Chapter Four

Clark stretched out on his sofa, rubbing his temples. He was tired and he had a headache.

Superman had come early in the morning and dropped off the manila folder to Perry White along with a personal apology to be printed in the next edition of the Planet- if Perry would have it- insisting that he take the blame and not Clark. Perry couldn't yell at Superman and he'd promised he wouldn't blame Clark. So instead Clark just received glares all day and another shitty, low caliber assignment. Clark knew it was going to be a long time before Perry trusted him to use Superman as a source. Anonymous or not.

He popped another grape into his mouth and flipped channels on the television, landing on Nick at Night. 'Get Smart'. He loved that show, but somehow just… He didn't feel in the mood.

He lay there staring at the ceiling with the TV in the background. Lex felt…

What? Lex didn't want Clark to hate him. He probably thought that Clark did, probably didn't blame Clark for that hate. Probably even thought it was right. But Clark didn't hate him. There was a lot of anger at Lex for wasting a good chance at life, bitterness for what their lives had become and sorrow for the friend he missed.

He contemplated going to Lex, telling him everything, or at least starting with a 'Hey. How are you?'

Clark sighed and buried his head in his pillow. This was going to be difficult. Ten years ago they'd met and become the best of friends almost instantly. His feelings for Lex had grown and grown to the point where he felt like bursting through the mansion doors and proclaiming his love for the older man. The kind of love that wanted hearts and souls and bodies entwined.

He'd fallen in love, true, heart-stopping, mind-bending love, for the first and only time in his life. Until he could let go of Lex, he'd never find someone to settle down with. But he knew he'd never get over Lex. There was no way in hell someone recovered from that.

Too bad he'd never taken the chance.

He frowned to himself, trying his best to figure out where it had all gone wrong.

+_+_+_+

Clark had graduated at eighteen, and Lex wanted to give him a graduation present. They'd been to Metropolis, New York and LA, so he couldn't go to any of those. Clark had suggested Gotham and received a look from Lex that stated quite clearly just how ridiculous that idea was.

So Lex suggested the Cayman islands. Clark, of course, refused. At least until Lex agreed to go with him.

There had been more sexual tension on that trip than any before. They'd spent a lot of their time on the beach, Clark and Lex both in the water and in the sun. Clark thought it was an exaggeration when Lex had told him that the sun didn't effect his skin at all, but the fact that Lex neither tanned nor burned was all the proof Clark needed.

His own skin had browned nicely and he'd felt Lex's eyes on him constantly. That was of course, when he wasn't goggling at Lex's arms, legs, chest and face himself.

The first night there the hotel had made an error. They'd booked Luthor into a one bed suite. Lex had flushed and began seriously reaming the clerk. That was when Clark decided that Lex hadn't actually done this on purpose, like he'd originally thought. Get a one bed suite by 'accident', then try and hook up.

Clark took the older boy aside. He'd talked Lex into your basic cliché situation: 'we're both tired (lie) why don't we use it for just the one night (until we make love and decide to keep it out of 'generosity') and then we can trade (if you must, how about the honeymoon suite?)'.

So they'd taken the one bed hotel room with plans to switch in the morning. After a lot of lying awake pretending to be asleep and hearing Lex do the same beside him (it had taken twenty minutes to innocently convince Lex to get into bed with him instead of sleeping on the floor) he decided to push things ahead a little. Moaning, he turned around and wrapped his arm tightly around Lex. There was a gasp and a moan, then fingers trying almost frantically to unlatch Clark's arm. He let it happen, turned back around and tried not to burst into girly tears.

Lex didn't want him?

In the morning, after very little sleep, he'd decided that Lex just didn't want to take advantage of him. They switched rooms, took showers (Lex took his first and then Clark used his to release the sexual tension that a wet, towel-clad Lex Luthor had brought on) and then headed out.

The rest of the three days they were there, the looks got heavier, the hands lingered longer, and Clark's body got harder. He'd been hoping and praying that Lex would make a move, any move, but it never happened.

The last night they were there, they'd gotten stoned-drunk, Clark drinking more than twice as much as Lex. Lex had passed out and Clark had carried him to their hotel room, wobbling and repeatedly trying his keys at the wrong doors.

