Part 7
Lex accepted the drink his father handed him and turned to stare out
the window as the sun began fading into the Metropolis sky. Ever
since the day his father had informed him that Plant #3 was being
sold, he'd been unable to see this sight without comparing it to the
Smallville skyline, which seemed to him a more honest event as if
somehow, sunset in Metropolis was as corrupt as some of the people
living there.
Guilt by association, perhaps.
"Have you given thought to what we spoke of last time, Lex?"
His father had asked him to 'consider the benefits of besting young
Wayne' and had extolled to him the virtues of making LuthorCorp
stronger by single-handedly destroying its biggest competitor.
"Yes." Lex swallowed more of his brandy, the liquid burning his
throat. He *had* thought about it--more than he cared to admit to at
the moment.
"Well?" Lionel pushed. "Now is the time to strike, Lex--while
Wayne is preoccupied with that filthy little town."
Inwardly, Lex winced. "Patience, Dad, is a virtue I was certain
even you could appreciate." He took another drink and faced his
father, adding, "I'm still weighing my options."
"Lex..." his name was being stretched out to two syllables,
something he had always hated when it came from his father and
wrapped in tones of disappointment. When he was younger, it had been
enough to bring him to shame... because he'd so wanted his father's
approval.
Lex no longer cared, however, if his father was proud of him. And
while the idea of double-crossing Bruce Wayne and undermining his
business was tempting to Lex, it was not because it would please his
father. It was a tempting thought simply because it was, and he
hadn't needed his father to point that out for him.
"Dad." He shot back in one short, terse breath. It was almost
reprimanding, and he half expected his father's anger. Instead, the
elder Luthor merely frowned.
"It would be ideal; he trusts you," he urged smoothly, apparently
having decided to try a less abrasive approach. Lex couldn't argue
with that. Bruce *did* trust him more than perhaps he should. His
acquiescence to that fact must have shown on his face, because Lionel
smiled a little, coldly. The smile said clearly, 'Think about it as
long as you need, but I know you'll come around.'
Lex ignored it. The fact that a part of him was certain he could
easily pull off such duplicitous move without detection by his lover
disturbed him. As he turned the conversation to LuthorCorp's weekly
projections, however, the disturbing thought remained with him.
*&*&*&*
Lex dreamt of the tornado that night. He saw himself standing above
his father--the power to save or condemn his alone. He heard his
father asking for help, pleading for it, really. In the dream, Lex
turned coldly away from his father and stepped aside just as another
patch of ceiling came crashing down. There was a ringing in his ears
that coincided with his father's cries of desperation.
The ringing continued, and as Lex groggily came into consciousness,
he realized it was the phone. Reaching for it in the darkness, he
knocked the receiver from the cradle and onto the floor.
"Yeah?" he asked without ceremony when he finally retrieved it.
::Lex? You okay?::
It was Bruce.
"Yeah," Lex repeated, this time with more assurance in his voice.
"I was asleep is all. Where are you?"
::The lobby. The night doorman won't let me come up. He wouldn't
even ring through to your suite.:: Bruce sounded pouty and tired.
No, Bernie wouldn't. Lex had been explicit in his instructions when
he returned from the meeting with his father: no interruptions unless
the building was on fire and he needed to evacuate. Bernie was
nothing if not loyal.
"I'm sorry, Bruce," Lex told him. He slid from the bed and fumbled
with the light on his nightstand. "Give me a minute and I'll buzz
the desk." He hung up and reached for the first article of clothing
he could find. Padding to the intercom, the pressed a button and
informed the doorman that it was all right to admit his unexpected
guest. Then he sat down on the bed and pulled on his slacks. He
couldn't find his shirt; he didn't really care.
A few minutes later, the sound of his door chimes filled the air,
too cheerful for the day *and night* he'd had so far. It was well-
past midnight, and Lex answered the door as is. The man one the
other side of it was as rumpled as Lex, only with more clothing to
show to bear evidence of it. Bruce's once crisp, white shirt was
wrinkled and unbuttoned down to the third button. A dark blue jacket
was slung over his arm. His eyes were ringed in shadow.
"Half-dressed is a good look on you," he commented, gifting Lex with
a weary smile.
Lex felt the corner of his lips twitch in response as he stepped
aside to let the other man inside. It might have been the first time
he'd smiled in twenty-four hours. It felt longer than that, though.
"Exhausted is a terrible look on you."
Bruce's weary smile faded a little. "I had three meetings in
Smallville this morning... with some of the farmers concerned about
out credit union's policies." Lex nodded. Their conference with
Jonathan Kent last month had confirmed that the farming community, at
least, were very aware of what he and Bruce were trying to do. "And
an equal amount here in the city this afternoon. I was late because
of the rain, and they all ran long."
"Investors?"
