Guardian Devil

Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made.

Pairing: Clark x Lex

Warning: Slash/AU

Rating: MA

Reviewers and Readers! Oh, hey, guys! Again my generous, outrageously happy thanks to all of you who reviewed. I know that reading close to if not over 200 pages (yes, my dear friends it has grown so large) isn't easy. Not to mention waiting for those pesky updates! So I thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you that have kept up and continue to let me know what you think. And since I'm greedy, I ask for more reviews yet from all of you.

Hints/Smut Alert: Well, here is the next chapter in this series in Clark's POV. The beginning is a bit of story then some smut (in a club no less, I love those Clex stories that involve clubs so I sent our boys to one) then some real real real important story. Guess what? We're almost to the climax. Yep, it's coming where everything is revealed and Lex makes his choice and we get to find out the results of that choice (some of them anyways!). But don't despair, once the last chapter for Guardian Devil is posted, the first chapter of my next Clex piece will be posted so ... if you like my version of the boys they'll be something else to follow.

Next chapter will be in Lex's POV and it will explain the dual meaning of the Guardian Devil title, we all obviously know one of those meanings, but the second one will become crystal clear. Lex has always assumed the first time he met the Arc was at Bruce's party, but was it ... And what are Martha and Lionel and the Arc of Ascendant Light up to?But's that's next chapter. Get on with reading this one!

Hugs and kisses!

Raythe:)

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CHAPTER 13: A FUTURE FORECLOSED

I grabbed Lex and dragged him to the other side of the dressing room away from the Arc of Fallen Light. But it did no good. Even though the mirror showed Lucien not touching Lex any more, I knew that in some way he still was, maybe always had been. The hunch of Lex’s shoulders as if tensing from the invisible touch told me he felt the same way.

Lex spoke calmly into the cell phone, “Chloe, I … I have to go right now. I … I want you to stop the investigation into the Arc of Fallen Light.”

Even though Lex’s voice was controlled, it was clear from the way he swallowed hard that he was frightened and I had never seen Lex afraid like this even when his life was on the line. I heard Chloe give a squawk of protest and Lex’s eyes shut and he tightened his grip on the slim cell phone. Lex continued in that horribly composed voice, “This is just too dangerous, Chloe. I don’t want anything happening to you—”

Chloe’s voice sounded tinny over the cell phone as she said, “No, Lex! If you are in this Arc’s gun sights you’re going to need as much info as there is. So you need me to do this. I’ll call you later with the results of my research.”

I could tell that she had hung up when Lex shut the cell phone. Suddenly, he spun on his heels to face Lucien in the mirror. Even clad only in skin tight boxer briefs, Lex looked regal and not to be messed with: his head was held high, his eyes were sparking with rage, his hands were fisting at his sides and his mouth was a tight line. I wanted to step between him and Lucien, but when I moved to do just that Lex waved me behind him. He blocked the sight of my nudity from the Arc with his own body. I was tempted to dress us both in super speed, but giving away my powers to the Arc didn’t sound wise even though I suspected he might know about them already. I put my hands on Lex’s shoulders to steady him in the confrontation.

“Lucien!” Lex growled.

“I thought we had gone beyond the formalities, Lex. You were calling me Arsay not too long ago.” Lucien’s stepped closer to Lex in the reflection, his long tapering fingers flexed by his sides as if he couldn’t bear to be near Lex without touching him.

Lex’s nostrils flared. “Perhaps I should just call you what you are. Precursor? Evil god? Makes the Devil look like a choir boy? Is any of this ringing a bell? I assume you sent that material to Chloe!”

Lucien pursed his lips. “Now why would I want to scare Ms. Sullivan like that? I told you I wanted to talk over dinner. All of this would have come up then. Having you find out about me like this is not conducive to logical conversation. The information is so … inflammatory.”

“But is it true?” I felt Lex’s shoulders tense beneath my fingers.

Lucien gave a negligent shrug. “Yes … and there are other things about me, too, perhaps more frightening things to you than what was sent to Ms. Sullivan. But once you understand … you won’t mind, Lex. Not really. Everything I showed you in that dream and so much more will be yours if you choose me.”

I wondered about this dream of Lex’s. He had spoken briefly about it, but no details. It had been the slightly wistful expression on his face when he talked about it that had surprised me. Lex longed for whatever it was he had been shown. A father that loved him. Power that would keep us safe from Lionel … from everyone. But if the Arc of Fallen Light was evil, could he love? Would he offer such protection even if it was his to give?

“So who sent Chloe that information … ah, wait, of course, the Arc of Ascendant Light did. Your counterpart, right? The one that set up the rules with you?”

“Yes, on all counts. She wants to frighten you away from choosing me even though the alternative …” Lucien broke off and his slivery eyes looked down at the ground. “The alternative will not be acceptable to you, Lex. We need to talk … but not here. Since my counterpart has chosen to bend the rules to the breaking point I intend to do the same. Jonathan Kent awaits you outside with a gun and a meteorite. Not terribly original of him, but effective.”

I felt myself pale. Did Lucien understand about the significance of the meteorite? Just the thought of Jonathan being outside made my palms sweat. I used my x-ray vision to see the front of the store, but he wasn’t visible out there, perhaps he was hiding in an alleyway. I swallowed hard. I also peeked through the back of the store, but found no one visible.

Lex’s voice became cooler. “Is there a safe way out of the store?”

“Your best bet is to go through the alleyway out back. Once you get outside, you must go as swiftly as you can to a club called Equinox. That is one of my safe havens.”

“Equinox is your club?” Lex asked with a raised eyebrow.

With a depreciating smile, Lucien answered, “Yes.”

“And how do we know that this isn’t all just a trap?” I asked.

