Guardian Devil

Reviewers and Readers! Thank you so so so so much for your reviews. I can't say enough how happy it makes me to hear from all of you. And your reviews have an effect. I know some of you at least aren't happy with the "angel" moniker so I toned that down a bit. I think its sweet and ... there is a purpose to it, but I think I overused it last chapter. So ... I only used it a few times here. I hope that makes a difference to those of you who it bothered and doesn't bother others who like it. Happy medium, I say.

Hint/Smut alert: Okay, the shopping scene is finally here! Woo hoo! It didn't turn out exactly how I intended, but I think its pretty hot. I hope you think so, too. Hee hee! There's also a great deal of info given on the Arc of Fallen Light. I'm curious to what you all think about the revelations about that.

Please please please let me know what you think. It keeps me going and makes me smile so much. All right, enough begging for reviews! Please read. This puppy weighs in at 22 pages. So please enjoy!

Raythe:)


CHAPTER TWELVE: REVELATIONS

Unease thrummed under Lex’s skin as he and Clark walked down the busy Metropolis streets. Even the sense of normalcy that talking to Chloe had brought had lasted only a block. The tingling sensation in his mind dispelled the notion that Lucien had gone away when he disappeared from sight. The wolves and their leader were still around, invisibly loping after Clark and him, sniffing at their heels, tongues lolling out of their mouths, even though there was no sign of them in the flesh or as reflections in the large glass windows of shops.

“He let us see him. It wasn’t an accident, luck or talent on our part,” Lex said suddenly as he strode along the sidewalk.

Lex noted that since Lucien’s appearance Clark had taken the protective position of walking nearer the street than him. He felt a burst of love for the boy so strong that even his unease fell away for a moment. But love like this demanded he be able to keep Clark safe and how could he do that against a man whose powers … whose everything … he knew nothing about? Of all things, he had his hopes pinned on Chloe Sullivan, high school student, over all his other highly paid investigators, to come up with the information he needed on the Arc of Fallen Light.

“The only reason we know Lucien is around is because he wants us to,” Lex explained further. “Which makes me believe that when he doesn’t want us to know—”

“We won’t. Yeah, I got that impression, too,” Clark said softly, his eyes restlessly scanned their surroundings.

“What could he be?”

With a deep breath, Clark responded, “Maybe an … an alien. I mean, according to the A.I., I’m the only one that survived from my planet, but maybe … maybe he’s from another world. I mean Krypton and Earth can’t be the only two planets with life in the universe. I’m proof that aliens can come to Earth so it would only make sense that aliens from other worlds could come here, too.”

Lex saw the way Clark stared at the ground as he talked about his alien heritage. ‘Ashamed. The Kents made him feel that because he’s not human that he’s a lesser being when in fact he’s so much more.’ Lex reached over and petted Clark’s back, hoping the gesture looked platonic to anyone looking on, but part of him didn’t give a damn when faced with Clark’s unhappiness. The images of reporters popping up, clicking photographs of him and Clark in an unguarded moment, was never completely out of Lex’s mind though.

He had kept the guardianship out of the press so far, but that situation wouldn’t last forever, probably wouldn’t last beyond that day or the next at the latest. He had made several long and serious phone calls on the way back to the penthouse from La Delacroix, checking in with his P.R. people and lawyers about a press conference and what the best way was to explain how the guardianship came about. They needed to give the press something to gnaw on, but leave Clark’s privacy largely intact. Plus Lex had his people working on dealing with Clark’s high school and informing the superintendent on down that Clark was Lex’s ward and the Kents were not allowed to be within 100 feet of him at any time. He was planning on going to the school himself tomorrow to reiterate those points to the principal. Lex was brought out of his reverie by the continued tension he felt coming off of Clark in waves.

Lex guessed the source of the boy’s unhappiness. “I promise, Clark, that we’ll start to unravel the mystery of the A.I. and your heritage as soon as we get back to Smallville.”

Clark just nodded.

“What you are and where you’re from are exciting things, Clark. Amazing things. You’re a wonder, you know that?”

Clark looked at him hopefully from under his fringe. “You really think that?”

“I know that. You’re the stuff of my dreams and millions of others. The people at SETI … damn, they would fall over themselves to know finally that we are not alone. Believe me, knowing that there’s not only life, but intelligent, benevolent, beautiful life beyond Earth is … awe-inspiring. It … you give hope.” Lex had little difficulty waxing on about the subject. As a child and later as a scientist, he’d often looked up at the sky and wished that there was something out there, someone else out there. His own loneliness in a sea of humans notwithstanding, he still felt somehow comforted with the thought that there were other beings in the universe besides those on Earth.

Taking a deep breath as if to fortify himself, Clark confessed, “Since the Kents told me what I am, I’ve felt so … I don’t know … like diseased or something. Set apart. Everything I do could hurt people if I’m not careful, if I’m not in control all the time, and I keep changing. The powers … sometimes I’m afraid that I’ll wake up with fins or wings or something I won’t be able to hide and then what?”

Lex squeezed Clark’s shoulder. “No matter what changes come, I’ll be there. I promise. With all that I am, I’ll keep you safe.”

Clark gave him a tremulous smile, swiping at his eyes with the back of one hand. Lex let a comfortable silence descend, allowing Clark time to pull himself together, enjoying just being with the boy as snow began to fall, dotting the sidewalk in front of them with flakes of white. But the contented mood was shattered when Lex took in a deep breath of wintery air and froze. “Do you smell that, Clark?”

“What?” Clark sniffed the air.

“It’s rich, earthy and fiery like … chili powder. It’s Lucien’s scent.”

Clark smelled the air again, but shook his head. “I don’t smell anything. Are you sure?”

