Chapter 6
Absence
Thursday was just a nightmarish blur. Clark had gone to the castle in the morning, though he wasn't sure why since he'd decided to let Lex find someone else... but he still found himself standing before the imposing edifice... only Lex wasn't there. He'd left before dawn even broke. Clark didn't remember much after that. He'd gone to school, but that's about all he could recall of the day. If his father had been cold and distant at dinner, Clark hadn't even noticed. He didn't really eat much either. The food did nothing to fill the emptiness he felt inside, so what was the point? He slept in the loft again that night... though that was more to just avoid having to talk to his parents. At this point he really didn't care if he was under the same roof as his father. It just didn't matter anymore. He couldn't honestly even say he was still mad at him. In fact, he couldn't honestly say he felt much of anything anymore. He just felt numb. The only thing close to an emotion he felt was a dull ache in his chest that plagued him pretty much constantly.
Friday followed pretty much the same. He skipped breakfast and went out to the castle again. Lex was still gone, of course. Clark knew he would be... and yet he still checked. He wondered how long he'd be gone, but he didn't ask any of the staff that remained at the castle. He didn't really want to know. Not to mention he didn't want Lex to hear he'd come asking about him after a single day. How pathetic would that sound?
He slipped out of school at lunch time and went to the castle again. He wasn't sure why he went, since he knew Lex wouldn't be there, but he did. He even slipped in and made his way up to Lex's bedroom. It was stupid, pointless and irrational... and yet there he was.
The room was immaculately clean, as he was sure it always was. The bed was made up as perfect as any magazine cover. He stared at it, the dull ache within him growing stronger as memories flitted through his mind before he could stop them. He turned his head away, forcing the memories back down.
He went over into the bathroom and splashed some water on his face. Then he looked up and spotted himself in the mirror. There was something wrong with his reflection. He stared, trying to put his finger on what exactly it was. After a moment he realized it was his eyes. They looked the same in a way... but at the same time there was something different about them. They looked duller than he remembered... and almost... hollow.
He turned his head away from the haunted visage before him, grabbing up the hand towel. "This is stupid." He muttered irritably to himself and he scrubbed the dampness from his face. He was about to put the towel back when he smelled something. He brought it back up to his face and smelled it, then clamped his eyes shut.
The towel smelled like Lex.
Though it was freshly laundered, Lex's musky scent had obviously become ingrained in the cloth over time.
His eyes sprang open as he heard the bedroom doorknob turning.
The maid paused as a breeze gusted past her as soon as she entered the room. She looked over, seeing the window was open, the drapes billowing in the sudden wind. She shook her head and hurried over, closing the window and latching it. That done, she went over, opening the dresser drawer and depositing the freshly laundered shirts neatly inside, then went over to the bathroom to deliver the towels. The light was on already. Mr. Luthor would have been upset if he came back from vacation and found his lights burnt out! She stacked the extra towels in the linen closet, then paused as she spotted the empty towel rack beside the sink. She just shook her head again and took out one of the hand towels, going over and hanging it in its place. She'd really have to check who was cleaning the master bedroom. Someone was really getting sloppy!
- 0 – 0 – 0 -
When Clark got to his Biology class, it was well past the bell, but there was a lot more noise than he expected when he came in the door. The teacher was obviously letting the students chat amongst themselves while she prepared the film they were supposed to watch that day.
"You're late, Mr. Kent." The teacher said without looking as she threaded a film through the ancient projector.
Clark paused. "Sorry." He muttered softly. He had no real excuse for his lateness. He could have used his super speed and made it back in plenty of time, but he'd just walked, so he was late.
She glanced over at him, then paused, gazing at him for a moment, her eyes growing a bit concerned. "Don't let it happen again." She said, turning back to the projector. "Get the lights since you're there already, then get to your seat."
He gave her a little nod, flicking the lights off, then taking his seat next to Pete.
Pete looked at him in surprise, then shifted closer, whispering, "Man! You lucked out! I've never seen Miss Reynolds let someone come into her class late without giving them detention!"
Clark just gave one of his shoulders a little half hearted shrug. He couldn't even muster relief at having somehow evaded getting detention. He took his notebook out of his backpack, careful not to let Pete see inside. How could he explain having a hand towel in his bag? It's not as if he'd meant to swipe it. He'd just kind of found it still in his hand once he'd gotten out of sight of the castle and slowed back down. He couldn't exactly slip back in and put it back. What if whoever that was who came in the door was still there? His presence in Lex's bedroom would be a little hard to explain.
He closed his eyes as a little waft of Lex's cologne teased his nose as he closed up the bag.
"You ok?" Pete asked with mild concern.
"Fine." Clark muttered automatically, pulling the pencil out from where he'd stuck it in the spiral of his notebook, then opening it to an empty page. Not that he really expected to take notes.
The film started up and Pete's attention was luckily drawn away from Clark. Clark just sat there, gazing absently at the flickering light playing images across the screen. It was something about animals and instincts. He wasn't sure the exact point of the movie, but didn't much care. His mind wasn't on the film... but it wasn't on much of anything else either.
Pete nudged him after a while, leaning closer. "Man, I'm glad we aren't like that."
"Like what?" Clark muttered, making himself focus on the screen to try to see what he was talking about. There were a couple of squirrels sporting around in a tree.
"Mating for life. Those poor squirrels are stuck with the first squirrel they have a thing for for the rest of their lives! Could you imagine? I mean what if you picked the wrong person? I'm sure glad humans aren't that way!"
The teacher gave a sharp little shushing sound and Pete quickly pretended to be avidly interested in the film once more.
Well, Clark had to agree there. The flaw in that statement only very slowly occurred to him.
Clark wasn't human.
Oh God! Did his kind mate for life? It suddenly dawned on him how very little he knew about his own species. What if the pain he was feeling was more than just him trying to rebound from a bad crush? What if it never went away? What if having sex with Lex had somehow bonded them for life? And Lex would go on with his life, oblivious to how Clark felt. He'd find himself some girl, and get married and...
A little pained sound escaped him and Pete looked over. Clark quickly turned his head away, realizing hot trails of tears were sliding down his cheeks.
"Hey, Clark... man, you ok?" Pete asked with growing concern.
Clark felt a sudden, desperate need to escape. He felt himself on the verge of breaking down entirely, and he just wanted to find someplace dark and private to hole up in. He was up out of his chair and out the door before Pete could even reach over.
