"Truly, to tell lies is not honorable;
but when the truth entails tremendous ruin,
To speak dishonorably is pardonable."

-Sophocles, Creusa

   Lex's estimates on the timing of the afternoon were quite good. He would indeed have made it back to the manor a good while before Clark called in, a little while after the end of school. What he didn't bank on however, was Clark's cutting class.

 "Why the shock?" Clark had asked light-heartedly, seeing Chloe's expression. "You can't tell me you've never cut class before. In fact, don't even try and get at me for skipping Trig because I know you did the same a few months back! "

  They'd been standing at Clark's locker towards the end of lunch as he hurriedly sorted out his books. He'd figured out that even with his super-speed (which, admittedly, he couldn't use a hell of a lot in daylight, and certainly not around town at this hour) he would struggle to fit in all his plans for tonight; to see Lex for any reasonable amount of time, meet Chloe at The Talon for last-minute party planning with Lana, fix the fence in the north field his Dad had been nagging him about, and finish a 1500 word assignment for tomorrow.  Remembering though that his parents were doing some shopping in Metropolis today, he realised that he could cut both his afternoon classes, and complete both his chores and his homework (the latter even faster than usual, without his mother to tell him off for rushing it. And when Clark rushed his work, he really rushed.). Then all he had to do was spend twenty minutes max at The Talon (after which he planned to eat out with Chloe by the way, mom, so don't expect him back for dinner), and the rest of his evening could be spent with Lex.

 First though, he had deal with Chloe's disapproval.

"Yes, I've cut class" she was saying, "but for one, that was urgent Torch business, and two, my work hasn't been slipping this year."

 Clark started to argue, but knew it to be true. Chloe was one of the world's great multi-taskers, and thrived on having so full a life that she constantly had to make sure her schoolwork, social life, and managing of The Torch didn't clash. She'd said recently, that what with the kidnappings and falling from high windows here in Smallville, her life was even more hectic than it had been growing up in Metropolis.

 But Clark…well, he really could do a lot of things ten times faster than those around him. But a lot of the time that just meant his parents gave him extra work to do around the farm. As for his work, as already said, he really couldn't do all of it at super-speed, and he did honestly do a lot of work for the Torch too - certainly he'd been writing more for it since his new-found love of his English classes. But the key point, the one which he truly, desperately wanted to get across to Chloe and to wipe that half-angry, half-concerned look off her face was this; how could he possibly be expected to keep his interest in schoolwork alive when he'd just found out he was an alien? When he'd found himself gaining new abilities, just one of which, if found out, would set him up as a freak for life.  And yes, Chloe and Lana and Pete had all of them got mixed up in all the little 'adventures' of the past year. But for every minute they'd been witness to something from the Wall of Weird, Clark had spent an hour actually fighting it. All the times he'd had to make an excuse and rush off somewhere, they'd all just ordered take-out and carried on researching, or gone home and had some dinner; but Clark had been off saving lives, stopping bullets, and even robbing apartments.

 So excuse him, if he was a little too tired and confused to get every assignment in on time, or pass every test.

   Of course though, he couldn't say any of that, and he sure as hell couldn't add "oh, and I'm also now spending every spare waking minute either with my secret boyfriend, or worrying about the fact that I have a secret boyfriend."

 Instead he just gave her a vague tired look. Strangely enough though, she understood it perfectly, albeit with some bitterness; I don't really know anything about you anymore. Fine. Do what you like.

 Thankfully the bell rang before she could voice her thoughts, and with a hasty "See you at the Talon" Clark was gone.

- - -

  Even before school was officially out for the day, Clark had finished what he needed to do, and was driving to Lex's. It was strange, he thought, before he got to the mansion each evening, kissed Lex and had him ask , in all eagerness, to tell him everything about his day , Clark didn't feel like he was at home.

 Perhaps there was a pang of regret with that thought, but it was a small one. He loved his parents truly and dearly, but, painful and perhaps ungrateful as it was for him to admit it, he found he'd lost an ounce of respect for them…or to be honest, for his father. It wasn't all gone not by a long shot – but having accepted that his feelings for Lex weren't something to be ashamed of, the fact that his parents wouldn't accept anything of the kind made them appear different now to Clark.

