Bruce was well aware of the fact that Lex, as far as his taste buds were concerned, did not hold Antonelli's as one of his favorite restaurants, but it was their place. The same restaurant that Bruce's parents had taken him to every weekend before they died and the same restaurant that Bruce had taken Lex to on their first "date" back in high school when the illusion that there was a romantic future ahead for Bruce and Lex still existed. It was a classy albeit cliche place, equipped with thick red table cloths and crystal wine glasses that still managed to sparkle in the low lamp and candlelight. Going to another restaurant just seemed blasphemous under the circumstances.

Emily, the pretty redheaded hostess at Antonelli's always saved Mr Wayne's table whether he called ahead or not. When the handsome dark billionaire walked through the heavy stained oak doors, Emily was waiting to lead him to his table in the back. Her dazzling smile was always something that brightened Bruce's day. "Will you be needing any menus tonight, Mr Wayne?"

"No, thank you, Emily. Mr Luthor and I have the menu all up here." Bruce tapped his temple with his middle finger and grinned. "Could you ensure that our dinner remains uninterrupted, sweetheart?"

"Certainly, Mr Wayne," Emily replied quickly, blushing. "I'll have Roger bring you something to drink?"

"Just a glass of Perignon for myself. And could you also have Roger bring a class of cognac for Mr Luthor? Preferably Courvosier Erte, if possible."

"Of course, sir. Enjoy your dinner."

"Thank you, Emily." Bruce watched the pretty girl leave and sat down by the window, watching as the evening clouds darkened and began to hang low with coming rains. It was only about ten or fifteen minutes before Bruce spotted Lex weaving through the tables, carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders and something hazy on his mind. Bruce stood up to pull his old friend into his arms, inhaling deeply as he pressed Lex to his chest. He missed Lex's scent, the sweet smell that always seemed to linger on Lex's smooth skin. When the two separated they sat down at the same table that they always sat at and smiled at one another.

"Bruce. God, has it really been a lifetime since I've seen you? You look great."

"Not half as good as you, Lex. You still have that lovely snow white glow to you. I've always liked that, you know." Bruce chuckled and took a sip of his champagne, letting his eyes roam over Lex, all of Lex (even the part hidden underneath the table), an area that Bruce was all too well familiar with. "Have a little bit of cognac before coming? I don't know why you can think that you can get away with tipsiness with me. I was the one that gave you your first drink, remember?"

The atmosphere was perfect, just like the night of Bruce and Lex's first date. Back when Bruce and Lex had been just old enough to buy into the whole idea of boyfriends and romance, back when they had both been seduced by the idea that they could be together forever, as if either of them thought that far in advance. The lighting, the table, the gloomy weather outside the windows. The only thing different from that night was their height and beverage choices, and perhaps a waiter or two.

"I can't believe we have went this long without seeing one another. I suppose we've been just preoccupied with running our companies, hm? Well, at least we get to be together now, share a pleasant meal, and if you're not doing anything remarkably important then we can plan the rest of our night together. I assume that you're staying at Lionel's penthouse? If you would rather not have to deal with your... charming father, you know you're always welcome to stay with me."


"Oh, Joseph, why so serious, hm?"

Harleen feigned a pout and pulled Joe down onto her couch, a piece of decadent furniture that anyone could just sink into and die happy. Her thick brown hair fell in loose artificial curls past her shoulders, and her pale skin seemed to emit an eerie glow in the low light of her apartment. Joe sat next to her, his dirty blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes, his lips turned down in a perpetual frown.

"I don't understand how he thinks that he can just dump me like that and have there be no consequences for his actions. Does he believe in utter chaos? Does he think that his actions have no reciprocal reactions? The logical train of thinking would be Bruce acts like an asshole and I'm angry with him, but somehow he seems to believe that he can do whatever he wants and that I, me, myself, that Joe will not hold him accountable for what he has done. Just because some freaky billionaire weirdo calls him up suddenly I'm not good enough to hang around with anymore? Lex Luthor, who does that little punk think he is, anyway? If he thinks that he can steal Bruce away from me then he is mistaken, he understands nothing about Joe."

