He wasn't able to control the tight anger coiled in his muscles but he was able to control his voice. He made it as gentle and warm as he could, and found that that control was enough to let him raise a hand to stroke Clark's hair.
"Clark--I *know* it's not something you wanted, but I have to know. Who...took advantage of you?" He could imagine, all too clearly, the kinds of lying promises, or even half-promises. *Do this, and we'll consider letting you go. No, that wasn't quite enough. Try again.* And Clark, becoming more and more certain that it was futile, but giving in, perhaps just to have what even he knew was an illusion of hope. It was all achingly familiar. After all, he'd done much the same thing, in more than one arena, holding out just enough hope to tantalize and humiliate.
"Took advantage?"
Clark seemed genuinely confused and Lex stroked his hair again, forcing away the rage that made him want to go kill somebody. In person. Bare hands. "Somebody there used you sexually. Who?"
"No, nobody..." Clark was frowning. "Did he tell you they were, to make you want to come get me?"
"Clark, I know it wasn't your fault. I'd have done the same thing, if I thought there was a chance that it would get me out."
"You don't believe me." Clark's face hardened, and a line that already had no business being on his forehead at his age deepened. "You think I...let somebody..."
Maybe he was wrong to have pushed him this far, this early. No, he was wrong. Clark's recovery had to come before anything else. But here he was, tormenting Clark with something Clark clearly wanted to forget. But he himself knew that denying something happened wasn't the way to forget. "How did you learn to kiss like that, Clark?"
Clark turned red, from anger or embarassment. "So you think that I...no, nobody there touched me, nobody tried to. I had nothing else to do but think about...how I wanted to be with you again. I could imagine for hours what it would be like, just to kiss you." He pushed Lex off him, to the side. "But I never thought that you'd *still* not believe me."
"Clark--I *know* it's not something you wanted, but I have to know. Who...took advantage of you?" He could imagine, all too clearly, the kinds of lying promises, or even half-promises. *Do this, and we'll consider letting you go. No, that wasn't quite enough. Try again.* And Clark, becoming more and more certain that it was futile, but giving in, perhaps just to have what even he knew was an illusion of hope. It was all achingly familiar. After all, he'd done much the same thing, in more than one arena, holding out just enough hope to tantalize and humiliate.
"Took advantage?"
Clark seemed genuinely confused and Lex stroked his hair again, forcing away the rage that made him want to go kill somebody. In person. Bare hands. "Somebody there used you sexually. Who?"
"No, nobody..." Clark was frowning. "Did he tell you they were, to make you want to come get me?"
"Clark, I know it wasn't your fault. I'd have done the same thing, if I thought there was a chance that it would get me out."
"You don't believe me." Clark's face hardened, and a line that already had no business being on his forehead at his age deepened. "You think I...let somebody..."
Maybe he was wrong to have pushed him this far, this early. No, he was wrong. Clark's recovery had to come before anything else. But here he was, tormenting Clark with something Clark clearly wanted to forget. But he himself knew that denying something happened wasn't the way to forget. "How did you learn to kiss like that, Clark?"
Clark turned red, from anger or embarassment. "So you think that I...no, nobody there touched me, nobody tried to. I had nothing else to do but think about...how I wanted to be with you again. I could imagine for hours what it would be like, just to kiss you." He pushed Lex off him, to the side. "But I never thought that you'd *still* not believe me."