Thanks everyone who has commented on the first chapter, I really appreciate the praises, and the constructive critique can be certainly used :) I don't know if I'm going to screw everything up with this new chapter, so if it sucks too much just make a subtle gesture, and I'll take it off and pretend it never happened :P
II
He was bored at home, and there was nothing he could think of to pass his time in a more productive way. He had been at the Talon earlier that day, hanging out with Chloe after school, but after they had discussed thoroughly the Torch's latest edition –still her primary conversation topic, thank God- she had started going on and on about Pete –her second favorite topic these days- and he had had to get out of there eventually.
He was happy she was happy, and it warmed his heart to see her so exited about something other than journalism and meteor-weirdness, but he could only sympathize with her up to a certain point. And he certainly didn't see all the things about Pete she kept on praising –which he reckoned was a good thing- so he couldn't really raise to the occasion; he could agree that Pete was a great guy, and funny and with well-set ideals, but he really couldn't help her with the Pete-is-so-gorgeous line of thought.
She really needed some girl friends to share that, but she probably wouldn't admit to been so silly about a boy to anyone but Clark, and only because she knew he wouldn't tell anyone. "I have a reputation to protect, Clark" she had said earlier that day "If I told a girl about this, the odds are well against me that it would turn into locker-room talk in less than thirty minutes, and we don't want that" she had chided him when he had confessed he lacked the excitement about the subject that was brought into the equation by the extra X chromosome.
And of course she was right; he had overheard girls talking amongst themselves a couple of times, and it had spooked him to realize how much girls shared –even when it was not theirs to share. "Ah, the mystery of the female mind" he had chuckled; "And men get ulcers and miserable lives because they don't talk about their feelings" Chloe had replied, but nonetheless had immediately agreed with him that she didn't want to be a part of that circle either.
He still hung out with both her and Pete, but he had opted for a bit of distance these last couple of days. It was well over a week since Chloe and Pete had 'started negotiations', as Chloe had decided to call it. Right now it was very difficult to see either one or the other by themselves, and most of the time he just felt like a third wheel. Which he was. Of course, Chloe been Chloe she wasn't all smoochie or cheesy, at least not around people, but even if they were just sitting there and talking it still felt kind of like he was intruding.
He had been spending more and more time at Lex's lately, which was the only really good thing that had come out of this whole consecution of sudden changes of heart. After Pete and Chloe had decided to try and take their friendship to the next level, and he had realized he was in fact no longer infatuated with Lana, he had found himself with a lot of time in his hands, and only Lex to invest it in.
Lex was really great to hang out with, and nothing as serious as he publicly appeared to be; sometimes it just amazed Clark to see how silly Lex could get to be, given the proper incentive. Of course, most of the time and for most of the people, Lex was an adult, and a scary one at that; a daring and intelligent CEO who took no prisoners when it came business, a multibillionaire and, above all, a Luthor. Sometimes he just wished he could make people see how great Lex was, but it was useless, and he was just glad he knew it.
Part of the reason he was so bored right now was that Lex was in Metropolis for an important meeting with his father regarding the takeover of Greyson & c.o. by Luthorcorp, and was not coming back for a couple of hours. Lex's work relationship with his father was as good as it ever was, and the older Luthor was, as far as he let on, proud of his son's performance. On the personal, however, matters had never been worse.
It was fair to say that what made Lionel proud of his son, also made him colder and more distant towards him. At the time been, Lex and Lionel were nothing other than business partners, and had no communication whatsoever other than work related meetings, and the eventual –and not always cherished- opportunity in which he called to Smallville to give his mostly hostile opinions on his son's choices in life –or lack there of. Like, right now, Lionel wanted Lex to get married and have children, so the continuance of the Luthor line would be assured.
Of course Lex didn't want to marry ("look where it has gotten me so far"), and most definitely did not want to father children. Which was logical, since he himself was just barely an adult, but of course he couldn't tell Lionel that, because then the old bastard would start going on and on about how weak Lex was, and how he had been wrong to think Lex could change and become the man he wanted him to be. Clark didn't really want Lex to become the man Lionel wanted him to be.
So here he was, bored out of his mind. He could have very well stayed at the Talon a little longer, since Lana had seemed to be pretty bored herself, and for some reason she had started opening up to him in the last week. His personal intake on this little phenomenon was that she had noticed he was not obsessed about her anymore, and felt more comfortable around him. Chloe, however, insisted on the hypothesis that Lana actually loved to have people following her every step like love-sick puppies, and she just wanted to reenroll Clark using all of her charms.
He didn't really think that theory was accurate, but even if it was, he didn't really see what Lana's charms were anymore. The reason he didn't hang out with her all that much was not that he was uncomfortable, but rather that she was pretty dense. Yep, the barn was definitely more fun than Lana... and it talked less about its dead parents, plus, the silence and loneliness here were almost as interesting as Lana's other conversation topics... not that there were a lot of those.
He knew he was been mean, and he probably wouldn't admit it to anyone that he had been thinking about another human being in that fashion... well, maybe to Lex. Lex was never judgmental, which could probably be a hard-learnt lesson after been judged by virtually everyone he came in contact with –and many he hadn't even set eyes on in his life. If only Lex were here he wouldn't be so bored...
"A truck for your thoughts" ...and there he was, learning against the railing of the loft, hands in pockets as he watched Clark
"Lex! Hey, you're back!" he jumped to his feet, his face brightening up at the sight of Lex's "How was Metropolis?"
"Boring..." Lex conceded, straightening up and heading for the couch "Dad was going through those 'paternal phases' when he just won't stop criticizing everything I do..." he sighed as he dropped unceremoniously in the place where Clark had been sitting "I brought you a souvenir"
"Really? Something pretty?" he asked, batting his eyelashes jokingly as he sat next to Lex
Lex snorted at his performance, then took something out of his coat pocket "Here" he said as he placed the heavy object in Clark's open hand
"It's an ashtray" Clark noticed "I don't smoke..." he said confusedly, but then Lex took it again from his hand and turned it around, revealing the Luthorcorp logo engraved in the underside
"Neither does my father, but what matters is the gesture..." Lex explained seriously "I have to confess Clark, the initial idea was to hit him with it, but then I realized I am better than that, so I just kept it"
"You stole an ashtray to prove you're a better man?" Clark chuckled at the concept, although he understood exactly what Lex meant, and that's precisely why he needed a distraction "I'll treasure it forever, Lex..." he swore with a feigned girly voice, holding it to his chest tightly
"God, Clark, you sound like Lana Lang" Lex exclaimed in mock indignation "You keep that up and I'll go find your father and ask him to shoot me... at least someone will have a good day after all"
"You say it like been Lana is a bad thing" he frowned, trying to sound as serious as he could, but at Lex's incredulous stare he couldn't hold it together and started laughing uncontrollably "Sucker..." he managed to utter
"You think you're so funny?" Lex asked, pretending to be offended "Give me back my ashtray!" he demanded
Of course Clark wouldn't give it, so Lex made a grab for it; but Clark wouldn't let go, insisting that the ashtray was a gift and couldn't be taken back, and they both started pulling the object in opposite directions, neither of them wanting to let go. The day was finally looking up.