Dis Pater part 7
4/18/05 10:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roxyPrevious parts are here reading between the lines.
V
Gotham looks like the set from a strange old black and white movie,—The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari or the Shape Of Things. No light reaches the street that hasn’t been tinted and filtered through grime and greasy smoke—the air is wet--wet in the winter with dirt rimed snow, wet in the fall with cold gray sheets of metallic rain falling endlessly, wet in the spring with gray and warm streamers of fog skimming the streets and in the summer thick, heavy with the weight of sticky clinging moisture—it’s the kind of humid weight that drives people out to the streets in search of relief and fuels their rage and despair, drives them together and tears them apart.
Gotham was like a black and gray throbbing beast or some malevolent self-aware insect. It squatted on the surface of the planet like it hated it and slipped its claws in deep. Gotham seemed designed to be alive strictly to serve itself and humanity infested it like an infection barely tolerated as necessary for life.
Gotham was not exactly a tourist attraction.
Lex grit his teeth and cursed Dad for forcing this Gotham trip on him. His black wool coat and bruise colored shirt complimented the gritty gray street he stood on, he danced to the side to let a sharp clawed wind dash trash against whatever stopped it in it’s free-wheeling journey. Lex frowned at a sheet of newsprint that tried to wrap its muddy wet length around his aggressively tailored trousers.
An ochre colored cab screeched to the curb, and Lex automatically turned to the side and let the eddy of muddy water slosh over the curb. He’d spent time in Gotham before.
He reached for the door handle and someone was right there—
“My cab. Isn’t it? I think it’s my cab,” a calm cheerful voice spoke off to the side.
“No—it’s not. The Macedonian, please,” He said and tried to slide past the hand.
“No problem, I’m going in the same direction. You can share my cab.” There was a barely audible emphasis on ‘my’ that of course Lex caught. He turned to eye the owner of this calm, smooth, arrogant voice.
Disappointing.
Lex nodded, and slid in and the disappointing person slid in after. For a moment the only sound was the wish-wish of tires on wet asphalt and the crackle static cryptic messages of the taxi radio.
Disappointing turned to Lex and smiled, his eyes blue dancing. His eyes brows cocked at him and his mouth moved—a quirky, goofy mouth, on the edge of a giggle, an over all impression of softness, and Lex was annoyed.
He didn’t have much time for non-serious people. No—he didn’t have time for silly people.
He had whatever possible appreciation he may have had for silliness burned out of him…still—there was something … familiar about the man. Boy?
He looked the person over openly—The man’s eyebrows drew together almost angrily but his mobile quirky mouth, small chin, and expression of avid interest combined to make him appear almost child-like--the crease between his brows and the deep lines and thick muscle at his jaw fought against the child-like impression, it provided an intriguing contrast.
He seemed slender, seemed to be almost drowning in a chamois colored stadium coat, gray pants, leather boots, and Lex sharpened, focused—
That coat alone was worth a thousand at the *very* least. “Do I know you?”
And the quirky mouth tightened faintly, “I don’t think so.” he replied. Head inclined forward a bit and he looked harder but still seemed on the verge of—giggles, directed at him, it was so annoying…He leaned back a bit, said, “you’re staying at the Macedonian? That’s…a pretty big place.”
The lines bracketing his mouth eased and the near sneer softened until it was almost a pout, and small teeth flashed and bit lightly, held his lower lip and released leaving a sheen of moisture—leaving them a little pinker and softer —shit! Lex had been slowly leaning toward him… he jerked his head back and looked out of the cab window.
“It’s my dad’s”. Lex said calmly, his voice was soft and steady and he thanked the control he’d learned at Excelsior that he was able to cover that flash of—whatever it was.
Disappointing whistled. “Luthor is your dad?” He smiled. “You must be—the other one.” A strike that hit its mark. Lex’s semi-arousal extinguished quickly, he felt a wave of a quite different sort of warmth rush up the back of his neck. The other one! The fucking other one—the good son—the good boy, brother to Lucas, bad boy extraordinaire, newspaper hogging little slut junkie wanna be--
Fuck you, bastard.
