AUTHOR'S NOTE: For the purpose of this chapter Chloe didn't actually guess that she kissed Clark thanks to Kyle Tippet in 'Hug'. It was mentioned that the folks under the influence had no memory of what happened, and therefore I am taking it a different way. Clark told Pete who mentioned it to Lana which explains her asking Clark. Chloe was just uncomfortable with a vague feeling she did something embarassing.

Chapter Eleven

Chloe refused to look at him and Clark was thinking of something to say when Pete snuck up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Man, I have GOT to talk to you later."

Pete, the ever inconspicuous one, winked and when Pete winked... Well, it was the most unnatural thing Clark had ever seen. It made him look like a Furby doll with one eye broken, on rapid blink mode.

"I can't believe you never told me." Chloe hissed beside him. The banners for Lana's Amateur Singing Night were coming along slowly to say the least.

Pete, completely oblivious, went on. "I mean about our 'homework'." Clark laughed at his friend's complete inability to lie about anything, or to hint with a slight subtle intonation.

"You're unbelievable, Pete, you know that? If anyone ever suspected a thing, they would have thrown a net over my head." Pete was making 'shushing' gestures and eyeing Chloe. Clark shook his head and went back to the banner. "She knows."

"Hey!" The boy looked truly upset. "You told me I'd be there when you told her," he whispered.

"'Her' is sitting right here and can hear you," snapped Chloe.

"I wanted to see you deck him. Did you deck him?"

"No, stupid, but now I wish I had."

"Are you mad at me too?"

"Why the hell would I be?"

"Chloe's not mad about the alien thing," Clark added.

Pete was clearly perplexed. "Well, then what's with the-"

"Clark never bothered to tell me that Kyle Tippet made me kiss him."

"He didn't make you, he just-"

She glared at him and Pete nudged him. "He made her, man. He made her."

Chloe's gaze burned a trail to Pete. "Thanks, Pete. Really."

He grinned. "No problem, babe. I've got your back."

"Now I'm mad at you, too. Grab the damn glitter and draw something happy."

Lana passed by and, trying to be careful and nice around Chloe. They'd only recently talked while Clark was hanging up banners. There was lots of crying and girly hugs. He thought it looked a lot easier than his had been.

Lana looked over her roomie's shoulder. "Oh, hey, what are you drawing?"

"Well," Chloe started. "You said people dancing."

"Right. But vague. Stick figures and stuff."

"They're vague."

"Is that one wearing a belt?"

"No, that's blood."

"Oh." A second of silence. "Explain why it's blue then."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Same reason it's a green person. Tell her why the person is green, Chloe."

"Because it's not a person. It's Clark."

Lana looked at him. "You saw it already?"

"No, she likes pointing out the things she's drawing. She's brought out a killer story."

Pete eyed Clark once Lana's attention was back on Chloe's Pyschotic Glitter People. He was worried. "What the hell, man?"

"Don't worry. Lana knows too."

"Well, thanks for keeping me up on current affairs."

Clark shrugged and went back to his part of the banner. Normal glitter people dancing normal glitter dances. No bloody glitter alien people dying, here. Nope.

"What about that one," Lana pointed. "Why is it's arm longer?"

"Because it's a knife, not an arm. It's stabbing me, Lana."

Chloe grinned.

"Where do you think the blood from?" he muttered. Chloe was taking this Kyle Tippet thing poorly.

"What are you," Pete started. "Six?" Chloe looked up at him and before Clark could catch the look, Pete stood. "Ok, I'm going to do something in that area all the way across the Talon. That okay with you guys?"

Everyone nodded and Chloe gleefully turned back to her drawing.

For a few minutes everyone worked quietly on their projects. Besides the errant creepy Chloe chuckle, there was just the sound of Lana's radio and Lana in the kitchen as she scooted around with food for the party, all made from Home Ec, projects from freshmen in school in return for her not bugging Mrs. Gleason to perform that night. Clark had just begun to calm himself and almost liked the glue smell and glitter, well, glittering and his overly glue-pasted hands.

He should have known better.

"Why is that pink person touching that green person's belt?"

Lex's voice, so close and so unattached, made him jump. Chloe looked up at him. "That's me stabbing, Clark."

Lex just nodded. "With what?"

"A knife."

"It would have to be a big one."

Chloe nodded.

"I think the blood should be dripping on the floor, not just soaking his shirt."

"Okay, really, that's enough," Clark interjected.

"Like in a puddle?"

"Exactly."

Clark put the jar of his glitter down. "Lex can I talk to you?"

