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roxyGeez--it keeps wanting to get all serious. *eyeballs it sternly* Disobedient story. So, after a lot of tinkering and obsessing about insignificant details, we have part 7 of preggo PossumClark.
In Which:
Everyone behaves badly.
Lex behaves badly. Did I say badly?
Clark pouts.
Ripley waves.
Ripley, Believe It Or Not
Lex gathered a small team of doctors and researchers together, the best possible. He was equal parts excited and nervous about the research. He hated the possible risk of exposing Clark—but it was necessary, if he was to keep his promise to him. At least he could separate the different areas of research, and keep the information under lock. If only a very few specific individuals were to be allowed to have access to all the information, it should minimize the risk to Clark.
Since he’d proven to Lex many times over that he could be trusted, Toby would work with Clark directly, besides, his experience as a battlefield surgeon was probably the perfect background for this. Toby would hand pick whoever he thought best to help. Lex had no doubt they’d be as discrete as the man himself. He knew Toby would explain clearly the risk of leaking information. Lex wasn’t unduly concerned about that. People who thought they were involved in highly illegal and highly lucrative endeavors also tended to keep quiet about what they were doing. They understood more clearly that a false step was a death sentence.
That, Clark didn’t need to know. Lex swung slowly in the chair, rested his elbow on his desk and thought. He was putting himself in a rather darker place than he’d ever cared to be before, what with handing out threats like candy, and running roughshod over the people working for him, but it was all for Clark. If it didn’t make it right, it at least made it bearable. He was sure this would all work out, in the final result.
He explained to Clark what he wanted to do and he reluctantly agreed.
“We need some idea of where we are, Clark. Ripley is an entirely new being, there’s never been anyone like her—as far as we know. If we know a little bit about you, we’ll know a little bit about her.”
Clark was examined carefully, from head to toe. Every few days he went through the same procedures, until he complained that he felt as if every pore had been violated. He was poked and prodded and snipped until he’d reached his limits.
“Lex, this is exactly what Mom and Dad were talking about. All I am is a—a science experiment! What’s next on your agenda--cutting body parts off to see if they’ll grow back?” Clark was pale and shaking, his hands clenched in fists and his eyes were too shiny. “Why don’t you tell me the truth? This has stopped being about us, it’s about *you* now, and your need to know—everything. How long before you don’t see me at all—how long before I don’t have a name anymore, before I’m just ‘the subject’? Lex, This doesn’t feel like protection, not at all.”
“Clark, you’re being ridiculous. You’re hormonal and…why don’t you take a nap, have something to eat.” Lex said, his eyes on the latest reports from Toby and Dr. Chang’s group. Couldn’t Clark see he was busy? Couldn’t he see how much work had to be done in order to keep him safe—why did he insist on getting so emotional?
“Lex, you don’t even see her, do your? You’re not thinking about her as a potential person. You think of her as something for you to experiment on—and that’s never going to happen, do you hear me—never, never, never!” Lex jerked his eyes away from the report and stared at Clark, and stared at the floor. Had Clark just stamped his foot? He looked back at Clark, who blushed a violent red and snarled.
Foot stamping had definitely occurred.
Clark ran to his room “You bastard!” he yelled and slammed the door.
Lex stared after him, open-mouthed with shock. What the fuck was *that*? He stood and flung the papers at his desk, shut down his laptop. God damn it. He was trying to gather a dozen different details together and make sense of them--would they be able to stockpile blood for Clark if they needed it, or could they transfuse human blood—they had to make sure that any common medicines or—or anesthesia wouldn’t harm him, or Ripley. He needed to know as *much* as possible, as *soon* as possible, because they didn’t even have the faintest idea of when she was coming. According to Clark it’d been at least seven months since he’d fucked the dead girl Lana. He was no bigger than a second trimester pregnancy. Did that mean he wasn’t going to get bigger? Or would he have some sudden growth or…
They hadn’t even x-rayed Clark, or taken a sonogram yet, because he was nervous about it. Shit.
Lex paced angrily around his study. Clark, he was so frustrating, so infuriating—why couldn’t he see how important he was to him? And to say Ripley was an experiment…he touched her, felt her moving under his hand and he knew she wanted to live, to come be with them.
How could he explain his god awful dreams to Clark, dreams about Ripley dying horribly because of some failure on his part, because of some simple thing that he should have done, and didn’t? If something happened to their—to Clark’s baby, it would be his fault. He’d promised. He stood staring at the desk, breathing heavily, before kicking his chair sending it flying. Fuck! FUCK!
He stalked to Clark’s bedroom door, and he could hear quiet crying behind it. He wheeled around and ran back to the office. He gathered the file and locked it away, grabbed his phone.