Fuck both of them.
“My *name* is Lex”. He looked at Disappointing. “Who are you?”
“I’m…Bruce Wayne,” he said and smiled down into his lap.
“Bruce Wayne. I know you. And I know you have a secret.” And Lex exuded an air of sly contentment, a malicious enjoyment and so quickly that it made his breath catch-- there was another person in the cab, a stranger…a frightening, cold Other.
The mouth that had seemed made for soft laughter and smeary smiles disappeared and there was a hard slash of a mouth and ice blue eyes that had no relation to the face they blazed out of and Lex’s fingers twitched toward the shoulder holster under his suit coat before he regained control from the reptile brain that recognized and sensibly feared death.
Lex couldn’t know that Bruce was aware in the instant muscle began to shift, that Lex had a gun, that he was a good shot, that he had rather excellent control over himself and wasn’t going to draw.
Lex had no idea Bruce examined words, facial expression, body posture and now knew Lex had no idea what his real secret was and there was no need to hurt him in ways that Lex could never have imagined on his most creative day.
Bruce was glad he didn’t have to hurt him, he fairly certain he could like Lex. There was something there he recognized.
“My…secret?” He smiled, and Lex smirked back.
“Your image as dissolute playboy is pretty much just that. Image. Lucas tells me that you’re, “He coughed lightly into his fist and his eyes danced at Bruce above his curled hand, “a virgin.” He smiled a little wider as Bruce eyes shot open wide.
“Ah—haah…” Bruce colored faintly. “ I’m not—or maybe I am from Lucas’ point of view. Lucas is very aggressive…he won’t take no for an answer.”
“He can also catch the faintest whiff of curiosity from the straightest guy. It’s a …talent. And he says you….”
Bruce chuckled. “Yes, I saw that a few times, crossing paths with him.” He looked up at Lex. “And Lucas is wrong. It’s not a curiosity of mine.”
Lex smiled, “Of course not.”
Bruce shook his head, and said, “Can it be possible he’s not even out of school yet?”
Lex sighed. “Lucas…Lucas is his own problem. And once again mine, I’m afraid.”
Bruce didn’t ask, just watched Lex. Interesting, there was quite a bit going on here. Layers and layers...
The cab pulled up to the Macedonian and Lex paid the driver, he started to step out and on impulse invited Bruce to dinner, “If you’re not busy, this evening? I have a little business to attend to with the manager and then I’m off the clock so to speak.”
Bruce thought about it. He actually felt a connection between himself and Lex—he found him very good company. He thought he wouldn’t mind spending the evening with him.
“You know, I think I’d like that—yes.”
Lex smiled “Good.”
Bruce made himself comfortable in the bar while Lex took care o f his father’s business and much sooner then he expected Lex was back.
He sat, and folded his hands. “I’ve arranged for dinner to be sent to my suite—I think I’ll have a drink here with you while they prep the suite?”
“That’s fine,” Bruce nodded. He’d assumed that they would have dinner in the restaurant, but the additional privacy would be nice. Head’s turned of course, but the people here knew better then to interrupt, there might be whispering and glances but they were guaranteed to have a pleasant quiet meal. Still, he rather liked that Lex has taken the additional step well. Bruce thought, if need be he could handle Lex as well as he’d handled Lucas if need be-though he’d assumed like most people that Lex was neutral when it came to sex. There were no stories, no girlfriends—no boyfriends…he was the kind of kid parents pray for, wished they had.
Lucas was the type of kid parents had nightmares about. In trouble constantly it seemed. He was entering senior year of high school and rumor had it not in any of the exclusive little kid camps that everyone else in Lionel’s circle sent their kids to.
Bruce smiled to himself. He was entirely too interested in gossip.
He sipped at his drink and watched Lex talk to the concierge—he nodded at Bruce and they rose and headed for Lex’s suite.