Lex shrugged and walked back outside. Clark followed.

"I'm impressed. I don't know how you calmed Chloe but, shit. I never saw that coming."

"Lex, I-"

"Did you have sex with her too?"

Normally, Clark would have been mad and a little hurt. But Lex sounded jealous and upset and that just made Clark feel like a possession in the best of ways.

"I'm sorry," Lex said quietly.

"I want to talk to you."

"I don't know what there is to talk about."

"I don't love, Lana."

"But you fucked her."

"You fucked Vicky."

"This isn't about me."

"I'm not making about you, Lex. I'm making a point."

"And here's mine." The older boy stepped closer and Clark noticed he was wearing jeans, a brown knit sweater Martha had given him last Christmas, and an old beaten leather jacket. Clark had never seen him look sexier and wondered just why Lex was dressing so oddly as of late. Casual just to help Lana?

Clark would have to find work on the farm for him.

"You wouldn't have had sex with her last night if you didn't feel something for her."

"That's not true."

"Then tell me why you had sex with her."

"Because you had sex with Vicky."

"What?!"

"I would have never even went over to her house if I hadn't been tossing and turning at the thought of that whore touching you when I should have been." Snow on the tip of Lex's nose startled him and he reached over and picked it up. It melted on his fingertips.

The intimate touch seemed to undo Lex. "Then what was with that kiss and shoving her up against the truck?!"

"I don't know, Lana made me kiss her. I guess she thought it would make you jealous. The truck thing..." he shrugged. "Lana's hot and I was disappointed and horny."

Lex walked away from him then back again. "Do you have any idea how fucking weird these last 24 hours have been? Ever since you came here last night, things have been weird. You're saying and doing things that make me think you-"

"I'm not on crack, Lex," he interupted. He knew Lex was thinking of the times with the red meteors. "I'm on life, as stupid and "afterschool special" as I am sure that sounds. I'm tired of this- this thing between us and not ever doing anything about it."

Lex was trying to hide his hope, his emotions, but he was too strung out. Clark could tell he was softening. "And I suppose that-"

"Lex, try this on for weird. Shake Rattle and Roll is playing inside there and I wanna freaking sing a musical out here thanks to the fact that you haven't pushed me away because of this afternoon; I wanna sing because of that incredibly sexy look in your eyes after I said sex with Lana happened because I wanted you. It's snowing a month early. There are psychotic, shiny people killing me inside the Talon, and I think Chloe might need honest to god psychiatric help. Lana and I had sex last night and if that isn't weird enough, now all of my friends except you know my secrets. And that needs to change."

Lex looked pissed. "I don't want to know your secrets because of, well because... of something... I DON'T KNOW!" Lex yelled and Clark could tell the last straw was forthcoming. He grabbed Lex by the arm and pulled him into the Talon, past his friends and into the kitchen where Lana was pulling the last of the SaranWrap off a bowl of tapioca pudding.

He shoved Lex up against the wall ajacent to Lana's table of yummies and kissed him. Soft lips beneath his parted enough to let out a gasp and Clark took advantage of that breach. He pounded Lex's mouth with his and Lex just stood there, taking it.

There was a sigh from the other side of the room, reminding them they were not alone. Lex squirmed to get away, pushing on Clark. Clark backed off. "What?!" he asked annoyed that now there was almost two feet of space between his mouth and Lex's.

Lex looked to Lana to explain that they had company, but she wasn't upset. She was smiling with fingers pressed to her lips and tears in her eyes.

Now Lex was confused. "What th-"

"I told you, they all know my secrets."

"But-" Lex's mouth was covered by Clark's and melted into the kiss. Clark could read his mind. 'Fuck it.'

Clark heard Lana closing the door to the kicthen and suddenly they were alone. He felt his face flush and his groin stir. Lifting Lex, he pushed the older boy up onto the countertop.

"Whoa, whoa, farmboy! Remember where we are."

Clark growled and pulled Lex's leather jacket down, but not off. It restricted the movement of Lex's arms, which was exactly what Clark wanted.

"We're practically in public!"

"I don't care."

"Yeah, that shouldn't surprise me. I figure I'll just go with the flow around you."

Clark nodded. "That will help your sanity, believe me." He nipped one of Lex's ears with his teeth. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to kiss you? To do this?" His hands slid down Lex's back and he grinned at the shudder they caused.

Lex nodded. "Probably about half as long as I've wanted to. So... How does this end?"

"It doesn't."

Lex laughed. "I meant in here, right now."

"Let me show you."

THE END

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