DISCLAIMER: Suuure... and I have beachfront property in Alabama to sell you.
Chapter Five: Fragile
Clark's tears had finally abated into nothing more than hiccups and the occasional sniffle. Unwinding his arms from around the boy, Lex stood up and got a bottle of his favorite water. He handed it to Clark, and waited until nearly half the bottle was gone, along with Clark's hiccups.
Quietly, Lex at last asked the question that had been weighing heavily on both his heart and his mind since the long-ago moment that he had realized what Clark's friendship meant to him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Blue eyes, blood-shot from crying, looked up into Lex's own break-of-dawn grey ones. "I don't know. At first, it was because you were a Luthor," Lex inwardly rejoiced at noticing that Clark no longer thought of him as a Luthor.
"And because Mom and Dad have told me ever since I can remember not to tell anyone what I am, or let them know what I can do. They said people would take me away to dissect me, and study me. Then I told Pete, and now he's had to move away because the FBI was putting too much heat on him to try to get him to tell them about me. I don't know, I guess I was
worried that it was too much of a burden."
Clark wouldn't meet Lex's eyes. He's afraid I'm going to reject him, for what he is, and for keeping it a secret, Lex realized. "Look at me, Clark," he said quietly. When the teen hesitantly met Lex's gaze with his own, the older man continued. "I understand why you did it. But now that I know, I will do everything in my power to protect you." He sighed and ran a hand over his bald head. "As for not being able to feel," Clark cringed at that, "I'll do my best to see what can be done about
that."
Clark simply nodded. He was staring at the carpet, once again trying to avoid Lex's eyes. When he did manage to catch the teen's gaze, the broken look in those gorgeous blue eyes cut him to the quick.
Damn that Messiah complex of his. Always trying to keep his suffering to himself. He really needs to quit that. Last night is proof enough that it's hazardous to his health, Lex thought. They'd figure out a way to solve Clark's problems later, but for now Lex decided it'd be best to just find a good distraction for him.
Lex smirked. "You still up for learning Latin?"
Clark managed a small, wobbly smile and replied, "Definitely."
"I'll race you to my library."
With a grin, the boy threw Lex over his shoulder and supersped to their destintation.
It didn't take Lex long to realize how fragile Clark's heart really was. The slightest reminder of his inability to feel would bring a mask of false indifference onto his face, leaving only his eyes for Lex to read. Every time, he saw the look in his young friend's eyes that he would be more than happy to steal away forever. He never wanted to see Clark try to kill himself again. The memory alone was enough to make his stomach revolt.
All that stood between Lex and a questionably long life of loneliness was this fragile seventeen-year-old boy. And he didn't know if he could take living without his one true friend.
So, Lex wondered,who's really the fragile one here?
Soooo. Whatcha think?
Crowd throws rotten veggies, pelting the author
ACK! I know it's not my best work! I'll try harder next time, I promise!
Crowd continues to throw veggies
ACK! I'll write longer chapters! Anything! ANYthing!
Crowd chases author as she runs off the stage screaming
