Summary: A different story of Clark's stay in Metropolis.

Notes: Thanks to everyone who read this story over on LJ and gave me feedback and encouragement on it. You guys are the best! Special thanks to Corinna for thinking of the title, Meret for making me a perfectly scrumptious cover for it, and XniteLite for letting me borrow the title from her Fortune magazine Lex icon.

Warnings: Rated NC-17. m/m

Tucker's people had a flair for drama. Lex had to give them that. The next day when they arrived with their "top secret research" it looked more like LexCorp was receiving a shipment of gold bullion. They showed up in armored sedans, a veritable army of them, wearing dark suits, dark glasses, ear pieces like Secret Service agents, their guns obvious beneath their jackets. The "Secret Recipe," the rather silly code name they'd given the phony project, was locked up in an attaché case, which was handcuffed to Tucker's wrist, a particularly nice touch, Lex thought.

They marched grim-faced into Lex's office, keeping up the charade until the door was closed.

Lex arched an eyebrow at Tucker, who shrugged. "We wanted to make sure we got his attention. Besides, we're dealing with an amateur. His entire sense of these things comes from spy movies."

"Well, you certainly managed to capture that 007 spirit," Lex said, dryly.

Tucker cleared his throat. "Right. So time to move on to the next phase. You know what to do?"

Lex nodded and handed him a set of keys. "Nobody else has access to the conference room where you set up your equipment. I'll meet you there as soon as I finish here."

Tucker nodded, signaled his team. They put their game faces back on and headed out to the elevator as if they were actually leaving. The makeshift surveillance room was one floor down.

Lex buzzed Marvin. "I'm waiting for an extremely urgent call from Cadmus. Otherwise I'm not to be disturbed."

"Uh, yes, Mr. Luthor," he said, nervously. "Sure thing."

A few moments later, Marvin buzzed him. "Um, Mr. Luthor?" His voice was even shakier than usual. "Here's that call you were waiting for." He put through one of Tucker's associates who was playing the part of a Cadmus researcher.

He picked up, knowing he wasn't the only one listening. "Luthor."

"We have the results in from the latest round of tests on the "Secret Recipe," and it was a complete success. This formula just might revolutionize the industry."

Lex rolled his eyes. Tucker's people really liked to lay it on thick. "Can you send me documentation?"

"We'd rather show you in person. As soon as possible."

"Fine. I'll come now. Make sure you keep everything under lock and key. We still haven't found the leak, and we can't take any chances."

"Understood."

They hung up. Lex opened the attaché case, took out the phony papers and laid them right in the middle of his blotter so even a moron couldn't miss them. He grabbed his coat and the keys to his office and put on his impatient air as he headed out.

He made a big production of locking his door. "Something urgent has come up. I'll be out at Cadmus the rest of the day. Put anything important through to my cell or blackberry."

Marvin nodded, wide-eyed. "Sure, Mr. Luthor. Um-- Have a nice evening?"

It took real discipline to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "Yeah. You too."

He got on the elevator. Marvin watched him, trying to look as if he wasn't paying attention. Lex hit the button and went down to the next floor. He knocked at the conference room, and Tucker let him in.

"No action yet."

Lex stood behind the technician and watched the monitor over his shoulder. It didn't take long.

Marvin checked his watch a couple of times, so nervous the perspiration stains under his arms were noticeable even on the video. Finally, he opened his backpack, took something out and went over to the door.

"That little fuck made a duplicate key to my office." Lex could feel his blood pressure ratcheting up a few points. If he got out of this without having a stroke it would be something of a miracle.

"An assistant is the perfect mole. They have access to virtually all the information coming into your office. And they have plenty of opportunity to observe things like where you keep your keys."

"June is never having another baby. I don't care what she and her husband think."

Marvin snuck into Lex's office and approached his desk. He picked up the papers and leafed through them, frowning. Tucker's people had come up with some techno mumbo-jumbo, absolutely meaningless, but it would look convincing to someone who didn't know better. Lex had to suppress the urge to ram his fist through the monitor as he watched the world's stupidest temp stuff what could have been vital corporate intelligence under his shirt and hurry out of his office with it.

"What now?" Lex asked Tucker.

"Don't worry. We have cameras everywhere."

They tracked Marvin down the corridor. He kept looking around like a nervous wreck and practically jumped out of his skin when the guy with the mail cart passed.

"You'd think a person who looks that suspicious would get somebody's attention," Lex said, composing an inter-office memo in his head about security being everyone's responsibility.

Marvin headed for the copy room, checked that it was empty and furtively xeroxed the document. He hurried back to Lex's office, returned the original and locked up. He shoved the copy into his backpack, turned off his computer and punched the button for the elevator at least a dozen times.

The cameras tracked him downstairs and out the door.

Tucker radioed his team. "Pick him up."

Lex watched as four of his associates swooped down on Marvin before he could make it to his car.

"They'll bring him up here," Tucker told him. "I know you have a few things you'd like to say to him, but I think we'll get farther if you let me do the questioning."

Lex narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me to leave?" Because that wasn't happening.

Tucker shook his head. "I'd like to have you hovering in the background. Watching, not saying anything, so he has no idea what you're up to. That should make Marvin so jumpy he's actually eager to deal with me, just so he doesn't have to face you."

Lex could see the strategy in it. "All right," he finally agreed, even though he would have liked nothing better than to rip Marvin a new one personally.

A few minutes later, Tucker's people escorted him into the room. His eyes darted around, taking in Lex and all the serious, armed people dressed in black lined up along the walls. "What is this?"

Tucker nodded toward a chair. "Have a seat, Marvin."

"I don't know what's going on here, but I need to get home. I have--" His eyes shifted. "People. There are people expecting me."

Tucker nodded. "Hopefully this won't take long."

"Well--" Marvin was clearly reluctant, but he did sit down. "Okay. I guess I can spare a few minutes."

"I appreciate that." Tucker sat down across from him. "Actually, you can save us all a lot of time and trouble if you just come clean right now."

Marvin's face went pale. "What are you talking about?"

"We know you stole documents from Mr. Luthor's office."

"I didn't! I would never do something like that!"

Tucker nodded to one of his employees who took possession of Marvin's backpack.

Marvin jumped to his feet. "Hey! That's my personal property. You can't just--

Tucker's associate pulled out the sheaf of papers and handed it to his boss.

"For the eyes of Lex Luthor only," Tucker read from the front page. "I think you'll want to sit back down now."

Marvin sank weakly onto the chair, but remained stubborn. "I don't know how that got in there. I swear!"

"Really," Tucker said coolly. He picked up a remote control, hit a button, and the video they'd made earlier in the day started to play.

