Chapter Twenty-Nine

Clark was bored. Lex had insisted on taking him to him lunch in Metropolis, but they first had to make a small stop for some sort of business meeting. At a fancy car dealership of all places. Why Lex had a business meeting here, he didn't know. It was still an interesting place to walk around. One of the salespeople had given Clark a cappuccino and gave him free range to walk around and view all the cars on the floor.

He walked around the room once. Lex didn't come back. Clark walked around the showroom again. Lex still wasn't done. Out of boredom Clark's mind began to wander and he started to play with the idea of which car he'd like to drive. One car in particular caught his eye: a black Lamborghini. The floorman offered to let Clark sit inside the car.

"Oh, I'm not looking. I'm just waiting around for my brother."

"No problem at all, sir. Have a seat."

Clark did. He put his hands on the wheel and imagined himself speeding down the road. Chloe was in the passenger seat, smiling at him. It was different, going fast in a car. This was a way for people to experience speed at the same level as him.

"Having fun?" Lex asked as he stood beside him.

"All done?" Clark asked.

"Maybe. What do you think of the car?" Lex asked.

"It's great, I guess."

"It's yours."

"What?"

"Today is Julian Day." Lex grinned at him. "I'm going to spoil you. Anything you want is yours."

"I can't take this," Clark protested.

"Why not?"

Clark ran his hand over the steering wheel. The voice telling him "no" was that of Jonathan Kent. He remembered the words he spoke when Lex "originally" bought him a new car. It had been a red truck as a 'thank you' for saving Lex's life. Jonathan had insisted Clark couldn't accept such a gift because Lex was a Luthor.

But Lex now was his brother. And it was perfectly acceptable to accept a gift from family.

"Well…I don't need it."

"We'll take it." Lex said to the salesman. He then turned to Clark and ruffled his hair, making him laugh.

"Does it come in red?"

True to his word, Lex spent the day spoiling his younger brother. Lex bought him Rolex watches and diamond cufflinks. Since he had bought new clothes recently, Clark wasn't that interested in shopping. But he had been excited about finding a red leather jacket.

Clark was happy to have fast food burger and fries for lunch. Early in the afternoon Lex had scheduled for Clark to play with some players from the Metropolis Sharks on their homefield. It had been easy since the Luthor's owned the team. Lex was content to stay on the sidelines and watch as Clark showed off as much as he could without hurting anyone.

The scrimmage ended with all of them in sweat. Lex kept the score privately to himself, and he was happy to see Clark's side win. He had been a real team player and passed the ball and blocked for his "teammates". As they broke off, some of the players complimented Clark, saying he should try out for the team in a few years.

"Having fun?" Lex asked as he handed Clark a cup of water.

"That was awesome!" Clark gulped it down. Clark alone was still fresh and sweat free. The glow he had came from happiness.

"I'm thinking we can make one more stop before dinner. Is there anything else you want?" Lex asked.

"Well, there is one thing."

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"Are you mad?" Clark asked when they were at the restaurant. Lex had taken him to the Ace of Clubs. It was a Five Star restaurant located at the top of the Metropolis Satellite Center. They were seated on the terrace, so they had an excellent view of the city as the sun began to set and the Metropolis lights came on. Clark was a minor, so under normal circumstances he shouldn't have been let in, but because he was a Luthor, the door was open. Lex was sipping scotch and Clark had a cherry cola while they both shared shrimp cocktail.

"I am not mad. I just can't believe that's what you wanted." Lex shook his head in disbelief. Even after these two months together, Clark was still able to surprise him. He had given the boy Rolex watches, couture suits, and a sports car. But all he wanted was something they got from a common outlet store.

Clark shrugged in that innocent way of his. "I couldn't think of anything else. Besides, I have everything I could ever want. Well, I mean…" Clark let his voice trail off. Lex knew he was thinking of his parents again. To Lex's relief, Clark shook his head and said, "want to know something funny?"

"Tell me."

"Today's my birthday. Well, Clark Kent's birthday."

"That is odd." Lex said, but in truth he had known. He had made sure to have the day off so they could have a holiday together. Lex knew all too well how awful it was to spend a birthday alone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up. I shouldn't have."

"No, Julian. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about anything."

"Well, really, it was a wonderful day. Thank you."

"You're welcome. A very merry unbirthday to you." Lex clinked his glass against Clark's.

"But what was today about?"

"Like I said. I wanted to spoil you. I'm just so happy to have you with me." Lex pulled out a check from his inner pocket. "Well, to change the subject a bit, I want to give you a summer project. This is yours for all the research Lionel and Hamilton did on you as a child. As well as your current blood donations for Project Asclepius."

Lex laughed inwardly as he watched Clark choke on his drink. The check amount totaled to millions. "Seriously? I can't take this."

"You earned it. And it's only right. You are providing a scarce resource. Luthor Corp pays for its resources whether that's from a person or country. You're providing it; the money goes to you. There is a catch though. I'm giving you the Talon. Over the summer I want you to create a business plan and I want you to turn it into a profitable business."

"It can't be a charity?"

"It could. But I find the main problem with most charities is they are never self-sustainable. It is possible for a business to provide beneficially to a society and create a profit."

The waiters came by and placed a plate of lobster and steak in front of Clark and a plate of sushi in front of Lex.

"What is it with you and sushi?" Clark asked.

"This isn't just sushi. This is fugu sashimi; a delicacy and one of the finer things in life. Which apparently, some people still need to learn to appreciate." Lex said, referring to Clark's previous purchase.

"You just have to give them a chance." Clark grinned. "I bought you a pair, too. In purple."

"Flannel sheets!"

So you don't have to look it up, fugu sashimi is made from puffer fish.