Whooo-hoo!!!
7/23/05 12:36 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
roxyPrevious Parts are here, panhandling at the rest stop…at least that’s what we’re going to call it.
Tonight’s installment is brought to you by loving whacks to the head provided by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mecurtin
Feels Like Home
“…The Medici’s!” Emilio shouted as they tore around a curve and headed for a parking area. They screeched to a stop and Clark laid his head against the back of Lex’s seat and Lex counted to ten. His heartbeat slowed and he relaxed enough that the tickle of Clark’s hair against his scalp didn’t make him want to stop breathing.
Clark opened his eyes and asked Emilio what they were doing again, and he told him about San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels and that they’d find excellent examples of Michelangelo’s work there.
“He’s an important figure in the Renaissance, you know that right?”
“Excuse me,” Clark huffed with exasperation. “They do teach us some things in school you know. I *had* an art class.”
“Of course, darling, of course you did! Look here, look at this...”
Lex walked after the two, Clark towering over most of the people in the crowd. Quite a few eyes turned Clark’s way, comparing him favorably to the works of art around them. Lex let his mind indulge in a little fantasy; it was so easy to imagine Clark as Renaissance artist’s model, innocent, virginal, so beautiful, about to be seduced by the clever artist who just might bear a slight resemblance to himself—Jesus…he really needed to spend his on-line time more productively, pornography was beginning to warp his brain…he slid his hands in his pockets and discreetly arranged himself and strolled casually after his heart.
******
Emilio swept them along on a stream of chatter, weaving them in and out of the tourists. He held Clark’s hand whenever he came to something he really wanted him to pay attention to and Clark had to admit, Emilio knew his stuff. Just like Lex, he was smart and funny and generous and really good-looking. He couldn’t blame Lex for sleeping with him. He would too, if he was Lex. And so impatient or blind or stupid that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. “Idiot.”
Lex looked away from the piece he was studying, a Madonna and Child. He murmured, “Hmm? Did you say something, Clark?”
Yes. “No.” You’re an idiot. “I didn’t say anything.” Clark smiled at him until he smiled back and went back to his study. He watched Lex’s face as he studied the statue intently. He seemed…almost sad, and Clark turned his attention to the statue--what was it that held Lex’s focus so intensely?
Sad. Resigned. That’s what Clark thought as he walked around, looking at the work. The baby’s mother held the child on her lap, her hand on him, but her focus was outward, past her child and…into the future, maybe? Knowing terrible pain and loss was coming and she was helpless against it—all she could do for her child was to love him …Clark shook himself.
Wow— *he’d* just gone to a very a weird place …what the heck was with him lately? Ever since he became aware of Lex, things just seemed so…Lex-like.
As if reading his thoughts, Lex walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Clark fought not to close his eyes and lean into the heat. Damn. In a minute he was going to rub himself against Lex’s legs like a giant cat—ooh. Rub. Legs. Clark grinned wildly at Lex, ears and cheeks rapidly flushing pink and yanked his shirt lower around his hips. “Hey! We’re losing Emilio! Let’s catch up” he squawked and sprinted after him, leaving a no doubt confused Lex behind.
Emilio declared that they should explore the open air market that ran the length of the streets and off they went. Clark secretly thought that was the best part. He liked the churches and museums, he liked them a lot, but he loved the market, exploring the streets and just watching the flow of people around them, it was endlessly fascinating to him.
Emilio left them to head to the Mercato Centrale, the produce market, to ‘pick up a few things for dinner.’ He kissed Lex before he left and waved at Clark.
They walked along the stalls, and Clark asked Lex’s advice about different items for his mom and his dad, and friends. It was great fun for Clark, and more importantly, Lex was totally concentrated on him. He tried to feel bad about it, but he couldn’t, he was floating. It felt too good. Being in Lex’s focus was like—being naked in the sun. He blushed a little and reached for a display of scarves to distract himself from his thoughts.
“What do you think?” He held up a black scarf with silver crescent moons on it to show Lex. His forehead wrinkled and he asked, “ For…?”
“Mom?”
“Only if she’s decided to give readings along with fresh vegetables and pies,” he grinned.
Clark laughed. “Well, help me! I can’t decide.”
Lex rolled his eys in mock exasperation. “She’s *your* mother—you know her better than I do.”
Clark smiled into his eyes. “No, I really need your help, you have better taste than I do.”
“Well, there is that,” he murmured as he sorted through the scarves and finally selected a bright one, with a bold floral motif. “This is the one, it will set her hair off nicely and we’ll get her a sweater to wear with it.”