Lucien laughed bitterly, “If I was just allowed to take Lex, make him mine, I would have done so already. Lex must choose me. Harming him is not in my best interest … nor do I wish him to be hurt. So you needn’t worry.” Lucien’s eyes fixed on Lex and there was such gentleness in that expression. He said softly, “I wasn’t lying, Lex, when I said that I was looking for a child of my soul. You are everything I’ve been looking for in a son.”

Lex’s eyes narrowed and I felt the tremor go through him. “Is that supposed to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? That the precursor of every evil god people have feared wants me as his son?”

Lucien’s brow puckered and the corners of his mouth turned down. “I think you understand deep down that being my son, the son of an evil god, is preferable to being Lionel’s. I just have to show you that not only will you benefit from having a new parent but those that you care about will benefit, too. Maybe even the whole world.” Lucien shook his long mane of hair behind his shoulders and said, “But there is no time to talk of this now. You must go.”

As soon as Lucien stopped speaking, I felt like someone punched me the gut. That was the first sign that a meteorite was close. My hands slid from Lex’s shoulders as I hunched over. He turned around to see what was wrong, concern etched on his handsome face.

“Clark, what is it?”

“Meteorite … nearby and getting closer.”

“Jonathan … damnit! Let’s get out of here.”

Lex glanced back over to the mirror as he quickly pulled on some pants, but Lucien was gone. He shook his head in disbelief and gave me a crooked smile.

“You know, if for nothing else, I’m grateful to Smallville for making talking to an evil god in our underwear almost normal.”

“Nothing can really surprise you when you’ve known a girl that sucks the fat out of people.”

“Quite.”

I tried to use super speed, but I couldn’t seem to access it. My body was alternately hot then freezing. Jonathan must have a large chunk of Kryptonite to make me feel this sick. I tried to get to the rack of clothes, but I felt so ill I only made it a few faltering steps before I had to stop and rest. Lex turned worried eyes on me and was by my side in moments, bracing me up.

“I’m sorry, Lex, I feel so sick.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll help you. I didn’t realize how bad it was. He must have a carload of the stuff out there if it can effect you in here.”

Lex went over and began sorting through the clothing on the racks: picking out black pants, silk boxers, a thin blue sweater, thick white socks, shoes and a short black winter coat for me to wear. With Lex’s help, I was able to get dressed. I couldn’t even enjoy his hands on me. But the warmth of his presence helped me to endure the sickness. Finally, Lex was opening the door to the dressing room and we stepped out into the main store. His eyes darted to the glass windows at the front of the shop. I saw Jonathan, lurking in the alleyway across the street. Lucien had not been lying. I caught Lex’s gaze and he nodded curtly. He had seen Jonathan as well. I concentrated on standing upright and not puking.

Maxime was sailing towards us, arms extended, “But why is the boy dressed? We must try on the suits.”

Lex put up a placating hand. “We’ll have them tailored another time. Clark isn’t feeling well.”

Considering I looked like death warmed over, she didn’t press us to stay. “Well … would you like to purchase any of the clothing at this time?”

“All of it. We want all of it. Charge it to my account and just send everything to the Castle in Smallville. Okay, Maxime? You and Georges have been wonderful.”

Her eyes brightened and she became more effusive than before. There had been no tags on the clothes to tell me how much they cost, but I had a feeling it was more money than the Kents made in a quarter. The sweater I was wearing was sinfully soft and everything just seemed to fit better on me than anything ever had. Lex was right that quality clothes were … well, quality.

“Ah, one more thing, Maxime,” Lex said as he gently began steering her towards the back of the store. “Do you have a back exit? We’d like to use that.”

“But of course. Although it leads into a rather nasty alley.”

“That’s fine.”

She had made enough money that day I guessed to keep her from asking why we wanted to leave by a nasty alleyway when we’d entered from the street. We were slipping out the back in no time with a fond farewell from the two clothiers. Lex wrapped an arm around my waist and practically carried me down the alleyway. He glanced backwards a few times, but when no one appeared behind us, he gave me a small smile. I felt the effects of the meteorite receding.

“Lex, I still feel too sick to use my powers.”

“It’ll be okay, Clark. Equinox isn’t that far from here.”

“I take it you’ve been there before?”

“Just once. It’s quite a place. You can lose yourself utterly. I went soon after I moved to Smallville. But I found I no longer liked feeling that out of control so I never went back. Until now, that is.”

“What are we going to do? I mean about Lucien and the other Arc and everything.”

Lex chewed on his lower lip. “I don’t know. But we have to keep moving and get as much information as we can about the situation and the parties involved.”

“You can never have too much information, right, Lex?” I teased him as the effects of the meteorite completely faded.

I could finally walk well enough on my own, but I still leaned on Lex lightly just for the contact. He gave me his trademark smirk in reply and the world felt like it settled back on its axis. No matter how weird things got so long as Lex was Lex, it would be okay.

“There’s the entrance to the club.” Lex pointed to this single black door in the middle of a brick building with no windows, no signs, just a blank facade except for the door.

“This is an exclusive club?”

“Believe me the more nondescript the club the hotter it is and the more exclusive it is. Equinox is all that and more.”

“It’s a Sunday afternoon, the club will be closed … but I suppose Lucien will have left the door open for us or something.”

“Equinox is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Don’t ask me how he got around the zoning laws, but then again he is a god ... well, I guess that explains it. Losing track of time inside is easy. Five hours seem like five minutes and I imagine some people don’t leave for days.”

“Days?”

Lex shrugged. “There’s no reason to leave. Everything you could ever want is in there. Booze, alcohol, the finest food and … tons of sex of any kind, any variety. So long as you have the money to play you can stay.”

“Why am I not surprised that the Arc of Fallen Light owns a club like this?”

Lex smiled and tightened his grip on my waist. “Stay close to me once we’re inside. It’s … confusing in there somehow. Just like time slips by you in there, its easy to get lost, too.”

