Title: A Quick Turn

Author: Anonymous

Summary: Things could have turned out a lot worse.

Prompt: “We could call him Marvin, just like the Martian.” Clex Wave 24

Thanks to theclexfactor!

This is Clark Kent and today is the first day of the most important mission of his life.

“Hey Kent!!” Clark looked up and successfully managed to spill his coffee all over his desk, much to Lois’s amusement. “The Chief wants to see you.”

Clark’s eyes grew to the size of saucers, but under Lois’s urgent gaze he stopped all attempts at sopping up the caffeine-filled mess. He hated moments like this when he had everyone’s attention, especially when he really didn’t want it. His flush was florid, his posture stooped, and the walk to the Chief’s office seemed like it was more a stroll to the execution chamber than to see Perry.

He followed Lois in timidly and in the midst of prayer number eighty three, he hope he wasn’t going to be fired. “Kent, have a seat!” Perry White commanded.

Clark did so willingly.

Maybe, this was about last Tuesday. Superman had to deal with a mudslide, a building collapse, and a massive fire down in Suicide Slums. Of course, Perry didn’t know any of this and would never know.

“So, Kent--” The Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet eyed him with a scrutiny which made him feel all of three feet tall. “We went to WBC affiliates conference last week, and there was some serious and surprising talk.”

“Yeah, really surprising.” Lois muttered.

Perry gave her a halting glance. “So, it was decided after an intense review and panel session that you, Kent, would be perfect as the newest feature writer for Metropolis Magazine.”

Clark was floored. After three minutes of jaw jogging, he finally found his voice. “Thanks so much, Chief….I don’t know what to say.”

“I do.” Lois stage whispered. “It’s called Divine Intervention. I don’t know who you sold your soul to…”

“Lois!” Perry chastised in frustration. “I’m glad you’re pleased with the promotion. Now, get out of my office, the news won’t write itself.”

Clark allowed himself to be shoved out of the way for the door by Lois. He didn’t mind it so much today. No major disasters and a promotion, things were starting to look up for him.

He returned to his apartment a few hours earlier than expected, and found Chloe still in the same position he’d last seen her in. “Still blogging?”

She jumped and almost caused her laptop to drop to the floor. Clark’s timely intervention earned him Chloe’s eternal thanks and a murderous glare that would truly kill if it were possible. “Yeah. I’m telling you, Clark, this is the future.”

“You said the same thing about those internet dating sites.”

Chloe grinned. “And see how right I was?” Chloe checked the clock on her computer and looked back at Clark with curious glance. “Are my eyes deceiving me? Is the sun still in the sky and you are home--” She scrutinized his tie. “With you tie in place?”

She circled him with the look Clark had come to know as ‘Chloe’s got a bone to pick’. No matter how funny Pete thought that phrase was Clark still couldn’t find the dirty innuendo in it. But, he’d still nevertheless not tell Chloe. “Barring some sudden catastrophe, I’m taking the evening off.”

She clutched her heart in mock surprise. “Now, I know the end is truly near. If you say Lois asked you out, I’m running for my cross, holy water, and emergency apocalypse rations.”

He shook his head. “Nope, you’re in luck though, because earlier I thought the same thing. Actually, I got a promotion!”

After Chloe stopped cheering in surprise, she clutched Clark’s arms and declared that they would be going out to celebrate. Across the apartment, behind Clark wherever he treaded, she paced after him, relentlessly trying to get him to concede to a formal celebration.

“Chlo--”

“Clark, you know what you need to do.”

“Why are you doing this to me, Chloe? I thought you loved me.” He was not going to pout. He wouldn’t give her the satisfaction, but curse his body for being able to encapsulate a pout into mere words.

Chloe hugged him and drew back to look him in the eye. “This is for your own good. Now, go change. Tonight, we dance!”

This is the story of Lex Luthor and how everything in his life changed after he finally won his war.

“—I feel pretty assured that you already know the way out, but just in case.” A throng of black and purple suited women entered the office. “LexCorp security will show you the way out.”

Lionel seethed in righteous indignation. The day had finally come and he could only stand, and bow slightly, for his son’s masterful play. His pawn had become king and the entire game, the battles, the corporate skirmish were at last settled, as his son beat him sound and decisively in the war.

The armed women intercepted him as he stepped away from his son. “I must say I am…” Words escaped him. “Very proud. This couldn’t have happened any better, even if I had orchestrated the whole coup myself.”

Lex saw it for just a second, a flash of emotion, making him feel momentarily relieved that he could still get to his son. “Thank you.” Lex issued a signal to Mercy. “I do believe my father has a plane to catch. It seems retirement has officially begun.”

Lex watched his father vacate his office with a final sweep of his long black coat. How his father could ever chastise him for being flamboyant, he’d never know. They were two peas in a pod, constantly bickering pot versus kettle. Yet none of that mattered now, because he had won.

Mercy returned to find him holding bottle of Scotch that was older than he and his father put together. “I think it’s time to celebrate.”