Clark smiled widely at him see. “See, I knew you could do it. You think of everything,” he said, so warmly that Lex turned startled eyes to him and flushed a little in pleasure at the compliment. Clark’s heart skipped a bit—he wished he could always make Lex smile like that….
“Well. Well…” Lex coughed and smiled. “Let’s find something for your dad.”
Sometime later, Clark had a bag holding a pair of simple but well-made (examined and approved by Lex) lined leather gloves for his dad, a necklace for Chloe and Lana each, and a tee-shirt printed with a Ferrari logo for Pete.
They walked along in comfortable silence for a while and then Lex laughed softly, almost to himself.
“You know Clark, Emilio has been talking to me about you.” He stopped and looked at Clark. “He’s told me that I should stop treating you like a child and treat you like a man. Do I do that, treat you like a child?”
Clark thought and said, “Well, sometimes…you think I’m a lot more naïve than I am. Sometimes, you act as if I don’t know my own mind. I do. I’m like anyone else Lex. Once I figure out what I want, I go for it.” His heart hammered and he told himself, Now, Go for it--say something—tell him, you big dumb…
Lex was about to speak when Emilio returned, waving his bags and smiling. “There you are! Let’s go home!” he called out, “and Lex, you drive back.”
Clark shot Emilio a pointed glare, and was about to make a caustic comment about his timing when he realized what he’d said and smiled. There was a distinct possibility Lex and he could finish this conversation later, since it was a sure bet they were getting home alive.
**************
Once again Lex retreated into his fortress of ‘We’re Just Great Buds’ and Clark was left not knowing how to bring up the fact that he was desperately in love with him. Maybe he should yell it at him under his balcony--that would be really romantic; right up to the point the guys in white coats came to drag him away.
Their final night in Florence, Emilio decided it would be perfect to grill and that Clark should help him prepare the food. Lex was swimming in the pool at the end of the garden and Clark was watching him while he cut up vegetables for the grill, a potentially dangerous activity while staring at quite a lot of unclothed Lex, but hey—impervious to sharp objects.
Lex knifed through the water cleanly, he cut back and forth across the pool effortlessly, totally concentrated on what he was doing. The water flowed over him as smoothly as silk on skin and Clark wanted to be the water, wanted Lex to flow through him like that, kiss him and taste him and drink him…
Emilio leaned into Clark and whispered, “ He doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself, does he. Everything is a challenge to him.”
Clark swallowed and nodded. Emilio slipped his arms around his waist and sighed. “So, we both think he’s wonderful, and neither one of us does something about it.”
Clark stepped out of his arms and faced him. “Looks to me like you do plenty about it.” He burned red and frowned down at the ground.
Emilio laughed and Clark’s head shot up. He didn’t need this guy laughing at him, he already felt bad enough.
Emilio shook his head. “I’m laughing at myself. I’m so willing to settle for what I can get. Do you think I want to be a, what do you call it, a friend with benefits? But Lex always seemed to have something in mind, some one, I suppose. He was waiting, all this time…I think he was waiting for you.”
Clark felt enormously…confused, and a little angry. “But why…why would he have sex with all those people, why would he get engaged to those women…”
“Why did he sleep with me?” He led Clark to the patio set and made him sit. He threw himself in the chair opposite and blew a great breath of exasperation. He asked him again, “Why not? What stopped him—the distant possibility you might care? What did you do to show him he mustn’t?”
Clark opened his mouth, closed it again and stared out at the pool, where Lex still cut through the water. But I show him all the time…
Emilio shook his head. “You see, this is the problem you Americans have, it’s all careful and caution and step by step, you leave no room for passion--terrible!” He leaned forward and grabbed Clark by the back of the neck, gathering a big handful of his hair and shaking him hard. “You want Lex not to have sex? He’s a grown man; it’s what men do. Don’t expect him to wait for you like a monk.”
Emilio returned to the grill, filled plates, and handed two to Clark. “Get him—don’t dance around him like—like a—schoolgirl! You understand?” he rolled his hips and winked. “Show him you’re not a kid, show him you are a man!” He looked at Clark, his hands planted on his hips, head tilted and a little grin bowed his lips. Clark blushed and stared into the plates.
“Yes. I understand you. I know. I just…I’m not sure how to tell him.” Emilio huffed, and Clark went on, “Hey, I’m kind of just getting used to the idea myself. And Lex…he’s –he’s Lex.” As though that explained everything, and Emilio nodded. He seemed to understand Clark perfectly. Clark put the plates on the table and touched Emilio lightly on the arm. “Please don’t sleep with him tonight.”
He put his hand on Clark’s arm. “Go get Lex. Tell him it’s time.”
Clark went to the pool and watched him for a moment more and then told Lex dinner was ready.
