Chapter Six - Suspicious Minds

White chiffon clouds were simmering to a dusky blue as the sun collapsed into it's bloody red miasma of light behind the silhouetted mountains. The stars were peering out from the clouds, squinting as they woke up for their nocturnal reign. Above the peaks of the mountain range, the moon was faithfully reflecting the sun's rays across the untouched snow, turning it to fairy dust beneath its eerie glow. Clark sighed and leant out across the balcony, his eyes glimmering with awe and happiness. His warm breaths were creating twisting dragons which danced and disappeared rapidly through the dusk-blue darkness that was setting in. Lex was right; this place was beautiful.

In a way it reminded Clark of Lex. This whole thing. This beautiful, enchanting place; with it's cold, unforgiving exterior which was so perfect and offered him his only solace from the nightmares from home. Lex was just like that. Though he was so much more too. He was still Lex Luthor, the front man on the surface; cold, aloof and intangible. But since they had become friends the older man had shown himself to be compassionate, caring and considerate towards not only him but so many others. And now he knew that Lex was just like this country that had secretly embraced their escape, because he had excepted him with open arms just as readily. Lex was his salvation and this place, Clark looked up at the chalet and the night sky; this place was their salvation together. At least he hoped it would be.

"Clark, you in here?" Lex's voice interrupted his thoughts as a door gently was shut indoors.

"Out here." Clark called back, turning away from the view to see Lex come through the rouge silk curtains with two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands.

Clark raised an eyebrow and his friend smiled guiltily.

"There was only instant coffee..." He said a little sheepishly.

Clark laughed slightly and took the mug from his friend, "Thank you." Lex looked at him strangely, an unfamiliar shine in his eye.

"What?" Now Clark was confused. Did he have something on his face? Had his alien heritage come back to haunt him? He felt the corners of his mouth twitch, Chloe used to tease him about that.

"It's nothing." Lex smiled, the smile that Clark was sure only about half a dozen living people had ever seen. But the smile spread into a goofy sort of grin that almost scared Clark in it's abnormality on his friend, "It's just... you just laughed."

Clark felt colour rise into his cheeks as he realised why his friend was so happy. It was true. He hardly remembered the last time he had properly laughed. But it was as if this place had temporarily locked away some of the fear. Maybe it was the fact that after Lionel's antics in the Gallery, he knew that Lex would protect him. Maybe it was because no one except Lorenzo knew where they were and the good doctor was staying in Villars, a little town just down the mountain. Maybe it was because he had felt something akin to hope when he had been wrapped in Lex's arms on the flight. Maybe... Maybe it was all of those things but all he knew was that he felt freer than he had in months, just watching that sun slide down the snow and bow its head to say farewell. He smiled.

"Thank you for bringing me here." He said eventually, turning his eyes back to the landscape stretching out in the snow. He rested his elbows on the ledge of the wooden balcony, cupping his hot chocolate in his hands as he stood there.

Lex settled beside him; stillness filling the gap between them in a comfortable quilt of companionship. Stormy grey eyes scanned the horizon, Clark tilted his head to watch his friend as he familiarised himself with the scene.

"My mother brought me here when I was really little... I must have been about six..." Lex said softly, "She and I came alone, because my father was away for four months and that meant we could disappear for about four weeks without him noticing. I think she knew something was wrong with her, even then. Because she said it was important for her and that it would do us both the world of good. Everyday..." He paused, waiting for Clark to nod that it was alright for him to continue, "Everyday we'd come outside and build snowmen and ice angels and she'd paint sometimes and I'd go exploring; I used to want to be an explorer you know." Lex smiled sadly, "She said we'd come back one day. But we never had the chance."

Clark watched his friend closely, seeing how the memories must spin their magic over his friend the same way they did with him sometimes. He stepped a little closer and rested against the side of Lex's arm, "That's a good memory." He whispered. Lex nodded and Clark found their fingers entwined. Lex sipped at his drink and Clark smirked at the strange look of pleasure as it settled over the pale features, clouding his eyes.

