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SV fic post: East of the Sun part 43
Title: East of the Sun
Author: roxy
Pairings/Characters: Lex/Clark
Rating:PG
Word Count:1362
Summary: Lex learns about trust and love from an unlikely source.
Notes/Warnings: AU, so very AU
Fair warning, dear readers—the mistakes here are all my own. Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
danceswithgary for her encouragement and of course, the lovely cover!
Short bit! No cliff-hanger! *G*
Alex staggered and fell to the ground with a cry of shock; Clark could see the start as he landed on his hands and knees in muddy grass instead of the concrete that should be there. "What—what—?" He jerked upright, mouth working as he stared at the grass stains on his hands. When Clark tried to come close, to help, he held up muddy hands to fend him off. "No."
The single word, the look of pure fear on Alex's face--it was like getting stabbed in the heart, Clark thought…worse. "Lex…Lex, let me help you."
He gazed around…shivering in the cool air. "We're outside of Metropolis. That's not possible. How could--I'm losing my mind."
It frightened Clark. Alex hadn’t asked a question, he'd made a statement, as if what was happening now, was a confirmation of something he'd expected all along. Clark shook his head hard. "No, no, this is real, it's something I did. I can do this, I can run really fast and I'm strong, like—like—The Blue Beetle—" He hesitated when Alex bit off a hysterical laugh, and went on. "See, I carried you here, and I can hear things for miles and miles and see everything—I'm from. From. Oh God, I'm screwing this up, all I'm doing is scaring you worse—" and to the horrified surprise of both of them he burst into tears. One part of Clark wanted to die—he was crying, and not in a manly Gary Cooper way, with a single hitch of breath, and a lone tear tracking his cheek…he was bawling like a motherless baby, howling and snotting all over and in general making a disgusting scene of himself. He was glad they were in a huge field full of nothing out in the butt end of nowhere. Alex hung back, hovering over him as if Clark was a two-headed dragon about to eat him and that made Clark cry even harder.
"Clark! Please!" Alex came a little closer, bent and peered into his face. "Clark…are you…are you going to stop soon?" Alex was as lousy at tears as any guy, Clark saw, and that made him hiccup a faint laugh. That seemed to ease Alex a bit and he came close enough to lay his hand on Clark's shoulder. Clark didn’t even care if it was so light a touch as to almost not be there—he was touching him at least. "Slowing down a little, Cee? Here." He handed Clark a handkerchief, wincing just a little as Clark thoroughly wiped his face and snotty nose with it and with a faintly wicked smile, tried to hand it back to him.
"Oh, God, no—you keep that."
Clark laughed a little and then fell back onto the ground. "Will you listen to the rest, or would you rather I just go away and not come back? I could, easily. I could take care of Wade and never return…"
"Fuck, no! Don't…I'm sorry but, shit Clark, did you really expect me to say, oh, is that the way it is? My lover's from…from…where are you from?"
"Outer space?" Clark said, and then sat up straight again. He blushed, tried not to smile… "Hey. You said lover. Is that what I am?"
"Clark—one thing at a time. Concentrate on what's important, please." But he smiled a little too as he said it, and Clark felt like breathing for the first time since they left the club. The sun was just starting to rise; the sky was gray and starting to flush pink. A chill breeze whipped up, blew over the wide flat field. Alex shivered all over. He was only wearing his suit jacket--his hat, overcoat, lost somewhere at the Fitz.
Here, this'll help some." Clark took his own suit jacket off and offered it to Alex. "I…don’t get cold, either."
Alex sat—or dropped actually—to the ground next to Clark. "Tell me all."
"I don't really know that much myself. My parents—the people who raised me, found me years ago, me and my…I guess my space ship. That's what my folks call it." He looked to see if Alex was laughing at him, or…was even more afraid of him. Alex looked okay, Clark thought, a little blue around the lips but maybe that was the cold….
"So, you're telling me you're from Mars…or Venus…?"
"Maybe. I don't know. My folks only say I was a gift from above. Outer space, Heaven…it seemed pretty much the same to them. Until I started to grow into these…powers. I mean—I know they love me; they just worry—worried too much about me." As he said it to Lex, he knew it was true. His parents had only ever worried about his safety. Had only worried that he might be taken from them. Instead, he'd left them… "I'm from a town called Smallville…you might have heard about the meteor shower there, in '23. It was a pretty big deal--brought those meteors, and me. My earliest memory is the corn field on fire—"
"Oh!" Alex scooted away from Clark, his eyes wide and glassy. "I was there when you came. My father was looking into acquiring some property there…stones and fire came out of the sky, and I was in that field. He rubbed his head with both hands. "This is…from that day. Those stones did something to me. Took my hair, made me look like…a freak."