TBC in part 14
Tonight’s installment is brought to you by loving whacks to the head provided by
mecurtinFeels Like Home
“…The Medici’s!” Emilio shouted as they tore around a curve and headed for a parking area. They screeched to a stop and Clark laid his head against the back of Lex’s seat and Lex counted to ten. His heartbeat slowed and he relaxed enough that the tickle of Clark’s hair against his scalp didn’t make him want to stop breathing.
Clark opened his eyes and asked Emilio what they were doing again, and he told him about San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels and that they’d find excellent examples of Michelangelo’s work there.
“He’s an important figure in the Renaissance, you know that right?”
“Excuse me,” Clark huffed with exasperation. “They do teach us some things in school you know. I *had* an art class.”
“Of course, darling, of course you did! Look here, look at this...”
Lex walked after the two, Clark towering over most of the people in the crowd. Quite a few eyes turned Clark’s way, comparing him favorably to the works of art around them. Lex let his mind indulge in a little fantasy; it was so easy to imagine Clark as Renaissance artist’s model, innocent, virginal, so beautiful, about to be seduced by the clever artist who just might bear a slight resemblance to himself—Jesus…he really needed to spend his on-line time more productively, pornography was beginning to warp his brain…he slid his hands in his pockets and discreetly arranged himself and strolled casually after his heart.
******
Emilio swept them along on a stream of chatter, weaving them in and out of the tourists. He held Clark’s hand whenever he came to something he really wanted him to pay attention to and Clark had to admit, Emilio knew his stuff. Just like Lex, he was smart and funny and generous and really good-looking. He couldn’t blame Lex for sleeping with him. He would too, if he was Lex. And so impatient or blind or stupid that he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. “Idiot.”
Lex looked away from the piece he was studying, a Madonna and Child. He murmured, “Hmm? Did you say something, Clark?”
Yes. “No.” You’re an idiot. “I didn’t say anything.” Clark smiled at him until he smiled back and went back to his study. He watched Lex’s face as he studied the statue intently. He seemed…almost sad, and Clark turned his attention to the statue--what was it that held Lex’s focus so intensely?
Sad. Resigned. That’s what Clark thought as he walked around, looking at the work. The baby’s mother held the child on her lap, her hand on him, but her focus was outward, past her child and…into the future, maybe? Knowing terrible pain and loss was coming and she was helpless against it—all she could do for her child was to love him …Clark shook himself.
Wow— *he’d* just gone to a very a weird place …what the heck was with him lately? Ever since he became aware of Lex, things just seemed so…Lex-like.
As if reading his thoughts, Lex walked up to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Clark fought not to close his eyes and lean into the heat. Damn. In a minute he was going to rub himself against Lex’s legs like a giant cat—ooh. Rub. Legs. Clark grinned wildly at Lex, ears and cheeks rapidly flushing pink and yanked his shirt lower around his hips. “Hey! We’re losing Emilio! Let’s catch up” he squawked and sprinted after him, leaving a no doubt confused Lex behind.
Emilio declared that they should explore the open air market that ran the length of the streets and off they went. Clark secretly thought that was the best part. He liked the churches and museums, he liked them a lot, but he loved the market, exploring the streets and just watching the flow of people around them, it was endlessly fascinating to him.
Emilio left them to head to the Mercato Centrale, the produce market, to ‘pick up a few things for dinner.’ He kissed Lex before he left and waved at Clark.
They walked along the stalls, and Clark asked Lex’s advice about different items for his mom and his dad, and friends. It was great fun for Clark, and more importantly, Lex was totally concentrated on him. He tried to feel bad about it, but he couldn’t, he was floating. It felt too good. Being in Lex’s focus was like—being naked in the sun. He blushed a little and reached for a display of scarves to distract himself from his thoughts.
“What do you think?” He held up a black scarf with silver crescent moons on it to show Lex. His forehead wrinkled and he asked, “ For…?”
“Mom?”
“Only if she’s decided to give readings along with fresh vegetables and pies,” he grinned.
Clark laughed. “Well, help me! I can’t decide.”
Lex rolled his eys in mock exasperation. “She’s *your* mother—you know her better than I do.”
Clark smiled into his eyes. “No, I really need your help, you have better taste than I do.”
“Well, there is that,” he murmured as he sorted through the scarves and finally selected a bright one, with a bold floral motif. “This is the one, it will set her hair off nicely and we’ll get her a sweater to wear with it.”
Clark smiled widely at him see. “See, I knew you could do it. You think of everything,” he said, so warmly that Lex turned startled eyes to him and flushed a little in pleasure at the compliment. Clark’s heart skipped a bit—he wished he could always make Lex smile like that….