Lex tried to communicate by mind-talk. ‘Arsay! I know you’re still here. What do you want?’

Nothing and no one responded.

Lex turned around in circles, trying to follow the scent’s greatest strength. As he faced towards an alley on the other side of the street, the scent increased in pungency. That’s when he saw a flash of a tan jacket flowing out of sight beyond some trash cans.

“Clark … did you see that?”

Clark stared in the direction that Lex was looking in. “Nothing. Not even under x-ray. What did you see?”

“A man. I thought … never mind. Must have been mistaken.”

Lex kept to himself that he thought the jacket looked like one that Mr. Kent had. Perhaps the scent had been a warning. It was gone now just as the man was gone.

“Lex, what’s going on?”

“Arsay is still here. I feel it. Hold on a sec.”

Clark nodded, one hand protectively grasping onto one of Lex’s forearms. They moved together out of the main flow of traffic on the sidewalk, while Lex concentrated on communicating with Lucien.

‘Arsay,’ Lex thought, ‘were you warning me that Jonathan Kent was nearby?’

A buzzing caress of his mind. ‘Lex, would it please you if were?’

‘I’m never one to turn down help ... no matter what the source. So was that Jonathan Kent following Clark and me?’

‘I cannot interfere.’

‘Interfere with what?’

‘With you. Not until ...’

‘Not until?’

‘Not until you agree to be mine.’

Lex wasn’t fond of the possessiveness in Lucien’s tone. ‘So you offer your protection only if I agree to be your son? Is that it?’

‘Yes.’

Lex’s eyes flicked everywhere, looking for any sign of the red-haired man, but there was nothing, just cars whizzing by and snow blowing across the sidewalk. Clark’s beautiful face was marred by a frown. Lex grimaced himself. ‘Funny, that sounds like some kind of rule and Bruce told me you don’t follow rules.’

‘Some I do.’

‘Well, it looks like you already broke this rule,’ Lex observed.

‘How so?’

‘When you alerted me to Mr. Kent’s presence by the scent. So why not go the one step further and tell me what he wants, what he plans to do?’

‘That you thought you smelled something that you thought was me and that you turned around to look for its source … that is not the same as telling you that you are being followed by Jonathan Kent with malicious intent.’

Lex stifled a laugh realizing Arsay was telling him exactly that at this moment. ‘Okay, so you only bent the rules instead of broke them. Who makes these rules anyways?’

‘I and the Other.’

Lex could hear that ‘Other’ was capitalized. ‘So there’s another like you?’

‘Yes and no. The Other is my … counterpart.’

‘Well, that makes things so much clearer.’ Lex couldn’t keep the wryness out of his mind-voice. Sensing Lucien wasn’t going to be more forthcoming, he switched tracks. ‘So why did you make these rules anyway?’

‘To make things less chaotic and … more interesting.’

Lex felt a trill of unease over that statement. ‘Sounds like you and this Other are playing a game.’

There was no response to that.

Lex frowned as he thought, ‘I’m not some chess piece on a board, Arsay. I won’t be played with. I get enough of that from Lionel.’

There was a flood of amusement and … pride … in his mind from Lucien. ‘The only way not to be played is to take yourself off the board.’

‘And let me guess, the only way to do that is to become your son?’

‘Yes. You would become one of those directing what happens on the board rather than one of those being directed … or influenced is perhaps a better word.’

Lex had an impression for a moment that English wasn’t Arsay’s natural tongue. That he was trying to communicate foreign concepts into ones that Lex could understand. What worried Lex was how the slightest mistranslation can sometimes alter the entire meaning of a thing.

‘So you’re not going to tell me what Jonathan Kent intends to do?’ Lex pressed.

‘Lex, you don’t need me to tell you what Mr. Kent intends.’

‘Are you ever so gently implying that I’m being stupid right now, Arsay?’

‘Not stupid. No, never that. Just … you’ve had a lot to think about these last two days. You’ll figure it out.’

Lex had had a lot on his mind, yet truthfully, he hadn’t really thought of Jonathan Kent, other than to curse the man, since the guardianship papers were signed. If anything, he’d been more concerned with the potential machinations of Mrs. Kent. He suddenly realized what he had missed, what was so obvious he was shocked by its simplicity. Jonathan Kent had given up Clark too easily. He’d confessed to planning to … ‘take Clark away … kill Clark’ … but then he’d just given up.

Lex realized that Jonathan’s threat to them was more direct than Martha’s, probably involving physical violence and more meteor rocks, maybe even the shotgun that Lex had always envisioned Jonathan chasing after him with if he ever found out about Lex’s less than platonic feelings towards Clark. The whole interview with Jonathan after they had stopped the beating had been so surreal somehow that Jonathan’s dangerousness had been muted by the pure bizarreness of his behavior. Lex’s eyes flickered around them, realizing that walking alone without protection in Metropolis probably hadn’t been a wise idea.

‘Mr. Kent was almost deranged that night after he hurt Clark … saying I was the devil’s spawn and the world was doomed and all that, because Clark and I were going to be together.’

There was a strange feeling in their mind-link then. Lex couldn’t tell if it was amusement or exasperation or something quite different … like anticipation. As if Lucien was a teacher watching his favorite student come close to understanding the answer to a difficult problem.

‘Ah, yes, a man who believes he is acting on behalf of a higher power is a dangerous man indeed. Some have been driven mad by such a belief. Especially when that belief is true.’

‘What are you saying? That Jonathan Kent is hearing the voice of God …’ Lex froze.

Clark must have noticed Lex’s expression. “Lex, what’s wrong? You look …”

Lex covered the hand Clark had on his forearm with one of his own, but was unable to speak to him yet. Lex struggled to form words over the mind-link, ‘Arsay, did you … did you tell Jonathan Kent to … to hurt Clark?’

