![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Dis Pater 25
Okee-dokee! Let's kick this little fledgling out of the nest! Fly! Fly! ....oops. Dang...Crawl! Crawl!
Thr Previous Parts are doing the Hustle over here...what? oh, 'xcuse, they're *hustling.*
Bruce waited on the porch for Clark to catch up again, feeling the smallest twinge of guilt. He really was going to have to get over this desire to stir up trouble. It was immature. Fun, though…
Jonathan reacted predictably…badly…to the news. He accused Bruce of trying to destroy his family, trying to hurt Clark, or exploit him for his own gain. Bruce tried to deflect the worst of the accusations but when Jonathan began to verbally attack Clark, Bruce put a stop to the conversation. He put out a hand and touched Jonathan, and let Bruce Wayne sink away…and conversation died.
In the silence, the sound of the palm sized DVD player dropping on the kitchen tabletop seemed to echo.
Bruce took a moment to calm himself and in an icy voice spoke to Jonathan.
“We’re off topic. *This* is what it’s all about.” He opened the player and turned the screen towards the Kents. “This is what I saw yesterday, Mr. Kent. Clark holding up the tractor while you worked on it. In the afternoon. Outside the barn. Do you understand? Anyone with a camera could have been standing in the field or on the road or flying overhead, merrily clicking away. You want Clark to conceal his gifts, you’ll have to do better than that.”
Martha laid her hand on Jonathan’s shoulder and her knuckles paled as she applied a little pressure. Jonathan struggled not to wince. She said, “I think we do need help, Bruce. We’ve always tried to keep Clark’s upbringing as normal as possible, but lately, things have changed a bit.” She looked at Clark, and he cast an uneasy look back, Jonathan focused on the player. She sighed and turned back to Bruce. “We’re ready to listen to what you have to say.”
Bruce looked at Jonathan, his eyes still locked on the player, his face strained and pale. Finally, he swallowed heavily, and nodded.
“I understand you’re entrusting me with something precious,” he said, eyes on Jonathan. “Maybe it would help you if I shared something of the like with you.”
******
Hours later, Clark walked Bruce out to his car, both of them moving silently, slowly down the drive to Bruce’s waiting car. Clark spoke first.
“Thank you. We have a lot to think about. I—I think what you’re doing is amazing. I want to help too. I know I can. ”
Bruce pat Clark’s shoulder. “You will, Clark, you will. When the time is right, I know you’ll do everything you can to help. I have a feeling that what you’ve shown me is just the tip of the iceberg—amazing things are going to happen to you Clark. Don’t forget, I’m on your side. I want to think of me as your friend.”
Clark nodded and his head spun. He felt as though he’d gone days without sleep. Everything felt just a little hazy and unreal—someone else knew now, and in a way it felt like a little of the weight was off his shoulders. It felt pretty good. It felt a little scary, too.
He thanked Bruce again for his help. Thanked him for his offer of friendship. “I trust you Bruce. I do.” Bruce nodded also, and got into his car. He was starting to pull away when Clark stopped him with a shout, “Bruce!”
Bruce backed up the car and let it idle-Clark stuck his head in the opened window.
“Hey—earlier you said that my friends were gay too…Lucas and Lex—Lex isn’t gay.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?”
“Lucas told me.”
“Then Lucas was mistaken. Lex is gay.” Bruce reached for the gearshift, but Clark put a hand over his, stopping him.
“Shouldn’t Lucas know—I mean—why…how would you know?” he asked and wanted to grab the words back. He didn’t want to hear the answer. He stared at Bruce and hoped he’d see he wanted him to be silent….
Bruce looked at Clark and said plainly. “Because sometimes, we sleep together, Clark.”
Clark felt like a ton of bricks hit him in the chest. Lex…the guy who’d been the source of his fantasies since middle school? The guy he’d pined for all those years, the epitome of everything he thought he’d never have? The guy he gave up on finally and the guy whose brother he just might be in love with…was gay? And slept with Bruce…sometimes. Fuck.
He stared at Bruce without really seeing him until Bruce gave him an ironic smile and revved the engine. “Goodbye Clark. And don’t forget.” He gave Clark a small black card with a number printed on it in silver. “Anytime. Even if you just want to talk about your friend.” He said and winked. “I’d really like to hear from you soon.”
He drove away, rising dust on the gravel drive. Clark watched the plume of dust drift apart, and waited to breathe again.