Once out in the hall he hesitated, not sure where to go, but knowing he wanted to get there before Pete or the teacher followed him. He remembered the broom closet in the next hall over and hurried towards it, keeping to human speed, afraid he'd dash right through a wall in his near panicked state if he tried to go any faster. Just as he got to the branching hall that would lead him to the relative safety of the closet, he just about ran straight into the girl rounding the corner coming towards him.
Pain lanced through him. He jerked back instinctively, then lost control of his body, dropping to the ground like a rock. He lay where he fell, unable to even move, trying to comprehend the agony coursing through him.
"Clark!" Pete called, running up to him.
"What the Hell's wrong with him?" The girl asked, "He just kind of collapsed!"
"I don't know." Pete said, crouching down beside him.
She leaned down, looking at him.
Clark's eyes caught on the large pendant dangling from her neck. It gleamed a wicked green as it swayed before him.
Pete's eyes followed his gaze and comprehension dawned. "Listen, I got this." He said quickly, trying to figure out a polite way of telling her to get lost and take her big hunk of meteor rock with her.
She straightened up, but didn't leave. "Hey, I'm not seeing any hall passes. I can't just let you run around without a pass." She said, pointing importantly to the little tag on her shirt that proclaimed her to be an official hall monitor.
"He's obviously on his way to see the school nurse." Miss Reynolds said quickly as she closed the classroom door behind her. "I'll give them a pass. Run along."
The girl looked a bit disappointed she couldn't lord her authority over them, but just shrugged and walked off.
Clark's breathing eased once she was gone. He'd been having to fight to remain conscious towards the end there. He sat up a bit shakily, scrubbing the tears quickly from his face with the sleeve of his shirt.
"Can you stand, Mr. Kent?" She asked with concern.
Clark nodded, "I'm fine." He muttered, his voice tinged with embarrassment. He got to his feet with a little help from Pete, then stood, trying to appear as fine as he claimed to be, though the after effects of such a close brush with a meteor rock left him feeling a bit shaky.
"Wait here a moment." She said, before going back over into her classroom.
"Are you alright?" Pete asked quickly.
"Fine." Clark muttered again, leaning heavily against the wall, "She's gone. Could she possibly have found a bigger pendant?" he asked ruefully, gazing warily down the hall the girl had gone down.
"I meant before that. What happened? Why'd you run out like that?"
Clark dropped his eyes and just shook his head.
"Did someone else have one of those pieces of jewelry like that?"
"No."
"Then what was it?" Pete persisted.
Clark let out a little irritable huff, "Listen, I don't know, ok? I just needed to get out of there. I don't always know what's going on with me. I didn't exactly come with an instruction manual! Believe me, I wish I did!"
Pete started to say something, but the teacher came back out and he quickly closed his mouth. She came over, handing Clark his book bag, then handing them each a hall pass.
"Mr. Ross, could you please see Mr. Kent to the nurse's office? He's obviously not feeling well."
Pete glanced at Clark, then nodded when Clark wasn't objecting. "Sure."
"Hurry back when you're done, Mr. Ross. You don't want to miss the whole film."
"Absolutely." Pete agreed with a smile.
Clark pushed off from where he'd been resting against the wall, shouldered his bag and started walking.
Pete paced him, watching covertly until the classroom door closed behind the teacher once more. He then glanced around to make sure they were alone in the hall before looking back over to Clark. "You really going to the nurse?"
"Guess so." Clark said, trying not to let his mind wander back to the thoughts that had driven him from the classroom in the first place. That dose of intense pain had worked amazingly well to push the thoughts to the back of his mind, but he could still feel them there, eager to slip forward once more to torture him. "Not like I have much of a choice. She probably called down and told her I was coming."
"Aren't you worried about her finding something out...?" He asked leadingly.
Clark let out a little, vaguely amused huff of air. "School nurses don't worry me. They can't do anything invasive like stick kids with needles or anything like that. I'm perfectly normal until you start checking out my DNA or trying to poke me with sharp instruments."
"Oh... right." Pete said. He walked in silence for a minute, then couldn't help but ask, "What's been up with you this week?"
"What do you mean?" Clark asked evasively.
"You've been all distant and moody... then today you suddenly freak out for no reason and run out of class..." He said leadingly.
"Are you suggesting I have some alien form of PMS?" Clark quipped.
Pete let out a little laugh, then shook his head, his attitude sobering once again. "No, I just... man, please tell me you didn't write that."
"Write what?" Clark asked, keeping his eyes forward.
"That article. The alien one."
"Just because I'm an alien doesn't automatically make everyone who anonymously claims to be an alien me."
"Well if you didn't write that, how do you even know what I'm talking about? You haven't been talking to anyone and I know I haven't seen you so much as glance at a copy of the paper."
"I was there when Chloe was looking at the article."
"Ya, but you didn't stick around long enough to read it!" Pete countered.
"When she was checking for length she looked at both pages while I was watching. I'm the ultimate speed reader, Pete. I could read the Lord of the Rings in like three minutes, and that's only if I'm taking care not to damage the books. The alien reference was what they call a metaphor. It's not supposed to be taken literally." He looked over at Pete, giving him a wane smile, "And, for the record, I most definitely do not have the hots for you, and if you try to kiss me, I'll put you through a brick wall. That good enough for you?"
Pete let out a little amused breath. He slowed and came to a stop, "Well, there's the nurses office. I should probably head back. You gonna be ok?"
"Unless the nurse picked up one of those evil green trinkets at the market too, I'll be fine." Clark assured him.
"Right." Pete said, "Listen, Chloe's putting us all to work at the Talon after school, so if you're up to it, come on by and help out."
Clark just nodded vaguely, then pushed the door open to the nurse's office.
"Mr. Kent! I'm glad you made it!" The nurse said as she spotted him. She hurried over, putting her hand on his forehead. "You do seem a bit warm. Have a seat. Or you can lay down if you like." She said, indicating the bed-like bit of furniture. "Miss Reynolds said you fainted in the hallway. Are you feeling any better?"
Clark's cheeks reddened a bit as he sat down. "I didn't faint. I just... kind of fell down. I'm fine."
She gave him a humoring smile as she came back with her electronic thermometer. "Of course." She said, obviously thinking he was just trying to be macho. She stuck the little cone shaped probe in his ear and waited for it to beep, then looked at it. "Well, you do have a bit of a temperature, but it's not too bad. Have you been feeling sick?" She asked as she held her finger to the pulse point on his neck, watching her wristwatch.
"No. Not really."
"What have you eaten today?" She asked as she dropped her hand, gazing at him expectantly.