“Send the car around. I need to go out." Too much. I need to breathe, just for a little….
******
Clark was sitting in the dark study when he returned. He was dressed, dry eyed and silent when Lex came staggering in. Clark wrinkled his nose, but didn’t say anything, and Lex felt a flash of disappointment. “Well. I almost thought you’d be gone,” he laughed.
Clark stared at him. “Gone? To where? I have nowhere else to go.”
“Ooohh, of course. Forgot, I’m the las’ resort. After all other avenues have been ‘xplored, there’s always me. Always last on your list, Clark.”
“Lex. I know I overreacted. I was being unfair. I know you’re doing everything you can to help. I know it’s all for me.”
“No, no Clark, you’re right. It is about science…d’you know your blood makes sick rats get all frish--frisky again? One minute they’re layin’ there on their little sides, waiting for the Grim Reaper to snuff ‘em out, the next they’re—they’re runnin’ their maze like…like…little maze-runnin’ things. ‘esfuckin’ amazing…Burned all that stuff. Too dangerous. Dangerous to the little girl. She’s gonna look just like you, Clark, not like her---her *mother*. S’gonna be beautiful—just like you.” He nodded. “I’m gonna make sure she’s born, and then—gonna make sure she’s happy.” He looked at Clark, and a big bubble of pain and sorrow filled him. “You’ll let me be a part of her life, right? You’re all I have, all that I live for...”
Clark sighed. “Lex, you’re so, so drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying and you really stink. And you’ve been with someone—some ones,” he gritted and Lex peered at him and his face lit up.
“Jealous? You’re jealous of *me*?”
“Of course I am. Now go to bed…take a shower first.”
Lex weaved a bit and pointed a finger at Clark. “You—you. Did you take your vitamin supplement today? Hmm? Did you? Did you? Hanh!”
Clark looked at him strangely and Lex hesitated.
“Weren’t we talkin’ about that?” Lex asked curiously.
“No-oo. We were talking about bed?”
Lex waved his hand dismissively. “Clark, you’re too drunk. You’d never get it up. I could try, though,” he leered. “I don’t mind.”
“Jesus, Lex, you’re a weird drunk with a one track mind. Let’s go.”
“Oh, yeah, you know you want this. You just wait, analem--aliem—alien boy. You’re in for the ride of your--”
Clark caught him when he fell and staggered to the bedroom with him.
******
Clark managed to get Lex into his bed without dropping him. Unconscious stupid people were so heavy and ungainly. They were really hard to strip too, especially when they woke up and tried to help you. Clark huffed. He rolled Lex naked into bed—he was *not* putting jammies on him. When he discovered Lex wasn’t wearing underwear, he narrowed his eyes and figured it was a good thing his powers were lessened. He’d have felt bad if he burned Lex’s bedroom up.
He laid him in the bed, and Lex woke with tears in his eyes. He grabbed Clark’s hand and mumbled, “How could you think I’d hurt you? How could you even think that? I already told you I wouldn’t…it’s—I don’t have time—I have to work and work and—and—I want to be with you instead…why can’t you understand…”
He drifted off again and Clark sat on the bed holding his hand. Lex was so confusing, so cold one minute, so warm the next. He’d just have to learn to live with it. Ripley was sure going to have an interesting childhood—
Clark blushed and dropped Lex’s hand. Maybe he shouldn’t assume Lex would want them there that long. He hadn’t touched Clark—in fact, tonight was the first time he even acted like he might want to. Clark wrinkled his forehead—at least he was pretty sure that’s what Lex meant. He was a little unclear in spots. Being blind drunk will do that to you.
He got up and went into his bedroom, got a pillow and came back. He could die of old age waiting for Lex to ask him to come to bed.
He stopped and snorted in annoyance when he reentered Lex’s room. The smell of others was beginning to fade at least. Lex’s smell was stronger again. Good.
He rolled onto the bed, curled on his side and looked at Lex. Weird, the only time he’d ever actually slept with someone was one night when he and Jordan had fallen asleep on his bed, but Clark hadn’t actually touched him, being wrapped up in his blankets and fully dressed at the time. That didn’t count.
But this…Clark tentatively touched Lex, stroked him carefully and light as feathers. He felt incredible. He was so smooth, like velvet, so soft and warm. Clark was surprised at how muscular he was. He’d always figured Lex for being skinny under those clothes. He was a little thin…so busy taking care of everything, he forgot about himself. Clark sighed. Lex needed a keeper.
Someone to take care of him, value him. Someone like him.