I nodded as we approached the door. Lex raised a hand to knock, but the door opened before his knuckles touched it. I expected to see an impressively sized bouncer standing there to greet us, wearing sunglasses and a tight t-shirt to show off his muscles. Instead a slip of a girl, almost fairylike in her slimness, stood there in a light pink baby doll dress, so shear she could have been naked for all it hid. She raised one hand to her lips to stifle a giggle. Her eyes were almost violet colored and glassy. She blinked as if the light from the weak winter sun was too bright for her.

“Oh!” She swayed a moment. “Are you looking to fall?”

Lex glanced over at me. I could tell by the way a vein pulsed in his temple that he had no desire to answer such an odd questions. I had the insane urge to just bodily lift her up and set her aside so we could pass by.

Lex cleared his throat and said, “Actually we’re here to see Arsay de’Fale Lucien. He’s expecting us.”

Her violet eyes grew focused and almost sharp as a grin alighted on her face. “Oh, so then you must already be fallen.”

“Did he tell you to take us to him?” I asked her, but she didn’t even acknowledge me just continued grinning at Lex in that too bright way.

“Hmmm, not going to answer the question, are you? Then do get out of our way,” Lex stated and gently though forcefully pushed past the girl.

Any urge I had to apologize for Lex’s abruptness left when I looked down at her as we passed. She was giving Lex’s back a hungry look, an almost feral look. I purposefully stood in front of her and blocked her view of my lover. She actually growled and looked up balefully at me with those violet eyes.

“He shouldn’t be yours!” she snarled. “You’re not even one of us. Why should you get him? Why should you have our Master’s light?”

“What are you talking about?” I asked her.

Before she answered, Lex was calling for me to keep up with him, reminding me how easy it was to get lost. Even though I outweighed the waif by at least double, and was invulnerable to any physical attack she might make, I was still grateful to get away from her. Something wasn’t right about her. Wasn’t right, at all.

Music pulsed all around us, but not too loud that I couldn’t hear Lex speaking to me as he directed us towards the bar to ask after Lucien’s whereabouts. “Where is Lucien when you need him? He’s always popping up when we don’t, but now he’s nowhere to be seen.”

“He must want us to look around for him. Or maybe he’s not here yet?”

Lex spoke to the bartender, asking for Lucien, leaving me to look around at the club. My impression of the interior of Equinox was of huge space yet at the same time I felt claustrophobic from the crush of people and the darkness that seemed to cling to the walls and corners. The main room went up three stories and was ringed by balconies. Velvet fabric in dark jewel tones lined the walls, covering doorways, which were only revealed as someone pushed their way through the heavy material or when a stray breeze stirred the fabric revealing a low-lit hallway beyond.

Most of the first level was a dance floor covered in swaying bodies, so tightly packed it looked like they all had to dance in unison in order to move at all. Flashes of colored light would highlight one part of the dance floor then another. A sculpted chest or firm breasts or a curtain of hair would be washed in a flare of crimson, gold or amber light then the lights would fade altogether and there was only darkness before the lights would click on again. I stumbled forward against Lex’s back. He reached around and grabbed my hand. I held tight.

“I told you this place is … disconcerting. Bartender said he hadn’t seen Lucien today, but also said that didn’t mean he isn’t here. So the question is whether we search for him or let him come to us.”

“Like you said before he only lets us find him when he wants us to. Maybe we could … I don’t know … sit down or something?”

“There look to be some free couches over at the far wall. Let’s go there.”

Lex kept hold of my hand as we crossed the room. He rubbed a thumb over my knuckles and I walked more closely behind him as we skirted the edge of the dance floor. I had the conflicting urge to hide behind Lex while at the same time cradle him close to my body. The urge to cradle … no, to crush him to me and roar that he was mine, grew stronger when I realized the looks he was getting. From men and women alike he was observed with that same hunger that the door girl had.

I found myself baring my teeth at one man, muscled, slick with sweat from dancing and wearing only a collection of tight leather straps across his chest, groin and legs as clothing. He had the audacity to reach to touch Lex’s shoulder. When Lex saw the intended touch, he just turned and stared at the man full on. The man’s hand faltered then lowered and the fool slunk back into the gyrating crowd. By one look alone, the man had known that Lex was not to be touched, and it had nothing to do with me hulking there acting like a caveman. It had been the force of Lex’s personality alone, one look to convey to the interloper that he would die a dreadful death if he so much as brushed the hem of Lex’s coat that had sent the man scurrying away. I couldn’t have felt prouder to belong to and with someone like Lex.

“You showed him,” I said with a laugh.

Lex leaned up and kissed me … no more like claimed me. As his soft lips nipped and sucked and delved into me, I forgot where we were, forgot my own name. His mouth over mine was so soft and wet and warm. I had to taste more of him. With my free hand I cupped the back of his head, running my fingers over the bump that fascinated me. Then I mapped the interior of his mouth. He sucked and rasped my tongue with his teeth and took over the kiss again. His wrapped one hand around my neck and adjusted the angle of our kiss to suit him. Though he was shorter by a few inches, I found myself curling down to fit my head under his chin after the kiss ended. He breathed in my hair and pressed kisses against my temple.

“Only you may touch me like that. Only you, Clark.”

I tightened my hold on his hand to let him know how appreciative I was for that statement. I had never known I was a jealous, possessive creature until that moment though I should have guessed considering how I hated everyone who got any of Lex’s attention other than me since the day we met. Hell, I hated everyone who had ever touched him, had ever gotten a smile from him, or a rare laugh before we knew each other. Lex was mine. Mine. I mouthed a spot on the silky flesh of his neck and sucked hard enough to leave a bruise

“Marking me are you?” Lex chuckled.

“Maybe.”

“I don’t mind, Clark. I am yours after all.”

“And I’m yours, Lex.”

“Yes.” A harder kiss pressed to my temple. “Yes, you are.”

