Title: A Luthor Christmas
Author: MitchPell
Rating: R
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville; it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using their stuff for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: My thanks go out to Adri, my wonderful beta-reader! I had to through in all of the James. I reminds me so much of my family. My grandpa is named John, my dad is named John, and my brother is named John. Then I have an Uncle Mike and two cousins named Mike. LOL! Luckily everyone has nicknames! This is part of the Slash Advent Calendar Challenge situated at: "; \t "_blank" . This story was actually rated NC-17, but I toned it down to an R rating so I could post it here. If you are interested in reading the NC-17 version, you can find it up at my site: "; .
Summary: Most people assume that the Luthor Annual Christmas Party is a big company party. But what if it isn't?
Email: "mailto:mitchpell@yahoo.com"
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Phaze: Thanks again for the review! I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy it. LOL! Yes, it isn't very hard to guess who Lex will be giving music box to, but maybe there will still be a little bit of a surprise in there. Yeah, the more I wrote, the more I liked Emma myself. She just tells it like it is, but she's still sympathetic and understanding. Yeah, I did go a little into the future. This, unfortunately, is the last chapter. But I'm thinking of writing more when next Christmas rolls around. Hopefully it will turn into something I can do every year! Thanks again for continuing to read and review this story. I truly appreciate it!
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An extremely nervous twenty-five-year old Lex Luthor led a slightly amused Clark Kent up the front steps of his Grandfather's country home. Clark and he had been together for almost a year now. And this was their first Christmas as a couple. When they had started to make their holiday plans, Lex never thought that Clark would want to come with him to his Grandfather's. He figured he'd go alone and then meet up with Clark at his parents later on Christmas Day. But Clark had wanted to come. In fact, much to Lex's dismay, he had insisted.
It wasn't that Lex didn't want Clark to go with him. He just didn't think Clark would have a very pleasant evening. After all, pleasant and Luthors didn't mix very well. And he had tried to explain that to Clark. But Clark had pretty much just told him to shut up because he was going whether Lex liked it or not.
So around noon, they had piled into one of Lex's cars and headed for his Grandfather's. Lex had spent most of the four hour drive alternating between telling Clark about the family he had practically neglected to mention for the past four years and trying to convince him to change his mind about going. Of course, Clark had listened intently as Lex told him who was who among the Luthors and ignored his attempts to change his mind. Lex found it extremely frustrating that he could convince the business leaders of the world to submit to his demands. But he couldn't get his significant other to see that spending Christmas with the Luthors was a bad idea.
Lex stopped halfway up the stairs and turned towards Clark. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. "Because if you don't you can take the car to Smallville and I'll get my grandmother's driver to bring me over tomorrow afternoon."
Clark rolled his eyes at him. "Lex, are you going in that door?" He asked while gesturing at the entranceway behind Lex.
"Yes." Lex replied.
"Then so am I."
"What is your problem, Clark?" Lex demanded. "Didn't you get the flyer on Luthors and how they're evil and should be avoided at all costs?"
"Yes, I did. But I threw it out with all the rest of the junk mail." Clark snapped before softening his tone. "Look, Lex," he said as he reached out and grasped Lex's hands. "Nothing bad is going to happen. You're family is going to love me."
Lex raised an eyebrow at that. "Really?" He asked.
Clark grinned at him and shrugged his shoulders. "Of course." He replied. "I figure if I can charm one Luthor I can charm them all."
Lex chuckled at that. "Well you have to remember, Clark, that in my family I'm the old one out." He told him. "They tend to disagree with most of my views."
Clark took a step closer, moving into Lex's personal space. He released one of Lex's hands and caressed his cheek. "Do you love me?" He asked softly.
Lex closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "You know I do." He whispered.
"Then why does it matter what they think?" He asked as he moved forward to kiss him.
Lex placed his hand on Clark's chest to stop him. "They're my family, Clark."
Clark gently squeezed Lex's hand. "Which is why I want to meet them."
Lex sighed then leaned his forehead against Clark's chest. "Alright." He whispered. He stood there for a minute in Clark's embrace before lifting his head and smoothing out his shirt. "Let's do this."
Clark smiled at him. "Lead on." He said.
Lex retook Clark's hand and led him into the foyer where Margaret met them. "Hello, Margaret." He greeted as he slipped off his coat, gloves, scarf, and hat.
"Hello, Lex." Margaret replied. "How are you doing this evening?" She asked as she took his things.
"I'm fine, thank you." Lex answered. "Clark," he said as he looked at the younger man. "I'd like you to meet Margaret Belle, my grandmother's housekeeper. Margaret, this is Clark Kent."
"Nice to meet you." Clark said as he extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you as well, Clark." Margaret replied as she shook his hand. "May I take you coat?"
Clark blushed as he shrugged out of his jacket. "Sorry." He said.
Margaret just smiled at him. "No need to apologize."
Lex grinned at his lover. "Come on, Clark." He said as he grabbed a hold of Clark's hand and pulled him down the hallway towards the kitchen. Lex entered the large room, with Clark in tow, and found his grandmother, his Aunt Mel, Lydia, and Marie. He made his way over to his grandmother, releasing Clark's hand so he could give her her hug and kiss. "Hello, Grandma."
"Hello, Lex." She replied.
"Everyone." Lex called into the room. "I would like you all to meet Clark Kent." He said as he gently pulled Clark to stand beside him. "Clark this is my Grandmother, Emma Luthor; my Aunt Melinda; her daughter, Lydia; and my grandmother's cook, Marie."
"Nice to meet you all." Clark said.
"Likewise, Clark." Emma replied. "It's good to finally meet you."
"Yeah, Clark." Lydia chimed in. "Lex mentions you all the time. But he never really says anything. So it's nice to finally meet the man behind the mystery.
Lex rolled his eyes at his cousin, before gesturing for Clark to sit down. The two sat side by side across from Emma. "So, how've you been, Grandma?" Lex asked.
"Oh, I can't complain too much." Emma replied. "My knee's been acting up more and more. William had a look at it earlier this evening. He wants me to start wearing a brace."
"You should listen to him." Lex told her.
"I'm eighty years old, Lex. I'm just glad I can still walk." She said. "I'd don't expect to be pain free."
"Still," Lex replied. "If it'll ease the pain you should do it."
"I'll think about it." She said. "Now, what about yourself?" She asked. "How've you been?"
Lex glanced over at Clark and smiled. "I've been great."
Emma looked at Clark. "I get the feeling that you have a lot to do with that." She said.
Clark just blushed and ducked his head.
Lex smirked at his grandmother. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"No, quite the contrary. I'm actually quite please." She replied.
Lex's smirk turned into a smile. "Thank you."
The three of them sat in companionable silence for a few minutes as Melinda, Lydia, and Marie bustled around the kitchen. "Well," Emma said eventually, "I suppose we should head on over to the living room."