After about forty minutes he got to their room, carried Lex across the threshold like drunken newlyweds and put him gently down in the bed. He stripped him down to his undershirt and boxers, trying to ignore his own raging hard on until Lex had opened his eyes and smiled sweetly at Clark.

That was a smile that he'd dreamed of getting from Lex, specifically after waking up in each others arms. So he'd bent down and kissed Lex. Alcohol, heat and Lex swirled within his mouth and he'd slipped into the double with Lex. Hands disposed of clothes and then found hardened appendages. As Lex stroked the length of him, he'd realized that, honestly, this was not how he wanted it to happen.

Pissed at himself for taking advantage of Lex, he'd left the room and stayed outside, in the hall. He'd watched with his vision and listened with his hearing as Lex jerked himself off. There was no name whispered on frantic lips, just a sad mewling sound until Lex finally fell asleep.

Clark went into the bathroom, disposed of his own problem coldly and mechanically, then got into bed.

The plane ride home was sad. Lex had forgotten, didn't actually even know what had happened between them, and Clark thought maybe that was best. He didn't want the older boy to remember what Clark had done, taking advantage of a lonely and drunk human being.

Months later Clark and Chloe, Pete and Lana all went to college. Pete and Lana both went to Yale and, to the surprise of everyone, started dating. They eventually got engaged, married and then had their first little Ross.

Clark and Chloe both went to Metropolis U, but then Chloe tried her best to get transferred to New York, as the Daily Bugle was offering her everything she'd ever wanted. She eventually became the Lois Lane of the Bugle, and Spiderman became her focus.

That left Clark alone to make new friends, graduate and take the job as reporter for the Daily Planet.

There had been Lex still for a while. Except Lex's visits were becoming fewer and fewer until one day, he just didn't show up. That day, three days after they'd discussed what Clark planned to do with his life, had stretched on for four years. Four agonizing years with no Lex at his side, no Lex to talk to, no Lex to touch.

And Clark still had no clue why.

+_+_+_+_+

Clark stood, staring off the tiny balcony of his dingy, little apartment.

There had to be a reason, someone's fault for this, but he couldn't find it.

It's mine. I let him go. I let him disappear.

He'd go to Lex then, fly to the man's window not in Superman's clothes, but as a flying Clark Kent and demand to be let in. He'd ask why Lex had abandoned him. He'd try his very best to make things better. He'd do everything within his pow-

A light in the sky caught his eye and for a moment he thought he was seeing things. But it was there. Like the rumored bat signal only… It had his symbol on it.

What the hell?

The big 'S' was moving slowly and silently across the sky. Was it bait? A trap from some evil-doer? Or was it the mayor of Metropolis trying to get Superman for some secret emergency?

Clark changed into his Superman clothes and took off towards the beacon, finding it originating from the top of the Daily Planet.

He dropped down just as the light switched off with an incredibly heavy sound. He watched as Batman came from around the back of it and was more than awed. Batman was rumored to be human, and anyone that could accomplish what he did with only human abilities deserved to be revered.

"Superman."

Clark nodded. "Yes."

"I didn't know how else to locate you."

Made sense. "I understand. What are you doing in Metropolis?"

Hesitation. "I need your help."

Clark was confused. Batman had come to Metropolis for his help? "With?"

"My city. I'll- I'll understand if you turn me down, but I had to try."

Clark wasn't about to turn him down without knowing the full problem. "I have no intention of not helping someone in need, specifically someone who makes it their duty to rid the world of evil."

Really, he figured it must be the suit that made him sound so stiff and proper and damned goody-two-shoes. Sometimes he hated it.

Batman nodded. "I make it a point to never trust anyone, so this is going to be hard for me. I'll need to trust you completely, and you me." He paused. "There's only one way I can think to ensure that."

"What's that?"

Batman lifted his hands and pulled up and back the black leather mask covering his face. "I'm Bruce Wayne."

Clark gasped, dumbfounded. It was indeed Gotham's multi-billionaire.

What the hell?

Bruce adjusted the mask back in place then took a deep breath. "Who are you?"






To be continued...