Title: Squirrel Subtext

Author: Coren Lee

Email: coren@tiscali.co.uk <mailto:coren%40tiscali.co.uk>

Rating: R

Challenge: CLFF Wave #20: Squirrel

Notes: Disclaimer: I don't own Clark or Lex or anyone else connected with Smallville. Operation WildLife (OWL) is a real organization that does a fantastic job. Roger and Tim on the other hand exist only in my imagination, and bear no relationship to anyone connected with OWL in any way. No copyright infringement intended.

Thanks to Veronica for her comments about big eyes and defenseless appearance - her remarks helped to inspire this story.

Owing to my tardiness the story has not been beta read - sorry folks, but at least you know all the errors and anything OOC are definitely my responsibility!

Set about a year after the events of Phoenix, and is totally AU from Clark and Lex's return after *that* summer. No Belle Reve, no rift, no witches... you get the idea. I also mention an AI version of Lara-El, which (iirc) is not in canon.

Summary: Lex, Clark, squirrels - what can I say? <g>

***

There were times when Clark missed the old days of sneaking into the mansion. The impressive state-of-the-art security system had never stopped him; in Clark's view it was only there to keep everyone else out and there had always been something satisfying about how easily he could slip past all those impregnable Luthor defenses. In a lot of ways it was a perfect analogy for their lives. The sphinx-like barrier that Lex Luthor put up to distance himself psychologically from the rest of the world had never kept Clark out, and as for the defensive shield that Lex erected around his heart and soul... well, that had proven to be tougher but ultimately Clark glided past the intangible barriers just as easily as he had the physical ones.

These days, not only did he have the security codes to the security system and his own set of keys, he also had an open invitation to treat the mansion as his own whenever he wanted. Even more valuable was the knowledge that Lex's heart was his too. No more psychotic wives or diamond earring girlfriends, and no more trying to set Clark up with Lana Lang. They were exclusive and more than happy to be that way.

Calling in to the mansion each day after school had become both a habit and a necessity for Clark. He had never been one of the in-crowd at high school but once he and Lex became partners he felt even more separated from his peers. Lately the distance was becoming so wide that he had to think hard to come up with any topics of conversation even with the few people he used to consider close friends. He was able to chat amicably enough at lunch, but that was about it. Sharing time outside of school just didn't happen, and the fact that his classmates rarely thought to include him in their activities anymore just reinforced the knowledge that they were all growing apart.

In direct contrast, he and Lex were growing closer by the day. The friendship that was formed so long ago on the banks of the river had always been strong but since becoming lovers, every day saw them grow closer and more intimate with each other. They were so compatible that it often seemed like one had been made for the other. Lex completed Clark in a way that no-one else ever had, and the love they shared was so intense at times that it could be frightening. Not frightening in the sense that Clark feared it, but frightening in the sense that he feared its loss; he feared what it would do to him if he and Lex ever drifted apart or were separated somehow.

Trying to put such dark thoughts aside Clark strode along the silent passageways of the mansion, but as he pushed open the doorway to Lex's office, the darkness returned. Unlike his thoughts of a moment ago, however, this was a physical darkness. How odd. It was only just gone 3pm and the day outside was bright and clear.

"Lex?"

"Over here Clark."

Lex's voice was quiet, and now that he'd spoken Clark could see that he was kneeling on the floor by the fireplace. Another oddity - it was warm outside, and yet the fire had been lit.

"What's up?"

Clark dropped his bag by the door, and walked over to see what Lex was doing. As he got closer he could see that Lex was gazing into a cardboard box, and peering over his friend's shoulder, Clark saw two little furry balls that appeared to be curled around each other.

"Oh my god," he breathed, "they're so cute! What are they?"

"Glaucomys Volans," murmured Lex, "otherwise known as Southern Flying Squirrels."

Clark couldn't take his eyes off the little bundles of fur. He was used to animals - growing up on a farm made that a given - but the way they were wrapped around each other was so adorable. He knelt beside Lex, and gently touched a finger to the back of the one of the tiny squirrels.

"So soft," he murmured.

"Yeah," agreed Lex quietly.

"Where did they come from?"

"They're orphans," said Lex. "I was walking out in the woods behind the rose garden, you know where I mean?"

"Heading down towards the lake?"

Lex nodded.

"I heard this awful scream," he shuddered. "It made my blood run cold."

"Are you okay?"

Clark knew his face had fallen into a frown, but jeez, Lex attracted the attention of psychos and mutant weirdness like a magnet attracted iron.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," said Lex, as he nudged close enough that they were touching shoulder to hip. "It was just such a horrible sound."

Clark instinctively leaned back and switched to x-ray vision to make sure there were no new injuries, but he barely swept his gaze over that pale, soft head before he was interrupted by a hand on his knee.

"I told you I'm fine. Stop x-raying me."

Lex was using his 'patient' voice and Clark blushed slightly at the realization that he was so transparent.

"You can't blame me for worrying," he pointed out. "You attract more nuts than a Snickers bar."

"Thank you for *that* image. I could have quite happily lived out my days without knowing that you think of me like a Snickers bar."

Clark grinned, and gently nudged Lex.

"But Lex, you know how much I looooove licking you, and then nibbling down to your soft chewy center, and then..."

"Stop it," admonished Lex. "You're supposed to be listening to my tale of heroic rescue not getting me hard."

Clark tried his best to look apologetic but he could tell from Lex's long suffering sigh that he probably hadn't quite made it.

"Okay, back to squirrels and bloodcurdling screams," said Clark, ducking his head to hide the smile he just knew was plastered across his face. He gently stroked one of the bundles of fur again, and got a warm fuzzy feeling inside when the little creature stirred.

"I ran over to where I thought the scream came from, but at first I couldn't see anything. Then I heard a whimper, and I got there just as these little guys' mother died. Or at least, I assume it was their mother. She seemed to be trying to protect them. Her body was wrapped over and around them and she had their backs to a tree so that nothing could attack from behind. I guess a predator of some kind found their nest."

Clark wasn't grinning anymore. They had both lost their mothers during childhood, and even though Clark was too young at their parting to remember his, the AI version of Lara was very realistic and in all ways that mattered he felt that he knew her. Lex had been very close to his own mother, and being confronted by two helpless orphans whose mother had died to save them brought back painful memories for both of them.

"So..." began Clark, but Lex interrupted.

"They're nocturnal."

"Ah." Clark had been about to ask why Lex had closed all the drapes, but as ever he seemed to read Clark's mind and answer the question before it had even been asked.

"Do we need to be worried about the predator?" he asked, thinking that only in Smallville could that question have multiple layers of meaning.

Lex shook his head. "I don't know," he admitted, "but I don't think so. It was probably just a raccoon -- maybe it was looking for a new nest and it came upon this little family."

"What do we do with them?"

"I called Operational WildLife," said Lex, "and the guy I spoke to - Roger - told me to keep them in a warm, dark place away from cats and dogs. He's going to send someone round later to take a look at them."

"I'll head off home to do my chores, but I'll come back before dinner, okay?"

Lex just nodded, his attention totally absorbed by the two little squirrels nestling in the box.

Clark gave him a quick kiss. "It's a good job they're so cute and defenseless otherwise I might get jealous."

Lex looked up at that, and chuckled.

"You know there isn't a creature on this planet -- or any other planet, come to that -- you need to feel jealous about."

Clark gave Lex a slightly longer kiss, and then got to his feet and headed towards the door. As he made his way outside and then sped home to the farm, he couldn't help wishing that all those people who categorized Lex as cold and ruthless could see how kind and gentle he really was. Of course Lex would never show that face to the world at large, but Clark ached sometimes for people to see the compassionate, generous soul that lived inside his best friend... his lover.

***

Left alone, Lex continued his absorption with the baby squirrels. He'd never been allowed to have a pet as a child, and anyway he attended boarding school so even if he'd had a pet he would never have seen it. Vacations were usually spent in one exotic location or another and a pet was definitely not included in the Luthor guide to childrearing. The closest he got was the horses and dogs at his Mom's ranch, but he only saw them occasionally and never had anything to with their care.

The little bundles started to wriggle and move, their huge eyes opening to look around their new environment. Lex had followed the instructions given by Roger and packed the box with some greenery from the tree where he found them. His cook had given him some cotton towels and they formed the soft bed on which the babies were settled.

Roger had warned him that they might bite and to keep his hands well away from them, but just as Clark had done earlier he couldn't resist stroking them; they were so damned cute. Their eyes were even bigger than Clark's, and that made a whole range of protective instincts rear up and come marching to the fore.

They'd had a discussion some months back about how big, innocent eyes and a general air of defenselessness would have called up a certain response in any adults who stumbled on Clark after his ship landed on Earth. As a helpless alien child in a potentially hostile environment he would need to secure some protection against harm from anyone who found him, and those big soulful eyes were damn near guaranteed to generate an 'aw, how cute' response. It was the same with these tiny squirrels. Lex just knew he had to care for them no matter what, and being a Luthor, he was determined that they would get everything they needed to survive.

The fact that they were moving around indicated that they were hungry, even though it was still some hours to sunset. Roger said they sounded old enough to have been weaned from their mother and that if they looked like they needed feeding to try crushing up some nuts. Getting on board with the Luthor Save the Squirrels project his cook put some nuts in the blender and ground them into a smooth paste. Using a plastic spatula from his lab, Lex smeared the end with the nut mix and slowly waved it around near the squirrels. Success! Their impossibly huge eyes widened even further, and then their tiny tongues start to lap at the pureed nut. Heh, he could do

this. Lex Luthor, squirrel mom extraordinaire!