He stroked Lex’s thigh, barely touching his skin. Well. Dad was right. Lex was not a good man. Or at least, not what Jonathan Kent imagined a good man to be. But then again, he really wasn’t a bad man either, not exactly. He was a—a—pragmatic man. A ruthlessly pragmatic man. He did what he did because the end result was positive. Clark sighed. Lex didn’t worry about what it took to get there. Thank God, he had the world’s best interests at heart.
“I think, we have a full time job on our hands, Ripley. We’re going to have to take care of Uncle Lex here, make sure he doesn’t get lost.” He stroked his arm and smiled.
******
Clark was already eating breakfast when Lex walked into the dining room. He sat at the head of the table and nodded to Clark, who was sitting in a seat at the middle of the table and eating an omelet with gusto
Lex sat and poked his omelet with a grimace before taking a careful bite.
“Lex.”
Lex stiffened and, when Clark didn’t start yelling, relaxed. “Yes?”
“Lex, I want to apologize for yesterday. I was wrong.” Clark was silent and Lex looked up, realized that he was waiting for some response from him. Not really certain what Clark wanted, still fuzzy from the rapidly dissipating hangover, he said, “Apology accepted Clark” and went on to eat when he realized that what he’d just said was *completely* the wrong thing to say.
The freezing glare was one indication, the angry snort was another….
He took up his napkin and wiped his mouth, set it next to his plate.
“Clark, I imagine that whatever I did last night was reprehensible. I apologize. I felt…pressured, and boxed in and I guess I resorted to an old behavior of mine—very poor judgment. At any rate, I am sorry.”
“Lex. You scared me last night; it scared me that you felt so pressured that you snapped like that. I *need* to know that I can depend on you, that you have my back, and that you’re not going to fall to pieces the moment it gets too rough—what if you’d told someone about me because you were too drunk or whatever to think straight?”
“Are you—you have no *idea* how truly good I am at keeping the truth hidden, Clark. It would take more than being shi—totally screwed up to blurt out secrets. Trust me.” For just a moment, just a moment, rage at what he had to carry made him grind his teeth—and then, he relaxed. He got up and walked to Clark. Stopped. Stared at him. “You. What you make me do.” he said. He pulled Clark to him, cradled his head in his hands, and kissed him.
******
Clark felt fireworks explode in his head—kiss! Kiss—it was like the first kiss ever. The Kiss. The only kiss ever, the kiss that explained all kisses, created kisses, made kisses happen throughout time and space. When people waxed poetic about kisses, this was the one they meant—not a wet sloppy meeting of tongue and lips and teeth, this kiss was the soul and spirit, the icon of every kiss there ever was, and every kiss there’d ever be.
Holy…Lex was awfully, awfully good at this….
He could feel his blood boiling through his body, busily flowing down every vein, rushing to fill his cock, his lips even. Cock throbbing, lips throbbing, heart throbbing, he rose from his chair, arms coming up to circle Lex, but he pushed him back down. “Sit.”
Clark moaned in disappointment when he moved away; thank goodness he sat next to him instead of at the head of the table, so at least he could touch him.
“What do you want? Tell me what you want.”
“I want Rip to be safe—I want to be less scared. I want you to be here.”
“I’m here, Clark. I’m here every day, I think about you all the time.” He stopped and gazed at Clark, head tilted, and Clark felt him studying him, examining him. Rating him? He was about to ask when Lex stood. “Come on.” He grabbed his hand and started to walk away. Clark could only follow….
They were on the floor Lex had fitted out to be his own private hospital, geared to take care of one mysterious patient. He kept pulling Clark along, until they were in a small exam room, one he hadn’t seen before. Lex turned on the light, and a beige tiled room revealed itself. There were some machines along one wall, an exam table, a stool and a small cabinet and sink. There were pictures on the ceiling over the table. Clark frowned and laughed at once. “The French rugby team?”
Lex just smiled and pressed a button over the light switch.
A few minutes later, Toby was standing at the door, looking aggravated, hung-over as well. Wild gray hair tumbled around his shoulders; his pale, pouchy frame barely covered by ancient jeans and an equally ancient and threadbare khaki green a-shirt.
“What’s up—you okay?” He peered shortsightedly at Clark, dug around in his hair until he found his glasses. “--the hell—Clark looks fine—what the fuck are you dragging me out of my rack at the ass-crack of dawn for?”
“It’s nearly ten o’clock and we need you to set up the ultra-sound for Clark.”
“You say that like ten o’clock is some kinda real time--and I thought you were afrai-uncomfortable with doing that.”
“Changed my mind.”