Sweat beaded along Marvin's upper lip. "I still don't know what you're talking about."

"That's a good story. You stick to that. It's going to take you far, all the way to Beckman penitentiary after the jury sees this video of you sneaking into Mr. Luthor's office, making a copy of top-secret research and leaving the building with it."

"Prison?"

"I guess your buddies over at LuthorCorp failed to mention that economic espionage is a felony, huh? That's some serious time you're facing. And somebody like you in state prison--" He looked Marvin up and down. "Well, you're going to have quite an interesting experience."

"Oh, God." Marvin looked like he might actually throw up.

Tucker leaned in, his voice relenting a little. "Look, I know this wasn't your idea. I bet you've never done anything wrong in your entire life."

"No! No, I haven't."

"I don't want to see the wrong person take the fall here, Marvin. I really don't. So this is what I'm going to do for you. You come with us down to our office and answer our questions. Tell us everything you know. Help us catch whoever is really responsible. And I'm thinking this jail time could all go away."

Marvin looked up, surprised. "Really?"

He nodded. "A definite possibility."

"But I don't have to come with you, do I? I mean, it's up to me, right?"

"Absolutely. I'm a private security consultant hired by Mr. Luthor. I'm not a police officer, and neither is anyone else in this room." He reached for the phone. "We can call the police, though, if you'd feel more comfortable going through official channels. Of course then there's nothing I'll be able to do for you."

"No, no." He grabbed Tucker's arm. "No police. I'll go to your office. Tell you whatever I know. Just-- no prison. I can't handle that."

Tucker smiled. "You've made the right decision."

He motioned for his people. "These are two of my associates, Adrienne and Daniel. They're going to walk you out to the car. The sooner we get started, the sooner we can have this all sorted out. Okay?"

Marvin nodded, looking a little less scared. "Okay." Tucker's people led him away.

Lex waited until they were safely out of earshot. "No prison time? That moron cost me millions of dollars."

"Relax, Lex. Only the district attorney can make that kind of a deal. You heard me very clearly explain to Mr. Jarvis that I'm in no way affiliated with law enforcement."

Lex regarded him with admiration. "That's very devious."

Tucker shrugged. "We need information. In my experience, people give it more freely when they think they're getting something in return. You want to come down and observe the questioning?"

"I've got to do some damage assessment here. Keep me informed."

"I'll call as soon as I have anything."

Lex let out his breath and headed back upstairs. He'd lost one of the most important developments in environmentally friendly agricultural thanks to Marvin Jarvis. His father must have practically laughed himself to death over that.

He stopped at Marvin's desk and called Clark.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be late tonight."

"Is everything all right?"

"That's what I have to figure out."

"Um…okay." He sounded puzzled. "Well, I guess I'll see when you get home."

"I love you."

He could hear the smile in Clark's voice. "I love you, too."

Lex spent the next few hours ransacking Marvin's desk, going through every file on his computer, checking sensitive projects for unauthorized access, but he didn't find anything amiss. At least, it appeared Marvin hadn't been able to steal his password as easily as he'd gotten hold of his keys.

In his determination, he lost track of time, and when he finally looked up, it was dark outside, silent in the office. Everyone else had gone home, and Lex's stomach was starting to rumble. He checked his watch. It was after eight. He called Clark back.

"Hey, it's me. I'm heading out now."

"Pizza or Mexican?"

He smiled. "Surprise me." Lex's cell phone rang. "I'm sorry. Can you hold on just a minute?"

"Sure."

He put Clark on hold, answered the other phone. "Luthor."

"Lex, it's Mason Tucker."

"Did he talk?"

"Oh, yeah. Once he got started, he spilled everything. It seems he was approached by LuthorCorp shortly after he started working for you. Marvin has a taste for blackjack but not much luck at it. They offered to bail him out of his financial difficulties in exchange for his help. I've got my people double-checking the story, but I don't have any reason to doubt it. The whole thing tracks. Marvin was desperate for money and in a position to see sensitive information. He was the perfect mark for them."

"Who did he report to?"

"He had contact with a Senior VP over there and a couple of people below him. That's as far up the food chain as we can prove it goes. Your father--"

Lex ground his teeth together. "Will deny knowing anything. It was completely unauthorized. An ambitious senior executive making a grab for corporate power."

"Sorry. I wish we could have nailed him. Oh, but there is one other thing that came out of our interview. No matter how hard we pressed Marvin, and we got pretty tough with him, he always denied knowing anything about the attempt on your life. We need to consider the possibility that it's a separate matter. I very seriously recommend increasing your security."

"Yes, that's probably a good idea. I'll check in with you in the morning." Lex's mind raced with possibilities he didn't like to consider. He hung up with Tucker and took Clark off hold. "Sorry about that."

"That's okay. Is everything all right?"

There were a lot people who had reasons to go after him, but the fact that Clark was with him the night of the hit-and-run had his instincts screaming at him. "I'm not sure what's going on yet, but I think we need to--"

All the lights suddenly went out, as if someone had flipped the circuit breaker, plunging the entire office into darkness.

"Lex?"

His heart started to pound. "You need to listen very carefully. Go to my study, take the top drawer out of the desk. There's a piece of paper taped to the bottom of it with instructions. I need you to follow them exactly. You're in danger, but my people will get you to safety."

"Why--"

"Someone knows about you. Knows your secret."

There was silence for a moment and then, "What about you?"

"I'm sorry." His throat clenched. "I love you, Clark." The beam of a flashlight caught him in the eyes, blinding him, and he quickly hung up.

"Checking in with the boyfriend, huh? That's very touching."

"Phelan."

He laughed, an ugly sound. "You know, I've been waiting for this for a long time."

"How flattering."

"Don't overestimate yourself, Lex. You're just the obstacle, not the object."

Lex swallowed hard, didn't answer.

Phelan smiled. "Oh, yes. You know what I'm after. Don't even try to deny it. All that time I kept you waiting on the investigation? All those weeks I spent in Smallville? I discovered a lot of interesting things that I didn't put in my report."

"Whatever you think you know, it's not--"

"Oh, but it is. More than you probably even realize. Did you know he's saved the lives of half the people in his hometown? In some pretty mysterious ways, too. Do you know when he showed up at his adoptive parents'? Right after the meteor storm. You know what they say about the meteor storm out in Smallville, Lex? They say something came down in it. A ship."

"That's insane. You can't really believe--"

"I've seen what he can do for myself. That little accident you had out in Mayburn? I knew he wouldn't care about hiding his abilities if you were in danger. You should see the damage he did to that car." He laughed. "And to think, nobody in Smallville ever put it together, never even asked any questions. But then, a lot of weird things happen around there. I guess your boy blends in pretty well. It took an outsider to figure out the truth."