He dragged me over to one of the low couches. We settled down, our sides pressed together, one of his hands lingered high on my thigh, squeezing and releasing and rubbing. I had to shift to hide my growing erection. A waitress, her brown hair done up almost like Chloe’s wearing a tight yet discrete black dress approached with a bottle of champagne. She set it in front of us with two glasses that looked so fragile I was afraid to touch them.

“We didn’t order this. We didn’t order anything,” I told her.

She smiled. “It’s for you nevertheless. Compliments of the house.”

“Is Lucien here?” Lex asked her as she uncorked the bottle.

Her eyes flickered up to meet his and the easy, open smile she had before became … secretive and pleased. “I have not had the pleasure of seeing him today, but I know he is expecting you. The Master has told us of you so that we would act appropriately once you came here.”

“The Master?” Lex’s right eyebrow rose slightly.

She poured the golden liquid into the glasses, careful not to let it overflow. “Yes. The Master. Your father.”

“He isn’t my father,” Lex interrupted her coolly.

There was a flicker of some emotion across her face. “Of course. Yes, as you say.” Then she turned to go, but just as she was out of earshot, I heard her add, “But he will be.”

“What is with these people? First that crazy girl at the door and now the mystical waitress?” I groused.

“Chloe told me the Arcs didn’t have followers, but these people sure do act like they worship him.”

Lex shrugged off his coat and I did the same. The club wasn’t hot, but it was too warm for outerwear. I slid my arm around Lex’s shoulders drawing him close. He pillowed his head against my shoulder and let out a contented sigh.

“I can’t get enough of this … of you,” he said. “I mean to go from having to watch every move I made and every look I gave you to being able to touch and kiss you. I’ve never had it this good, Clark. It sort of … terrifies me.”

“I know what you mean. It keeps hitting me that we’re together. Really together and I won’t have to go back to the farm and have Jonathan … well, that I never have to leave you.” I nuzzled the top of Lex’s head, placing feather-light kisses. “I suppose after that big kiss earlier we had we aren’t pretending to just be guardian and ward in here, right?”

Lex leaned his head back so that he could nibble the line of my jaw. “I think we’re safe in here. These people are … enthralled by the Arc or something. And besides … I can’t sit here and not touch you. Do you know how long I’ve wanted to take you to a club?”

With a grin, I said, “Since the day we met?”

He laughed and nipped my jaw playfully. “Almost. I admit I wanted to take you to bed since the moment I laid eyes on you, but I wanted to dance with you since oh … you returned the truck.”

I looked up at the swirl of people. They were just swaying to the music, nothing too difficult, so I thought I could probably do the same. Besides Lex had just said he wanted to dance with me and I could grant that wish.

“So, Lex, do you want to dance now?”

The smile he gave me was incandescent. “I thought I would have to liquor you up to get you on the dance floor.”

“Well, considering I’m going to probably step on your feet or send you crashing to the ground, I don’t know that you’ll be all that grateful for my easy acquiescence later. But maybe a little alcohol would help us both get through it.”

I leaned forward and took the fragile crystal flute and downed the cold champagne in one swallow. It was tart and crisp and good. Lex followed suit and drank his off in one gulp as well. I offered him my hand to lead him to the dance floor. He grasped it and ended up pulling me along after him. Not that it was a surprise that he took charge. I guess the real surprise was how much I realized I liked him doing it. I could be strong with him and for him, but I also could be weak and let him take care of things for me. It felt … good and safe, things I hadn’t experienced since Jonathan started to hurt me. It felt like love.

“We aren’t really dressed for clubbing, are we?” I said as he spun around and put his hands on my waist.

“We’re not in traditional club clothes, no, but you look so fucking beautiful Clark that it doesn’t matter.”

“You do, too, Lex. You’re stunning. Take my breath away,” I told him and he gave me a small smile and actually ducked his head a little. I knew I had seen more of the soft underbelly of Lex Luthor in two days than I had observed in a whole year of friendship.

The indigo of his silk shirt seemed to morph as the lights from above hit him changing from blue to purple to almost black in an instant. He started to move his body in a sultry sway, drawing mine into the same rhythm by guiding my hips with his hands.

“Just let go, Clark. Close your eyes and listen to my voice and the music. Don’t think of anything else. Just … move to it.”

I always had to be so careful about my strength that I held myself awkwardly, tripped, fumbled, fell, jerked. Graceful would never describe my movements or so I thought. But I did as Lex commanded and shut my eyes and … let go.

“So beautiful,” Lex breathed in my ear then licked and nipped at the lobe. “God, Clark, I wish you could see yourself. This is just a taste of the grace you’ll have when you’re fully-grown. And I’ll be there to see it all: to see you go from colt to stallion.”

“Enough of the horse analogies, Lex!”

“What, you don’t want to be a stud?”

I started laughing almost hysterically and opened my eyes. The laughter died and only desire remained as I met his gaze: piercing me as if I weren’t invulnerable at all. Lex was moving with me and I wrapped my arms around him lightly almost like a protective cage for him to dance in. He shimmied up against me, moving his body perfectly in tune with mine and the deep bass rhythm of the music that pulsed and beat through the air. It didn’t take long before I was achingly hard as I felt the press of his hot groin brushing against mine. I leaned down to capture his mouth for a kiss and he seemed to flow up into it. His hands gripped my shoulders, squeezed my biceps, then trailed down my chest until they hooked in the front of my pants. My breathing hitched.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” Lex said, but he didn’t let go of my pants.

“You’re right.” My voice sounded small and hoarse.

I licked my lips and he mimicked the action, a predatory gleam lighting his eyes. He started to pull me off the dance floor back towards our sofa.

“Are you hard for me, angel?”

“Yes.”

“Aching?”

“God, yes, Lex!”

I whimpered as his fingers dove down the front of my pants and just brushed the tip of my leaking cock. I felt the press of the couch against my back of my calves. He leaned forward, his lips so close to mine that I was taking in his breath with each inhale.

“Do you want me to suck you off right here, Clark?”