"Joseph, Joseph, calm down. Ya know how Bruce is. He does what he wants, when he wants. Bruce has always been like that, I'm sure. Would ya like something to drink, Joseph?"

"No, Harley, no. You don't understand. Bruce, Bruce takes care of me, okay? If Bruce doesn't take care of me then I have nothing, I have no one."

"You have me," Harleen replied, her voice tinged with an ounce of hope.

"You're not Bruce. Bruce is my other half, he is my mirror image. He's just as crazy as I am."

Harleen smiled sadly and looked at Joe's face, admiring his Chelsea grin. "Well, if ya really think that--"

"How do you save a man from drowning?"

"I don't know, Joseph." Harleen smiled. "How?"

"Take your foot off of his head." Joe erupted into a fit of maniacal laughter, causing Harleen to sigh gently as she reveled in the sound of his laugh.

"Do ya feel better?" she asked sweetly, running her fingers through Joe's thin hair.

"Bruce is going to want me tonight."

"Of course he is, Joe. Who wouldn't?"

- in this city -

Lex closed his eyes as he felt Bruce's arms wrap around his frail, thin body. The older man's scent engulfed him, just as his arms had. It felt for a moment as if they had been transported back to their boarding school days. Days that Lex had spent in these arms; his head resting on Bruce's chest as they lounged beneath the shade of the vast oak trees on the school grounds, escaping the summer heat. He clung onto the memory until Bruce had finally pulled away and they both took their seats across each other. His body no longer felt cold from the dreary Gotham weather. No, Bruce's body had given him a blazing warmth as he slid into his seat. While he never appreciated the restaurant's cheesy Italian theme, he had to admit the dim lighting and the dancing candlelight from their table set an almost ethereal glow about Bruce. It reminded him vaguely of the last time he had seen Bruce.

Wow, it really had been a lifetime ago, hadn't it? He hadn't seen Bruce since he had graduated from Metropolis University; the very same school his father had graduated from. Originally, Lex had wanted to go to Gotham University to be with Bruce and also take advantage of their science department since it was far more recognized than any other university around. When Lex had finally graduated high school (Bruce had been a year ahead of him), he had conjured up all these idealistic plans of them living together and going to GothamU. Unfortunately, Lionel had the final say in Lex's higher education and therefore, he was majoring in business and attending school in his home city of Metropolis. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. Lex loved Metropolis! He simply spent his entire college career in clubs and entirely drugged up. Regardless, he graduated with Summa Cum Laude. Yes, he was just that amazing or rather, Lionel had that much money. Either way, really. He wondered if Bruce ever knew about his drugged rampages. He probably did. Bruce knew everything about Lex and despite knowing Bruce nearly his entire life, he felt like he knew next to nothing about his best friend. How odd. It was nearly identical to how he felt about Clark. No, he knew Clark... he almost knew him better than he knew Bruce, really. Perhaps..

"Not half as good as you, Lex. You still have that lovely snow white glow to you. I've always liked that, you know."

He hadn't anticipated how the sound of Bruce's voice would simply consume him. It felt so familiar to him, like a whisper from a past memory. No matter how far apart or how much time elapsed since he had seen Bruce, he would always remember the older man's voice. Always. He had such a strong, authoritative, if not compelling, voice that Lex remembered falling over and over for when he was younger. Well, he supposed he still did. At least it would seem so.

"Yeah, I vaguely remember." Bruce's chuckle almost led Lex into one, but he stifled the temptation. Instead he took a sip of the cognac sitting in front of him. Hmm, Bruce had gone out of his way to order the most expensive cognac it seemed. Well, of course he did; that was hardly surprising, really. He could feel Bruce's eyes raking over him already. The thought made him feel horribly self conscious and again he attempted to drown it out with cognac.

