WARNING: SLASH AS IN MALE AND MALE SEXUAL SITUATIONS OR TALKING DO NOT READ IF THIS OFFENDS YOU PLEASE!

The sensation of something warm touched his back, and he stopped laughing and quickly withdrew away from the contact. 'Don't touch me Lex, or I'll hurt you.'

"There was so much blood… everything is red… dark sticky red… it's on my hands, all over me… oh God! Get it off me." Clark ripped what was left of his shirt off. 'Why did I wear a red shirt today? Never want to wear anything red again.' He threw it across the room while starting to sob uncontrollably. Curling into the fetal position on the floor, he wanted to pass out. "I'm so alone."

"No. -never be alone."

Lex's words became distant, and it seemed as though they were being spoken through molasses to his usually acute ears. In a vain attempt at ignorance, he shut his eyes closed tighter and tried to ignore the small bits that he did understand.

From what he could hear, Lex's voice was full of authority and worry when he spoke to Lana, "-we have…" Shuffling of feet near his head, "… him out of here- now."

Clark felt as two sets of hands grabbed his arms and begin to drag him across the floor towards the back exit. 'God, the police sirens are so blaringly loud.' Even his regular hearing could hear them now. He forcefully cracked his eyes open to x-ray through the building, and he saw Lex's silver Lamborghini abandoned at the front of the store. Then red and blue lights started to reflect off the right side of the car.

'Stop. Go away. Leave me alone.'

"Lana, could… please give me- car keys… him out- Smallville… going to Metropolis."

"Sure. …parked in- alley. -going to pack up some… stuff after work." There was a clanking of metal, "- take them."

"Thank you." No, he didn't want to hear that. Lex and Lana sounded way too friendly with each other. Would they start hugging and kissing each other next? God, he was so jealous. But of who: Lex or Lana?

Clack listlessly shook his head. 'Please, someone make the world go away.'

He was being dragged again. 'Maybe I should fight back? I don't wanna go to Metropolis.' He struggled half-heartedly for a few seconds before anything even remotely resembling strength was sucked out of him. A few words of encouragement were easily ignored. The opening of a door and a waft of musty smelling alleyway air told him that they had finally managed to get him to the Talon's back door. Just in time, as he heard faint foots steps of too many people enter the building behind him. He felt Lana turn and leave them alone at the back of the store to most likely tell the police some sweet and oh so innocent lies.

Holding in a shallow breath, Clark opened his eyes slightly one last time, only to be slapped with further guilt at the look on Lex's face. The colossal amount of fear on his friend's face made him want to hide in one of the deepest caverns in the earth. Grateful as his peripheral vision began to unnaturally fade and darken Clark, continued to hold his breathe.

"Help me." Were the last words he heard before it all went blissfully black.

He woke up. There was a wool plaid blanket wrapped around his naked upper body, and he was in the back seat of a moving car. The skin beneath his eyes was tight and crusty, after rubbing his face and making some kind of groaning noise the car's driver spoke.

"I hope you're feeling better, Clark. You had me a bit worried." He could see Lex peer at him in the rear view mirror. "You've been out for over an hour."

"I…" What could he possibly say? 'I'm fine', wasn't going to cut it. Why did Lex care so much to the point of aiding a felon? Oh yeah, Lex loved him.

"Lex, why do you love me?" A slight gasp was heard coming from his friend.

"Clark, there's something wrong with you. I'm taking you to my penthouse in Metropolis." Lex's right hand moved backwards a foot, like he wanted to touch Clark, "Please, just try to relax on the way there. I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Wow, what a pro. Lex's voice had only altered a fraction while saying his first sentence.

Pussy, Lex was a big old scaredy-cat. He knew there was no way Lex was going to directly reply to his question, but it would have been nice.

Lex's driving had definitely sped up; he could tell that his friend was driving the 'cheap car' well above its recommended limits. Wouldn't it be funny if they got a flat tire or the radiator over-heated? He was so warped.

They didn't.

The tall buildings and busy streets made Clark nervous, and he wanted to get inside and away from the crowds as fast as possible. He wasn't sure that letting himself be taken back to Metropolis was really such a good idea. Having no intention of returning to the scene of the crime so soon after his friend's death, he shuddered and thought about running to Canada. It really didn't make sense to him: how can you mourn the passing of someone when they're sitting alive a few feet away?

They pulled up to the front of a rather classy building, and what appeared to be a valet started walking to the car looking a tad displeased. It was now early evening and Clark was beginning to feel ravenous. He hadn't eaten a single thing all day.