"Some, and a meeting with the airport's board of directors about the
new security system. I was supposed to fly home three hours ago,
but..." he trailed off as he followed Lex into the living room area
and sat down on a leather sofa. He said 'home' like it was a place
he hadn't seen in ages and longed for the sight of. Lex envied that
because nowhere he'd lived--even here in his hand-picked penthouse--
had ever really been home.
"Can I get you a drink?" he asked despite the late hour and his
friend's ragged appearance. He turned towards the mini-bar, only to
be stopped by a hand grasping his own. Bruce gave a little tug and
pulled Lex to him.
Lex allowed himself to be gathered into the other man's arms,
shifting to straddle his lap even as their lips met. Bruce's arm
went around his waist, and his fingers tangled in Bruce's hair--each
of them holding the other as close as they could. His lover's mouth
was soft and forceful at the same time, taking everything he was
giving while demanding more. His tongue--so slick--darted in and out
of Lex's mouth.
Lex didn't know when his eyes fluttered shut, leaving him to simply
*feel* the tempest of emotion and sensation growing between them.
His breath came in little gasps which blended with the raspy groans
emanating from Bruce. He ground his hips into Bruce's lap, hardness
meeting hardness as their bodies rocked together.
"Bruuuce..." he hissed, and Bruce's hands molded themselves to the
seat of his slacks. Gripping, forcing him down all the harder.
"Lex..." came the response. Two syllables, and this time it wasn't
a bad thing. Lex ground in a little more. Bruce wrenched his mouth
from Lex's and began planting kisses across his face. "Missed you so
much..." he murmured, his lips moving to Lex's jaw. "Needed to see
you..."
Lex moaned, thrilling at the sound of desire in the voice that was
now so close to his ear. Warm, moist breath tickled his earlobe.
"... one last time..."
Lex's eyes snapped open, his body frozen in mid-motion. "Bruce...
what do you mean by
'one last time'?" The pained look on the other man's face wasn't a
good sign.
Neither were the suddenly averted eyes. "I didn't mean for you to
hear it like this, Lex. I'm sorry."
Were you even planning to tell me at all, Lex thought, suddenly
bitter. He pushed himself off Bruce's lap as if he were in a hurry
to put space between them. Bruce reached for him, and Lex moved
away from the touch.
"Please. Let me explain." The tortured sound to his voice was a
nice touch, Lex grudgingly admitted.
"So, explain." Bruce winced visibly at the coldness in Lex's words.
"I think you owe me that much."
Lex accepted the drink his father handed him and turned to stare out
the window as the sun began fading into the Metropolis sky. Ever
since the day his father had informed him that Plant #3 was being
sold, he'd been unable to see this sight without comparing it to the
Smallville skyline, which seemed to him a more honest event as if
somehow, sunset in Metropolis was as corrupt as some of the people
living there.
Guilt by association, perhaps.
"Have you given thought to what we spoke of last time, Lex?"
His father had asked him to 'consider the benefits of besting young
Wayne' and had extolled to him the virtues of making LuthorCorp
stronger by single-handedly destroying its biggest competitor.
"Yes." Lex swallowed more of his brandy, the liquid burning his
throat. He *had* thought about it--more than he cared to admit to at
the moment.
"Well?" Lionel pushed. "Now is the time to strike, Lex--while
Wayne is preoccupied with that filthy little town."
Inwardly, Lex winced. "Patience, Dad, is a virtue I was certain
even you could appreciate." He took another drink and faced his
father, adding, "I'm still weighing my options."
"Lex..." his name was being stretched out to two syllables,
something he had always hated when it came from his father and
wrapped in tones of disappointment. When he was younger, it had been
enough to bring him to shame... because he'd so wanted his father's
approval.
Lex no longer cared, however, if his father was proud of him. And
while the idea of double-crossing Bruce Wayne and undermining his
business was tempting to Lex, it was not because it would please his
father. It was a tempting thought simply because it was, and he
hadn't needed his father to point that out for him.
"Dad." He shot back in one short, terse breath. It was almost
reprimanding, and he half expected his father's anger. Instead, the
elder Luthor merely frowned.
"It would be ideal; he trusts you," he urged smoothly, apparently
having decided to try a less abrasive approach. Lex couldn't argue
with that. Bruce *did* trust him more than perhaps he should. His
acquiescence to that fact must have shown on his face, because Lionel
smiled a little, coldly. The smile said clearly, 'Think about it as
long as you need, but I know you'll come around.'
Lex ignored it. The fact that a part of him was certain he could
easily pull off such duplicitous move without detection by his lover
disturbed him. As he turned the conversation to LuthorCorp's weekly
projections, however, the disturbing thought remained with him.
*&*&*&*
Lex dreamt of the tornado that night. He saw himself standing above
his father--the power to save or condemn his alone. He heard his
father asking for help, pleading for it, really. In the dream, Lex
turned coldly away from his father and stepped aside just as another
patch of ceiling came crashing down. There was a ringing in his ears
that coincided with his father's cries of desperation.