Lex glared icily. "What's my father paying you?"

"Lex, Lex. Do you really think your father would have you killed? He may be a cold-blooded bastard, but he still needs an heir. Besides, there will be a lot of potential buyers interested in a commodity like your super-strong alien boyfriend. I just need to secure the merchandise, and then I can start entertaining bids."

"You fucking bastard!"

Phelan shrugged. "Hey, we weren't all born rich. Some of us have to make our money the old-fashioned way." He pointed the pistol's barrel at Lex's chest. "I do really appreciate your father's venture into corporate espionage, though. It makes the perfect cover story. I can see it in the papers now. CEO killed in late-night office break-in." He cocked the gun. "Good-bye, Lex."

He knew from experience what to expect, the sharp crack, the bright flash, the burning stink of death on its way. Instead, though, there was a loud shattering of glass as something crashed through the window, sending a shower of debris across the room, knocking Phelan off his feet, the gun sailing across the floor.

Clark scrambled to his feet. "Are you all right, Lex?"

He stared. "Yes, but--" His office was on the forty-second floor.

"The boyfriend comes to the rescue. Isn't that sweet?" Phelan had gotten to his feet, too. "But there was one other thing I forgot to mention, Lex." He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it, something green inside glowing in the darkness. "Your boy wonder does have one weakness." He took out an odd-looking rock and shoved it into Clark's jacket pocket.

Clark's face went sickly pale, and he broke out in a sweat. He staggered forward, taking a step toward Phelan, as if to try to disarm him, but then he lurched unsteadily on his feet and collapsed to the floor.

"Clark!" Lex knelt beside him, fingers scrabbling at his pocket, trying to get the rock out.

Then his eye fastened on the gun a few feet away, and he knew it was their only real chance. He lunged for it, and Phelan did, too. They both got a hand on it. Lex held tightly and tried to pry Phelan's fingers off. Phelan punched him in the stomach, but Lex wouldn't let go. He kicked at Phelan's legs, trying to force him away, but it knocked them both off balance. Their hands slipped on the gun, and it went off with a deafening bang.

"Lex!" Clark yelled weakly.

Phelan's eyes went wide, his face white with shock as a dark stain spread over his shirt. "Why'd you have to do that, Lex?" He crumpled to the floor.

For a moment, Lex couldn't move, the strong taste of bile in the back of his throat. All the things he'd done in his life, and he never thought he'd kill anyone.

"Lex?" Clark's fading voice jolted him out of his shock, and he spun around.

"God! Clark." He quickly pulled the rock out of his pocket and threw it across the room.

"Not far enough," Clark said, gasping, his body shaking.

Lex hauled him to his feet, supporting his weight, and walked him out of the office to the elevator. He pulled out his phone and called his driver. "I need the car here right away." And then dialed Tucker. "Get over here. We've got a problem."

"We have to call the police," Clark said, slumping heavily against the wall of the elevator as they rode downstairs.

"I will. I just have to take care of a few things first."

The elevator opened in the lobby. The security guard lay dead behind the desk, more of Phelan's handiwork. Lex walked Clark out to the curb, and thankfully the limo soon pulled up. The driver leaped out and hurried around to open the door. Lex helped Clark into the back seat.

"Take him home," he told his driver. "Make sure he gets up to the apartment. He's not feeling well."

"Of course, Mr. Luthor."

"And you were never here tonight. Mr. Smith never left the penthouse. Understand?"

The driver nodded very seriously. "Yes, sir. I understand."

Lex bent down to Clark. "Go home. Get some rest." He brushed his hair tenderly away from his forehead. His skin still felt hot. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"But, Lex, I'm a witness. It was self-defense. I have to tell the police," Clark protested.

"Sssh." He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to Clark's temple. "Don't worry about anything. It's going to be fine. I'll take care of it."

He closed the door and nodded to his driver, who got in and pulled out, just as Tucker was pulling in.

Tucker watched the limo receding in the distance and shot a curious glance at Lex, but he didn't comment. "What do you need?"

"Go here." He pulled out a pen and scribbled Phelan's address on a piece of paper. "I need the place swept. Get rid of everything that might have anything to do with me."

Tucker nodded. He glanced at the blood on Lex's shirt and then up at the building, at the broken window. "I could have another team take care of whatever's inside."

"No. I'll handle that. Just see to the other thing."

Tucker hesitated. "You're sure?" Lex nodded. "Okay. I'll be in touch in a few days after the heat's died down."

Lex headed back inside. On the way up to his office, he called the police, took a deep breath, and then made the call he really dreaded.

It was hours later when Lex finally made it home, utterly exhausted. He shrugged out of his coat, tossed it on a chair along with his briefcase. The apartment was quiet. He headed straight to the bedroom. Clark was huddled under the covers, but still awake.

Lex went to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better."

He checked Clark's forehead. He didn't feel feverish anymore. "Good." He gently stroked his hair.

"Are you all right?"

Phelan's death grimace flashed before his eyes, and his hands shook a little. But he said, "I'm fine."

He undressed, slipped into bed and pulled Clark into his arms, closing his eyes, holding him tight. All the other ways this evening could have ended would give him nightmares for the rest of his life. But right now, he just wanted to concentrate on what was good, what was important, how thankful he was that they were both here, alive and still together.

"Was it okay with the police?"

He nodded. "They asked me some questions, and I need to go down to the station tomorrow morning and make a formal statement."

"But they don't think--"

"No. It's clearly self-defense. It was Phelan's gun. He shot the security guard, cut the circuit breaker. I'm not going to have any problems with the police. I just have to make sure your name stays out of it. That's my only concern."

"About tonight-- I can explain."

He turned onto his side to look Clark in the eye. "You don't have to explain anything to me."

"But I do, Lex." He twisted his hands nervously in the bedclothes. "Um. The thing is-- I'm not--"

Lex stopped him with a kiss. "Anything you have to tell me I'm sure I already know, and it doesn't matter anyway. The only important thing is that I love you."

"Lex," Clark sighed against his lips, hands moving restlessly over his back.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you. Ever," he whispered. "I swear to God."

He held Clark's hand and moved with him, skin to skin, body against body, murmuring words of love. He just wished it hadn't taken him so long to tell Clark how much he meant to him.

The next morning came much too quickly. Lex didn't want to move, didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to stay just like this, with Clark safe and close and his.

He sighed. But there were things to be done. The police were waiting, and he had to prepare his staff for the onslaught of news vultures that would descend as soon as word got out about the shooting. And, of course, there was the other thing, the most important item on the agenda, the one part of his day he would have given anything to skip.

