Title: Let Them Know



Author: MeLi and Eleonora



E-mail address: One for both authors: remmirath@fibertel.com.ar



Fandom: Smallville



Pairing: Clark/Lex – This is a male/male relationship. Don't like, don't read.



Rating: PG – shh, we mention sex!



Spoilers: Up to Duplicity



Disclaimer: We own nothing. How sad it is that it's true! We make no profit out of this.

Summary/Challenge: Everyone at the Daily Planet knows that Clark Kent is the long-time lover of a wealthy and powerful man, but he won't say who. Two members of the Daily planet staff make a bet over who can find out his identity. Bonus points, Clark gets a visit at the Planet from Chloe, Pete, Lana, or Whitney who obviously knows the answer. Optional: If it's Chloe, get her to refer to him as 'Sexy'; I can just see her calling him 'sexy lexy' (Vanessa)



Beta: We did. No time for having someone else look at it, so we take full responsibility for the horr… errors we made. :)



AN: Part of the ClexFest at: http://www.kardasi.com/Lexclusive/ClexFest



ANII: For the sake of our story, the events in 'Heat' never happened; neither did anything after 'Duplicity'.

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Let Them Know

by MeLi and Eleonora

November 2002

Not even two weeks after Clark Kent started working at the Daily Planet, rumors were rolling that he was in a long-term relationship with one of the most prominent businessmen in the US. Not that he cared about what people said, but Lex Luthor had made it clear that although he didn't mind people knowing, he wanted Clark to be comfortable at his job before spilling the beans. So Clark promised not to say anything until they both decided to.

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Clark had been Lex's boyfriend since he was 16, becoming lovers shortly after their first date. Shortly indeed; not five minutes after getting in the Limo to return to Smallville from their dinner at Metropolis, they were tugging at each other's clothing, aching to get naked skin beneath their hands. They spent the ride getting rid of every aspect of Clark's virginity they could think of, having amazingly hot sex until the driver announced they were entering the town and they had to get dressed not to shock Clark's parents out of their skins. They'd been supportive of their son's date with Lex – Martha had threatened Jonathan to make him spend the year sleeping in the couch if he made it difficult for the boys – but catching them naked in the limo would be way across the line, even for wonderful, understanding Mrs. Kent. Clark was her little boy, after all.

Clark's friends were really supportive as well. Chloe kept joking about them not being able to keep their hands to themselves in public, and she was really helpful in getting Jonathan to understand how important their relationship was to both Clark and Lex, for what they'd be eternally grateful. Lana and Whitney had gone on double-dates with them every weekend Whitney was able to get away from the marines. It took Pete a little longer to deal with the fact his best friend was dating a Luthor, but in the end he managed to look past his hate against Lex's last name and saw he wasn't using Clark. Once he learned Lex wasn't a bad guy, he even encouraged Clark to come clean to him about his origins, after which they started discussing and kidding about Clark's abilities.

Lionel was a different matter. Lex knew his relationship with his father was somewhat... particular, to put it nicely, but like any other person, he'd have liked to have his father's support and approval. He tried not to get his hopes up, though; he was aware of the fact that his father was likely to do anything in his power to keep him away from Clark. He hadn't expected things to turn out as they did.

After trying to talk Lex out of his relationship with Clark and offering Clark and his parents money to brake the liaison – getting nothing but refusals time and again – Lionel understood the boys really did care for one another, and there was nothing he could do to bring them apart. Funny really, he thought after the way he treated Lex since his mother had died, he'd have bet Lex wouldn't be able to love anyone. He must've had more of Lillian in him than Lionel thought. Remembering how much he'd loved his wife, love he still felt whenever he thought about her, he gave up on his attempts to destroy the relationship. He'd always known Lex was ruled by his emotions, but he'd never have thought that the love he shared with this kid would make him stronger. He was wrong, though, the love Lex felt for the Kents' boy was anything but a weakness; the way Lex defended Clark whenever Lionel talked about him together with the way LexCorp went up in the market scale were enough proof of it.

Despite everyone's opinions, including his son's, he didn't hate Lex. If he'd been tough it was just to prepare Lex to face the world. But now Lex had Clark. Just like Lionel got his strength from being emotionally untouchable, Lex found it in the form of a young farmboy. And as soon as he realized the boy would always be there for his son, his attitude toward Lex changed.

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High school graduation came, and Lex gave Clark a Lexus SC 2003. Indigo Ink Pearl with black leather interiors. Now that Clark was 18, he didn't need his father's permission to keep the car. But after getting to know Lex, and seeing the happiness in his son's eyes, Jonathan didn't even think of suggesting Clark returned it.

The party Lex threw after the ceremony was where he and Clark officially came out to the whole town. As expected, the Smallville population was shocked, but since they'd be leaving for Metropolis after the summer, the boys didn't really care. The most important people in their lives already knew, and were OK with it. Not only Martha but also Jonathan – who astonishingly became attached to Lex after getting to know him – wanted to have them near as long as they could before they absolutely had lo leave, so any plans of traveling they might have had wouldn't be happening that summer. Unsurprisingly, gossip followed them everywhere during the time they stayed in Smallville, and although he couldn't care less, Clark was really looking forward to leaving, if for no other reason than he'd be living with Lex.

