Title: The Together Future
Fandom: Smallville - Pairing: Clex (Clark/Lex)
Rating: PG - Words: 6,827
Type: slice-of-life, romance
Warnings: none
Spoilers: general first few seasons
Summary: Just a year left, just one more year before Clark is in college. Can Clark wait that long? He goes to Lex to help figure out what he's going to do.

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:
AU after mid-2.15 Prodigal. No rift.

Written for

jlvsclrk for the Help Japan auction. She requested college Clex, with Lex helping Clark pick out a major. The story is a bit more *about* college than at college, but the majors are there. ^^

Beta by Ronda. Cross-posted to Archive of our Own.

The Together Future

Outside the castle, Clark studied the large stone structure. After so many years, a castle in Smallville almost seemed natural. When it had first arrived, it was the talk of the town as they spoke in disapproving voices and gave it scornful looks. Now, though, Smallville just wouldn't be the same without it. The citizens looked out from their homes, saw the castle, and accepted it, as they did the mutants in their midst. It was part of them now.

The young master of the castle was much the same. He hadn't been around as long, only a few short years, however he had his own history with Smallville. He had shared in their most traumatic moment that the town had transformed into their selling point. Much as Lex himself had done.

Hefting his backpack, Clark opened the heavy wooden door and walked into the familiar hallway. His home away from home. As familiar as Clark was with the farmhouse he'd grown up in, this castle had become almost as much so. They were far apart in their furnishings, style, size, and denizens, yet within both of them, Clark had the same feeling of acceptance, of safety, of welcome. Of love.

Down the hall, into the study. As Clark walked in, Lex looked up. Instantly, their gazes met and stayed there. Clark could spend forever studying the blue eyes that weren't really blue. They could, perhaps be considered more of a hazel with their flakes of green and grey streaked in with the pale blue. They could also be considered cool, just from their color alone, and Clark had seen them be very cold indeed with some people. Right now, though, they were warm and soft. They almost sparkled, the way the corners of his eyes crinkled up and the pupils expanded, darkening the color and making it rich and approachable.

"Clark." Lex smiled as he pushed his laptop away and stood up. "Is it six o'clock already?" He didn't glance to check the time, instead holding Clark's gaze.

"Not quite," Clark replied. He was early. With a wrench, he turned his eyes away, seeking out the couch instead. He headed for it and settled in his usual sprawl. "Go ahead and keep working. I've got things to do too."

There was a short silence while Clark got out his books from his bag and Lex studied him as he did so. Then, finally, Lex sat back down. "If you're sure." He didn't reach for the laptop again until Clark had replied in the affirmative.

Clark tried not to spend the time watching Lex – he knew from experience that if he did, Lex himself would stop working and turn his attention back to Clark. Lex worked too hard, yet Clark knew it was also necessary, so he tried not to distract him. He probably could have stopped somewhere else first so he wasn't early, but it was so comfortable in Lex's presence that Clark liked spending time there, even if they were both working on something else.

Sorting through the books, Clark quickly finished his math homework and then settled more comfortably in the couch to study the extra things he'd brought along.

Sometime later, Lex stood up from his desk and stretched. Clark's eyes lifted from the brochure he was reading and he held his breath as he watched the lean muscles play under the business shirt. Lex looked over and smiled. Clark smiled back and he shifted slightly in an invitation for Lex to join him.

Lex came out from behind the desk, the laptop firmly shut and placed away, indicating that this now was Clark's time. He detoured to grab some water bottles and then sat on the couch next to Clark, handing one of the bottles to him.

"What's this?" Lex blinked as he saw the booklets and pamphlets spread out on the coffee. He drew his breath in. "College? But you're…"

"In Senior High, Lex," Clark gently reminded his friend. "I've got to start thinking about it now – early applications are due in November."

The look in Lex's eyes was part bafflement, part yearning, quickly hidden. "Time flies."

"I'm almost all grown up and everything," Clark teased, with an undercurrent of what that really meant.

Lex's gaze flicked over Clark quickly, then went back to the table where he reached out and snagged one of the booklets.

Clark rather thought that the looking away was an automatic reflex. Lex had gotten used to thinking of Clark as his younger friend, not to be touched. He'd listened for years to Clark's moaning about the girls in his school. Lex had encouraged Clark to date, helped him get special things, let him win the girl of his dreams. Clark had figured out that she wasn't really his dream when they'd been together. That relationship hadn't lasted long, and he could only shrug when Lex asked him why. Clark's Junior year had been spent rather comfortably going on a different variety dates with girls but not really settled with anybody. Lex was always there for him to spend time with, and Clark had slowly come to realize why. He also realized why there wasn't anything more despite the attraction.

