"All right, we'll take him from here." Lex gestured and the bodyguards came over. "Carry him in." Clark felt them take him by the shoulders and legs, and settle him into a seat. Lex followed him in and as the door closed, Clark moved closer, though he didn't try to touch him. He wasn't very clean, and besides, he wasn't sure that Lex would want him to. Plus, there were people around. Instead, he closed his eyes and luxuriated in being close, in hearing Lex's voice, in smelling that rich, subtle scent. He wasn't sure if it was cologne--it couldn't be aftershave--or it if was just Lexness pouring off. But he'd never get tired of it.
Clark still couldn't make himself believe that he was out and free and safe. He wished that Lex had been a bit warmer, a bit less business-like, but then that was probably expecting too much. Lex had dozens, no, hundreds of people beating on his bedroom door, all more sophisticated and better-looking and wittier and more in Lex's world than Clark would ever be. A lot had probably changed in Lex's life, and he could hardly have assumed that Lex put everything on hold to make sure that he'd still be Clark's best friend...and lover. And even though he'd never been beautiful, as Lex had told him he was, now, well, he knew he was ugly. He'd not seen himself in any mirrors, but he could look down at his body and see how it had changed.
But Lex had ransomed him, hadn't he? Sixty million. He had no idea how much that amount meant to Lex but it sure sounded like a lot to him. Even if it was chump change, Lex had still paid it. So Lex still had to care a little about him, even just for old time's sake. He'd come in person, too, instead of telling somebody else to deal with it.
The helicopter was so noisy. He hadn't realized how quiet things had been in the facility. The whirring of the heater, every now and again, somebody coming to give him water to drink, maybe the person would say something to him, or he'd say something and usually the person would answer. They'd not tell him anything of what was happening in the outside world, just as another precaution. He couldn't really blame them, he guessed. They were just trying to keep things safe. Make sure he wasn't some kind of alien spy.
"Lex?"
"Yes, Clark?" So level.
"Do you...do you happen to know...are...is everybody all right, back home?" He'd given in tamely to everything they'd done because they'd told him what would happen to the Kents if he did. Ransom had to promise that they were bluffing before Clark would agree to talk to Lex, to ask to be ransomed.
"What do you mean?"
"Mom and Dad. Pete. Lana. Chloe."
"I really don't know, Clark. I left Smallville fairly quickly."
"This is going to sound so dumb, but...how long was it since...how long has it been?"
Lex pursed his lips. He had to think about it, Clark thought mournfully. "About three years, give or take."
Three years. A lot can happen. A lot probably did happen. He desperately wanted to grab Lex's hand again, or to bury his face in Lex's shoulder. Instead, he clasped his hands in his lap and gripped them. Lex would help him. He still had some tiny part of Lex, at least. Even if it was only his pity. Even a more or less indifferent pity. It was still some tiny bit of him.
Clark saw the ground change from nothing but thick tree-cover to fields and finally to scattered trees among buildings. The helicopter started to descend. Lex, who had pulled out papers again, put them away and looked at him.
"I'm taking you back to Metropolis in the jet with me. I'll decide what to do then."
Something was strange about that, but Clark couldn't figure it out. It didn't matter, really. "Maybe I can call my parents?"
"Not now." Oh, right, it's not safe to call on an airplane or something. He hoped he wouldn't be stupid for good as well as ugly. It wouldn't matter to his parents, of course, or to his friends, but...he didn't want to be somebody they'd spend time with because they loved him, he wanted to be somebody whose company they'd enjoy. He was never able to keep up with Lex's mind, of course, but Lex had liked him anyway. Maybe they still would, too. Or maybe he'd get better. Three years, though. They'd have graduated, or be getting ready to graduate. College. Wow. He'd probably have to go back through at least all of freshman year. Would they even let him? He wasn't sure what the rules were, now that he was older.
Lex was looking at him with a strange expression. It was amused, but as if he really weren't. "What are you thinking about, Clark?"
"School."
"Already." Lex's amusement was clear.
"Well, I'll probably-" He felt his eyes fill with tears again. God, Lex wouldn't want to talk to a crybaby. Sure enough, Lex looked away. Maybe he was being polite. Maybe he wasn't disgusted, or not much.
"Carry him into the jet." Lex got out of the helicopter so easily, while they were hauling him like a sack of potatos.
The jet was something else. He'd imagined it would be something like a regular plane, but instead, there were only a few seats, and a big table. The lights were nice and so was the carpeting. Lex told a man in uniform, "Pull down the bed," and turning to the man carrying him, "You can put him there."
