"Clark can you set the table, please?" Martha called out toward the barn, knowing full well that with Clark's super-hearing he would hear her.
A moment later a blur zipped by her, a light kiss on her cheek telling her that it could only be Clark. Jonathan soon followed with a tender smile, shaking his head and taking off a pair of worn leather gloves. He too planted a kiss on his wife's cheek.
Martha raised an eyebrow at him in silent question. Jonathan sighed and looked up to the heavens in exasperation answering her unspoken question. They'd been noticing lately Clark had a non-stop topic of conversation, Lex Luthor. They acknowledged that Clark was best friends with the Luthor scion, but it was starting to get on their nerves.
After washing up they settled down to a dinner of chicken, potatoes and asparagus. It was simple fare, but they were simple folks. "Asparagus Martha?" Jonathan groaned.
"Clark likes it," Martha beamed at her son as she set his plate down in front of it.
"Since when?" Jonathan groused staring at his son like the traitor he was.
"Lex got me to like them. He's a great cook, but the staff really won't let him…" And there he went. Clark was off on another Lex tangent. Martha and Jonathan gave each other long suffering looks. They had hoped when Clark graduated high school and went to college that his infatuation with the billionaire's son would end. But it seemed that while Clark was in Metropolis Lex had gone out of his way to show him all that the city had to offer. Yet, that was before Lex had gotten so wrapped up in LexCorp that he barely had time to sleep and eat much less spend time with Clark. It was Clark's first summer home and it seemed Lex was all Clark would talk about, even though their time together was now so limited.
Martha and Jonathan dug into their simple meal and did their best to ignore Clark, when Clark suddenly said, "Lex would be a great fuck."
"CLARK!!" His parents both screamed in shock at once.
Clark blinked. "What? I just said Lex wants to get me a truck!"
"Son," Jonathan pointed at Clark with his fork, "that is not what you said."
"Dad," Clark rolled his eyes. "It is too. What do you think I said?"
Martha blushed and Jonathan shuddered. "Nevermind Clark," Martha put in quickly. Jonathan shook his head and proceeded to eat a homemade biscuit when Clark began to rant along anew about how Lex wanted to buy him a new truck, despite him having to return the last one. "I really love him." Clark sighed happily.
Jonathan choked on his biscuit. "Dad!" Clark cried out in alarm and immediately came over to his Dad's side and pounded on his back.
Martha was sitting still too shell-shocked to move. "Clark you just said you really love him."
"Who?" Clark asked in bewilderment.
"Lex," Jonathan choked waving off his son before he was bruised.
"Okay now you are both in need of hearing aids! I said I'd really love one." Clark shook his head and went back to eating his second helping.
Jonathan was about to call him on it when Martha placed a hand on his arm shaking her head. "Clark what happened to that nice young man you were dating at the start of term? He was nice."
Smiling Jonathan understood where Martha was heading. "Tony wasn't that his name?"
"Too hairy," Clark made a face.
"Oh. What about that nice man from Gotham?" Martha continued undaunted.
"Rex, didn't have any fashion sense Mom!" Jonathan put his face into his hands.
"Trent?"
"Too muscular and he drove domestic!"
Jonathan peered over his fists at his son. "So let me get this right. You want someone with good fashion sense, not too muscular with a foreign car and no hair?"
Clark smiled. "Right! You were listening."
"Clark honey, you're describing Lex Luthor," Martha said softly.
"Don't be silly mom," Clark laughed.
"That's it!" Jonathan threw down his napkin and began to pace â€" sure sign he was about to blow.
"Now Jonathan, your heart-," Martha began, but Jonathan waved her off.
"Clark I want you to see the new counselor down at the Community Center tomorrow morning."
"But Dad!" Clark jumped to his feet. Martha stood by Jonathan's side.
"You're father is right honey. This obsession with Lex isn't healthy. If you don't go then I'll …I'll bring your baby pictures down to the Senior Center the next time we visit." Martha knew this was blackmail, but she'd learned the tricks being Lionel Luthor's assistant. Clark pouted. His father glared and his mother tapped her foot. Clark didn't stand a chance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"ALEXANDER GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND LISTEN TO ME!" Lionel Luthor bellowed.