One weekend, Clark had run to Metropolis and gone to the large library where they had internet access and too many people to track who was looking up what. There, he'd looked up state statutory laws and determined that it was a really, REALLY bad idea for Lex to get involved with Clark. Just being friends with him like he was had already caused local snide remarks and hazing, in addition to more than one reporter trying to make something of it. Even when Clark was sixteen… it might have been legal, but it wasn't safe. It would be a lot better if Clark tromped down his own impatience enough to wait until he was eighteen and out on his own. They couldn't say anything then. Well, they could, but it wouldn't matter as much and it wouldn't land Lex in jail.

That was, of course, providing that 1) Lex really did want Clark, and 2) Lex didn't do anything stupid in the meantime.

Clark kept going back and forth over the reality of number one, most of the time believing firmly in it and other times scared spitless that it wasn't true. There was a lot of evidence for believing in it; a lot. However, Lex never did anything overt to prove it. It was all in the looks, the casual touches, the warmth of his voice and the yearning quickly hidden. What if this was all about Lex only having one real friend in his life and not about physical love at all? One could love as a friend, Clark knew that, especially considering his own relationship with Chloe. All the signs were there, though, that Lex wanted Clark for more. Maybe. Hopefully.

Number two was harder. Besides all the mutants attacking Lex, Lex also was learning to reach out to people, which was good… but dangerous as well. There had been one close call with a pretty doctor, that Lex had tried to rush head-first into. Clark had barely managed to avert that one in time, wondering the whole time if he was doing the right thing. It was, though, one thing to be open and a friend and another thing to be completely trusting in everything expecting it to be returned equally. Friendship given was usually friendship returned; trust given… was not always returned equally and not always a good idea to give wholeheartedly. Lex had been confusing the two, not being well acquainted with either. Clark had gathered up his courage and let Lex bit by bit into his own secrets, showing Lex the difference. It had been scary, but it had worked. With Lex's attention focused on protecting Clark, the doctor had fallen by the wayside. After that, there had been less room and less need for Lex to try and open up to other people. Clark just made sure that he was there when Lex needed somebody, and Lex didn't try bringing in anybody else that closely again. It wasn't that Clark didn't want Lex to have other friends... he just didn't want Lex to get married and go away before Clark had even had his chance with him.

"What colleges are you looking at?" Lex's voice interrupted Clark's thoughts.

"Um," Clark glanced over the brochures. "Met U is an obvious one, but I thought I'd check out other ones too."

"Your parents…" Lex trailed off somewhere between a question and a statement.

Clark grinned a little sadly. "They're doing fine with the new field hands. I'll just be a normal student coming home when I can. They've got internet at home now too, so I can email them. That's not until next year, though. But I don't have to stay close to town just for them."

Licking his lips, Clark looked at Lex intently. There was an issue, and it was one that Clark longed to know, but hadn't dared ask. This was a perfect time for it, though. If Clark didn't ask it now…

"How about your major? That can affect what college you go to."

Too late. Clark sighed, annoyed at himself.

"Clark?" Lex was instantly on alert, turning towards the sigh.

Were general friends this attentive, this responsive to a simple sigh? Number one was definitely more likely. Clark hoped. "I don't know what major I want yet."

"Your top classes generally are math and English, and you have all that journalism experience..." Lex led gently.

"Journalism is more Chloe's thing than mine, though I could do it. It would let me have the flexibility I'll need, that's for sure."

"Flexibilty?"

Clark shrugged. "When I get a job after college, I'm going to need something that I can disappear randomly on and be away for minutes or hours at a time and then come back and have nobody wonder what I've been up to."

"Oh." Lex was silent for a while. "You're going to do it, then." It wasn't really a question.

"Yeah." Clark tossed the pamphlet on the table and stretched out his legs under the coffee table, bumping it out of place. "I can't stand by and do nothing if there's something I can do."

Lex reached over and touched Clark's leg. "Don't lose yourself."

The touch warmed and grounded Clark. He smiled. "I won't." Not with Lex there. Saving the world wouldn't be worth it if he couldn't save Lex.

Clark cleared his throat. "But I still need a job. I want... I need to have an ordinary life too. I don't think... I don't think I can do it without it."

The touch became a solid grip. Lex reassured Clark, "Your instincts are usually right, and I want you to have that life you want."