My knees went like Jello at his husky whisper, but I managed to gasp out, “No.”

“What?” Lex looked lost. “You don’t want me to—”

“No, because I’m going to blow you.”

Lex actually stopped moving when I said it. His eyes went impossibly wide as I turned him around and pushed him gently down on the couch. Then I sank down on my knees before him and started undoing his belt. His hands hovered above mine at his waist, as if he wanted to grab them or swat them away.

“Clark … you don’t have to.”

“I know,” I said as I undid the button to his pants.

“This might not be … I don’t want you to feel dirty or used … this is only your second time and …”

I grabbed Lex’s hips to get his attention. The music seemed like a low roar, yet we could still hear each other perfectly. Something was strange about the acoustics in this place, but I wasn’t going to figure it out right then. I had something important to say.

“I could never feel any of those things with you, Lex. With you I could do … would do … anything and so long as you loved me it would be all right. I want to do this. I want to please you. Let me.”

His eyes shut for a moment, but then he nodded and let his hands flop down onto the couch. I had finally figured out why he had been insisting on blowing me at both the penthouse and the dressing room earlier and hadn’t let me do the same for him. He didn’t want me to feel like he had with those men his father made him see. I knew he liked sex, but I also knew that he had a lot of understandable luggage associated with it.

“Still we really shouldn’t be doing this now considering the circumstances,” he said weakly as he watched me unzip his pants.

I quirked him a smile as I eased open his pants and pulled out his shirt, pushing the material up so I had a clear view of his muscled stomach and boxers. I said, “Oh, c’mon, Lex, why the concern about letting our guard down? After all, we’re only in a club filled with potential religious fanatics, in the middle of some ancient war between two gods, with Jonathan stalking us with a gun and a meteorite, not to mention whatever the hell Lionel and Martha are plotting to do to us. I mean really, what’s there to fear?”

He was snickering halfway through my monologue. “Right you are, Clark. Nothing to worry about at all. When I think about it, this is hardly different from any other day except for the fact that I haven’t been knocked unconscious and you’re going to give me head. It’s the last part that makes this day different … extraordinary, something I’ll mark on my calendar.”

His eyes burned into mine as I leant down and nuzzled his cock through the silken material. He gasped and his hips bucked up a little. There was already a wet spot on the front of the fabric that grew larger as I blew warm breath over the head of his dick. Knowing that his cock was already leaking precum, I moved away from it and traced the skin above the top of the boxers with my tongue, loving how his stomach muscles jerked and strained against the caress.

“Where did you learn to be such a tease, Clark?” His voice cracked a little.

I chuckled against his quivering stomach and tongue fucked his belly button. He gave a startled shout that he bit down on at the last minute.

“I just want this to last, Lex. This is what happens when you don’t let me touch you for any length of time. I need to savor … to draw it out until you’re begging for it.”

“I’ll never beg, angel.”

I looked up at Lex’s face, the slight flush that covered his high cheekbones, the brightness in his eyes, and saw the challenge there.

“Oh, really, Lex? Do you want to make a wager on that?”

A small smile graced lips that begged to be kissed. “Maybe.”

“What will you give me if you beg?”

“Hmmm, another truck?”

I laughed. “Nuh uh. Unlike some people, I know, I only need one vehicle, Lex.” I leaned up and pressed my mouth against his ear and said in the lowest, huskiest voice I could manage, “How about if you beg then you have to take my cherry before the end of the week?”

I felt a whole body shiver go through him.

“And if I don’t beg, angel, what do I get then?” His tongue slipped into my ear and I clutched him to me.

My higher brain functions fled. “Uhm … you get to take my cherry before the end of the week?”

He leaned back against the couch, licked his lips and regarded me with hooded eyes. “Seems like a win-win situation to me. I’ll take this wager, Clark.”

I swallowed as I looked at him. With his shirt hiked up to reveal a swath of alabaster skin, his pants undone and his erection tenting his boxers, Lex looked like some kind of carnal vision.

“God, Lex, you look like sex personified right now.”

He laughed and opened his legs more, striking an even more wanton pose. “I only look this way because you drive me insane with need, Clark.”

I was glad our couch was in the corner of the club, out of sight of most of the dance floor. I didn’t want to share this vision of Lex with anyone. Part of me wanted to bundle him back into his clothes, button up his shirt to the top button, and wrap him in thick coats to block anyone from knowing that there was a lean, muscled form hidden underneath. But the desire to taste him and have him tremble was too much for me to resist.

I sank back down to the floor, so that I was kneeling again between Lex’s legs. I knew this pose excited him and the harsh exhale he gave as I looked up at him from under my bangs submissively was confirmation. I had figured out that he had a bit of a master/slave complex and I had no problem playing his love slave. It didn’t really require much acting. The thought that I was genetically programmed to please my chosen lover again flashed through my mind, but this time I didn’t care if it was true. Any advantage I could get to please Lex, make him happy, I would grasp and nurture for all it was worth.

I reached for the top of his boxers and began to pull them down. He lifted up his hips to help free them. As the rosy head of his sex peaked out from the top of the boxers I stopped pulling the briefs off and trapped the head between his belly and the briefs with the elastic band. He whimpered.

“Clark, what are you doing?”

“It looks so beautiful like that … restrained. I wonder what it’ll feel like when its not restrained, when you use it to spear me to the bed, when it releases your cum deep inside of me.”

Lex trembled. I felt my own cock jump and push against the zipper of my new pants at the image of what I’d described to him.

“The deal was that I get to take your cherry either way, right? Even if I … oooooh, you … you … oh, fuck, I can’t think when you do that!”

Lex’s reaction came from me touching the leaking slit of his dick with my fingers and bringing them to my mouth to lick off Lex’s essence. I closed my eyes as the salty, bitter Lexian flavor flooded my mouth. I moaned with the taste. The rush of heat that went through me made me wonder if I would need Lex’s cum as much as I needed the sun’s warmth and light to live.