God, what would his Dad make of it? Lex shuddered to think. Lionel wasn't needlessly cruel no matter what outsiders thought of him, but rescuing injured wildlife definitely wasn't on the Luthor list of acceptable pastimes for the son and heir. Lex's childhood lessons were harsh but they had been designed to make him strong enough to survive the shark-infested waters of the corporate world, which of necessity meant that he never got to do the things that most children took for granted. There were good reasons why he'd never had a friend before Clark; his peers were either his competitors or potential leeches, and adults with whom he came into contact were seeking either to manipulate or dominate him. Every encounter with another person was a lesson in strategy that he either won or lost. There were no draws in the savage world into which he'd been born.

Lex was well aware that to outsiders it appeared that he and his father were locked in an eternal struggle for dominance, and that anyone who got caught in the crossfire was simply dismissed as collateral damage. While true in a sense, it was far too simplistic an analysis of their relationship.

His father was an intelligent, albeit amoral, man who understood better than anyone that to have a chance of survival in the cut-throat world of the super wealthy his son would need more than good genes and an enhanced healing ability courtesy of the meteors. Lionel had given him that. Without his father's training, Lex doubted he would ever have survived the three months lost on the island after his ill-fated wedding to Helen.

It might have been a pet-less childhood, but on the plus side of the equation he developed survival skills second to none.

Lex had seen far too many of his peers succumb to self-destructive behavior to be in any doubt as to his own destiny had his father not honed and tempered him like a sword. Sure, he'd gone through a rebellious teen phase like everyone else he knew, but as they all crashed and burned he shone more brightly than ever.

Outsiders saw only the ruthless intensity of Lionel's approach to parenting, but without that preparation Lex would have been little more than chum in the water the first time he poked a toe into the corporate pool.

The fact that this training also had the effect of wiping out his emotions and capacity to feel had never bothered him; in fact, he'd always considered it to be one more thing to be grateful for. He would never have been able to manipulate Victoria if he'd become emotionally attached to her, and strangely enough, it also gave him the ability to move on quickly from all his other disastrous relationships. Disastrous until Clark, that is.

As he knelt by the fire hand-feeding two orphaned squirrels, he had time to reflect on how much had changed since he and Clark had become lovers - he amusingly called the time before they were intimate as 'BC' in his own mind - Before Clark. Even when they were just friends Clark had thrown Lex a lifeline to a humanity that he had long since forgotten, and the irony that it took an alien to re-connect Lex to his own humanity was never lost on him.

Despite that he was still his father's son, and the lessons he'd spent a lifetime learning were so automatic that they weren't even second nature; they were intrinsic on such a deep level that he didn't even have to think about them.

That training should have effectively prevented Clark and Lex from ever becoming friends, let alone lovers, and yet it had never been a barrier to them. Just as Lex accepted Clark's alien confession, so Clark accepted the ruthless core at the center of Lex's being. He never tried to force Lex to act in a way contrary to his character, he just demonstrated that there was always a choice and it was up to Lex to decide how to act in any situation. Even when Lex chose to act in a way that reflected Lionel's lessons rather than moral certitude, Clark just accepted it; accepted him. It was both heady and frightening to have someone believe in him so completely.

It would never have occurred to Clark that Lex could have simply turned his back on the baby squirrels. Clark's unyielding faith in him to do the right thing was scary at times, but it was also comforting. No-one else had ever assumed that Lex Luthor would 'do the right thing'; it was always taken as a given that he would do whatever was needed to protect his own hide first and LexCorp second; acting in anything other than self-interest was just not on the Luthor radar as far as most people were concerned.

It wasn't that Clark was his moral compass; it was just that being with Clark had enabled him to find his own moral compass. He longed for the day when their relationship could be made public, but for now it was enough that the truth - all of the truth - was shared by the two of them.

***

"Mom? Mom?!"

"In here Clark, what's all the shouting about?!"

She came out of the laundry, a basket of ironing in her arms.

"Don't worry about dinner for me tonight," he said, "I'm heading over to Lex's as soon as I've finished my chores."

His parents had finally, albeit reluctantly, accepted his friendship with Lex, but he knew they wished he would let it drop. Never gonna happen, he smirked internally.

"What? But your homework..."

"All done," he interrupted.

Just another benefit of alien genes, he thought. Speed reading and writing, and a photographic memory. He'd never told anyone except Lex how easy it was for him at school, but it sure came in handy these days as he tried to balance a secret relationship with Lex against all his other responsibilities.

"You shot off this morning before breakfast, and we've hardly seen you for days honey. Can't you at least have dinner with us?"

He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he passed by.

"Tomorrow for sure, okay Mom? Lex needs me to help him tonight. He rescued a couple of baby squirrels today and a guy from Operation WildLife is coming over to have a look at them. I told him I'd be there."

"Lex rescued some baby squirrels?" She blinked.

"Don't look so surprised," said Clark. "What's so odd about it?"

"I don't even know where to start," she replied, shaking her head. "I just find it hard to visualize him taking care of injured wildlife I guess."

Clark counted to ten under his breath before trusting himself to speak.

"Yeah, well if you ever bothered to get to know him, you wouldn't have that problem."

"Clark! That's not fair! You know I've tried to get to know Lex, but he's got so many barriers it's not easy to get past them."

Clark sighed. It was frustrating but he knew his Mom had a point. Lex never let anyone past his outer shell, not even Clark's family and friends. He was polite but he never let them so much as get a glimpse of the real Lex Luthor. He was such a master at reflecting back to people what they expected to see, Clark was sure that even if he suddenly sprouted a full head of hair people would still see the bald-headed Luthor scion.

"Yeah Mom, I know," he said, giving her a quick hug.

She had been trying, he knew that. Of course what would happen to all those good intentions if - when - she learned about their sexual relationship was anyone's guess.

As for his Dad, he didn't even want to go there. His Dad barely tolerated Lex as one of Clark's friends. If he got the slightest inkling that there was anything more serious... well, Clark figured he'd probably be looking at hiding out in the barn - scrap that, probably the mansion - for a long time.

He grabbed a couple of still-warm cookies from the cooling tray and headed out to finish his chores. He didn't mind helping out on the farm, but sometimes he missed the total freedom he'd enjoyed for those brief months in Metropolis. He didn't yearn for them exactly, but it had been liberating to have no responsibilities and no decisions to make except for what to wear and where to go.

Now he was back in Smallville farm work made his choice of clothing a no-brainer: t-shirt, flannel and jeans, and sturdy boots. As for where to go... well, these days he spent most of his time at the mansion, but the only other choices were The Torch office or The Talon, or hanging out with Pete at his place or the farm. Hardly the kind of nightlife he'd gotten used to in Metropolis.

Clark seriously doubted he would have been able to settle back into life in Smallville if he and Lex hadn't entered into a relationship almost as soon as they both got back from their eventful summers. He loved his parents and he loved his small group of friends but having tasted freedom, it was hard to knuckle down to the reality of parental control and the dull life of a high school teen. If it hadn't been for Lex... no, he really didn't want to follow that thought through to its logical conclusion.

He could see his Dad waiting for him over by the fence, and with a deep sigh he sped over to join him. Thankfully they never talked much as they worked together, so he was spared questions about what he'd been up to and his plans for the night. As soon as they finished Clark rushed inside to grab some clothes, and then headed off to the mansion before his Mom or Dad could call him back. He could shower more easily over there anyway, and there was less time for his parents to ask awkward questions.

***

After the squirrels finished lapping up the pureed nut, Lex left them alone and went back to work. One of the great things about owning his own company was that no-one could question his movements. One of the worst things about owning his own company was that the work never really ended and he was never completely off-duty.

Sometimes he had a wistful longing for his decadent teenage years when he had no responsibilities, but mostly he was happy enough with his life, especially now that Clark was such an important part of it.

Thinking about Clark must have invoked him somehow. He heard a sound in the hallway, and looked up just as Clark poked his head around the door. The welcoming smile on his face was one he kept solely for his young lover, and he was rewarded with the beaming grin that always made him feel so warm and happy and wanted.

"Hey, your chores all done?" he asked.

Clark nodded. "Just gonna have a shower and get changed," he said. "No sign of the Wildlife guy yet?"

Lex shook his head. "Nope, but he should be here soon."

"Are the babies okay?"

Lex's smile got even broader if that was possible. "Yeah, I even fed them!"

His inner Lionel smacked him upside the head and admonished him for sounding like a sentimental idiot, but he didn't care. Being able to take care of the squirrels made him feel happy, and proud, and... oh for crying out loud, his inner Lionel was right! He *was* turning into a complete sappy mess! And he still didn't care.

He shut down inner Lionel with a well placed slap, and shook his head in wonder at the expression on Clark's face. It was written in neon letters a mile high over Clark's head that *of course* Lex would be brilliant at taking care of the squirrels, because Lex was perfect at everything he did.

God he loved that boy! Sometimes it felt like he was living inside an episode of The Twilight Zone, but mostly Lex just pinched himself every so often to prove that he wasn't dreaming, and that this incredible, wonderful, amazing, person really was his significant other.

He heard the steps getting fainter as Clark made his way up to the bedroom to shower. He was pretty certain that the staff members at the mansion were all too well aware of the true nature of the relationship between their boss and his young friend, but he was just as certain that none of them would say anything. They all valued their jobs far too much to jeopardize them for a kickback from The Inquisitor, even less would they risk their jobs to indulge in idle gossip.