Clark opened his mouth, but then paused. "Actually... I don't think I've eaten anything today." He admitted, "I was running late so I missed breakfast, and I kind of skipped lunch."
She gave him a little smile. "Growing boys shouldn't be skipping meals, let alone two in a row! You probably just have low blood sugar."
He nodded his head. That was the simplest explanation.
"What's your next class?"
"Gym." Clark said, realizing that with dread. It wasn't that he was afraid of any of the physically taxing aspects of the class since he could do anything they asked of him with ease... but if Miss Reynolds had told the nurse he fainted and people in the class overheard, he was sure to deal with a whole lot of ribbing in the locker room!
She gave him a little commiserating smile, obviously thinking he was worried it would be strenuous. "I'll tell you what... your temperature does qualify as a low grade fever. Why don't I send you home? It's Friday, and nearly the end of school anyway."
He looked up in surprise, then flashed her a little smile. Avoiding dealing with people and being able to leave without getting in trouble? "That'd be great."
"Ok. I'll inform the office. You can use the phone down the hall to call your parents to pick you up if you don't have a cell. Just dial nine to get an outside line." She said, scribbling out a hall pass and handing it to him, along with a handful of the little swirled mint candies wrapped in cellophane she kept on her desk.
"Thanks." He said as he accepted the pass.
"Just promise me you'll get something real to eat!" She said with a smile.
"Yes ma'am." He replied with a little nod.
He shoved the mints in his pocket, shouldered his backpack and left her office. He walked down the hall, but didn't bother with the phone. He certainly didn't want to call his parents! For that matter, he couldn't really go home either. He didn't want to risk hiding anywhere on the farm for fear of his parents stumbling across him and asking questions. He wandered out of the school, trying to decide where to go to kill time until school let out.
He suddenly realized he could go to the Talon. He usually only thought of it being open when Lana was out of school, but it was open during school hours as well, she just had non-school aged workers for those hours. Well, he could go there and just leave when school let out. Maybe he'd even get a piece of pie. He didn't really feel hungry, even now... but maybe it'd make his body feel a bit better.
- 0 – 0 – 0 -
"Clark. Hey, Clark." A voice called softly as fingers stroked his cheek.
Clark blinked his eyes open. "Lana?" He asked groggily, looking around. He was nestled down in one of the big, comfortable chairs in the Talon, obviously having fallen asleep. The Talon was already full of his classmates, and it was pretty obvious they hadn't just arrived.
"Sorry to wake you, but I was getting worried. They said you fainted in the hallway and left early. You feeling ok?" Lana asked with obvious concern.
"Ya. Fine." Clark muttered, straightening up in his seat, "And I didn't faint. I just haven't been sleeping well."
"You aren't getting sick again, are you?" She asked worriedly.
He quickly shook his head.
"Well, good. You really scared me last time." She said, the worry still evident on her face. She glanced down at his half eaten piece of pie sitting on the arm of his chair. "Something wrong with the pie?"
"No." He replied immediately. "Just not in the mood for pie." He realized he was still holding his empty coffee mug and placed it on the pie plate.
She looked at him with trepidation, "I've got to get that table's order... how about I bring you some herbal tea when I'm done?"
"Sure." He said, more to get rid of her than wanting the tea.
She smiled and took the plate and mug, putting them on the tray of one of the passing waitresses who had obviously been busing tables, then hurried off.
"Clark! You're awake!" Chloe said from a nearby table. She sprang up and came over, perching herself on the arm of his chair, "Hey. How've you been?" She asked him gently.
"Fine." He muttered, avoiding eye contact and hoping she'd go away. He knew she meant well, but he'd prefer it if people would just stop worrying about him and leave him alone. She looked like she might be about to probe further, so he quickly redirected, "What are you guys up to?" He asked, looking back over to the table she'd come from. It was one of the largest tables the Talon had, and Pete and three other students who often helped out with the Torch were gathered around it, looking very busy with paper, scissors and some kind of device he couldn't quite see around the boy who was working it. Well, if he used his x-ray vision he'd be able to see it... but he just didn't really care enough to bother.
Chloe broke into a brilliant smile and shifted forward, showing him the large button on her blouse, "We're making these!" She said proudly.
He looked at it, furrowing his brow. It was a hand drawn picture of what looked like a teenaged alien in jeans and a t-shirt standing in what looked like a school hallway while human teens passed by. Its overly large eyes had big blue irises that looked very sad. As he shifted closer for a better look he could see that one of the books it was carrying looked to be a copy of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus". There were also words printed below along the bottom curve of the pin in neat handwriting that said "You're not alone."
"Umm, what's that about?" He asked, puzzled.
Her eyes went round, "You haven't seen these around? The paper went out this morning, and I sold all fifty of the buttons I made up last night by the time lunch rolled around! I took orders the rest of the day and people have been texting me orders as well. We've got orders for another seventy six already! We've even had people outside the school asking for them! The Torch online got more hits before I left school today than we usually get in a month! Apparently some of the students talked to relatives and such on their cell phones between classes. I've even gotten over twenty requests for t-shirts and a couple more for jackets and sweatshirts. I'm talking to a local silk screening shop about pricing. Everybody's going crazy about it!"
"About a cartoon?" He asked dubiously. Sure it was kind of cute in a big eyed puppy kind of way, but it hardly seemed to warrant such interest.
She stared at him with a stunned expression for a minute. "Haven't you read the Torch today?" She asked.
"I... um... haven't gotten around to it." He admitted.
She looked around, then quickly sprang up and went over, snatching up a spare copy of the paper, then brought it over and held it out in front of him. There was the little cartoon of the alien on the top of the front page (square instead of round and minus the writing at the bottom of it), with the word "Alienation" below it in bold print, followed by the article he'd written.
"This is what everyone's going wild over. This is, bar none, the most popular article the Torch has run since I've been in charge of it. Every copy of the Torch was gone before second period started! We actually did a second printing! Luckily the printer was still set up for it, so they had another batch to us by lunch, and all of those were nearly gone by the time I left! We have never had to do a second printing before!" She said excitedly.
"Wow... that's... um... amazing..." He said, looking a bit stunned, "Congratulations, I guess."
She folded the paper up and handed it to him, smiling down at him. "Now that was a great article. It had heart and honesty, and it obviously really spoke to a lot of people. That guy... he really has potential as a journalist."
"I'll take your word for it." He said, not meeting her eyes, pretending to read the article. The way she was looking at him gave him the itching suspicion she was on to him.
"Well, I think it's a bullshit story!" Jenkins growled as he walking up, his whole carriage one of barely contained anger.