"Lex, have you talked with your Father today?" He pulled the blanket around himself tightly.

Turning to look at him Lex replied, "No, why do you ask?"

"Well if he calls don't answer it. I don't want you to leave me, even for him."

"I promise." Lex once again looked so deep with worry and... God, he really cared about him that much? For a moment Clark could clearly see into his friend's soul, and his eyes had such sincerity and warmth in them, directed at him. It was quite comforting.

Bang Bang

"Excuse me, Sir, but this is private property, and you are not allowed to park here." The snobbish valet had made the mistake of looking at him and not at Lex. Clark watched as all trace of warmth vanished from Lex's face.

Lex turned and opened his door having to use it to push the man out of his way. "You're fired."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Luthor, I didn't know it was you." The guy was horror stricken and Clark couldn't help feeling a bit bad for him. To face Lex Luthor's wrath would be on anyone's 'top ten' list of things never to do. He almost told Lex not to worry about it, knowing that his friend would almost certainly do as he asked. But what was the point?

Lex stood to his full height of six feet. "It doesn't matter if you knew me or not. You are not to talk to anyone like that. It was rude and uncalled for. Go find someone else to park my car." The keys were tossed at the guy's head, and he was barely able to catch them before they hit him in the face.

The man hustled his suit-clad ass back inside the building. Clark smiled at the thought of how many people Lex had under his thumb, and in a few years time the amount could easily more than triple. He had no idea why that was funny. Maybe it was funny in a kind of scary way?

"I'm glad you find it amusing." Lex opened his door and gestured for him to come out.

"You'll never see me do that. I'm never going to be your servant boy."

"Ah, now all my hopes have been dashed." They both looked surprised after Clark stopped laughing.

"Do you think you can carry me out? I don't think I can make it." Damn, joking was nice, even in its wrongness, but he honestly didn't want to leave the back seat. It felt so much safer than outside. Then he saw something. On the other side of the street a blonde couple were walking hand in hand, appearing perfectly normal and sweet together. He definitely recognized the woman and man from the Italian restaurant the day before, who could forget something like that?

Clark practically jumped out of the car to get a better look.

"What are you doing?" Lex sounded a little apprehensive behind him.

"That woman in the pink dress, I think she's important."

"Important?"

"Yeah." He used his super-hearing hoping to catch something significant. How it is that fate had brought her near him yet again? Please let it mean something. Some of the things she had said and done that day had been so odd and frightening.

Once again they were dressed rather classy. She wore an evening gown while he was in a black suit and tie.

"This was a great idea. I heard 'Aida' has won several Tony's. It should be a good musical." The man kissed the woman's cheek and she smiled brightly.

"It was nothing. Sometimes being a little bit impulsive can be exciting."

"Today was more than a little impulsive. We both 'played hooky.'" He laughed and nibbled on her ear, "You'll always be exciting to me."

Wearing an expression of pure contentment and a bit of lust she replied, "I'll do anything for you. I promise that nothing will ever tear us apart."

"Why do you say that?" He appeared slightly worried.

"Because, I want to always be with you. Michel, you are my heart and I can't live without the other piece of my soul."

"I won't ever leave you."

She looked so sad when she replied, "I know."

Michel looked like he wanted to comfort her, "I'll always love you."

The couple hugged each other briefly before continuing on towards the nearby theater.

Feeling a tad peeping-tomish over listening to something so intimate, Clark just couldn't believe how different Elizabeth was acting. 'Mood swings?'

"Clark?" Lex shook him back to their reality. "Let's go inside." Some of the people walking past them on the street had begun to gawk and point at them. This promptly reminded Clark how crappy he looked and getting out of the public view was a very wise suggestion.

His mind wandered elsewhere until Lex opened the door to his suite letting him enter first. How often did Lex say he stayed here? As Clark walked into a massive, very bland living room, his friend quickly made a phone call. Trying not to eavesdrop he barely heard the word clothes. His own, made up of tattered jeans, shoes, socks and underwear, were beyond ruined and he hoped that it meant he would be getting some new ones soon.

"Do you want to contact your parents?" Lex held the phone in an offering gesture.

Clark's eye's widened in dismay at that horrible thought, "No. I just want to stay here with you."

"I'll make sure to let them know that you are alright."

"Thanks." Thoughtfully wandering around, Clark noticed the lack of personal items and colors everywhere. "This place is very… nice."