Lex nodded his head then stood up. He grabbed a piece of turkey off the platter setting in the middle of the kitchen table. He split the piece in half and gave a piece of it to Clark.
"Don't go spreading you bad manners, Alexander." His Aunt Melinda scolded.
Lex just grinned at her before leading Clark out of the kitchen and down to the sitting room. As they entered the room, no one paid heed to them, which was typical. Therefore, Lex cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. Once the room was quiet, Lex introduced them. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Clark Kent. Clark, this is my grandfather, Laurence; my Uncle James; his son, James II; his wife, Jackie; their son, James III; my Aunt Megan; her husband, Robert Larkson; their son, William; his wife, Francis; and the newest addition to the family, their son, Walter. And of course you know my father." Everyone said a few hellos, and then Lex and Clark sat beside Lionel on the couch.
"Lex," Laurence said. "So glad you could make it."
"You always say that as if I'm late, Grandfather." Lex replied. "Which I'm not."
"No, but you are always the last to arrive." Lionel pointed out.
Lex merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "That may be true," He replied. "But I assure you it's unintentional."
"I find that hard to believe." Lionel commented.
"You're father and I were just discussing his inability to yet put an end to your little rebellion." Laurence told him.
Lex fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Grandfather, LexCorp is neither a form of rebellion nor little." Lex informed him. "We now have several branches through out the country. And as I'm sure you noticed, we even made the 'Fortune 500' list this year."
Laurence scoffed. "Yes, I noticed. I also noticed your position on the list." He said. "Three hundred twenty three isn't anything to brag about, Alexander."
"Especially with LuthorCorp ranked ninth." Lionel added.
Lex sighed. "It might not be the best ranking." He told them. "But it's a start."
"I was actually impressed." Clark said. "Considering that LexCorp was just a fertilizer plant in Smallville, I think Lex has done an excellent job over the past three years." He didn't like how Lionel and Laurence were speaking to his lover, so he decided to stick up for him.
"I suppose you would, Mr. Kent." Laurence replied rather coldly.
"I suggest that you stay out of matters that don't concern you, Clark." Lionel told him.
"If it concerns Lex then it concerns me." Clark shot back. "I'm…"
"It's alright, Clark." Lex said as he placed his hand on Clark's thigh. He smiled reassuringly at his lover. "Trust me."
Clark gave him a resigned look, and sunk back into the couch.
Lex turned back to his father and grandfather. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't speak to Clark like that." He told them.
Laurence merely grunted in response.
"I mean it, Grandfather. He is very important to me."
"You'll have to forgive me, Alexander, if I don't particularly care about your little friend." He grandfather replied.
Lex glared at his grandfather. "Clark is more than just a friend, Grandfather. He is my significant other and you will treat him with the respect that he deserves as such."
Laurence looked slightly appalled "You brought one of your male lovers into my house?" He asked. "What you do behind closed doors is your business, Alexander. But this is unacceptable."
"Father," Lionel interjected. "Unless you want Lex to totally alienate himself from this family I suggest you learn to accept Clark. The two of them cannot be separated. Believe me I've tried."
At that moment Margaret entered the room and announced that dinner was ready.
Lex hung back a little as everyone filed into the dining room. Once they were out of hearing distance he turned to Clark. "I'm sorry, Clark, for the way my grandfather's treating you." He said.
Clark just smiled at him. "It's ok, Lex." His smile was quickly replaced with a frown. "It kind of gives me an idea of what you have to put up with with my father." He told him. "You're dad was the one that surprised me though. What was all that about?"
"I'm not sure." Lex replied. "I'm going to chalk it up to your mother's influence."
Clark gave him a quizzical look. "Lex, my mom stopped working for your dad when he permanently moved back to Metropolis, which was more than a year ago. Don't you think any influence my mom had would have worn off by now?"
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "Can you think of any other reason?" He asked.
"No."
"My point exactly." Lex said as they entered the dining room.
Soon everyone was seated at the table and served. Clark was a little awed at the whole thing. He didn't have any extended family except for this estranged grandfather. So he found it slightly amazing that the fourteen people sitting at that large table were all related to Lex. Yet, Lex never talked about them. And Clark didn't understand why.
As usual, diner passed quickly with the normal discussion of business. And afterwards James III was sent upstairs to entertain himself while everyone else moved back into the living room for a nightcap.
As soon as everyone was seated Emma said, "So, Clark, Lex failed to mention what you do."
"Oh, I'm studying journalism at Metropolis University." He replied.
At that everyone turned to stare at him. "A reporter, Beets?" His cousin James asked.
Lex smirked at him. "Come on, James." He replied. "That's just what this family needs. After all, we already have businessmen, lawyers, doctors, and a judge. Having someone within the media circuit is perfect."
Emma scoffed at her grandson. "That better not be the reason you're with him, Alexander." She scolded.
Clark laughed. "It's not, Mrs. Luthor." He assured her. "It's kind of an inside joke."
She still cast a wary look at Lex, even though Clark's assurance seemed to placate her.
"So do you live in the dorms then?" Melinda asked.
Clark couldn't stop the blush that crept up his cheeks. "Well, I have a dorm room, but I pretty much live with Lex." He admitted.
Laurence snorted at that.
"Yes. Wasn't it awfully convenient that Lex moved back to the city a few weeks before you left for school?" Lionel asked.
Lex sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I moved back to the city because it was becoming too difficult to run LexCorp from Smallville."
"You needed to move back months before you did." Lionel countered.
"I won't tolerate any fighting." Emma warned, successfully ending the bickering between her son and grandson.
A sharp cry from three-month old Walter cut off any response from either Lionel or Lex. "Sorry." Francis apologized as she rocked her young son.
Lex smiled at her. "No need to apologize."
"Speaking of children," James said. "Jackie and I are expecting another child."
The chorus of congratulations was followed by Laurence saying, "I suppose we should stop hoping for grandchildren from you, Alexander."
Clark resisted the urge to just sock Laurence in the face. He treated Lex almost worse than Lionel did. Though thinking better of resorting to physical violence, he said, "I wouldn't rule him out just yet, Mr. Luthor."
Laurence raised an eyebrow at Clark. "I find it very difficult to believe that two men can make a child."
"I would have to agree." Clark told him. "But there are other options, such as surrogate mothers and adoption."
"Adoption," Laurence scoffed. "Why would anyone want to raise another person's child?"
"Clark was adopted." Lex informed his grandfather and was rather pleased to watch the older man shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Besides," he continued. "I don't believe Clark or I are ready to discuss children."
The conversation was then shifted off of Clark and Lex. And around ten o'clock, Emma and Laurence retired for the evening.
James then stood up. "Well, I believe we all know what comes next." He said.