‘Are you asking if I’m a god, Lex?’

‘No! That’s absurd! You’re the Arc of Fallen Light, right? Whatever that means.’ Lex pinched the top of his nose.

‘Yes, whatever that means.’ There was a dry undercurrent to Lucien’s mind-voice.

‘Did you communicate to Jonathan Kent in his mind like you do to talk to me?’

‘If I did, I would hardly confess it, now would I? But for what it’s worth, whoever’s voice whispered in Mr. Kent’s mind, it was not mine. I want nothing to happen to Clark. He is your anchor. Without him, you’d lose your way and eventually … well, he is essential to you so he is essential to me.’

Lex felt his heart lift against his will. He believed it wasn’t Lucien who had influenced Mr. Kent to hurt Clark. If he had been the one, no matter what Lucien’s powers were, Lex would have found a way to revenge his ward. Yet something niggled at the back of Lex’s mind. He asked Lucien, ‘You played some role in all this though, didn’t you?’

‘What role could that possibly be, Lex?’

Lex’s brow furrowed as he thought back to the whole of Saturday. Then he knew. ‘I had a headache … that’s why I went over to the farm that day. It was especially bad, nothing I did would give me relief, so I thought … thought that if I saw Clark I would relax enough for it to go away. It was the same kind of headache I get when you contact me.’

‘Isn’t that interesting.’

‘Bending the rules again, Arsay?’

‘Headaches are completely natural occurrences.’

‘Sure they are. Convenient occurrences.’

‘Go dress your angel, Lex. Make it a good day. You both need it.’

Without further comment, Lex felt their Lucien winnow down their mind-link to the thinnest thread so that they were connected, but their thoughts were closed to one another. Lex rubbed his skull as the familiar ache started behind his eyes. He prayed that it wouldn’t become a full-blown migraine this time. He felt Clark tighten his grip on Lex’s forearms. “I’m okay, Clark. Just the normal headache after talking to Lucien.”

“Do you want to go back to the penthouse and lie down?”

Lex couldn’t help but grin. “You’re not getting out of undressing for me that easily, Clark.”

That brought out only a ghost of a smile on Clark’s face as those dark green eyes searched Lex’s face for signs of how debilitating the headache would be.

“Really, Clark, it’s not this bad this time.”

“What did he say to you?”

“A lot of riddles.” Lex paused then decided he needed to give Clark the same warning that Lucien had given him. “Just … be on the lookout for Mr. Kent, okay?”

Clark’s eyes widened. “Was that who you thought you saw in the alleyway?”

“I saw a jacket,” Lex hedged and his eyes slid away from Clark’s.

Clark clutched Lex’s shoulders, almost shaking him. “Lex! You should have said immediately. He’s … Jonathan’s not … not right in his mind, I think. The more I look back on what happened that day … he was more out of it than ever before and … if he were to try and hurt you, I—”

Lex put two gloved fingers over Clark’s trembling lips. “He’s not going to hurt us, Clark. I won’t let him. Believe me.”

Clark pressed his lips together and nodded curtly, still unconvinced. Lex forced himself not to lean forward and kiss those lips back to fullness. He started walking instead towards the shop again, pulling a serious looking angel after him. They needed to get out of the open. And no matter how concerned Lex was with what Lucien had told him and what he, himself, had discovered about Jonathan’s intentions, Lex wanted the rest of the day to be fun for Clark, something to distract the boy from the emotional rollercoaster he’d experienced recently. Lucien was right that they both needed a good day. That Clark was stretched to his limits was clear from his overly fearful reaction to being caught with Lex’s journal. Lex had read the utter terror in Clark’s eyes that Lex wouldn’t forgive him, maybe even send him away, for the minor trespass. ‘He doesn’t understand. He’s mine. Forever mind. I’ll never let him go let alone send him away.’

Lex had told the truth when he said he understood and forgave Clark for reading his journal. He just wondered when the inevitable questions about the room mentioned in there would come up. He knew he had to show Clark that room soon, explain himself somehow, before it came between them. He only hoped that Clark’s own curiosity about Lex’s private thoughts would make Lex’s own interest in everything Clark less of a horror show to the boy. He’d do it when they got back to Smallville, maybe tomorrow. Having made a decision, Lex let calmness flow over him like a cloak. He turned and smiled at Clark. The boy glanced over at him from under his fringe and blushed for no apparent reason.

“Is the thought of undressing for me making you blush, Clark?” Lex reached over and tipped up Clark’s chin with black gloved fingers. He could see that Clark was trying to banish his anxiety over Jonathan Kent.

“Sorta looking forward to that part actually.” Clark went as bright red as his truck. “I’m really just worried about … these shops are fancy, right?”

“Yes, and exclusive. It’ll just be you, me, and a sales associate or two. No other customers. I had Enrique call ahead and assure that. But you mustn’t worry, Clark. That’s the joy about spending loads of money in places. You can act as ridiculous as you like and they just smile and nod. Besides, dressing you will be a pleasure for them. You’re so … perfectly proportioned.”

Clark whapped him gently on the shoulder while ducking his head to hide his face. “Lex! C’mon, next you’ll be using words like ‘alluring’ like Chloe did!”

“You are alluring. Devastatingly so.”

“No way! You’re … alluring or whatever.” Clark shyly added, “I mean you … everything about you is so … hot, Lex.”

Lex felt an unaccustomed blush heat his cheeks. “If you say so, Clark.”

“You really don’t know how beautiful you are, do you?” Clark gave him one of those adult glances that Lex worried was from seeing too much too soon.