"Ah yes, it still has that Spartan feel to it. Just before being exiled to Smallville I sort of took it upon myself to redecorate. I must admit the mess afterwards was impressive by my own high standards. I remember Dad saying how costly my hissy fit had been, but it was worth it. Half that stuff, if it had survived, wouldn't be me anymore anyway."

"Was it fun?"

Lex traced a small indent on the side of the wall in a type of reminiscent way. "Yes."

"I wasn't having fun." Clark felt ashamed.

Lex abruptly turned his head towards him, understanding dawned on his face.

"What I mean is… I didn't do it to have fun."

"I know." Lex quickly appeared in his personal space, looking at him with kindness and concern. Clark felt weird at this new form of closeness. He had never let himself be openly vulnerable to his friend like this before.

"Don't you want to know why?"

"Yes, but not now. I think you should have a nice relaxing shower and something to eat first."

Clark became quite uncomfortable. 'Do I smell that bad?' And why was he worried about that being a problem? Concrete dust, fibreglass, dirt, gun power plus other unknown substances covered his body. Using water to wash away ones sins was as old as it was clichéd, but he was resolved to the fact that Lex was going to be taking care of him tonight. And maybe water, and a ton of soap, could wash away a bit of his disgrace. His self-consciousness would just have to suck it up a bit.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea."

Lex pointed, "It's the third door on the right. There's a bathrobe inside, and there will be some clothes brought up for you shortly. What would you like to eat?"

"Surprise me." Clark lightly rested his hand on Lex's left shoulder and smiled, "Thank you for everything. You're my best friend."

Lex returned the smile and put his own hand onto Clark's arm, gently squeezing, he said, "I would do anything for you."

"I know."

Clark felt like a refugee in a strange-land while walking down the corridor. This place was so foreign and sterile. There were no lively pictures on the walls and no beautiful works of art on any of the tables. It most certaintly didn't have the lived in feel about it. It was as if Lex had moved out and had taken every piece of himself with him, leaving the place devoid of his special presence. He wished it didn't bother him so much.

The plaid blanket fell to the floor, and he stared into the mirror examining himself. The bullets hadn't left any marks this time. Just two years ago, there still would have been painful bruises, like that time when Lex had involuntarily tried to pump him full of the deadly projectiles. Soon, nothing from earth would hurt him. Nobody would be able to stop him, unless they knew his weakness. No one had stopped him today.

The scalding water flowed down his spine after pounding onto the back of his neck. Slowly, his tense muscles began to loosen as he worked the lather into his hair. He sighed at the soothing sensation of heat and water, as his empty stomach began to give a rather loud complaint. Lex's surprise had better be good.

He stepped out of the large opaque glass compartment to find a neatly piled stack of clothes near the door. Sneaky. Quickly, he dried off and rinsed his mouth out with some gross yellow Listerine. A pair of dark grey sweat pants, soft navy blue socks, royal blue T-shirt, and plaid boxers now clothed him. They all fit perfectly. Did Lex break into his room while he was out and catalogue all his sizes? Clark openly laughed at the thought.

He left the bathroom and swiftly went to join Lex in the other room. Hearing his friend talking with an unidentified person at the front door made him stop with apprehension in mid-step. 'Lex wouldn't have asked anyone over, would he?' After the door closed, Clark peered around the corner to make sure the other person had left. He saw Lex standing alone holding a large square box, which had a very unique delicious smell coming from it.

"Pizza!"

Lex looked at him with an amazing grin on his face.

"Dig in."

"Have I told you lately how much I love your surprises?" Clark was within an inch of grabbing the box.

"Never." His friend was positively pleased.

Clark had insisted that they sit on the floor in front of the TV to eat. Lex had insisted on plates and many napkins. After inhaling over half of the meat-lovers deluxe on his own, Clark had began to sift through Lex's sizeable DVD collection. Just his luck that it was perfectly alphabetized. What a nerd. Most he had already seen, fortunately they both loved Fantasy and Science Fiction, they made up more than half of the large collection. One older movie that he hadn't seen before caught his eye and after reading the synopsis he just had to see it.

"Can we watch this one?" He held it up for his friend to easily see.

Lex barely glanced at the title 'Groundhog Day' before answering, "Sure, Clark. Whatever you want."

His friend had become distant after receiving an unpleasant phone call during dinner. The FBI had asked Lex if he knew about Clark's current whereabouts and had warned him that Clark was extremely dangerous. If he saw the Kent boy, he was to call them immediately. Lex had sworn that he hadn't. Then they had proceeded to threaten him with the fact that he still didn't have any concrete evidence against his father. To Lex, jail time seemed to loom right around the corner for both of them. Clark pretended that he hadn't heard, in order to see how Lex would react and not wanting to deal with a confrontation yet.