******
TBC
V
Gotham looks like the set from a strange old black and white movie,—The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari or the Shape Of Things. No light reaches the street that hasn’t been tinted and filtered through grime and greasy smoke—the air is wet--wet in the winter with dirt rimed snow, wet in the fall with cold gray sheets of metallic rain falling endlessly, wet in the spring with gray and warm streamers of fog skimming the streets and in the summer thick, heavy with the weight of sticky clinging moisture—it’s the kind of humid weight that drives people out to the streets in search of relief and fuels their rage and despair, drives them together and tears them apart.
Gotham was like a black and gray throbbing beast or some malevolent self-aware insect. It squatted on the surface of the planet like it hated it and slipped its claws in deep. Gotham seemed designed to be alive strictly to serve itself and humanity infested it like an infection barely tolerated as necessary for life.
Gotham was not exactly a tourist attraction.
Lex grit his teeth and cursed Dad for forcing this Gotham trip on him. His black wool coat and bruise colored shirt complimented the gritty gray street he stood on, he danced to the side to let a sharp clawed wind dash trash against whatever stopped it in it’s free-wheeling journey. Lex frowned at a sheet of newsprint that tried to wrap its muddy wet length around his aggressively tailored trousers.
An ochre colored cab screeched to the curb, and Lex automatically turned to the side and let the eddy of muddy water slosh over the curb. He’d spent time in Gotham before.
He reached for the door handle and someone was right there—
“My cab. Isn’t it? I think it’s my cab,” a calm cheerful voice spoke off to the side.
“No—it’s not. The Macedonian, please,” He said and tried to slide past the hand.
“No problem, I’m going in the same direction. You can share my cab.” There was a barely audible emphasis on ‘my’ that of course Lex caught. He turned to eye the owner of this calm, smooth, arrogant voice.
Disappointing.
Lex nodded, and slid in and the disappointing person slid in after. For a moment the only sound was the wish-wish of tires on wet asphalt and the crackle static cryptic messages of the taxi radio.
Disappointing turned to Lex and smiled, his eyes blue dancing. His eyes brows cocked at him and his mouth moved—a quirky, goofy mouth, on the edge of a giggle, an over all impression of softness, and Lex was annoyed.
He didn’t have much time for non-serious people. No—he didn’t have time for silly people.
He had whatever possible appreciation he may have had for silliness burned out of him…still—there was something … familiar about the man. Boy?
He looked the person over openly—The man’s eyebrows drew together almost angrily but his mobile quirky mouth, small chin, and expression of avid interest combined to make him appear almost child-like--the crease between his brows and the deep lines and thick muscle at his jaw fought against the child-like impression, it provided an intriguing contrast.
He seemed slender, seemed to be almost drowning in a chamois colored stadium coat, gray pants, leather boots, and Lex sharpened, focused—
That coat alone was worth a thousand at the *very* least. “Do I know you?”
And the quirky mouth tightened faintly, “I don’t think so.” he replied. Head inclined forward a bit and he looked harder but still seemed on the verge of—giggles, directed at him, it was so annoying…He leaned back a bit, said, “you’re staying at the Macedonian? That’s…a pretty big place.”
The lines bracketing his mouth eased and the near sneer softened until it was almost a pout, and small teeth flashed and bit lightly, held his lower lip and released leaving a sheen of moisture—leaving them a little pinker and softer —shit! Lex had been slowly leaning toward him… he jerked his head back and looked out of the cab window.
“It’s my dad’s”. Lex said calmly, his voice was soft and steady and he thanked the control he’d learned at Excelsior that he was able to cover that flash of—whatever it was.
Disappointing whistled. “Luthor is your dad?” He smiled. “You must be—the other one.” A strike that hit its mark. Lex’s semi-arousal extinguished quickly, he felt a wave of a quite different sort of warmth rush up the back of his neck. The other one! The fucking other one—the good son—the good boy, brother to Lucas, bad boy extraordinaire, newspaper hogging little slut junkie wanna be--
Fuck you, bastard.
Fuck both of them.
“My *name* is Lex”. He looked at Disappointing. “Who are you?”
“I’m…Bruce Wayne,” he said and smiled down into his lap.
“Bruce Wayne. I know you. And I know you have a secret.” And Lex exuded an air of sly contentment, a malicious enjoyment and so quickly that it made his breath catch-- there was another person in the cab, a stranger…a frightening, cold Other.