  He'd spoken about it with Lex in the past few days. At first he'd been reluctant to, ever aware of how unappreciative he would seem to someone who'd lost his mother, and who'd never been shown real affection by his father. But Lex had dismissed any of that.

 "You don't ever have to hide anything from me, Clark, whatever the reasons, and no matter how good you think your intentions are." Thankfully Lex had been looking away as he'd said those words, or he would have seen Clark's most

 Recent inner turmoil in his face; whether or not hell could, or should, tell Lex who..no, what he really was. 'What' because, every time Clark had ever run through such a confession in his head with anyone, let alone Lex, he always ended up pleading "But I'm still me. I'm still the person you've always known", before making up some utterly lame analogy along the lines of "you should still care for me if you found out I was, say, Jewish….so I'm a different race, why should that matter?" well, you idiot, he'd answered  himself, because you're not explaining that you can't celebrate Christmas with him, you're explaining that you can't be hurt by bullets, fire, knives or a fast-moving Porsche.

  So, while he had confessed about his newfound unease with his parents, Clark had allowed yet another opportunity for the real honesty, to pass by.

  Lex had in fact been always very interested to hear about his family relationships –even more of late, for some reason - which made leaving out the all-important Family Secret even more irritating and difficult. Clark had tried as best he could though;

 "Being adopted and everything, my parents have always been a lot more protective of me than say, Chloe or Pete's. Because I have and always will be, their only chance at a child. And  if you knew how much interest they take in my love life…I swear, Lex, they'd like nothing better for me to have a sweet high school romance, followed by marriage and a nice quiet life below the radar…I mean, you know, to stay away from the big city and corporate sharks that could do me wrong."

 They'd both grinned at that.

 "Ah…" Lex had began dryly, "and, not being Lana Lang or even Chloe Sullivan, and certainly having nothing but 'disrespect and contempt' for all things not of Metropolis, I'm doomed to be the corruptor of their miracle child, and the end to all their plans for happiness?"

"Most definitely."

 Lex had paused for a second as a thought occurred to him. When he spoke again it was soft and serious.

 "Y'know Clark…maybe there's a chance they could accept you for what you are…if they could really be convinced it was truly you, and not some 'corruption' of you by me, or a city 'full of confusing ideas'…"

 It had taken Clark a moment or two to understand.

 "No." He'd said, so full of conviction Lex had been stunned, and more than a little intrigued. "There's no way I'm abandoning you in search of some other closeted Smallville kid like me, just to make it easier to convince them. This isn't something I'm doing out of curiosity Lex, its about you,  and how much I love you!"

 And Lex had kissed him long and deep before drawing back and sighing.

 "Once." He said. "I just needed to hear it once."

 Now that was just one of the many wonderful moments that Clark waited for all day. Time talking and being with Lex was his first priority and it only looked like getting better; Lex had hinted at getting away to his apartment in Metropolis soon, and had yesterday asked him whether or not he'd ever thought about travelling in the summer break, but had said no more about it at the time. That's when it had really hit the both of them – this, this incredible, exciting, and utterly comfortable week could be just one of many. They could have a future.

 No wonder then, that Clark had a wide smile on his face at the thought of surprising Lex with his early arrival.

 But that was a smile which vanished immediately as a black limousine shot past him on the road. He got a glimpse of personalised plates.

LUTHR2.

Lionel's car had just come from the Manor.

TBC.

Family Secret even more irritating and difficult. Clark had tried as best he could though;

 "You see, my parents have already had to deal with me not being like everyone else – being an orphan I mean. They accepted that, especially in the eys of others, I could never quite be the normal son…and on more than one occasion y'know it made others, and my parents, uncomfortable – like, say, when people say things like 'my daughter's got her father's eyes', or 'wow, looks like that talent for football runs in the family'. Because then there's this uncomfortable silence as my parents can't respond, and the other person realises what they said and makes a big thing about apologising profusely.

 Now, imagine if, after having to deal with all that and other things, my parents realise they've