Summary: Clark surprises Lex for his birthday and gets one in return.

Warnings: Rated NC-17. m/m.

Clark would never even have known Lex's birthday was coming up if he weren't something of a compulsive Googler. Computer lab had a way of dragging on, and when he lost interest, he'd start randomly typing in names. He'd found his mother's recipe for peanut butter muffins posted to a forum on iVillage, read his father's article on drainage issues in the Organic Farmer's Online Almanac, and discovered Chloe was putting her writing talents to interesting use at the Nifty archive. Had she honestly believed no one would ever do a search on the screen name ilovenelliebly?

Of course, there were numerous hits for "Lex Luthor," and in one of those "also born on this day" lists in some gossipy magazine, Clark discovered that Lex's birthday was less than a week away.

He'd gone into an immediate panic. He struggled with birthday presents as it was, trying to figure out if his dad would rather have the laser level or the cordless drill, wondering if his mom really liked the perfume he always got her or if she was just being nice. It didn't help matters that he was utterly broke, and Smallville was a buyer's market when it came to unskilled teen labor. Despite his best intentions of working hard and earning enough money for a kick-ass gift, his grand total for afternoons at the car wash and helping bale hay over the weekend was a whopping $87.91. A sad little sum that wasn't going to get him very far in making Lex's 22nd birthday a special one.

But then, Clark's father always said that the best gift was when you gave of yourself. Clark could never hope to dazzle someone with Lex's patrician tastes with some ordinary nothing from the Grandville mall, especially not on a budget of $87.91, but there was something he had that Lex wanted and maybe the time had finally come to let him have it.

The more he thought about it the more he felt it was the right thing, and on the day of Lex's birthday, he made a beeline for the mansion after school, jittery with excitement. To be honest, this was something he'd wanted to do for a long time, and it was as much a gift to himself as it was for Lex.

When he got there, Lex was on the phone, talking rather emphatically in German, or at least, it sounded emphatic to Clark. For all he knew about foreign languages, Lex could have been talking about the weather.

Lex arched an eyebrow at him quizzically and wrapped up the conversation. When he hung up, he said, "Clark. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Clark nervously shifted his weight, the soles of his boots squeaking on the marble tiles, making him feel like a finalist in the "Biggest Goofball Alive" competition.

"Um, well...I just wanted to say...happy birthday!"

There was a flash of surprise in Lex's face before he got his expression firmly under control once again. "I thought I'd trained my staff to be more discreet."

"It wasn't your staff," Clark said quickly. He didn't want anyone losing their job because of him. "I found out from--" Then again, he didn't actually want to admit to being a compulsive Googler. "Let's just say I have my ways. And I want to help you celebrate. Um, I mean, if you don't have other plans." His face went hot. "You probably do, though. Have tons of people you want to spend your birthday with. I should have thought-- I can go--"

"Clark." Lex's voice was firm. "I'm glad you stopped by. I appreciate the well wishes. And I don't, as it happens, have other plans. Birthdays...well, let's just say that's another thing Luthor family tradition has managed to take all the enjoyment out of." He got up and went to the bar to pour himself a drink.

Not for the first time, or even the hundredth, Clark wanted to hurt Lionel Luthor, very, very badly. "Sorry, Lex," he said feebly, the only comfort he could offer, since drop-kicking Lex's father into the next county really was out of the question.

Lex shrugged and smiled. "This year seems to be looking up, at least."

He held Clark's eye, and there was something so open and honest in his expression that Clark felt warmed by it.

He took a step closer. "I wanted to buy you something special."

"That really wasn't necessary."

"Um, good. Because I didn't." Lex laughed, and Clark felt himself turning red. "There is something I want to give you, though." He took a deep breath and said as fast as he could, "You know what you've always wanted from me? Well, I want you to have it."

For a moment, all Lex did was stare. When he finally spoke, he seemed to be choosing his words with extra care, "I didn't realize you were aware of--those particular desires."

Now it was Clark's turn to stare. "Um, I don't want to insult your powers of stealth or anything, but you haven't exactly made a big secret of it."

Lex cleared his throat. "I never thought I was being so obvious. I hope I haven't made you uncomfortable."

"No--well, yes. Sometimes." Lex's mouth pressed itself into a thin line, and Clark hurried to reassure him, "But not because of you. Not because I didn't want to. I just wasn't ready before. And now I am."

Lex met his eye and held it. "This shouldn't be happening just because it's my birthday."