William rolled his eyes. "How could we forget?" He replied as he stood up.
"What's going on?" Clark asked.
"They play Monopoly every year." Francis told him.
Clark raised an amused eyebrow at Lex. "Monopoly?" He asked.
"It's not something I do by choice, Clark." Lex informed him.
"Don't let him lie to you, Clark." Lydia said. "He enjoys it just as much as James does."
Clark laughed as he watched Lex's cousins leave the room. "Aren't we going with them?" He asked.
"Let's go, Beets!" They heard James call from the hallway.
Lex knocked back the rest of the brandy he'd been drinking then got up. He excused them then he and Clark exited the living room, and headed up the stairs.
"Why does he call you Beets?" Clark asked.
Lex suppressed a groan. "It's a long story, Clark. Ask me later." He told him as they entered the upstairs entertainment room just as Jackie was leaving with a sleeping James III in her arms
Clark was a little surprised to see the board setup on the floor. But he quickly shrugged it off and sat down.
James gave him a funny look. "You're playing?" He asked.
"Well, I thought…I mean…"
Lex laughed. "Relax, Clark. You're allowed to play. James is just a little surprised because for the past, what, twenty years, it's only been us four." He explained.
"Jackie and Francis don't play?" Clark asked.
William shrugged. "They don't want to."
"Oh, well. I don't want to intrude." Clark told them.
"Really, Clark, it isn't a problem." Lex assured him.
"Yeah," Lydia chimed in." Maybe if you play someone besides James will win for a change."
"Hey, I won once." Lex informed her as he sat down, slide off his shoes, and handed them to her.
"Once, Lex." Lydia said as she shoved his shoes under the couch. "Once in twenty years."
Clark watched the exchanged between his lover and his cousin with a curious expression on his face.
"Lex isn't allowed to be near his shoes." William told him.
"Why?" Clark asked.
"Because when he was six he threw one at me when he couldn't accept the fact that he had lost." James said.
Clark laughed and turned to Lex. "Really?" He asked.
"I was six, Clark." Lex said in his own defense. When Clark continued to laugh, Lex glared at him. "Can we just start?" He asked.
An hour later Lex and James were still hunched over the game board. Despite Clark's presence, it had still come down to those two. Lex knew he was about to lose, and he was preparing himself. He rolled the dice, moved his piece then picked up his chance card, which sent him to James's Marvin Gardens.
"That's it." He said, defeated. "I'm bankrupt."
James grinned at him. "Wow, Lex, what a graceful loss. I commend you."
Lex didn't bother to respond to him, but simply retrieved his shoes then stood up. He looked down at Clark who had fallen asleep on the couch then leaned down and kissed him awake.
"Mm." Clark moaned as he cracked open an eye. "You guys done?" He asked.
"Yeah." Lex replied. "Come on, we're going to go back to my room."
Clark stretched then got up off the couch. Lex took his hand and led him out of the room. "Goodnight, everyone." He called over his shoulder.
"Yeah, night." Clark called as well.
Lex led Clark down the hall and into his bedroom. He shut the door behind him and watched as Clark wondered around the room.
Clark walked slowly around the room. He let his eyes roam over Lex's many bookshelves. He chuckled and turned back to Lex who was still standing by the door. "Dr. Seuss, Lex?" He teased.
Lex pushed himself off the door and walked over to his lover. "I kept everything." He told him. "I just couldn't bring myself to throw anything out."
Clark laughed and gestured around the room. "All there are is books." He said.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I like to read." He replied.
Clark noticed a frame hanging beside the door. He walked over and read the incased note. "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and sings it back to you when you forget the words." He read aloud. "Lex, I'll always remember your song. Love Jason." Clark looked at Lex. "Who's Jason?"
"He was one of my best friends." Lex told him. "He was also the first man I was ever with romantically." He paused for a minute. "I might have even loved him."
"What happened?" Clark asked.
"My father put an ocean between us." Lex replied. At Clark's puzzled look, he clarified. "My father couldn't except the fact that I was dating another man. So, when he couldn't stop me from seeing Jason, he sent me to boarding school in Europe. And when I came back, Jason was gone."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Lex told him. He walked up to Clark and kissed him deeply. "Things seemed to have worked out alright."
Clark grinned at him. "Just alright?" He asked.
"Perfectly," Lex whispered. He grasped Clark's hands and pulled him over to his bed.
Clark gently eased Lex down onto the bed, blanketing the smaller man with his body. He buried his head in the crook of Lex's neck, kissing his nape. He made his way up from Lex's neck to his jaw and along his jaw to his lips, biting and kissing as he went. He ran his tongue over Lex's slightly swollen lips, asking for admittance. Their kissing soon escalated, until the two were completely lost in each other.
A while later, an exhausted Clark lay on top of his lover, trying not to crush the smaller man with his weight. Lex lazily ran his hand through Clark's hair as they both laid there in post-orgasmic bliss.
"We should clean up." Lex finally murmured.
"Hm." Clark replied.
The two lay there for a few more minutes before getting up, sneaking down the hall, and taking a quick shower. They then returned to bed, Lex curled up on his side with Clark spooned around him.
Lex wasn't sure why he woke. It could have been that the warm chest pressed against his back and the strong arm wrapped around his waist had left. Or it could have been that they took all the blankets with them. Lex rolled over and looked at his lover who was cocooned in his thick comforter. He reached out and ran his fingers through Clark's silky hair. He wasn't worried about waking the other man. Clark was a deep sleeper. And many nights Lex would just lay there and watch him sleep.
Since he had been with Clark, Lex had been sleeping better. He had never been much of a cuddler. But he found that a lot of things had changed since he'd been with the younger man. And for some reason sleep found its way to him easier and stayed longer with Clark pressed tightly against him.
He pressed a kiss to his lover's temple then slipped out of bed. According to the clock on his nightstand it was a little after two. He put on a pair of pajama pants and the t-shirt Clark had given him three years ago then left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
As he entered the large room, Lex flipped on the lights. Then, as habit insisted, he went over to raid the refrigerator. He spotted the bottle of chocolate syrup and smiled. He pulled out the syrup then went to get the vanilla ice cream from the freezer.
Emma Luthor watched her grandson from the doorway. "You know the last time I caught you raiding the freezer you were six years old." She told him as she went to retrieve two bowls. "You were standing on a chair, jumping up an down, because you couldn't reach the tub of ice cream. I thought for sure you were going to fall and break you neck. But you didn't." She smiled up at him and took the tub of ice cream from his hands. "You've always been lucky in that department I guess. Always coming out just by the skin of your teeth."
Lex laughed as he watched her fill the two dishes. "I suppose your right in that regard."