He was surprised that Clark had never asked him about it, but then again, Clark wasn't anything like as naive as people assumed. He continually astonished Lex with the depth of his understanding and sheer brilliance, and he'd probably evaluated the available data and come to exactly the same conclusions as Lex.

With perfect timing, Clark arrived back in his study just as Enrique was introducing Tim from Operation WildLife.

"Tim, I'd like you meet Clark Kent," said Lex, beckoning Clark to come over and shake hands. "He's got co-custody of the children," he added, his grin shared only with Clark. When he turned back to face Tim he was the suave and sophisticated Luthor once more.

"Hi Clark, nice to meet you."

Tim gave Clark a big smile, and... okay, was he checking Clark out? Lex was very astute at reading body language and he would bet his trust fund that Tim was (a) gay, and (b) giving subtle signals that if Clark wanted to know him better that was more than fine with Tim. Hmmm, that could stop right now. They may not be out as a couple but Clark was sure as hell off limits to everyone but him.

"The squirrels are over here," he said, directing Tim's attention away from Clark's muscular chest towards the box on the floor.

As Tim made his way over to the box in front of the fireplace, Lex raised an eyebrow at Clark which in Lex-speak meant 'did you see the way he was checking you out and how come you didn't break both his arms?'

Clark blushed and grinned, and shook his head in that very Clarkian manner that Lex interpreted as 'you know I love you what are you even worried about?'

Tim slipped on some supple leather gloves and picked up one of the squirrels. It squeaked its annoyance at being deprived of its sibling's touch and promptly defecated onto Tim's hand.

Lex smothered a smile as Tim reached into the bag he'd brought with him and wiped his glove with a tissue.

"Occupational hazard," he said with a coy glance at Clark, ignoring Lex completely. "He's a boy," he added, "and a real feisty little fella, isn't he?"

Lex struggled not to roll his eyes. God, could the guy *be* any more blatant?

The little squirrel continued squirming and squeaking, making his displeasure at being handled by Tim very obvious. You go my boy, thought Lex. That squirrel might be just a baby, but he was not happy and by God he was going to make sure the one responsible for making him unhappy was going to know all about it.

"He reminds me of you, Lex. Maybe we should call him Alexander?"

Jeezus, how did Clark do that? The same comment had been on the tip of his tongue, but unless a new alien power had suddenly come on line there was no way Clark could have read his mind.

Tim picked up the other squirrel, and for a moment held both in his cupped hands. They immediately gravitated towards each other and snuggled in close.

"I suppose that makes the other one Hephaistion if he's a boy," smirked Lex.

Tim looked confused, and Lex was absurdly delighted that he was so obviously lacking in a classical education. It may be a cheap point but all points count towards winning the game, and winning was what Lex did best. Well, okay, according to Clark he was also best at a whole range of other things but Clark was hardly objective where Lex was concerned, nor did he have much worldly experience to compare against.

Putting Alexander back in the box, Tim checked out the other squirrel.

"It's another boy," he confirmed.

Oh dear God, was he really batting his eyelashes at Clark? Lex hadn't seen a come-on this blatant since... well, he couldn't actually remember the last time he'd seen anything this blatant outside of a club full of drunken, high, teenagers.

Clark moved in close behind Lex, and peered over his shoulder at the little squirrel squirming and squeaking in Tim's hand. It was reassuring that Clark sought his protection, and he leaned back just ever so slightly until his shoulders were just touching Clark's chest.

Surely Tim had to get the message now; Clark couldn't have made it more obvious unless he'd wrapped himself around Lex and stamped 'he's mine!' on his ass. But no, the guy was oblivious to body language as well as ignorant about Greek history.

"So they're both healthy?" asked Lex. The quicker Tim was out of the mansion, the happier he'd be.

"They seem to be," said Tim. "I'll just get the traveling box from the car..."

"Whoa, wait a moment," said Lex. "Traveling box? What for?"

"Roger said to bring them back the center until we can find someone to raise them for release back into the wild."

"I thought I made it clear, we'll raise them here," he retorted.

"With all due respect to you and Clark," he sighed, "raising orphaned wildlife isn't something that just anyone can do."

Okay, that was it. Not just a sigh, but a look of pity directed his way. No-one, but *no-one* told Lex Luthor there was anything he couldn't do. This ill-educated, moronic, slimy no-good bastard was out of here right fucking now. He knew he must have tensed because suddenly, two warm hands descended upon his shoulders. Jesus fucking Christ was he really so transparent?

"It's okay Tim, we'll be fine with them," said Clark calmly. "Can you give me a run down on what sort of environment is best until they're old enough to go outside?"

"No, look, you don't understand. They need regular feeding, a place where they can climb and roam..."

"So," interrupted Clark, "what about an aviary? Would that work?"

"Ah, yeah," stammered Tim, "that's what we'd put them in back at the center. But..."

Lex was proud of Clark, but it was time to step in and take control.

"Problem solved then," he said. "I'll have an aviary set up in the tropical garden next to the pool. It's always warm there and has plenty of natural light. Alexander and Hephaistion will be able to follow their normal nocturnal cycle."

Lex smirked when he saw Tim struggle to deal with the fait accompli - though he seriously doubted whether Tim had ever heard the phrase, and he was certain that the innuendo about nocturnal cycles would have gone right over his head. He bet Clark got it though.

"But you have to feed them regularly..."

"I seemed to manage that quite well before you arrived," said Lex smoothly, "and these babies have two fathers so I'm sure we can handle it between us. I also have the fact sheet I downloaded from your website and it appears to be quite comprehensive."

"But..."

"Is there anything else we need to be aware of?" he asked, strolling over to the desk to buzz Enrique.

Lex almost felt sorry for Tim, but not enough to let him down too easily.

"Ah, Enrique, thank you", he said as the door opened and Enrique entered the room. "Could you please show this gentleman back to his car?"

"Yes of course, Mr. Luthor," he said. "Sir, please follow me."

Lex made sure that he had his 100% professional expression in place as he watched Tim pack away his leather gloves, and zip up the bag. It wasn't the 'take no prisoners' version of The Look, but it would take very little to trip him over the edge.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Clark roll his eyes and shake his head, but he was still smarting from Tim's pity and the accusation that he wasn't capable of caring for two baby squirrels, and damned if he'd back down.

"Tim, thank you so much for coming over. We really appreciate it," said Clark warmly, walking beside him as he made his way across the room.

Now it was Lex's turn to roll his eyes and shake his head. Tim would have no defense against the blazing intensity of Clark's smile and warm thanks, but of course Martha Kent's son was totally incapable of being ungracious to someone who'd helped him out.

Tim paused when he realized that Clark had no intention of following him any further than the hallway, and put his hand on Clark's arm as he leaned close.

"If there's anything you need," he said, "anything at all, please give me a call."

"Um, yeah, thanks," muttered Clark.

Lex was trying to decide between outrage and amusement, and was thankful that he was able to keep his expression completely blank while his inner struggle took place. He didn't think Clark would appreciate it if he just strode over and physically ejected Tim, but collapsing into hysterical laughter probably wouldn't go over too well either. Clark could be sensitive about the strangest things, and for someone so incredibly beautiful he had a whole backpack full of self-esteem issues.

Lex took himself sternly in hand and poured a Scotch instead. It didn't get rid of Tim any faster but at least he didn't have to watch him hitting on his boyfriend. He heard the door close, and as he turned round, Clark was standing only inches away. That super speed was *so* impressive.

"You say one word, and I swear to God..." Clark looked flushed and sheepish, an adorable combination in Lex's view.

"Me?" he responded, projecting innocence for all he was worth.

Clark took the glass and placed it on the desk.

"You," he agreed, "and don't think that I'm buying that innocent look. I never fell for that even before we were lovers, you don't think I'd be taken in now do you?"

Lex gave it up gracefully. Of course with Clark so close he could almost taste him it wasn't so much giving up as just accepting the inevitable. The hug, followed by the caress, accompanied by the kiss, and then... oh yeah, the stumbling backwards and falling on the couch. Resistance was futile, he was a goner.

***

Sex before dinner was Clark's favorite thing. Actually, sex with Lex anytime was Clark's favorite thing. They had been lovers for almost a year now but still lusted after each other with all the enthusiasm they shared in the first weeks of their relationship.

He knew from listening to other people talk that it was common for the initial intensity of a relationship to ease back after a while to be replaced by a familiarity that was comfortable rather than ecstatic. Not so for them. Maybe it was that Lex Luthor was like no-one Clark had ever known or maybe it had something to do with his alien genes, but whilst they grown comfortably familiar with each other, the sex just kept getting better and better.

After dinner they curled up together on the couch, watching the squirrels come alive as the sunset gave way to the silent darkness of night.

"Incredible," murmured Lex. "With the blinds drawn they can't actually *see* that the sun has gone down, but they can feel it anyway."

"Mmm," agreed Clark sleepily. "But then I can feel the sun too. I don't have to be able to see it to know whether it's rising or setting."

"Really?"

Clark realized a moment too late that he had piqued Lex's all-consuming curiosity. Stifling a groan he tried to snuggle in closer and hoped that Lex would let it go. Yeah, like *that* would ever happen.

"How do you feel it? I mean, is it physical? Or... I don't know, is it more like something psychic?"

Clark sighed. No point trying to evade the question. Lex was like a pit bull when faced with a mystery or a problem to be solved.

"Both," he admitted. "I can feel my strength building as the sun rises towards its zenith; it's definitely a physical thing. I'm sure if we ever timed me running or flying flat out, then I'd be faster around mid-day, and I'm definitely stronger and faster in summer. The closer we get to the summer solstice, the more energized I feel."