"What?" Lex took the tip of the pen out of his mouth and looked at his father. "Did you say something?"
Lionel hissed in frustration and sat down in front of his son. "What's his name?"
"Whose name Dad?" Lex asked with a frown.
"Whatever boy has your mind in the clouds. You've been having oral sex with that pen so it must be a man. And for the last five minutes you haven't heard a word I said." Lionel huffed angry at the waste of time this trip had been. "Honestly Lex how do you run a company like this?"
"Sorry I was thinking about Clark's cock," Lex mused putting the pen back in his mouth.
Lionel's eyebrows hit his hairline. "You. What!?"
"Hmm?" Lex asked inquiringly.
"You just said you were thinking of that Kent boy's cock Lex!" Lionel sputtered.
"Dad really, you need to lay off the booze before dinner. I said I was watching the clock."
Lionel sat back. "That's some Freudian Slip son."
"I have no idea what you are talking about Dad. But if we are done," Lex rose up taking his laptop with him.
"We might as well be. Do me a favor Lex, get laid and call me in a week." Lionel shook his head and before Lex was out of the door was already on the phone making another deal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clark fidgeted nervously waiting for the counselor to talk. She was an older woman who seemed very nice, but he couldn't shake the feeling of being called in front of the Dean. "So your parents tell me that you have only a few friends, but are very close to them. Tell me about them."
"Well, Lana and I used to be close, but she moved away. Chloe is working on the Daily Planet where I'll be interning soon. Pete moved away too, but we keep in touch."
"What about Lex?" the counselor asked with a knowing smile.
Clark's smile lit up the room, surprising the older woman with its intensity. "Lex is great. He's my best friend. He owns his own company LexCorp. I'm really proud of him. Some day he'll take over his father's company. He's really smart too and a great dresser. I've loved him for a long time."
"OH really?" She smiled.
"What?" Clark asked.
"You just said that you've loved him for a long time." She tapped her notepad with her pencil meaningfully.
"No, I said that I've learned from him over time." Clark said in exasperation.
Mrs. Woodward raised a silver eyebrow and hit the rewind on her tape recorder. "Listen Clark and tell me what you said.
Clark listened and his mouth dropped as his breath hitched. "Oh my god, I really did say that didn't I?"
"Yes you did. So do you love Lex?" she prompted carefully.
Clark could only nod numbly while he muttered. "I guess… I really do. I love Lex. Oh my god. I love Lex." Suddenly he shot forward out of his chair and leaned against the desk. "What do I do!!?"
"Tell him Clark," she placed a withered hand over his. "Love is too precious not to share it."
"But Dad will-"
"This is about you and Lex, no one else. Just start out slow and write him a letter, so he knows that you miss him."
"Oh god," Clark panted sitting back down. "I can't do that!"
"Okay just say 'hello' then to open the doors for communication."
"But we haven't talked in months. What if he doesn't like me back? What if he's seeing someone? What if-"
"Shh, Clark calm down. Breathe!" Clark nodded, put his head between his legs and tried to relax past the herd of raging elephants in his heart. She handed him a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp before leaving the room for a moment to allow him some privacy.
Clark gulped and tried to figure out what to say.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lex was not looking forward to another tedious day of meetings. His mind kept wandering and when he came back to terra firma he couldn't even recall what he'd been thinking so hard about. It was very disconcerting to say the least.
"Mail sir," his secretary bustled in handing his correspondence to him before seeing herself out again.
Grabbing the letter opener Lex set to the first task of the day. Most of the mail had already been weeded out and this mail tended to consist of invitations to various social events. Thus the letter from Smallville Community Counseling Center caught his eye immediately. He slipped the opener under a corner and efficiently opened it with one motion.
Sitting back he dropped the envelope with one hand into the trash and shook the letter open with the other.
Hi Lex,
How are you?
