Chapter 3: Happy Families

Lex tapped his fingers on the desk and stared at the clock. He'd been here before. Excitement and dread raced through him. He ground his teeth against each other loudly. Loudly enough to not hear the front door open and close. The next sound that he heard was his father's excited footsteps hurrying towards his study. Lex's heart almost stopped. On any normal day he would have teased Lionel relentlessly for such obvious displays of excitement but Laeton was here, he could hear her voice, and no Luthor man, indeed, no man at all, could ever be anything less than excited in her presence.

"Uncle Lionel!" It was more of a high pitched squeal than a well-defined sentence. The girl darted through the office door and leapt into Lionel's outstretched arms, wrapping her legs around his body as though she were a child and not almost twenty two years of woman. Lionel clung to her affectionately, and Lex felt a small pang of jealously although he wasn't entirely sure of whom.

He scanned her as she held fast to his father, her tiny, pleated skirt so much like the skirts in straight men's catholic school-girl fantasies, her tiny white ankle socks trimmed with white lace and little, sky blue bows, her Raven hair spilling over her shoulders. She was the picture of innocence. Her large, wide eyes sparkled the most hypnotic green and her olive skin radiated with life and vigour that was not present in the Luthor gene. As she lowered herself to the ground (Lionel slightly reluctant to release her) those eyes turned on Lex and the full, pink, always damp lips parted to show her perfect white teeth. "Aren't you pleased to see me, Lexy?" The eyelids batted and her adult voice sulked back into childhood, but Lex knew the truth.

"Of course I am." He pulled her into a hug, sweeping her off the ground. Her body stiffened deliberately against him and she allowed her legs to dangle. Lex tucked his head into her neck and pulled her legs up around him. The scent of her skin almost made him dizzy; the smells of coffee, rum and rosewater mixing in a familiar scent that was strictly Laeton, a smell that Lex hadn't realised he'd missed so much. Her thighs clung to his purple shirt, the damp skin sticking to it, her heat pressed against him, the pits of her knees hooked onto Lex's arms. She giggled, noticing Lex peeking at her breasts (which seemed to have grown since he had last seen them) and lowered herself to the ground. She almost skipped over to Lex's desk and sat down on it, resting her feet on the chair in front of her, pulling her knees up to her chest. Both Luthor men noticed with interest as her skirt rose to reveal perfect white panties. Lex stared at Laeton with love. The illusion was just too good.

"Ahem. Do I not get a welcome?" Somehow it hadn't even occurred to Lex that his aunt Lutrice would be accompanying Laeton. In fact, he hadn't thought at all about how or why this visit was even happening. He turned to Lutrice Luthor and hugged her. Well, Lutrice Luthor Meadows now. The woman was as soft and warm as he remembered her to be. Shorter than even her own daughter but with the flowing, red Luthor hair and the bright rosy cheeks that were always smooth and warm against his head as a child. In fact, now he thought about it, she wasn't entirely different in demeanour from Martha Kent, Clark's mother. There was the same emanating goodness, the wholesome eyes with that astute intelligence sparkling behind them and Lex could swear that she smelt vaguely of hemp and herbal teas.

They parted, Lex patting his aunts red locks, lightly touching the daisies entangled in them and marvelling at the exquisite yet humble green eyes.

"Look at you, Alexander, all grown up." Lex chuckled. He half expected her to pinch his cheeks and tell him just how handsome he had got but she merely stood watching him with eyes that knew things, bad things about him that she still forgave.. She turned her head slightly over her shoulder, her profile young and straight; even with all of the daisies and the flowing skirts and the whole look of Bohemia, there was no denying the straight, sharp Luthor beauty in Lutrice.

"Lionel, it's been a long time." Lionel, who had stood awkwardly in the corner when his sister entered the room, almost visibly started as she turned her gaze on him. He stepped towards her and held her very loosely in a hug that she would have pulled him into anyway if he hadn't instigated it himself.

"It's been a while. How has it been? Still chasing happiness?" Lutrice only smiled, a smile that Lionel could never understand.

"I found it a long time ago, Lionel. How've you been? Still chasing money? "Lionel shrugged his shoulders and gestured at the room around him.

"Come, I'll give you both the tour." Lex was about to protest about his father giving a tour around his house but Laeton spoke up.

"I want to talk to Lex. You two go and I'm sure Lex will show me everything that I need to see later." She grinned at Lex and Lex alone. He grinned back. Such dirty words from such a pretty mouth.

"Of course. I suppose you haven't seen each other since," he shifted awkwardly "...well, since college." He ushered Lutrice out of the room with a suspicious glance at Lex, then closed the door behind him, muttering something about the 'War Room' and faded out of earshot. Lex turned back to his cousin, wondering how long she could keep up the innocent routine.

Forever, Lexy. I could do this forever and no-one would know." She sighed with a combination of sadness and boredom. Lex couldn't help but laugh out loud. Laeton laughed too. Lex strode over to his desk and hooked his arms around her neck, her whole body falling into a relaxed hug.

It's been ages. What have you been doing with yourself?" Laeton pressed her finger against Lex's lip, he own only millimetres away from his.

"We've got plenty of time for that shit later. What I want to know is," she removed her finger, holding Lex's eyes with her own, breathing loud enough for him to be able to match his rhythm with her own. "What trouble are we going to get into tonight?"