Everything he’d known to be true, wasn’t He had maybe had a chance with Lex…that was the hard part. He really thought he might be in love with Lucas. Maybe. But he’d loved Lex so hard for so long—he’d saved his life. Okay, fine, he’d saved Lucas too. But Lex hadn’t tried to punch his lights out for it. Lex had come back to life under his mouth; he’d felt his pulse bump under his hand. He’d done that. As a kid, he’d kind of felt it meant Lex belonged to him.
But then in magazine after magazine and in every news report he was with a girl- a woman…beautiful women, all the time—there was no reason to think he’d had a chance. A small town guy like himself, not to mention he was missing important body parts, for a straight guy anyway. And now Bruce tells him he’s not so straight. Now, when everything was that much more complicated. To find out that Lex is gay and Bruce and he…damn. Bruce and Lex. He shook himself. He wasn’t jealous—oh hell, yes he was, damn it. Okay, he had Lucas, though. Lucas made him happy, he really did.
He turned and trudged back to the house.
Lex. Fuck! Did Lucas know or was he lying to him? No—no—Lucas couldn’t possibly know, and for whatever reason Lex didn’t want him to know. For Lex’s sake, he’d keep this to himself.
He sat heavily on the porch, he just didn’t have the strength yet to go inside and let his dad put more weight back on his shoulders. He needed to think about this whole situation. His forehead wrinkled as he turned it over in his mind
Maybe, maybe Lucas was over-stating Lex’s behavior, maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t treat Lucas like he should be treated, maybe he didn’t treat Lucas the way he *wanted* to be treated. Lucas did kind of expect an awful lot of a person.
The fact remained he really liked Lex, and not just because of his childhood crush. Lex had always been more than kind to him. He was a real friend.
In a way, more of a friend then Lucas—he loved Lucas, all right, but he wasn’t to sure who he’d go to first with a problem… well, he’d keep Lex’s secret then. After all, if he ever had told Lex anything private about himself, he’d like to think that Lex would have held it close and never revealed it. He could do as much for him.
******
Clark dropped by the mansion a few days after Bruce left—it’d been a while since he’d been there and invitations hadn’t been forthcoming lately, so he took a gamble on whether he’d be welcome or not.
He peeked around the corner of the open study door, Lex sat at his desk typing, his dad was on the couch, intently reading a paper, a sheaf of papers spread out on the table in front of him.
They noticed Clark, standing uncertainly in the doorway at the same time.
“Hey, Clark.” Lex smiled. “This is a nice surprise.” and Clark felt a cool breath of relief.
He was welcome—great! Lionel offered Clark a greeting also, smiling at him as though he’d done something clever just walking in the room. Clark bristled a bit—Lionel always treated him like a half-wit.
He grinned at Lex and Lex rose a bit from his chair, before sitting again, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Ah—can I help you? Lucas is upstairs…” Clark wavered for a minute—he really wanted to see Lucas, but he also wanted to talk to Lex, watch him, see if there were any signs, clues that he was gay, something that Clark had missed. He knew he was staring hard, on the edge of impolite. Lex and his dad exchanged a brief look, Lionel raising an eyebrow at Lex before going back to his papers.
“I thought maybe if you had time, we could play pool—or, I don’t know—some game. It’s been a long time. But I can see…see that you’re busy.” Clark wound down and fell silent, staring at Lex.
Lex smiled at him sadly and it seemed he genuinely regretted refusing Clark.
“Clark, I’d love to, I would, but dad and I have to be in town today. Ah…we’ll be home this evening. Maybe you could come back? Or if you’d like, you can wait here with Lucas until we return?”
He looked over at Lionel and Lionel looked at him over his reading glasses, He held Lex’s eyes for a moment and then gave him a small smile and a quick nod. “Of course. I think that’s a good idea. As long as it’s okay with your parents, Clark.”
Clark watched the two smile at each other and shrugged. “I’ll wait, if it’s okay than.” He grinned at Lex. "Prepare for defeat.”
Lex laughed. "Oh, I’ll put up a good fight, Clark. I don’t roll over that easy.” He left the room with his dad, chuckling, and clapped Clark on the back as he went out. Clark imagined he felt his fingers linger just a little.
Old crushes die hard, he sighed to himself.
But now, he had something else to think about. He grinned as he headed off to Lucas’ room.
TBC...oh yessssss!