"It isn't," he insisted.

"Are you sure, Clark? Because you seem kind of nervous."

He looked down at the rug. "I've never done this before, and it feels a little--weird."

Lex came nearer. "First times can be like that. It change things, and there's no going back once it's done."

"Trust me, Lex. I've thought about that. A lot. And I still want to."

Lex watched him closely, as if weighing the evidence, and Clark was starting to sweat when he finally said, "Good." And launched himself at Clark, mouth to mouth, chest to chest.

What Clark was going to say next was instantly lost in the heat of kisses, the press of bodies. Lex tasted like a perfect contradiction, the way expensive things always seemed to, sharp and mellow like the aged brandy Lex had once let him try, as sweet and bitter as dark chocolate, and Clark could see how easy it was to get addicted to the finer things in life.

Lex licked at his lips. "I've wanted this for so long. You have no idea."

Clark's fingers clenched in the silky folds of his shirt. He wanted to tear it, so badly, wanted to get his hands on Lex, wanted nothing between him and naked skin. But Lex twisted out of his grasp, and Clark let out of a loud noise, mingled greed and disappointment. It changed to an urgent gasp when Lex fell to his knees.

"What--" Wasn't it Lex's birthday? Shouldn't he really be the one--?

That question--all thought-- was drowned out by the bright scream of pleasure in Clark's head when Lex opened his pants and started the celebration. Just imagining his cock in someone's mouth, in bed late at night as he touched himself, was almost more than he could withstand, and this wasn't his imagination, this wasn't just someone. This was Lex.

Lex holding his hips like he was never going to let go. Lex's shoulders beneath his desperate, clutching hands. Lex's soft, pink lips stretched around his-- God! He was going to come, and he didn't know what he was supposed to do. In the one dirty movie he'd ever seen, there was swallowing, but this was real and this was Lex.

A moment later, it was all decided for him. Lex stroked a finger lightly behind his balls, and everything went dark. His skin felt like it was stretched too tightly across his face, and he could only imagine the maniac grimace he must be making as he came and came in Lex's hot, eager mouth.

Even after it was over, his chest kept heaving so violently he wasn't sure he was ever going to be able to breathe again. Lex wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and got to his feet and Clark's guilt set in. This was supposed to be about giving, not taking, this was supposed to be for Lex...

His face turned hot with embarrassment. "I'm sorry--"

Lex stopped him mid-apology with a fierce kiss. "Don't be ridiculous. That was perfect."

"But you didn't--" He glanced down at the rather obvious bulge in Lex's pants.

Lex smiled like a shark. "I want the rest of my present upstairs."

Clark stared, rather stunned. There was going to be more, and it was going to take place in Lex's bed.

"God," he groaned.

Lex expression turned rather smug, as if it pleased to have rendered Clark virtually speechless. He took him by the hand and wasted no time getting him up the stairs.

Clark had often thought about what Lex's room would be like, but now that he was here, he didn't notice a thing, didn't even bother to look around. All he could see was Lex.

"What happens now?" he asked, the back of his throat parched with want.

Lex's eyes sparked, bright and hot. "Now you take off your clothes."

His tone of command gave Clark the kind of stomach-dropping thrill he'd only experienced before from roller coasters, a surge of pure electric excitement all through his body. His sweaty hands slid on the denim as he pushed his jeans down over his hips. Lex didn't take his eyes off him--Clark was pretty sure he didn't even blink--and things he'd never given a second thought to before, undoing buttons, pulling his T-shirt over his head, skimming his white cotton briefs down his legs, all carried a charge that went straight to his cock.

Lex stroked a hand across his chest. "Mmm. Perfect." And kissed him with a filthy thrust of his tongue.

Clark ran his hands all over Lex, over soft silk and fine wool. "I want this off," he said, as if the clothes offended him.

"Go on. Do it," Lex whispered temptingly in his ear. "I know you want to."

God, it was true. So he did, ripping and pulling and tearing, the sharp sound of rending fabric echoing in the room, until Lex was pristinely naked and there was nothing but threads left in Clark's hands. He could only hope the outfit hadn't been one of Lex's favorites.

"Jesus, that was hot," Lex muttered.

It felt like permission to give in to his most primitive impulses, and Clark said, "I want to fuck you."

Lex gave him an impatient look. "Of course. It is my birthday, after all."

Clark wasn't entirely sure that made sense--if he was getting to fuck Lex, wasn't that actually a present for him?--but then, it didn't honestly matter, not when Lex was naked and throwing back the covers on the bed, messily, as if there wasn't a second to spare.