Starting college wasn't as easy as getting through high school, since his friends and parents weren't there, but moving in with Lex made it a great deal easier. Lex had his penthouse – now theirs – on top of the new LexCorp building decorated so it fit both of them and lived in it since Clark's freshman year in Met U. Every other weekend Chloe and Pete came to Metropolis or Clark and Lex would go visit them; the rest of the weekends they went to Smallville to see Clark's parents. Lex was surprised by how much he found himself missing the Kents and his lover's – and now his, as well – friends. He hadn't realized how close to them he'd become. His relationship with Lionel had also changed to resemble that of father and son. Who would have guessed that what Lionel Luthor once considered Lex's greatest weakness was what would bring them closer together?

This way, the years until Clark's graduation passed, Clark studying to become a journalist, Lex running LexCorp and still managing to work no longer for but *with* his father at LuthorCorp. The summers were divided between travels throughout the country and time at the castle in Smallville. After Clark's graduation from college, he and Lex spent the summer in Europe before Clark started working for the Daily Planet.

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Early in November of 2009, a few weeks after he started working at the Daily Planet, Clark returned to the office from an interview to find Chloe waiting there for him. She was talking to Lois Lane, a co-worker some people liked to call intrepid but he'd describe as stupidly nosy.

"Hey, Clark," she greeted him when she saw him.

"Chloe, Hey, what's up?" Luckily for them, Lois showed a little respect and gave them some privacy, which usually meant she'd be close enough to hear, but hiding behind something as not to be seen.

"Nothing much, just thought I'd come by to say hi before going to New York," Chloe said, a huge grin spreading on her face.

"You got the job at the NY Times? Chloe, that's great!"

"I believed you'd think so." Her smile got impossibly bigger. "So, I've heard people here are making bets on who's your mysterious partner." So strange of Chloe to jump from a subject to another, Clark thought ironically.

"Yeah, we've decided we're letting them know next week."

"You got your sexy Lexy to agree?"

"Actually, he suggested it was time to do so. He only wanted to wait for me to be settled here before we did."

"I know, I'm just kidding. He is really proud of being with you, you know."

"So am I."

"Like I didn't know that," Chloe actually rolled her eyes at Clark's comment. "You emanate pride and love from every pore. So, are you too busy, or can you leave now?"

"Actually, I just stopped by to get some things I need, and I'm heading to the penthouse."

"Great! Come on, get whatever it is you need and let's get going," Chloe commanded. Clark knew better than to argue with her when she wanted something, and since she seemed pretty set on leaving the Planet, he just agreed.

"Okay, okay, just a second."

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Lois Lane couldn't believe what she'd heard. Not that she was eavesdropping; Kent and his friend were just talking loud enough for her to hear. Apparently, the rumors were true, and not only was Clark Kent the partner of a wealthy and powerful man, but his partner was *Lex* *Luthor*. She'd make her bets with the rest of the staff; none of them had suggested Lex Luthor as the possible partner. 'Well, Kent certainly does fill the image of the guy Luthor's been seen with,' she reasoned. God, she *had* to get an interview. She'd be asking Kent about it first thing Monday. Unless she'd jumped to the wrong conclusions, and the 'sexy Lexy' the girl had referred to had nothing to do with Luthor. She'd have to get some proof; she didn't want to look like an idiot. So maybe she'd wait until she had some certain facts before talking to Kent.

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Monday morning found Clark awake earlier than usual. It was the day the Daily Planet would learn about his relationship with Lex, and he kept wondering how they would react. He wasn't exactly *nervous* – after all, he'd faced a whole town when he was only a teenager – it was just that they'd decided that the day after the staff of the Planet found out about them, so would the whole world, and he didn't know what to expect.

Feeling Clark move at his side, Lex awoke. Sensing his lover's nervousness, he placed a tender kiss on his lips, and proceeded to calm him. Clark visibly relaxed, and they made their way to the shower. Having gotten up so early, they'd have time for a session of love-making before leaving, and they took their time to make it thorough.

After getting dressed they each headed to their respective jobs. Lex would be picking Clark up after work tonight, that way *showing* everybody they were together instead of just saying so.

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Lois watched Kent the whole day, trying to find out what Luthor saw in him, had her conclusions been correct. He was hot, alright, but he was just a journalist. A 23-year-old reporter. And if what she'd heard was right, if Luthor had been with the same person for over seven years, they would have been together since Kent was 16, what didn't make much sense. What would Luthor see in a 16-year-old?

All these questions were really starting to annoy her when the elevator door opened to reveal one Lex Luthor standing inside. As he made his way toward Kent's desk, whispers filled the room. She was about to get the answers to her questions, which made Lois Lane a very happy woman. As long as the answers were what she'd expected.

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Hearing whispers all around him, Clark looked up from the bag he was putting his laptop in to see Lex walking toward him. A bright smile lit his face, and he stood to kiss his lover hello. There was a flash, and they broke the kiss to see Jimmy Olsen holding a camera and smiling at them. They smiled back before Clark picked up his bag and got ready to leave. Jaws were still dropped and money was exchanged as they happily made their way to the elevator and out of the building.

They'd let their family and friends know they were together, and they'd been really supportive. They'd let the Planet know, and since together was how they'd done it, it hadn't been so difficult. Tomorrow they had a press conference to attend, and they'd let the world know. Was there really that much a difference between the Planet and the world?



End

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