The bed had nice sheets, Clark could tell that just from craning his head and looking at them. Linen or something. "No, really, I'm all dirty, I don't want to get it-"
Lex interrupted. "Put him there."
Clark still couldn't make himself believe that he was out and free and safe. He wished that Lex had been a bit warmer, a bit less business-like, but then that was probably expecting too much. Lex had dozens, no, hundreds of people beating on his bedroom door, all more sophisticated and better-looking and wittier and more in Lex's world than Clark would ever be. A lot had probably changed in Lex's life, and he could hardly have assumed that Lex put everything on hold to make sure that he'd still be Clark's best friend...and lover. And even though he'd never been beautiful, as Lex had told him he was, now, well, he knew he was ugly. He'd not seen himself in any mirrors, but he could look down at his body and see how it had changed.
But Lex had ransomed him, hadn't he? Sixty million. He had no idea how much that amount meant to Lex but it sure sounded like a lot to him. Even if it was chump change, Lex had still paid it. So Lex still had to care a little about him, even just for old time's sake. He'd come in person, too, instead of telling somebody else to deal with it.
The helicopter was so noisy. He hadn't realized how quiet things had been in the facility. The whirring of the heater, every now and again, somebody coming to give him water to drink, maybe the person would say something to him, or he'd say something and usually the person would answer. They'd not tell him anything of what was happening in the outside world, just as another precaution. He couldn't really blame them, he guessed. They were just trying to keep things safe. Make sure he wasn't some kind of alien spy.
"Lex?"
"Yes, Clark?" So level.
"Do you...do you happen to know...are...is everybody all right, back home?" He'd given in tamely to everything they'd done because they'd told him what would happen to the Kents if he did. Ransom had to promise that they were bluffing before Clark would agree to talk to Lex, to ask to be ransomed.
"What do you mean?"
"Mom and Dad. Pete. Lana. Chloe."
"I really don't know, Clark. I left Smallville fairly quickly."
"This is going to sound so dumb, but...how long was it since...how long has it been?"
Lex pursed his lips. He had to think about it, Clark thought mournfully. "About three years, give or take."
Three years. A lot can happen. A lot probably did happen. He desperately wanted to grab Lex's hand again, or to bury his face in Lex's shoulder. Instead, he clasped his hands in his lap and gripped them. Lex would help him. He still had some tiny part of Lex, at least. Even if it was only his pity. Even a more or less indifferent pity. It was still some tiny bit of him.
Clark saw the ground change from nothing but thick tree-cover to fields and finally to scattered trees among buildings. The helicopter started to descend. Lex, who had pulled out papers again, put them away and looked at him.
"I'm taking you back to Metropolis in the jet with me. I'll decide what to do then."
Something was strange about that, but Clark couldn't figure it out. It didn't matter, really. "Maybe I can call my parents?"
"Not now." Oh, right, it's not safe to call on an airplane or something. He hoped he wouldn't be stupid for good as well as ugly. It wouldn't matter to his parents, of course, or to his friends, but...he didn't want to be somebody they'd spend time with because they loved him, he wanted to be somebody whose company they'd enjoy. He was never able to keep up with Lex's mind, of course, but Lex had liked him anyway. Maybe they still would, too. Or maybe he'd get better. Three years, though. They'd have graduated, or be getting ready to graduate. College. Wow. He'd probably have to go back through at least all of freshman year. Would they even let him? He wasn't sure what the rules were, now that he was older.
Lex was looking at him with a strange expression. It was amused, but as if he really weren't. "What are you thinking about, Clark?"
"School."
"Already." Lex's amusement was clear.
"Well, I'll probably-" He felt his eyes fill with tears again. God, Lex wouldn't want to talk to a crybaby. Sure enough, Lex looked away. Maybe he was being polite. Maybe he wasn't disgusted, or not much.
"Carry him into the jet." Lex got out of the helicopter so easily, while they were hauling him like a sack of potatos.
The jet was something else. He'd imagined it would be something like a regular plane, but instead, there were only a few seats, and a big table. The lights were nice and so was the carpeting. Lex told a man in uniform, "Pull down the bed," and turning to the man carrying him, "You can put him there."
The bed had nice sheets, Clark could tell that just from craning his head and looking at them. Linen or something. "No, really, I'm all dirty, I don't want to get it-"
Lex interrupted. "Put him there."