“You sure, Boss?” Mercy inspected the bottle and graced her Boss with a rare smile. “I didn’t think you spent years planning this, only to kill yourself by drinking turpentine.”

Lex poured her small glass as well. “It’s a good thing I accomplished everything I wanted. I could die a happy man.”

Tonight wasn’t a question of could he or would he. He was Lex fucking Luthor. The sole heir, owner, and CEO of LexCorp and LuthorCorp. He’d just entered the pantheon of corporate giants, what else was he going to do besides celebrate?

“Hey! Give those back.”

Apparently, over the years Chloe had become adept with superspeed and a great many arms that were only activated in times of fashion emergency. The invisible appendages were the bane of Clark’s existence since the tail end of high school through college and now, in their little microcosm of the Daily Planet.

Chloe twirled his glasses through her fingers and stuffed them into a place he dared not approach. “No, tonight you’re going to look like the Abercrombie model you were born to be.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively, as if daring him to say something.

Nope, Clark just blushed and again wished they could have celebrated with warm pie instead.

“Someone might recognize me!” Clark said frantically. He was blowing off patrol and that always made him uneasy, as well as subject to Batman’s angry lectures about duty and responsibility.

“Now, before you get your panties in a bunch, let me--” Her hands dug into his hair and her finger danced over his scalp. “Trust me, me. No one would believe that Superman would go clubbing, let alone have the rhythm of a dying limpet.”

“I do not.” Clark contested.

Chloe just have him an unconvinced look. “It’s the glasses and the hair that through people off.” She pushed him towards the dance floor. “Now, thank me later when you get laid tonight.”

Though Clark would scarcely admit that gliding around the long line of people had actually felt pretty good. The bouncer didn’t hesitate in letting them in. Of course, it helped that Chloe was becoming a well known blogger and occasional face on the local news stations, and well, she had dressed Clark, meaning the bad suits had been put aside for the night.

Inside, it was chaos, wild and beautiful chaos as people danced, drank, and tried to make conversation against the thumping of the music. Club Atlantis might have been the hottest place on the Metropolis Riverfront, but for someone with superhearing it was just headache inducing.

Clark at sixteen would have loved it.

Clark at 25 wanted to go home already.

Lex handed Mercy enough to keep them—him, sufficiently imbibed for the night.

“You sure about this, Boss?”

Lex didn’t need to look at Mercy to see that her left eye was probably twitching and her right trigger finger was going through the motions of pulling the trigger to one of her many guns. It wouldn’t be boring by any account if another drunken man wearing too much cologne decided to hit on her.

“If my father has recovered this quickly, then yes, I deserve to be taken down.” Mercy knew he didn’t mean that. Though, she would have looked forward to some action if given the chance.

The sudden bump of a hard warm body into his side was all she needed for an impromptu transition into ass kicking mode. But, it was the breathy sound of ‘Lex’ above the music that drew a firm arm across her chest to stop her.

“Clark.”

Clark still wore the same deer caught in the headlights look. Now in adulthood, it was certainly alarming and arresting in enhancing his attractive features.

Seeing Clark Kent wasn’t a bad thing exactly, just surprising. After he’d survived the plane crash, life had been put into perspective and it seemed best to take on the world from the base of its feet and not its backyard.

Despite the distance, he’d stayed abreast of Clark’s life: graduation, attending Kansas State, his father’s passing, working for the Daily Planet. His coverage of the almost daily exploits and adventures of Metropolis’s new hero. He knew for some time that Clark was in Metropolis, but seeing him brought on feelings—emotions that Lex didn’t think he was still capable of.

“Clark.” To anyone else, the utterance of Clark’s name would have sounded normal. To Lex, the sound was laden with anticipation and hope.

Clark stood before him in full living color. It was a wonderful sight to behold. “Lex.” He said simply.

Lex could feel Hope and Mercy at his back just as he could see Chloe slightly behind Clark. “Chloe, it’s been a long time.”

Chloe, who was equally shocked by the sight of Lex, stepped forward, completely disregarding the venomous looks being thrown her way by the glamazons at Lex’s back. “You know I have to hug you, right? It’s not every day that you run into the Prince of Metropolis.”

If Lex were anyone else, he would have blushed.

Chloe turned her smirk Clark’s way. “I guess today’s you r lucky day after all.”

Clark did blush. Lex deduced there was something more was not being said and waited for one or both to fill in the details. Seeing as Clark was rendered mute by virtue of being star struck, Chloe stepped up to the plate in order to offer an explanation.

“Clark, here--” She pointed with her thumb and smile. “Received a promotion today.”

“Yeah…it was pretty big.” Clark mumbled.

“I always wondered when people would wake up and see your talent.”Remembering Chloe. “Both of you.” Lex added.

“And you? I thought you gave up the club scene?” Clark asked Lex directly.

“I’m celebrating as well… Let’s just say it was a very satisfying victory.”

