Wounded

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself."

The words slapped at him, and he twisted around to look over his shoulder. Saw the soft smile, and slammed back around. The chair shook with the violence of his movements.

"Get out."

The door snicked shut, and the footsteps grew closer to him. He closed his eyes as he felt the presence of the man in front of him.

"It's not permanent. You're going to be out of that chair in no time." Hands gripped the arm rests on either side of him, shaking him. "So, stop sitting here, keeping yourself away from the world. Stop hiding! I never thought you were capable of such cowardice."

He reared up, shoving the man away from him. A grim smile slid across his lips when he heard the loud striking of a spine hitting the wall.

"No one asked you. And, you're not welcome here." He looked into the familiar eyes, and saw the pain there. He bathed his heart in it and pretended it was sweet. "Get out."

Hitching his shoulders, the man came forward again. Kneeled before him, and lay a gentle hand on his face. "Make me." Those eyes watched him, watched the incredulous look flood his face. He knew he must be a brilliant shade of red by now. "C'mon. You want me to go so badly? Make me."

Wrenching his face away, Clark Kent grasped his useless thighs and dug in. Fought for control, even as the fabric of his pants darkened with ten spreading blotches of blood.

He made a choice, and narrowed his eyes, focusing in on a soft space of wrist exposed to his sight. A quick burst of heat, and Lex was jumping back, grasping his arm and walking briskly over to the sink to turn on the cold water and drench his burnt skin.

"My, my, my. Wasn't that juvenile?" Lex muttered, rolling back his shirt sleeve with quick fingers.

"You'll live."

"So, will you, you fool." Lex snapped, glaring sharply at Clark. "I understand that this is a difficult situation for you , but-"

"You don't understand."

Lex laughed, full-out and loud in the bright kitchen. "You know that's not true, Clark."

"Whatever." Clark rolled his eyes, crossing his arms across his chest. "It doesn't matter one way or the other, Lex. Because, you don't belong here. Now, you need to leave before my mother and Chloe get back. They'll probably call the cops when they see your overpriced tin can out there, anyway." Clark paused, seeming to be caught in a deep thought before smiling. "On second thought, stay. I wouldn't mind seeing you arrested."

Chuckling lightly, Lex shook his arm, flinging droplets of water across the room to fall in Clark's thick bangs. "Hmm. Well, as compelling as that sounds...I don't think I have a reason to be concerned. Why do you think I'm here? They called ME."

Betrayal slid through him, dark and cold, slick in his veins, and he shuddered against it. Shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. We're not even friends, anymore. Why would they call you, Lex?"

"Perhaps because they know that we still care about each other?"

"Speak for yourself, Lex."

Lex winced before nodding slowly. "All right. I will. When I was informed that you'd been...injured...it took everything in me to not rush over here to observe for myself that you were all right. I was exceedingly worried, Clark. I'm sorry to see the worry was warranted, although, perhaps, not for the reasons I had initially been concerned with."

Clark sighed. "Do you always have to talk like that?”

Arching a pale eyebrow, Lex cocked his head to the side in inquiry. "Talk like what, exactly, Clark?"

"Like THAT! Like you just threw up a thesaurus."

Lex smirked. "Interesting way to divert attention from the topic at hand."

Clark threw his hands up in the air, heaving out a gusty sigh. He clasped his hands together, securing them behind his head. "Yeah, okay. Whatever."

"Back to that? Your conversational skills are sadly lacking, Clark."

"Huh. Well, you've got conversation covered, don't you, Mr. Thesaurus? The only thing you're lacking is a soul."

Lex's eyes grew sharper, darker, as he leaned in close to Clark, kept their eyes locked. "Is it possible for someone without a soul to love, Clark?"

Clark's answer was instant. "No."

A small shadow of a smile lifted the corners of Lex's mouth. "Then, I'm pleased to say you're wrong. I do have a soul, however black it may be."

Clark glared into those eyes and clenched his hands tight. He itched to push the man away. Harder. Maybe, through the wall, this time.

"I love, Clark." He paused, seeming to chuckle to himself for a moment. "You really wouldn't believe me, but that doesn't matter. Whether you decide to allow yourself to wallow in this pathetic version of self-pity, or not, you ARE going to stop moping and whining, and sitting in this fucking kitchen."

