Blackout 6/8

[jlvsclrk]

Title: Blackout

Beta:  ladydreamer, with many thanks!

Artwork: tallihensia

Chapter Summary: A meeting at the Mansion

 

 

12 - Luthor Mansion – later that evening

 

Lex rubbed the back of his head, trying to dispel his growing tension headache. It was late, even for him. Bruce and Lori had worked with him for hours on Martha’s files, but had finally retired an hour ago. Lex persisted, and was now trying to decipher some of Lionel’s more cryptic documents. He needed all the information he could get to prepare for dealing with Jor-El.

 

Whoosh!

 

One moment, Lex was alone in the library, working away on his laptop. The next he was joined by Clark, who was brimming with so much restrained energy that even his hair spiked out like an angry cat. Lex gave a tired smile at the sight and leaned back in his chair.

 

“I’ve searched everywhere on the farm and those other places you mentioned, Lex. Nothing. It could be anywhere.”

 

“No, not anywhere. If it were anywhere obvious, Lionel would have found it. And we’ll assume you hid it after losing your powers, which means it has to be somewhere nearby.”

 

“Why assume that. I mean, it makes it easier for us, but if you’re wrong…”

 

“It’s a risk. But we checked the 911 call for Lana when she was injured last year, and the voice was yours. If you’d had your powers, I’m pretty sure you would have just run her straight to the medical centre rather than waiting for an ambulance. It took over two hours to show up given the number of injuries that day.”

 

“Surely I wouldn’t have just left her alone either.”

 

Lex agreed with excitement, “You’re right! You must have left it here. It’s so obvious it would never occur to Lionel.”

 

Clark switched on his X-ray vision and scanned the library for the Key. “I can’t see it but something’s blocking my vision in the corner here.”

 

Lex quickly crossed to his side to open the safe, smiling to himself at the thought of Lionel looking everywhere but here. He opened the door with a flourish, then looked down in horror as Clark collapsed as they were bathed by an eerie green light. Clark’s skin tone changed in an instant from gold to sickly green, and his eyes looked frantically up at Lex for an explanation. Inside the safe, the eyes of the statues he’d assembled two years earlier glowed malevolently. He swallowed his frantic concern and struggled to pull Clark away from danger. He finally managed to close the safe just as the doors to the library opened with a bang. In strode Brainiac. Before even Clark could react, Brainiac reached for Lex’s neck and sent him flying into the library wall. Lex crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

 

Clark’s eyes burned as his fear for Lex turned to anger. He sprang towards Brainiac and pushed with his full force. Brainiac went flying upwards into the library’s balcony. His momentum carried him through several bookshelves and then into the stout wall behind. The entire house shook from the impact.

 

Brainiac stood, completely unharmed by the attack. He brushed off the debris and then sauntered towards Clark.

 

“So Kal-El, have you realized yet the folly of trying to live amongst these humans? Do you really think that they will ever trust you? You belong with your own kind. Join with me and release Zod from his unjust imprisonment.”

 

Clark schooled his features to remain still, instinctively knowing that Brainiac would exploit any weakness.

 

“A few people have hurt me, yes, but this world is my home.  I see no reason to join with you against them.”

 

“Kal-El, how can you say that when you do not even remember your own name and heritage? These humans are nothing to you. They are so fragile, so reliant on their technology. Take that away, and they will devolve to the animals they really are. Why should you care to save them?”

 

Clark stepped forward and looked Fine firmly in the eye. “I’ll never do what you want.”

 

Brainiac gave a small smile of anticipation and whispered, “Then it begins.” He walked over to Lex’s laptop and touched the screen. Immediately, Kryptonian symbols started to overwrite the text of the report Lex had been reading. Seconds later, the lights in the library started to flicker, then went out. Darkness descended, broken only by the flickering glow from the fireplace.

 

“Enjoy the show,” Brainiac whispered. He gave a contemptuous smile and then sped away, leaving Clark behind in stunned silence.

 

Clark rushed towards Lex, and anxiously checked him for injuries. Fortunately his breathing was steady and although he had several cuts from the fall, nothing was broken. Clark anxiously held Lex’s hand and wondered if he should rush him off to the hospital for a more thorough check up. Before he could work himself into a state though, Lex’s eyes started to flicker, then slowly opened.

 

Lex’s eyes were a little foggy, but such a beautiful soft grey that Clark felt like he could lose himself in them. He gave a relieved sigh, then a brilliant smile. “Welcome back! I should have known it would take more than one measly throw to take you out for good. I’m just glad though that you Luthors have hard heads!”

 

Lex looked at him fuzzily and asked, “How long have I been out? What happened to the lights?” He wiped away blood from a cut on his face, then winced as he sat up.

 

“Careful, you were thrown really hard.” Clark reached out and gently rubbed away the blood from another cut.