Clark suddenly noticed how Chloe’s eyes were doing that weird too sparkly bright thing, and apparently Lex’s female companions had noticed the same. Their trigger fingers looked quite jittery.

“Why don’t you too dance? I’m sure Lex’s--” Chloe paused after assessing the very dangerous looking women. “Friends wouldn’t mind you too catching up?”

She literally thrust Clark into Lex’s arms. Their bodies bumped lightly, giving Clark a slight shiver that did not go unnoticed by Lex.

Lex gave Hope and Mercy a look over his shoulder. “I’d like that.”

He took Clark’s hand and led him out into the sea of writhing bodies. No one batted an eye as they began their sweet swaying to the sensual tones pouring out of the many speakers.

“You’re a good dancer.” Lex commented.

Clark had come a long way from his days of stepping on his feet during dance lessons and even mild conversation.

“I’ve really grown up.” Clark whispered into Lex’s ear. The raspy purr was a longtime fantasy come to life.

Their dancing became so much more than movement. Just as they’d never had to utter a single to communicate, their eyes picked up the conversation, and gave their bodies the control that their minds needed to shed for just a little while. No more thinking takeovers or promotions. Just Clark and Lex.

Mercy’s gaze remained stony and trained on Lex as if he’d grown another head, and on Clark, who she had yet to completely figure out. Chloe might not have heard Clark over the noise of the club, but her eyes worked just fine, and the rosy color in his cheeks only came about for certain reasons, and at that moment, Clark was neither windblown or embarrassed. Leaving only Lex ‘Always Sexy’ Luthor or specifically going somewhere to talk with Lex Luthor the reason for Clark’s sudden change in appearance.

Chloe pulled Clark aside, next to a table laden with various glasses and beer bottles, and completely out of earshot of Lex Luthor and his super scary companion. “I’m sure your mother had this conversation with you a long time ago, so I’ll only add to whatever she said was simply asking that you be home by morning. I’ll even make coffee.”

The last time he had seen Lex was at his father’s funeral. Their meeting was marked by warm exchanges and pleasantries that only come from a distanced friendship. Lex had offered anything that Clark and Martha might have needed, but in Clark’s normal fashion, he just shook Lex’s hand and gave Lex a polite ‘no’.

Clark agreed to be safe and shrugged off another embarrassing moment, instead focusing on heat of Lex’s gaze upon him and his own desire to go. Lex showed him the limits of his newest European toy as they left the club and reached the penthouse in record time.

There was no talking, just the thrusting and animalistic sounds of pleasure. It all boiled down to Clark getting his world rocked and Lex rocking the only world that mattered to him most for most of his life.

Earth-shattering was little weak in describing just how incredible sex with Lex was, Clark thought as he laid on the damp Egyptian count sheets with a thread count mostly likely in the thousands.

He looked over at Lex who also looked very sated. Their eyes meet and they resumed their activity to reacquaint themselves.

Sex with Clark made Lex’s toes curl and his hips tired from having to keep time with his perpetual hard on. Clark was just perfectly accommodating, and every so often when Lex changed the tempo of his hips, Clark felt his heat vision threatening to activate and ignite the entirety of Lex’s ceiling.

It was a long…very long night.

Possibly the best life of their lives.

It’s no longer a mire habit of waking with the sun; the very pull of the sun over the horizon called to Clark forcing him to wake up, and he did. His eyes opened and stared lazily at the creamy ceiling that wasn’t the hybrid lovechild of robin’s egg and sky blue. And the bed was soft and plush and his limbs were in a lazy sprawl, fingers barely brushing against the fluffed dow-filled pillows. Then, Clark realized that this was not his bed.

Wow, it all flooded back with vividly accurate and animated detail. His thoughts merged into a coherent stream: promotion, club, Lex, sex with Lex, lots of sex with Lex in fact. Now, as he sat up and took in the immaculately decorated room, and found no trace of Lex, Clark wondered how did one approach a morning after situation when one’s former best friend was the one you’d slept with.

Clark dressed quickly after he found his neatly folded clothes on the way to the bathroom. Had Lex folded his clothes, he wondered. Blood rushed into his face with the mire thought of one of Lex’s ghost-like servants sneaking in under his nose.

He found the kitchen easily enough, the smell of food—hot coffee and muffins, created an olfactory map that Clark eagerly followed.

On his desk, a bouquet of sunny daisies sits, attracting much attention from the other busy newsroom employees. A card sits amongst the petals, and Clark’s hand is just barely faster than Lois’s in reaching for it.

Lois gave him a look.

Cat Grant gave him a quirked brow.

Chloe only smirked mischeviously.

The card read:

Dinner tonight.

--L

Of course, he would make it.

Clark was home again early, catching Chloe as she was about to exit, lead-chasing was radiating off her and he only wants to stand out of her way.

“You’re here.”

“Yep.”

She checked her watch. “Early?”

“Yep.” Clark’s already looking for new shirts, sidestepping Chloe as he moves.