Clark looked off to the side, furious, and could only gape in shock when a firm hand grasped his chin and pulled his face back around to meet his gaze.

"I'm taking you home, with me. And we're going to get you walking again. And then, you're going to feel badly...maybe not to me, but to everyone else you've been making miserable. You're going to apologize. And then, Clark, THEN you're going to come back to me, and I'm going to show you precisely how I know that I have a soul. I'm going to show you in explicit detail. And YOU," he said quietly, "are going to be very happy about it. Happy, and grateful. And, I don't think you're ever going to want to lose me, again."

Clark's mouth dropped open in shock, and he jerked his chin out of Lex's grip. His mind was whirling, Lex's words flooding through him and leaving him stunned and painfully open.

"I don't understand."

"I love you, Clark."

"You don't."

"I do."

"You DON'T!" Clark screamed, dug his hands into Lex's shirt and yanked him forward, throwing him off balance. Lex landed, hard, on his knees in front of him and dropped his hands on Clark's legs to keep himself from falling into Clark's lap.

Lex pulled his hands away, saw the blood coating his palms, and gasped. "Clark! You can't do that. You could get an infection, and not even realize it." He tried to push away, tugging ineffectively on his shirt to free it from Clark's clawed hands. "Clark, let go. You need to let me clean your legs."

"I won't get an infection. We both know they're already healed." Clark said, his voice choked. He slowed uncurled his fingers, and looked sorrowfully at the rips in the fabric of Lex's shirt. "I ripped your shirt."

Ignoring his shirt, Lex shook his head. "You can be hurt, Clark. We don't know what will happen with your legs, and I need to treat those wounds."

"My spine is healing, Lex, slowly. When I fell into the ravine, a piece of meteor rock went into my back, lodged in my spine. Pieces of the rock scraped off on my bones, and kept them from knitting back together. The meteor has pretty much worked it's way out my system, but without exposure to the sun, it'll take longer." Clark whispered, dejectedly.

Lex's face turned hard, furious. He walked around to the back of Clark's chair, and grasped the handles. Pushed him out of the house, and down the ramp his mother had laid down. Wheeled him over to the 'overpriced tin can' parked in the gravel drive, and skidded to a stop, sending a small cloud of dirt and dust into the air.

Clark felt the sun shining down on him, and sighed, heavily. He felt the last of the Kryptonite seep out of his skin and reached back and wiped the green-tinged sweat off of his skin with a ragged sleeve.

"How long will it take?" Lex spat out, his tone cold and exact.

"I don't know. It's out, but it'll take a minute or two to heal completely, I'd imagine."

"Stupid. Idiot. Moron. Fool."

"You don't understand."

Lex looked up over his head, shook his head. "That particular phrase is growing most tiresome." He scoffed.

"Lex-"

"How long were you going to let everyone suffer? How long were you going to sit in that fucking chair? Why, Clark? To punish yourself?"

Clark's eyes filled with tears and he blinked them away angrily. "It's nothing less than what I deserved."

"What about your mother? Does she deserve to see her only child in a wheelchair, incapacitated? What about Chloe? You think, perhaps, she's deserving of this? You think she should feel guilty for the rest of her life because she asked you to save her boyfriend?"

"I didn't save him." Clark grated out.

"You tried."

"I failed."

"It's inevitable, Clark. We all fail sometimes."

At that, Clark's head shot up. "When have YOU ever failed, Lex? Really?"

Lex sighed and pursed his lips. "I failed at the most important thing in my life." He looked at the car and frowned, "Are you able to walk yet?"

Clark wiggled his toes, testing his strength, and tried to stand up. His legs nearly buckled under him and he reached out instinctively to keep himself from falling. Lex jumped forward, and slid an arm around his waist, mumbling under his breath. They moved towards the passenger door, together, and Clark stared at the door in confusion.

"What?"

"Get in."

"I'm okay now, Lex. You don't need to-"

Lex's head snapped up, his eyes blazing into Clark's. "Get. In. The. Car."

Clark reached over, held onto the top of the car. He stood as straight as he could, until he was looking down at Lex.