“I do the best I can with what I have.”

“But you don’t think the … base material is any good?”

Lex just shrugged. You could only be called a freak so many times, be looked at by potential lovers with a touch of disgust or twisted desire, before you started to believe there was something wrong with you. Even with all the men and women that wanted to bed him, that paid Lionel to bed him with contracts and deals, he still felt it was like they only sought to touch something … other … and he was it; their walk on the wild side. That he was a skillful lover and wealthy might have kept them around, but he always knew even with the women he’d married that none of them would stay with him forever. He never let it bother him, too much, so long as he got out of the relationship what he wanted. ‘That Clark honestly desires the real me just for me is so odd.’ Clark’s hand was suddenly on his shoulder and Lex found himself leaning into the touch.

The boy’s sweet breath brushed against the side of his neck as Clark half-whispered in his ear. “I wish I could show you how … beautiful … stunning … amazing … you are, right here and right now, Lex.”

Lex shivered and turned his head so that their lips were mere inches apart. “Make it up to me when we get to the shop.”

Clark gave a wide smile, his green eyes darkening with desire.

“Ah look, we’re here already.” Lex pointed to a discrete polished brass sign that read Raynauld’s.

As they passed through the double doors into the store, immediately they were descended upon by Maxime, the owner, and Georges, her assistant. A glass of perfectly chilled champagne was pressed into Lex’s hand while Clark waived off a glass offered to him with a flustered smile. Already, Maxime was biting on the end of her pen as she surveyed Clark’s physique even with the jacket on, while Clark turned interesting shades of red as he noticed her attention.

“He is gorgeous, Lex. Truly a work of art. Like a Greek statue this one. We can do much,” Maxime said as her eyes narrowed in appreciation.

Clark looked ready to melt into the floor. He was scuffing his feet, scarlet as a poppy, hair hanging down over his face as if he could hide behind it.

“And shy … my God, he’s … untouched!” Maxime exclaimed.

Lex nearly spurted champagne out of his nose at that statement. He knew she didn’t mean it the way both he, and Clark by the look of horror on his face, took it, but it was an apt description of Clark in every sense. ‘At least for now.’ A warm trill ran through Lex as he could still see Clark offering up his completely naked body in the penthouse, ready for whatever Lex wanted to give him. ‘It was right to wait. I’ll make his first … touching … as perfect as possible.’

“Now, let us begin!” Maxime swept Clark forward into the oversized dressing area off the main store’s floor. “Now Lex, you said the boy needs everything. Did you really mean—”

“Everything,” Lex assured her and gave Clark a smirk, who stuck his tongue out at him in response. He didn’t have to say out loud that expense was no object as Maxime read it in his measured glance.

Georges took Lex’s coat and hustled away with it as he was about to sit down on a couch that faced a large mirror in the dressing area. Four enclosed smaller changing rooms lined the other walls. Clark stood in the middle of the room, looking slightly lost and terribly overwhelmed as Georges started whizzing around him with a tape measure. Maxime meanwhile was stripping off Clark’s coat and flannel so that Clark was wearing only his jeans and t-shirt, which melded to every muscle of his chest, as Dominic had grabbed one of the shirts he had outgrown that year instead of one of the new ones. When Georges went to take Clark’s inseam, the boy squeaked and hopped back a few steps.

“Lex!” Clark wailed as Georges approached to do it again.

“Calm down, Clark. He needs to get that measurement.”

Clark bit his lower lip while resolutely staring at Lex the whole time Georges took his inseam. When it was done, Maxime and Georges went into a huddle, whispering fiercely. With various nods and flicks of her pen, Maxime proclaimed, “Now we go hunt for the perfect clothing for this young man from the under garments to the outerwear. Casual to elegant!” Then she and Georges rushed off into the main part of the store to gather clothes for Clark.

Lex tried to stifle his laughter as Clark stood there glaring at him, arms crossed over his chest.

“Clark, it isn’t that bad, is it?”

Clark actually pouted and Lex gave up trying to hold back his laughter. He got up from the couch and approached his pouting farm boy. He could tell that Maxime and Georges were occupied in the main area of the store so there was no one to see him frame Clark’s face with his hands, lean in and kiss that pouty mouth until it broke into a grin underneath his lips. He ran his hands under the front of Clark’s t-shirt, tracing the boy’s abs. Clark shivered.

“You taste like champagne. Yum,” Clark breathed as he rested his forehead against Lex’s.

“You could have some if you like,” Lex offered as he leaned down and picked up the glass by the foot of the couch.

Thinking of a better way to give Clark a taste of one of his favorite beverages than just letting him take a drink from the glass, Lex took a sip, held the bubbling liquid in his mouth, and moved in for another sweet kiss, passing the champagne to Clark mouth to mouth.

“It tastes a lot better coming from you than out of a glass,” Clark whispered.

Lex nipped at Clark’s bottom lip before sitting back down on the couch, looking as if he hadn’t been kissing Clark passionately moments before, as Maxime and Georges appeared with a flurry of clothing. Clark for his part tried to look less flustered.

With reverence Georges placed all the clothing on a rack in the corner and on the low tables beside it. There were cashmere sweaters that would caress Clark’s muscled torso, long and short-sleeved shirts made out of Egyptian cotton so fine and flexible that it would float over Clark’s abs, three different styles of tuxedoes that would accentuate Clark’s broad shoulders and narrow waist, more casual suits made of the finest wool in grays and greens and blues that would reflect the color of Clark’s eyes, finely woven casual slacks and jeans so soft and worn that they looked like they had been lived in but in fact cost the Earth and would hug Clark’s butt perfectly. Then there were the piles of silk boxers, warm socks, shimmering robes in jewel colors in various lengths that would hang down to Clark’s thighs, knees or ankles. Shoes came next: dress, sneakers, casual, and hiking boots. There were gloves, scarves, long dress coats, and jackets all made out of the sleekest, softest materials that would keep Clark warm and comfortable during the Kansas falls and winters and cool and dry during the Kansas springs and summers. That was just some of what Lex could catalogue as Georges spread the bounty out before them. He knew that the suits especially would have to be altered to fit Clark perfectly, which would require Georges to chalk and measure, but the rest could be donned as is.