“Alright, do I need to prepare for the apocalypse, because I know Perry didn’t give you another raise that fast?” Her eyes sparkle suddenly, almost manically. “Unless, he fired you?”

Clark began to peel out of his clothes until he only remained half in his suit. “No, I just have dinner plans.”

The door closed, leading Clark to believe Chloe had gone out to hunt her scoop until she was standing in his door way and he was down his boxers. It didn’t take superspeed for his hands to rush to cover him.

“With whom?” She asked.

“Lex.”

He waited for her next comment, but she was looking at his shirt then back at him. “Do I need to dress you?”

“I think I can mange on my own.”

Satisfied, she nodded gently before giving him another knowing look. Was it just him or did Chloe really enjoy making him blush?

Entering the LuthorCorp building, Clark was immediately pushed through security and showed to the nearest express elevator. His memory was usually extremely sharp. Yet, even he hadn’t remembered all the sleek and shiny edges and contours of the inside of the lobby or the elevator.

He’d been surprisingly drunk that night or more so intoxicated by sheer surprise and the amount of fun he had with Lex. He leaned against glass wall. Through the material of his shirt, he could feel how cool it was and he shuttered. It was very usual for him to feel such a thing or not to feel as affected by it.

The sun was setting on Metropolis and the skyline was beautiful. All the buildings seemed to sprout from the asphalt like steel and iron flowers. It had the opposite kind of beauty that Smallville had. The natural beauty of the country compared to the manmade beauty of the technology and industry. He see how Lex could miss a place like this.

The elevator chimes as it reaches the penthouse. From the small hallway, he can already smell something divine and sweet. The woman he became acquainted with as Mercy stood in the doorway wearing an expression which clearly said she could spit nails and use them to hang him on a wall like a Picasso painting.

Clark stammered and blushed under the scrutiny of her gaze. “I-I’m here to see Lex.”

“He’s in the kitchen.” She said with minimal movement of her mouth. Clark stood silently waiting for her to say something further. He wasn’t eager to test her, being that she was starting to loom over him somehow.

“You hurt him and I’ll hurt you, got it?”

Clark nodded and walked past Mercy into the penthouse. He found Lex stirring a pot of red sauce and it amazed Clark that the man could wear a full business suit, minus the tie, and still look appropriate as he stirred a steaming pot in his kitchen.

Then again, the idea of Lex in a kitchen was a bit strange, and daresay sexy. “You cook?” Clark blurted out. Sometimes, the disconnect between Clark’s brain and mouth still plagued him.

Lex drops the spoon and hands Clark a glass of white wine. He raised it for a toast, and simply said, “I can do a great many things.”

Clark was already sure of that.

Dinner was light and easy. The food was delicious and Lex apparently prepared a full course meal with fancy restaurant ordered pie as the dessert. It reminded him of old times, especially when Lex asked him if he would like to play pool.

In his mind, there were a great many lines speeding through; each a bit cornier than the last. Yet originality seemed to have flown straight out the window when Lex looked at him, such as how he’d looking at him now. Lex’s cologne was ever so sharp and his shirt was ever so crisp and brilliant in color.

The night was perfect. No had called for Superman. No one had called him, because of breaking news. So, it was just him and Lex, an empty penthouse and stomach full of good feelings.

Lex took their cues. “What does tomorrow look like for you?” His eyes locked with Clark’s freezing him in place.

Clark lazily shrugged. “Well, a day without news is a scary day…But I don’t anticipate having anything major. Why?”

Lex slinked over to Clark. His hips gliding by some incomprehensible mechanism, which left Clark stunned and feeling very heated. “I was thinking about calling it an early night. Would you like to come with me?” The light in Lex’s eyes held Clark in a fierce gaze.

“Sure.” He croaked.

Lex circled him like prey. “I should not have been surprised by you receiving a promotion.”

“So, you think my promotion was well deserved?”

Lex’s smirk blossomed into a full fledge smile. “I think it was better now or never. Your talents are one of the primary reasons that place stays afloat.”

If Lex only knew.

When the sun peaked through the window, Clark realized just how late or early it actually was. He couldn’t be late again. It was bad enough that he had neglected his duties for the night.

And the night before that.

Lex was becoming one of those top priorities and Superman was finding it a little hard to squeeze in all the rescues he needed to do. Lois gave him the stink eye constantly. And Cat always smiled at him like a cat who ate the canary. She was just waiting for him to fail. Sheesh, he only turned her down once and since then, their relationship made frosty seem hot.

Smiling grey eyes watched him. “I’ll make you some coffee.”

Lex was awake and apparently in tuned with Clark’s early morning assessment.

“Thanks.” Clark dragged his lips languidly across Lex’s. Of course, this led to another half hour of no coffee or being any closer to being ready for work.

Though, his stomach really didn’t like the idea. It hadn’t liked the idea for some time now.

He’d worry about that later.

His double identity didn’t last all that long with Mercy, especially since she caught him heaving up all of his stomach and parts on his soul on the rooftop of the LexCorp building.

