they were still human and fallible. Maybe Clark did expect too much, he was secretive and sometimes unbelievably self-righteous. Lana was too self-absorbed, mired in her own unfortunate history wearing it like veil. She was the tragic princess, shielding herself from lowly commoners. Those two, yes, those two together could not have a good relationship, not like that.
But he was different, far from ideal. He had too many flaws to count. He was impulsive and hot tempered. He didn't care if Clark wanted too much, because there they were equal. Whitney always wanted too much, he was too passionate, too demanding. And when Whitney wanted something, he always went for it. He didn't care if heartache was imminent, maybe it wasn't. It didn't matter.
Whitney looked at Lex. He saw sincerity. He didn't trust it. Whether or not Lex was right, or was manipulating him, warning him, whatever.
"I don't care. It doesn't matter, because I know it'll be worth it." Whitney straightened. He turned to leave.
"I'm sure it will" Lex said the words softly as Whitney opened the door. Whitney hesitated slightly, the only indication that he'd heard those last words.
The warmth inside the Talon hit him like a furnace after having been outside so long. There were people crowded around strategically placed tables, smaller couples here and there. The atmosphere was relaxing and inviting. He spotted Lana a moment before she swooped down on him.
"Whitney, where have you been? I looked all over for you." Lana grabbed his arm and lead him over to the refreshment tables.
"I was outside talking to Lex Luthor." Lana blinked up at him prettily. She was clearly surprised.
"About what?"
"About relationships."
"Do I want to know?" Lana smiled.
"What do you want to know?" They were interrupted by a perky and inquisitive voice. Chloe Sullivan demanded the information with a grin.
"Nice hair, by the way." Chloe put in before either of them had a chance to reply, gesturing to Whitney.
"Uh, thanks, you too." Chloe's eyes penetrated him with a suspicious glare. Daring him to mock her.
Whitney floundered. "It's, uh, fluffy." Chloe's eyes narrowed further.
Lana burst out laughing. Chloe turned to Lana, ignoring Whitney, as he didn't warrant her attention.
"So, what do you want to know?" She repeated.
Whitney slunk off while he had the chance. He didn't hear Lana's answer but heard both of the girls giggle in response.
He made a circuitous path to Clark's group, stopping along the way to engage in a little conversation here and there. He grabbed some cheese puffs and a drink along the way. He made it just in time to overhear the heated debate on the Crows chances at the district championships.
"We're going to nail it this year." This was Pete's loyal opinion.
"I don't know. Granville is having a kick ass year." Pete looked at Brent as if he'd blasphemed.
"Are you kidding? Granville's center runs like my grandmother," Mark Weaver contributed that piece of wisdom. Pete gave him a nod of approval.
Whitney caught Clark's gaze over the group. Clark gave him a tiny smile.
"Well, it's not like Randall's any better, shit, if Fordman hadn't quit this …" Brent broke off, a guilty expression on his face as he noticed Whitney hovering at the edge of the group.
There was an awkward silence. Clark jumped up and grabbed his arm.
"Whitney, there's something I wanted to show you … over there." Whitney was dragged off. Damn, Clark was stronger than he looked.
Clark pulled towards the back of the room, near the staircase to the balcony.
"It's okay, Clark. You didn't have to pull me away."
"I wanted to show you something ... the staircase."
"You wanted to show me the staircase?" Clark looked at him sheepishly.
"Uh, yeah, see how wide it is. It's unusually wide." Whitney felt like laughing, Clark was just … was just so bad at this. Not surprisingly, Clark blushed.
"So, what were you doing outside for so long?"
"I was talking to your friend Lex." Whitney glanced at Clark to garner his reaction. He saw mild curiosity. Clark sat down on one of the steps. Whitney followed. Clark was wrong; the stairway was not wide at all. Their knees touched, neither pulled away. Both were recalled to what they had been doing only a half hour ago.
Whitney smiled and looked deep into Clark's eyes. The rest of the room vanished. Only the two of them existed.
"We talked about perfection."