Emma glared at him. "Of course I'm right." She stated as she set the two bowls on the kitchen table in front of Lex. Her expression softened as she watched him cover the ice cream with chocolate syrup. "You sat there across from me, eating your ice cream, and you asked if I thought you'd be a good businessman. You were so worried that you wouldn't be. Now, look at you. It seems all that worrying was for nothing."
Lex smirked at her. "Yes, but I don't think things turned out exactly how grandfather and dad planned." He said.
Emma shrugged. "Maybe not." She told him. "But that's their fault."
The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Lex spoke. "What do you think of Clark?" He asked.
"He seems like a fine young man." She said. "Though I don't like the fact that he's to be a reporter."
Lex chuckled. "Trust me, Grandma. Clark won't use me for a story." He told her.
"How can you be so sure?" She asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "Because he's Clark."
Emma scoffed. "That's not an answer, Alexander."
He smirked at her. "I can't explain it, Grandma, I just know."
Emma huffed. "Does he fill your void?" She asked somewhat sarcastically.
Lex couldn't help stop the blush that crept over his cheeks. He wasn't usually shy about talking about anything remotely sexual. But if his grandmother knew just what void Clark was filling, he might just die of embarrassment right then and there.
Emma eyed her grandson's quizzically. Then her eyes widened as she caught the double meaning of her words. "That's not what I meant, Alexander!" She exclaimed.
Lex cleared his throat. "Sorry. And to answer you're question, yes, he does." He honestly replied.
Emma gave him a wiry look. "And will you allow him to remain there?"
"He is more than welcome to stay for as long as he wants." Lex told her. "I love him."
Emma smiled at him. "Good. I'm glad that you're finally happy." She said. "But I want you to be careful. You've been hurt emotionally too much already. And I'd hate to see Clark add to that."
"I'll be careful." Lex promised as he stood up.
"That's all I ask."
Lex smiled down at her then kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Grandma."
"Goodnight, Lex."
With that Lex left the room and headed back upstairs. He entered his bedroom to find Clark awake, sitting up in bed holding his snow globe.
"Hey." Clark said. "Where'd you go?"
"Downstairs." Lex replied as he walked over to the bed and sat beside his lover.
Clark furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why?" He asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders and took the broken globe out of Clark's hands. "To talk to my grandma."
"At a quarter till three in the morning?"
Lex smiled at him. "I do it every year." He said as he carefully pulled the figurine of his mother out of the broken globe.
After watching Lex study the figure for a minute, Clark asked, "Is that you're mom?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
Clark grinned. "I recognized your father and the boy looked like a picture of you I saw when you were young."
Lex put the figure of his mother back in the globe and turned it in his hands. "My grandmother gave this to me when I was five." He let out a hollow laugh. "She said it was a model for the perfect little family."
"What happened to it?" Clark asked.
"The Christmas after my mother died was pretty hard to me. I felt really alone. And I came in here and saw this snow globe. It was just setting there reminding me of what I'd lost. So I threw it against that door." He said as he gestured towards the entranceway to his room. "It shattered."
"Why didn't you ever get it fixed?" Clark asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to keep it as a reminder. And it just seemed more accurate this way."
Clark took the broken globe from his hands then pulled Lex up against him. He reached over and switched off the light on the nightstand, making sure too keep one hand securely wrapped around his lover.
Lex pillowed his head on Clark's chest. "So what did you think of the your first Christmas with the Luthors?" Lex asked.
Clark chuckled. "It was different." He replied.
"Do you think you could ever bring yourself to come back?"
"I'd come back every year, as long as I'm with you."
"I love you, Clark." Lex whispered.
Clark kissed Lex's smooth scalp and held him closer. "I love you too." With that the two closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, breakfast went by quickly as usual. Clark couldn't believe the lack of food that was set on the table. He didn't complain, though. He merely ate what was given to him, and hoped it would hold him over until he and Lex got back to his parents. The hostility between Clark and Laurence seemed to have lessened, since the night before. Therefore there was no tension amongst the family as they moved to the living room to exchange gifts.
Clark received a few things from the family as well, which he had not been expecting. Lex got his usual gifts, from most of the family, so there were no surprises there. From his grandmother, Lex received a framed copy of the 'Fortune 500' list. Both LexCorp and LuthorCorp were highlighted, and at the bottom in his grandmother's scrawl was written, "The power will soon shift." Lex smiled knowingly up at her and whispered a 'thank you.'
Lex and Clark had discussed if they were going to exchange their gifts at the Kents or the Luthors and had decided on the Luthors. Lex slowly opened the small box from his lover and started wide-eyed at what he found inside. He lifted out the small octagonal disk and the small key made of the same alloy. "Clark is this what I think it is?" He asked.
Clark nodded his head.
"I don't understand. How can you give this too me?"
Clark smiled at him. "I had a copy made. And I wanted you to have the key to my life as well as the key to my heart." He told him.
"Thank you." Lex said, as he smiled at his lover. "Now, open yours."
Clark grinned as he quickly ripped the paper off his gift. Inside he found a small oak box. He opened it and the song "A Beautiful Friend" started to play. And inside the box was a small note. Clark pulled it out, unfolded it, and read it to himself. "Clark, this box was given to my grandmother by my grandfather when he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. I don't expect you to answer right now, under the pressure of my family. But please think about it. Forever yours, Lex Luthor." Clark refolded the note and as he went to place it back in the box he spotted two solid gold rings. He bit his lip to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. He turned to his extremely nervous looking lover and smiled. "I don't have to think about it, Lex. My answer is yes."
Lex threw his arms around Clark and kissed deeply and passionately in front of his entire family. They received a few catcalls from Lydia and several grunts of disapproval, but they didn't care. They were too caught up in the moment. When they finally broke apart everyone in the room was looking at them expectantly. Clark's blush crept all the way up to his hairline as he closed the box and clutched it in his lap. While, Lex merely smirked at them.
"Well," Lydia demanded. "What was that all about?"
Lex looked over at Clark who looked thoroughly embarrassed. "Nothing." He said, perfectly deadpan.
"That was not nothing, Alexander!" Lydia exclaimed.
Emma patted her granddaughter's knee. "They'll tell you when their ready, Lydia." She said.
Later, as Lex was saying goodbye to the rest of the family, Emma pulled Clark aside. "If you hurt him, you'll have to deal with me. Do you understand?" She asked.
"Yes, Ma'am." Clark replied.
"Good." She said. "Now, welcome to the family."
Lex walked up to Clark and his grandmother and took a hold of Clark's hand. He wasn't sure what the future would hold for him. But for once, he wasn't worried. Therefore, it was in thorough contentment that Lex Luthor kissed his grandma goodbye, before walking down the front steps of her house, and climbing into his car.
The End
Author: MitchPell
Rating: R
Pairing: Lex/Clark
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Smallville; it's characters, DC comics, or the WB. I'm just using their stuff for a little bit of non-profitable fun.