Clark was young, and he'd made a lot of mistakes in his life; he wouldn't give the same credit to his instincts that Lex did. However, he did know that in addition to the job, Clark also wanted Lex in that life. If anything would help him to stay on track, it would be Lex. That was, as long as he could also keep Lex on track. Lex had a tendency to not know boundaries.

"You could work for me. I promise you, nobody would say anything if you took time off."

And there he went. Clark couldn't help laughing. "Lex." He let himself reach down and cover Lex's hand with his.

"Too much?" Lex smiled with one of those facial twitches that moved the lips but not the eyes. A hint of sadness in his voice as he failed yet again.

Under Clark's hand, predictably, but regrettably, Lex pulled away. Clark didn't say anything while he let himself feel Lex's fingers under his, skin sliding against skin as Lex slipped away.

"Oh, I think people would have plenty to say if I worked for you and regularly took time off. They'd just say it behind our backs." Clark grinned.

Lex opened his mouth then closed it and swallowed as he realized the truth of Clark's statement and what that implied. Reminded, Lex glanced at Clark in a quick once over and then pulled his eyes away to keep from looking any longer.

Just another year, Lex, Clark thought as he watched Lex's back and forth. Out loud, he said, "Journalist would let me disappear. I can't really think of much else that would."

"Only as an established reporter with an understanding boss." Lex leaned back into the couch, relaxing again. "As an intern or even a new full-hire, you're going to be in the middle of the cubicle rows writing up obituaries and want ads on a five to two schedule with timed coffee breaks."

"Um..." Clark grimaced. Lex was probably right about that. High School journalism working with Chloe had spoiled him.

"You could wait awhile, before going into full-time, um... well, before you needed to disappear regularly. It wouldn't take long, knowing your abilities. A year or two."

"I don't think I can," Clark said quietly. "Even now, knowing how young I am, how much I still have to learn, to do... it's hard to wait. My dad didn't raise a sacrifice, and my mom showed me love needs balance. I can't save others without knowing who they are, and I can't do that without having a life. I know that." He closed his eyes. "But I hear them. I pick up the newspaper in the morning and see what I could have done. I can't put that off simply because it's not convenient."

While his eyes were still shut, an arm wrapped around his shoulders and held him close. Clark leaned into Lex and let himself believe in the future.

"You'll do it, Clark. I don't know anybody as able to do it as you. You have the heart, the instincts, the determination, and a soul that shines brighter than any other I know. You'll do it; I know you can."

There were other people in his life who had unwavering belief in Clark. Chloe, Pete, Ryan... His parents in particular were Clark's solid foundation. Yet it was because of Lex that Clark thought he could really do this. For the last few years, Lex had always been there to help Clark, to encourage him, to forgive him, to train him and think up ways for Clark to practice that were both practical and safe. If Lex hadn't been there, Clark probably would have taken the safer route. He knew in his heart that he would still help people – that was something he just did – but it would have taken longer. Journalism at Met U would have been the default, and he would have taken the years for interning as Lex just described, because it was just logical.

With Lex here by his side, holding him close... Clark could dream. "I could be a courier. Deliver the packages in a second, spend an hour rescuing. That would work."

"Clark," Lex sighed. "Surveillance."

"You sweep the castle three times a day and you've gotten me trained into checking the second I walk in. Lex, I just want to talk to you!"

Lex pulled him even closer, holding Clark now with both arms wrapped around him. "You can. I'm sorry. You're right. Talk all you want about rescuing and delivering in seconds." He flipped without pause directly back into the conversation, a Lexian way of smoothing things over. "Courier would be a good side job, but it doesn't make a career. Not if you want the career in order to have a life and friends and something normal. It would defeat the purpose."

As Lex hadn't let him go with the switch of topics, Clark let himself have the moment in Lex's arms. How did Lex think anybody thought they were just friends? How did Lex think Clark thought that? It was good, to be held by Lex. "On-line blogger?"

The rumble of Lex's unvoiced laughter shook through their connected bodies. "That would be worse than courier. Though I admit internet friendships are real, they won't help you stay grounded."

"Astronomer?"

"Physics and math up the kazoo. Graduate school, doctorate, most likely. That would take years, but school, in and of itself, is fairly flexible for you. Actual flexibility in the job would depend what you do in the end. There would be periods of research where you couldn't do anything but the research. Overall, though, I like it."

Clark smiled. Of course Lex would like Astronomer. Practicalities aside, it was right up Lex's alley himself. "What did you major in?"