Clark leaned against Lex, a little scared…a lot scared. This was it—they were going to take their first look at Ripley, the little passenger he was carrying. What if…what is he was wrong? What if it wasn’t a baby? What if he’d been infected…as if he were giving out some signal, Lex reached out for his hand as he watched Toby set up the machine and squeezed, hard, reassuringly. Clark’s eyes fluttered closed. It was amazing to feel that grip, wonderful to feel it like…like anyone else would. he was thankful again Lex’s strength, sorry that he’d doubted him. Lex made a little noise of encouragement and Clark squeezed back.
No matter what happened to him, he’d remember this feeling forever.
“Okay, let’s rock an’ roll, man.” Toby patted at his jeans and snorted in exasperation when Lex held up a pack of cigarettes and smirked, slid them into his own pocket. “Fuckin’ thief,” Toby muttered.
Lex rolled his eyes and gestured for Clark to get on the table, and then stood to the side, in view of the monitor.
Toby fiddled around a bit, and brought out a large tube. He held it up to Clark and grinned, “Econo-size lube! Ready? It’s ass freezing cold, but that’s just for me—that little shriek always makes me laugh. Never gets old, man, never gets old.” He squeezed a dollop onto Clark’s belly and snickered when Clark yelped. “Told ya.” He glanced back at a deeply frowning Lex and smirked at Clark.
“Prince Mack over there is worried this will hurt-- whadaya call ‘im? Ripley?” He snorted, and continued. “I doubt it. We’ve been arguing about this for a while…” He frowned and slid the probe over the swell.
Lex was immediately at Clark’s side. “What? Why are you frowning—what’s wrong?”
“First of all, nothing. Second of all—you can’t be yelling in my ear like that, man.” He moved the probe over and around and then he said, “Fuck.”
“There Clark.” Lex pointed at the monitor, and Clark saw a curled shape, slowly moving, arms waving…he was stunned. There she was. Alive. Moving. Real.
Toby said, “Fuck me. Fuck me,” reverently, and looked at Clark, a little frightened, a little awestruck. “I always knew it would take someone out of this world to rope Machiavelli. As far as I can tell man, He’s fine. she’s fine. Can’t tell that either. There’s something running down the front of the body—see that? Might be an umbilical cord…don’t see a placenta, though. Might be a—a tail, not sure. But the heartbeat is strong, and movement’s good.”
Lex reached out and touched his finger to Clark’s belly and the little being on the screen moved to the touch.
“Fuck.”
“I’ll say.”
“Oh…she likes you Lex.”
Lex looked at Clark.
He looked back at the moving figure on the screen. He turned and left the room.
******
tbc
In Which:
Everyone behaves badly.
Lex behaves badly. Did I say badly?
Clark pouts.
Ripley waves.
Ripley, Believe It Or Not
Lex gathered a small team of doctors and researchers together, the best possible. He was equal parts excited and nervous about the research. He hated the possible risk of exposing Clark—but it was necessary, if he was to keep his promise to him. At least he could separate the different areas of research, and keep the information under lock. If only a very few specific individuals were to be allowed to have access to all the information, it should minimize the risk to Clark.
Since he’d proven to Lex many times over that he could be trusted, Toby would work with Clark directly, besides, his experience as a battlefield surgeon was probably the perfect background for this. Toby would hand pick whoever he thought best to help. Lex had no doubt they’d be as discrete as the man himself. He knew Toby would explain clearly the risk of leaking information. Lex wasn’t unduly concerned about that. People who thought they were involved in highly illegal and highly lucrative endeavors also tended to keep quiet about what they were doing. They understood more clearly that a false step was a death sentence.
That, Clark didn’t need to know. Lex swung slowly in the chair, rested his elbow on his desk and thought. He was putting himself in a rather darker place than he’d ever cared to be before, what with handing out threats like candy, and running roughshod over the people working for him, but it was all for Clark. If it didn’t make it right, it at least made it bearable. He was sure this would all work out, in the final result.
He explained to Clark what he wanted to do and he reluctantly agreed.
“We need some idea of where we are, Clark. Ripley is an entirely new being, there’s never been anyone like her—as far as we know. If we know a little bit about you, we’ll know a little bit about her.”
Clark was examined carefully, from head to toe. Every few days he went through the same procedures, until he complained that he felt as if every pore had been violated. He was poked and prodded and snipped until he’d reached his limits.
“Lex, this is exactly what Mom and Dad were talking about. All I am is a—a science experiment! What’s next on your agenda--cutting body parts off to see if they’ll grow back?” Clark was pale and shaking, his hands clenched in fists and his eyes were too shiny. “Why don’t you tell me the truth? This has stopped being about us, it’s about *you* now, and your need to know—everything. How long before you don’t see me at all—how long before I don’t have a name anymore, before I’m just ‘the subject’? Lex, This doesn’t feel like protection, not at all.”