He pressed a kiss to Clark's forehead, slid out of bed and went to get ready. When he came back, Clark was stirring. He opened his eyes and smiled up at Lex.

"Do you have to go?"

He leaned down for a kiss. "I'm afraid so. The police are expecting me, and I'll need to do some spin control with the press."

Clark sat up. "I really wish you'd let me--"

"No." His tone didn't allow for argument. He cupped Clark's cheek in his hand. "But there is something you can do for me."

"Anything."

"Meet me for lunch?"

Clark's grin was quick and warm. "Sure."

"Good." He pushed a stray curl behind Clark's ear. "After I finish with the police, I have some other appointments. How about if I meet you in Memorial Square by the monument? Say about 12:30?"

"Okay." Clark blinked up at him, his expression sweet and a little sleepy, eyes warm with affection, and Lex wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life, when happiness seemed like something more than an abstract concept.

He wrapped his arms around Clark and hugged him. Clark rubbed his back and made soft little comforting noises, and Lex finally had to make himself let go.

Clark frowned. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." He cleared his throat. "I just-- I want you to know that I'll always love you, no matter what."

Clark's eyes lit with tenderness. "I love you, too."

He gathered Clark's face in his hand for one last kiss. "Goodbye, Clark."

He turned and walked away and didn't look back. Because if he did, he'd never be able to go. Never be able to do what he had to.

At police headquarters, a detective showed him into an interview room. His lawyer was already there.

Randolph stood up. "I got your message. What the hell happened, Lex? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I just want to get through this and get out of here. I'm sure there's a mess waiting for me at the office."

Randolph hesitated. "I can see you through a routine interview, but if they seem to have any serious concerns-- I'll have to stop the questioning, and we'll need to get you an experienced criminal attorney. The last time I defended anyone was in moot court back in law school."

"It was self-defense, Randolph. He came after me. We struggled over the gun, and I was the lucky one. That's it, the whole story."

Randolph gave him a hard look. "If you say so." He'd known Lex long enough to realize things were rarely as simple as they appeared at first glance.

Two homicide detectives joined them, and they all sat down at the table. The detectives rattled off their questions, and Lex answered them on autopilot. He was too distracted by what lay ahead to really focus and too numb from the night before to actually feel anything as he recounted the events leading up to Phelan's death. Finally, it was over, and they stood up and shook hands.

"We just need to wait for forensics, but as long as the physical evidence supports your story, Mr. Luthor, I don't see any reason this won't be ruled a justified shooting," the senior detective told him.

Lex nodded and thanked him, and the officers left.

"Well, that was strangely easy," Randolph said.

"I told you."

"I'd still like to have a criminal law firm on standby just in case."

Lex nodded. "Sounds like a smart idea. You have one in mind?"

"Carter, Finkle and Brown. They've represented other clients of mine. They're very good."

"Fine. Retain them."

Randolph pulled on his coat. "I'll be in touch."

Lex arrived at work to find barely controlled pandemonium. Reporters were camped out all over the front sidewalk and mobbed him as he started to make his way toward the door.

"Mr. Luthor, can you tell us what happened?" someone called out.

"How did you know Sam Phelan?"

"Is it true that this was all part of a plot to steal industrial secrets from LexCorp?"

A security team hurried out to meet him and escorted him into the building, clearing a path through the jostling throngs of reporters and cameramen. Upstairs, he found a young woman he recognized as an assistant in the PR department sitting at the desk outside his office, frantically trying to answer the phone as it rang off the hook, scribbling messages as quickly as she could.

She handed him a stack of pink slips. "I hope they're legible."

"It's going to be a tough day," he told her. "Just do the best you can."

She smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Mr. Luthor."

He went into his office, sat down at his desk and immediately set to work on damage control. He held a briefing with his PR team to map out a strategy. They decided on a press conference later in the afternoon. His PR chief scheduled phone interviews for him that morning with reporters LexCorp had a cordial relationship with. He edited several drafts of a press release, before finally signing off on it. All the while, he carefully avoided looking at his watch, didn't want to know as the minutes ticked by, taking him closer to the moment he dreaded. But there seemed to be clocks everywhere, something he'd never really noticed before, on his computer and his phone and sitting on his assistant's desk. He just couldn't seem to get away from the inevitable, no matter how hard he tried.

Finally, he had to go. He pulled on his coat and trudged downstairs. His car was waiting for him outside the back entrance, and thankfully there were no reporters there to ambush him. His driver dropped him off a block from Memorial Square.

"Should I wait, sir?"

He shook his head. "I'll call you when I'm ready."

There was a knoll in Memorial Park that looked down over the square. Lex headed for it. He found a place, half-hidden behind a tree, and spotted Clark below. He was standing by the marble obelisk commemorating Metropolis' war heroes, scanning the crowd, looking for Lex. Lex squeezed his hands into tight fists and waited.

It wasn't long before they showed up, the man and woman from the photograph, Clark's parents, rushing across the square, calling their son's name. Even from that distance, every detail was clear, relief lighting up their faces when they saw him, the strained lines of worry easing, a fierce parental love in the way they held onto Clark as they hugged him, as if he were the most precious thing and they'd never let him doubt that again.

Clark's face froze with shock. He held himself stiffly at first. But his mother whispered in his ear, and gradually his shoulders relaxed and his expression softened. Then he hugged his parents just as fiercely, looking like the kid Lex had never wanted to see in him.

It was yet another reason why this was the right thing. Lex clutched at that conviction as Clark glanced over his mother's shoulder, his gaze seeming to fasten on him, eyes bright with-- betrayal? grief? simple goodbye?

Lex could have just left then. He didn't have to stay for the bitter end, but somehow he couldn't make himself go, didn't want to forfeit even a second they still had together. He watched as Clark turned and went with his parents, back across the square, past the gates, along the street. He desperately went through the whole list of reasons why it had to be this way. Clark was still a kid, and he deserved a normal life, with chemistry classes and school plays and parents who loved him. Lex had always been wrong not to let the Kents know where he was, and now he was finally making up for it.

And the most important reason of all: Clark wasn't safe with him. There was the blare of publicity surrounding the shooting and questions that might be asked and the future Phelans who'd come oozing out of the woodwork to put two and two together and discover Clark's secret, and Lex couldn't risk any of that. Clark would be better off without him, better off blending into the background in a small town than being center stage in the public eye alongside Lex.

It was all true, every point. Lex knew it in his heart. And yet, it was still cold comfort as Clark disappeared out of sight, around a corner, gone from his life for good.