Chloe rolled her eyes. "So you're the local literary critic now?" She asked sarcastically.
"I want to know who wrote that damn thing!" He hissed furiously.
"It was anonymous. That means the author didn't give his name. If he had, his name would be on it." She said as if explaining to a small child.
"Ya, well a bunch of people are saying I was the one who wrote it just because I wouldn't have to worry about catching flak for it since I'm getting shipped off to Military school!"
She let out a little snort of laughter. "Well don't worry. If they ask me, I will assure them it wasn't you. You're barely literate, let alone anywhere near loquacious enough to have written that!"
"I'm not what?" He asked, furrowing his brow.
"I rest my case." She replied.
He may not know exactly what she was saying, but it was obvious even to him that she was making fun of him... and that just about every person in the entire place was now watching them, most of them trying to hide their snickers at Chloe's words. His eyes flashed with anger and he darted his hand out to grab her, but Clark's hand caught his wrist before he could get a hold of her.
"Leave her alone, Jenkins!" Clark growled warningly, squeezing his wrist just short of causing damage.
Jenkins let out a hiss of pain and pulled his arm back. Clark let him go, but watched to make sure he didn't make any other moves towards Chloe. The boy glared down at Clark, shaking his hand to return circulation to it. "Is she protecting you, Kent? Are you the fairy that wrote that article?" He growled hatefully, making sure it was loud enough for everyone to hear.
"I'm not a fairy, and I can fight my battles just fine on my own. Keep it up and I'll demonstrate." Clark growled, shifting forward to rise. He normally avoided confrontation, but right now the idea of beating on this loud mouthed idiot sounded pretty good.
"Whoa!" Chloe said, quickly putting her hands on Clark's chest to keep him from rising. When she was sure he'd stopped, she looked back over at Jenkins. "Listen, I know you two have gym class together, and I have no doubt you've seen him in the shower, so you probably know he's easily twice the man you'll ever be under those clothes... but if you're looking for a date, I hate to break your heart, but you're out of luck. Clark's already spoken for."
Clark barely hid his surprise as Chloe dropped herself down in his lap and planted a kiss right on his lips. He kissed back without even thinking about it. Clark vaguely heard the other patrons of the Talon laughing at Jenkins and cheering Clark and Chloe on, but he wasn't really paying attention anymore. She pressed him back in the chair, her fingers twining in his hair. Chloe's tongue slipped into his mouth and his irritation with Jenkins evaporated. He might not have any real personal desire for Chloe... but it felt so nice just feeling the desire that seemed to radiate out from her. It stirred memories of Lex's lips... that wonderful, hot tongue... the way Lex liked to twine his fingers in Clark's hair when they kissed, just like she was doing. It made him ache, but at the same time he didn't want it to stop. He just let go and lost himself in her.
There was a pronounced clearing of a throat. Clark reluctantly broke the kiss and looked up a bit dazedly, panting a bit to regain his breath. Jenkins had left, and the others had even apparently lost interest in the spectacle by that point... except for one, that is. Lana was standing there, glaring at them coldly, his tea on a little tray in front of her. He took a deep breath and sighed it out, then got up, carefully setting Chloe on her feet before releasing her.
"I'm not dealing with this right now." He said, pulling a couple of dollars out of his pocket for the tea and dropping them on the tray.
Lana's jaw dropped in indignation as he grabbed up his backpack and just walked out without another word.
- 0 – 0 – 0 -
"Clark? You up there?" Chloe's voice called out.
Clark sighed. He could get up and super speed out of the loft window, but she'd track him down sooner or later. "Ya." he called back, his voice tired and emotionless.
She tromped up the stairs, then came over and dropped down onto the couch beside him. "Hey there." She said gently, stroking her hand down his arm. "Don't worry. I talked to Lana."
He glanced over at her, momentarily wondering what she was talking about before recalling how he'd left things between them. "Oh. Right. Thanks, I guess."
"I... I didn't tell her it was you though. I figured you'd tell her yourself if you wanted her to know." She added.
"Didn't tell her it was me...?" He asked, looking at her, completely baffled.
"That wrote that article."
His eyes widened, but she quickly put her hand over his mouth before he could deny it.
"It's ok, Clark. I know it was you, but I'm never going to tell anyone." She assured him before taking her hand back away.
"What makes you think it was me?" He asked guardedly.
She gave him a little smile, then shifted up a bit, "Well, let's see... you were right there, I was..." She shifted over suddenly, straddling his lap, "Right about here..." She said, then shifted forward, whispering in his ear, "And you called me Lex."
His eyes went wide, his cheeks instantly blazing crimson. Had he really done that? He didn't remember it... but he had been thinking about Lex at the time, and he knew from her expression that Chloe wasn't just fishing. She knew.
She smiled at him, then sagged against him, resting her head on his shoulder and holding him comfortingly. "It's ok. Your secret's safe with me." She whispered.
He closed his eyes, knowing he could never find a way to deny that... and yet he didn't even want to. He slid his arms around her and held her tight, having to be careful not to harm her. He needed this so desperately right now... someone to just hold him and tell him it was alright.
"This is why I love you, Chloe." He whispered against her.
She just smiled and closed her eyes, hugging him tighter.
- 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 – 0 –
Lex sighed as he looked out over the water. The sunset was breathtaking, the waves crashing on the pristine beach like a scene straight off a postcard. The sand beneath his feet was warm and soft, bringing back childhood memories... from back before his life became a tangled mess... back when he was a happy child. Well, as happy as you could be with a father like Lionel at any rate. What he'd give to be back then. When things had made sense and he'd known where his life was going. Or thought he did, anyway. He was going to grow up and find himself a pretty wife and take over his dad's business and be rich, powerful and respected, just like his father. Of course back then he hadn't yet realized how utterly despised his father was by pretty much everyone.
If he tried really hard, he could still remember when his father had looked at him as his son... his heir... the boy who would become as powerful and ruthless as he was some day and make him proud. Back before the meteor shower had made Lex into a 'freak'. His father had never really looked at him the same after that. He could almost see it in his father's eyes... that was when he'd written Lex off as his successor. That's when he'd started trying for another son, despite his wife's protests. After Julian had died and Lex's mother went a bit mad, Lionel had obviously realized he had to deal with the son he already had, no matter how defective. He eventually started grooming Lex for the position once more, but Lex could always tell he didn't think Lex was worthy of it. No matter how hard Lex tried, the 'freak' would never really earn his father's respect... let alone his love.