"You wanted me healed, Lex. Fine. I am. Good luck trying to get me to do anything, or go anywhere, I don't want to go." Clark snarled.

Lex bared his teeth and let out a loud, harsh noise. He grasped Clark's head and yanked his down. Shoved his mouth against Clark's and sucked his upper lip into his mouth. Bit it, hard, and sucked harder. Moved down to that trembling lower lip and worried it between his teeth.

"Open." He muttered against Clark's mouth, and when it did, he slid inside. Lapped up everything inside Clark's panting mouth, and pressed his body back against the car. Slid a sleek leg between Clark's thighs and rubbed.

Lex's hands were everywhere. In his hair, and against his neck. A hand was sliding roughly over his cock, and scraping against it over and over. Clark could heard the thick denim fighting against Lex's nails, and he jerked his hips forward into Lex's fingers.

And then, the hands were gone. The mouth was gone. And Lex was walking around to the other side of the car, opening the driver's side door.

He paused before getting in to look up at Clark's stunned face. Sweet, swollen lips separated in a shocked 'o', and Lex smiled grimly. Rubbed his own throbbing cock against the warm metal of the car door.

"Get in, Clark."

Clark got in.

---------------------------------------

The ride to the mansion was totally silent. The only sounds were the car's engine and the sound of the wind sluicing over the car's sleek frame.

They pulled up to the door, and Lex got out instantly, slamming the door. Waited, as Clark sat stubbornly in the car, arms crossed over his chest.

Stalking around to his door, Lex yanked open the door viciously and bit out a curse. "You WILL get out, right now, Clark."

Unfolding his long legs slowly, Clark moved deliberately. Stood with a seemingly infinite patience, and nearly got his hand slammed in the door as Lex punched the door shut with the palm of his hand.

"Geez, Lex-"

"Stop testing me, Clark." Lex snapped. "Come on. We're going inside."

He moved forward, stopping at the front door to wait for Clark to follow.

"I'm not asking again, Clark. Now."

Rolling his eyes, Clark stumbled towards the door, his legs still weak. He could feel the traces of Kryptonite on his sleeve, and he drew his arm up inside the shirt, to pull his skin away from the meteor.

Lex noticed.

"Take it off." It was an order, and when Clark hesitated, Lex blasted up against him, and tore the shirt off. Tugged and pulled until it ripped away, loud and sudden in the hallway. The shirt dropped from Lex's shaking hands, and he kicked it away with a polished, black shoe.

He was staring. Staring at Clark's chest, eyes all over him. Clark could feel his eyes moving across his skin, and he shivered.

Lex's hand lifted, brushed over his collar bone, and pressed flat onto his thrumming flesh. The hand slid down his body, the fingers moving across and back in waves, never leaving his skin. They went down to the waist of his bloodied jeans, and settled in the waist band. Moved down, inside, and pressed against the coarse hairs that were sprinkled over his skin.

Blue-gray eyes, dark and dilated, moved up to meet his, and they stayed, even as Lex's other hand moved to meet the searching one that had reached the button of his pants.

Clark's eyes fell shut when he felt the button pop open.

"Open."

He opened them, and looked into Lex's eyes. Felt the slide of the zipper dance over his cock, sending a shudder through him. Never broke the eye contact.

Hands were pushing his jeans over his hips, sliding them down his legs, and his eyes lowered, staying connected with Lex's, as the man slid down his body to undue his boots, and pull them off, one by one.

"Step."

Clark stepped out of his jeans, and an arm slammed out against a wall to hold him upright as Lex's nails scraped up his legs, tickling the soft hairs. They paused at the patches of dried blood, feeling, but never turning eyes away to look.

Lex's head dipped forward, his mouth opened and wet, as he pressed a slow kiss onto Clark's thigh. He sucked on the skin there, moving his way upward, and over to a silky smooth hip. Kissed the hipbone there, and mouthed sloppy-wet kisses all over it. Left his skin shining with spit as he twisted his head over to nuzzle Clark's jutting cock. Ran his chin over the top of it, and sighed.

The air shifted across his skin, and Clark moaned. His hands were fisted, and tight, and he wanted to scream, to beg.

He bit into his lip, and felt the blood slide down his chin.

