roxy: (Default)
[personal profile] roxy
Title:Mariposa
Fandom: SV
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating:2
Summary: Canon? What? Who? I can’t hear you….




The Previous Parts are here, refusing to come out of their rooms--damn you Anderson Cooper, and your cold cold heart!



Lex was stunned—he felt sixteen again, like his brain was being fried again.
He felt like he’d been dropped into an impossible nightmare.

He’d gotten notice that they removed the flecks of meteorite under Clark’s skin, and he was about to be taken to recovery. The moment he’d disconnected, what sounded like an explosion and screaming rang in the halls, picked up by the inmates, worsened until it became deafening. He ran toward the operating room, almost bowling over Lucas—no one came, there was no alarm, he could smell the stink of things burning---he threw open the doors and hot air exploded outward.

Clark stood in the center of a ball of flame. Lex blinked—and the flame was gone. Along with nearly everything in the room…the concrete block was black and cracked, each piece of machinery was a slumped melted shape barely revealing its purpose and ash dropped everywhere like black snow on the fused and cracked floor tile…staff rushed in, ready to protect the place, to destroy the thing in the center of the room, this—stranger—crying, and calling his name….

With Lucas’ help, he managed to get control over the situation, and between the two of them, dragged a traumatized Clark to the closest shower. He was naked, ash on his skin the only thing left of the hospital gown he’d been in, he was red and blistered over his whole body, and a poisonous looking green slime covered his back and shoulders. The veins there appeared black and Lex watched in horror as they pulsated, throbbed like they were trying to rip out from under Clark’s skin.

He sent Lucas out to keep an eye on the staff, and pushed and pulled Clark under the warm spray. Kicked his shoes off and stepped in after him without thinking about the rest of his clothing. He scrubbed at the sticky green fluid, washed him thoroughly but as quickly as he could, from head to toe. As it flowed away from Clark’s skin and whirled down the drain, the black veins pulsing on his skin returned to normal and his skin lost its boiled look, his gasps softened and sounded more like exhaustion instead of pain. Lex let him slump to the floor under the shower, washed the last bit of ash and gritty cinders from his hair…the butterfly was gone, nothing remained. Lex stared open-mouthed at Clark’s perfect skin, so clean, so smooth…gold instead of red, no sign of the waxy white blisters that had covered him moments ago. Lex knelt and stared into the sleeping boy’s face. The deep shadows under his eyes were nearly gone, small scars and pock marks were Bobbie had cut him, or stabbed him with the needles were gone…scars around his wrists were gone…all the marks that Lex had also carried home as gifts from the twins and that had taken months to fade were gone as if they never were.

Clark slept, heedless of the rushing water. His head was tilted against the tiled wall, water beading on the short, spikey strands. His hands were turned up in his lap, and water filled the cupped palms.

Now that the adrenalin drained away, Lex was aware of his own pain, he felt raw and burned from head to toe. He touched his face and hissed---it hurt. He held out his hands and saw that they were as red as Clark had been and blistered as well, and he sighed. He’d heal soon enough but until he did, pain was going to be a close companion. His clothes were a loss--his cuffs were charred, and he still smelled like smoke, and wet wool. He suddenly realized his clothes were soggy and heavy, clinging painfully to his tender skin like wet burlap.

A change in the sound of the falling water drew his eyes back to Clark. He was…beautiful. Clark was amazing…he moaned quietly and Lex started guiltily, he didn’t want Clark to wake and find himself being stared at—especially since Clark was slightly erect. Lex swallowed but didn’t look away…Clark shifted and something else managed to catch Lex’s eye. A black butterfly wrapped its wings around the base of his semi-hard dick…Lex bit his thumb. Fucking hell, he didn’t have to be a mind reader to know this was the real reason Lucas called him Butterfly. No wonder Clark had hated it so much. Unlike the one on his shoulder, this one didn’t look like it was going anywhere. Lex reached out without thinking and touched it, startled back when Clark moaned at the touch, stiffened more. He blushed deeply, ashamed that he’d taken even the smallest bit of advantage…

Lucas smirked unpleasantly when he came back to help Lex move Clark, but one look from Lex kept him from commenting.

“Just—just help me move him.”

Lucas shrugged, but wisely kept silent.


******

Clark woke up, froze against the sheets—he wasn’t in his room. Memory flooded back, but he was unsure if he was mixing dream with reality. He had a brief echo of the pain he’d experienced and that was rapidly fading. Confused, he sat up and threw his feet over the side of the bed, and realized—he was floating above the bed—an inch or two, but floating. In. The. Air. He yelled and grabbed for the mattress, and ripped right through. He stared stupidly at the shredded strips of ticking and foam clutched in his hands…what the fuck happened?