Thr Previous Parts are doing the Hustle over here...what? oh, 'xcuse, they're *hustling.*
Bruce waited on the porch for Clark to catch up again, feeling the smallest twinge of guilt. He really was going to have to get over this desire to stir up trouble. It was immature. Fun, though…
Jonathan reacted predictably…badly…to the news. He accused Bruce of trying to destroy his family, trying to hurt Clark, or exploit him for his own gain. Bruce tried to deflect the worst of the accusations but when Jonathan began to verbally attack Clark, Bruce put a stop to the conversation. He put out a hand and touched Jonathan, and let Bruce Wayne sink away…and conversation died.
In the silence, the sound of the palm sized DVD player dropping on the kitchen tabletop seemed to echo.
Bruce took a moment to calm himself and in an icy voice spoke to Jonathan.
“We’re off topic. *This* is what it’s all about.” He opened the player and turned the screen towards the Kents. “This is what I saw yesterday, Mr. Kent. Clark holding up the tractor while you worked on it. In the afternoon. Outside the barn. Do you understand? Anyone with a camera could have been standing in the field or on the road or flying overhead, merrily clicking away. You want Clark to conceal his gifts, you’ll have to do better than that.”
Martha laid her hand on Jonathan’s shoulder and her knuckles paled as she applied a little pressure. Jonathan struggled not to wince. She said, “I think we do need help, Bruce. We’ve always tried to keep Clark’s upbringing as normal as possible, but lately, things have changed a bit.” She looked at Clark, and he cast an uneasy look back, Jonathan focused on the player. She sighed and turned back to Bruce. “We’re ready to listen to what you have to say.”
Bruce looked at Jonathan, his eyes still locked on the player, his face strained and pale. Finally, he swallowed heavily, and nodded.
“I understand you’re entrusting me with something precious,” he said, eyes on Jonathan. “Maybe it would help you if I shared something of the like with you.”
******
Hours later, Clark walked Bruce out to his car, both of them moving silently, slowly down the drive to Bruce’s waiting car. Clark spoke first.
“Thank you. We have a lot to think about. I—I think what you’re doing is amazing. I want to help too. I know I can. ”
Bruce pat Clark’s shoulder. “You will, Clark, you will. When the time is right, I know you’ll do everything you can to help. I have a feeling that what you’ve shown me is just the tip of the iceberg—amazing things are going to happen to you Clark. Don’t forget, I’m on your side. I want to think of me as your friend.”
Clark nodded and his head spun. He felt as though he’d gone days without sleep. Everything felt just a little hazy and unreal—someone else knew now, and in a way it felt like a little of the weight was off his shoulders. It felt pretty good. It felt a little scary, too.
He thanked Bruce again for his help. Thanked him for his offer of friendship. “I trust you Bruce. I do.” Bruce nodded also, and got into his car. He was starting to pull away when Clark stopped him with a shout, “Bruce!”
Bruce backed up the car and let it idle-Clark stuck his head in the opened window.
“Hey—earlier you said that my friends were gay too…Lucas and Lex—Lex isn’t gay.”
Bruce raised an eyebrow, “How do you know?”
“Lucas told me.”
“Then Lucas was mistaken. Lex is gay.” Bruce reached for the gearshift, but Clark put a hand over his, stopping him.
“Shouldn’t Lucas know—I mean—why…how would you know?” he asked and wanted to grab the words back. He didn’t want to hear the answer. He stared at Bruce and hoped he’d see he wanted him to be silent….
Bruce looked at Clark and said plainly. “Because sometimes, we sleep together, Clark.”
Clark felt like a ton of bricks hit him in the chest. Lex…the guy who’d been the source of his fantasies since middle school? The guy he’d pined for all those years, the epitome of everything he thought he’d never have? The guy he gave up on finally and the guy whose brother he just might be in love with…was gay? And slept with Bruce…sometimes. Fuck.
He stared at Bruce without really seeing him until Bruce gave him an ironic smile and revved the engine. “Goodbye Clark. And don’t forget.” He gave Clark a small black card with a number printed on it in silver. “Anytime. Even if you just want to talk about your friend.” He said and winked. “I’d really like to hear from you soon.”
He drove away, rising dust on the gravel drive. Clark watched the plume of dust drift apart, and waited to breathe again.