Lex nodded, his expression suggesting that what Clark had just told him made sense.

"But," he continued, "I can also feel it as if it's another sense - you know, humans have five senses but I've got this additional sense..."

Clark paused as he took in the changing expression on Lex's face.

"You know that if you say a word about spider bites I'm going to hurt you severely, right?"

"Right, yeah, would I say that?"

"Lex, what did I say about you and innocence? Never. Going. To. Believe. It. For. A. Moment." After each word Clark kissed Lex in a different spot, and with a maneuver that was worthy of the Mighty Luthor himself, the last kiss was on the lips, deepening and intensifying until there were no more questions, only a desperate panting as their tongues thrust and coiled together.

"Clark, we haven't got time," said Lex when he eventually pulled back from the kiss. "You've got curfew and if we do anything now you're going to need another shower," he panted.

Clark grinned wickedly and pushed himself up onto his knees. He loved seeing Lex like this, hot and panting, and just desperate for anything that he and Clark could do together. They'd showered before dinner and had changed into casual silk pants and robes, which made it easy for Clark to lean forward and use his agile tongue once again.

"Ahh... oh God, ah Clark... yes!"

Lex was babbling. Clark loved it when Lex babbled. It was so different from the cool, arrogant mask that Lex used when he dealt with everyone else and Clark treasured the fact that he trusted him enough to just let go like this.

He knew from the occasional comment that Lex allowed to slip that he had never really enjoyed sex with his past partners because he could never trust them enough to relax. Clark had often wondered how Lex had even managed to get an erection... and the irony of thinking about that with his mouth wrapped securely around a hard, throbbing cock almost made him lose it.

He swallowed and sucked, and then vibrated his tongue using muscles that no human had. Seconds later he felt Lex stiffen, and then cum was pouring down his throat as fast as he could swallow. Once Lex stopped moving he gently released the now soft cock, and then leant back onto his heels as he gripped his own hard member and brought himself off with a few hard, fast thrusts.

"Am I dead?" Lex sounded spacey and delightfully husky.

"Nope, but I might be in heaven," snickered Clark as he leant forward and gently kissed his lover.

"You got us all messy."

Clark sighed. "Yeah, I'd better go get that shower before I head off," he said. "If I walked into the farm smelling like this I don't think even I would be able to come up with a plausible explanation."

Lex gave him a gentle push and grinned wickedly.

"What, you mean it's not the aroma of adrenaline?"

"Smartass."

"Brat."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Clark figured he'd better use his super speed if he was to get back to the farm before curfew. Seconds later he was showered, dried and dressed, and back in the study to say goodnight to his lover.

"I hate it that you have to leave like this," said Lex.

"Me too," agreed Clark, "but we said we'd wait before coming out as a couple. LexCorp can't afford any bad publicity right now, we can keep this secret a while longer."

"Don't your parents ever ask why you spend so much time here?"

Clark knew that Lex had been worried about that for a while, even though he'd never raised it before.

"Yeah, of course they do, but you know better than anyone how good I am at deception."

"Maybe it's time to let them into the secret?"

Clark was certain his face showed every bit of the surprise he felt.

"What?!"

"Well you know, you have to keep so many secrets from so many people, and maybe this is one we just don't need to worry about any more," shrugged Lex. "It's not as if they'd be likely to tell anyone else. They're almost as good as you at keeping secrets, and I'm damn sure that Jonathan Kent won't be champing at the bit to go round town bragging about your relationship with me."

Clark was almost speechless.

"We need to talk about this some more," he said when he finally got past the shock. "I promised Mom I'd have dinner with them tomorrow, but I'll call in the way home from school and we can talk about this, okay?"

Lex nodded, so Clark enveloped him in a close hug, and after a final gentle kiss he ran outside into a secluded spot before zipping into super speed to get back to the farm before curfew.

***

Lex hit the ground running the next morning. He didn't just multitask, his subroutines had subroutines. Before he'd finished his breakfast he had dealt with several emails relating to LexCorp, watched two cycles of the CNN headlines, checked out all the markets in which LexCorp and LuthorCorp operated, reviewed the headlines on Bloomberg, and -- most important of all -- directed Enrique to locate and purchase a top of the range aviary to be installed in the tropical garden area before lunch. He was finishing his coffee when Clark was suddenly standing before him.

"For fuck's sake Clark," he cried, "don't DO that, you'll give me a heart attack."

"Sorry."

Lex shook his head in exasperation.

"No you're not. You could at least pretend, and try to look just a little bit sorry."

Clark grinned at him, which was usually all it took for Lex to give up trying to argue some sense into him. Damn Clark, he shouldn't be so good at manipulation! No, this time Lex was not going to back down and give in. Clark deserved a lecture, and by God he was going to get one.

"I've told you a dozen times, it's too dangerous to use your speed like that. What if one of the staff saw you? Or didn't see you come in, and now you're suddenly standing there large as life?"

Oh no, Clark was giving him puppy eyes. Lex focused his attention firmly on the remaining coffee in his cup. If he couldn't see the big soulful eyes, then he wouldn't crumple and let Clark tease him out of his snit.

"I'm sorry Lex, truly, but I just wanted to see our babies before school."

Oh that was a low blow. Lex shook his head and gave in. There was no point trying to pretend that he wasn't glad to see Clark, or that he was upset that he'd called in on the way to school to check on the squirrels. Looking up he saw those expressive eyes gazing at him in such adoration that he caved without even the pretence of a struggle.

"Oh for God's sake," he sighed, "I don't know why I even bother to get mad at you. I can't keep it up, and you don't pay attention anyway."

"It must be love", grinned Clark.

Lex didn't know whether to punch him or kiss him, and given the likely damage to his hand if he threw a punch he decided that a kiss was the better option. He could get used to kissing Clark after breakfast. And before breakfast. And before and after lunch, and... hell, he could get used to kissing his lover anytime. But... squirrels. Clark had come to see the squirrels, not a quickie sexual encounter, so squirrels it is.

They made their way back to the office, where the fire had been kept burning throughout the night. Lex watched Clark creep silently towards the box, obviously trying not to startle the babies or wake them if they were asleep.

Lex got a warm feeling inside when he saw Clark's expression soften, and couldn't resist joining him.

"Oh Lex, they're even cuter than they were last night," whispered Clark.

Lex wrapped his arm around Clark's waist, and laid his head on his shoulder.

"I've got Enrique working on getting an aviary for them," he said. "It should be fixed up by the time you finish school."

Clark hugged him back, and kissed him gently on the side of his head.

"They're like me," he murmured. "They have no real parents, but they're lucky to have you to love them."

"You have parents Clark; they love you as if you were their own son. In fact, having seen the way the Kents are around you, I'd go out on a limb and say that they probably love you more than most parents love their biological offspring."

He felt Clark nod.

"You're right, but don't try to convince me that I'm not lucky to be loved by you. I can't believe that everyone else you dated never realized what an amazing thing it is to be loved by Lex Luthor, and let you slip from their grasp."

Lex always felt uncomfortable when Clark started talking about this. As far as Lex was concerned, *he* was the lucky one in the relationship, and even after a year he still sometimes woke in a panic, frightened that Clark would come to his senses one day and find someone better.

He had never suffered from low self-esteem but somehow in this as in every other part of his life, Clark just waltzed past all the barriers and walls and disturbed Lex in more ways than he could count. Not disturbed in a bad sense, but disturbed in that he just didn't have the skill set to deal with someone who apparently adored him so completely and without any ulterior motive.

Nothing in Lex's education or life experience had given him the know-how to deal with something so pure and simple; he kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and his life to return to the empty sham it was BC.

He swallowed the lump in his throat, and changed the subject.

"You'd better get to school, it's getting late."

"Yeah, okay," sighed Clark. "I've seen the babies and kissed you -- I guess I can go."

"We'll talk after school about telling your parents about us."

He doubted Clark needed a reminder, but from experience Lex knew that his young lover would evade and prevaricate if it was something he didn't want to confront, and telling his parents that he was in a relationship with Lex Luthor wasn't going to be easy on him. Or on Clark's parents, come to that, but it has to be tackled sometime, and the longer they postponed it the harder it would be.

Once Lex was alone again he focused completely on his laptop, but he took a break every so often to check that the squirrels were sleeping peacefully.

Around mid-day one of the kitchen staff came in with some lunch for him, and hot on her heels was Enrique to let him know that the aviary had been erected, and was ready for the squirrels to move in.

He gently picked up the box, and carefully carried it down to the tropical garden. The aviary was large enough for a grown man to stand erect, even though it required some ducking to get through the doorway. Lex was pleased with the way that it had been decked out with living trees and foliage, and impressed that the floor had been covered with what looked like cat litter.

There were two large nesting boxes, one about two feet off the ground, the other almost at shoulder height. They both had foliage tucked inside, and there was a sturdy branch running between the two boxes. Attached to one side of the aviary was a water bottle with a spout, exactly as described in the information leaflet that Lex had downloaded from Operation Wildlife. Enrique would definitely be getting a bonus for this.

As he carried the box inside the aviary and set it down on the ground, the squirrels fidgeted but didn't wake. He'd brought a sharp knife with him, and gently sliced away one side of the box, so that when they did wake they could leave their temporary home and settle in to their new, larger space.

He quietly left the aviary, and then bolted the door closed. He spent a few minutes watching the squirrels to make sure they weren't upset by the move, and then made his way back to his office for lunch.

He buzzed Enrique, and while he was waiting he reviewed the fact sheet he had downloaded from the Operation Wildlife website.