The blare of publicity over the shooting lasted exactly nine days. Nine days of reporters hounding Lex wherever he went, nine days of screaming front page headlines, nine days of people whispering behind his back. Then, on what would have been the tenth day, the star quarterback of the Sharks woke up after a night of blind-drunk partying to find a dead stripper in bed with him. That was the end of any interest in Lex.

He thought maybe he'd hear from Clark after the furor died down, if only to say he was glad it was over, if only to let him know he was okay. But the days turned into weeks and finally into months, and Clark never called.

Of course, this was the way it was supposed to be, Lex had to remind himself, the only safe thing, even if he hadn't expected Clark to accept it so easily. Although when he stopped to think about it, it wasn't really surprising that Clark would get swept up in his old life again, with his parents and friends and school and everything else seventeen year olds were supposed to care about. Maybe he was even glad Lex had let him go, grateful. It didn't matter that just the possibility of this cut Lex to the bone. All that was important was that Clark was safe, that giving him up had been for the best, a necessary sacrifice.

He managed to survive the holidays by working inhumanly long hours. The apartment felt too empty, so quiet it seemed to echo, and he avoided it as much as possible, really only there to sleep and change clothes. He steered clear of the usual social scene, as well. All the holiday parties and charity events he might have attended would just have underscored Clark's absence. The few evenings he did leave work before the wee hours of the morning he spent in a comfortable chair at the Oak Room, sipping his twenty-year-old Scotch, trying not to think about anything at all.

He was passing a quiet Wednesday night this way when he ran into Mitzi for the first time since Clark left.

The hostess was showing her to a table. When she spotted Lex, she made a detour. "Drinking alone?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

He gestured for her to join him, and the waiter materialized with her usual dry martini. "Now I'm drinking with you."

She smiled at him over the rim of her glass. "So I haven't seen much of you lately. Or Clark."

He finished his Scotch and ordered another. "I'm sure you know that Clark is gone." He was not in the mood for games, especially about this.

"You do look as if you've lost your last friend in the world. So--" Her eyes fastened on him curiously. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing."

"That's hardly the fighting spirit."

He sighed. "Mitzi, Clark was a seventeen-year-old prostitute I picked up at a club and paid to be my companion. He's not coming back."

"Finally decided to call his parents, did you? I'm proud of you for doing the right thing. The reunion went well, I hope?"

He could only stare.

Mitzi shrugged. "Clark's a very earnest young man. He worried about any possible embarrassment he might cause me and didn't want to be friends under false pretenses. Said it wouldn't be right. I, of course, was sworn to secrecy." Lex must have looked as surprised as he felt, because her voice turned sharp. "You're not the only one who could see that Clark was special."

He swallowed hard. "I know. I always appreciated that about you."

Her expression softened. "So why haven't you been in touch with him?"

"Clark's better off without me."

"That's not the impression I got when I spoke with him."

It was twice in one conversation that his jaw had dropped, and Mitzi looked rather pleased with herself. "What do you mean you spoke with him? When?"

"Yesterday. He called, ostensibly to apologize for not having said goodbye, but really to pump me for information about you."

"Was he all right? What did he say? He asked about me?"

Mitzi sighed impatiently. "Lex, do you honestly not realize how crazy that boy is about you? Did you think it would just fade away after a couple of months? That once he went to a few dances in the school gym and worked on a science project or two, he'd forget all about you?"

"I--" He looked away. Actually, that was exactly what he'd thought.

"Do you know how many times I've been married, Lex?"

"A few," Lex said politely.

Mitzi smiled. "Six, as I'm sure you're well aware. Some of them were spectacularly bad. Some started off well and then just fizzled. And finally there's Edgar, who is perfectly serviceable."

"No doubt he'd be flattered to hear that."

"No doubt. My point is that people spend their whole lives looking for what you had, and they never find it. Speaking on behalf of all those unfortunates, don't be an idiot. You're a clever businessman with practically limitless resources. Surely you can figure out some way to look out for Clark's best interests without completely cutting yourself off from him?"

"I just want him to have a normal life," he said, a little desperately.

"What does that mean? Have you ever actually known anyone who had a normal life?" She leaned in, her expression very serious. "Look, I'm not saying that you should swoop down and lure him away from his parents. The boy deserves a chance to finish growing up. But be a little creative. Put that genius intellect to work. Come up with something, so you're not both completely miserable. And when Clark comes of age, he can make his own choices about where and how he wants to live, and the two of you can figure things out from there."

He stared at her. "Why do you care so much?"

"To be honest, I'm not even sure. I suppose it's because it's so rare to see two people so clearly meant for each other." She smiled. "I guess I'm more of a romantic than I would have guessed." She finished her drink and stood up. "Well, I've kept Edgar waiting long enough." She nodded. "Lex."

"Mitzi."

It wasn't, in the end, that difficult to put Mitzi's advice into action and come up with a plan to be closer to Clark. All he really needed was a pretext to spend time in Smallville, and as luck had it, his father owned a manure plant and a house there. His father also owed him a sizeable settlement to keep his adventures in industrial espionage out of the courts and off the front pages. Lionel was more than happy to hand over a failing factory and a country house he never used to lighten the cash payout.

The trick, of course, would be keeping the spotlight off Clark, protecting him from people like Phelan. Lex still wasn't entirely sure how he was going to manage that, but as Mitzi had said, he would just have to figure something out.

Once the transfer of ownership went through, Lex headed out to Smallville to inspect his investment and, more importantly, to see Clark. He had not been back since the day of the meteors and was determined not to let it bother him. He was doing fine--fine, he told himself--all the way down Highway 12. So he had the CD player turned up deafeningly loud and was speeding along like he was racing at Le Mans. It didn't mean he was on edge. That was just how he liked to drive.

When he got to the first cornfield, though, it became harder to pretend. He was flooded with sense memories from that day, the way the soft ground shifted beneath his feet as he ran, cornstalks lashing his face, the stink of fertilizer rising up from the dirt making him wheeze, the inferno he couldn't outrun no matter how hard he pushed his shaking legs, the impossible heat on his skin, stench of his own burning hair choking him as he lost consciousness.

A fine sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead. There was a service station up ahead, and he pulled in, went around to the bathroom, locked the door and threw cold water on his face. His father had taught him a few things that he still believed. One of them was that you always had to face your demons eventually.

He pumped gas and went inside to pay. "How far is it to the turn off for the LuthorCorp factory?" he asked.

The man behind the counter was dressed in a flannel shirt and a John Deere cap, chewing what Lex feared was tobacco. He looked Lex up and down, glanced out the window at the Ferrari with the "Lex1" license plate, handed him back his credit card and receipt, but didn't answer his question.