“Do you know what you look like on your knees before me, licking your fingers clean of my seed … do you have any idea?” Lex’s voice was hoarse.

“Does it please you, Lex?”

He couldn’t answer me, at least coherently, because at that moment I took the revealed head of Lex’s cock into my mouth and sucked hard, while my hands trailed up to his nipples and twisted them. His hands scrabbled against my back then fisted in my hair. I noticed he was careful not to grab or pull too hard, even though it wouldn’t have hurt me. More cum pooled on my tongue and I felt his organ jerk.

“Fuck, Clark! Damnit! You beautiful fucking farmboy! Love you! Want you! Oh, please! Don’t stop! Don’t you dare stop!”

I released the head of his dick, leaving it wet and red against his pale stomach. “That sounded suspiciously like begging, Lex. Have I won the bet?”

Lex’s breath was coming in deep, harsh gasps. He framed my face with his hands pulling me up into a frantic kiss. It was my turn to whimper and grind against his legs and the couch as my erection went crazy with Lex’s mouth on mine. I fumbled with my hands to open my pants and draw out my dick. I didn’t want to cum in my new clothes. The cool club air on my cock made it jerk and harden even more. The thought that I was hanging out in public wasn’t even enough to damp down my excitement. Finally, Lex released me from the kiss as he needed to breathe. His eyes were black with desire, his lips were swollen and red and wet. I couldn’t stop looking at them, but when I went to kiss them again, he held my head in place.

“You’ve won, Clark. You’ve won me fucking you into oblivion. Loving you so hard and deep that even your invulnerable body will ache for days afterwards. Now for god’s sake … blow me!”

I grinned and freed his beautiful cock from its silk prison.

“Your hands … those are your hands on me … finally, god, finally …” Lex moaned.

“I’m touching you, Lex. It’s my mouth that’s gonna be around your cock in just a second. Your cum is gonna pour down my throat. I need that, Lex. I need you.”

“Please, do it, Clark. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to last very long if you don’t do it now.”

I engulfed about one third of his cock at first. He rocketed up and the whole of his dick slid effortlessly down my throat. I could feel him trying to draw back, the tension thrummed in him as he believed that he’d hurt me or that I hadn’t wanted it. I grabbed his hips, hard enough to bruise, to keep him from pulling out. Finally, he relaxed and didn’t fight me. He whimpered instead.

My nose was pressed up against the soft, soft skin at the base of his cock that I couldn’t seem to get enough of. It was so sexy, so sleek, so Lex. That sensitive, hairless skin that no one else would ever get to see or touch now, but me. I used my throat muscles to squeeze his dick as I moved up and down on his shaft. Lex was practically hunched over me, his hands in my hair again, keening as I sucked and licked and swallowed around his cock.

“Oh, Clark … god, god, god … can’t hold out. Can’t deny you. Love you so fucking much think I’m gonna die from it!”

Lex began to shake before I felt his cream spurt down my throat in gorgeous waves. I let most of it go down my throat before I pulled off until only the head of Lex’s dick was in my mouth so I could taste the last rushes of semen. His cinnamon, earthy flavor flooded my taste buds. So rich … so right. Lex was completely boneless as he lay half covering me. I carefully helped him sit upright again. He sprawled back on the couch, his eyes at half-mast, mouth slightly parted. He tried to pull me up into his arms, but didn’t have the strength. I was still achingly hard and didn’t want to risk cumming all over him. I grabbed the towel that was wrapped around the neck of the champagne bottle and began to jerk myself off into it. When Lex realized what I was doing he grabbed my hands, stilling them.

“No,” he said softly. “You never need do that alone again. Let me.”

He had me get up on the couch beside him and grasped my dick with skilled hands. He pulled and squeezed and stroked until I was a writhing mass of need. He used the towel to catch my cum as it shot out of me. I practically screamed as I came, the sensation was so intense of having his hands on me. He wiped me clean and tucked me back into my pants before doing the same for himself. He leaned forward, filled our glasses with the still chilled champagne. He handed one to me. We clinked glasses and drank them down, again not in the prescribed fashion of sips, but in long swallows.

“That was … so beautiful, Clark. What you did for me … then watching you come … amazing. Thank you.”

I leaned over and kissed him gently. “Any time. I should be the one thanking you for letting go, for letting me please you then taking care of me as always.”

He brushed his lips against mine, a softness in his expression that told me my words had finally hit that dark part of him that just ached to be filled with light.

“Love you, angel.”

“Same here, Lex. You’re everything to me.”

I put the empty glass down and laid my head on Lex’s lap and let out a sigh. He threaded his fingers through my hair. It felt so good. His fingers trailed down to my neck and stopped moving abruptly. My eyes, that had been drooping shut, flew open as I felt, what he felt. There was a band around my neck. One that hadn’t been there before. I felt Lex working at it with his fingers.

“Sit up a minute, Clark.”

I did. His eyes were riveted to whatever was around my throat. His hands fluttered up to it.

“Lex, what is it?”

His eyes were huge and I saw him swallow hard. His lower lip trembled as he reached and grasped whatever it was around my neck. I felt it loosen and fall off as Lex tugged at it. He held it between us. It was a ribbon. A purple ribbon that had been tied around my neck. The hand that held the ribbon began to shake.

“No, this can’t be!” he cried. There was pure terror and self-hate in his eyes. “I wouldn’t … won’t … oh, no, won’t do that to Clark! NO!”

“Lex? What’s wrong? My god, what’s wrong, baby?”

Suddenly, he was on his feet and running from me, winding his way through the dancing crowd that acted like a snake eating its own tail.

“Lex, stop!”