Clark
Lex flipped the paper over. There was nothing else on the page. He frowned and grabbed the envelope once more wondering why on earth Clark would be seeing a counselor. Had keeping all those secrets about his super-powers finally drove him around the bend? It wasn't like Lex was surprised. It seemed to happen to every mutant in Smallville.
With a shrug, Lex took out a piece of his personal stationary and wrote a reply posting it in that day's mail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clark ran all the way back from the mailbox into the house excitedly. "Lex wrote me back!"
"They're playing post office now?" Jonathan whispered into his wife's ear unhappily.
"Oh shush you, we want him to be happy remember?" she scolded playfully, too happy to see Clark so delighted.
Clark ran up to his room and plopped on his old bed. He held the letter to his chest, and then brought it to his nose inhaling deeply. In his mind, he could picture Lex actually writing to him. Unable to tease himself with it any longer, he opened it eagerly. But he was careful not to rip the letter itself.
Clark,
As you are well aware I've been very busy. But I'm never too busy for you. Is there something you want to tell me? It's a bit disconcerting to get a letter from you from a counseling center. Perhaps the question should be, are you okay?
Lex
Clark hesitated only a heartbeat, before running into town to talk with Mrs. Woodward. She seemed pleased to see him even though they didn't have an appointment. Luckily she was talking with the secretary who made appointments and was not in her office with a patient. "Clark, how are you?"
"He wrote me!" Clark smiled taking the letter out of his pocket.
Smiling she nodded. "Good, good. The lines of communication are open. Write him back."
"But what do I say? He knows I was here!" Clark said with concern.
"Did he make fun of you?" Mrs. Woodward asked unhappily. She'd done her best not to be prejudicial toward a son of Lionel Luthor, but perhaps she should have been.
"No! Of course not!" Clark cried out in defense.
Mrs. Woodward let go of the breath she'd been holding. "Why don't you invite him to visit, so you can talk face-to-face? Hmm?" She patted his arm then waved before heading back into her office.
Clark went home at a much slower pace as he mulled over what to say to Lex. Two days later, Lex received another letter from Clark. He was relieved to see it was not from the counseling center.
Dear Lex,
I'm okay really. I just needed to work something out and that's why I'm writing to you. Maybe I could meet you for dinner? If that's okay? Or just go out sometime?
Clark
Wishing to cut to the chase, Lex picked up the phone and dialed the number he still knew by heart. It was answered on the third ring. "Kent residence."
"Hello Mrs. Kent. May I please speak with Clark? It's Lex."
"Oh, OH!! LEX! Oh right! Yes, I'll go get him!" She cried out excitedly. Lex stared at the phone wondering if whatever made Clark seek professional help was catching.
"Lex?" Clark's shaky voice came onto the phone.
"Clark," Lex smiled happy to hear the familiar voice once more. "I didn't realize until just now how much I missed you."
"Really? Oh Lex, I miss you too!" Clark seemed exuberant at his simple declaration. Lex smiled more.
"Clark, I received your letter. Did you just ask me out on a date?" Lex wished he could be there to see if Clark was blushing, although he was sure he was.
"Um, well, uh, sort of, I guess, yeah," Clark stammered.
Lex felt his heart swell. "I'd love to."
"REALLY!?" Clark practically screamed into the phone. "MOM! Lex said 'yes!'"
Lex shook his head hoping his eardrums were still intact, but couldn't help the small laugh that escaped at Clarks' enthusiasm. Plus there was the added mental picture of Jonathan Kent's face when he found out his son had asked him out and not the other way around. Much less Lionel's when he found out.
"Clark?"
"Oh sorry Lex. How about I pick you up and then we go to Luigi's at seven?"
"Would you mind if I meet you there Clark?" Lex sighed looking at the stack in his inbox for the day.
"If you're too busy, I could bring some food to the Penthouse instead and cook it there?" Clark asked nervously, combing his fingers through his hair wondering what had just made him say that.
"That would be perfect Clark, if you don't mind? It's been a long week," Lex grumbled.
"No problem, see you then!" Clark added.