Never had that been clearer than when Lex had last dabbled with boys. He could still remember the fury and disgust in his father's eyes after he'd burst into Lex's dorm room and found him in bed with his roommate, Brian. Lex should have known it would get out with those paparazzi bastards everywhere, but he'd really thought he'd been careful! Then again, they'd been together for nearly a month, and someone was bound to find out sooner or later. He'd rarely seen fury so raw on his father's face. Usually the man was so adept at hiding his anger, choosing to retain his apparent calm and use subtle forms of retaliation over open anger and the more crass forms of common violence. He'd always taught Lex that showing his emotions was a weakness... but he didn't try to mask his reaction to that in the slightest. When Lex had tried to defend his right to be with whomever he pleased, his father had struck him. He'd backhanded him across the face so hard it'd sent him sprawling and left him with a bruise so bad it'd taken days to heal. He still remembered the cold rage in his father's eyes as he explained in that poisonous hiss exactly what he'd do to Lex if he ever found out he was disgracing the family name like that again.
Brian disappeared after that. Every last shred of evidence that he'd ever even been there was gone within an hour. One of those damn paparazzi had managed to get a shot of Lex with the bruise on his face and they'd made up wild stories about a violent lover's quarrel ending in him getting dumped. He never even bothered attempting to correct them. It never would have worked anyway... besides, the lie was better than the truth. Brian had never contacted Lex again. Lex hadn't tried to find him. He'd been too afraid of finding out out what had happened to the poor, sweet boy who's only crime was to fall for a Luthor.
Lex had been young back then... only eighteen, just starting college. It could be chalked up to normal teenage experimentation. That's how he'd always explained it. Sure, he'd had one nights stands here and there after that before coming to Smallville, usually when he was particularly furious with his father, but after he realized he was just using the men to fulfil his own selfish need for silent rebellion he'd given that up too. He had to grow up sometime. There would be no excusing such things away at his current age. He was twenty two. He was supposed to be over that kind of thing. Sure clubbing and such would be expected... but not playing with boys... especially one six years younger than him. Especially drugging one to get him into bed with him! Not that he'd meant to, or had any idea that bracelet could ever do anything like that, but still...
He couldn't help but remember what that old Indian woman had told him. She'd said that bracelet was what his heart desired. Was he really so depraved that his heart wanted to molest an innocent boy? One who trusted him and cared about him? Maybe his father had tainted him even more than he'd realized... instilling in him his father's belief that anything was his for the taking and he had every right to take it, no matter the cost to anyone else.
God, he'd rather die than be like that evil old man!
He gazed at the way the last rays of light glistened off the water. He couldn't help but remember the accident that had brought him and Clark together. The water had rushed in and filled his lungs before he'd even known what was happening. It was frightening at first... but in the end...
He'd managed to somehow evade death so many times already in his life... but he wouldn't have escaped that. The water had taken him... Clark just took him back. But Clark wasn't here.
Was there an undertow hiding beneath that innocent looking water? If he waded out there into the ocean, would it pull him under? Would the ocean simply swallow him whole and claim him as the river had tried? It wouldn't care who he was, who his father was. Would he just be gone with no trace or explanation... like Brian?
It was undeniably tempting.
Arms slipped around his waist and he felt her body press up against his back, her chin coming to rest on his shoulder. "What are you doing out here all alone, Alexander?" She asked softly.
"Just taking in the view." Lex replied evenly.
She gave a little mirthful snort, "You're not the sunset watching type. Try again."
"Just thinking." He muttered, then took a breath and sighed it out, "Toying with the idea of one last dip."
"Well, it's a bit late to be going back in the water... but it may be best to stay out here for a bit longer. Your father just found out why you agreed to this trip. He's pretty pissed." She said, obviously amused.
"About time! The papers were finalized two days ago! They're probably hiring the construction crew already! He's obviously slipping in his old age." Lex said with a grim smile.
She just stood there, holding him as they watched the sun sink the last little bit, disappearing into the ocean. "You aren't going to run off now, are you?" She asked softly.
He took a deep breath and sighed it out. Returning to Smallville... he could feel his heart pulling him back there, even now... but at the same time the thought of returning there almost scared him. How was he supposed to act around Clark now? No matter how hard he wanted to pretend, he had told Clark the truth... something like that can never really be taken back. It made him ache inside to know things would never be the same between them. The pain of loss was still too raw in his chest. Maybe if he had a bit more time... Then again, he wasn't sure this pain would ever go away. "I don't know." He replied, carefully keeping the sadness from his voice, "I thought about leaving as soon as the papers went through... but I think I could use a little more time here. It really is nice to be able to just let go and stop worrying... to get away from politics and my company and... everything for a while. I think this is good for me. I think maybe being around you is good for me."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that." She said, slipping around and pressing up against the front of him. Her jet black tresses fell over her shoulders like an ebony waterfall, framing her lovely face as she gazed up at him with her large, luminescent blue eyes that still seemed to almost glow, despite the rapidly dwindling light. "I admit, I was a bit leery of seeing you again. There were some pretty wild tabloids floating around for a while there."
He flashed her a little smile, his cheeks tingeing slightly with embarrassment.
"I'm glad I came, though." She added, "Being around you again, it's... it's almost like when we were kids. We may have only been around each other for a week or so a year, but you were the best friend I've ever had. I was afraid seeing you now would ruin that memory... but it hasn't. Being around you is just... comfortable."
"I know what you mean." He said honestly, gently brushing a stray lock of hair out of her face, "I never even realized how much I missed you, Elise."
She smiled warmly, then reached up and ran her hand over his head, "I do miss your hair, though. I never said anything when we were kids, because I knew how sensitive you were about it... but I really do miss it. You had the most beautiful hair."
"Sorry. Getting rid of it wasn't exactly my idea. Then again... that color was alright on a boy, but I don't think bright copper waves of hair on a man would inspire much respect anyway." Lex mused.
"I'm sure there have been many powerful and well respected men with red hair! You know, in Norse mythology, Thor has red hair. He was always one of my favorites. I really doubt anyone ever dared make fun of him for it! Besides, the ladies like red hair. Not that you've needed any help in the attraction field from what I've read, but still. They say redheads are rather randy in bed. From what I've seen, I'd have to concur." She chuckled to herself as she watched her fingers stroking over his scalp. "I just realized... maybe you're the reason I've always had such a weakness for redheads!"
He just chuckled softly.
She suddenly shivered, pressing a bit closer. "Man, it gets cold quick once the sun is gone!"