What had Lex done to him?

He felt an odd sensation behind his eyes; a red fog crept in around the corners of his sight, fear turned to fury.

Enough--he was sick and damn tired of stuff being done to him all the time, and him just taking it and taking it—*fuck* that. It was past time he stopped letting everyone push him around—he was about to start pushing back…

Clark flung open the bedroom door and barely noticed the crack as the door knob rammed into the wall—he stepped into a huge open room, an unfamiliar room—he was staggered by a flood of light, and colors so bright they hurt his eyes…he blinked, and the light became a wall of windows. Sunlight blazed, filling him with warmth, caressing his skin…his anger melted away as an incredible sense of well-being swelled inside of him, so good it was like coasting after orgasm…he shook himself, remembered that he’d come looking for Lex.

Where the heck was he? He glanced around, frowning slightly, and shouted in panic as the world thinned to nothing. A skeleton came jogging toward him, it’s arms whipping up and down like a cartoon. He rubbed his eyes frantically and the dancing skeleton became Lex running towards him. He still saw through the world, like…a blueprint, like a maze of glowing lines and colors and only Lex made sense…whoa….

Clark stared at Lex, whose bones were now clothed—in muscle and skin, lots of smooth, gleaming skin and built really, really…and his dick was…wow, no hair anywhere? Clark’s eyes were burning, and Lex yelled, “Shut them! Shut your eyes!” And Clark did without thinking.

Immediately the pain vanished, the burning sensation cooled. “Lex? Lex—what the hell happened to me…?”

“Clark. You became…what you were meant to be. Part of that is the ability to create fire with your eyes --” He sounded overcome with awe. “It’s incredible.”

“Um…Lex, this will sound stupid but, are you naked?”

“What? No. Are you…are you okay?”

“I think so…” A memory floated up from the odd blankness that surrounded his time in the exam room. “Oh Lex—I think—I think I hurt them. Did I? Hurt anyone?”

*****

Clark looked like he was about to shatter in a million pieces, and Lex grabbed him, held him in place. Clark was staring at him, into his eyes, waited for the words like he was on the edge of a cliff. Lex took a deep breath, and lied.

“No, no one was hurt. You were in recovery; no one was in with you. I gave orders that I was the only one to be with you when you woke.”

The wire tight tension under his hands eased, Clark exhaled in grateful relief and Lex was just as grateful that Clark chose to believe without question. “What about you, Clark? How do you feel?”

“Lex…it’s like someone stole the world while I was asleep, and replaced it with this one. Everything is so different. I feel—I can’t describe how I feel. It’s just…good.”

Lex saw that good didn’t begin to describe it, not from the awestruck expression on Clark’s face. Maybe no word on earth existed to describe it. Clark glowed; he looked like…an angel. Unearthly. “You’re not afraid of this new world, are you?”

He shook his head. “I’m not afraid. Yesterday, I was sure I was dying and now, I have this brand new life—wow. Was I wrong all along? Or did the meteorites make me that way?”

Lex shrugged. “Maybe. Yes. The doctors seemed sure.” And just about anyone who was most familiar with Clark’s case was…gone, along with a lot of information. They were on their own now.

“I need to go home. Maybe my parents will know what to do, Lex. Can you take me home?”

Lex wanted to argue that he was uniquely set up to help Clark, to discover what it was that made him different than—anything else on the planet, that he had the equipment and the means and maybe…Clark shouldn’t be quite so eager to run away…Lex bit the inside of his cheek, hard--every muscle locked as he rode out a wave of nausea. “Clark—you’re right. We’ll leave, as soon as it’s possible. I promise.”

******

Clark broke his bed. Broke the shower, broke the sink. Put his hand through the wall. Walls. He ripped doors off their hinges, cracked glass after glass, rendered plates and cups to dust, squeezed flatware to lumps of metal. There were scorch marks all through the suite…carpet was replaced, curtains, furniture….

Lex and Clark had words one evening and the next day a crew came in to redo the apartment….

There were times Clark couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe—crushed under the weight of the life of the city, too much to hear, too much to see. Some days the most he could manage was to lay his head in Lex’s lap, and wait for it to pass. Every step of the way, Lex held his hand, he cajoled, he cursed, he coaxed Clark out of himself nearly every day…he used the labs, the knowledge gained from prior experiments. He talked to the inmates, he learned what he needed to help Clark and in the process, learned a lot about what it was to be different—truly different. Somewhere along the way, his vague desire to help had crystallized into a decision to provide a real life for the mutants. There was a way, he would make it reality….and in the mean time, he devoted himself to helping the person he’d come to love more than anything else in the world.