I was up and after him, using x-ray vision to keep his skeleton in view as he hared it across the dance floor. I used a touch of super speed to follow. I had no idea what was wrong, but he had behaved strangely when I’d mentioned a purple ribbon in the dressing room before. The haunted, horrified look in his eyes as he held the ribbon spurred me to use more speed to chase him. Where the hell had that ribbon come from? Some part of the promises made in the dream Lucien sent or perhaps the Arc of Ascendant Light was sending Lex some kind of terrible message?

Lex flew through one of the velvet covered openings and was heading down a dimly lit hallway. He threw himself through another doorway. I felt a rush of relief when I realized it lead to a room with no other exits. He was spinning around in the middle of the room, looking for another way out, still clutching the ribbon in one hand when I got to him. When he saw me, he took a few steps back and stood staring at me like a wild, frightened animal.

“Lex!” I reached forward with my palms upwards to be as non-threatening as possible. “Please tell me what’s wrong! Why are you running from me?”

“It’s you that should be running from me! You shouldn’t … I’m not … oh, fuck, fuck, fuck … why is this happening?”

“Tell me what this is all about? Lex, please let me help you.”

He held his head in his hands. “You can’t help me, Clark. What’s wrong with me! How can I be like this now? I love you … I wouldn’t …”

“Then you wouldn’t. Whatever this is, you wouldn’t do it.”

“But I could. I know I could. This …” he held the ribbon out to me with a sick, tortured smile, “maybe this means I will.”

The room we were in was dim, but light enough for me to see there wasn’t any furniture in it, just a square room without any seeming purpose. The walls were covered in black velvet, the coverings rustled and swayed in a non-existent breeze. Then one of the walls, just behind Lex, suddenly became as bright as day. Lex whipped around to face the light. The wall was gone and in its place was … a movie screen or something. Only the film it played looked so real, as if we could step forward and walk right into whatever place was being shown.

What it showed was a bright, summer day in Metropolis. I could see Luthor Corp.’s Tower hulking in the background and another even bigger building behind it that I didn’t recognize. The view showed the rooftop of a slightly smaller building. And on it was Lex. He was dressed all in black. His pale skin looked even whiter by contrast. The “camera” swooped downwards and forward so that the view of him grew closer until we could clearly see the expression on his face.

“Oh, God, what …” I started to say but stopped.

The Lex in the “film” was smirking so coldly. The film-Lex’s eyes sparked with anger, an almost incandescent rage, as he gazed at someone off screen.

“So, Superman, took time out of your busy schedule of rescuing the herd animals to come see me?”

Lex flinched as he heard his own voice so twisted with hate it almost wasn’t recognizable as his. Something about the cadence though was familiar.

A booming, low voice came from the unseen adversary of the film-Lex, “Luthor! What terrible thing are you planning now?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know, alien scum!” The film-Lex spat and I was the one to flinch. There was only one alien on Earth that Lex knew: me.

Lex whispered, “The Slither.”

And then I knew why the cadence of the voice was familiar, it reminded me a bit of how Lex had talked earlier when he spoke about Martha and her plans for me. He had called it the Luthor Slither. One look at film-Lex’s eyes and I realized that this man was the living embodiment of the Slither.

Film-Lex’s opponent finally was revealed on screen in all his red, blue and yellow glory. It was me. Me in a hideous spandex outfit, hands on my hips, legs planted firmly, towering over the slighter man who didn’t look intimidated by the display at all. I was dressed as a comic book superhero including the billowing red cape to boot. I would have laughed except that the look on film-Lex’s face was almost disfiguring in its disgust as he regarded the film-me. I never could have believed that Lex could look at me like that. I withered inside and I saw the real Lex stumble back from the film version of himself. I pulled myself together and wrapped my arms around him chest, drawing him protectively against my own. He didn’t struggle. He clutched at me as if the vision on the “screen” could suck him in and make that horror real.

Film-Lex smiled and opened his hand to reveal a slim black remote with one silver button. “This,” he said softly, mockingly, “this is wired to explosives at key points in the city. One touch of this button and … boom! It starts off a chain reaction. You’ll never be able to get to them all in time.”

I saw my film-self’s expression harden: mouth thinning into a tight, white line, eyes narrowing into slits as he regarded film-Lex. I knew he was gauging whether he could grab the remote before the button was pressed.

“Oh, Superman, don’t bother with trying using your super speed to get the remote. It’s designed so that if it leaves my hands … among other eventualities … the explosions begin.” With an obscenely gleeful laugh, film-Lex added, “So have I got your attention now … Clark?”

Real-Lex shuddered in my arms and I heard him give a disgusted cry at his film-self’s actions. I tightened my hold on him, pressed my lips to the back of his skull, to reassure him that what we were seeing wasn’t real … wasn’t us.

The film-me’s only reaction was a slight widening of the eyes. “Why don’t you tell me what you want, Luthor, in order to avoid the deaths of countless of innocents?”

“What do I always want? What have I always asked for … besides the truth, which even I know you can’t give not even for the lives of millions. C’mon Clark, you tell me what I want!” Film-Lex sauntered over to the edge of the rooftop. He stood up on ledge and peered over. “You must have gotten over your fear of heights to fly or are you still afraid of falling, Clark?”

“Luthor, just tell me what you want! I’m sick of your games. Your madness—”

That had been a mistake to say obviously as film-Lex’s head whipped around to face film-me. His lips were pulled back from his teeth in what looked like a snarl.

“How dare you say that I’m crazy! You’re the one who tried to make me believe all those things I knew about your powers were lies … things I made up in my head! But they weren’t! You conspired with my father to put me away! But there’s nothing wrong with my mind! NOTHING!”

But the light in film-Lex’s eyes clearly made that a lie.

“I … he’s … insane,” Lex said. “God, he’s totally fucking insane.”

