Lionel hated being frustrated. So damned close to the boy... and then he showed up. Lex was definitely going to be sent to Europe soon. "Stupid, meddling..."

Lionel nearly threw his briefcase across the room as he picked it up. Well, if he couldn't have the real thing, he would just have to settle for Photographic Clark for this evening.

"Let's see what you've given me to look at this time," Lionel murmured to himself. He opened the envelope, shaking out a CD. "Digital this time. How nice."

The CD went into his laptop and the pictures quickly popped up. The first few were relatively dull: Clark Kent herding cows. More Clark Kent herding cows. Clark Kent sleeping in only his boxers. "Oh, very nice," Lionel said into his hand. His person was beginning to realize what he wanted.

A maid pushed open the door. "Dinner, sir?" she asked timidly.

"No, thank you," Lionel said, shooing her away. He returned his attentions to about five pictures of Clark in various positions of sleep. Then there were the three pictures of him changing after gym. "How do you do it?" How could Clark not notice someone taking pictures of him?

And then the piece d'resistance: Clark Kent as naked as the day he came into the world. "Oh, sweet Jesus." He was in his bathroom, his back turned to the camera. "Oh, you are getting a bonus for this one."

Visions of Clark Kent in his bedroom floated into Lionel's head (both above the shoulders and below), lifting himself up and blinking sleepily as Lionel entered, sat on the edge of his bed. Pushing the boy's hair lovingly back from his face. Kissing lips that just begged for it. Clark gripping his shoulders, pressing hips together-

"Mr. Luthor?"

Jonathon Kent showing up with a shotgun.

"Mr. Luthor, Dominic Sentori is on the phone for you sir."

A very big shotgun. Waving it around like the slack jawed yokel that Lionel knew him to really be.

"Can't this phone call wait?" Lionel asked huffily. Even thoughts of Jonathon and a shotgun were not helping to alleviate his erection.

"No, sir, he says that it is very important."

"Damn well better be," Lionel grumbled, reaching for his phone. "What is it, Dominic?"

"I just thought you would like to know that Lex's meeting was canceled and he just left for home, sir."

Lionel wished Dominic were right in front of him so he could throw something at his head. Something heavy and preferably made of marble. "And this was so important you had to bother me at nine at night?"

"He didn't seem like himself, sir," Dominic continued. "Kept muttering about needing to see Clark Kent. That he had to talk with him. I thought you would want to know sir."

"Yes, thank you." Lionel slammed down the phone. A very, very long time was going to be spent in Europe by his son.

Lex couldn't explain it. He had this overwhelming urge to see Clark. Actually, it was almost like a... drive. He needed to see Clark before he exploded. That's why he didn't wait for a plane to take him back to Smallville. Instead he took the first car he could get his hands on. And drove it at about 100 miles an hour. And got a speeding ticket.

He tried to get out of the ticket, but what was he supposed to tell the State Trooper? "Sorry I was speeding, Officer. But I really, really have to go talk to Clark Kent. Why? You know, I'm not sure why, I just have too." Yeah, that would have gone over well.

Lex pulled over on the side of the road just before the turn in to the Kent's farm. What was he doing? The clock told him it was a little after one in the morning. It was Thursday, and a school night. Clark was most likely asleep. So were his parents.

Lex got out of the car and started walking up to the house. Must talk with Clark. Must see Clark. Must kiss- What the hell? Kiss? Where did that thought come from? No, he just needed to talk with Clark. That was all. Nothing more.

Man it's dark out here. Haven't these people heard of streetlights? Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!

Lex stood between the house and the barn. It was a warm spring night, so Clark was most likely sleeping in the loft. Probably wearing nothing but- Stop that! Lex shook his head. He was straight. For the most part. OK, yes, Clark did have a certain beauty about him. But it wasn't as if Lex was attracted to his friend. Well, maybe a little bit of attraction.

Must talk to Clark, right now.

Lex walked up the steps of the loft to find Clark sleeping on his couch, a blanket covering his lower half. Just talk. That's all. Nothing more than talk.

"Clark?" Lex whispered. "Are you awake?"

Clark responded by changing position, but his eyes remained closed. Actually, Clark was really cute when he slept-

Lex shook his head again. Where the hell were these thoughts coming from? Mmmm... coming. Clark on his knees, mouth on Lex's-

"Clark, are you awake?" Louder this time. Clark mumbled. Lex shook Clark. "Hey, are you awake?"

"I am now," Clark muttered sleepily, trying to force his eyes open. "Lex, what are you doing here? It's... one thirty! In the morning."

"Yes, I know, I needed to... talk to you." And convince you to have sex with me... What? No. Talk. Just talk.

"At one thirty in the morning?" Clark asked incredulously. "What is it you want to talk about that can't wait until at least the cows are up?"

"I don't know," Lex admitted. "I just felt like I had to talk to you. I had to see you."

Clark started to doze off. "Uh-huh."