******

“Clark, forget it. You’re not even moving back to the penthouse, let alone Smallville, until you get some control over your power. You want to at least be able to avoid a horrible accident if someone says or does something that upsets you, can’t you get that?”

“Lex,” Clark yelled, eyes tightly closed, “I have control! I do. ”

“Oh really? Open your eyes than, Clark. Show me your control. Or open the damn window now, go ahead.” Lex yelled back, feeling Clark’s frustration nearly as deeply as Clark did.

Clark snapped out a curse, but didn’t move.

“Look at you. Standing here with your eyes screwed shut, hands in your pockets—fucking afraid to move. That’s not control, that’s—terror. That’s being a prisoner in your own body.”

Clark growled, and for a moment, Lex thought he’d lost him, that he’d break, run away…and Lex was terrified that if he ran, if he hurt anyone, Clark would finally be lost forever…

“Okay! Okay, I hear you. All right.”

“Thank you Clark.” Lex’s hands shook with reaction, he pushed them into his pockets and forced as normal smile as he could. “I appreciate it.”

“Sure, you’re generous when your enemy is defeated.” But he was smiling, and opened his eyes.

Lex smiled back, “Never my enemy, Clark, never.”

tbc...

(no subject)

3/15/07 04:07 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] ladydey.livejournal.com
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, Clark has one tattoo left - I guess since all other marks are gone, Clark should have one physical reminder left.

I love Lex taking care of Clark. I love that Lex doesn't want to give Clark back, but is trying to do the right thing. I love Lex fighting for Clark and Clark being well enough to let him.


I love again the differences in learning over time and all at once that is a necessary since Clark hasn't really been whole since before he was taken. Breaking doors and walls and willy nilly setting things on fire when he get mad or looks at Lex.


I think it is great that through helping Clark, Lex has found not only the love of his life but a life calling - and a willingness to help people similarly afflicted, not just Clark.


I can't wait 'til Lex and Clark hit Smallville that should be sooo interesting - I can't wait to see the Kent's reaction to the sort of new and improved Clark.

(no subject)

3/15/07 04:37 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
I can't wait to get them to Smallville!

Clark has gone through some of this already, he just doesn't remember.

I like to think that Lex learned you don't always have to get something in return for what you do. Sometimes there are no atta-boys or pats on the back. You just get a good feeling for having done the right thing. Or in Lex's case, the pretty close to the right thing.

(no subject)

3/15/07 04:36 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] rosy5000.livejournal.com
Poor Clark... having to learn to deal with all his powers at once.

At least Lex isn't babying him, but challenging him to handle his powers.

(no subject)

3/15/07 04:38 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
*nods*
I don't think Lex does babying all that well...*G*

(no subject)

3/15/07 04:40 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] cinderella81.livejournal.com
OMG! Just wonderful!! Let the healing begin!!

I love Lex taking care of Clark ... just melts me!

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:01 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Thank you, dear one!

(no subject)

3/15/07 04:53 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] talitha78.livejournal.com
Clark looked like he was about to shatter in a million pieces, and Lex grabbed him, held him in place. Clark was staring at him, into his eyes, waited for the words like he was on the edge of a cliff. Lex took a deep breath, and lied.

I love that Lex knows exactly when to tell the truth, and exactly when to lie.

Great chapter!!

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:03 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
I'm so glad you liked it!

(no subject)

3/15/07 05:23 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] myownghost.livejournal.com
lex is soooo smart. i like his devotion to clark and his urge now to help the mutants. (but wow, they "got rid of" all the staff who could've been a danger to clark? brrrr.)

(no subject)

3/15/07 05:49 pm (UTC)
digitalwave: (Clex- Beloved Enemy)
Posted by [personal profile] digitalwave
I think that Clark accidentally had a hand in that too but Lex will make sure that he never knows.

(no subject)

3/15/07 05:51 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] myownghost.livejournal.com
OH! i'll bet you're right. i wasn't thinking along the correct lines. (lucas, however, would be fully capable of a little judicious murder. we've seen it!)

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:06 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
I see Digital beat me to the explainy part. Lucas did take care of staff he thought would be a problem, but whoever was in the room with Clark when he woke up...tsk.

(no subject)

3/15/07 05:52 pm (UTC)
digitalwave: (Clex - Mine!! by me)
Posted by [personal profile] digitalwave
Wow, sweetie! Just, wow! :)

I think that this is my favorite line:

Lex smiled back, “Never my enemy, Clark, never.”

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:06 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Thank you!! *hugs*

(no subject)

3/15/07 06:52 pm (UTC)
danceswithgary: (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] danceswithgary
“Lex…it’s like someone stole the world while I was asleep, and replaced it with this one. Everything is so different. I feel—I can’t describe how I feel. It’s just…good.”