Authors Notes: My thanks go out to Adri, my wonderful beta-reader! I had to through in all of the James. I reminds me so much of my family. My grandpa is named John, my dad is named John, and my brother is named John. Then I have an Uncle Mike and two cousins named Mike. LOL! Luckily everyone has nicknames! This is part of the Slash Advent Calendar Challenge situated at: "; \t "_blank" . This story was actually rated NC-17, but I toned it down to an R rating so I could post it here. If you are interested in reading the NC-17 version, you can find it up at my site: "; .
Summary: Most people assume that the Luthor Annual Christmas Party is a big company party. But what if it isn't?
Email: "mailto:mitchpell@yahoo.com"
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Phaze: Thanks again for the review! I'm glad you are continuing to enjoy it. LOL! Yes, it isn't very hard to guess who Lex will be giving music box to, but maybe there will still be a little bit of a surprise in there. Yeah, the more I wrote, the more I liked Emma myself. She just tells it like it is, but she's still sympathetic and understanding. Yeah, I did go a little into the future. This, unfortunately, is the last chapter. But I'm thinking of writing more when next Christmas rolls around. Hopefully it will turn into something I can do every year! Thanks again for continuing to read and review this story. I truly appreciate it!
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An extremely nervous twenty-five-year old Lex Luthor led a slightly amused Clark Kent up the front steps of his Grandfather's country home. Clark and he had been together for almost a year now. And this was their first Christmas as a couple. When they had started to make their holiday plans, Lex never thought that Clark would want to come with him to his Grandfather's. He figured he'd go alone and then meet up with Clark at his parents later on Christmas Day. But Clark had wanted to come. In fact, much to Lex's dismay, he had insisted.
It wasn't that Lex didn't want Clark to go with him. He just didn't think Clark would have a very pleasant evening. After all, pleasant and Luthors didn't mix very well. And he had tried to explain that to Clark. But Clark had pretty much just told him to shut up because he was going whether Lex liked it or not.
So around noon, they had piled into one of Lex's cars and headed for his Grandfather's. Lex had spent most of the four hour drive alternating between telling Clark about the family he had practically neglected to mention for the past four years and trying to convince him to change his mind about going. Of course, Clark had listened intently as Lex told him who was who among the Luthors and ignored his attempts to change his mind. Lex found it extremely frustrating that he could convince the business leaders of the world to submit to his demands. But he couldn't get his significant other to see that spending Christmas with the Luthors was a bad idea.
Lex stopped halfway up the stairs and turned towards Clark. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked. "Because if you don't you can take the car to Smallville and I'll get my grandmother's driver to bring me over tomorrow afternoon."
Clark rolled his eyes at him. "Lex, are you going in that door?" He asked while gesturing at the entranceway behind Lex.
"Yes." Lex replied.
"Then so am I."
"What is your problem, Clark?" Lex demanded. "Didn't you get the flyer on Luthors and how they're evil and should be avoided at all costs?"
"Yes, I did. But I threw it out with all the rest of the junk mail." Clark snapped before softening his tone. "Look, Lex," he said as he reached out and grasped Lex's hands. "Nothing bad is going to happen. You're family is going to love me."
Lex raised an eyebrow at that. "Really?" He asked.
Clark grinned at him and shrugged his shoulders. "Of course." He replied. "I figure if I can charm one Luthor I can charm them all."
Lex chuckled at that. "Well you have to remember, Clark, that in my family I'm the old one out." He told him. "They tend to disagree with most of my views."
Clark took a step closer, moving into Lex's personal space. He released one of Lex's hands and caressed his cheek. "Do you love me?" He asked softly.
Lex closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "You know I do." He whispered.
"Then why does it matter what they think?" He asked as he moved forward to kiss him.
Lex placed his hand on Clark's chest to stop him. "They're my family, Clark."
Clark gently squeezed Lex's hand. "Which is why I want to meet them."
Lex sighed then leaned his forehead against Clark's chest. "Alright." He whispered. He stood there for a minute in Clark's embrace before lifting his head and smoothing out his shirt. "Let's do this."
Clark smiled at him. "Lead on." He said.
Lex retook Clark's hand and led him into the foyer where Margaret met them. "Hello, Margaret." He greeted as he slipped off his coat, gloves, scarf, and hat.
"Hello, Lex." Margaret replied. "How are you doing this evening?" She asked as she took his things.
"I'm fine, thank you." Lex answered. "Clark," he said as he looked at the younger man. "I'd like you to meet Margaret Belle, my grandmother's housekeeper. Margaret, this is Clark Kent."
"Nice to meet you." Clark said as he extended his hand.
"Nice to meet you as well, Clark." Margaret replied as she shook his hand. "May I take you coat?"
Clark blushed as he shrugged out of his jacket. "Sorry." He said.
Margaret just smiled at him. "No need to apologize."
Lex grinned at his lover. "Come on, Clark." He said as he grabbed a hold of Clark's hand and pulled him down the hallway towards the kitchen. Lex entered the large room, with Clark in tow, and found his grandmother, his Aunt Mel, Lydia, and Marie. He made his way over to his grandmother, releasing Clark's hand so he could give her her hug and kiss. "Hello, Grandma."
"Hello, Lex." She replied.
"Everyone." Lex called into the room. "I would like you all to meet Clark Kent." He said as he gently pulled Clark to stand beside him. "Clark this is my Grandmother, Emma Luthor; my Aunt Melinda; her daughter, Lydia; and my grandmother's cook, Marie."
"Nice to meet you all." Clark said.
"Likewise, Clark." Emma replied. "It's good to finally meet you."
"Yeah, Clark." Lydia chimed in. "Lex mentions you all the time. But he never really says anything. So it's nice to finally meet the man behind the mystery.
Lex rolled his eyes at his cousin, before gesturing for Clark to sit down. The two sat side by side across from Emma. "So, how've you been, Grandma?" Lex asked.
"Oh, I can't complain too much." Emma replied. "My knee's been acting up more and more. William had a look at it earlier this evening. He wants me to start wearing a brace."
"You should listen to him." Lex told her.
"I'm eighty years old, Lex. I'm just glad I can still walk." She said. "I'd don't expect to be pain free."
"Still," Lex replied. "If it'll ease the pain you should do it."
"I'll think about it." She said. "Now, what about yourself?" She asked. "How've you been?"
Lex glanced over at Clark and smiled. "I've been great."
Emma looked at Clark. "I get the feeling that you have a lot to do with that." She said.
Clark just blushed and ducked his head.
Lex smirked at his grandmother. "You say that like it's a bad thing."
"No, quite the contrary. I'm actually quite please." She replied.
Lex's smirk turned into a smile. "Thank you."
The three of them sat in companionable silence for a few minutes as Melinda, Lydia, and Marie bustled around the kitchen. "Well," Emma said eventually, "I suppose we should head on over to the living room."
