SUMMARY: Chapter Nine Clark wants to tell the truth, doesn't he? But he isn't sure that he can.

WARNINGS: Rated Teen for language and sexuality. Veers into the realm of AU after the episode "Red" from Season 2. Because I just – LOVE red kryptonite!

DISCLAIMER: So many people own Superman and Smallville that I don't even know where to begin. We'll just sweepingly say Siegel and Shuster, DC Comics, and the show's creators. It's this twisted copyright situation, anyway. But I'm not making any money of them, rest assured. Just – playing with them. In my mind. It's not my fault they picked Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum, eh!

AUTHOR NOTE: My version of red kryptonite varies from the show's use. In comic canon, red kryptonite causes a different reaction each time Superman/Clark is exposed to it, and the results typically last 24 to 48 hours.

Slant

Chapter Nine

"I don't remember anything happening that might have caused it."

Except, of course, the… alien thing. Clark knew that it might have been the cause of all of this; in fact, there was little doubt of it. What he didn't know was how; in that sense, at least, he was being honest to Lex. Because he didn't know, and Jor-El certainly hadn't communicated anything along the lines of "you will switch bodies with your best friend."

Another test? It seemed doubtful, after all, Jor-El obviously didn't want him sharing his secrets with anybody, much less Lex. Without killing them afterwards, anyway. Certainly, if his body retained his normal powers, Lex was going to find out sooner or later (and probably much sooner) that Clark was different. And he wasn't going to kill Lex.

Clark didn't think Lex knew yet. That was a miracle in and of itself, but it couldn't last. Clark couldn't possibly watch him 24/7 and prevent him from running faster than a speeding bullet or concentrating until he looked through walls, hell, he might discover some totally new power. God knows they kept springing up like the plague.

Clark could just imagine it now. Oh, yeah, Lex – there's this whole I'm-from-another-planet thing that may or may not have something to do with the current situation, and if it does then we'll have to ask my Lionel-esque alien father what to do, and if it doesn't, then we're just in a lot of trouble. Oh, and try not to set anything on fire.

That would go over like a ton of bricks.

Lex was staring at him now. Clark shifted uncomfortably, then stared back. After all, this was probably the one time in his entire life that he was going to be able to look at himself without a mirror present. It was strange, but he could immediately identify those Lex-like qualities, even when Lex was in his body. The way he sat, for instance, was different. His back was straighter, his legs closer together. More formal.

He was frankly surprised that his parents hadn't realized anything suspicious was going on – if they had, there was no way they would've let "Clark" out of the house. Of course, he could've run off. But Lex was very careful how he acted around Clark's parents.

He'd have to be extra-careful now. Clark couldn't help smiling as he thought that.

"What?" Clark looked up, not even realizing he was no longer looking at Lex.

"Hmm?"

"You smiled. What were you thinking about?" Ah, but there went Lex again. Had he always been like this, wanting to know every little facet of Clark's life? Clark realized he had always done that, always tried to peer through the keyholes. Not that he could blame Lex; after all, Clark knew that he was reticent to a fault. Of course, if Lex was hiding a secret alien heritage, he might not be so open with Clark either. Not that he was particularly open with Clark.

Clark flexed his… Lex's… right hand again.

"I, uhh, was just thinking about my parents. How they might react to this."

Jonathan. Pitchfork. Shotgun. Tractor? Shotgun.

The thought swiftly displaced his considerations about Lex, and now Clark was struggling not to giggle, embarrassingly enough, and it seemed that he was failing because he had his left hand clamped over his mouth and was hunched over until his head was somewhere in the vicinity of his knees, trying and trying and failing not laugh.

"Clark, are you okay?" Clark took a deep breath, but that failed to calm him, and he started laughing uncontrollably. Not just at the image of his father, no, now it was at the absurdity of the entire situation and hell, his entire life that was just so goddamn ridiculous and now there were tears with that laughter…

A warm hand on his shoulder stopped him. Clark blinked to clear away the tears before he looked up into concerned blue-green eyes, looking at him with Lex's focus.

"I'm… sorry. I just, this is just, too much. After everything else, this is just too much." Lex sat back against the couch, still regarding him. Not for the first time, Clark wondered how he looked to Lex, how Lex must've found it strange or even sad and pathetic that he had to watch his body go through these angsty teenage cycles again.

"It's alright, Clark. You're allowed to freak out." Clark bit his lip and glanced at Lex.

"You're not freaking out." Lex smiled that cynical smile of his, which looked strange on Clark's face, normally so open (except, of course, when hiding his multitude of secrets).

"That's one of the things you learn as a Luthor, Clark. How to freak out and not show it. Because believe me, I'm freaked too." Clark gave a tentative smile.

"I'm glad it's you."

Clark couldn't believe he'd just said that. But it was true, wasn't it? How could he have possibly handled this if it had been someone other than Lex?