Just at that moment, there was the sound of a helicopter in the background. A television crew was filming the showdown between super villain and superhero. I felt sick, because that was clearly what it was, like out of one of Lex’s Warrior Angel comic books. A blast of air from the helicopter’s blades hit film-Lex as he was precariously perched on the ledge of the rooftop. It blew him backwards off the roof. His arms pin-wheeled and he dropped from sight below the roof line. Film-me was in flight and after him too fast to see. The next moment that the “film” showed was Lex being carried by film-me. Film-Lex’s eyes no longer had the madness in them, they were almost cloudy. He blinked up at film-me. One hand extended and touched my film-self’s cheek.

“Clark?” He asked so softly, so uncertain.

“Lu … Lex?” The booming voice my film-self had been using was gone as he said that name, he sounded more like me. “Lex, is that … are you back with us?”

“Where are we? What’s going on?” Film-Lex asked then his eyes cleared. “Oh, God, Clark there are bombs! At least ten of them—”

“Lex, don’t speak now. I’m going to take you to a … a hospital.”

“No! No hospitals! No mental institutions! It won’t work anyways … the … the Slither will just come back. I don’t have much time. You need to know the bombs’ locations and I have to disable the remote. Then you should … you should let me fall.” Film-Lex weakly struggled in film-me’s arms even as film-me flew them back up to the roof.

“Never, Lex. I’ll never give up on you.”

“You don’t understand. There is hardly any of me left.”

Film-me lightly set film-Lex down on the roof’s surface. He tottered a little as if he weren’t used to controlling his own body.

“Just like old times, huh? You saving my life and all that,” Film-Lex said with a slight smile, but it was weary.

“Lex … you need help. Please let me help you.”

Film-me stood there awkwardly, hands half-way reaching towards film-Lex’s shoulders, then dropping down to his sides. I wanted to scream at him to hold Lex, hold him tight. Was I … he too afraid to touch? Couldn’t I … he see how cold and alone and frightened Lex was?

“It’s too late for that. Too little too late, Clark.” Film-Lex’s voice roughened slightly. He was staring at the remote as if he didn’t know why he had it or what he should do with it. His thumb caressed the silver button.

“Lex, you said you were going to disable the remote.”

“Did I? Hmmm, maybe I just said that to keep you from dropping me to my death.” Film-Lex’s eyes lifted from the remote and allowed us to see that the glittering madness was back again.

“No! You … oh, no, you’re … you’re sick again! Lex, if you can hear me—”

“Why are you acting like there’s somebody else in my mind other than me? Maybe you’re the crazy one, after all,” Film-Lex cooed.

Film-me’s shoulders slumped. “So we’re back to what I must do to stop you murdering innocent people again, is that it?”

“Yes, that’s it. Now … since you are being so dense today as to what I want from you, I suppose I could just tell you.”

Film-me straightened up and squared his shoulders. The cape, red as arterial blood, fluttered behind him. “Yes, Luthor, just tell me.”

Again film-Lex made that strange chirrupy little laugh. “Why, Superman, I want you to die.”

Film-Lex pressed the silver button on the remote and a building off in the distance exploded into a ball of fire and began to collapse. Just as film-me took off to try and save as many lives as he could, film-Lex called after him, “If you die Superman in the next half-hour, I promise that I’ll stop the bombs.” Again the crawling laughter bubbled out of film-Lex’s mouth. “You really should have let me fall, Clark. Should have let me fall.”

The room went completely black then the dim lighting returned. Lex had one hand covering his eyes, like he couldn’t bear to see the wall where the “film” had played, while the other clutched at me. He was shaking so badly that if I hadn’t been holding him up he would have slid to the floor in a heap.

“No,” he kept repeating over and over again. “God, no, please, no.”

I just held him and rubbed his arms, trying to sooth him. My own horror was muted by the fact that Lex was here with me, not laughing maniacally on some rooftop, setting off bombs and wanting me dead. He was in my arms and I’d never let him leave them.

Lucien’s voice from the doorway caused me to jump. “You needn’t worry, Lex. That future is foreclosed.”

Lex and I turned together, my arms still around him, to face the Arc of Fallen Light. His copper hair glowed in the darkened room, his black suit seemed to meld with the blackness around him.

“What … what do you mean?” I asked.

“That future can no longer happen, because Lex went over to your house on Saturday.”

My mouth opened and I shook my head, unsure how that could be true.

“Think.” Lucien commanded. “Everything that’s happened: the guardianship, the love you revealed to each other, the bond you’re deepening is all because Lex stopped at the farm unexpectedly on a Saturday afternoon.”

“So you’re saying that I won’t become a lunatic out to hurt the world and … and kill Clark?” Lex’s voice was small and shaky and his body was tense as a bow in my arms.

“No, you will never do any of those things. None of that will ever come to pass.”

“Then why did you show us that?” I growled.

“To demonstrate how one small change can affect everything. To let you know that the acts I took in giving Lex a headache and a push towards you Saturday afternoon stopped that future from happening,” he said as he leaned against the door jam. “To show you that I am on your side.”

“What about this?” Lex said and shoved the hand with the purple ribbon in it at the Arc. “Will I … will I do what … why did this appear?”

“It was a gift. A sign that you won’t do as you feared. You didn’t … don’t understand that obviously. I’ll explain everything. I promise.”

“Then explain. Explain now,” Lex demanded. I felt him getting his strength back as he straightened in my arms.

“There are still two possible futures open to you, Lex. Which one comes to pass will depend solely on whether you choose to be my son or not.”

Both of us held our breath. Lucien took a step towards us. He extended one slender hand to Lex.

“Would you like to see what those futures are, Lex? Do you want to know what the future holds for you both?”

Lex glanced up at me and held my gaze for a long moment asking me whether he should take Lucien's offer or not. I knew neither of us wanted another future wherein we were enemies. It would be unbearable, unthinkable. I just wondered if whatever the Arc showed us would be the complete consequences of Lex’s choice and not just some key moments. But it was too important not to takethe opportunityLucien was offering, so I nodded. Lex gave me a small, tender smile and mouthed, ‘I love you.’

Then he turned from me and took Lucien’s hand.