"I'm so sorry, so sorry--I didn't know—"
"No, no—listen! Not all of it was bad—and we're here together, like a miracle. I dreamt about you. In my dreams, hell exploded all around me but you—you were always there, to help me. You touched me that day. I lay on the ground, covered in dirt and hurting and it stopped when you touched me, so soft, so cool…"
"Me? I don't remember that—I touched you?" He tried to recall, but nothing came. He hoped it was true…he could imagine a soft round cheek, warm to the touch, a little gritty with soot, dirt….
"I knew that you'd come for me one day, I've been waiting all my life, all my life—" Alex babbled on, his voice rising and rising. Clark began to worry; Alex was even paler than usual. His heart was hammering in his chest, Clark could hear his blood rush away from his skin—he swayed to his feet, getting paler, and more excited. Clark grabbed him, "Stop! Stop, Lex, please…Lex please." He wrapped himself around Lex, and rocked him, rubbing his hands over and over him, trying to force warmth back into him. Alex curled against him instinctively, shoved his head under Clark's chin, made him laugh a little. Lex held on as tightly as if he was the one with the super strength. Clark liked it.
"Clark…I thought I was in love before but you…I've waited for you even longer than I thought," he laughed and the laugh broke into a sob.
"I know, I know. It'll all be better now, I promise. You don't need to go to Wade anymore, because I'll protect you. I'll protect Chloe. I promise I'll protect everyone."
Lex nodded, his cheek rubbing against Clark's shoulder. "I know, just…not yet. I need to talk to Jules again, let him know. And Wade…is not going to hurt me."
"But he's already hurt you! How can you say he won’t hurt you?"
"Listen, you don't understand. What he does isn't—it can’t hurt me. What he does is nothing. And I have a few secrets of my own."
Clark looked puzzled, wanted to ask, but Lex shook his head firmly. "Not yet. Clark…can you take me back home?"
"Um…the way we got here, or hitching? I don't want to make you more…uncomfortable."
Lex snorted. "Thanks for putting it that way." He leaned back and stared into Clarks face, and his eyes warmed, that smile that made Clark feel like he was glowing inside, flowed over his lips. "I'd like to go home the way we got here, but this time, I want to see."
Clark laughed. "All right, but I'm warning you—it's one heck of a ride. Keep your head close to me—and hang on!"
part 44
TBC
Author: roxy
Pairings/Characters: Lex/Clark
Rating:PG
Word Count:1362
Summary: Lex learns about trust and love from an unlikely source.
Notes/Warnings: AU, so very AU
Fair warning, dear readers—the mistakes here are all my own. Thanks to
danceswithgary for her encouragement and of course, the lovely cover!Short bit! No cliff-hanger! *G*
Alex staggered and fell to the ground with a cry of shock; Clark could see the start as he landed on his hands and knees in muddy grass instead of the concrete that should be there. "What—what—?" He jerked upright, mouth working as he stared at the grass stains on his hands. When Clark tried to come close, to help, he held up muddy hands to fend him off. "No."
The single word, the look of pure fear on Alex's face--it was like getting stabbed in the heart, Clark thought…worse. "Lex…Lex, let me help you."
He gazed around…shivering in the cool air. "We're outside of Metropolis. That's not possible. How could--I'm losing my mind."
It frightened Clark. Alex hadn’t asked a question, he'd made a statement, as if what was happening now, was a confirmation of something he'd expected all along. Clark shook his head hard. "No, no, this is real, it's something I did. I can do this, I can run really fast and I'm strong, like—like—The Blue Beetle—" He hesitated when Alex bit off a hysterical laugh, and went on. "See, I carried you here, and I can hear things for miles and miles and see everything—I'm from. From. Oh God, I'm screwing this up, all I'm doing is scaring you worse—" and to the horrified surprise of both of them he burst into tears. One part of Clark wanted to die—he was crying, and not in a manly Gary Cooper way, with a single hitch of breath, and a lone tear tracking his cheek…he was bawling like a motherless baby, howling and snotting all over and in general making a disgusting scene of himself. He was glad they were in a huge field full of nothing out in the butt end of nowhere. Alex hung back, hovering over him as if Clark was a two-headed dragon about to eat him and that made Clark cry even harder.
"Clark! Please!" Alex came a little closer, bent and peered into his face. "Clark…are you…are you going to stop soon?" Alex was as lousy at tears as any guy, Clark saw, and that made him hiccup a faint laugh. That seemed to ease Alex a bit and he came close enough to lay his hand on Clark's shoulder. Clark didn’t even care if it was so light a touch as to almost not be there—he was touching him at least. "Slowing down a little, Cee? Here." He handed Clark a handkerchief, wincing just a little as Clark thoroughly wiped his face and snotty nose with it and with a faintly wicked smile, tried to hand it back to him.
"Oh, God, no—you keep that."
Clark laughed a little and then fell back onto the ground. "Will you listen to the rest, or would you rather I just go away and not come back? I could, easily. I could take care of Wade and never return…"
"Fuck, no! Don't…I'm sorry but, shit Clark, did you really expect me to say, oh, is that the way it is? My lover's from…from…where are you from?"