"Thank you," Lex said, dryly. "You've been helpful." Thanks to his father, apparently all Luthors were persona non grata in this county.

Fortunately, a little further down the road there was a large sign pointing the way to the factory. Unfortunately, when he got there, he understood his father's sly smile when he'd demanded it as part of their deal.

He was met by the plant manager, Gabe Sullivan. He shook Lex's hand rather nervously. "I'd be happy to show you around, Mr. Luthor, if you'd like?"

"Call me Lex. And, yes, I would like that."

The factory was in even worse shape than he'd feared. The physical structure had not been properly maintained. Production was hampered by outdated equipment and inefficient processes. As he introduced himself to his new employees, they nodded civilly, but there was a look in their eyes that he recognized too well, the effect his father always had on his workforce. They were scared shitless. LuthorCorp was the major employer in town, and these people had husbands and wives, children, mortgages. They couldn't afford to lose their jobs. No doubt, they thought this takeover meant the worst for them.

Lex hoped to show them differently, but when he took a look at the books he wasn't quite so optimistic. He closed his eyes and imagined his father having yet another laugh at his expense.

"I know it looks pretty bad." Gabe shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I worked up some ideas for how we could improve things, but your father never seemed very interested--"

"Have your proposal on my desk tomorrow morning."

Gabe blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I'm not my father, and I am interested in making this place profitable. So let's go over your plans first thing tomorrow and see what we've got. I just have-- There's something else, something important, I need to do right now."

"Absolutely, Mr. Luthor." His face brightened considerably. "I'll have everything waiting for you."

"Good. And Gabe?"

"Yes?"

"Mr. Luthor is my father. Call me Lex. Okay?"

Gabe's eyes twinkled. "Sure thing, Lex."

Back in the car, he let out his breath. That hadn't gone as badly as it might have. The place was a mess, but he had a feeling Gabe Sullivan was something of a hidden gem. Hopefully, they could start to turn things around.

Gabe had given him directions to the Kent house. He turned down their lane, and a yellow farmhouse came into sight. He had to shut his eyes and open them again, because it was like staring into a Normal Rockwell painting and for a moment, he thought it had to be a mirage. How could anything look so much like a perfect dream of what home was supposed to be?

He parked, walked up on the white-railed porch and knocked.

The red-haired woman from the park, Clark's mother, answered the door. "Yes?" She smiled politely. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so," he said. "I was wondering if your son was at home. I, uh-- We knew each other in Metropolis."

Her face clouded with suspicion, and he felt a flash of panic that maybe she wouldn't let him see Clark at all. "Lex Luthor," she said. "I recognize you from the paper. I hear you've taken over the plant."

"News travels fast."

"It's a small town, Mr. Luthor."

"Lex. Please."

She gave him a long, appraising look before pushing the screen door open. "Would you like to come in for coffee? Then maybe we can see whether Clark is home."

He nodded, understanding perfectly well. If he wanted to see Clark, he was going to have to get past her. "Thank you, Mrs. Kent. That would be nice." He followed her into the kitchen and took a place at the table when she invited him to sit down.

"Milk and sugar?" she asked, pouring his coffee.

"Just black, please."

She handed him a mug and sat down across from him. "So what made you decide to take over the plant from your father?"

Mrs. Kent had an open, kind face, hospitable even in her wariness, but her blue eyes were piercing, filled with the kind of intelligence that took in everything. He felt heat in his face and hoped to God he hadn't chosen this of all moments to start blushing.

"Well, I--" Was he actually stuttering? "It was a good opportunity, a way to diversify LexCorp's holdings."

"With a manure factory?" She smiled skeptically.

Now he was quite sure his face was red. "We are an agribusiness company. And manure is a basic part of agriculture," he said, weakly.

"Ah." She took a sip of her coffee, her expression thoughtful. "I assume you have no children, Lex? You're too young."

"No, ma'am. I don't."

"I know it sounds cliched, but it really is true that until you have children of your own you can't imagine what it's like. How your child is a part of you in this very profound way. Say there was a picture in a newspaper, for instance, blurry and out of focus, only the back of your son's head, from a distance, but still, your son. You'd know it was him instantly, without question. Because he's your child." Her gaze bored into him. "Do you understand what I mean?"

"I think I do." He met her gaze openly. "Would you also be able to see if he was happy and well taken care of and loved?"

She didn't answer, just studied him, and it felt like being under a spotlight. It took every bit of discipline he had not to squirm. She was a formidable woman, no matter how mild she might seem.

"You know, we had an unexpected windfall recently," she finally said. "Someone paid off our farm and sent us the deed anonymously. I don't suppose you know anything about that?"

He looked away. "How would I?"

"It was another anonymous benefactor who arranged for us to meet Clark, to talk, sort things out. I doubt Clark would have agreed to come home otherwise. That's why we never tried to force him. So I owe that person a great debt. And I'd like to think he cares enough about my son to do what's best for him, to let him have his life, and not try to take him away from his family and friends."

"I can't imagine anyone not wanting the best for Clark," he said, gently.

She sat still for a moment, staring into the distance, then she got up and took her coffee cup to the sink. "Clark's out in the barn."

He swallowed hard. "Thank you, Mrs. Kent."

The walk out to the barn was not long, but he was too eager and it felt like an eternity. Inside, he found Clark cleaning out a stall, and for a moment he forgot how to breathe. Clark looked younger dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt than he had in club clothes or the urban couture Lex had bought him, but also more elemental, pure boy, pure Clark, in all his heartbreaking beauty.

All the longing that Lex had barely been holding back hit him then, hard, and he couldn't stop his voice from shaking. "Clark."

He started and turned around. There was a flash of surprised happiness, but then his expression quickly froze over. "What are you doing here?"

Lex had to wonder if Mitzi had somehow gotten it wrong, and he found himself taking the coward's way out. "I had business in the area. I don't know if you heard, but I took over the Smallville plant from my father."

"I heard."

"Also, my family has a house here. I thought it would be a good opportunity to check in on the place," he said feebly.

Clark gave him a hard look. "What do you really want, Lex?"

He tried to force down the painful lump in his throat, but it wouldn't budge. "I just wanted to see you. I thought maybe we could talk."

Clark's eyes flashed. "I got the message loud and clear that day in the park. There's nothing to talk about."

"Clark, you have to understand--"

"Oh, I understand all right." An angry flush spread across his cheeks. "You said it didn't matter, but it did. And now I'm back here, just the way you wanted. So I wish you'd just get out and leave me alone."

Lex frowned, confused. "What are talking about? What mattered?"

"That I'm not--" He stopped, painfully.