“Ah!” Maxime exclaimed as he pinched Clark’s cheek. “Pink from the cold outside? Or still blushing from having your inseam measurement taken?”

Clark’s face went a radioactive red at that and Lex laughed again earning him a furious glare from his ward.

“Never mind,” Maxime said and twirled her pen in one hand. “Now … strip!”

“In front of you?” Clark’s mouth fell open.

“Yes, you need to in order to put on the clothes. And how else am I going to see if the clothing fits properly unless you try them on?”

Lex stood up to intervene at that point. He took Maxime’s arm and began gently but firmly to move her towards the door of the changing area. “Actually, Maxime, as you’ve noticed Clark’s shy and now that you and Georges have so kindly brought all the clothing choices, it would be better if you would both … wait outside.”

Lex hooked Georges’ arm as well and ushered both people out the dressing area’s door.

“But what about the tailoring!” Maxime cried from just outside the doorway.

“We’ll do the suits last … then you can come in to see them after he has them on.” Lex firmly shut the door and rested his head against it. He turned around his back pressed against the door. “Alone at last.”

“I really thought you were going to have her stay for a minute.”

“Not a chance. Your naked body is mine to look upon alone. Clark, are there are any video cameras watching us right now?”

Lex looked on, not trying to hide his amazement, as Clark used his x-ray vision to scan the room.

“No, they must trust the clientele here.”

“Excellent.”

Lex smirked then he began stalking across the room towards his ward. Clark swallowed hard and he rubbed his hands nervously on his thighs. Lex stopped a foot in front of the boy then proceeded to tightly circle him, taking in every angle.

Lex’s voice was soft and low, with a slight huskiness in it, “Do you know how often I wanted to just look at you, Clark, stare at your beauty, drink it in, and couldn’t?”

“How often?” Clark asked softly, his eyes suddenly downcast, a bulge beginning to form in the front of his jeans.

“Every moment of every day.”

Lex stopped behind Clark’s back. His hands ghosted over the muscular shoulders, feeling the warmth radiating out from Clark’s clothed skin. A shiver coursed down the boy’s back as if he could feel Lex’s almost-touches or perhaps the sound of Lex’s voice alone was a touch in and of itself.

“Lift your arms over your head, angel,” Lex whispered into Clark’s ear.

Clark complied. Lex’s fingers curled around the bottom of the t-shirt and drew it upwards. His hands brushed the silk of Clark’s back as he lifted it. He tossed the shirt to the ground and the boy’s arms fell to his sides as if he had no strength to hold them up anymore. Lex stared at the vast expanse of golden skin stretched over long, smooth muscles in his ward’s back. Clark’s head was still bowed as if in supplication, his dark hair ruffled from the shirt being drawn over it. The sight made Lex’s cock twitch.

Lex’s voice was no higher than a whisper, “I told myself that I was just your friend, that you were straight, that you adored someone frilly and pink and clearly nothing like me. I had to avert my eyes. Never allow myself to just look upon you.”

He grasped Clark’s waist, rubbing circles with his thumbs over the flesh on his sides just above the jeans.

“You could have looked, Lex. I wanted you to look … so bad.”

Lex’s thumbs stopped their rubbing. “You wanted to attract me, did you, angel?”

A strangled gasp exited Clark’s mouth. “Yes!”

“You wanted me hard and aching for you? Looking but not touching?”

“I wanted you to touch, too, Lex, I …”

“So you weren’t just teasing then? Teasing me is a dangerous thing.”

“Never tease you like that. Love you … want you … need you …”

Lex gripped Clark’s slim waist harder and pulled the boy against him, so that his hard cock was pressed between the cheeks of Clark’s ass. The boy gasped.

“Can you imagine with this is going to feel like when we’re both naked, Clark?”

“Oh, I …” Clark shivered and pushed back against Lex’s erection.

“I’ll have stretched and lubed you. You’ll be all slick and open for me, but still … oh, so virginal tight,” Lex hissed the last into the shell of Clark’s left ear.

“Lex … please, I … please!”

Lex’s hands slid along the waistband of Clark’s jeans, his fingers tracing the sensitive skin just above the band until he reached the metal button. He let his thumbs dive under the band then. Clark’s pubic hair was softer than a human’s, almost downy, and it tickled Lex’s fingers. He rubbed his thumbs over that sensitive skin and hair. Clark’s head fell back, resting against Lex’s left shoulder.

“When my cock is inside you, Clark, thrusting into you, spilling my seed in you so fucking deep, you’ll know the truth … that you belong to me.” Lex swallowed as he realized he’d spoken aloud one of his darkest desires. But instead of a terrible reaction from Clark, the boy mewled in need. “You like me being possessive of you?”

“Yes,” Clark breathed and Lex could feel the leaking tip of Clark’s engorged sex brush his thumbs as he continued to stroke underneath the boy’s jeans.

“You want to belong to me?” Lex practically held his breath.

“Yes!”

With a growl, Lex spun Clark around to face him. Almost viciously he unbuttoned Clark’s jeans and shoved the zipper down. But he denied the boy the touch his body obviously desired as Clark arched his hips trying to get contact between his aching cock and Lex’s elegant hands.