"Lex...please."

Moving up, Lex grasped a warm hand around Clark's erection, pulling hard. He pulled Clark down, and licked his tongue across his chin, lapping up the blood, and swallowing loudly. He swept into Clark's mouth, grasped his tongue gently with his teeth and sucked it into his mouth, pulling on it with his mouth as he pulled on Clark's cock with steady, firm fingers.

Gasping for air, Lex pulled back the tiniest space, and huffed into Clark's open lips. Spoke with every rough rug on his cock, and Clark's eyes were open and stunned, and brilliant green.

Lex moaned around his words, and pushed them into Clark. "I would never...let anyone...hurt you. What would make you think...I would let you...hurt yourself? I fucking love you, Clark. Don't...you get it yet?"

Clark threw back his head, panting into the air, and sobbed when Lex pulled his face back down.

"I don't belong here."

"Yes. You do. You belong with me...to me. You're mine, Clark. I'm not...going to ever let you forget it."

Clark's eyes flared dangerously, and he slammed his eyes shut as he felt the heat ripping down his spine, in the best way. The only way that mattered.

Felt the searing shock pool in his groin, and he grunted and thrust harder into Lex's tight fist. And burst. Over Lex's fist, onto his torn shirt, and he grasped Lex's shoulders, pulled him closer, and sobbed hard into his mouth, sucking his lips, licking them with desperate, breathless swipes.

"I want you, Lex." He choked. "I want to belong to you."

"You do. You always will." The words were absolute, and Lex was turning him around, pushing his chest against the wall, and he groaned in relief as he felt the fabric of Lex's pants move away. Felt skin sliding against his, and he pushed back against it.

Lex scraped a single nail down Clark's twitching spine, and paused at a tiny, pink mark, rubbing the pad of his finger across it. He slicked his cock with the come drenching his hand, and pushed himself up against Clark's ass.

"I can't hurt you?" He asked, his voice breaking.

"No."

He pushed in hard, all the way in, and screamed loud as the tightest heat pulled him in. Surrounded him.

Clark was vibrating around him, and he pulled out, shoved himself back in, and pressed his forehead against Clark's shoulders, looking down to watch his body slide in and out of Clark's ass.

A hand reached around to grasp Lex's waist, and he covered it with trembling fingers for a moment, before bracing both hands on the wall on either side of Clark. Slammed into him, over and over, drinking in the sounds of Clark as he moaned and whined raggedly.

Clark moved with Lex, and nearly collapsed face first into the wall when Lex shifted, moved and he was thrusting harder, from a new angle. Something hot inside of him was screaming, bursting over and over, and he felt his cock spit out scalding come as he exploded again helplessly.

"Leeex." His voice was raw, shattered, and Lex moved faster. Sweat was dripping down from Lex onto Clark's skin, and he leaned down to lick it off. Tasted himself, and underneath that, Clark's sweet, salty skin.

Lex felt himself pull up, electric currents surging through him, pulling his balls up hard, and he jerked uncontrollably into Clark, screaming until his voice was gone.

The moved down, together, collapsed on the floor, Lex still inside of Clark. Knees sharp against the floor, and neither one of them cared. Lex's arms slid around Clark's waist, pulling him tight against his drenched chest.

They were quiet for a moment, occasional shudders running through their bodies.

"I didn't see what the point was. Trying any more. Having gifts, if they couldn't let me save the people I care about." Clark said, whisper-soft.

"I know."

"I am sorry that I hurt everyone."

"You'll tell them, Clark. They'll understand."

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

"It doesn't matter."

"Thank you, Lex. For saving me."

"Always, Clark. I love you."

"I know, Lex. I really do."

Lex whispered a thank you against the sweaty skin on Clark's neck, and laid a kiss there. And ran a finger across the skin of Clark's back, drawing letters through the warm drops that ran across the flawless skin. Waited.

"I do, Lex. For a long time, now. And for the first time, in a long time, it feels right. It feels so good, Lex, to love you."


~~~This was written in response to talesofmicetea's Wheelchair Clex challenge. I really ended up loving this story, and I hope you like it, too. Please let me know what you thought. Thanks for reading! :-)
~Morgan