“Clark, you’re being ridiculous. You’re hormonal and…why don’t you take a nap, have something to eat.” Lex said, his eyes on the latest reports from Toby and Dr. Chang’s group. Couldn’t Clark see he was busy? Couldn’t he see how much work had to be done in order to keep him safe—why did he insist on getting so emotional?
“Lex, you don’t even see her, do your? You’re not thinking about her as a potential person. You think of her as something for you to experiment on—and that’s never going to happen, do you hear me—never, never, never!” Lex jerked his eyes away from the report and stared at Clark, and stared at the floor. Had Clark just stamped his foot? He looked back at Clark, who blushed a violent red and snarled.
Foot stamping had definitely occurred.
Clark ran to his room “You bastard!” he yelled and slammed the door.
Lex stared after him, open-mouthed with shock. What the fuck was *that*? He stood and flung the papers at his desk, shut down his laptop. God damn it. He was trying to gather a dozen different details together and make sense of them--would they be able to stockpile blood for Clark if they needed it, or could they transfuse human blood—they had to make sure that any common medicines or—or anesthesia wouldn’t harm him, or Ripley. He needed to know as *much* as possible, as *soon* as possible, because they didn’t even have the faintest idea of when she was coming. According to Clark it’d been at least seven months since he’d fucked the dead girl Lana. He was no bigger than a second trimester pregnancy. Did that mean he wasn’t going to get bigger? Or would he have some sudden growth or…
They hadn’t even x-rayed Clark, or taken a sonogram yet, because he was nervous about it. Shit.
Lex paced angrily around his study. Clark, he was so frustrating, so infuriating—why couldn’t he see how important he was to him? And to say Ripley was an experiment…he touched her, felt her moving under his hand and he knew she wanted to live, to come be with them.
How could he explain his god awful dreams to Clark, dreams about Ripley dying horribly because of some failure on his part, because of some simple thing that he should have done, and didn’t? If something happened to their—to Clark’s baby, it would be his fault. He’d promised. He stood staring at the desk, breathing heavily, before kicking his chair sending it flying. Fuck! FUCK!
He stalked to Clark’s bedroom door, and he could hear quiet crying behind it. He wheeled around and ran back to the office. He gathered the file and locked it away, grabbed his phone.
“Send the car around. I need to go out." Too much. I need to breathe, just for a little….
******
Clark was sitting in the dark study when he returned. He was dressed, dry eyed and silent when Lex came staggering in. Clark wrinkled his nose, but didn’t say anything, and Lex felt a flash of disappointment. “Well. I almost thought you’d be gone,” he laughed.
Clark stared at him. “Gone? To where? I have nowhere else to go.”
“Ooohh, of course. Forgot, I’m the las’ resort. After all other avenues have been ‘xplored, there’s always me. Always last on your list, Clark.”
“Lex. I know I overreacted. I was being unfair. I know you’re doing everything you can to help. I know it’s all for me.”
“No, no Clark, you’re right. It is about science…d’you know your blood makes sick rats get all frish--frisky again? One minute they’re layin’ there on their little sides, waiting for the Grim Reaper to snuff ‘em out, the next they’re—they’re runnin’ their maze like…like…little maze-runnin’ things. ‘esfuckin’ amazing…Burned all that stuff. Too dangerous. Dangerous to the little girl. She’s gonna look just like you, Clark, not like her---her *mother*. S’gonna be beautiful—just like you.” He nodded. “I’m gonna make sure she’s born, and then—gonna make sure she’s happy.” He looked at Clark, and a big bubble of pain and sorrow filled him. “You’ll let me be a part of her life, right? You’re all I have, all that I live for...”
Clark sighed. “Lex, you’re so, so drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying and you really stink. And you’ve been with someone—some ones,” he gritted and Lex peered at him and his face lit up.
“Jealous? You’re jealous of *me*?”
“Of course I am. Now go to bed…take a shower first.”
Lex weaved a bit and pointed a finger at Clark. “You—you. Did you take your vitamin supplement today? Hmm? Did you? Did you? Hanh!”
Clark looked at him strangely and Lex hesitated.
“Weren’t we talkin’ about that?” Lex asked curiously.
“No-oo. We were talking about bed?”
Lex waved his hand dismissively. “Clark, you’re too drunk. You’d never get it up. I could try, though,” he leered. “I don’t mind.”
“Jesus, Lex, you’re a weird drunk with a one track mind. Let’s go.”