“Do you know what it means to belong to a Luthor, Clark?”

The boy’s pupils were so large his eyes looked black with desire. Clark licked his lips and Lex bit back a moan.

“I want to belong to you … to Lex. Not Luthor … just Lex. I belong to Lex alone.”

Lex was shaking badly, but he managed to lean in so that his cheek was pressed against one of Clark’s, his breath whispering over Clark’s ear. “Then strip for me, my Clark, my angel, mine own.”

Lex moved away from him, sitting down languidly on the couch, one arm draped over the back, the other swooping down for his glass of champagne, legs crossed loosely: the picture of ease even though every nerve in his body was on fire. Clark almost tottered over without Lex’s close presence to hold him up, but the boy caught himself.

Eyes dark with desire fixed on Lex as Clark toed off his shoes. The boy’s chest and abs flexed as he leaned down to take off one white sock then the other. That left only the already open jeans. Clark’s hands paused at his waist and a tremor ran through Lex. He gulped down the rest of the champagne, hardly knowing whether he set the glass down or just let it drop from his hand to the floor. With one fluid movement, Clark slid his jeans down his firm hips and muscled thighs, until they puddled around his calves and feet. Clark stepped out of them and stood completely naked, his large hands loose at his sides, not covering what Lex owned. His beautiful uncut cock stood up firm and proud from its nest of black curls. Lex felt his hands shake as he smoothed them over his head. He watched spellbound as a drop of glistening precum oozed out of the slit of Clark’s sex. He felt parched. Without thought, he was moving from the couch and on his knees before Clark. He lapped up that bead of essence, tasting the citrusy burst of flavor that was pure Clark.

He looked up at the beautiful boy above him. “It looks like you own me.”

The boy’s hands, so powerful yet so gentle always, cradled Lex’s skull. Lex shut his eyes for a moment. He swallowed hard. ‘Clark does own me and I … I don’t care. I love it. I love him.’ He felt Clark’s thumbs begin rubbing circles on his temples. The boy didn’t push his cock against Lex’s lips or try to drag Lex’s skull towards the full organ either. He just caressed Lex’s head as if he weren’t painfully aroused, as if Lex weren’t on his knees in the perfect position for Clark to fuck his mouth. He had given the boy a blow job earlier, but this felt so different. For one thing he was on his knees and he didn’t do that lightly. Clark could thrust his cock into Lex’s mouth, all the way down his throat and he would allow it, be eager to be claimed like that. He wouldn’t deny Clark anything he wanted. All those men that had bruised his throat, who had almost choked him with their foul seed, faded from his mind.

Lex gripped Clark’s hips and looked up into his farmboy’s eyes. “Fuck my mouth, Clark.”

“What?” Clark’s eyes went impossibly huge. “No, Lex! I could hurt you. I wouldn’t—”

“You won’t hurt me, Clark. Remember in the bedroom? You’ll control your strength. I … I really need you to do this. Please?”

Clark worried his full lower lip. “If you … if you want … I’ll do whatever you want, Lex.”

“Thank you.”

Lex leaned forward and kissed the tip of Clark’s organ. He let his hands trace the insides of Clark’s silken thighs. Then he held Clark’s hips again and opened his mouth, sliding the head of Clark’s cock in until it rested on the center of his tongue. He sucked a little and heard Clark whimper. His eyes met Clark’s and he saw the boy was uncertain what to do. There was a popping sound as Clark’s cock was released out of Lex’s mouth.

“Hold my head still and thrust … gently at first. I might have a bit of a gag reflex, but that will fade quickly,” Lex explained. “And don’t pull out when you come. I want to drink it all down. Besides … we can’t mess up Maxime’s dressing room, now can we?.”

He got the smile he was hoping for. Clark’s hands framed his skull again, lightly. Lex took Clark’s organ deep inside his mouth, allowing his throat to open up just as Clark began to move forward. Lex closed his eyes and held on tight to Clark’s hips at the first successful thrust. He didn’t gag at all, his body opening for Clark’s use. If anything good had come out of those horrible times with all those men it was that he was able to do this for Clark.

Their rhythm was quickly established. The sounds of desperate need Clark made as he fucked Lex’s mouth made Lex open his eyes. Clark’s head was thrown back, his pink lips parted, his golden skin practically glowing. The thrusting began to get more erratic as Clark reached his pinnacle. With a cry, Clark thrust one last time, so deep that Lex’s nose was buried in his soft pubic hair. His seed spilled down Lex’s throat and it felt warm going down. Lex swallowed again and again as it seemed an ocean of sperm came out of his lover. With one final spurt, it finally ended. Lex licked the now softened organ clean as Clark’s back bowed, his head down so far it was almost even with Lex’s.

The boy’s knees began to shake. Lex grabbed him and helped lower Clark to the floor. He pulled Clark’s upper body against his own. His hands ran through the mop of hair. He kissed Clark’s forehead and felt at peace. Some part of Lex that had been stolen from him by all those encounters with Lionel’s business clients had been put back by this act.

“That was … that was, Lex, God, that was …” Clark dithered off into insensibility again.

“I know, Clark. It was for me as well.”

“How am I going to try on clothes now after that?” Clark asked with a laugh. “I can’t stand!”

Lex reached down and touched the front of his pants. They were soaked through. He had cum just from giving Clark a blow job. That had never happened to him before.

“Looks like I’ll need to try on clothes today, too.” Lex laughed.

“You came?”

“You sound upset about that.” Lex ruffled Clark’s hair.

“Well … I wanted to suck you off, too!”

“You’ll get plenty of opportunities to do that. I assure you,” Lex said his voice lowering in promise.