Lex nodded his head then stood up. He grabbed a piece of turkey off the platter setting in the middle of the kitchen table. He split the piece in half and gave a piece of it to Clark.
"Don't go spreading you bad manners, Alexander." His Aunt Melinda scolded.
Lex just grinned at her before leading Clark out of the kitchen and down to the sitting room. As they entered the room, no one paid heed to them, which was typical. Therefore, Lex cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. Once the room was quiet, Lex introduced them. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Clark Kent. Clark, this is my grandfather, Laurence; my Uncle James; his son, James II; his wife, Jackie; their son, James III; my Aunt Megan; her husband, Robert Larkson; their son, William; his wife, Francis; and the newest addition to the family, their son, Walter. And of course you know my father." Everyone said a few hellos, and then Lex and Clark sat beside Lionel on the couch.
"Lex," Laurence said. "So glad you could make it."
"You always say that as if I'm late, Grandfather." Lex replied. "Which I'm not."
"No, but you are always the last to arrive." Lionel pointed out.
Lex merely shrugged his shoulders in response. "That may be true," He replied. "But I assure you it's unintentional."
"I find that hard to believe." Lionel commented.
"You're father and I were just discussing his inability to yet put an end to your little rebellion." Laurence told him.
Lex fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Grandfather, LexCorp is neither a form of rebellion nor little." Lex informed him. "We now have several branches through out the country. And as I'm sure you noticed, we even made the 'Fortune 500' list this year."
Laurence scoffed. "Yes, I noticed. I also noticed your position on the list." He said. "Three hundred twenty three isn't anything to brag about, Alexander."
"Especially with LuthorCorp ranked ninth." Lionel added.
Lex sighed. "It might not be the best ranking." He told them. "But it's a start."
"I was actually impressed." Clark said. "Considering that LexCorp was just a fertilizer plant in Smallville, I think Lex has done an excellent job over the past three years." He didn't like how Lionel and Laurence were speaking to his lover, so he decided to stick up for him.
"I suppose you would, Mr. Kent." Laurence replied rather coldly.
"I suggest that you stay out of matters that don't concern you, Clark." Lionel told him.
"If it concerns Lex then it concerns me." Clark shot back. "I'm…"
"It's alright, Clark." Lex said as he placed his hand on Clark's thigh. He smiled reassuringly at his lover. "Trust me."
Clark gave him a resigned look, and sunk back into the couch.
Lex turned back to his father and grandfather. "I would appreciate it if you wouldn't speak to Clark like that." He told them.
Laurence merely grunted in response.
"I mean it, Grandfather. He is very important to me."
"You'll have to forgive me, Alexander, if I don't particularly care about your little friend." He grandfather replied.
Lex glared at his grandfather. "Clark is more than just a friend, Grandfather. He is my significant other and you will treat him with the respect that he deserves as such."
Laurence looked slightly appalled "You brought one of your male lovers into my house?" He asked. "What you do behind closed doors is your business, Alexander. But this is unacceptable."
"Father," Lionel interjected. "Unless you want Lex to totally alienate himself from this family I suggest you learn to accept Clark. The two of them cannot be separated. Believe me I've tried."
At that moment Margaret entered the room and announced that dinner was ready.
Lex hung back a little as everyone filed into the dining room. Once they were out of hearing distance he turned to Clark. "I'm sorry, Clark, for the way my grandfather's treating you." He said.
Clark just smiled at him. "It's ok, Lex." His smile was quickly replaced with a frown. "It kind of gives me an idea of what you have to put up with with my father." He told him. "You're dad was the one that surprised me though. What was all that about?"
"I'm not sure." Lex replied. "I'm going to chalk it up to your mother's influence."
Clark gave him a quizzical look. "Lex, my mom stopped working for your dad when he permanently moved back to Metropolis, which was more than a year ago. Don't you think any influence my mom had would have worn off by now?"
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "Can you think of any other reason?" He asked.
"No."
"My point exactly." Lex said as they entered the dining room.
Soon everyone was seated at the table and served. Clark was a little awed at the whole thing. He didn't have any extended family except for this estranged grandfather. So he found it slightly amazing that the fourteen people sitting at that large table were all related to Lex. Yet, Lex never talked about them. And Clark didn't understand why.
As usual, diner passed quickly with the normal discussion of business. And afterwards James III was sent upstairs to entertain himself while everyone else moved back into the living room for a nightcap.
As soon as everyone was seated Emma said, "So, Clark, Lex failed to mention what you do."
"Oh, I'm studying journalism at Metropolis University." He replied.
At that everyone turned to stare at him. "A reporter, Beets?" His cousin James asked.
Lex smirked at him. "Come on, James." He replied. "That's just what this family needs. After all, we already have businessmen, lawyers, doctors, and a judge. Having someone within the media circuit is perfect."
Emma scoffed at her grandson. "That better not be the reason you're with him, Alexander." She scolded.
Clark laughed. "It's not, Mrs. Luthor." He assured her. "It's kind of an inside joke."
She still cast a wary look at Lex, even though Clark's assurance seemed to placate her.
"So do you live in the dorms then?" Melinda asked.
Clark couldn't stop the blush that crept up his cheeks. "Well, I have a dorm room, but I pretty much live with Lex." He admitted.
Laurence snorted at that.
"Yes. Wasn't it awfully convenient that Lex moved back to the city a few weeks before you left for school?" Lionel asked.
Lex sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I moved back to the city because it was becoming too difficult to run LexCorp from Smallville."
"You needed to move back months before you did." Lionel countered.
"I won't tolerate any fighting." Emma warned, successfully ending the bickering between her son and grandson.
A sharp cry from three-month old Walter cut off any response from either Lionel or Lex. "Sorry." Francis apologized as she rocked her young son.
Lex smiled at her. "No need to apologize."
"Speaking of children," James said. "Jackie and I are expecting another child."
The chorus of congratulations was followed by Laurence saying, "I suppose we should stop hoping for grandchildren from you, Alexander."
Clark resisted the urge to just sock Laurence in the face. He treated Lex almost worse than Lionel did. Though thinking better of resorting to physical violence, he said, "I wouldn't rule him out just yet, Mr. Luthor."
Laurence raised an eyebrow at Clark. "I find it very difficult to believe that two men can make a child."
"I would have to agree." Clark told him. "But there are other options, such as surrogate mothers and adoption."
"Adoption," Laurence scoffed. "Why would anyone want to raise another person's child?"
"Clark was adopted." Lex informed his grandfather and was rather pleased to watch the older man shift uncomfortably in his seat. "Besides," he continued. "I don't believe Clark or I are ready to discuss children."
The conversation was then shifted off of Clark and Lex. And around ten o'clock, Emma and Laurence retired for the evening.