"Ah, Enrique. Thank you for arranging the installation of the aviary, it's perfect."

"I'm pleased that it suits you, sir," said Enrique.

"According to this, Southern Flying Squirrels are primarily granivorous, or seed- and nut-eating, but they will also eat other plant material like fruits and flower buds. Apparently they like the occasional insect and bird egg too."

"I see, sir."

Lex was only vaguely listening to Enrique, his mind was otherwise occupied in putting together all the pieces for keeping the squirrels happy and healthy. In no time he had the care package plotted out.

"Could you ask cook to grind up some more of those nuts and spread the paste onto a narrow branch for me, please? Bring it to me here when it's ready, I'll put it in the aviary myself."

"Yes sir."

"That will be all for now, thank you."

"Yes sir."

There was more to be done, but Lex wanted to wait until he and Clark could do it together. In the meantime, the ground nuts and water would keep the squirrels fed and healthy, and allow them to get used to their new home.

Sometime between going to bed last night and getting up this morning he had decided that when the time came that the squirrels outgrew the aviary, he would have a larger enclosure built for them in the woods. Even full grown they were small creatures, and Lex couldn't bear the thought of some raccoon or other predator attacking them. He didn't want to save every squirrel in Kansas, but Alexander and Hephaistion were definitely going to have the best protection he could provide.

Lex worked solidly all afternoon, apart from one brief interruption when Enrique brought him the nut paste on a branch. When he took it down to the aviary the squirrels were still in much the same position as the last time he'd seen them, so he just quietly opened the door and slipped the branch inside, propping it next to the water bottle. He would have liked to stay and watch them but he really had to focus his attention on work.

It had taken a lot of effort on Lex's part to wrest control of his company back from his father after his rescue from the island, especially as Lionel made no secret of his desire to formalize the temporary arrangement that had made LexCorp a subsidiary of LuthorCorp. Lex was offered some tempting inducements to agree to the merger, but having worked so hard to break free from his father nothing would persuade him to relinquish his independence to come under Lionel's control again. If for no other reason that spurred him on to do everything in his power to make LexCorp successful.

***

"Hey dude! Wait up!"

Clark had gotten through the day mostly on autopilot, and it took a few seconds to realize that Pete was trying catch his attention.

"Where you heading in such a rush man? You've hardly said a word to anyone all day, and now you're heading out of here like there's a fire somewhere." Pete paused for a moment before adding, "um there isn't is there? I mean a fire or some other emergency?"

Clark grinned at his friend, amused even though he was frustrated at being held back.

"No emergency, but I do have to be somewhere," he said.

Pete gave him curious eyes and flapped his hand in that universal 'come on' gesture.

Jeez, Clark really didn't want to start this. Pete had never liked Lex and probably never would.

"I'm meeting up with Lex," he admitted.

Pete's expression turned cold and disappointed.

"Right. Lex. Why did I even ask?"

"Don't be like that Pete..."

"Listen Clark, when you get an opening in your social diary for your other friends, let me know."

Pete pushed past Clark and strode away without a backward glance. Clark really wasn't looking forward to the day he shared his other secret with Pete. It would almost certainly be the end of their friendship, and while he was resigned to the possibility he didn't exactly look forward to it.

But Pete did have a point. Between his parents, his chores, his homework and Lex, there wasn't a lot of time left over for hanging with his other buds; he had barely seen any of the outside of school in months.

When Clark arrived at the mansion he'd half expected to find Lex watching the squirrels but he was in his usual place at the desk, working as hard as ever.

"Clark! Is it that time already?" Lex shook his head and closed the laptop.

Grabbing two bottles of water from the bar fridge, Clark dropped onto the sofa and held one out to Lex.

"Everything okay?" Lex looked a little frazzled, though Clark doubted that anyone other than him would have noticed. "No problem with the squirrels is there?"

"No, no, they're fine. I'm fine." Lex took a long swallow of water, and slumped onto the sofa. "I had to persuade some people to do something they didn't want to do," he added. "I got the funding we need for the next stage of the AI development project, but it was tough."

Clark nodded. Lex was brilliant at what he did, but sometimes it took a toll on him.

LexCorp was doing very well and was challenging LuthorCorp in many of its traditional markets, but it was in the area of emerging technology that Lex hoped to secure his greatest advances. That took both a lot of skill and a lot of hard work; fortunately Lex was more than competent in both areas, but persuading investors to put money into something that wouldn't provide a return on investment for many years took a lot more than hard work and skill. Whatever that indefinable something was, Lex had it.

Clark had watched him charm millions of dollars from people who scrutinized financial projections as if they held a clue to the location of the Holy Grail. It was impressive verging on scary at times, but even Lex had his limits.

"Come here." Clark lifted his arm and Lex slipped into his usual place, their bodies closely touching from shoulder to hip. Lex relaxed into him and he felt a sudden and overwhelming affection for his lover. It hit him like that at times, usually when he was least expecting it. It was intense and visceral, both protecting and submissive. He wanted to take care of Lex and shield him from everything negative thing that the world could throw at him but at the same time, he loved the fact that Lex made him feel safe and secure. It was a contradiction that Clark had never resolved even in his own mind. The 'stuff of legends' didn't even go close to the reality of their relationship at times.

"Come on," said Lex, shaking himself as if waking from sleep. "Let me show you the children's new home."

Clark chuckled. "I never thought I'd be a teen father," he snickered, as he followed Lex along the corridors to the tropical garden.

When the aviary came into view Clark was seriously impressed. It was much larger than he had imagined but of course on reflection, that shouldn't surprise him. There would be nothing but the best for the Luthor squirrels.

"They're still asleep," whispered Lex.

Clark peered over his shoulder and saw the two bundles of fur curled around each other in the cardboard box.

"Let's leave them," he murmured, "I'll pop back later after sunset when they're up and about."

As they made their way back to the study Clark tried to categorize his thoughts on why they should continue to keep their relationship a secret from his folks. He knew that if Lex wanted something badly enough he would give in, but he had to make Lex understand why he was concerned about sharing this secret beyond the two of them. Clark sat on the sofa, and watched as Lex paced backwards and forwards. Uh-oh; that was never a good sign.

"Just spit it out Lex," he advised.

"Right. Okay. Yeah..."

Clark was beginning to get worried. Lex was never at a loss for words, and to hear him stumble like this was bizarre to say the least.

"You want us to tell my parents about our relationship," he prompted.

Lex stopped pacing, his expression that very blank mask that he used when he was trying to keep his emotions blocked.

"Yes, I do."

"Okay, so why now? You know I've always been willing to go public, but we both agreed that any negative publicity about your sexuality could harm LexCorp's standing in the corporate world so what's changed?"

"Look Clark, I don't really know how to say this..."

"Just spit it out," he repeated. "Whatever it is it's churning you up inside so just let it out."

"It was the squirrels," he admitted.

Okay. Clark wasn't expecting that, and he couldn't really see why that would have his lover tied up in knots like this.

"What about them?"

"Those little guys' mother died without knowing that there would be anyone to take care of them after she was gone. I don't know, it just hit me suddenly that if anything happened to your parents, they would die not knowing that you had found someone to love and be loved by."

Clark was speechless. Yet again Lex had completely blindsided him. His face must have shown some of the shock he was feeling because suddenly, Lex was kneeling before him, gripping his hands tightly.

"I don't want to think of anything happening to your parents *ever*, but I also want them to know that someone loves you Clark, that you'll never be alone in the world."

How Lex managed to project the image of a cold, heartless, emotionless freak was a mystery to Clark. Sure, Lex kept his mask in place when dealing with the outside world, but how could someone who was so intrinsically caring be misunderstood by so many people? And how the hell had he managed to hold on to that caring nature when Lionel's parenting had been designed to train it out of him?

Suddenly all the logical arguments that Clark had been rehearsing in his head meant nothing. They were blown out of the water by the simple admission that Lex wanted his parents to know that someone loved him.

"Lex..." he hesitated, not quite sure what to say.

"Look, I know your Dad doesn't like me or trust me. Hell, I even know that he's going to go ballistic when we tell him, but I still want them to know. I want them to get used to me being in your life, and I want to get to know them too. I can't do that if they think I'm just a friend. I need them to know that I'm your significant other and that we are going to be together for the long haul. It's bad enough that we've kept this from them for so long. They really aren't going to like that, but we can do damage control provided we tell them now. If we continue to keep it from them when it finally does come out it could cause a major breech between you and them, and I really don't want that to happen."

"What about your Dad? Do you want to tell him too?"

Lex shook his head. "My Dad is a completely different matter. His only concern would be that loving someone might make me weak; it would be a chink in my Luthor armor to be exploited. He doesn't deserve to know, but your parents do."

Clark sighed. "Okay, so when do you want to tell them? Now that we've decided to do it I don't want to leave it too long. My stress levels wouldn't cope."

"Tonight? I could come over after you finish dinner if you like."

"Tonight?" Okay, that wasn't a squeak. It was a slightly high pitched exclamation, but definitely not a squeak.

"Well you said you didn't want to wait," Lex pointed out.

Damn, did Lex have to be so reasonable? He had a point though. Now that they had decided to tell his parents he wouldn't be able to look them in the eye until they'd come clean. Keeping the secret from them was easy enough -- after all, he'd been trained to keep secrets his entire life. No-one could keep a secret like Clark Kent. But, just like when he decided to confess his alien nature to Lex, once he'd made the decision to do it he couldn't keep up the pretense any longer.

Lex was still kneeling in front of him, grasping his hands tightly enough that it would have hurt anyone else. That alone made Clark realize just how tense Lex was over this whole thing.