"The breeze off the ocean will do that." Lex said, rubbing her shoulders to help warm her up. She was only wearing a little bikini and a loose knit triangular bit of material wrapped around her waist that was more for modesty than any real protection against the cold. He was only wearing a pair of knee length black swimming trunks himself, but he was obviously more tolerant to cold than she was. He slid his arms around her, pulling her up close and holding her for a minute. It really was nice just holding her. He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her arms around him for a bit. Something about her seemed to soothe him... to gently push down his pain and the stirring self destructive inclinations. "We should go in." He muttered at length.
She gazed back with trepidation towards the main door of the sprawling beach front mansion they were vacationing in. "I don't know... your father was really mad! I know! Let's slip in the side door. If we're quiet we can hide out in my room for a while until he has a chance to calm down."
"I don't think my father knows how to calm down." Lex said with a wane smile, "But it's worth a try."
They made their way over, taking a wide path behind some dunes to keep from being seen through the huge picture windows that led into the extravagant living room in which their fathers most often congregated in the evenings. They appeared to get in without notice, and had a bit of fun avoiding being seen by the couple of servants they ran across, then finally made it to her room.
She closed the door behind them, then they had to stifle their snickers. It was just like when they were kids! It was so refreshing just being with her! If only it could stay like that, pure and innocent... but he knew it wouldn't. He'd seen the impatience in her father's eyes when he was watching them earlier. He'd seen her sadness after her father cornered her and had a little 'talk' with her in the kitchen after lunch. She'd forced a smile when she saw him watching, but it hadn't reached her eyes.
Well, he might as well get this over with. "So, what shall we do now?" He asked, giving her the opening. He went over and sat on the bed, kicking off his sandals and putting his legs up on the bed, crossing them at the ankles and leaning back against the pillows casually.
She seemed frozen for a second as she watched him settle in, but then flashed him a smile. "Well, I have a confession to make. I pilfered a bottle from my father's liquor stash this afternoon." She said, going over to the dresser. She crouched down and reached underneath and pulled out a bottle of obviously very expensive liquor, then straightened up and grabbed two of the cut crystal goblets from the tray sitting on the dresser with a water pitcher.
She brought it over, handing him the bottle, but then seemed to feel awkward with the idea of climbing over him to find a seat, so she circled around to the other side of the large bed.
"Bas Armagnac, 1963. This is my favorite brandy." He said, examining the familiar bottle, "It's very expensive. Your father's probably been saving this for a special occasion. You sure you want to break into it?"
He looked over and saw that she'd hesitated, spotting a small blue bag on the bedside table. From the flash of irritation that crossed her face, he could tell she hadn't put it there herself... and could easily guess what it held.
"Oh, I'm very sure." She said, quickly putting on a smile and pretending there was nothing odd about the little bag being there. She crawled onto the bed as best she could while holding the glasses, then settled and held them out.
Lex shrugged and cracked it open. Since it was his father's favorite as well, he was pretty sure her father had brought it to celebrate in case they managed to force their children together. If anyone deserved it, it was them, not their fathers. He poured a generous amount into each goblet before setting the bottle on the stand on his side of the bed and claiming one of the goblets.
For her first drink she took a bit of a gulp, though it almost came back up. She managed to swallow it down, then coughed a couple of times, blushing. She obviously wasn't much of a drinker.
"You generally drink this slower. Try savoring it." He suggested, taking a drink from his own glass. He held the brandy in his mouth for a moment before letting it slide down his throat, warming him pleasantly. Oh yes, he definitely loved this one. He usually only allowed himself a couple of fingers of it now and then considering its rarity... but tonight he'd make an exception. He'd always wanted to see what it'd be like getting drunk off this alone. He'd certainly been tempted to try on several occasions... but one bottle wouldn't be enough to do it for him and while he had many vices, gluttony wasn't generally one of them.
He watched her take her next drink. She took a bit more than him, but dutifully took it slowly, apparently trying to savor it as suggested. She still gave a slight cough after swallowing it, but it seemed easier this time. He shifted down a bit more, enjoying the warmth radiating out from his stomach.
Though she'd seemed tense at first, she started loosening up as well. They started reminiscing about old times, and he kept refilling their goblets. It became apparent rather quickly that she was a bit of a lightweight. Within ten minutes she was smiling and giggling a bit giddily. Lex, on the other hand, remained irritatingly sober. Even in his teens it had taken an indecent amount of alcohol to get him drunk, and it only seemed to get harder with time. That was part of the reason he had tried drugs, to be honest. Alcohol couldn't get him more than tipsy by that point, even when he downed a whole bottle of vodka himself. He could polish off this whole bottle by himself and not feel much more than what he was already feeling. After three full goblets he felt warm and content, but nothing more than perhaps a little bit buzzed. And that might have just been from being around her, actually.
Once the bottle was getting pretty low, she seemed to realize she was way past her tolerance and she set her glass on the bedside stand. Lex had another glass, but then set his glass aside as well. There was still a bit left in the bottle, but while he doubted he'd even have a hint of a headache in the morning, she was sure to be completely miserable. It was best to leave her a bit to help her combat the coming hangover. Hair of the dog and all.
"Do you remember the first time you kissed me?" She asked suddenly, her voice lively, if a bit slurred.
He smiled over at her. "How could I forget? You were the first girl I ever kissed. I still remember that surprised look on your face. You asked me if that meant we were married."
She blushed, "I didn't!" She said in embarrassment.
"You did." He assured her, "I remember, because I had to ask my mother. I was so afraid I'd done something wrong. She laughed. It'd been a long time since I'd heard her laugh..." He said, his eyes glazing over a bit as he remembered it. It was probably one of the last times he'd heard that laugh.
Suddenly he found Elise straddling his lap. What was it lately with people doing that? He quickly shoved the memory of Clark straddling him like this from his mind.
"She thought we were cute together." She said softly.
He just nodded mutely.
She looked like she was searching for something more to say, something clever that would make him laugh or perhaps something sexy to entice him... but the alcohol was obviously stealing away her eloquence. After a moment she gave up and just leaned forward, kissing him.
He could have played hard to get and made her work for it, but she seemed so nervous he didn't have the heart to tease her. He'd dealt with far more than his fair share of gold diggers in his past, so her lack of expertise in the field was rather endearing, actually. The feel of her trembling when he pulled her close sealed it for him. She'd definitely do. They already cared for each other, and any woman who needed to get herself drunk just to pluck up the courage to seduce him wasn't likely to be playing mind games and manipulating him.