He inserted the DVD, "Do you have any popcorn?"

"No. I can get some if you'd like." Lex was definitely distracted as he barely looked towards Clark's general direction.

"That's ok." Clark sat down, much closer than usual, next to Lex. Their thighs lightly touched. Lex didn't seem to notice as he stared at the screen with a fixed rational and yet over-thinking look about him.

Please let them not have the talk now. He knew it was coming. Just like on a warm summer day after arriving at a special destination, a lakeside beach for example, with your family and closest friends, when you look up into the sky and see dark rain clouds. No matter how much you wish they would change direction or cease to exist they continue to drift closer to your location until they finally dump rain, and sometimes hail with torrents of wind down upon you. Ruining the moment.

"Are you alright?"

Lex appeared to be mildly irritated at his question, "I thought you wanted to watch this?"

"You know I should crown you as the King of Evading Questions."

Lex answered morosely, "No, my father's the King of that."

"Fine. How about the Queen?" He tried to smile cheekily.

Lex looked at him and grinned, "Then what would that make you?"

"The Jester." Clark smiled and tried to give an intimidating pose, hoping to cheer Lex up a bit.

Lex chuckled a bit as some of the warmth returned to his eyes. They looked at each other in mutual understanding before Lex said, "Please, let's just watch the movie."

It was an interesting premise. Some mean reporter man was more or less made to learn the error of his ways by having to re-live Groundhog Day over and over. He highly enjoyed it until near the end when he was pissed to see that there had been no real solution to Bill Murray's character repeating day predicament. So what, he'd found true love? Now, everything was going to be hunky-dory? Oh yeah, that would totally make his living hell stop.

As the end credits began to roll, he saw in his peripheral vision Lex start to dial on his cell phone on the other side of the room. He had noticed when his friend left his side and, at the time, he had almost complained about the missed company. It was going to happen now. Lex shouldn't have to be calling anyone because of him. He used his super-speed to magically materialize at Lex's side, surprising him.

"You don't have to worry about fixing my mistakes. I'm not going to jail."

Lex lowered the phone, "I'll find a way to discredit the police and any of the students or teacher's statements. You're right, the authorities won't get anywhere near you. Do you know if you were caught on camera at all?"

"Lex, I know that you're trying to protect me. But, you have your own troubles with the FBI. You can't burden yourself more with my problems."

Looking offended that Clark had questioned his abilities he replied. "I'm dealing with that just fine." Lex's expression then softened. "And, you will never be a burden to me."

"I could help with that. I could find a way to incriminate your father. He's a murderer you know." Lex appeared to be shocked at the open hate in Clark's eyes, "He deserves to be punished."

"Clark, I can't let you get messed up in all this as well. You have enough to worry about."

"I already am." Clark was a bit flustered at being led off topic. "What I did today is not going to have any repercussions for me or anyone else." He took Lex's phone and put it on a nearby table.

"You can't say that." Showing how stressed he was, Lex ran his left hand across the top of his bald head. Clark had to make him understand that he was telling the truth.

"Yes, I can. That movie, I picked it for a reason." Clark gestured at the screen, "That has been my life for the last week. I guess, I snapped a bit from the strain today from having to re-live everything over and over again. I almost wish that I was crazy and that it's all in my head, but I don't think so."

Lex looked like he wanted to believe him, but still appeared sceptical. "You've said some really peculiar things to me today, and I know what you did, at the high school."

They stood so close together he could have nipped Lex's nose.

"Yeah, well I'm really peculiar." Clark sighed. "I was messed up. Still am a bit. You've helped me so much today, just by being there for me. You are such a great person and friend."

The room was quiet as they allowed a moment for reflection.

Clark gave him the look that said he was offering the world, "Do you want to know now?"

Lex seemed hesitant to answer. He looked both fascinated and fearful at the prospect of finding out the truth. "Yes."

"Everything you have ever thought about me is true. I'm a scary super being from another planet that was sent to take over the world. See, my destiny pretty much sucks too."

Belle Reve. That place and its revelations had shown Clark how Lex could and did react to his secrets. Lex had been happy. Amazingly he hadn't told anyone. No, he just wanted Clark to help him escape, but who could blame him? This role-reversal thing was strange. Now, it was Clark who was getting his sanity questioned by Lex, not the other way around. And unlike before, he now had the knowledge that Lex wouldn't remember this time either, even if he wanted his friend to.