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Lionel was standing at the foot of his bed, face lit up by the fires that burnt all about them. The room was overpoweringly hot and he couldn't breath. His lungs were inflamed, his throat was clogged with air that was too think to breath. His eyes were burning and blistering and Lex was lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood. His favourite Armani suit was ripped open and his bare chest was exposed to the nightmare heat. Long gashes were drawn across his chest, down through the fabric of his destroyed suit so that the blood was pouring out and boiling in the air. Lionel grinned and held a knife that dripped with blood in his mouth. His tongue came out to lick the knife clean, the mean pink muscle lapping up the life of his own son so that he could have Clark.

"Lex!" He managed to gasp as the body on the floor convulsed as Lionel turned from Clark and buried the knife into the flesh of his son's shoulder all the way to the hilt before ripping it out sideways as to cut through the ragged skin. Lex's scream was a broken gurgle as blood spat out of his mouth and Lionel swooped down to kiss his own son, sucking up some of the blood. Then the monster turned back to Clark who was unable to move because the fire was burning on green rock.

The monster crawled up his body, running his dirty, bloody hands over his body and then pressing his blood soak lips to Clark's, making Lex's blood run over his face. Clark was frozen but tears formed in his eyes only to disappear through the scorching fires.

"Clark," Lex was calling him from the floor, "Clark. Clark, wake up."

The mottled body was gone, Lionel was still there but he turned to the voice only to be beaten aside by a different Lex who's eyes were warm but hands were cool.

"Wake up, angel."

And Clark woke up, bursting into hysterics and falling into the embrace of the man he loved but who was far too good for him.

Lex was worried. It seemed that although most of the time Clark could function almost normally now that they were away from Smallville, at night the dreams were worse and because of the 'normalcy' during the day, he wouldn't even allow Lex to look after him at night until it was too late and the house was trembling with Clark's sobs.

"I'm sorry." Clark would say every time. Over and over, that word 'sorry' would be repeated through his ear and Lex was beginning to be sick of it. It wasn't Clark's fault he had nightmares. He, himself, had nightmares thanks to his father. He'd always had nightmares but of course over time they'd begun to fade, just every so often a particularly vicious one coming up from the hollows of his mind. He hardly had them these days... But that wasn't to say they he never did. It was just Clark had to learn that it wasn't his fault. Yet no matter how often he told him the boy just wouldn't believe him.

g

"I don't want you to be sorry any more..." Lex whispered as Clark whimpered in his sleep, curling in on himself.

Lex hadn't gone to bed when Clark thought he had, he had just sat outside until the boy was asleep and the waited beside him until the dreams began. Sometimes he would hear his own name mumbled, as if Lex was being some how hurt or taken away in the subconscious reality. He reached out and began to run his hands through the thick dark hair. Remembering how his mother had used to do exactly that to help him calm down when he was little.

"It's alright, Clark, it's just a dream." He murmured, knowing that his friend probably couldn't hear him. To his surprise, however, something seemed to be working as the body in the bed relaxed, only moving to reach out towards the real Lex sitting beside him. Not really knowing what to do, Lex let himself be pulled closer until he was on the bed and they were back to the scenario at his manor back home. Only this time Clark didn't give Lex time to go to sleep before he woke up.

"Did I wake you up again?" Clark looked unhappy, and a single tear leaked form his eye.

"No angel, I just couldn't sleep." Lex ran his fingers through the chocolate locks and let himself curl closer to the other man as he felt a chill down his neck.

"Oh... Okay..." Clark was sleepy still and the blue eyes were peering up from behind heavy lashes, "Thank you for waking me up... I thought you were really gone this time."

Lex frowned, this was the first time Lex had ever been offered any sort of detail from Clark's nightmares. Did his angel still think he'd walk out now? Even after... he decided to simply remind Clark that he wouldn't ever leave by retelling him that fact and placing a small kiss on his forehead.