James then stood up. "Well, I believe we all know what comes next." He said.
William rolled his eyes. "How could we forget?" He replied as he stood up.
"What's going on?" Clark asked.
"They play Monopoly every year." Francis told him.
Clark raised an amused eyebrow at Lex. "Monopoly?" He asked.
"It's not something I do by choice, Clark." Lex informed him.
"Don't let him lie to you, Clark." Lydia said. "He enjoys it just as much as James does."
Clark laughed as he watched Lex's cousins leave the room. "Aren't we going with them?" He asked.
"Let's go, Beets!" They heard James call from the hallway.
Lex knocked back the rest of the brandy he'd been drinking then got up. He excused them then he and Clark exited the living room, and headed up the stairs.
"Why does he call you Beets?" Clark asked.
Lex suppressed a groan. "It's a long story, Clark. Ask me later." He told him as they entered the upstairs entertainment room just as Jackie was leaving with a sleeping James III in her arms
Clark was a little surprised to see the board setup on the floor. But he quickly shrugged it off and sat down.
James gave him a funny look. "You're playing?" He asked.
"Well, I thought…I mean…"
Lex laughed. "Relax, Clark. You're allowed to play. James is just a little surprised because for the past, what, twenty years, it's only been us four." He explained.
"Jackie and Francis don't play?" Clark asked.
William shrugged. "They don't want to."
"Oh, well. I don't want to intrude." Clark told them.
"Really, Clark, it isn't a problem." Lex assured him.
"Yeah," Lydia chimed in." Maybe if you play someone besides James will win for a change."
"Hey, I won once." Lex informed her as he sat down, slide off his shoes, and handed them to her.
"Once, Lex." Lydia said as she shoved his shoes under the couch. "Once in twenty years."
Clark watched the exchanged between his lover and his cousin with a curious expression on his face.
"Lex isn't allowed to be near his shoes." William told him.
"Why?" Clark asked.
"Because when he was six he threw one at me when he couldn't accept the fact that he had lost." James said.
Clark laughed and turned to Lex. "Really?" He asked.
"I was six, Clark." Lex said in his own defense. When Clark continued to laugh, Lex glared at him. "Can we just start?" He asked.
An hour later Lex and James were still hunched over the game board. Despite Clark's presence, it had still come down to those two. Lex knew he was about to lose, and he was preparing himself. He rolled the dice, moved his piece then picked up his chance card, which sent him to James's Marvin Gardens.
"That's it." He said, defeated. "I'm bankrupt."
James grinned at him. "Wow, Lex, what a graceful loss. I commend you."
Lex didn't bother to respond to him, but simply retrieved his shoes then stood up. He looked down at Clark who had fallen asleep on the couch then leaned down and kissed him awake.
"Mm." Clark moaned as he cracked open an eye. "You guys done?" He asked.
"Yeah." Lex replied. "Come on, we're going to go back to my room."
Clark stretched then got up off the couch. Lex took his hand and led him out of the room. "Goodnight, everyone." He called over his shoulder.
"Yeah, night." Clark called as well.
Lex led Clark down the hall and into his bedroom. He shut the door behind him and watched as Clark wondered around the room.
Clark walked slowly around the room. He let his eyes roam over Lex's many bookshelves. He chuckled and turned back to Lex who was still standing by the door. "Dr. Seuss, Lex?" He teased.
Lex pushed himself off the door and walked over to his lover. "I kept everything." He told him. "I just couldn't bring myself to throw anything out."
Clark laughed and gestured around the room. "All there are is books." He said.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I like to read." He replied.
Clark noticed a frame hanging beside the door. He walked over and read the incased note. "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and sings it back to you when you forget the words." He read aloud. "Lex, I'll always remember your song. Love Jason." Clark looked at Lex. "Who's Jason?"
"He was one of my best friends." Lex told him. "He was also the first man I was ever with romantically." He paused for a minute. "I might have even loved him."
"What happened?" Clark asked.
"My father put an ocean between us." Lex replied. At Clark's puzzled look, he clarified. "My father couldn't except the fact that I was dating another man. So, when he couldn't stop me from seeing Jason, he sent me to boarding school in Europe. And when I came back, Jason was gone."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be." Lex told him. He walked up to Clark and kissed him deeply. "Things seemed to have worked out alright."
Clark grinned at him. "Just alright?" He asked.
"Perfectly," Lex whispered. He grasped Clark's hands and pulled him over to his bed.
Clark gently eased Lex down onto the bed, blanketing the smaller man with his body. He buried his head in the crook of Lex's neck, kissing his nape. He made his way up from Lex's neck to his jaw and along his jaw to his lips, biting and kissing as he went. He ran his tongue over Lex's slightly swollen lips, asking for admittance. Their kissing soon escalated, until the two were completely lost in each other.
A while later, an exhausted Clark lay on top of his lover, trying not to crush the smaller man with his weight. Lex lazily ran his hand through Clark's hair as they both laid there in post-orgasmic bliss.
"We should clean up." Lex finally murmured.
"Hm." Clark replied.
The two lay there for a few more minutes before getting up, sneaking down the hall, and taking a quick shower. They then returned to bed, Lex curled up on his side with Clark spooned around him.
Lex wasn't sure why he woke. It could have been that the warm chest pressed against his back and the strong arm wrapped around his waist had left. Or it could have been that they took all the blankets with them. Lex rolled over and looked at his lover who was cocooned in his thick comforter. He reached out and ran his fingers through Clark's silky hair. He wasn't worried about waking the other man. Clark was a deep sleeper. And many nights Lex would just lay there and watch him sleep.
Since he had been with Clark, Lex had been sleeping better. He had never been much of a cuddler. But he found that a lot of things had changed since he'd been with the younger man. And for some reason sleep found its way to him easier and stayed longer with Clark pressed tightly against him.
He pressed a kiss to his lover's temple then slipped out of bed. According to the clock on his nightstand it was a little after two. He put on a pair of pajama pants and the t-shirt Clark had given him three years ago then left the room and headed downstairs to the kitchen.
As he entered the large room, Lex flipped on the lights. Then, as habit insisted, he went over to raid the refrigerator. He spotted the bottle of chocolate syrup and smiled. He pulled out the syrup then went to get the vanilla ice cream from the freezer.
Emma Luthor watched her grandson from the doorway. "You know the last time I caught you raiding the freezer you were six years old." She told him as she went to retrieve two bowls. "You were standing on a chair, jumping up an down, because you couldn't reach the tub of ice cream. I thought for sure you were going to fall and break you neck. But you didn't." She smiled up at him and took the tub of ice cream from his hands. "You've always been lucky in that department I guess. Always coming out just by the skin of your teeth."
Lex laughed as he watched her fill the two dishes. "I suppose your right in that regard."