He reached over and turned off the light, then untied the cloth at her waist and tossed it aside. Once that was out of the way, he pulled her close and rolled over on top of her. Even in the dark, he was able to get her top undone with little more than a practiced flick of his fingers. He pulled it out of the way, then kissed his way down. Her soft skin was still slightly salty from her dip in the ocean earlier. Her breasts were on the small side, but firm and pert. He rather liked them that way. He'd much rather have them small but real than big and fake like far too many of the rich girls had. He found that practice repulsive. Why mess with what mother nature gave you?
She rarely wore makeup either. He loved that. He also loved her hair... pure black, but heavier, slipping smoothly between his fingers like silk. It reminded him of Clark's hair actually, only longer. He quickly pushed the thought aside, pulling his hand away from her hair. He had to concentrait on her and get into this soon, or it was going to be really embarrassing when she got into his trunks. He'd done this with girls more times than he could remember. What the Hell was his problem? There was a lovely, nearly completely naked woman beneath him and nothing. Well, he knew he'd get there sooner or later. He always did. He'd just go down on her to buy some time.
He slid his hand down her belly and into her bikini bottoms. She shivered as his fingers rubbed her gently, his lips travelling slowly down her body, but then her hand grabbed his wrist, pulling his hand back out.
Lex shifted up, trying to see what the problem was. He shifted over and turned the light back on, then looked over, surprised to see tears on her cheeks before she quickly looked away, trying to hide them.
"What's the matter?" He asked, "I thought this is what you wanted?"
"This is what my father wants." she sobbed, her breath shuddering in her chest.
"I'm sorry." He said softly, shifting away.
She quickly took hold of him and hugged him to her, burying her face against his shoulder. "No... it's not you, Alexander. It's not that the idea of being with you is so terrible... it's just... my father wants me to have sex with you and get you to marry me so he can make money on some deal with your father. It just... it makes me feel like a whore.."
He let out a sad breath, hugging her to him. "Don't ever think that." He said softly, kissing the top of her head.
"I do care about you." She said softly, "You're the only man I've ever been able to be myself around. I think you're beautiful, and kind, warm, loving. I like holding you and kissing you and I love it when you hold me. You make me feel safe... and it never feels like you're just trying to con your way into my pants like most other guys." She pulled her head back, looking up into his eyes, "I look at you, and I see the only man I could probably be happy with... but..." She trailed off, at a loss for words.
He gazed deep into her eyes for a long moment, "You're already in love with someone else, aren't you?"
She closed her eyes as they started tearing up again, but reluctantly nodded her head.
"I take it you're not in love with someone your father can make a profit off of?" Lex ventured.
She gave her head a little shake. "Terri is an artist. Decent family, but not much in the way of financial potential. Photography mostly, and the occasional poem..." She said, sniffling as a little wisp of a smile slipped over her lips. "We've been together for almost three years now."
"So is this Terrance afraid of commitment, or is your father somehow keeping you two from getting married?"
She ducked her head down, muttering something softly against his chest.
"What was that?" He asked, shifting back a bit.
She sighed, looking up at him. "I said her name is Terrisa, not Terrance."
"Ah..." He said as things started making a bit more sense.
"I mean I like boys..." She said hurriedly, "But they... they just can't seem to make me feel like she does." She said, finishing softly, her eyes downcast, obviously worried about what he must think of her now.
He let out a little amused sound, then leaned his head forward and gently kissed her forehead. "We have even more in common than I thought."
Her eyes widened, staring up at him quizzically.
He didn't elaborate, choosing instead to make an observation. "She's a redhead, isn't she?"
She blushed and nodded.
"Why don't you two just run off together?"
She let out a little, humorless laugh. "Ya, right. And be poor and somehow magically blacklisted so we couldn't find jobs. Wind up living on the streets. Real bright future there. Terri's work is just starting to take off. She's had two showings already. She's really good. She could make it! But not if the galleries shut her out and the critics say her work is crap... which is exactly what dear old daddy promised would happen if I don't cooperate!" She sighed achingly, "I can't let him kill her dreams."
He started stroking her hair soothingly, seeing her eyes were starting to brim with tears once more, "What if he thought you tried your best and I was just a bastard? I could pretend to use you, then dump you when I was through with you. The tabloids claim I do it all the time. It wouldn't be your fault. Maybe he'd leave you alone then."
She sighed and shook her head, "You're not the only fish on the line. If I fail with you, he has his sights on someone else already. You remember Nelson? That whiny kid who's family used to summer in that God awful lime green condo down the beach?"
"Please tell me you're not talking about that rat faced boy who had that huge crush on you?"
"That would be the one." She sighed. "And from what I've seen, he hasn't exactly improved over the years either. I talked to him a couple of months ago at a party. He still has a crush on me, and given the chance he'd marry me in a heartbeat, whether I wanted to marry him or not. God, he makes my skin crawl!"
He sighed and hugged her to him comfortingly. He had no doubt Nelson would marry her, even if he had to tie her up and carry her down the aisle over his shoulder! He'd only met him a couple of times since they were kids, but he only seemed to get worse with time. He'd long since graduated from a whiny, irritating kid to a lying, manipulative slime ball with a penchant for taking advantage of anyone he could and treating people like cheap commodities. He'd nearly quadrupled the size of his father's business since he took it over... but he did it using methods even Lionel might have found questionable.
"Just... can you stay around for a little while longer?" She asked softly, "You know, pretend you're still interested for a bit longer? Maybe I can think of a way out of it... or at the very least it'd put off the inevitable for a time."
He didn't answer for a while. He just lay there, holding her. After a few minutes, he shifted away, gazing down into her eyes for a long moment, then leaned his head down, capturing her lips. His kiss was long, gentle and loving. She stroked her hand over his scalp as she kissed him back, enjoying the warm familiarity of his lips. When he finally broke the kiss she smiled, stroking the backs of her fingers across his cheek.
"Marry me." He said softly.
Her eyes went round and she blinked, "What?"
A warm smile slipped over his lips, "I asked you to marry me. Do you really require me to be down on one knee?"
Her jaw worked for a moment, then she finally managed, "But why?"
"Why not?" He replied evenly. "Neither of us want to be forced into a loveless marriage, but we both know our fathers are determined to see us paired up with someone. My father has more financial options, so he's probably got another half dozen or so girls lined up already. I'd much rather marry you than some vapid, gold-digging debutante. And perhaps I'm being presumptuous, but I'd like to think you'd take me over a prime catch like Nelson." He said with a little smirk, "There's a little farm for sale just down the road from the castle. It has a big, rustic barn that I bet Terri could convert into an amazing art studio."