Even leaning against the security door holding a towel, she seemed to be riding high on the danger scale.

Mercy trailed her eyes over him languidly. “So, you’re Superman?” She asked in a completely unimpressed tone.

“Yep.”

“Makes sense.” She nodded. “Well, you hurt him, and I’ll still find a way to put a bullet in your super ass.” She tossed him the towel and canted her head to the side, signaling Hope to leave her post in the shadows.

“Point taken.” Clark conceded the fact that Mercy and Hope were by far the scariest people he’d ever met, something he’d never say out loud out of fear that Bruce would take the opportunity to do something vaguely freaky and clandestine with shiny not so innocuous green rock.

He waited for them to descend the stairs. The weird rolling thing his stomach was doing had nothing to do with fear and most likely signaled another round of vomiting on his part. There was no putting off talking to the AI any longer.

Clark made no plans of saying anything about his conversation with Mercy to Lex. Funny how the minute he raised his hand to knock on the door, Lex was there, standing before him, looking just a bit amused. “I was wondering when you’d make it up here.”

“Tracking my every move, huh?” Clark teased as he walked inside the penthouse.

The penthouse was immaculate, the interior design of which collectors and fashionistas would cut their teeth to have. Unlike the castle, Lex had traded the hard heavy woods for the cool and sleek combination of leather and glass. The undoubtedly Italian leather sofa looked soft as butter, forcing Clark to suppress a moan.

Lex stood behind him. “I wouldn’t call it checking up on you. More like being aware and patiently waiting with concern as it took longer than expected for you to get here.”

Clark turned a coy smile on Lex. “Yeah, I missed you too.”

He reasoned the only reason for his stomach fluttering was because his toes couldn’t curl as easily as Lex kissed him.

That was the only reason.

Life had suddenly become perfect. It didn’t matter that he was juggling one full time job, one constantly inconsistent job, and a newly emerging flaming—that wasn’t the right word, smoking—yes, yes, a smoking hot romance.

The days were filled with Superman, the Daily Planet, Superman again, and Lex. Lex was his favorite part by far. Saving kitties, and cleaning the streets of the horrible machinations of so called super villains and Intergang.

Lex truly was a bright spot and his tongue…Chloe always said singing wasn’t one of Clark’s abilities, but Lex could make him sing like a classically trained soprano, very strange, but nonetheless amazing.

He was three months PSL—Post Sleeping with Lex. Three of the best months of his life. Movies, opera, museums, and even a Shark’s game or two and many nights at the penthouse and few in his apartment had made this reunion into what Clark also realized was the most stable relationship of his life.

It could only be more perfect if Lex knew everything. Everything.

That was until he became public enemy number one for Cat Grant and Lois Lane. The smell of their superfluously named coffee drinks made him do it. That’s what he continued to say.

Their looks of anger and destroyed Manolos said different.

His days at the Planet might be numbered. Luckily, he already had plenty material for his books.

“Jor-el!”

“Greeting Kal-el and heir.” The hologram intoned.

“Wait--what?!”

“You bear within you an heir to the House of El. Your gestation has progressed to twelve weeks of a possible twenty eight.”

“I don’t understand.” Clark paced the crystal floors. Over and over his mind screamed, ‘this cannot be happening.’

“Gestation is the process of internal—” Jor-el began to supply.

Clark snapped. “I know what it means. My question is how did it happen?”

“Natural laws are fairly transitory throughout the universe. You, Kal-el, have had intercourse with….one Alexander Luthor.” It was one thing for your parents to know you had sex. It was another entirely for them to know with whom and what they’d done for you to end up pregnant, sex of the pregnant person notwithstanding.

Now, everything became much more complicated.

Lex ,

Meet me on the roof.

-- Clark

Clark heard the metal access door open long before he actually saw Lex appear. He could even smell his cologne, dark and slightly musky; it was the scent of power and it suited Lex perfectly.

Composure, Clark.

Composure.

This wasn’t the time for his cheeks to go red. Luckily, there was the cover of the night to hide his tell –tale embarrassment. More than anything, this was a big risk.

Clark’s life has evolved substantially since his days in Smallville. Knowing Superman’s identity was the story of a lifetime. But, maybe it was really the other way around when it came to Lex.

As he watched Lex stand at the edge of the roof, Clark could only imagine the look that filled Lex’s eyes at the moment. Looking down on the city of glittering lights, a kingdom if you subscripted to Lionel’s definition of power; Metropolis really did belong to Lex. Funny, it made sense why Clark still felt Superman seemed like a visitor.

Lex was waiting for him and it was time he made his appearance. “Lex.

Lex’s content mien slid into a look of confusion, because despite hearing a voice, Clark was nowhere to be seen. Clark hugged the shadows like another colleague of his.

“Clark?” Lex called.

A deep breath in and Clark’s feet found themselves moving without his will to do so. “I’m here, Lex.”