"I know. But you can't help it if he hurts you..." Clark murmmured and nestled into Lex's chest, Lex shifted, unsure if Clark knew what he was doing in his dozy state, "Don't... Please stay."

Lex smiled and caught the blue eyes with his own, "I won't. I can stay."

g

"It's easier when I know you're there," Clark whispered, "I don't know why... Maybe it's because I'm not alone... Maybe it's because I know you're safe and I'm safe if you're there with me... Maybe it's just because it's you... There are a hundred reasons I'm sure it could just be because it's you."

Lex was too peaceful to wake up, even though Clark knew that his friend probably had more important things to do than take care of him. He sighed slightly, pulling the duvet closer about his neck, he liked this feeling of being snug and warm, next to Lex, knowing that it was this cocoon that was special and that the outside world could wait.

"Yeah, there are lots of reasons for everything." He grinned and tentatively he ran a finger down the alabaster cheek, just to make sure he wasn't simply having a good dream.

Lex stirred and made a faint mumbling sound as he was disturbed slightly from his slumber. Clark chuckled lightly and did it again. Only to stop as he heard his name slip from Lex's lips. He remembered the moment in the art gallery. They had been so close to something... something he had only dared to think of when his parents weren't home and when the stakes were so high he knew he needed something to play for. What would have happened if... Would they have...? Clark shook his head and then gasped slightly as grey eyes opened slowly, squinting slightly in the daylight glow.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Clark said gently, recalling with a pang of regret, how his mother had used to say that on waking him up when he was small.

"'Ning..." Lex managed with a half hearted smile, "'stime?"

"It's nearly eleven I think... Though I might be wrong. The ten chime went ages ago though." He had heard the grandfather clock from the ground floor as it had struck out its timber melody of hours, but he hadn't heard its latest bell sound.

"Sleep..." Lex mumbled and closed his eyes again. Clark was amused. Lex really must be tired, or just not an easy adaptor to the time zones. Or maybe just not a morning person.

"I think we should get up..." He ventured up a couple of minutes later to a return grunt from the older man beside him, who pouted in his stupor making Clark burst into laughter. Lex had never looked more like a petulant kid than he did right then. For once, Clark could remember that Lex was an only child. The thought made him giggle slightly. Lex moaned a soft 'Clark' before rolling onto his back and blearily looking up into his eyes.

"Plan?"

"I don't know..." Clark didn't like it when Lex asked him for ideas, he didn't feel as if... well as if he had any right to do so... "You choose?"

Lex smirked, albeit sleepily, wrapping his arm around Clark's neck. He pulled himself up slightly and then suddenly tugged the younger boy down on top of him, "Sleep." He said and laughed out loud when he saw the surprised face of his friend.

Clark smiled.

Clark noticed how their bodies had aligned as he had fallen and how Lex's arm was still wrapped around his neck. He didn't want to move. But he didn't know what to think as they lay there, blue meeting grey, and as Lex slowly became more and more awake.

Lex's fingers were playing with a stray strand of hair and Clark shivered, leaning into Lex's touch, guiltily imagining those fingers tracing across his neck and over his lips as they had done before. Sinking into the pillows beside Lex he felt the small shift in their bodies and blushed slightly. Did Lex know what he was doing? Did Lex not understand what he was doing to him?

He was still so unsure.

Lex loved Clark's hair. He loved the way it moved between his fingers like silk, the way it was just so glossy and tousled. It was strange but in all his lovers the first thing his noticed was their hair. He wasn't sure why though he guessed it was because he could hardly remember a time where he had had any. Almost pathetic but still... The fact remained that he loved Clark's hair and the way it fell across those wide blue eyes of his.

"Love your eyes..." He murmured, not paying attention to what he was saying.

Clark blushed, probably thinking Lex was still half asleep. He wondered if Clark could like him the way he liked him. Could his one true wish... That secret he'd so carefully hidden; come true? He doubted it but in his barely there consciousness the dreams of the night were still prevalent.

The red that suffused Clark's cheeks was cute too.

Clark was just damn cute.