"Okay," he agreed. "Tonight, after dinner. I'll let them know you're coming and we have something we want to talk to them about it so it doesn't come out of left field."

***

Martha knew that something was up the moment Clark stepped through the door. True, he was nothing like as easy to read now as he had been before that terrifying summer when she thought they'd lost him for good, but he was still her son and she could almost see the tension rippling off him.

"Anything wrong, sweetie?" she asked. It was unlikely he would confide in her but old habits die hard, and she had been his confidante and comforter for twelve years before red Kryptonite ripped him away from her.

"Lex is coming over after dinner," he said. "We have something we want to talk to you and Dad about."

Hmmm, that was unexpected. "Is it to do with those squirrels he rescued?"

Maybe they wanted permission for Clark to keep them at the farm, though she couldn't understand why that would make her son so tense.

"In a sense," he said.

There was a look on his face that she just couldn't read, but if pressed would have called it wistful. How very odd.

"I'm going to do my homework as soon as I finish my chores," he added, "can you let Dad know about Lex?"

"Sure honey," she said, but it was spoken to his back as he was already half out the door. She sighed, wishing for the millionth time that he was still her sweet little boy who was so easy to read and whose problems could always be fixed with a cuddle and cookies.

She was relieved to have him back in their lives, but he was so secretive about his time in Metropolis that she couldn't help but worry that there was something really serious that happened to him there, something that was still affecting him almost a year later.

"Was that Clark?"

Jonathan came stomping into the kitchen and headed for the sink to wash up.

"Uh-huh," she said, still worrying about the tension she saw and what it might mean.

"He said that Lex is coming over after dinner because they both have something they want to talk to us about."

She saw Jonathan stiffen. He was getting more used to Clark's friendship with the young Luthor, but Martha knew he would never like it.

"What could they possibly want to talk to us about?"

Martha shook her head and sighed. "I don't know honey, but Clark said it had something to do with those squirrels that Lex rescued."

Jonathan snorted. It was an eloquent snort that spoke volumes about his feelings for Luthors.

"Well, I'm not having them here," he said. "Squirrels are pests and they have no place on a farm."

He finished drying his hands and tossed the towel onto the bench. "Mind you, Luthors are pests and they have no place on a farm either, but that doesn't seem to stop this one from invading our privacy whenever he feels like it."

Martha wished Jonathan could get over his dislike of Lex. She knew why he hated Lionel Luthor so much and was even in agreement with him, but carrying it over to Lex was unfair. It was like blaming Clark for Jor-El's megalomania, or hell, blaming her for her own father's stiff-necked dislike of Jonathan Kent.

"Try not to upset them Jon," she pleaded. "Lex has been a good friend to Clark, especially after you... you know." She didn't like raising the ghost of the lost summer with Jonathan. They both suffered the absence of their adored child, but somehow Jonathan had taken it as a personal slight that Clark remained so silent on the subject.

She guessed that like her, he missed the little boy that used to share everything with his parents, but unlike her he apportioned at least some of the blame for the changes in their son on Lex Luthor. It wasn't fair but Jonathan needed someone to direct his anger against, and Lex was the substitute for Clark. If Jonathan could be angry at Lex, then he needn't be so angry at Clark.

Dinner was a stilted, uncomfortable, affair. She tried hard to engage first Clark, then Jonathan, in talking about normal everyday things but neither of them met her anywhere like half way. She was holding up all three sides of the conversation, and it was wearing her out.

At least they were preoccupied, she thought to herself. Jonathan had lost that edge of seething resentment that he displayed earlier when she mentioned Lex's visit, and although Clark still looked wistful he wasn't vibrating with tension anymore. She was almost relieved when she heard the sound of a car pulling up outside.

Clark got up to clear the dishes, and by the time that Lex entered the kitchen there was nothing on the table but four mugs of steaming coffee, a sugar bowl and a pitcher of cream.

Martha watched Lex carefully to see if she could sense what the coming conversation might be about, but he was his usual polite self, the mask so tightly in place that she had no idea at all what was passing through his mind. She did see a quick glance pass between him and Clark though, a question asked and answered satisfactorily if Lex's brief flicker of a smile was any indication.

"Lex, come and sit down and have some coffee," she said with a welcoming smile.

She hadn't lied earlier when she protested to Clark that no matter how much effort she made Lex never let her past his formidable defenses, but that didn't stop her from trying.

"Thank you Mrs. Kent." His smile was charming, his body language relaxed, but there was something flickering beneath the surface, she was sure of it.

"Tell us about the squirrels," she said. "Clark said you rescued two of them?"

"That's right," he said. "I've set up an aviary for them in the tropical garden and they seem to be settling in okay. I found them yesterday and they're nocturnal, so I haven't seen them do anything except sleep and eat, but they look happy enough."

Okay, so obviously whatever it is they wanted to talk about, it wasn't to ask permission for the squirrels to live at the farm. She frowned, and saw that Jonathan was looking equally confused. Ah well, it must be time to take the bull by the horns.

"Clark said you both wanted to talk us about something to do with the squirrels?" She tried to keep her expression as open and welcoming as possible.

Lex looked puzzled, and glanced at Clark.

"Not exactly Mom," said Clark. "You asked me if it was to do with the squirrels and I said 'in a sense', but it isn't really the squirrels we want to discuss."

***

Now that the moment was upon them, Lex was beginning to have second thoughts. He hadn't changed his mind about his reasons for telling the Kents, but it was one thing to imagine how the conversation might go, and another thing entirely to be sitting here in the farm kitchen with Jonathan Kent a solid, glowering force on the other side of the table. It took a lot to scare him, but the elder Kent was getting close to arousing his fight or flight response.

Clark must have sensed Lex's insecurity as he cleared his throat and took a deep breath. They hadn't really discussed how they were going to take this conversation, but one of them had to start and he guessed Clark felt that the responsibility was his. They were his parents, after all.

"The squirrels were indirectly responsible for us wanting to have this conversation," said Clark, "but we would have been sitting here sooner or later even without them."

Lex kept silent. He rarely got into trouble if he kept silent, and Clark seemed to be willing to take the lead.

"I don't think there's any way I can lead into this subtly, so I guess I'll just come out with it." Clark looked down at his hands, and then looked up to stare past his parents, eyes unfocused.

Lex thought it was a good strategy. Direct eye contact is good for some things but between adult males it can also be seen as a challenge, and the last thing they wanted was for Jonathan Kent to interpret their news as a challenge to his role or status in Clark's life. Jonathan hadn't been the alpha male in Clark's life for a long time, but there was no need to make it obvious or rub it in.

"Lex and I are involved in a relationship. A sexual relationship. He's my significant other."

Lex was ready for a whole range of reactions to the news, and Jonathan reacted exactly as he'd predicted. Anger flashed in his eyes, his mouth flattened to a thin line, and his shoulders looked as though they were made of granite. Martha surprised him though. She looked as if she already knew, and Clark had merely confirmed it.

"You knew, didn't you?" he asked her.

Martha smiled, but it wasn't a happy expression. "I suspected," she admitted, "but I didn't know for sure."

"Wait... what?! You suspected?!" snapped Jonathan. Martha's admission seemed to release him from his emotional stasis. "Why didn't you say anything to me?"

"Mostly because I never knew if it was just my imagination," she said. "I knew you wouldn't be happy about it so I figured it was best to keep my suspicions to myself."

"Not happy? Not happy?! I am *so* not happy I don't even know where to begin!" he shouted.

"Keep calm sweetheart," said Martha. "I don't think the boys have finished yet."

Lex was seriously impressed with Clark's mother. Not only was she perceptive and accommodating, she also settled the angry Jonathan Kent with little more than a touch and a few gentle words.

"Thanks Mom," said Clark.

Lex wanted to reach over and take his lover's hand, but he really didn't think that Jonathan Kent was ready to see them touch yet, so he willed himself to sit quietly, and leave it up to Clark to play out the scene.

"You know I had a few problems when I came back after that summer in Metropolis..." Clark paused. It wasn't phrased as a question, but Lex saw Martha nod anyway.

"I couldn't fit back into this life," he admitted, "no matter how much I wanted to. I'd seriously damaged my friendship with Lana and Chloe..." he cocked his head slightly, as if listening to something the rest of them couldn't hear. For all Lex knew, maybe he was. That super hearing was weird on many levels.

"Chloe found me in Metropolis, did she ever say?"

Martha looked surprised, and then shook her head.

"I wasn't very nice to her, or to Lana. I don't blame either of them for avoiding me when I got back, but it made me feel even more of an alien than ever."

Lex saw the Kents stir uneasily as Clark let slip the 'A' word. Great, just great. That was going to be another conversation to look forward to when they finished wading knee-deep through the emotional issues of the present one. Clark continued, completely oblivious to his parents' reaction.

"Pete never trusted me again either, and I can't say I really blame him, but Lex..." here Clark paused and looked at him with such a loving look that Lex was transfixed.

"Lex accepted me without any blame or trust issues; it was just Clark and Lex, the way we'd always been. That meant so much to me that I had someone I could talk to. Someone who'd been through his own version of hell and back and yet still had time for me."

Lex figured it was time for him to make some contribution to the telling of the tale.

"I think I've always loved Clark," he said, "but it wasn't until we'd both done some growing up last summer that I realized just how important he was to me."

He saw Martha tighten her grip on her husband's wrist, and guessed that Jonathan was less than impressed with his honest confession.

"I'm sorry. I know you don't want to hear this, but I. *we* think it's important to be honest with you about how we feel for each other."