"Have a little bit of cognac before coming? I don't know why you can think that you can get away with tipsiness with me. I was the one that gave you your first drink, remember?"

Busted. It would seem that despite all the years that went by, Bruce still knew him all too well. Lex blushed and stared into the amber depths of his drink. He could vividly remember the first drink he had. It had placed him in immense trouble with Lionel, since Lex had drunk all of his father's fine liquors. In fact, he still had the scar on his lip where Lionel had punched him. Oh yes, he definitely remembered that incident. "I try not to," he muttered. He gave a sardonic chuckle. "Not exactly the highlight of my life as you recall."

"I can't believe we have went this long without seeing one another. I suppose we've been just preoccupied with running our companies, hm? Well, at least we get to be together now, share a pleasant meal, and if you're not doing anything remarkably important then we can plan the rest of our night together. I assume that you're staying at Lionel's penthouse? If you would rather not have to deal with your... charming father, you know you're always welcome to stay with me."

"Our companies? I have no company. Any concept of possessing my own LexCorp was very publicly truncated by my father, you know that. As far as anyone is concerned, there is only LuthorCorp. I wouldn't say I've been particularly busy with that anyway. No, actually, I've been wasting my time in Smallville until my father deems me fit to run things from Metropolis," he paused a moment to take a sip from his glass. "I met this boy named Clark Kent. He's a peculiar boy, really. I'll have to tell you more about him in a bit. I'm not really hungry and frankly, I prefer not to stay in any of Lionel's humble abodes. So, do you mind going back to your place?"

----------

"Clark, stop pacing, you're driving me nuts."

"Sorry!" Clark blushed and immediately stopped in mid-step. He gently put his foot down before retreating back to his desk."I just feel the need to move around."

"Really? I couldn't tell," Chloe muttered darkly, casting evil eyes upon the raven haired boy. "What's wrong, anyway?"

The teen crossed his arms over his chest and looked out through the hayloft doors. Above them, the sky was beginning to darken as the sun retreated for the evening. Gentle colors painted the vast canvas with subtle hints of pink, blue and touches of purple around the clouds. It was a perfect evening. The breeze was cool yet the temperature was warm given the spring season. In the distance he could hear the birds chirping and the faint rustling of the tree leaves in the spring breeze.

"Excuse me! Hellooooo! Earth to Clark!"

"Oh, sorry Chloe. I was just thinking about Lex. He left for Gotham this morning." He turned to face Chloe. "I was in Lex's mansion this morning and I found this room he had in one of the abandoned wings. It was a room practically dedicated to me! It had pictures of me and meteors in glass cases. It also had Lex's damn Porsche! The one he smashed on the bridge that day. He told me he had gotten rid of it, but he lied. He lied about everything! All the investigations... everything, Chloe! How can I trust him?"

It hurt his heart to think about it, really. Chloe got up and approached Clark, the look of concern filled her eyes. She placed her hands on Clark's shoulders. "Calm down, Clark. Maybe it's nothing. Did you ask Lex about it?"

"Yes." His lower lip trembled. Pull yourself together, man! He tore his eyes away from Chloe and stared at something far behind her. "He said it wasn't about me. That I was being selfish to think it was. He said it was about him and his future. That somehow it all tied in with me and the meteors. Whatever that means. I think... well, I... there were pictures of me everywhere! What does that have to do with his future?"

That he loves you. Chloe didn't say it aloud and she doubted she ever would. That was Lex's secret to tell Clark whether he realized it or not. The poor boy obsessed over Lex. She wondered how someone as smart as Lex could fail to notice. "Look Clark, maybe there's more to the story than that. I mean, he was leaving. So, it wasn't like Lex had a chance to really explain himself."

"So, we should go to Gotham then?"

"No, I doubt either of our parents would allow that to happen. Just give him an opportunity to explain. That's all I'm saying, Clark. It can wait for him to come home."

"If he ever does."

Clark sighed. He brushed the hair from his eyes and miserably threw himself onto the couch.