“Oh, yeah, you know you want this. You just wait, analem--aliem—alien boy. You’re in for the ride of your--”
Clark caught him when he fell and staggered to the bedroom with him.
******
Clark managed to get Lex into his bed without dropping him. Unconscious stupid people were so heavy and ungainly. They were really hard to strip too, especially when they woke up and tried to help you. Clark huffed. He rolled Lex naked into bed—he was *not* putting jammies on him. When he discovered Lex wasn’t wearing underwear, he narrowed his eyes and figured it was a good thing his powers were lessened. He’d have felt bad if he burned Lex’s bedroom up.
He laid him in the bed, and Lex woke with tears in his eyes. He grabbed Clark’s hand and mumbled, “How could you think I’d hurt you? How could you even think that? I already told you I wouldn’t…it’s—I don’t have time—I have to work and work and—and—I want to be with you instead…why can’t you understand…”
He drifted off again and Clark sat on the bed holding his hand. Lex was so confusing, so cold one minute, so warm the next. He’d just have to learn to live with it. Ripley was sure going to have an interesting childhood—
Clark blushed and dropped Lex’s hand. Maybe he shouldn’t assume Lex would want them there that long. He hadn’t touched Clark—in fact, tonight was the first time he even acted like he might want to. Clark wrinkled his forehead—at least he was pretty sure that’s what Lex meant. He was a little unclear in spots. Being blind drunk will do that to you.
He got up and went into his bedroom, got a pillow and came back. He could die of old age waiting for Lex to ask him to come to bed.
He stopped and snorted in annoyance when he reentered Lex’s room. The smell of others was beginning to fade at least. Lex’s smell was stronger again. Good.
He rolled onto the bed, curled on his side and looked at Lex. Weird, the only time he’d ever actually slept with someone was one night when he and Jordan had fallen asleep on his bed, but Clark hadn’t actually touched him, being wrapped up in his blankets and fully dressed at the time. That didn’t count.
But this…Clark tentatively touched Lex, stroked him carefully and light as feathers. He felt incredible. He was so smooth, like velvet, so soft and warm. Clark was surprised at how muscular he was. He’d always figured Lex for being skinny under those clothes. He was a little thin…so busy taking care of everything, he forgot about himself. Clark sighed. Lex needed a keeper.
Someone to take care of him, value him. Someone like him.
He stroked Lex’s thigh, barely touching his skin. Well. Dad was right. Lex was not a good man. Or at least, not what Jonathan Kent imagined a good man to be. But then again, he really wasn’t a bad man either, not exactly. He was a—a—pragmatic man. A ruthlessly pragmatic man. He did what he did because the end result was positive. Clark sighed. Lex didn’t worry about what it took to get there. Thank God, he had the world’s best interests at heart.
“I think, we have a full time job on our hands, Ripley. We’re going to have to take care of Uncle Lex here, make sure he doesn’t get lost.” He stroked his arm and smiled.
******
Clark was already eating breakfast when Lex walked into the dining room. He sat at the head of the table and nodded to Clark, who was sitting in a seat at the middle of the table and eating an omelet with gusto
Lex sat and poked his omelet with a grimace before taking a careful bite.
“Lex.”
Lex stiffened and, when Clark didn’t start yelling, relaxed. “Yes?”
“Lex, I want to apologize for yesterday. I was wrong.” Clark was silent and Lex looked up, realized that he was waiting for some response from him. Not really certain what Clark wanted, still fuzzy from the rapidly dissipating hangover, he said, “Apology accepted Clark” and went on to eat when he realized that what he’d just said was *completely* the wrong thing to say.
The freezing glare was one indication, the angry snort was another….
He took up his napkin and wiped his mouth, set it next to his plate.
“Clark, I imagine that whatever I did last night was reprehensible. I apologize. I felt…pressured, and boxed in and I guess I resorted to an old behavior of mine—very poor judgment. At any rate, I am sorry.”
“Lex. You scared me last night; it scared me that you felt so pressured that you snapped like that. I *need* to know that I can depend on you, that you have my back, and that you’re not going to fall to pieces the moment it gets too rough—what if you’d told someone about me because you were too drunk or whatever to think straight?”
“Are you—you have no *idea* how truly good I am at keeping the truth hidden, Clark. It would take more than being shi—totally screwed up to blurt out secrets. Trust me.” For just a moment, just a moment, rage at what he had to carry made him grind his teeth—and then, he relaxed. He got up and walked to Clark. Stopped. Stared at him. “You. What you make me do.” he said. He pulled Clark to him, cradled his head in his hands, and kissed him.