"Honesty from a Luthor? That's a good one," scoffed Jonathan.

"Yeah? How about honesty from a Kent? Is that a good one too?" Clark snapped.

Fuck Jonathan's sensibilities, Lex reached out and took Clark's hand in his own. He could feel the tension like it was a live wire.

"Hey, calm down." He gently ran his thumb over Clark's hand until he felt the tension ebb away, and then gave him a reassuring squeeze.

"It didn't happen immediately, but pretty soon after we both came back to Smallville we realized one day that we loved each other. It was no longer just a friendship, though he's the best friend I've ever had, it was...well, it was everything. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."

"Wait a moment," said Martha, frowning. "Are you saying that you've been together for almost a year?"

Clark nodded.

"How on earth did you manage to keep it a secret from us?!" she gasped.

"See above re Kents and honesty," shrugged Clark.

Lex wouldn't have put it that way himself, but he had to admit it was a good comeback line. He could see Martha processing the idea, swirling it around in her brain like brandy in a glass. Jonathan on the other hand - in keeping with alcoholic analogy - looked more like he'd swallowed a mouthful of rotgut whiskey.

"Okay, okay," she murmured. Lex was impressed anew with her ability to absorb the unexpected and then just move on. He wondered if it was an inherent skill or something she'd had to develop in order to successfully raise an alien son. Maybe it was a bit of both.

"So Chloe, Pete, Lana...?" her voice left it as a question.

"Have absolutely no idea," said Clark, "and we want to keep it that way, at least for now. We don't want to risk being public about this," he continued, "but Lex thought we ought to tell you. We're not saying anything to Lionel or anyone else, but we wanted you to know."

Martha nodded thoughtfully. "I see," she said.

"Mrs. Kent, I want to make sure you *do* see," added Lex. "I'm not ashamed of Clark, and in many ways I'm all for us coming out as a couple. What's stopped me is that right now, LexCorp is vulnerable to negative publicity and it's not just my future down the pan if things turn ugly, it's Clark's too. In a few more months, maybe a year, LexCorp will be in an unassailable position and it won't matter if the entire State of Kansas rises up to condemn us. Right now, we just don't want to risk it."

"Does everything come back to business for you Lex?" sniped Jonathan.

"That's not fair Dad." Clark looked angry again. "Lex just explained it's *our* future we're securing not just Lex's business, and just so you know, *I* didn't want to tell you about us at all. This is Lex's idea, not mine."

"Don't believe it son, he's tricked you in some way..."

"Oh for fuck's sake," snarled Clark, "do you really think I'm that stupid and naive?"

"Clark! Language!" Martha looked scandalized, and Lex had a sneaking suspicion that Clark had never even uttered so much as a 'damn' in her hearing before.

"I'm sorry Mom, but..." Clark stopped, obviously too frustrated to say whatever was on his mind. Lex didn't need to see those beautiful green eyes flashing their message at him, he was ready to pick up the pieces.

"I know this has come as a shock to you Mr. Kent..."

Jonathon snorted, but Lex ignored the interruption and kept going.

"...but I love Clark and we're together for the long haul. I'm not trying to challenge you or Mrs. Kent, but you need to get used to the idea that Clark

and I are a couple."

Martha looked more accepting of the situation than Jonathan, but they were both clearly shaken.

"Why didn't you tell us before now, honey?" she asked.

"A lot of reasons," admitted Clark, "but partly because I *really* didn't want to have the sort of conversation we're having right now."

Lex gripped Clark's hand tighter. He understood how difficult this was for Clark. It wasn't exactly easy for him either but he didn't have the emotional investment with the Kents that Clark had, so he could get a bit of objective distance from it. After all, he'd long ago given up any hope that Jonathan Kent would ever see anything in him beyond the hated 'Luthor' name.

Around the time of his wedding to Helen it seemed to get a lot better, but then after his return from the island things just slipped back to how they were when he first moved to Smallville and became Clark's friend.

"And then... I don't know if this makes sense," said Clark hesitantly, "but our relationship was so special, so uniquely *us*, that neither of us wanted to share what we had with anyone else."

"Not even us?" Martha sounded shocked.

Lex guessed she had always assumed that Clark shared just about everything with her and Jonathan.

"Not even you," agreed Clark. "That time in Metropolis changed me Mom, in lots of ways..." Clark faltered.

"We've always been close friends, ever since you made Clark bring the truck back to me," he said, directing a sharp look at the senior Kent. Okay, maybe that was petty, but sometimes the man just brought out the bitch in him. "But it was never more than platonic," he continued. "After I came home though... well, let's just say that I'm not the same man that stood at the altar and married Helen Bryce. I didn't even know what the change was let alone how to explain it to anyone else, but Clark had been through his own dark night of the soul. He understood exactly what I was feeling without my saying a word. We just bonded, for want of a better word."

There was silence. Jonathan still looked as though he'd swallowed a mouthful of rotgut whiskey, only now it had made its way into his gut and was giving him gripe, but Martha looked thoughtful. Lex waited patiently. He hid a smile at the sudden realization that it was his father's lessons in strategy and negotiation that had prepared him so well for this particular confrontation.

Eventually Martha sighed, and gave each of them a searching look.

"Why now, then?" she said. "It's been -- God, I can't believe this – almost a year you said, so why are you telling us now?"

"That brings us back to the squirrels," smiled Lex.

Martha looked at him expectantly, and even Jonathan seemed curious.

"The mother squirrel died protecting her two babies," he said. "It just... well..." he hesitated, not knowing quite how to phrase it. Oh what the hell, why not go for the straightforward approach? "It got me thinking. She died never knowing what their fate would be. If anything ever happened to either of you and we hadn't told you about our relationship, you would never have known that someone loved Clark and would take care of him after you were gone."

***

Martha was lost for words. She glanced at Jonathan to see her own turmoil and confusion mirrored back at her. Clark had always told them that Lex was a genuine friend and a good man, but she had never believed him. Not until now.

"I... I don't know what say, Lex," she finally stammered.

Clark was looking at Lex as if he'd just given him the sun and the moon, and probably half the galaxy as well.

"What I'd like you to say is that you understand why we kept it a secret, and that you won't tell anyone else," said Lex. "We are going to make our relationship known in due course," he added, "but we want to choose our time and place carefully."

"Not just because of any adverse effect on LexCorp," said Clark. He was giving his father a hard look that was verging on a glare. "There are lots of reasons why we want to keep this quiet for a bit longer."

"Son... I... really, I don't..." Jonathan stuttered to a halt.

Martha took pity on her poor floundering husband.

"Clark, we don't think that, not anymore. How could we after Lex's declaration?"

She saw both the boys relax slightly. She hadn't realized till that moment quite how tense they were.

"Thanks Mom!"

God he was beautiful when he smiled like that. It never failed to make her breath catch in her throat and her heart flutter. She was so proud of him because of the wonderful person he was inside, but she would have to be blind to miss the stunning reality of his external packaging. No wonder the formidable Lex Luthor had taken up the drawbridge to his soul and allowed Clark to ride straight through.

She smothered a smirk as an image of Lex as the maiden in the tower took hold in her imagination. The odd thing was, for all his worldly wisdom and the cynicism learned in the savage corporate jungle, she could actually see Lex as the rescued maiden and Clark as the handsome knight.

"Nothing really needs to change, Mrs. Kent," said Lex. "We're all good at keeping secrets, after all."

Martha felt Jonathan stiffen, matching her own sudden tension at the implication of what Lex just said.

"Lex knows," said Clark.

"Lex knows what?" asked Jonathan, uncertainty and anxiety dripping from every word.

Martha reached over and took her husband's hand. She had a feeling this was going to test the elder Kent in a way that even an admission about Clark's sexual relationship with Lex Luthor couldn't match. They might have accepted his place in Clark's life, but the thought that he might know about...

"I know that Clark is an alien," said Lex coolly, snatching the thought right out of her brain. "That he can run faster than a bullet and has x-ray and heat vision. That he is virtually indestructible and is able to fly. Green Kryptonite is deadly to him, red Kryptonite is um... well let's just say that red K has a really interesting effect on his personality."

Martha was waiting for small nuclear explosion from her husband, but it never came. She could feel the tremor in Jonathan's hand so he certainly wasn't taking the news as calmly as the silence suggested, but he remained silent. Whether it was through shock or for some other reason, she was just grateful for his self control.

"Lex has known since I first found out about Krypton and my heritage."

Okay. Well, so much for his self control. Jonathan snatched his hand away and thumped it on the table.

"Are you insane?!" he shouted. "How could you trust him not to betray you?! Since when have Luthors ever been trustworthy?"

"Hey," said Lex, "this Luthor is sitting right here, you know."

Martha was no less upset than her husband, but someone had to be the voice of reason. She figured it might as well be her. Again.

"Calm down Jonathan, and stop treating Lex as a Luthor. Try thinking of him as your son's partner instead the spawn of Satan and we might all survive the next few minutes."

"Thank you Mrs. Kent," said Lex.

Silence returned to the kitchen, but it was a simmering silence with unspoken accusations lurking just beneath the surface. Lex had retreated behind his business face, while Clark was glaring at his father promising all kinds of retribution if he said one more word against Lex. He and Jonathan were engaged in a staring contest much like two predators waiting to see who would back away first. She doubted that Clark would back down and Jonathan had a stubborn streak a mile wide. Great, just great.

"Right," she said. "Let's get back to the place where Lex said that he wanted us to know how much Clark is loved. I think we should start there. Anyone disagree?"