“Well. Well…” Lex coughed and smiled. “Let’s find something for your dad.”
Sometime later, Clark had a bag holding a pair of simple but well-made (examined and approved by Lex) lined leather gloves for his dad, a necklace for Chloe and Lana each, and a tee-shirt printed with a Ferrari logo for Pete.
They walked along in comfortable silence for a while and then Lex laughed softly, almost to himself.
“You know Clark, Emilio has been talking to me about you.” He stopped and looked at Clark. “He’s told me that I should stop treating you like a child and treat you like a man. Do I do that, treat you like a child?”
Clark thought and said, “Well, sometimes…you think I’m a lot more naïve than I am. Sometimes, you act as if I don’t know my own mind. I do. I’m like anyone else Lex. Once I figure out what I want, I go for it.” His heart hammered and he told himself, Now, Go for it--say something—tell him, you big dumb…
Lex was about to speak when Emilio returned, waving his bags and smiling. “There you are! Let’s go home!” he called out, “and Lex, you drive back.”
Clark shot Emilio a pointed glare, and was about to make a caustic comment about his timing when he realized what he’d said and smiled. There was a distinct possibility Lex and he could finish this conversation later, since it was a sure bet they were getting home alive.
**************
Once again Lex retreated into his fortress of ‘We’re Just Great Buds’ and Clark was left not knowing how to bring up the fact that he was desperately in love with him. Maybe he should yell it at him under his balcony--that would be really romantic; right up to the point the guys in white coats came to drag him away.
Their final night in Florence, Emilio decided it would be perfect to grill and that Clark should help him prepare the food. Lex was swimming in the pool at the end of the garden and Clark was watching him while he cut up vegetables for the grill, a potentially dangerous activity while staring at quite a lot of unclothed Lex, but hey—impervious to sharp objects.
Lex knifed through the water cleanly, he cut back and forth across the pool effortlessly, totally concentrated on what he was doing. The water flowed over him as smoothly as silk on skin and Clark wanted to be the water, wanted Lex to flow through him like that, kiss him and taste him and drink him…
Emilio leaned into Clark and whispered, “ He doesn’t look like he’s enjoying himself, does he. Everything is a challenge to him.”
Clark swallowed and nodded. Emilio slipped his arms around his waist and sighed. “So, we both think he’s wonderful, and neither one of us does something about it.”
Clark stepped out of his arms and faced him. “Looks to me like you do plenty about it.” He burned red and frowned down at the ground.
Emilio laughed and Clark’s head shot up. He didn’t need this guy laughing at him, he already felt bad enough.
Emilio shook his head. “I’m laughing at myself. I’m so willing to settle for what I can get. Do you think I want to be a, what do you call it, a friend with benefits? But Lex always seemed to have something in mind, some one, I suppose. He was waiting, all this time…I think he was waiting for you.”
Clark felt enormously…confused, and a little angry. “But why…why would he have sex with all those people, why would he get engaged to those women…”
“Why did he sleep with me?” He led Clark to the patio set and made him sit. He threw himself in the chair opposite and blew a great breath of exasperation. He asked him again, “Why not? What stopped him—the distant possibility you might care? What did you do to show him he mustn’t?”
Clark opened his mouth, closed it again and stared out at the pool, where Lex still cut through the water. But I show him all the time…
Emilio shook his head. “You see, this is the problem you Americans have, it’s all careful and caution and step by step, you leave no room for passion--terrible!” He leaned forward and grabbed Clark by the back of the neck, gathering a big handful of his hair and shaking him hard. “You want Lex not to have sex? He’s a grown man; it’s what men do. Don’t expect him to wait for you like a monk.”
Emilio returned to the grill, filled plates, and handed two to Clark. “Get him—don’t dance around him like—like a—schoolgirl! You understand?” he rolled his hips and winked. “Show him you’re not a kid, show him you are a man!” He looked at Clark, his hands planted on his hips, head tilted and a little grin bowed his lips. Clark blushed and stared into the plates.
“Yes. I understand you. I know. I just…I’m not sure how to tell him.” Emilio huffed, and Clark went on, “Hey, I’m kind of just getting used to the idea myself. And Lex…he’s –he’s Lex.” As though that explained everything, and Emilio nodded. He seemed to understand Clark perfectly. Clark put the plates on the table and touched Emilio lightly on the arm. “Please don’t sleep with him tonight.”
He put his hand on Clark’s arm. “Go get Lex. Tell him it’s time.”
Clark went to the pool and watched him for a moment more and then told Lex dinner was ready.
TBC in part 14
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7/23/05 05:32 am (UTC)Maybe I can turn up the torture in Alexei for you--will that help?
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