"Come here," he said.

Clark moved just a little faster than humanly possible in his rush to get to him, and the momentum tumbled them onto the bed. When they landed, Lex was spread out beneath him, and Clark felt certain he could happily spend eternity this way, cradled in the warmth of the soft blankets and Lex's even softer skin.

Clark went to work, busily putting his hands and mouth all over Lex, and he probably wouldn't have stopped, ever, if Lex hadn't finally grabbed his wrists and wriggled out from under him.

"Hey--" Clark protested indignantly.

Lex opened a nightstand drawer and pressed a tube into his hand. "You'll need this."

"Oh." He blushed at his own over-eagerness and went even redder when he realized what Lex had given him and what he was supposed to do with it.

Lex missed none of this. "Of course, if you'd be more comfortable, I could always take care of it myself."

"No," Clark said quickly. "I want to."

And he did. He really did! Even if he had no idea how to begin.

Lex climbed onto the bed again, pushed Clark onto his back and nimbly straddled him. He bent his head for a kiss, playfully biting Clark's lip, brushing his fingers tenderly along Clark's cheek. "It's just touching. Nothing to panic about."

He took Clark's hand in his, squeezed sticky goo onto his fingers, and guided his hand back to his-- Clark's eyes went wide at the sudden, irrefutable reality of what they were going to do.

Lex strung greedy little nibbles along the line of his jaw. "Go on. Touch me. Anything you want."

Clark was tentative at first, light, glancing brushes of his fingers, but the sounds coming out of Lex gradually encouraged him and he began to stroke and circle and play with more confidence.

"Yes!" Lex hissed.

It made Clark even braver, and he finally did it, breached him.

"God!" Lex gasped.

Clark was too stunned to utter an actual sound. He'd never imagined anyone could be so hot inside, and he really had to wonder how he was going to get his cock in there when Lex's body was squeezed so tightly around just his finger.

Lex appeared to have no such concern. He moaned softly and pressed back against Clark's hand. "Mmm. More."

It took a second or two for Clark's foggy brain to realize what he meant, and when he finally added another finger, Lex shouted, "Fuck, yes! Just like that."

So it came as a surprise when only a few minutes later Lex abruptly pulled away.

"Shit! Did I hurt you?" Clark asked in a panic.

"No," Lex said, biting his lip. "But you almost made me come. And I don't want to until--"

He pressed himself against Clark's cock, lines of strain around his mouth. Then his body just seemed to open up, and Clark was deep inside him.

"Fuck!" It was Clark's turn to curse.

Lex's smile was downright diabolical. "Indeed." And he began to move up and down.

Clark had so many competing impulses--to grab Lex wherever he could touch him and thrust up for more of that tight, perfect heat and kiss him so hard he'd see entire constellations behind his eyes--and he hardly knew how to begin.

Lex stroked his chest. "You feel so amazingly good."

Clark wanted to say it back, but the higher functioning parts of his brain had melted, and he could only answer with his hands, caressing Lex's thighs, fondling his cock, swollen with blood and wet at the tip and more beautiful than Clark could have imagined.

There was a recklessness in Lex's nature that grew all the more obvious the more aroused he became. He shoved himself down onto Clark's cock as if there were no such thing as pain, and Clark might have warned him to be careful if the room wasn't spinning away from him, if his fingers weren't shredding the sheets.

Coming felt different inside another person, inside Lex. For the first time the idea of completion made perfect sense.

Afterwards, Lex collapsed against him, into the sticky pool of his own come on Clark's chest,and Clark held on to him like nothing had ever been more important. When Lex had caught his breath, he shifted onto the bed, and Clark followed, curving around him, determined never to let go.

Lex's fingers skated lightly across Clark's forearm, and he sighed. "That was by far the best birthday I've ever had. You have impeccable taste in presents, Clark. This was exactly what I wanted."

Clark laughed softly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He pressed a kiss behind Lex's ear. "I like to think of it as the gift that keeps on giving."

"Mmm. Even better then..." He was drowsy, already falling asleep.

Clark rested his cheek against his shoulder and listened to his breathing as it slowed. The birthday surprise hadn't exactly turned out the way he'd planned, not that he was complaining, of course. And anyway, it was only a few more months until the holidays. He could always tell Lex his secret then.

He snuggled closer and shut his eyes, mentally checking one name off his Christmas list.