******
Clark felt fireworks explode in his head—kiss! Kiss—it was like the first kiss ever. The Kiss. The only kiss ever, the kiss that explained all kisses, created kisses, made kisses happen throughout time and space. When people waxed poetic about kisses, this was the one they meant—not a wet sloppy meeting of tongue and lips and teeth, this kiss was the soul and spirit, the icon of every kiss there ever was, and every kiss there’d ever be.
Holy…Lex was awfully, awfully good at this….
He could feel his blood boiling through his body, busily flowing down every vein, rushing to fill his cock, his lips even. Cock throbbing, lips throbbing, heart throbbing, he rose from his chair, arms coming up to circle Lex, but he pushed him back down. “Sit.”
Clark moaned in disappointment when he moved away; thank goodness he sat next to him instead of at the head of the table, so at least he could touch him.
“What do you want? Tell me what you want.”
“I want Rip to be safe—I want to be less scared. I want you to be here.”
“I’m here, Clark. I’m here every day, I think about you all the time.” He stopped and gazed at Clark, head tilted, and Clark felt him studying him, examining him. Rating him? He was about to ask when Lex stood. “Come on.” He grabbed his hand and started to walk away. Clark could only follow….
They were on the floor Lex had fitted out to be his own private hospital, geared to take care of one mysterious patient. He kept pulling Clark along, until they were in a small exam room, one he hadn’t seen before. Lex turned on the light, and a beige tiled room revealed itself. There were some machines along one wall, an exam table, a stool and a small cabinet and sink. There were pictures on the ceiling over the table. Clark frowned and laughed at once. “The French rugby team?”
Lex just smiled and pressed a button over the light switch.
A few minutes later, Toby was standing at the door, looking aggravated, hung-over as well. Wild gray hair tumbled around his shoulders; his pale, pouchy frame barely covered by ancient jeans and an equally ancient and threadbare khaki green a-shirt.
“What’s up—you okay?” He peered shortsightedly at Clark, dug around in his hair until he found his glasses. “--the hell—Clark looks fine—what the fuck are you dragging me out of my rack at the ass-crack of dawn for?”
“It’s nearly ten o’clock and we need you to set up the ultra-sound for Clark.”
“You say that like ten o’clock is some kinda real time--and I thought you were afrai-uncomfortable with doing that.”
“Changed my mind.”
Clark leaned against Lex, a little scared…a lot scared. This was it—they were going to take their first look at Ripley, the little passenger he was carrying. What if…what is he was wrong? What if it wasn’t a baby? What if he’d been infected…as if he were giving out some signal, Lex reached out for his hand as he watched Toby set up the machine and squeezed, hard, reassuringly. Clark’s eyes fluttered closed. It was amazing to feel that grip, wonderful to feel it like…like anyone else would. he was thankful again Lex’s strength, sorry that he’d doubted him. Lex made a little noise of encouragement and Clark squeezed back.
No matter what happened to him, he’d remember this feeling forever.
“Okay, let’s rock an’ roll, man.” Toby patted at his jeans and snorted in exasperation when Lex held up a pack of cigarettes and smirked, slid them into his own pocket. “Fuckin’ thief,” Toby muttered.
Lex rolled his eyes and gestured for Clark to get on the table, and then stood to the side, in view of the monitor.
Toby fiddled around a bit, and brought out a large tube. He held it up to Clark and grinned, “Econo-size lube! Ready? It’s ass freezing cold, but that’s just for me—that little shriek always makes me laugh. Never gets old, man, never gets old.” He squeezed a dollop onto Clark’s belly and snickered when Clark yelped. “Told ya.” He glanced back at a deeply frowning Lex and smirked at Clark.
“Prince Mack over there is worried this will hurt-- whadaya call ‘im? Ripley?” He snorted, and continued. “I doubt it. We’ve been arguing about this for a while…” He frowned and slid the probe over the swell.
Lex was immediately at Clark’s side. “What? Why are you frowning—what’s wrong?”
“First of all, nothing. Second of all—you can’t be yelling in my ear like that, man.” He moved the probe over and around and then he said, “Fuck.”
“There Clark.” Lex pointed at the monitor, and Clark saw a curled shape, slowly moving, arms waving…he was stunned. There she was. Alive. Moving. Real.
Toby said, “Fuck me. Fuck me,” reverently, and looked at Clark, a little frightened, a little awestruck. “I always knew it would take someone out of this world to rope Machiavelli. As far as I can tell man, He’s fine. she’s fine. Can’t tell that either. There’s something running down the front of the body—see that? Might be an umbilical cord…don’t see a placenta, though. Might be a—a tail, not sure. But the heartbeat is strong, and movement’s good.”
