Clark was fighting the urge to sleep, though he gave in on keeping his eyes open. He could still feel things that way, the comfortable bed, the clean sheets, and above all, Lex's presence. Lex wasn't close enough for Clark to smell him, but he heard the sounds of Lex turning papers and and more importantly, could sense that he was there, even sense the movement when Lex crossed his legs. He knew how unreasonable it was to think that if he fell asleep, he might lose these things, but somehow he was still afraid.
There was motion and suddenly Lex wasn't close by any longer. His eyes jerked open and he looked about. Okay, he was just getting another drink. The motion of the jet seemed to change and he asked, "Are we landing?"
"About twenty more minutes, I think. Then I'll take you to the penthouse."
"You don't have to...my parents...I don't want to be more of a bother than I've already been. Though that sounds pretty stupid, under the circumstances."
"No, Clark, I'm taking you there." On one hand, he didn't like the note of command in Lex's voice, it sounded almost like his business voice, but on the other hand, it was somehow reassuring to know that Lex was making the decisions. But there was the one thing he had to know but didn't know how to ask without sounding pathetic and needy and pushy and demanding and even ungrateful. Maybe wanting what he wanted was pathetic and needy and all the rest of it. But he had to know, instead of trying to guess.
"Lex...I know it's different now, but...if I were normal again, if everything was like it was before...would you still, well, want me?"
"That's an interesting question."
"I mean, I'm sure there have been other people..."
"*Many* other people. Why do you ask?"
"I...I was just wondering...nothing's like it was."
"Heraclitus said that you can never step in the same river twice."
"Hmmm? Oh, I get it, I guess, the river changes."
"The water keeps moving." He figured that was Lex's way of telling him that he'd moved on. He so did not want to cry again but couldn't help the tears coming to his eyes, as he wondered who else had moved on.
The jet was clearly descending and Clark felt his ears pop. Lex sat down again and buckled the seat belt. The descent became steeper and the roaring sound began to hurt his ears, so he raised his hands to cover them. It felt strange to be able to feel pain and do something about it. After a while in the facility, once they'd decided that he didn't know anything more than what he told them, they first tried to sedate him rather than implant the rocks, but that hadn't worked, any more than the painkillers they'd given him after the implants. Even if they had worked, it would have been somebody else controlling how much or how little pain he felt. After the jolt that indicated they'd landed and the plane stopped moving, Lex got up, went to what looked like a half-size wardrobe and gestured for him to get up.
"I can hardly let anybody see me carting you half-naked, even if it's just from the limousine to the penthouse."
There was motion and suddenly Lex wasn't close by any longer. His eyes jerked open and he looked about. Okay, he was just getting another drink. The motion of the jet seemed to change and he asked, "Are we landing?"
"About twenty more minutes, I think. Then I'll take you to the penthouse."
"You don't have to...my parents...I don't want to be more of a bother than I've already been. Though that sounds pretty stupid, under the circumstances."
"No, Clark, I'm taking you there." On one hand, he didn't like the note of command in Lex's voice, it sounded almost like his business voice, but on the other hand, it was somehow reassuring to know that Lex was making the decisions. But there was the one thing he had to know but didn't know how to ask without sounding pathetic and needy and pushy and demanding and even ungrateful. Maybe wanting what he wanted was pathetic and needy and all the rest of it. But he had to know, instead of trying to guess.
"Lex...I know it's different now, but...if I were normal again, if everything was like it was before...would you still, well, want me?"
"That's an interesting question."
"I mean, I'm sure there have been other people..."
"*Many* other people. Why do you ask?"
"I...I was just wondering...nothing's like it was."
"Heraclitus said that you can never step in the same river twice."
"Hmmm? Oh, I get it, I guess, the river changes."
"The water keeps moving." He figured that was Lex's way of telling him that he'd moved on. He so did not want to cry again but couldn't help the tears coming to his eyes, as he wondered who else had moved on.
The jet was clearly descending and Clark felt his ears pop. Lex sat down again and buckled the seat belt. The descent became steeper and the roaring sound began to hurt his ears, so he raised his hands to cover them. It felt strange to be able to feel pain and do something about it. After a while in the facility, once they'd decided that he didn't know anything more than what he told them, they first tried to sedate him rather than implant the rocks, but that hadn't worked, any more than the painkillers they'd given him after the implants. Even if they had worked, it would have been somebody else controlling how much or how little pain he felt. After the jolt that indicated they'd landed and the plane stopped moving, Lex got up, went to what looked like a half-size wardrobe and gestured for him to get up.
"I can hardly let anybody see me carting you half-naked, even if it's just from the limousine to the penthouse."