 

Lex closed his eyes and stretched gingerly. “I don’t even know what happened, but I’ll guess – Fine again.”

 

Clark nodded then jumped to his feet with a worried expression. He ran over to Lex’s laptop, which still displayed a rapidly changing stream of symbols. He brought the laptop to Lex and explained, “You need to look at this. I think Brainiac downloaded a virus of sorts, and that’s what caused the blackout.”

 

Lex frowned at the screen. “Does any of this mean anything to you?” Clark shook his head and Lex exclaimed, “We really need to get your memory back soon!” He tried to stand up, but was struck by a wave of dizziness. Clark reached out to steady him and led him over to the couch.

 

Lex closed his eyes as he sat down. How could he do all the things he had to do when he was so tired, so sore?

 

Clark knelt down in front of him and gently stroked from his temple down the column of his neck. At Lex’s tired smile, he raised both hands to Lex’s temples and started to gently message. Lex gave a wordless murmur, and Clark leaned forward to give him a light kiss on the cheek.

 

It was just the merest touch of lips, perhaps meant as comfort, but Lex’s eyes snapped open. The fuzzy look was gone – his eyes blazed with intensity. Clark leaned back with an evasive expression and Lex touched his cheek. “Clark?”

 

Clark seemed to shrink slightly with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. You just looked so…” His voice trailed off.

 

“Weak? Vulnerable? Needing to be coddled?”

 

Clark looked up, wide-eyed. “No! How could you think that? I think maybe ‘sexy’ is the word I was looking for.”

 

“Sexy. You find me being all battered and bruised sexy?”

 

“Kind of, yeah. I mean, ‘cause I know it’s not going to stop you. Brainiac made a mistake trying to play you the first time; a worse mistake attacking you this time. He tipped his hand, and just made an enemy.”

 

Lex smiled faintly, then closed his eyes again. “Clark, this isn’t you. You may know your real name and part of your life story, but you’re still thinking like Kyle Cook. The real Clark would never use the word sexy to describe a man, at least not without blushing to his virginal ears.”

 

Clark looked at him gravely and paused before replying. “You could be right, at least a little bit. I’m not him, but I do have Kyle’s memories. He’s known he was gay for a long time, and it wasn’t a big deal to anyone he knew except his stepfather. But Lex, there’s another part to Kyle’s story. He had sex with hundreds of men and after a while being touched just made a certain part of his mind shut down completely. I don’t know if you’ve noticed me around Bruce, but even though I trust him, I don’t want him anywhere near me. Even Lois and Lori… It’s only with you and mom that I feel at all comfortable. That’s gotta mean something.”

 

He then leaned forward and very carefully kissed Lex on the mouth – closed lipped, the merest tease. He sat back and looked at Lex questioningly.

 

Lex smirked. “What are you, my maiden aunt? If you want to kiss me, kiss me.”

 

Clark’s eyes sharpened at the challenge. He tilted his head to the side and leaned forward again. Lex closed the distance and reached for that tantalizing mouth. He kept his kisses light at first, using his lips to measure the texture of Clark’s skin. He moved slowly and deliberately, as if afraid a sudden movement would send Clark skittering away. He then started to suck and nibble gently along Clark’s lower lip. He leaned back several times, eager to see Clark’s expression, anxious to bring him joy. Clark’s eyes would open sleepily whenever Lex pulled away, then flickered shut as Lex leaned back in.

 

Before too long, Clark started to get more aggressive. He seemed fascinated by the scar on Lex’s upper lip, mouthing and licking it repeatedly. He then raised his hands to cup Lex’s chin and tilted his head for better access. He opened wider and sucked urgently on Lex’s tongue.

 

As the kiss deepened, Lex savoured the taste of Clark’s mouth. It was nothing he could put a name to, other than fresh and clean. Just like Clark. He raised his hands to tangle in Clark’s hair, regretting for a moment that it was so much shorter than he remembered. But still, the texture was amazing. He murmured, “I’ve always loved your hair.”

 

Clark whispered back, “And I bet I’ve always loved your skin. Soft.” His hands swept to the back of Lex’s skull and started up a deep massage.

 

It was an odd sensation for Lex, and at first he tensed slightly. When he’d been young, he’d always felt that other children rejected him because of his baldness. It’d taken years to overcome that self-consciousness, and it still showed up at the strangest times – the back of his head had been taboo territory for a long time. But as Clark’s massage continued, he could feel a lot of that old tension and resentment start to drain away. Almost dizzy from the sensation, he pulled away from Clark’s lips and arced backwards into Clark’s hands to deepen the pressure.