The mouth that had seemed made for soft laughter and smeary smiles disappeared and there was a hard slash of a mouth and ice blue eyes that had no relation to the face they blazed out of and Lex’s fingers twitched toward the shoulder holster under his suit coat before he regained control from the reptile brain that recognized and sensibly feared death.
Lex couldn’t know that Bruce was aware in the instant muscle began to shift, that Lex had a gun, that he was a good shot, that he had rather excellent control over himself and wasn’t going to draw.
Lex had no idea Bruce examined words, facial expression, body posture and now knew Lex had no idea what his real secret was and there was no need to hurt him in ways that Lex could never have imagined on his most creative day.
Bruce was glad he didn’t have to hurt him, he fairly certain he could like Lex. There was something there he recognized.
“My…secret?” He smiled, and Lex smirked back.
“Your image as dissolute playboy is pretty much just that. Image. Lucas tells me that you’re, “He coughed lightly into his fist and his eyes danced at Bruce above his curled hand, “a virgin.” He smiled a little wider as Bruce eyes shot open wide.
“Ah—haah…” Bruce colored faintly. “ I’m not—or maybe I am from Lucas’ point of view. Lucas is very aggressive…he won’t take no for an answer.”
“He can also catch the faintest whiff of curiosity from the straightest guy. It’s a …talent. And he says you….”
Bruce chuckled. “Yes, I saw that a few times, crossing paths with him.” He looked up at Lex. “And Lucas is wrong. It’s not a curiosity of mine.”
Lex smiled, “Of course not.”
Bruce shook his head, and said, “Can it be possible he’s not even out of school yet?”
Lex sighed. “Lucas…Lucas is his own problem. And once again mine, I’m afraid.”
Bruce didn’t ask, just watched Lex. Interesting, there was quite a bit going on here. Layers and layers...
The cab pulled up to the Macedonian and Lex paid the driver, he started to step out and on impulse invited Bruce to dinner, “If you’re not busy, this evening? I have a little business to attend to with the manager and then I’m off the clock so to speak.”
Bruce thought about it. He actually felt a connection between himself and Lex—he found him very good company. He thought he wouldn’t mind spending the evening with him.
“You know, I think I’d like that—yes.”
Lex smiled “Good.”
Bruce made himself comfortable in the bar while Lex took care o f his father’s business and much sooner then he expected Lex was back.
He sat, and folded his hands. “I’ve arranged for dinner to be sent to my suite—I think I’ll have a drink here with you while they prep the suite?”
“That’s fine,” Bruce nodded. He’d assumed that they would have dinner in the restaurant, but the additional privacy would be nice. Head’s turned of course, but the people here knew better then to interrupt, there might be whispering and glances but they were guaranteed to have a pleasant quiet meal. Still, he rather liked that Lex has taken the additional step well. Bruce thought, if need be he could handle Lex as well as he’d handled Lucas if need be-though he’d assumed like most people that Lex was neutral when it came to sex. There were no stories, no girlfriends—no boyfriends…he was the kind of kid parents pray for, wished they had.
Lucas was the type of kid parents had nightmares about. In trouble constantly it seemed. He was entering senior year of high school and rumor had it not in any of the exclusive little kid camps that everyone else in Lionel’s circle sent their kids to.
Bruce smiled to himself. He was entirely too interested in gossip.
He sipped at his drink and watched Lex talk to the concierge—he nodded at Bruce and they rose and headed for Lex’s suite.
******
TBC
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![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
4/19/05 02:53 am (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 03:17 am (UTC)I'm glad you like Bruce here.
(no subject)
4/19/05 03:33 am (UTC)Heh. I like that. I like the image of Gotham as a 20s expressionistic horror movie, too. (Just FYI, it's "Caligari.")
(no subject)
4/19/05 12:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 12:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 05:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 12:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 06:11 am (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 12:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 03:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 03:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/19/05 06:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
4/20/05 12:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
4/20/05 07:48 am (UTC)Wheeeee!
How'd i miss this?
*bounce*
(no subject)
4/20/05 12:41 pm (UTC)