He always had been. But there had been times were he'd thought he was hot. Sexy. Fuckable. He was still fuckable. But then again he was just so damn cute. So desperate to be held and loved and he deserved it with someone who wasn't as messed up as Lex was. Even though he loved him, Clark deserved someone who's family wouldn't hunt him and who could provide him with the time and attention that Lex knew he couldn't if he wanted to retain his economic empire.

Clark was the one to shift this time. Their bodies rubbing and a small, involuntary gasp came from the younger man. Lex smirked drowsily and moved his hand from Clark's hair to run luxuriously across the finely toned muscle of Clark's shoulder and arm. Clark's eyes met his. And there was that feeling from before. Dark and uncertain but there, the swirling passion that encircled him.

Slowly Lex's fingers drifted up to Clark's neck, his jawbone, his cheek. Their faces became closer until their noses scraped and Clark's eyes fluttered slightly. Lex tilted his head and soft warm lips met in a tentative touch.

Eyes flickered closed.

g

Their lips moved unhurriedly against each other as hands moved to bring bodies closer, Lex's sliding into Clark's hair and Clark's rising to ring Lex's neck. Clark moaned slightly as Lex pulled away slightly and eyes opened questioning why it had ended so soon.

Lex smirked altering their position so that this time legs entwined and Lex was more in control of their kiss. Lips met again, this time more urgently before, Lex's deft tongue licking across Clark's lips and prising them open quickly to deepen it. The small sound that came from the dark haired boy this time was full of contentment and as they wrapped around each other both found themselves falling away from everything else about them.

They did not hear the doctor knock at the door or see his smile as he walked away from the room. They did not pay attention when a phone rang. They did not here the clock striking the hour from the bottom of the staircase.

g

Lorenzo had never been a complicated man. Far from it. He preferred the simple things in life, like a warm shower and a good breakfast were good enough for him. So he always wondered how Lex could put up with so much extravagance that he had on occasion declared distasteful himself. With a sigh he slogged up the stairs. Not all that interested in the paintings on the walls or the ornaments in the little alcoves. It was much simpler than the manor but still.

Typical Luthor.

And of course he'd have to check up on the Clark kid as soon as possible. He liked him actually. A good influence on the otherwise almost reclusive Lex who's loneliness had caused him too much strife in the past for him to not acknowledge now. Though he had to say, he'd be torn if either of them did anything to hurt one another. He wouldn't admit it. It wasn't in his nature. But he did care about both boys sincerely.

So sincerely that as he pushed open the door tow Lex's room because he couldn't hear voices and assumed he was going to have to wake them up. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. The two boys he cared for to the extent that they felt like sons. At first he wanted to interrupt them then he felt ashamed. There was something incredibly beautiful about the way they were so wrapped up in each other. Something unmistakably innocent about the way they were kissing. Something he had never thought to say about Lex.

He couldn't help but wonder what they were prepared for. Lex never gave his heart away easily whereas Clark was in a state of psycological insecurity and need. He was sure that even before this chaos there had been something platonic between the two though he was worried now. Not just for Lex. Not only for Clark. They both needed something from the other that he was concerned would be too painful for either of them to deliver.

Could they keep things together now?

He imagined the way their arms were wrapped so protectively and caringly around each other. He recalled the tenderness of Lex's embrace, the equally anxious way Clark's mouth had kissed the young Luthor back.

They would be fine.

Simply because... They had to be.

But he suspected, just like any happiness, they would be hard pressed to sustain it. Especially when the red haired megalomaniac was involved. There had to be something he could do. He would make some tea and mused.

And at the same time, across the Atlantic Ocean, someone else was doing exactly that with a pen and paper in hand. His letter starting: 'Dear Mr Luthor...'

Wow what a beast of a time I've had with my computer! I'm so sorry for all the delays and I'm so thankful to EVERYONE who has sent me a review. It's strange how many people have responded and I love it. I've written the last line of the last chapter (this isn't it) and it made me cry. So be prepared. grins Hope you all have a wonderful summer! - Matt