Such a brave new world for Lex and Clark, especially together. I love the whole learning process Clark has to go through. If it was traumatic when he was younger, how much more so when he is coming from weaker than normal. This is so great! :-D

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:08 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Thank you so much! Whenever I'm most unsure about a bit, you always make me feel better!

(no subject)

3/15/07 06:58 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] dm-wyatt.livejournal.com
Aw...

Poor Clark. I'm glad Lex lied to him about people getting hurt. Clark doesn't need that guilt added to everything else...

I'm glad Lex is going to help him control his powers before he goes back home. I'm not sure the Kents could help him deal with adult powers all at once.

No way would they be able replace furniture and patch walls indefinitely like Lex can afford to do.

Nice update!

*grins*

Poor Clark...

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:10 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
No way would they be able replace furniture and patch walls indefinitely like Lex can afford to do.

Right? *G*

it just appeals so much to me, this endless ability to repair Clark's little messes.

(no subject)

3/15/07 09:27 pm (UTC)
tabaqui: (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] tabaqui
Ooooh, yay!
Finally, Clark isn't poisoned any more!
Yay, yay, yay!!
*bounce*
:)

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:46 pm (UTC)
tabaqui: (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] tabaqui
HA!
I know you lie, but i'll let it go for now.
*for now*!!

(no subject)

3/15/07 11:10 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] clarkscherry.livejournal.com
:) Yay for feisty Clark. Yay for patient Lex. This could get to be a lot of fun.

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:11 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
lol! I hope so!

(no subject)

3/16/07 02:37 am (UTC)
ext_21868: (stalkerkitty)
Posted by [identity profile] capnzebbie.livejournal.com
I love the way this is going. I'm so happy Clark has gotten rid of all that green K! And just perfect having all his powers come online at once :) Lex is wonderful, suppressing his mad scientist tendencies and being a caring, nurturing friend.

Can we kill the twins again?

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:12 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Can you imagine how much Lex wants to know all about him? Poor guy...*G*

LOL!!! So *bloodthirsty*!!

(no subject)

3/16/07 05:26 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] supercaptain182.livejournal.com
That was an awesome account of what happened. God, I love Lex even more,because he's just so dedicated to Clark.

And the butterfly...so freaking great.

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:13 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Thank you, lovey!!

(no subject)

3/16/07 09:19 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] jakrar.livejournal.com
I love this so much! Especially with Lex trying so very hard to do whatever is best for Clark, even though he'd love to bundle Clark up and keep him all to himself and never, ever let him go. Squee!

(no subject)

3/16/07 04:13 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Awww, you make me so very happy!!

(no subject)

3/17/07 04:29 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] theclexfactor.livejournal.com
I have no words other than I'm willing to share my mom's peach cobbler with you...and that's saying A LOT.

(no subject)

3/17/07 04:42 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
GAAAAASP!!!
Homemade peach cobbler??? OMG, I'm right there! just let me throw some clean undies and a toohbrush in a bag--

(no subject)

3/18/07 07:22 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] lexii314.livejournal.com
Clark getting his powers back in this way is CRAZY! Poor baby. At least he wants to see his parents.

(no subject)

3/20/07 05:17 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
I tried to imagine what it would be like to suddenly get slammed with all this stuff at once--I could only think it wold be *rough*, poor Clark!

(no subject)

3/19/07 04:41 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] herohunter.livejournal.com
WAAAAHHH!! No more to read!! *pouts and stomps feet*

Don't make me send Lucas to "deal with you"!!!!!

This is wonderful, darling heart!! And oh, I forgot to mention before... Clark met his red-jacket lady, AWWWWWWW!! That was absolutely wonderful!

And I love Lex. *nods*

(no subject)

3/20/07 05:19 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
And I love Lex. *nods*
Yay! Great, I must be doing right with him than. *G*

and I had to throw in the red jacket lady, lol!!

(no subject)

3/19/07 09:25 pm (UTC)
romyra: Icon by <lj user="moshesque"> (Default)
Posted by [personal profile] romyra
**gleeeee** oH GOD did I need this. It brightened my day and now I'm gonna stalk you till you write more. Poor Clark, He never had the training for his powers that his parents gave him and now he has to re-learn all of the basics of movement, but with Lex as a teacher and reward-giver, who wouldn't learn fast.

(no subject)

3/20/07 05:20 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
Oh hey, I'm glad the update was good for you! Clark's a very quick study! *g*

(no subject)

10/18/12 05:22 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] confuzed.livejournal.com
I kind of like he still has the tattoo on his winkie...He needs to remember what happened to him, so it can never again! Or I am just a sick individual....Must stop to take a shower.

(no subject)

10/18/12 11:36 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com
That's why I thought it should stay...well, that and it is kind of hot...*GGG*

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