Lex hung up and Clark turned to his mother for help as soon as he was off the phone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was the smell that first made him wonder if everything was alright. The definite odor of something burning could be detected in the elevator before he'd opened the door to the Penthouse. "Clark?" he called out in concern tossing his briefcase to one side and loosening his tie.
Heading directly to the kitchen, he saw at once that despite being Martha Kent's son, Clark was in no way a recipient of her culinary skill. A pot was boiling over on the stove. Another one was in the sink with black smoke rolling out of it. Clark was trying to rescue something out of the oven that could be mistaken for small, black lumps of coal.
Clark spotted him and Lex saw his bottom lip quiver. "Clark."
"I've never cooked on a stove like this before," Clark looked down at the floor.
Lex smiled and pushed by Clark, taking the tray from his hand to put it on the counter. Then he turned off the stove. Taking Clark by the hand he led him out of the kitchen. Turning he saw Clark was pouting. "Hey," Lex lifted up Clark's face with one finger. "It's okay Clark. We can get take out."
"But I wanted this night to be special!" Clark whined.
"It is special." Lex replied patiently.
"It is?" Clark asked tears welling up in his eyes. "How can it be? I ruined everything. I'm so sorry Lex."
"It is special because you're here," Lex answered simply.
"Do you mean that?" Clark asked hopefully.
Lex patted him on the shoulder and then pulled Clark to a couch. He made a quick call for delivery before turning back to look at Clark. "So what's with the counseling?"
"I, um was making Freudian slips because I wasn't admitting something," Clark studied the patterns in Lex's Persian rug.
"Funny, Dad just accused me of that the other day about you. I take it your slips had to do with me?" Lex asked with a smirk.
"Kind of," Clark whispered.
"Kind of as in 'yes' or kind of as in 'no'?" Lex prodded with amusement.
"Yes," Clark said with a nod. Meeting Lex's eyes he asked. "What sort of slip did you make about me?"
"Apparently I said I was thinking about a certain part of you," Lex looked down at Clark's crotch meaningfully. When he looked back up Clark was beet red. "So what did you find out at your sessions?"
"Oh, well it was just the one. It was all I needed." Clark smiled nervously.
"You avoided my question Clark," Lex chuckled.
"IfoundoutthatIloveyou," Clark said in one breath then ran to the kitchen to clean up.
Lex sat a moment, replaying what Clark said in his mind. "I found out…I found out that I …" His eyes lit up and he leaped off the couch with a burst of energy reserve he didn't think he had. Clark was bustling about the kitchen trying to act like nothing happened. Lex came up behind him and slipped his arms around his waist. Clark froze.
"I love you too Clark Kent," Lex whispered into his ear.
Clark spun around so quickly he almost knocked Lex out. In his eagerness he super-speeded them the bedroom and began to kiss Lex frantically. "Clark? Care to tell me how we got here so fast?" Lex asked pushing Clark away before he became too rattled by the passion behind them.
"I'manalienfromtheplanetKryptonandIhavesuperpowers."
This time Lex was ready for it. "And here I thought you were just a mutant. You left off invulnerable too."
"Not to everything," Clark grinned.
"Right the meteor rocks," Lex mused.
"And you," Clark blushed and kissed Lex again.
They never noticed the delivery of food, or Lionel Luthor's gasp as he spotted them in bed together or even heard the phone ringing when Clark's parents called to make sure everything was okay. Lex and Clark were too busy and too happy to care about anything else, but each other.
The next day Mrs. Woodward received a thank you note on LexCorp stationary and a bouquet.
The End.
Beta: MJ
Testreader: Cyberwitch13666
Authors Note: Special thanks to Jennavere who wrote the wonderful HP story "Freudian Slip". She inspired this story and gave me permission to do a take off on it. Hers’ is far better. This is only a pale imitation. Her story can be found at this link and it's hilarious: http://archive.skyehawke.com/story.php?no=8260
Disclaimer: All Smallville and characters, settings, etc. from the Superman universe are the property of DC Comics, the WB and CW TV Networks and their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended nor malice toward the actors who portray them in the show.