The ringing continued, and as Lex groggily came into consciousness,
he realized it was the phone. Reaching for it in the darkness, he
knocked the receiver from the cradle and onto the floor.
"Yeah?" he asked without ceremony when he finally retrieved it.
::Lex? You okay?::
It was Bruce.
"Yeah," Lex repeated, this time with more assurance in his voice.
"I was asleep is all. Where are you?"
::The lobby. The night doorman won't let me come up. He wouldn't
even ring through to your suite.:: Bruce sounded pouty and tired.
No, Bernie wouldn't. Lex had been explicit in his instructions when
he returned from the meeting with his father: no interruptions unless
the building was on fire and he needed to evacuate. Bernie was
nothing if not loyal.
"I'm sorry, Bruce," Lex told him. He slid from the bed and fumbled
with the light on his nightstand. "Give me a minute and I'll buzz
the desk." He hung up and reached for the first article of clothing
he could find. Padding to the intercom, the pressed a button and
informed the doorman that it was all right to admit his unexpected
guest. Then he sat down on the bed and pulled on his slacks. He
couldn't find his shirt; he didn't really care.
A few minutes later, the sound of his door chimes filled the air,
too cheerful for the day *and night* he'd had so far. It was well-
past midnight, and Lex answered the door as is. The man one the
other side of it was as rumpled as Lex, only with more clothing to
show to bear evidence of it. Bruce's once crisp, white shirt was
wrinkled and unbuttoned down to the third button. A dark blue jacket
was slung over his arm. His eyes were ringed in shadow.
"Half-dressed is a good look on you," he commented, gifting Lex with
a weary smile.
Lex felt the corner of his lips twitch in response as he stepped
aside to let the other man inside. It might have been the first time
he'd smiled in twenty-four hours. It felt longer than that, though.
"Exhausted is a terrible look on you."
Bruce's weary smile faded a little. "I had three meetings in
Smallville this morning... with some of the farmers concerned about
out credit union's policies." Lex nodded. Their conference with
Jonathan Kent last month had confirmed that the farming community, at
least, were very aware of what he and Bruce were trying to do. "And
an equal amount here in the city this afternoon. I was late because
of the rain, and they all ran long."
"Investors?"
"Some, and a meeting with the airport's board of directors about the
new security system. I was supposed to fly home three hours ago,
but..." he trailed off as he followed Lex into the living room area
and sat down on a leather sofa. He said 'home' like it was a place
he hadn't seen in ages and longed for the sight of. Lex envied that
because nowhere he'd lived--even here in his hand-picked penthouse--
had ever really been home.
"Can I get you a drink?" he asked despite the late hour and his
friend's ragged appearance. He turned towards the mini-bar, only to
be stopped by a hand grasping his own. Bruce gave a little tug and
pulled Lex to him.
Lex allowed himself to be gathered into the other man's arms,
shifting to straddle his lap even as their lips met. Bruce's arm
went around his waist, and his fingers tangled in Bruce's hair--each
of them holding the other as close as they could. His lover's mouth
was soft and forceful at the same time, taking everything he was
giving while demanding more. His tongue--so slick--darted in and out
of Lex's mouth.
Lex didn't know when his eyes fluttered shut, leaving him to simply
*feel* the tempest of emotion and sensation growing between them.
His breath came in little gasps which blended with the raspy groans
emanating from Bruce. He ground his hips into Bruce's lap, hardness
meeting hardness as their bodies rocked together.
"Bruuuce..." he hissed, and Bruce's hands molded themselves to the
seat of his slacks. Gripping, forcing him down all the harder.
"Lex..." came the response. Two syllables, and this time it wasn't
a bad thing. Lex ground in a little more. Bruce wrenched his mouth
from Lex's and began planting kisses across his face. "Missed you so
much..." he murmured, his lips moving to Lex's jaw. "Needed to see
you..."
Lex moaned, thrilling at the sound of desire in the voice that was
now so close to his ear. Warm, moist breath tickled his earlobe.
"... one last time..."
Lex's eyes snapped open, his body frozen in mid-motion. "Bruce...
what do you mean by
'one last time'?" The pained look on the other man's face wasn't a
good sign.
Neither were the suddenly averted eyes. "I didn't mean for you to
hear it like this, Lex. I'm sorry."
Were you even planning to tell me at all, Lex thought, suddenly
bitter. He pushed himself off Bruce's lap as if he were in a hurry
to put space between them. Bruce reached for him, and Lex moved
away from the touch.
"Please. Let me explain." The tortured sound to his voice was a
nice touch, Lex grudgingly admitted.
"So, explain." Bruce winced visibly at the coldness in Lex's words.
"I think you owe me that much."