He disentangled himself from Clark’s embrace but not without his farm boy giving him frantic light kisses. He looked down on the flushed angel, sprawled naked before him and felt a rush of warmth hit his groin again. With a smirk, he sauntered over to the door, feeling Clark’s eyes on his butt as he moved. He opened the door halfway with a quick jerk. Sure enough, Georges tumbled back from the door, his face red and breathing hard. He obviously had heard some of their show. Maxine looked on behind him, a rather heated look on her face as well, but not abashed at all.

“So Lex, what do you need?” she asked.

“An outfit. Something simple, casually dressy for Va Pensiero.”

“Ah, I know just the thing!” She hopped towards a few racks and came back with black dress pants and an indigo silk shirt. The shirt shimmered between purple and deep blue as the light hit it.

“That’s beautiful,” Lex said as he took the garments from her hands. “Oh, I’ll need some … boxers as well.”

He shifted uncomfortably as the wet patch in his shorts adhered to his cock. She added a pair of black silk boxers to the top of the pile.

With a wink, she added, “We offer a new service now, Lex. If you wish to ah … change now … we will take your old clothes to be cleaned.”

Mindful that boxers and pants full of cum would add believability to any tale she might tell to a reporter about what he and Clark were doing in the dressing room he declined her offer. As soon as he shut the door, he felt the press of an already aroused farmboy against his back.

“Now you have to get naked, Lex.”

“Do I?”

“Yes. I can help you if you like.” Clark’s breath tickled Lex’s bare neck and skull.

“Well, you did such a good job of it last night, how can I refuse?” Lex turned around to face him.

Clark grasped the new clothes gently, fingering the shirt. “What color is this? It’s so cool!”

“Indigo, I believe.”

“Not quite your favorite shade of purple--”

“You know my favorite shade?”

With a grin, Clark said, “It’s lavender, isn’t it?”

Lex shoved Clark playfully. “I do not wear lavender.”

“Yes, you do, there’s this one sweater—”

Lex tickled Clark’s ribs. “I assure you that there is no piece in my wardrobe that could be called lavender.”

Clark bent over giggling. “Okay, okay, I give up! You don’t wear lavender … often.”

“That’s it, farm boy, you’re toast!”

The clothes went flying up in the air, as Lex chased Clark around the changing room, until Clark’s back was pressed up against a mirror and Lex was firmly seated between his legs.

“Do you still believe I wear lavender, Clark?” Lex asked, raising one eyebrow in mock warning.

With a stifled laugh, Clark smoothed his face into a serious mask. “I’d kill the man who claimed you would wear such a girly color as lavender.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Lex leaned in and kissed Clark deep and hard. The boy gave out a mmphg sound of happiness and wrapped his arms around Lex’s back, plastering the older boy against his chest.

As their kiss broke for a moment, Clark shook Lex gently and said, “Now get naked, Lex. I want you naked now.”

“Hmmm, pushy, aren’t we? I thought you were going to help me—” Before Lex could complete the thought, his clothes were gone, even his socks were neatly balled and put in his shoes. “How did you … super speed, right.”

“Right.” Clark engulfed him in another hug, rubbing Lex’s body against his own like he was a plushy animal. “God, I love the touch of your skin against mine. It’s addictive.”

“I can see that,” Lex observed dryly even as he moaned a little with each stroke of Clark’s skin against his own. Lex’s hands started roaming over Clark’s chest, tracing the muscles’ dips and peaks, tweaking Clark’s nipples softly, making the boy groan and thrust them harder together.

“I’m getting aroused again, Lex,” Clark said softly.

“So am I, amazing as that is considering how hard I orgasmed not ten minutes ago. Much as I’d like to continue this--”

“Here probably isn’t the place. Yeah, I want to do this is bed tonight or at least on the couch. We have to christen that couch in the mansion, Lex! Do you know how many times I fantasized about you while we watched movies or just talked?”

Lex laughed and kissed him lightly on the lips, loving the taste of sweetness that was Clark’s mouth. “It’s probably only half as many times as I thought about it. But I didn’t stop with the couch, Clark. I want to do this on the couch, the floor, the kitchen island, the stairs, the pool, the cars—”

Lex’s list was broken off by Clark’s lips covering his and a frantic tongue tunneling into his mouth. “Lex! God, your voice … can’t keep talking like that if we were ever going to get out of here.”

“I suppose. Now I am so not looking forward to having dinner with Lucien tonight. It’s cutting into my ravaging time of you.”

“Yeah, well … I don’t think he would have let us get out of it anyway, do you?”

Lex frowned. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t.”

With regretful sighs, both parted. Lex felt Clark watch while he bent down and picked up the scattered clothing Maxime had picked out for him. It wasn’t too wrinkled hopefully. He jerked around with a startled yelp as he felt his ass pinched from behind. Clark, attempting to look innocent and failing utterly, was standing a chaste five feet away. With an evil smirk, Lex said, “Know this, farm boy, I keep mental records of all such offenses against my person and I will get revenge.”

“I hope that’s a promise, Lex.”

“You can count on it. Now try on some of these outfits. I’m dying to see you properly dressed … although you undressed is fast becoming my favorite look on you.”

“Going to keep me naked with only a purple collar around my neck in your bedroom or … since our home is a castle there must be a dungeon,” Clark laughed as he started trying on the silk boxers and tugging on a pair of dress pants.

Lex gave a more automatic smile. His mind flickered back to that awful image he’d had last night of keeping Clark with him just like that. The only part Clark had “missed” was the glowing meteor rocks. Clark looked up at him, his face puzzled by Lex’s sudden silence.