Emma glared at him. "Of course I'm right." She stated as she set the two bowls on the kitchen table in front of Lex. Her expression softened as she watched him cover the ice cream with chocolate syrup. "You sat there across from me, eating your ice cream, and you asked if I thought you'd be a good businessman. You were so worried that you wouldn't be. Now, look at you. It seems all that worrying was for nothing."
Lex smirked at her. "Yes, but I don't think things turned out exactly how grandfather and dad planned." He said.
Emma shrugged. "Maybe not." She told him. "But that's their fault."
The two sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Lex spoke. "What do you think of Clark?" He asked.
"He seems like a fine young man." She said. "Though I don't like the fact that he's to be a reporter."
Lex chuckled. "Trust me, Grandma. Clark won't use me for a story." He told her.
"How can you be so sure?" She asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "Because he's Clark."
Emma scoffed. "That's not an answer, Alexander."
He smirked at her. "I can't explain it, Grandma, I just know."
Emma huffed. "Does he fill your void?" She asked somewhat sarcastically.
Lex couldn't help stop the blush that crept over his cheeks. He wasn't usually shy about talking about anything remotely sexual. But if his grandmother knew just what void Clark was filling, he might just die of embarrassment right then and there.
Emma eyed her grandson's quizzically. Then her eyes widened as she caught the double meaning of her words. "That's not what I meant, Alexander!" She exclaimed.
Lex cleared his throat. "Sorry. And to answer you're question, yes, he does." He honestly replied.
Emma gave him a wiry look. "And will you allow him to remain there?"
"He is more than welcome to stay for as long as he wants." Lex told her. "I love him."
Emma smiled at him. "Good. I'm glad that you're finally happy." She said. "But I want you to be careful. You've been hurt emotionally too much already. And I'd hate to see Clark add to that."
"I'll be careful." Lex promised as he stood up.
"That's all I ask."
Lex smiled down at her then kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Grandma."
"Goodnight, Lex."
With that Lex left the room and headed back upstairs. He entered his bedroom to find Clark awake, sitting up in bed holding his snow globe.
"Hey." Clark said. "Where'd you go?"
"Downstairs." Lex replied as he walked over to the bed and sat beside his lover.
Clark furrowed his brow in confusion. "Why?" He asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders and took the broken globe out of Clark's hands. "To talk to my grandma."
"At a quarter till three in the morning?"
Lex smiled at him. "I do it every year." He said as he carefully pulled the figurine of his mother out of the broken globe.
After watching Lex study the figure for a minute, Clark asked, "Is that you're mom?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
Clark grinned. "I recognized your father and the boy looked like a picture of you I saw when you were young."
Lex put the figure of his mother back in the globe and turned it in his hands. "My grandmother gave this to me when I was five." He let out a hollow laugh. "She said it was a model for the perfect little family."
"What happened to it?" Clark asked.
"The Christmas after my mother died was pretty hard to me. I felt really alone. And I came in here and saw this snow globe. It was just setting there reminding me of what I'd lost. So I threw it against that door." He said as he gestured towards the entranceway to his room. "It shattered."
"Why didn't you ever get it fixed?" Clark asked.
Lex shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to keep it as a reminder. And it just seemed more accurate this way."
Clark took the broken globe from his hands then pulled Lex up against him. He reached over and switched off the light on the nightstand, making sure too keep one hand securely wrapped around his lover.
Lex pillowed his head on Clark's chest. "So what did you think of the your first Christmas with the Luthors?" Lex asked.
Clark chuckled. "It was different." He replied.
"Do you think you could ever bring yourself to come back?"
"I'd come back every year, as long as I'm with you."
"I love you, Clark." Lex whispered.
Clark kissed Lex's smooth scalp and held him closer. "I love you too." With that the two closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, breakfast went by quickly as usual. Clark couldn't believe the lack of food that was set on the table. He didn't complain, though. He merely ate what was given to him, and hoped it would hold him over until he and Lex got back to his parents. The hostility between Clark and Laurence seemed to have lessened, since the night before. Therefore there was no tension amongst the family as they moved to the living room to exchange gifts.
Clark received a few things from the family as well, which he had not been expecting. Lex got his usual gifts, from most of the family, so there were no surprises there. From his grandmother, Lex received a framed copy of the 'Fortune 500' list. Both LexCorp and LuthorCorp were highlighted, and at the bottom in his grandmother's scrawl was written, "The power will soon shift." Lex smiled knowingly up at her and whispered a 'thank you.'
Lex and Clark had discussed if they were going to exchange their gifts at the Kents or the Luthors and had decided on the Luthors. Lex slowly opened the small box from his lover and started wide-eyed at what he found inside. He lifted out the small octagonal disk and the small key made of the same alloy. "Clark is this what I think it is?" He asked.
Clark nodded his head.
"I don't understand. How can you give this too me?"
Clark smiled at him. "I had a copy made. And I wanted you to have the key to my life as well as the key to my heart." He told him.
"Thank you." Lex said, as he smiled at his lover. "Now, open yours."
Clark grinned as he quickly ripped the paper off his gift. Inside he found a small oak box. He opened it and the song "A Beautiful Friend" started to play. And inside the box was a small note. Clark pulled it out, unfolded it, and read it to himself. "Clark, this box was given to my grandmother by my grandfather when he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. I don't expect you to answer right now, under the pressure of my family. But please think about it. Forever yours, Lex Luthor." Clark refolded the note and as he went to place it back in the box he spotted two solid gold rings. He bit his lip to stop the tears that were threatening to fall. He turned to his extremely nervous looking lover and smiled. "I don't have to think about it, Lex. My answer is yes."
Lex threw his arms around Clark and kissed deeply and passionately in front of his entire family. They received a few catcalls from Lydia and several grunts of disapproval, but they didn't care. They were too caught up in the moment. When they finally broke apart everyone in the room was looking at them expectantly. Clark's blush crept all the way up to his hairline as he closed the box and clutched it in his lap. While, Lex merely smirked at them.
"Well," Lydia demanded. "What was that all about?"
Lex looked over at Clark who looked thoroughly embarrassed. "Nothing." He said, perfectly deadpan.
"That was not nothing, Alexander!" Lydia exclaimed.
Emma patted her granddaughter's knee. "They'll tell you when their ready, Lydia." She said.
Later, as Lex was saying goodbye to the rest of the family, Emma pulled Clark aside. "If you hurt him, you'll have to deal with me. Do you understand?" She asked.
"Yes, Ma'am." Clark replied.
"Good." She said. "Now, welcome to the family."
Lex walked up to Clark and his grandmother and took a hold of Clark's hand. He wasn't sure what the future would hold for him. But for once, he wasn't worried. Therefore, it was in thorough contentment that Lex Luthor kissed his grandma goodbye, before walking down the front steps of her house, and climbing into his car.
The End