"Oh, Clark. Clark. That's not why--"

"Don't lie to me!" He met Lex's gaze with a hot spark of fury. "You sent me away the day after you found out. You think I can't put two and two together?"

"I called your parents because I needed you to be safe, and you wouldn't have been in Metropolis, not with all the publicity surrounding the shooting."

"If that was true, then why didn't you just tell me? Why did you have to go behind my back and make decisions that weren't yours to make?"

"Because Phelan knew about you, and it was all my fault. And if he figured it out, somebody else might, too. And I damn well wasn't going to let anything happen to you because of me."

Clark frowned. "What do you mean it was your fault?"

Lex balled his hands into fists. True confession time, and he always hated that. "I hired Phelan to investigate you when we first got together."

Clark's eyes widened. "What?" And then his expression turned hard. "Never trust a whore, huh? What were you afraid of? That I'd clean out your bank accounts and make a run for the border?"

"Clark, I didn't trust anyone back then. But that wasn't why I hired Phelan, not really."

"No? Then why?"

He took a deep breath. "I just-- I wanted to know you."

Clark's mouth twisted into a bitter line. "Well, that's a hell of a way to do it."

"You wouldn't tell me anything!" He stopped and collected himself. "Look, I'm not saying that what I did was right. It wasn't. But it was before-- Before we got close. And it was really only because--"

"What?"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You fascinated me, and I wanted you so much. And I thought you were special, from the first moment I saw you, and I wanted to understand who you were. And I'm just screwed up enough to think I could speed that along with a private investigator instead of just letting it happen naturally."

Clark's expression was still wary, but his tone relented a little. "Phelan told you about me?"

"Not at first. Not until that night when he came to--" He couldn't make himself say it. "I'd already realized you had unusual abilities. I just didn't know why."

"And you weren't freaked out?" Clark watched closely for his reaction.

"I don't care where you're from. I'm just glad you're here."

"You still should have discussed it with me. Not just called my parents to come get me like I'm some three-year-old."

"You wouldn't have gone. I know you."

"Maybe not, but that would have been my decision to make."

"And it would have been the wrong one."

Clark glared at him. "Do you have any idea how fucking arrogant that is?"

"Phelan was going to sell you, Clark, to the highest bidder, so they could do God knows what to you." Clark paled, and Lex regretted having to put it so brutally, but Clark needed to hear the truth, needed to understand the danger. "He knew your weakness, knew how to control you. I couldn't take any chances that someone else would put it together, try to do the same thing. Maybe succeed the next time." He let out his breath. "I know you think I should be sorry for what I did, but I'm not. I'd die before I let anything happen to you."

Long moments of silence passed, and then Clark said in a softer voice, "So why are you really here, Lex?"

"There's only one reason I'd ever come back to this place, why I'm the proud new owner of a crap factory in the middle of nowhere."

Clark took a step closer. "Which is?"

Lex reached for him. "Don't you know?"

Four months was not an eternity, certainly not so long that he'd forgotten how it felt to kiss Clark. But the first touch of their mouths was still a surprise of pleasure, how soft Clark's lips were, how warm, the way Clark sighed as he deepened the kiss, how sweet he tasted, like nothing else had ever been sweet. They kissed until Lex's lips tingled from it, and then he hugged Clark to him, pressed his face against his neck and just held on, like someone who'd been pulled back from the brink of a very bleak and lonely future.

Clark whispered against his shoulder, "I missed you so much."

Lex tightened his arms around him. "God. I missed you, too."

He didn't know how long they stood there like that. Forever probably wouldn't have been long enough. Finally, though, the thought of Clark's parents made him let go, although he couldn't bring himself to actually take a step back. Clark had seemed so irretrievably lost to him, as if Smallville was a distant continent and not the next county over, and now that Lex had him back again, he needed to stay close.

"I didn't know you'd been to Smallville before. I thought nobody in your family ever stayed at the mansion."

"They don't, really. I was only here once with my father. It was a long time ago." He wished he hadn't brought up the past. He tried hard to sound casual, but there were some things you just couldn't talk about as if they meant nothing.

Clark knew him too well not to hear the catch in his voice. He frowned. "When exactly were you here, Lex?"

"It doesn't matter."

Clark stared at him and then his expression jolted with realization. "Oh, God. Childhood accident." He stroked a gentle hand over Lex's bare head and looked so sad. "I'm sorry."

He took Clark's hand and kissed it. "Don't. You're not responsible."

"But that was me. I came down in that storm."

"So? That doesn't mean you caused it."

"I'm still sorry you were hurt," Clark said softly.

Lex rested his forehead against Clark's. "And I'm sorry you thought I was sending you away because you're-- not from around here. It was never that. I swear."

Clark wrapped his arms around him. "So you really bought a crap factory just because of me?" Lex felt his smile against his cheek.

"Technically, I didn't buy it. But, yes, the fact that it's conveniently located in your hometown was the primary--okay, the only--inducement to acquire it."

"Does this mean you'll be sticking around then?" Clark shot him a hopeful look.

Lex touched his face, stroked his thumb along his cheek. "I'm not saying it will be full-time, but I do think there are things here that will need my personal attention."

Clark's smile was wide and pleased. "Come on." He took Lex's hand. "There's something I want to show you."

He led Lex up a set of rough-hewn stairs to the loft, which had been lovingly transformed into a refuge for him. There was a couch, a table, a stack of books, a telescope set up at the far end, pointed toward the sky, as if Clark were scanning the stars, looking for some evidence of where he'd come from. The idea of it made Lex's throat close up painfully.

"My father calls it my Fortress of Solitude," Clark said. "Kind of dorky, huh?"

"I think your father sounds like a smart man. Everyone needs somewhere they can be alone."

"That's true." The room spun, and Lex landed on his back on the sofa, with Clark stretched out over him. "Especially for things like this." Clark kissed him, more frenzied than before, more determined.

Every ounce of reason Lex had screamed at him that this was a bad idea. If Clark's parents caught them, they might forbid him to see Clark altogether. Lex's cock, on the other hand, surged painfully against his zipper, only caring that Clark was close and touching him and there was the happy prospect of being naked with him in the near future.

Lex did his best to ignore his cock. "What--" he said, between mouthfuls of Clark's tongue. "Are you doing?"

"Mmm." Clark pressed his face against Lex's neck, breathing him in. "I'm taking care of something that needs my personal attention." He rubbed his thigh against Lex's hard-on.

"God," Lex groaned. "Stop. We shouldn't be doing this here."

Clark pulled off his shirt and flung it to the floor. "You made the decision to send me home to Smallville. So I'm making this decision. It's only fair." He undid the buttons of Lex's shirt, pushing the fabric out of the way, stringing kisses over Lex's chest.