Lex pulled on his boxers and pants, hiding his face from Clark while he composed himself. ‘I won’t do that. I won’t hurt him. God, please, let me keep that promise. I will not let the Slither win.’ Clark’s fingers were suddenly tilting up his chin.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Clark asked.

“Nothing, I …”

Clark frowned at Lex’s uncertain tone. At that moment, Lex’s cell phone rang. ‘Saved by the bell.’ He flipped open the cell phone, his caller ID showing Chloe’s number. “Ms. Sullivan, already have news to report?”

“Lex! Thank god, you answered.”

Lex’s brow furrowed. “Chloe, what’s wrong? Has something happened?”

Her voice was rather breathless and she spoke too fast. “Yes ... fuck, yes ... I’m sorry, I’m ... a little freaked out right now.”

“What’s the matter?” Clark mouthed at him. Lex shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t know himself yet.

“Chloe, tell me what’s gone on.”

After taking a deep, shuddery breath, she explained, “Well, after we talked, I went right to work on looking up about that Arsay de’Fale Lucien guy and not a thing came up. But then when I typed in Arc of Fallen Light … the computer screen went black for a moment and the printer … it started printing out all this stuff.”

“Someone sending things through your phone line then--”

“No!” She gave out a hysterical little laugh that made the skin on Lex’s back crawl. “I ... I thought that at first, too. That someone was messing with me. So I unplugged the printer from the computer.”

“And it didn’t stop?”

Another giggle that chilled him. “It kept printing. So I unplugged it. Pulled the power cord out of the wall, but ... it kept going, Lex. Just chug chug chugging along. So you know what I did next?”

Lex clutched Clark’s forearms. “No, what did you do?”

“I pulled out the paper tray! I thought, now this damn thing can’t print. Without paper, it can’t print. But Lex ... oh, God, Lex, it ... it did. It printed out at least 100 more pages. The paper just fucking appeared! It appeared out of no where!”

Clark’s eyes were wide, he swallowed hard. Lex knew from the horrified expression on Clark’s face he heard Chloe’s statements.

“Chloe,” he said her name softly, calmly, trying to keep panic out of his voice. “What did it print out?”

“What you wanted, Lex. Exactly what you wanted. Loads of scholarly articles, old texts from obscure universities and museums all about him ... the Arc of Fallen Light.”

Lex shifted from foot to foot. He felt a deep frown come over his mouth. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I never should have asked you to do this. I didn’t know it would be so dangerous, so--”

“Don’t apologize! Don’t ... I live for this stuff. As soon as I calm down, I’ll think this is unbearably cool. Just right now ... I’m freaked. What’s worse is that reading some of this stuff has almost wigged me out as much as the possessed printer!”

Clark’s powerful hands were on Lex’s shoulders, he was peering intently at Lex’s face. Lex leaned forward and rested his forehead against Clark’s, needing the extra comfort from the touch. “Chloe, can you tell me the gist of what you found out?”

“Okay, sure, you need to know this if … god, I’m so flustered here.” She gulped something then came back on the line, sounding more calm and Lex wondered if it was something alcoholic she drank. “In a nutshell, the Arc of Fallen Light is … well, he’s a precursor.”

“A precursor to what?”

“To every evil god humankind has ever thought up. Ancient, ancient, ancient.”

Lex bit his lip. “Like the Devil?”

“Oh, he makes the Devil look like a choirboy, Lex.” She took another swallow and Lex was sure it was alcoholic as her voice slurred just slightly. “He’s not some wimpy fallen angel. He’s an equal with this other being, the Arc of Ascendant Light. Don’t let the names fool you, neither of them are good nor kind nor fuzzy. They might reward those that help them tip the balance, but—”

“The balance?”

“Classic fight of trying to swing the world one way or the other.”

Lex felt his stomach ice over. “How do they do that?”

“There are supposedly key people on each world that they fight over or … or destroy. These people are the ones that determine if the world goes one way or the other.”

“How do they win over these people to their side? Does it mention anything about … about children?” Lex shut his eyes and felt Clark’s grip on his tighten.

There was the sound of flipping pages. “No, nothing about that so far. What’s so fascinating to the scholars is that belief in these Arcs ever came about. No one really worships these guys. As far as these professors can tell, to the Arcs we’re all …just game pieces.”

“Game pieces?” Lex repeated, his voice sounding harsh to his own ears.

“Yeah, we’re nothing more than pawns to them. That’s what’s so weird to the scholars. Mostly gods are believed in so that people can explain why things go right or wrong or to ensure things go right for them but … the Arcs aren’t like that at all. There was nothing people could do to appease them. You could only hope or more like dread that you were one of the people important to their game.”

“Anything more, Chloe? About wolves or blue fire or …”

“No, but I’m only a quarter way through this stuff yet.” There was a loud silence. “Lex, please … please, tell me that this Arc of Fallen Light, isn’t real. I mean the printer acting like that ... it’s more than Smallville weird and that’s saying something!”

At that moment, Lex opened his eyes and let his gaze wander over to one of the mirrors in the dressing room. He wasn’t surprised by what he saw. He imagined that the Arc of Fallen Light was by his side at all times, he was just now being allowed to see it. And indeed in the reflection, he saw Arsay standing just behind him, wreathed in fire, a small smile on his lips, a hand placed possessively on Lex’s naked back. Clark gave a gasp and Lex realized Clark saw him, too.

Chloe’s voice was like a clarion bell as she said, “Lex, if the Arc of Fallen Light is real … please tell me that he hasn’t noticed you and Clark. Please tell me that you two aren’t … important to his game.”

The Arc of Fallen Light’s smile grew wider, the blue flames in the mercury eyes burning brighter. Lex realized quite clearly that he wasn’t able to answer Chloe the way she wanted.