Lex reached out and touched his finger to Clark’s belly and the little being on the screen moved to the touch.
“Fuck.”
“I’ll say.”
“Oh…she likes you Lex.”
Lex looked at Clark.
He looked back at the moving figure on the screen. He turned and left the room.
******
tbc
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
5/29/06 04:02 pm (UTC)HEE.
(no subject)
5/29/06 04:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 04:17 pm (UTC)... “I’m gonna make sure she’s born, and then—gonna make sure she’s happy.” He looked at Clark, and a big bubble of pain and sorrow filled him. “You’ll let me be a part of her life, right? You’re all I have, all that I live for...”
That has to be the sweetest drunk confession ever.
Clark was a naughty boy here. Rubbing on Lex while the dude was passed out. *shakes head* Clark. Clark. Clark. The things you can get away with.
Roxy, this is turning into something big. I like it. I know you keep saying never again, but I would love more of this from you. Only in my dreams, right? *pout*
(no subject)
5/29/06 04:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 04:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 09:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 04:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 09:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 05:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 10:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 05:49 pm (UTC)Poor Lex! He is falling for little Rip, just as he has fallen for Clark. More, More, More, Please!
(no subject)
5/29/06 10:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 06:03 pm (UTC)I hope Ripley doesn't have a tail.
A few typos:
""
Should be either 'as something' or 'as a something.'
""
I think you're missing quote marks after 'out.'
""
I don't know if you missed a comma there or not.
""
I assume you mean t-shirt.
(no subject)
5/29/06 09:47 pm (UTC)The A-shirt--I should have capped the A, it's the PC way to say wife-beater. *g*
(no subject)
5/29/06 09:50 pm (UTC)I've never heard of that before. Shows you what I know.
(no subject)
5/29/06 09:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 09:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 06:39 pm (UTC)Omg - so close!!
And now Lex runs away! Again!!
*clings*
:)
(no subject)
5/29/06 10:03 pm (UTC)But not too far!
(no subject)
5/29/06 07:09 pm (UTC)Aw, aw!!
Of course she likes Lex, pffff!!
Hehe!!
I LOVED Lex drunk telling Clark he would never get it up cause HE was too drunk, heee!!
Very sweet, the way you resolved this whole experience/lab thing, and AWWWW, Rip!! Gotta love her!
Now, kill Lana and let's have a baby, yay!!
:D
(no subject)
5/29/06 10:04 pm (UTC)Heeeeee!!!
(no subject)
5/29/06 08:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 10:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 09:11 pm (UTC)Clark felt fireworks explode in his head—kiss! Kiss—it was like the first kiss ever. The Kiss. The only kiss ever, the kiss that explained all kisses, created kisses, made kisses happen throughout time and space. When people waxed poetic about kisses, this was the one they meant—not a wet sloppy meeting of tongue and lips and teeth, this kiss was the soul and spirit, the icon of every kiss there ever was, and every kiss there’d ever be.
I love that bit... it's what's Clex is all about. So, sweet and true. That's what a kiss between a OTP should be like.
I think I'm beginning to love this fic, despite the fact that the mpreg is so icky.
;)
I can't wait to see what happens next!
(no subject)
5/29/06 10:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 10:38 pm (UTC)he he he
(no subject)
5/29/06 09:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 10:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 10:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/29/06 11:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
5/30/06 02:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
5/30/06 03:41 am (UTC)- Really Lana is living on borrowed time, especially if she comes back to Smallville at any point. Lex is going to run her over with his car...
Lex paced angrily around his study. Clark, he was so frustrating, so infuriating-why couldn't he see how important he was to him? And to say Ripley was an experiment...he touched her, felt her moving under his hand and he knew she wanted to live, to come be with them.
How could he explain his god awful dreams to Clark, dreams about Ripley dying horribly because of some failure on his part, because of some simple thing that he should have done, and didn't? If something happened to their-to Clark's baby, it would be his fault. He'd promised. He stood staring at the desk, breathing heavily, before kicking his chair sending it flying. Fuck! FUCK!
He stalked to Clark's bedroom door, and he could hear quiet crying behind it...
- Clark really does have particular powers to make Lex crazy...
- I love how Lex really already think of Ripley as theirs, his and Clark's
- I think Lex went as crazy as he did because Clark was crying... Lex hates it when Clark is sad.
“Oh...she likes you Lex.”
Lex looked at Clark.
He looked back at the moving figure on the screen. He turned and left the room.
- ... And Lex has just freaked out...
(no subject)
5/30/06 05:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
(no subject)
8/16/06 09:01 am (UTC)(no subject)
8/17/06 01:27 am (UTC)