"You... you'd let me keep seeing Terri?" She asked incredulously.
"I guess that depends on her. Do you think she could handle that kind of arrangement?" he asked seriously.
She blinked, looking thoughtful. "Well, she's pretty wide open. Just kind of goes with the flow and lets life take her where it will. She's a big believer in fate. You know, the artist type. It's one of the things I love most about her."
"So would she be alright with you living with me? In Smallville? I mean she wouldn't have to live there if she didn't want to, but it would certainly make things simpler."
She shrugged, "Well, it's relatively close to Metropolis, isn't it? Besides, she would obviously have to have her showings in big cities, but she doesn't really like the city life. In fact, I think she's mentioned Smallville, so she might have even been there before. I think she'd really love living in a small town, actually, and I wouldn't mind it either. I've never exactly liked the constant attention and expectations everyone has of you in the city."
He nodded, "And she'd be fine with you being on my arm at social events and whenever we're in public... and sharing my bed at night?"
She blinked, "Sharing your bed...?" She asked, arching an eyebrow.
He gave her a little smile. "You don't have to have sex with me if you don't want to. I just... I want to hold someone while I go to sleep... to wake up and not find myself alone every morning."
"You sound lonely..." She said softly, "Wouldn't you rather find yourself someone you can love?"
He flashed her a little smile. "I could love you... and I think in time you could love me as well. Perhaps it wouldn't be the kind of love a husband and wife usually share... maybe our marriage wouldn't be traditional... but I need something in my life. I need someone who actually cares about me."
She stared at him for a long moment, gently stroking her fingers over his cheek, then down his jawline. "Someone broke your heart, didn't they?" She asked softly.
He averted his eyes, but couldn't bring himself to lie to her face.
She took a deep breath and sighed it out. "It's always stupid to knowingly let yourself become the rebound girl. Mother always warned me about that. You'll probably get over this in a couple of months and dump me for someone else... but..." She took a deep, bracing breath, "Yes... I'll marry you."
His eyes darted up to meet hers in surprise.
"I'll sign whatever pre-nup you want... but we've got to make up our own vows, because that 'forsaking all others' bit has got to go!" She added mirthfully.
He broke into a brilliant smile, capturing her lips. She quickly deepened the kiss, the tension finally completely gone from her body. He shifted onto his back, pulling her on top of him, then just enjoyed the feeling of her weight on him as she settled against him, nuzzling up to him affectionately.
Something seemed to ease inside him. He felt the tension he'd never even noticed was there as it left his body. He didn't have to lie to her. He didn't have to deceive her. It was so rare he found someone he could be so open with that he'd dreaded the idea of having to pretend he desired her. Well, actually he did desire her, especially now. Not for her body or whatever financial benefit he might gain from marrying her... but for the acceptance and quiet understanding she offered him. That alone was more alluring than anything else she could possibly offer.
"God I want you right now!" She sighed, "Unfortunately, my diaphragm is in that bag on the bedside table over there... and since I wasn't the one who put it there, I'm willing to bet my dear father sabotaged it to get me knocked up so you'd have to marry me." She said a bit petulantly.
Lex gave a little nod. He'd suspected as much the minute he'd seen her reaction to it being there. "It's probably safe to assume one of them has gotten to my stash of condoms by now as well."
"So I guess we'll have to wait until we get away from the manipulative old bastards." She reasoned.
"Definitely not ready for children quite yet." He agreed, "But you don't mind if I spend the night with you...?" He asked hopefully. He didn't think another night of him sitting alone in his room, staring out at the ocean and thinking about Clark was a very good idea. Or a safe one, for that matter.
She grinned. "Sure. You should probably take the trunks off if you're staying though. Knowing father, he'll probably have one of the maids 'accidentally' walking in on us to check up on me and make sure I'm doing my job!" She said, shifting over and sitting up, untying the strings on the side of her bikini bottoms.
Lex shrugged and doffed his trunks, tossing them off onto the floor. It's not like he'd ever been particularly bashful. He was surprised to find his interest had started stirring without him even noticing. "Let's not tell them I proposed, though. Not until we're leaving at least."
"Definitely." She agreed without hesitation.
Once they were both naked, she cuddled back up to him again. "Your skin is so smooth!" She said, grinning against him as she stroked her hand down his side.
"Thanks... but... um... you might not want to keep that up much longer." Lex said, feeling himself stirring even more from her touch.
She giggled as she slipped her hand down, exploring him. "Wow. Not bad!" She commented, shifting up and looking him over. Needless to say, his interest was instantly piqued. She sighed a bit petulantly, stroking him and gazing down at him longingly, then she glanced up at his face, looking him over with a speculative look. "Um... just how open minded are you?" She asked with a little mischievous grin.
The look sent a little twitch through his choicer bits. A wary smile slid over his lips. "I'd like to think I'm pretty open minded. Why? What did you have in mind?"
"Turn off the light and close your eyes." She said mysteriously as she quickly clambered off the bed and went over, opening up one of her bags that was stacked against the wall by the bathroom door. She obviously found what she was looking for, but then looked over at him expectantly.
He let out an amused breath and reached over, turning out the light, then dutifully lay back on the bed, closing his eyes. He could hear her shifting around a bit, but couldn't figure out what she might be doing. After a minute she came over and crawled back up on the bed, then lay down beside him. She took his hand and pulled it over, resting it on her stomach, then nudged it downwards.
He took the hint, letting his hand slid down the soft skin of her stomach... and unexpectedly ran into something. It felt like she'd put something on. He felt down a bit... a leather strap? Then his hand ran into something soft and rubbery. His eyes sprang open and he looked down. The lighting was dim... but the black leather harness around her hips was as unmistakable as the large silicon phallus she'd strapped on.
He looked at her face, able to make out the cautiously optimistic look and the way she was biting her bottom lip, waiting a bit nervously for his reaction. Oh, he had definitely found the right girl! "Have I asked you to marry me yet?" He purred softly.
She giggled gleefully and pulled him into a deep kiss.
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A/N – well, I kept thinking about adding another scene to this one, so I kept putting off posting it... but it breaks so nicely right there, so screw it. If you liked it, please do tell :) Reviews are always appreciated! Motivation is really hard to come by nowadays. My muse gets stubborn and bitchy when not fed :)
BTW – I put a little fanfiction writing pointers guide in my profile since they wouldn't let me make it a story. If you want to write fanfiction of your own and would like some advice, check it out!