"Clark, your mother already seems kind of iffy about me. If she sees us--"

Clark grinned. "Hey, wait until you meet my father. He's got this grudge against your family, and he owns a shotgun."

"Clark!" He tried to sit up.

Clark bit playfully at his nipple, making him moan. "I'm just kidding." He pushed Lex back down. "Okay, not about the gun or the grudge. But my father's in Grandville today picking up tractor parts. And, anyway, I'd protect you."

He brushed his fingers along Lex's bare sides, rimmed his belly button with his tongue, making Lex shudder.

"You're trying to kill me."

Clark smiled and continued his trip down Lex's belly, kissing and licking and blowing tantalizing little puffs of air over Lex's sensitive skin, making him so desperately hard his eyes started to water. When Clark finally pushed down his zipper and released his straining erection, he sighed in relief. Then Clark bent his head, and Lex's entire body coiled with need, heat everywhere, surrounding his cock, burning in the pit of his stomach, spreading over his skin.

"God!"

Clark pulled off his cock long enough to shush him.

"Easy for you to say," he hissed, as Clark began to trace patterns with his tongue on the underside of his cock.

He let Lex's erection slide from his mouth, and Lex had to dig his fingernails into his palms to keep from making loud sounds of disappointment.

Clark rubbed his head against Lex's belly. "At least you've been in Metropolis where there are actual gay people. I've been here."

"Clark." He stroked his hair. "I haven't been with anybody since you left. I don't want anyone else."

Clark lifted his head, startled, and then heat flared in his eyes. He braced himself on his arms over Lex and kissed wildly until Lex's lungs burned and the blood pounded in his ears.

"I love you," Clark whispered against his lips.

Lex smiled, the desperate clench he'd felt in his chest since he'd let Clark go finally relaxing. "I love you, too."

Clark fumbled with his own fly and pushed his pants and underwear down over hips. Lex spread his legs, and Clark settled between them. They kissed and murmured tender sweet things and rocked their bodies together, too greedy for one another to make it last long. Lex gripped Clark's shoulders, and Clark called his name, and they both came, tangled messily around one another.

Clark reached over to the nearby table for tissues and cleaned them both up. They straightened their clothes, but Clark didn't get up, wouldn't let Lex up, either. He rested his head on Lex's chest, and it was so quiet and everything smelled warm and clean and like Clark, and Lex was pretty certain he'd never been happier in his whole life.

"I've been lonely without you," Clark said in a quiet voice.

Lex pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Haven't things been okay at home?"

Clark fiddled with the button on Lex's shirt. "I guess you could say it's been complicated."

"You want to tell me?"

"Well-- Mom says she doesn't blame me for what happened with the baby, but sometimes-- And then, I told my parents the truth, you know, about being gay. My dad says he's okay with it, but he's always trying too hard and that makes me think he's really not all that okay. People at school think I'm even weirder than they did before. And most of my friends are still mad at me."

Lex stroked his fingers along Clark's forearm. "I'm sorry. It sounds like it's been a hard adjustment."

"I knew it would be. You can't go away like I did and come home and expect everything to be the same. I'm not the same. Why should anything else be? That's really the worst part. There's so much I can't tell people about what I did in Metropolis that it feels like I'm pretending about who I am. It would be so much better if you were here. Then I'd have somebody who really knows me."

Lex tightened his arms around him. That he was the one person Clark trusted to understand didn't just make his day, it made his entire life. But his conversation with Mrs. Kent had been a promise, and so had the one with Mitzi, for that matter. He had to let Clark finish growing up, keep enough distance so Clark could have a full life, not get totally wrapped up in their relationship.

"We'll need to take things slow. Be very careful."

"Seventeen is legal in Kansas. And I'll be eighteen soon, anyway."

"That's not what I'm worried about, Clark. It's not easy being out in a community that's not very gay-friendly. Not to mention that there's little love lost around here for anyone with my last name. You shouldn't be known all over town as Lex Luthor's boyfriend. Plus, you need time to finish working things out with your friends and family. I don't want our relationship to overshadow that. And most importantly, we can't attract outside attention about what I'm doing in Smallville. It has to just seem like business. Otherwise, it won't be any safer for you here than it was in Metropolis."

Clark's expression darkened. "It sounds like you don't want to spend time with me at all."

Lex squeezed his shoulder. "You know that's not true. I'm just saying let's be cautious about it."

Clark propped himself up on his elbow and studied him, and then his expression softened. "How do you feel about organic produce?"

Lex blinked. "Um. I'm not against it?"

He grinned. "Good. Because I make deliveries on Wednesdays and Fridays. It's a good excuse for me to come see you. So you'll need to order a lot of artichokes." He bent his head for a kiss. "Thank you for saving the farm, by the way. It would have broken my parents' hearts to lose it."

Lex ran his fingertips lightly along Clark's jaw. "I didn't do it for them."

Clark's eyes filled with warmth, and he leaned in for more kisses. The spark of longing between them reignited, press of bodies, mingled breath, clutching fingers, rough panting as they moved against one another, trying desperately to get closer, as if they wanted to crawl inside each other's skin.

"Clark!" Mrs. Kent's voice rang out.

They broke apart like a shot.

"Yeah, Mom?" he called back down to her, nervously pulling at the hem of his shirt, trying to pull it down over his erection.

"It's dinnertime."

"Okay. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Lex scrubbed his hands over his face, his heart pounding. He couldn't remember the last time someone's mother had almost caught him in the act. "Okay, so from now on we only do this at my house." He stood up and tried to smooth the wrinkles from his pants.

"I've always been curious to see the inside of the mansion." Clark took his hand and led him back downstairs.

"Won't people in town think it's strange, though? That a businessman from Metropolis and a high school student know each other?"

"We just need a believable story. Like you drove your car off a bridge or something, and I rescued you."

"That's believable?"

"You'd be surprised." Clark walked him outside.

"So what are you going to tell your parents?"

Clark shook his head. "I really don't know yet."

"I'm pretty sure your mother already knows."

"Yeah, there's not much I can hide from her. She is my mother."

He touched Clark's arm, worried. "I don't want this to come between you and your family."

"It won't. I promise. My parents want me to be happy." He rested his hand on the back on Lex's neck, thumb moving in lazy circles. "And I'm so glad you're here I can't even tell you."

He smiled. "Me, too." He cast a glance around. There were cows watching them from the other side of the fence, chickens clucking around the barn, a silo in the distance. It made his Ferrari look like something from another planet. "So, this is Smallville, huh?"

Clark grinned. "This is it."

Lex gathered Clark's beautiful face in his hands and looked into his eyes, like a promise. "I already feel at home."