There are a thousand and one emotions that flashed across Lex’s face at the sight of Clark. Even with his photographic memory, Clark would still have trouble naming every single one. Then, Lex was a blanket mask again and Clark’s heart sank.

He continued to step forward, stopping only a short distance from Lex. “I guess it would be really awkward for me to say ‘surprise’ at this point.” Clark half-joked.

The scrutiny of those grey eyes could be felt over every inch of Clark’s skin. His heart only raced faster. “I think that might be about right.” Lex said in return.

“You knew all along that there was something different about me in Smallville. You should also know that learning the reason why I was different was all because of you--”

Clark pushed on before Lex could interrupt. “The day you hit me I learned I was an alien…a few years later, I learned I was only one of my kind. My birth parents sent me here to save me.”

He stepped forward, more confidently now. “I was scared, Lex.”

“You didn’t have to fear me.” Lex returned.

Clark shrugged gently. “Just your father…Your curiosity scared me, Lex. I didn’t know what I’d do if you looked at me like a monster.”

“I would never, Clark. Never…You were and are my best friend. It hurt, but I’ve always understood somewhat why you never said anything. My real question is why now?”

Clark cut the distance between them. “Lex, you always wanted my secrets, so I’m going to share the biggest one of them all with you.”

Clark waited expectantly.

“Yes.” Lex seemed to soften and moved to intercept Clark. “I think if I can handle you being the alien savior of Metropolis and the hottest rising journalist at the Daily Planet with a predilection for flannel, I can handle anything.”

“I’m pregnant.” Clark blurted out.

Silence. “Pregnant?” Lex’s brows arched to the center of his forehead. Clark wondered if Lex thought he was suffering from some sort of meteor madness.

“Apparently, it’s not that out of reality or entirely crazy that it happens. My father told me so.”

Lex had attended the funeral. The Elder Kent shouldn’t have been telling his son anything. “Jonathan Kent?”

“No, my biological father, or what’s left of his memories.”

Lex looked a bit peaky and in his own way, concerned. “I think we can get you help,

Clark.”

“I’m serious, Lex. I can’t get sick, but I’ve been sick for some time now and…” Clark trailed off muttering.

“What was that last part?” Lex asked.

There was a big chance Lex would go uber-geek at the next piece of evidence. “I said the A.I. confirmed it.” Lex’s eyes did indeed sparkle.

“The A.I.? ”

“Yes….I wouldn’t lie about this.”

Lex seemed to consider this silently. Clark’s heart throbbed wildly in his veins and he waited, silently hoping Lex would understand.

“Okay.”

His caught breath released. “Okay?” Clark’s voice cracked and he felt all of sixteen again.

Lex seemed to really smile at Clark for the first time that night. “I guess this is the least strangest thing to have happened in or since Smallville….It is perfectly natural, after all.”

“For women, Lex.”

“Let’s get you out of the costume and then, we can talk more.” Lex suggested as he ran his hands over Clark’s suit.

“Uniform…” Clark corrected immediately while relaxing under Clark’s touch. “You’re not mad, are you?” Clark asked before lowering his eyes to the rooftop.

Lex remained across from him. His face did that thing which had enamored Clark since his teen years in Smallville. Though, it never had been turned on him before and the weight of the blank cast a worrisome weight on him.

Suddenly, Lex was in motion a slow, deliberate walk. Hips moving in a careful slink, he stopped in front of Superman, who in this moment was completely Clark—just in bright spandex. He hooked two fingers beneath Clark’s chin and brought their eyes into alignment. “Do I look mad?”

Clark shook his head.

There was no teasing smirk as those perfect lips, but rather a happy smile—a genuinely sweet grin. Lex’s face was alight. “Superman was a surprise,” He ran his fingers over Clark’s spandex shoulders and cape. “This…You--” He said in a voice laden full of surprise. “--Are a miracle. I guess it’s appropriate, because I always considered you the only family I had left.”

They were on the tallest building in Metropolis on the most perfect night of the year, and Lex hadn’t freaked out or gotten angry. Clark gazed back at him. Lex just looked so happy. Any onlooker would have been floored by the sight of Superman kissing Lex Luthor.

To them though, it was just a celebration between lovers.

“How about we go down to the penthouse find you some pie to fill your belly?” His child would probably be born wanting apple pie.

His child.

With Clark.

Yeah, he could get used to the idea. Now, he needed to get Clark inside; he could only imagine what not feeding Clark would do to the penthouse’s food supply.

Having Lex know the full truth made everything a lot easier. Clark wasn’t the only one scared. Lex was freaked out too in his own Luthor way. Case in point, a week after Clark took Lex to the fortress, he went home to his apartment to find a) that he didn’t live anymore, b) Lex had moved him into the penthouse, into Lex’s room specifically, and c) there was already a nursery in the works.

They would get through this. Telling other people, some granted more information than others, what was happening would be difficult.

Clark wished he’d taken Lex’s advice and just did a quick flyby with Bruce. Now, he was just getting the third degree and knew the interrogation would only get worse.