"It's strange, but I felt like I would go insane if I didn't see you tonight. Like I just couldn't wait until the cows got up."

"Mm-hm."

"Something happened right after my meeting got canceled, but I can't seem to remember exactly what it was. And then I needed to see you. I got a speeding ticket on the way here, you know."

"That sucks." Clark's eyes were now completely shut.

There was the sound of a car pulling up outside. "You know, I also need to warn you about my father. I know he can be very... intriguing, but he's a dangerous man, Clark."

"Yeah."

"Are you paying attention to me at all?" Lex felt slightly annoyed. Though Clark did look pretty laying there on his back.

"What's going on up here?" Lionel demanded, nearly running up the stairs. He stared at Lex in shock. "What the hell are you doing?"

Clark suddenly became very aware that Lex's hand was on his thigh. Very high up on his thigh, and it was squeezing. "Lex!"

"What, Clark?" Lex asked, completely unaware.

"Why are you touching... that?"

Lex happened to look down and see where his hand had gotten too. "Oh! Sorry... I didn't mean to do that." But he made no effort to move his hand.

"Move your hand!" Clark yelled, clearly freaked out.

This was when Jonathon and Martha decided to make an appearance in the barn. "What is going on up here?" Martha demanded.

"I just came to talk to Clark," Lex explained.

"Get your hand off my son!" Jonathon yelled.

Lionel lunged forward and grabbed his groping son. "We are leaving right this instant. Are you high?" Lex was tripping over his own feet as he was forced down the steps.

"No, I just needed to talk to Clark." Damn, was that the best explanation he could offer? And why had he just felt Clark up? What was going on?

"Lionel-"

"Don't worry, Jonathon, I will personally see that this never happens again," Lionel promised, shoving his son into the passenger side of his car. He leaned in close to his son. "You had best be high."

The next morning, Lex got dressed and tried to go about business as usual. His father had yelled for close to an hour, throwing his admonishment about not being able to buy off Jonathon Kent back into his face. A few hours of sleep later, and Lex still couldn't explain to himself his behavior last night.

Again, that nagging need to see Clark again tickled the back of his mind. Just to talk of course... oh, who the hell did he think he was fooling? He just wanted to see Clark again, look at him, hold him-

Coffee would be good right about now. Maybe it was time for a quick stop at the Talon. Yes, coffee and the Talon. A nice public place where he could talk to Clark. Try to explain last night.

When Lex walked into the Talon, he was relieved not feel angry glares being thrown his way. Obviously, Clark had so far chosen to keep last night to himself. He didn't notice a nasty glance from Pete Ross, but he always got those from Pete.

Clark had not yet shown up. Must... get... coffee. Caffeine addiction was a harsh mistress. And it was one that Lex didn't mind feeding.

Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Clark walk in. He smiled at Clark, but Clark quickly looked away. OK, need an explanation for last night. Maybe I should go with the "I was high" angle.

Man, Clark looked hot in flannel. Really hot. Flannel that begged to be torn away from his body, right here, in front of everyone. Stop that!

"Hello, Clark, how are you this morning?" Lex asked, trying to keep a level tone.

"I'm fine," Clark replied, eyeing him warily. "How about you?"

"Look, about last night, I'm very sorry. I don't know what came over me. I was tired. But it won't happen again."

Clark gave him a funny look. "It would be a lot easier to believe you if you didn't have your hand on my hip."

"Huh?" Lex glanced down to see that, yes, his hand was in fact squeezing Clark's hip. He quickly jerked his hand back. "I... I'm sorry. I don't know why I just did that."

Lex felt strange. Something very weird was going on. What happened last night?

"Look, Lex, I don't know what's going on with you, but please stop," Clark hissed. "I had to keep my father from coming after you with a shotgun last night."

Not good, so very, very not good. Lex found himself focusing on the shape of Clark's mouth. It was moving, and saying words, but my God. What a very pretty mouth Clark had. Just a quick kiss-

"Are you listening to me?" Clark demanded.

"Um... yes?"

"Damn it, Lex, maybe you need to get some sleep or something." Clark rolled his eyes. "Look, I'll talk to you after school."

Right, after school. They could talk after school. Clark brushed past Lex, then yelped. "What are you doing?" Clark whispered.

"Huh?"

"You just grabbed my ass."

"No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did!"

Lex suddenly realized that, holy shit, he had just grabbed Clark's ass. And what a nice, firm- Stop that! He commanded himself. He put his hand on Clark's shoulder and herded the boy to the back of the Talon. "Look, I know things have been a little weird lately. Maybe we should get out of here-"

"Lex, with the way you've been acting that may not be such a good idea." Clark tried to get away, but Lex was refusing to let go.

"It's just that... well, I want to be with you. The two of us... together-"

And that's when Lex decided to kiss Clark.

Clark shoved Lex into a wall, looking about to see if anyone had witnessed what had just happened. "What is wrong with you?"

"Sorry," Lex muttered, moving to get out of the Talon before he created a scene. "I'll see you after school."

TBC