Everything he’d known to be true, wasn’t He had maybe had a chance with Lex…that was the hard part. He really thought he might be in love with Lucas. Maybe. But he’d loved Lex so hard for so long—he’d saved his life. Okay, fine, he’d saved Lucas too. But Lex hadn’t tried to punch his lights out for it. Lex had come back to life under his mouth; he’d felt his pulse bump under his hand. He’d done that. As a kid, he’d kind of felt it meant Lex belonged to him.
But then in magazine after magazine and in every news report he was with a girl- a woman…beautiful women, all the time—there was no reason to think he’d had a chance. A small town guy like himself, not to mention he was missing important body parts, for a straight guy anyway. And now Bruce tells him he’s not so straight. Now, when everything was that much more complicated. To find out that Lex is gay and Bruce and he…damn. Bruce and Lex. He shook himself. He wasn’t jealous—oh hell, yes he was, damn it. Okay, he had Lucas, though. Lucas made him happy, he really did.
He turned and trudged back to the house.
Lex. Fuck! Did Lucas know or was he lying to him? No—no—Lucas couldn’t possibly know, and for whatever reason Lex didn’t want him to know. For Lex’s sake, he’d keep this to himself.
He sat heavily on the porch, he just didn’t have the strength yet to go inside and let his dad put more weight back on his shoulders. He needed to think about this whole situation. His forehead wrinkled as he turned it over in his mind
Maybe, maybe Lucas was over-stating Lex’s behavior, maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t treat Lucas like he should be treated, maybe he didn’t treat Lucas the way he *wanted* to be treated. Lucas did kind of expect an awful lot of a person.
The fact remained he really liked Lex, and not just because of his childhood crush. Lex had always been more than kind to him. He was a real friend.
In a way, more of a friend then Lucas—he loved Lucas, all right, but he wasn’t to sure who he’d go to first with a problem… well, he’d keep Lex’s secret then. After all, if he ever had told Lex anything private about himself, he’d like to think that Lex would have held it close and never revealed it. He could do as much for him.
******
Clark dropped by the mansion a few days after Bruce left—it’d been a while since he’d been there and invitations hadn’t been forthcoming lately, so he took a gamble on whether he’d be welcome or not.
He peeked around the corner of the open study door, Lex sat at his desk typing, his dad was on the couch, intently reading a paper, a sheaf of papers spread out on the table in front of him.
They noticed Clark, standing uncertainly in the doorway at the same time.
“Hey, Clark.” Lex smiled. “This is a nice surprise.” and Clark felt a cool breath of relief.
He was welcome—great! Lionel offered Clark a greeting also, smiling at him as though he’d done something clever just walking in the room. Clark bristled a bit—Lionel always treated him like a half-wit.
He grinned at Lex and Lex rose a bit from his chair, before sitting again, the tips of his ears turning pink. “Ah—can I help you? Lucas is upstairs…” Clark wavered for a minute—he really wanted to see Lucas, but he also wanted to talk to Lex, watch him, see if there were any signs, clues that he was gay, something that Clark had missed. He knew he was staring hard, on the edge of impolite. Lex and his dad exchanged a brief look, Lionel raising an eyebrow at Lex before going back to his papers.
“I thought maybe if you had time, we could play pool—or, I don’t know—some game. It’s been a long time. But I can see…see that you’re busy.” Clark wound down and fell silent, staring at Lex.
Lex smiled at him sadly and it seemed he genuinely regretted refusing Clark.
“Clark, I’d love to, I would, but dad and I have to be in town today. Ah…we’ll be home this evening. Maybe you could come back? Or if you’d like, you can wait here with Lucas until we return?”
He looked over at Lionel and Lionel looked at him over his reading glasses, He held Lex’s eyes for a moment and then gave him a small smile and a quick nod. “Of course. I think that’s a good idea. As long as it’s okay with your parents, Clark.”
Clark watched the two smile at each other and shrugged. “I’ll wait, if it’s okay than.” He grinned at Lex. "Prepare for defeat.”
Lex laughed. "Oh, I’ll put up a good fight, Clark. I don’t roll over that easy.” He left the room with his dad, chuckling, and clapped Clark on the back as he went out. Clark imagined he felt his fingers linger just a little.
Old crushes die hard, he sighed to himself.
But now, he had something else to think about. He grinned as he headed off to Lucas’ room.
TBC...oh yessssss!
no subject
LOL! Cute update, Roxy, no dead kittens.
no subject
no subject
Gah!
:)
*snogs you*
no subject