Lex was regarding him with something akin to astonishment. "You're – glad that it's me?" He seemed to be considering this for several moments, as if he were waging some internal battle in his head over the possibility of whether or not Clark was lying to him.

"You're my best friend. It, uh, could have been a lot worse." Don't blush, don't blush, don't blush.

For some reason unknown to Clark, Lex seemed simultaneously disappointed with and happy with that answer. But Clark wasn't about to get more psychologically entangled. His own mind was fragile enough as it was, given the circumstances.

Given the fact that he had seen his best friend naked.

Oh, god. And the blush is appearing? Yes? Again? If Clark could just force himself to think about something else, but now all that was on his mind was that he'd seen his best friend naked while being his best friend, and really, weren't there other things he could worry about right now?

Apparently not.

"I suppose it could be worse," Lex said thoughtfully. "You could have switched bodies with my father."

Keep a straight face.

"So, what are we going to do? I mean, what if this is… I mean…"

"Permanent?" Lex seemed to muse on it. "I don't think it will be. Nothing here seems to be permanent. Things are – people seem change rapidly. Normal one day, not normal the next. Then back again."

"Or else they end up locked away at Belle Reve." Clark hadn't meant to sound like that, bitter and full of self-loathing. He was the reason for so much of what had happened, for all the people whose lives had changed on account of him existing on this planet. Him. And now he'd gotten Lex more deeply involved then he ever needed to be.

"Clark, I highly doubt this is experience, or any other experience involving you, is going to get me locked away in an insane asylum." Clark laughed, but he didn't know what to make of it, really. The way Lex said you, maybe. The way it sounded like a sigh and an accusation all at once. Lex had this twisty way of talking to people, where he might have felt one way, or the other, but you weren't going to know which it was. It was one of many frustrating things about Lex Luthor that Clark was constantly struggling to understand, struggling and failing miserably.

Alright. Well, two could play at that game.

"Wanna bet?"

"Bet what?"

"That this sad rip-off of Invasion of the Body Snatchers isn't going to leave us all… weird." Lex stood, and Clark stopped, realizing that he was pacing in front of the couch. Funny, as didn't remember ever standing up in the first place. Lex's body, however, seemed to like to pace.

"Weird how?" Lex said softly. Clark had to look up, if only slightly, to meet Lex's eyes. He wondered suddenly how that made Lex feel, to have to look up to him. Under normal circumstances.

But circumstances were never normal.

"Weird because… there are things that we… we don't, uh, know. About each other. And if we stay like this for a while, then we, uh, will know. Those things. About each other, I mean." Lex seemed amused.

"I take it you mean more than the realization that I don't have an affinity for pajamas while I sleep?"

Alright, Clark, your mouth can stop gaping right… about… now.

"Even more than the realization that my stomach talks," said Clark solemnly, before both men started laughing.

Clark couldn't believe that he was making this lighthearted, that Lex was making this lighthearted. They couldn't just forget a year of lies and half-truths about each other. Could they?

No, they couldn't, and Clark had two choices to consider now. Firstly, he could tell Lex the truth about everything. I'm an alien, my birth father is a lunatic, and yes, you did hit me with your car. And so on, and so forth. Or secondly, he could find some kryptonite, knock Lex out, and then try to figure out where to go from there.

Clark knew what Jonathan Kent's choice would have been. And, despite her sympathies for him, that would probably be his mom's choice too. Anything, but telling to the truth to Lex Luthor.

The truth. At times, Clark struggled to remember what that even meant. Telling Pete the "truth" had infuriated him. Eventually, sure, he'd gotten over it. But to imagine Lex angry with him for all those lies he told to protect himself and his family… Clark just couldn't imagine it. Because Lex would think he had avoided telling him the truth because he was a Luthor, because he didn't trust him…

He had faded off into silence again, and Lex was only looking at him, waiting with a patience Clark didn't know his older friend had possessed. But before he could say anything, Lex spoke.

"I'm assuming there are more serious issues at hand. Is there something I should know about you, Clark?"

Clark took a deep breath. If he did what his parents told him, and tried to cover it up, Lex might never know – especially if he was exposed to kryptonite and passed out. But Clark would know, wouldn't he? He'd know and it would haunt him, seeing that look in Lex's eyes that meant Lex somehow knew he was being lied to, lied to by his best friend, the one he thought was different and good. Clark realized that he wanted desperately to prevent that look of defeat and anger and deep-rooted sadness from revisiting Lex's eyes, that he wanted desperately to simply tell the truth to his best friend.

And he was going to. Goddamn his lies to hell. He was sixteen, nearly seventeen, and he was going to deal with the consequences of his actions, whatever they might be.

"There are a lot of things you should know about me, Lex. And I'll tell them to you, as long as you promise me something."

There was a guarded look in Lex's eyes now, but he slowly nodded.

"Promise me that we'll always tell each other the truth from now on, no matter what."