"Outer space?" Clark said, and then sat up straight again. He blushed, tried not to smile… "Hey. You said lover. Is that what I am?"
"Clark—one thing at a time. Concentrate on what's important, please." But he smiled a little too as he said it, and Clark felt like breathing for the first time since they left the club. The sun was just starting to rise; the sky was gray and starting to flush pink. A chill breeze whipped up, blew over the wide flat field. Alex shivered all over. He was only wearing his suit jacket--his hat, overcoat, lost somewhere at the Fitz.
Here, this'll help some." Clark took his own suit jacket off and offered it to Alex. "I…don’t get cold, either."
Alex sat—or dropped actually—to the ground next to Clark. "Tell me all."
"I don't really know that much myself. My parents—the people who raised me, found me years ago, me and my…I guess my space ship. That's what my folks call it." He looked to see if Alex was laughing at him, or…was even more afraid of him. Alex looked okay, Clark thought, a little blue around the lips but maybe that was the cold….
"So, you're telling me you're from Mars…or Venus…?"
"Maybe. I don't know. My folks only say I was a gift from above. Outer space, Heaven…it seemed pretty much the same to them. Until I started to grow into these…powers. I mean—I know they love me; they just worry—worried too much about me." As he said it to Lex, he knew it was true. His parents had only ever worried about his safety. Had only worried that he might be taken from them. Instead, he'd left them… "I'm from a town called Smallville…you might have heard about the meteor shower there, in '23. It was a pretty big deal--brought those meteors, and me. My earliest memory is the corn field on fire—"
"Oh!" Alex scooted away from Clark, his eyes wide and glassy. "I was there when you came. My father was looking into acquiring some property there…stones and fire came out of the sky, and I was in that field. He rubbed his head with both hands. "This is…from that day. Those stones did something to me. Took my hair, made me look like…a freak."
"I'm so sorry, so sorry--I didn't know—"
"No, no—listen! Not all of it was bad—and we're here together, like a miracle. I dreamt about you. In my dreams, hell exploded all around me but you—you were always there, to help me. You touched me that day. I lay on the ground, covered in dirt and hurting and it stopped when you touched me, so soft, so cool…"
"Me? I don't remember that—I touched you?" He tried to recall, but nothing came. He hoped it was true…he could imagine a soft round cheek, warm to the touch, a little gritty with soot, dirt….
"I knew that you'd come for me one day, I've been waiting all my life, all my life—" Alex babbled on, his voice rising and rising. Clark began to worry; Alex was even paler than usual. His heart was hammering in his chest, Clark could hear his blood rush away from his skin—he swayed to his feet, getting paler, and more excited. Clark grabbed him, "Stop! Stop, Lex, please…Lex please." He wrapped himself around Lex, and rocked him, rubbing his hands over and over him, trying to force warmth back into him. Alex curled against him instinctively, shoved his head under Clark's chin, made him laugh a little. Lex held on as tightly as if he was the one with the super strength. Clark liked it.
"Clark…I thought I was in love before but you…I've waited for you even longer than I thought," he laughed and the laugh broke into a sob.
"I know, I know. It'll all be better now, I promise. You don't need to go to Wade anymore, because I'll protect you. I'll protect Chloe. I promise I'll protect everyone."
Lex nodded, his cheek rubbing against Clark's shoulder. "I know, just…not yet. I need to talk to Jules again, let him know. And Wade…is not going to hurt me."
"But he's already hurt you! How can you say he won’t hurt you?"
"Listen, you don't understand. What he does isn't—it can’t hurt me. What he does is nothing. And I have a few secrets of my own."
Clark looked puzzled, wanted to ask, but Lex shook his head firmly. "Not yet. Clark…can you take me back home?"
"Um…the way we got here, or hitching? I don't want to make you more…uncomfortable."
Lex snorted. "Thanks for putting it that way." He leaned back and stared into Clarks face, and his eyes warmed, that smile that made Clark feel like he was glowing inside, flowed over his lips. "I'd like to go home the way we got here, but this time, I want to see."
Clark laughed. "All right, but I'm warning you—it's one heck of a ride. Keep your head close to me—and hang on!"
part 44
TBC
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And sorry for the terrible cliff hanger! *hugs, beams*
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crying baby clark and mushy destiny lex belong together :D
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And don't worry, Lex is going to have to pay for being mushy. Don't I always even things out? *GRIN*
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Great job. I really like Alex remembering Clark touching him. That was wonderful.
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I love Clark breaking down and crying and lamenting that he's not crying like a movie star!
Oh, Clark.
Love it, love it, love it.
:)
And Lex - saying wait? Is dumb. Let Clark help *now*.
*jitters*
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I knew Lex thought Clark was nuts. :-)))
And I love the way you write Clark. He's such a doll.
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(Anonymous) 2008-07-27 02:25 am (UTC)(link)--Jessica
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(Anonymous) 2008-07-28 02:12 am (UTC)(link)--Jessica
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