Title: “Still here”

Author: Keikokin

Beta: Ladyday

Pairing: CLEX

Rating: PG

Warnings: More sugary mush than the contents of a Pop-Tart

Summary: One shot written for the CLFF. Lex uses blackmail for attention the way some use Hallmark cards.

Lex Luthor took a deep breath and sat up a bit straighter at his large glass desk in the castle. The afternoon had been long in coming. But it did come and with it the expected arrival of one Clark Kent. The young man stood before him, panting a bit in righteous anger, though not from the run from school to the castle. Lex knew there was no sense in starting. Clark would explain his anger soon enough. And besides Lex knew what it was about. How could he not? After all, nothing Lex had done up to this point, in his vain attempt to garner Clark’s attention, had been good enough. He doubted this argument would prove any different.

“H-how could, w-why did you…” Clark began. Lex took another deep breath and waited for Clark to get to the point. In fact, he had to squeeze his folded hands a bit tightly to prevent himself from saying that last bit out loud. “Lex! How could you blackmail my mother?”

Ah. There it was. The moment Lex had been waiting for. “In times of war, a change of tactics is often warranted Clark. And by the way, hello to you too.”

Clark was temporarily chastised for his lapse in manners, but his anger and confusion soon resurfaced. “War?? What are you talking about?”

“Well, the war to win you of course,” Lex smirked, knowing this would totally unseat the object of his affections and indeed it did. Clark looked like a fish out of water and eventually he staggered over to a couch. He shook his head several times in a vain attempt to regain his balance. Clark didn’t even seem to notice when a blue bottle was slipped into his hands. Instead he fell into their routine of drinking the rather pricey water together and failed to notice the little look of triumph on Lex’s face at the simple trust. “Of course, if I had known you’d take that water so quickly from me I could have risked spiking it with an aphrodisiac.”

“B –but Lex! You’re straight!” Clark finally sputtered out.

Lex sauntered over to Clark and tucked a finger under his chin to bring their eyes level. “I appreciate all works of beauty Clark and you’re so stunningly breathtaking it’s practically otherworldly!” Clark instantly paled. “Clark? Are you alright?” Lex chuckled wryly. “I’ve never complemented someone before and had that reaction.”

“But…but my mother!” Clark protested once more.

“Your mother understands quite well, why I did it and further more, since it brought you to me, I’d do it again.” Lex smugly sat down next to Clark.

“I don’t get it,” Clark shook his head.

“Look Clark, I can understand you’re confused. But you’re mother is from Metropolis. We understand each other. She saw how I did everything I could for you, your friends and this town to gain your approval. I even tried to make you jealous with Lana.”

Clark stuttered. “J-jealous? Wait, why were you trying to gain my approval? We were already friends.”

“Right, Clark,” Lex scoffed, “Or haven’t you notice that you started to treat me more and more like my father and less like the friend you claimed I was? Blackmailing your mother was the only way left to me to get your attention. After all, if you want to see me as my father, then I suppose that’s what I should do right? When you thought I should be the savior of Smallville to make up for my father’s sins, I did that too. And even though I’ve tried everything I could think of to be worthy in your eyes, it was a waste of time. Now I’m acting the way you expect me to, by living down to my father’s standards and you still aren’t happy. You weren’t happy then and you’re not happy now. Why should now be any different?”

Lex stood abruptly. “You know what Clark. I give up. It’s obvious you neither want my friendship nor my heart. Just get out; I’m sure you know the way.” He strode with determination over to the wet bar, put down his water and began to pour himself a good, stiff drink. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Clark stand, head to the door and then stop. “Anything else you’d like Clark, perhaps a public flogging? Or maybe a good old fashioned hanging of yours truly would finally…”

He didn’t get to finish. There was an explosion of wind in the otherwise calm room and suddenly he felt lips press against his own. He was too stunned to even move into the awkward joining that Clark was offering at long last. “You really did all that for me?” Clark was blushing as he pulled away. “You really like me, even though I’m a …”

Lex stood very still, waiting to see if Clark would be honest with him for the first time since he’d been dragged upon that riverbank so many years ago. Neither moved nor said a word. Lex was afraid to move for fear Clark would remove his hands from around his waist. He closed his eyes and found lips on his once more. This time he moved into it and felt Clark’s body respond, wrapping strong, muscular arms around him and pulling him tighter. When he pulled away this time he said. “I don’t know if we can Lex. I might not be, um, compatible.”

A frown crossed Lex’s face. “I know for a fact you’ve done it with women Clark.”

“I know I’m the same on the outside, but I don’t know about, err, um…”

Lex felt giddy as comprehension dawned. “Clark, have you been looking up gay sex?”

Blushing brightly, Clark nodded into Lex’s neck. “I like you Lex.”

Suddenly Lex felt like he was in high school once more. “Clark, you like your dog. You like pie. Is that all you feel toward me?”

Shyly, Clark pressed into Lex, and his erection pressed into Lex’s thigh. “I w-want you. But I’ve never –“

Lex pulled away. “Clark, I’m completely capable of teaching you what you need to know. But I’m putting everything at risk here by taking up with you. Don’t you think you at least owe me the courtesy of complete honesty in regards to why you might be different on the inside? Why do the meteor rocks hurt you? You’re not a mutant that much is obvious.I’m not an idiot Clark. And I refuse to start a relationship without knowing the truth. Otherwise, the offer for you to leave now still remains.”

“No!” Clark pulled Lex to him forcibly and Lex suddenly felt pity for teddy bears being mauled to death all over the world. Lex wasn’t being hugged so much as he was being suffocated. A deep, wheezy inhale alerted Clark to his over zealousness and he gave Lex some room, resulting in a very deep gasp of air. He blushed and mumbled an apology.

Lex nodded while catching his breath. He was startled by the look on Clark’s face when he looked up. Embarrassment he expected. But what he was seeing was fear. “Clark?”

The farm boy slowly released Lex and sat back down to stare at the floor. “I don’t know where to start.”

Lex did. He was already sending flowers in his mind to Mrs. Kent for being such a good sport and going along with his plan for the ‘blackmail’. If he had known it would work so well, getting him not only the farm boy of his dreams but the truth as well…, hell he would have come into Smallville with dirt on everyone. He sat back down next to Clark and covered his hand with his own, hoping to put the younger man at ease.

With a deep, shuddering breath Clark asked. “Promise not to leave me?”

A pain lanced through Lex’s heart at the fear-filled query. “I haven’t yet, have I?”

Clark chuckled, breaking the sudden tension. “Not too many people blackmail my mother to get my attention.”

Lex shrugged. “As your father is so fond of pointing out I am a Luthor. And you’re stalling Kent.”

“Right,” Clark sighed. “Once upon a time a baby named Kal-El was doomed to die on his home world of Krypton. His father was a great scientist by the name of Jor-El. He made a small space ship, just big enough for his son, sending him to a small planet whose yellow sun would give him certain abilities –“

Lex felt all the blood drain from his face. “I gather your real name is Kal-El?” Clark nodded as Lex’s mind went to work explaining away years of confusion, lies and misdirection. Hope, fear and self-loathing filled Clark’s face even as Lex’s filled with curiosity, hope and interest. He squeezed Clark’s hands. “I’m still here.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Through the years they stayed together, that became something of a motto. In the rare times that Clark doubted him all Lex had to say was “I’m still here.”

And he was.