 

Clark responded by lowering his mouth to Lex’s neck. Lex felt overwhelmed by the assault of those firm lips, teeth and tongue. He turned his attention to Clark’s ear, gentling licking the whorls. He then bit hard on the lobe and smiled at Clark’s faint protest. “How is it you can feel that, when you can walk away from a plane crash without a scratch? It doesn’t make any sense.”

 

Clark smiled back as he lowered his hands to undo the buttons on Lex’s shirt. “Does it really matter right now?” He paused to admire the sight of Lex’s chest, then began to caress the smooth muscles. He whispered in admiration, “So beautiful.” His hands, strong enough to crush steel, were nonetheless gentle as they worked their way towards Lex’s nipples.

 

Lex groaned anew at the sensation. “That’s it. A little harder, I won’t break.” When Clark finally gave a firm squeeze, Lex’s whole body arced like it had been hit by electricity. The sensation went straight to his cock, which was starting to feel distinctly neglected. He impatiently reached for Clark’s T-shirt and pulled it hastily off.

 

But instead of deepening his passion, the sight unexpectedly sobered Lex. Gone was the perfect body he’d spent so many hours surreptitiously admiring in the early years of their friendship. During his ordeal, Clark had lost over 50 pounds, most of it muscle. Lex hesitantly touched the ribs that showed all too prominently through the skin, then frowned as he noticed some scars.

 

Clark flushed slightly and bit his lip, then reached for his discarded T-shirt. Clutching it in front of him, he stammered, “I’m sorry. I know I don’t look good right now. I shouldn’t have started this, I’ll just go.”

 

Lex reached out and grabbed tightly at his shoulders. “It’s not that you don’t look good, Clark. It’s just… I guess it never really sunk in how badly you were hurt.” He gently touched the scars just below Clark’s nipples. “You never had the slightest mark on you before. They don’t belong. It’s like someone defacing a Rembrandt.”

 

Clark gave a small snort, then reached up to touch the scar on Lex’s lip. “I’m a person, not a painting. We’re not meant to be perfect. Sometimes, it’s our flaws that make us beautiful.”

 

“Thank you for that wonderful dose of Kent philosophy. Are you sure your memory isn’t coming back?”

 

Clark silently shook his head and then leaned in for another kiss, one that was less about sex and more about a deep need for connection.

 

Despite the questions every moment with Clark provoked, Lex tried to respond to Clark’s clear need. Clark’s lips felt demanding and almost desperate on his own, as if Clark were seeking assurance that he was no longer alone. Lex felt another surge of questions arise at that thought. Could this possibly last? Was it even real? And if it was, could he and Clark find a way to live together? Or would they simply fall back into their old patterns once Clark’s memories were restored?

 

He finally pulled back and said what lay unspoken between them. “If Fine wasn’t out there hunting right now, if the world wasn’t on the edge of collapse…”

 

Clark interjected, “I know.” He paused for a moment before admitting, “I’m a little scared, you know. I know that we only want to restore my real memories, but the memories I’ve got...” His voice trailed off.

 

Lex grimaced. “I know. We call you Clark and your memory says you’re Kyle, but you’re both and neither right now. I’m not sure if this ice palace can restore your memory at all, much less how much you’ll remember of the last year. I just hope…” He stopped short at the thought.

 

“I will remember this, Lex. I promise” Clark said this firmly; he had absolutely no doubt that his heart would remember even if his mind could not.

 

Lex gave a sad smile. “Don’t make promises that the fates may be tempted to see you break. We have our differences, Clark. Even now, you see the world in black and white, while I’ve been trained to see a thousand shades of grey. If we find a way to stay together, we’re going to have to change.”

 

“And you’re afraid that you can’t, and afraid that I won’t. Right?” At Lex’s nod, Clark continued, “Look, we’re getting ahead of the game here. We haven’t even found the Key yet, or talked to this Jor-El, much less taken care of Brainiac. You’re right – I shouldn’t promise something I have no control over. And you have to learn to shut your brain off every once in a while and just live in the moment. Okay?” Clark gave Lex a firm squeeze.

 

“Okay. This is me, living in the moment.” He gave Clark one last kiss, then settled back in the coach with a yawn. “It’s three in the morning and I need to get to sleep if we’re going to save the world tomorrow. You?”

 

“I’m not exactly tired but I wouldn’t mind closing my eyes. But first, don’t you think we should check out your safe?” At Lex’s puzzled look, he prompted, “For the Key. We thought it might be there.”

 

“When did we… Let me guess – Brainiac again.”

 

“Yeah, I guess you forgot. Maybe your head isn’t as hard as I thought it was.”

 

“Considering how many times I’ve been hit on the head, it amazes me sometimes that I can remember my name. Help me up. My body is shutting down for the evening.”

 

“I could always just rip the door off…”

 

The look Lex gave him would have reduced a lesser man to panic. Clark merely smiled.

 

(Part 7 - Chapter 13)