For the first time, Clark wondered what was so great about being normal anyway? It would make things a lot less interesting, maybe even down right boring. This was exciting in a way that being normal would never bring him. And how can something feel so terrifying, yet be exciting at the same time?

Looking terribly upset, Lex didn't meet Clark's gaze. "Clark, I truthfully don't know what to say. So much has happened with you today, and I don't know what to believe. I am…"

It was his fault that Lex was hurting. How can he make it better?

"Believe me." He affectionately hugged Lex feeling his friend's body stiffen at the contact. Turning his head Clark softy said into Lex's ear, "Please don't hate me. I want to tell you everything, and I have all night to do it."

Lex gave him is slight nod. He seemed so fragile right now, like exquisite crystal on the edge of shattering when too high a note had been played for too long. How stressed had Lex been today because of him? He had been so thoughtless about everything during his grief, and not only strangers had paid the price but so had his family and friends. 'What kind of person did that make him?'

Clark gently led Lex to the leather love seat, "Here, let me start at the beginning…"

He told Lex everything. From the day they had first met, no longer denying to Lex the fact that he had hit Clark with his Porsche, all the way up to the present. Super-speed, strength, and hearing as well as x-ray and heat vision-- why did that list continue to get longer? The fact that trucks and bullets could hit him and practically bounce off really amazed Lex, while disappearing and letting his drugged friend be taken to Belle Reve had gotten Lex quite incensed.

All the unimportant stuff was left out, like most of his intimate experiences with Lana and Chloe, and his families' discussions. Some details had been forgotten, but more or less the essentials were now known. It was finally all out in the open, including what had happened yesterday. Clark felt so relieved to be able to temporarily let all of his burdens go. He left one major point out of his confession that being anything having to due with kryptonite. That topic was still a little too touchy for him to reveal.

During parts of his long confession, Lex had gone from looking intrigued and excited to infuriated or distressed.

Clark finally finished with, "And I believe the day starts to repeat again sometime after one am." And unfortunately it was going on eleven pm. The worst part about watching Lex was right now when Clark could see his friend realise that all of this was for naught hitting him that very instant.

A royally pissed off Lex stood up in anger and snarled out, "I'm going to forget this all tomorrow?"

"Yes, but I swear this means so much to me. You have to imagine how utterly alone I am!" Clark was on the verge of tears. He was sure that Lex hated him now, some of the things he had done and not done deserved repentance. "I'm so confused, and I wish that you, at the very least, could stay the same tomorrow. I want you to. I need you to help me."

"I don't know if I can." Lex seemed defeated, staring up into the black skylight as the half moon shone dimly above them. "Today's almost over."

"You can still help me tomorrow." Even if he had to tell this all over again to Lex, much sooner in the day, it would be worth it. Clark put his arm around his friend's waist and peered up into the sky as well. Absently he spoke out loud, "I wonder if there were any shooting stars tonight?"

Lex whispered, "The stars fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind."

How Lex loved to quote strange phrases from ancient people.

His friend seemed to be in a whole other universe, "One of the visions from St. John the Divine in the early 1800's, a huge meteor storm fell, causing the people to repent and pray that the world wasn't ending. That's how it felt for me, but shooting stars can at least be pretty. I bet you were the brightest star that day."

Contemplating what Lex said, Clark was surprised to realize how long the two of them had been strangely connected. It must have been destiny to meet in Smallville during two such traumatic situations. Meteor shower and car crash, two new beginnings.

At last, Lex returned his embrace slowly rubbing his hand up and down Clark's back. "All I've ever wanted was for you to be truthful with me."

"I will be, I promise." And he meant it. From now on, he was going to do anything in order to stop this madness.

"That lady you described from the restaurant, Elizabeth Hoffman? She might be a lead." Lex just couldn't stop thinking, even if his life depended upon it.

"I'll make sure you investigate her, thoroughly."

After hearing that last comment Lex smirked. "What do you want to do now?"

"Honestly? I'm exhausted." Clark smiled, "I bet you have a wonderful king sized bed too?"

"Of course. Top of the line."

"Is it the bowling-ball bed?"

Lex laughed, "Well I haven't done any bowling on it lately."

"Lex? Would you sleep with me tonight?" Clark looked at Lex with silent longing, "You know in bed with clothes on. I don't want to be alone." The thought of sleeping with his best friend wasn't anywhere close to being sexual to Clark at that moment. It was all about trust and companionship. He wanted to feel Lex next to him, if only for a few hours, and he would know that he really wasn't alone.

"I'd love to."