Batman crossed his arms across his chest. “I would like some clarification about this leave request.”

“Personal reasons.”

From semi-adversary to colleague and friend and once, almost lovers. Things between Clark and Bruce weren’t simple. With this announcement to add to the heap, Clark hoped his friend would be able to handle it.

“If it has anything to do with Luthor, I already know you are sleeping with him.”

tamp

“When…How…I don’t even want to know.” Clark signed. Bruce’s paranoia worried him sometimes. “ My reason is more of a byproduct of sleeping with him.”

“He’s blackmailing you?”

“No.” Clark took a breath. “I’m actually pregnant.”

“I don’t have time for games.”

“No game, the fortress confirmed, and I saw it for myself, I’m pregnant.”

The look on Bruce’s face would best be described as disappointment. Just another bit of history that seemed to complicate things every so often.

“You should know this thing with Luthor won’t stay quiet for long. It’s going to break wide open…very soon.”

Then, Bruce launched his repeal line and swung of the roof. There was nothing easy about that meeting, but at least Bruce knew the truth and didn’t come storming up to the penthouse, like that one time, and demand that Lex release him, which had also come at a very bad time.

“Mom, there’s something I need to tell you.”

He was glad that he’d opted to have their weekly mother-son reunion in a public place and not the farm, or her place in Washington. There was something calming about a room full of strangers that would ensure his mother wouldn’t have a Lifetime Movie meltdown.

She squeezed his hand gently, providing maternal support in such a normal non-emotional way.

“Anything.”

He began to fidget. Well, not fidget, just move around anxiously. It was nothing like squiriming. “I …well….there’s….it was very unexpected…”

“Clark, honey--”

Honey always made him give faster that a piece of bolsa wood under a brick. So, he blurted. “You’re going to have a grandchild.….”

Silence from his mother. Slightly louder conversation and the sudden burst of song from a group of waiters celebrating someone’s birthday. “A grandchild?” She repeated the word like it was a concept so foreign that she had a hard time conceptualizing it.

“How…When…Who?” Martha questioned.

Clark’s fingers ripped through the paper napkin, making a fine heap of lily white refuse shreds. “Well, that’s the thing?”

What had possessed Chloe to show Martha that superhero gossip rag? It was bad enough that some of the mainstream magazines hinted that there might be a thing between Superman and Wonder Woman, as if Clark thought. Then, there were some that believed that the darkness of the batman could only be uplifted by the brightness of Superman. Now, he had to hear lectures every time he phoned home about keeping away from the horrible batman. Bruce might actually be a little hurt, if he knew that Clark’s mother thought of him so. She would be so surprised.

She rubbed her forehead. “I don’t understand…” She was well versed in your son’s preferences. “Isn’t Chloe is it?”

“No!”

She looked a little disappointed. “Lana?”

“No.”

“Lois?”

“Oh God no.”

“Then, who did you get pregnant?” The last bit of the sentence trailed off into a furious whisper.

“Well that’s the thing…” Yep, he was definitely fidgeting now. “I’m very special.”

She rolled her eyes and squeezed his hand just a little harder. To anyone else, the pressure would have been uncomfortable. “I know, dear. Just take it slow and explain this to me.”

“Well, I’m still not sure how it happened…I know how it happened. I guess I’m still not sure as to how, but well, it’s me. I’m the one that is going to have a baby.”

Insert Lifetime Movie breakdown here. No, Martha was better than that. She reached for her wine instead, and managed to chug it down in one long swallow. “This is something a mother doesn’t hear every day.”

“ I know.”

Another motherly pat. “Have you seen it?”

“Yeah, and Jor-el confirmed it.”

There’s that odd and tense moment. “I’m going to be a grandmother.” She’s all smiles now, probably thinking of all the ways she could spoil the child from day one.

“Yes.”

“Now, who pray tale got you this way?” Her face darkened. “It wasn’t your friend the ‘Batman’.” His mother liked Bruce, she just wasn’t keen on the Batman. Not at all.

“No, there won’t be any superbat babies around here.”

She forgot about superhearing. That ‘Thank goodness’ didn’t go unmissed. “It’s Lex.”

“You haven’t seen Lex in years.”

“I’m seeing him now and I have been seeing him for some time.”

“How long?”

“Almost four months to go.”

“I always liked Lex.”

“Me too.”

At six months, Clark was as big as a house. The whole ordeal was freaky and scared the hell out of him…but Lex seemed to roll with it, even more so than when he confessed that he was Superman.

Lex was weird like that.

Then again, this experience was making into a functioning couple—a team, and the whole thing was more than fun and scary; it seemed so right.

So, here they were, lounging on Lex’s couch with Clark’s long body spread over the majority, his feet rested in Lex’s lap, who though he loathed to admit it was more focused on giving Clark a foot massage than reading the Sunday business write up in the Daily Planet.

Clark flipped through the pages, finally landing on the Society and Gossip section when he began to laugh so suddenly.