The silence became slightly less tense as the men in the kitchen ratcheted back the seething resentment that gripped each of them. She wasn't concerned that Clark had chosen a male partner, but sometimes she wished for another woman in the mix just to keep the rampaging testosterone in check. Women could fight just as dirty as men, but this instantaneous aggression was getting old real quick.

"Clark," she said, trying to attract his attention away from staring at Jonathan. "Clark!" she repeated, louder and sharper.

She saw him blink a few times and shake himself as if he'd been in some kind of deep trance.

"Hmm? Sorry Mom, what did you say?"

She sighed. "Nothing yet, I was trying to get your attention. Now that I have it, tell us why you shared your secret with Lex before you were even in a relationship together."

"And didn't think to let us know about it," added Jonathan.

"I needed someone to talk to," he shrugged. "I know I've always been able to share alien-related things with you guys and Pete, but I needed someone to help me figure it all out. I needed Lex's brain, to put it bluntly."

Martha saw Lex grin as he shared a quick glance with Clark.

"Anyway," he continued, "Lex had already figured out most of it. I didn't have to tell him much about my powers, just how I got them. He'd seen the effects for himself more than once during the year he'd been living in Smallville and had assumed that I was a meteor mutant like everyone else. He really helped me understand the importance of what Jor-El downloaded into my brain, and how to deal with it all without losing my sanity."

"You know your life is really screwed when you need me to keep you sane," muttered Lex.

Martha didn't say anything, but Jonathan's face was expressive enough for both of them.

"And why didn't you tell us?" repeated Jonathan.

"For much the same reason that I didn't want to tell you about our relationship," admitted Clark. "I wasn't ready for this kind of conversation."

At least he had the grace and sense to look guilty about it. She doubted Jonathan could have handled a rebellious, challenging son right at this moment.

"Sweetheart, you can tell us anything, you know that? Right?"

"Yeah Mom, I know, I just..." he stuttered to a halt and shrugged.

"Just what, honey?"

"I guess it's a growing up thing," he said. "I stopped wanting to run to you guys with everything. I wanted -- no, I *needed* to have someone who wasn't my parents to talk things over. Bring a new perspective. Treat me like I'm an equal instead of the young son, you know."

"Clark, despite what you might think we do understand that. You probably don't want to be reminded of this, but your mother and I were both teenagers at one time, and we've been through just the same growing pains that you have."

Martha saw Clark's look of disbelief.

"Not the alien thing sweetheart," she assured him, "but all teenagers grow away from their parents. It's biological. It's the way that humans... that *people* develop and mature."

"Exactly," agreed Jonathan. "What I don't get though is why you chose *him* as your confidant when you'd barely known him any time at all. Pete already knew about your heritage, and surely you would trust your lifelong buddy over someone you'd known such a short time?"

Martha was very impressed that Jonathan had managed that entire sentence without the word 'Luthor' passing his lips even once.

"Trust Pete? Yeah, right," said Clark in a voice that left her in no doubt that he would do anything *but* trust Pete.

"What's wrong with Pete?" she asked. "You've always been such close friends, why wouldn't you trust him?"

"Well maybe because he didn't handle the news of me being from another planet too well," he snapped. "And then there was the time he slipped red K into my pocket. Oh, and not to mention the time that he tried to get me to rob banks to pay off his gambling debt."

"What? When did all this happen?" She was genuinely shocked.

Clark shrugged. "Some of the things with Pete happened after I shared with Lex," he admitted, "but Pete just couldn't handle the whole 'not from around here' thing for quite a while. I began to wonder whether our friendship would even survive it. It was completely different with Lex. He took it in his stride and started to think of ways of helping me and protecting me from the moment he learned the truth, whereas Pete mostly freaked and then started trying to get me to do things with my powers. Not all the time, but enough that it made me wary of trusting him with anything more."

This time the silence in the kitchen was thoughtful rather than tense. Clark had given both of them something to think about; something she had never even imagined, and she doubted if Jonathan had either.

"Bottom line Mrs. Kent: I love Clark. I will always love Clark, and we're in a committed relationship. I wanted you to know that, hence this discussion, but I don't want to sit here -- I *won't* sit here -- and allow Clark to be subjected to cross-examination or criticism of his choices. They're his choices to make, and you should have enough confidence in him to accept that he's going to make them sensibly."

Martha began to appreciate that Lex might actually be the best option for her son after all. She certainly wouldn't have chosen him, but maybe he had a point that they had to trust Clark to make the best choices for himself.

"You're right Lex," she said, "we need to trust Clark, and we need to trust you. I'm not going to lie to you..." Martha paused and flushed red with embarrassment as she realized what she'd just said.

Lex smiled at her, a knowing glint in his eyes.

"It's alright Mrs. Kent. Let's take it as a given that you haven't been able to be truthful with me in the past, and just move on."

"Um yes, thank you Lex," she said. The embarrassment remained but at least he was giving her a gracious 'get out of jail free' card. "I was going to say that it will take some time for us to get used to your new role in Clark's life and to bear with us while we make the adjustment. I can promise you that we'll try, and of course we will keep this a secret between the four of us. When you two want to go public, we'll support you in any way we can."

"Thank you, that means a great deal to us."

"Yeah, thanks Mom," added Clark.

"Now, if you'll excuse us," said Lex, standing up, "we'd like to get back to spend some time with the squirrels while they're awake."

"Of course," she said, nodding and smiling at them both. She thought briefly about reminding Clark it was a school day and to be back before curfew, but then the absurdity of it hit her. Giving a curfew to a man - surely he could no longer be considered a boy - who had been in a committed sexual relationship for more than a year made no sense. If he was old enough to... well, she didn't really want to think about what he and Lex actually did. She would be more than happy with a 'don't ask don't tell' approach to this part of her son's life.

Goodness, it was going to take some getting used to thinking of them as a couple. Her brain was only just starting to process the implications of their alien son choosing as his partner the one person in the State who was absolutely guaranteed to be front page material whenever he ventured into the public eye. She had to have faith in their ability to handle the potential fallout, but it didn't make it sit any easier with her right now.

She stood up to watch them make their way to Lex's car and wondered how on earth she had missed the growing attachment between them. She had never been able to read Lex; his barriers made it virtually impossible to see beneath the surface, but she was upset that Clark had also pulled the wool over her eyes so completely. She grudgingly acknowledged that they had effectively fooled everyone; no mean feat in a small town that thrives on gossip. She had always known that Lex Luthor hid his real self behind a mask; it had simply never occurred to her that Clark might be doing exactly the same thing.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" asked Jonathan as joined her at the window. He pulled her back against his strong chest and wrapped his arms around her, both watching the dust trail as the car disappeared into the distance.

"I think so," she said slowly, "but it's a lot to take in."

She turned around in his arms and looked up. "What about you Jon? How are you handling all this?"

He grimaced and shook his head.

"Not that well," he admitted, "but I know there's nothing I can do about it."

"I can't believe he kept this from us for so long," she said sorrowfully. "Why didn't he trust us?"

"I don't know sweetheart," he sighed. "I don't think I even know him anymore."

"I know what you mean," she nodded. "It's like he's two people. One is the Clark we raised from a toddler who always came to us with everything. I look at him, and that's what I see. But then there's this other Clark. That person is almost a total stranger; a complete mystery. It's not just that it's his alien self coming to the fore, it's... oh, I don't even know what it is," she sighed.

"The alien stuff has to be in the mix somewhere," pointed out Jonathan. "We don't know everything that Jor-El did or said to him but we can't ignore the influence that he's had. Not to mention that damned red meteor rock."

Martha knew he was right, but it was so hard to be excluded from her son's life like this. She'd always known everything about him... or thought she had. Now she had to accept that there was a part of his life - probably the most important part of his life - which he had kept secret from them. It made her wonder what else about him she didn't know.

***

By the time they got back to the mansion sunset was nearly over and twilight was giving way to darkness. Clark was relieved that the conversation with his parents was over for now, but he knew it was really just the beginning of a new period of adjustment for all the Kents. Attuned to him as ever, Lex paused as they made their way towards the pool area and caught him up in a close hug.

"I'm glad we told them, Clark."

"I know."

"Are you okay?"

"Just a lot to think about, you know? This has been our secret for so long I don't know yet how I feel about anyone else knowing about us."

"They're your parents," Lex pointed out, "it's not as if we've told the world."

"Yeah," he chuckled, "I know."

He gave Lex a gentle kiss, and then broke out of the hug.

"Come on then, let's go and see our babies."

They entered the pool area and crept quietly towards the aviary, taking care not to startle the squirrels.

"Wow!" Clark was impressed. The last time he'd seen them they had been two little balls of fur curled around each other. Now they were chasing each other around the aviary, leaping from branch to branch to nesting box back to branch again.

"Can you tell them apart?" Clark sure as hell couldn't.

"Alexander is the one in front," said Lex, as if there could be any doubt about it.

Clark managed to suppress the snigger, but not well enough to fool Lex.

"Something amusing you, Kent?"

"Just thinking how cute Alexander is," he responded with a straight face.

"Yeah, well Hephaistion better look out otherwise Alexander might have to punish him," shot back Lex.

"I don't think Alexander wants to do that," he said. "I think Alexander loves him and wants to protect him."

"Yeah," agreed Lex. "Alexander loves Hephaistion, no doubt about that. I'm not sure who protects whom, though."

"Um, Lex... did we just slip into squirrel subtext?"

"Whatever makes you think that?" said Lex, with the innocent expression that Clark had come to know and love, and disbelieve completely.

"Yeah, I thought so."

***end