Title: Clumsy is, as...
Fandom: Smallville - Pairing: Clex
Rating: G - Size: 1,187
Type: fluff, h/c
Warnings: none
Spoilers: none
Summary: Reporters Lois and Cat have figured out why Clark's clumsiness seems to come and go; ... or at least they think they have.

Disclaimer: Only mine in my dreams. ;-) This story was written for free entertainment purposes only and may not be reproduced for profit or altered without permission.

Notes:
Future fic. AU after end Season 2, established Clex. For the h/c bingo square "minor illness/allergies". Beta by Ronda. Cross-posted to Archive of Our Own

Clumsy is, as...

A few minutes into the reception and Clark knew there was a problem.

Accompanying Lex to his various functions was something Clark was used to. He'd done it when they were friends, when they were dating, and it was pretty much old-hat now that they were married. Clark didn't usually mind – as a reporter, he could pick up some interesting items in conversations or overhearings, and the functions themselves were usually at interesting places he didn't normally get to see.

The one today was at the museum of natural science, a celebration of the new wing put in, and a fund-raiser for the exhibits, all in one. Metropolis' elite had turned out, plus some science buffs and museum staff. There even a few reporters here too – Clark didn't actually count as one when he was formally accompanying Lex. Both Cat and Lois were here somewhere, and Jimmy was running around taking pictures – all of which would be reviewed by the museum staff before publishing.

Initially, the night had gone well. A nice dinner with Lex and some of his upper crust friends that weren't as snooty as the rest. They had to be pretty open, to accept Clark with Lex, and Lex wouldn't make friends with anybody who didn't. Clark was happy that Lex had friends; it had been just him and Lex alone for so long, Lex's barriers so firmly raised against others and his cynicism not seeing the genuine offers. To be fair, the number of people who wanted to be "friends" in order to get something out of Lex vastly outweighed the genuine few. But there were enough that Clark eventually got Lex to accept more people into their circle. Their friends couldn't all be his friends, after all.

After dinner, they had all gone to the reception. Clark was shaking hands with dignitaries and their wives and husbands when he suddenly sneezed, turning his head in reflex.

"Gesundheit." The lady he'd been talking to smiled as she offered the traditional German 'good health' wish.

"Thank you," Clark replied automatically, then he sneezed again.

Lex came over, a frown on his face. "Are you okay?" He handed his handkerchief to Clark and hovered while Clark blew into it.

"I'm fine, Lex. It's just allergies." Clark looked around, trying to figure out what was setting him off.

Lex's worry sharpened ten-fold. He touched Clark's sleeve gently. "We don't have to stay. Let's go home."

Clark had to grin. "It's okay, Lex. No big deal." With his x-ray vision, Clark had found the janitor's closet and the bottle of floor-wax that was glowing a mild green color. He looked down at the sparkling clean floor with resignation. The kryptonite wasn't enough to hurt him, but he would be spending an uncomfortable evening sneezing. Tomorrow, he'd persuade the museum staff to change their waxing formula.

"Okay if I hang on to this?" Clark held the handkerchief tightly. He was going to need it.

"Of course," Lex replied automatically, his hand still on Clark's arm. "But if you're feeling at all uncomfortable, we should go."

Clark rolled his eyes. "Lex, I'm---" he sneezed in the middle of the sentence, rocking back on his heels. He sniffled after the sneeze, and wiped his nose. "Fine. I'm fine. It's allergies, everybody has them. Don't worry so much, Lex."

For the next hour, Clark had a shadow. No matter what he said, or what he did, Lex was right there beside him, worrying and hovering and offering more handkerchiefs and whatever else he thought Clark might need to make him feel better.

After that hour, Clark finally gave up and let Lex take him home.

As soon as they got outside the museum, Clark could breathe again. He raised his head up to the night sky and enjoyed the sensation of air making it all the way down his lungs and back out again without a single impediment. Even the smog and car exhausts from the street next to them didn't bother him. Clark sighed happily.

"Better?" Lex had hold of Clark's hand, his fingers wrapped through Clark's. "Let's go home just to make sure."

"All right, Lex." Clark smiled at his anxious lover, then leaned over to kiss him.

Lex returned the kiss, his care evident in the tender press of his lips and the gentle swipe of his tongue.

Clark pulled slightly back but not too far. "You know, I think there's an ancient remedy for allergies that we could try at home..." He murmured the words over Lex's lips, feeling his breath pass over with each syllable.

When Clark moved further back, Lex's eyes were dark and his eyelids were dropping down. "That... that sounds like something we should try, Clark. Anything to make sure you're better."

Anything at all. Clark smiled again, then let Lex drive them home without remarking once on the speed limits.

... ... ...

The next day at work, he was met by a pair of giggling reporters.

Cat sat on his desk and Lois leaned next to her. "So, Smallville..."

"Yes," Clark asked warily, carefully checking around them.

"I always thought that it was weird how you could be so careful one moment and so clumsy the next..."

Clark quickly looked to make sure the coffee he was holding wasn't too hot for human standards, though Lex was careful not to let him out of the house with anything like that. "Um, I'm just clumsy?"

"Uh huh," Lois nodded. "And you've got allergies too."

"Mysterious allergies, that nobody else gets and you're fine right after," Cat added with a laugh.

If they were laughing, their idea couldn't be too close to the truth. "The air was cleaner outside," Clark said truthfully.

"And Lex was so anxious to get you home..." Lois purred.

"It was adorable," Cat agreed. "I have never seen Lex Luthor be such a mother hen. I didn't know he could be! But with your allergies, he was right there... and when you stubbed your toe, I thought he was going to take off your shoe right then and there and give you a foot rub."

"Um, well, Lex gets a bit protective." Clark squirmed. He'd been worried about the foot rub too.

"Uh huh," Lois nodded again. "We saw." They both giggled again. "The whole world saw."

Then Cat got off the desk. "Mystery solved. When Clark is hurt, Lex comes running. No more to be said." She sauntered off and Lois followed her.

Clark watched them go, slightly opened-mouthed at that interpretation. And yet... He took his glasses off and wiped them with his sleeve thoughtfully. They might have something there. Last night, Lex had been very thorough in making sure Clark was okay. Very, very thorough. Clark would have to try having a cold sometime and see what it got him at home. Just a minor one, nothing big. Or he could borrow the floor wax from the museum instead of disposing of it.

With a grin, Clark shook off the fantasy and turned to his computer. He didn't need the floor wax, he had Lex.

END