Lex dropped his own paper and issued him a speculative look. “What’ so funny?”

Clark folded the paper, and handed it over to Lex, his finger tapping the large picture and equally eye-catching byline. ‘Move Over Brangelina—Here Comes Clex.”

It did seem that their relationship had finally made headlines just as Bruce had warned. The picture wasn’t that bad either. Just the two of them holding hands and walking out of a cutesy little diner that Clark swore had the best chili cheese fries and chocolate shakes in all of Metropolis. Lex couldn’t agree more. The kiss and the handholding shots were actually quite tasteful.

“Well, at least I won’t have to call Perry and demand for Cat Grant’s job.”

Clark smiled and wiggled his feet in Lex’s lap. “I’m surprised it’s this tasteful, especially from Cat. My frien-enemy won this round.”

Lex resumed his kneading of Clark’s arches and slightly tender ankles. “ Clark Kent has seen Sex in the City?” He teased.

Clark leaned as forward as his belly would allow. His lips hovered just inches away from Lex’s ear. “Clark Kent has had sex in the city.”

The purr made Lex blush. Again, he wouldn’t admit it. They shared a small laugh, but he couldn’t help the small pang that rattled in his stomach. He shouldn’t have deluded himself into thinking he would have been the only one to have ever had this part of Clark. Clark’s virginity had been the nighttime fodder for all those years back in Smallville.

They had something much more now. He ran his hand over the swell of Clark’s stomach, eyes lighting up as he felt a slight thump against his hand—definitely so much more.

“I’m not sure about the name though. ‘Clex?’ It just sounds weird.” Clark dropped the paper to the floor and gave himself over to the full pleasure of having Lex caress his aching parts.

“I like it. It sounds exotic and sexy…Even powerful. ”

“Like you?” Clark teased.

Lex dropped his feet and dart across Clark carefully to capture his mouth. The kiss was sweet and soft and tasted exactly like the strawberry-cherry pie Clark had eaten earlier. “Like us.” He rubbed Clark’s belly.

The longer Lex stroked him, the better he felt about the name. “We won’t be calling this one,” he pointed to his belly. “—That.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Lex agreed.

He and Lex were a team. Lex handled all the contingency plans and the general design over the nursery, but Clark put his foot down over the mural of a giant dragon with long flowing chestnut curls being slayed by a handsome bald knight.

It was simply too much.

Lex was overzealous and happy. He gave generally cryptic responses about their relationship, but the things he did say were always reaffirming to Clark. Having Lex give an autographed copy of the story that outed their relationship to Cat Grant, the writer of the article in question, was as close to the Tom Cruise couch incident.

Washboard abs gave way to a rounded sphere in Clark’s middle. His feet, as large as they were, disappeared around the fourth month and his back ached starting with the seixth. Lex was fascinated the entire time. Sometimes, that look he got in his eye when he didn’t think Clark was watching was actually freaky and a little pervy in that ‘your lover thinks you’re sexy, because you’re carrying his baby and not because he’s gained som weird pregnancy fetish’/ At least Clark hoped lex hadn’t.

Then, it began. After a wonderful meal of Chunky Monkey and applie pie with four slices of melted sharp cheddar on top and stuffed mushroom sprinkled over the top like, well sprinkles, Clark’s lower belly began to tighten.

He initially thought it had something to do with Lex talking about Lionel. The man even made his unborn grandchild uneasy.

As much as Clark was dreading it, Lex couldn’t wait for the labor. That made him sound like a total sadist, but Clark watching ‘A Baby Story’ marathons on TLC was torture in its own right. All the yelling, moaning and screaming.

There was only a certain type of the latter that he liked. Having a baby in the house would give them enough. Plus, the AI had assured him that Kryptonians had the best pain killers in the entire universe.

That was a plus.

So, the birth was uneventful at best. Mostly, Clark did a lot of blinking and asking ‘Was that it?’

After the least amount of pain, he’d ever encountered. The fortress was full of the sound of baby wailing. He was gorgeous. The most beautiful thing either had ever seen with its blue eyes and wet tiny black curls.

Lex inhaled the sweet baby scent. “We should call him Marvin. Like the Martian.” Looking at his son was making him giddy. Absolutely giddy in the purest sense.

Clark rolled his eyes and looked down at the sleeping figure of his son in his arms. “What am I going to do with you?”

The answer was a peck to the cheek. “Anything you want.” Lex purred.

“That’s how we got Marvin over here.” The baby cooed in his arms.

Lex kissed his son’s head and stroked the fine dark hairs on his head. His son was a miracle. He was the unexpected thing that Lex never knew he needed, but would give anything to keep.

This wasn’t such a big ending for accidentally knocking up his lover.

His son.

“Let’s call him ‘Julian’.” Clark suggested.

Julian. His son’s name was Julian.

Who said getting knocked up was bad? Not a terrible outcome at all.

As Lex watched his family, he was sure Clark would agree.