There was a sigh from Lex and the embrace disengaged. Clark blinked and resettled on the couch by himself as Lex retreated to the other end under the guise of picking up more brochures. "Lex?"

"Business Administration," Lex replied shortly.

"You're kidding." Of all the possibilities out there, Clark had never imagined that one. It was so... normal.

Lex shrugged. "Dad," he said shortly. Then he gave another sigh and let down some of the barriers he'd automatically raised. "It was the only proper major for the Luthor heir. I wasn't really given a choice. It was that or not to be a Luthor."

"Your dad is an ass." Clark was just thankful that Lionel had been distracted with Lucas these last few years. Lucas was as ambitious as Lionel, and Lex had made a point to stay out of both of their ways. Lionel scorned Lex for it, and made attempts to draw him back in, but for now at least, was staying away while concentrating on Lucas.

Lex's mouth twitched up. "The only time I ever hear you swear is when you're talking about my dad."

"He deserves it." Clark didn't want their time to be taken up with Lionel. "What did you want to major in?"

Lex laughed, putting off the gloom. "Oh, everything."

"You can't major in everything," Clark grinned as he replied; he could just imagine Lex trying.

"But everything is so interesting!" Lex tapped the brochure he was holding. "Chemical engineering, geophysics, history, civil studies, philosophy, environmental science, the Classics, filmmaking, graphic design, microbiology... it's all fascinating."

Clark could really see Lex being interested in all of that. If Lex's dad hadn't forced the issue, Lex probably could have spent his whole life in college quite happily, learning about everything.

By nature, Lex wasn't really all that competitive. By nurture, definitely – Lionel had trained him up to see everything as a game to be played with only one winner and the loser in the trash heap. Yet with Clark carefully trimming off all those lines of training, he'd found that Lex was the happiest when he was figuring things out. Even the Smallville plant – that had mostly been a challenge in Lex throwing himself in and learning how to do the job, not the doing of it itself, though Lex managed brilliantly. The meteor rocks, the mutants, Clark himself...

What did it say about Clark, that his very best friends in the world were the two most curious people he'd ever met in his life? Clark was glad he'd gotten up the courage to share himself with them, because otherwise he didn't know how they could have been friends with his secrets and their curiosity. As it was, they were both instead his strongest supporters and his protectors.

"Lex Luthor, perpetual student," Clark teased.

"Researcher," Lex grinned back at Clark. "Scientist. Man of the World."

"Jack of all Trades?"

"I might be able to wield a pitchfork, but have you ever seen me try and repair something?" Lex laughed. "No, I think the trades are not my field. You can be the Jack – I'll be the Queen, and the King can sit out in his lonely little castle and be oblivious to the world."

Did Lex just imply that the Queen was having an affair with the Jack? And Lex had cast himself as the Queen? Clark raised his eyebrows. "I always thought the Jack in playing cards was the prince."

Lex's grin widened and became decidedly wicked. "In original card decks, the character was called a "knave", a male servant of royalty. They changed it to a Jack when the Ks became confused between the King and the Knave. Jack, however, was also a bit of a vulgar word back then... I leave it to you to figure out the relationship of the Jack to the royalty and in what ways he served them." Lex waggled his eyebrows lewdly.

Clark burst out laughing. "All right; I'll be your Jack."

With a rapid change of expressions, Lex suddenly looked uncomfortable, as if he just now realized where he'd been going with the comparison. He tried to turn it around. "In some games, like Hearts, the Jack is the highest ranking card, elevated over the King and Ace."

Hearts indeed. It could be a cut-throat game, but once past the initial learning phase, Clark had found himself to do pretty well at the game. He definitely meant to win this one in real life as well. "Well, cool. Topping the Queen." He hadn't missed Lex's leaving off the Queen the second time and thought he'd play some.

Lex choked on air and reached for the water bottle.

Clark laughed and grabbed his own water, taking a sip and watching Lex as Lex tried not to watch Clark. The way Lex put his mouth over the rim of the bottle, getting a good seal on it, tilting his head back just so... Clark's eyelids lowered as he took that image in other directions.

The normally pale-skinned Lex was starting to turn a rosier shade and hue under Clark's gaze.

Okay, that was fun, but Clark still had a year to go and those were thoughts better left for the loft later that night. He toned it down a notch and threw it back to Lex. "What do you think I should do?"

"Male model," Lex instantly replied, then bit his lip so hard Clark could see his lower teeth digging into his upper lip.

Clark snorted and tried to hold himself back but then lost it and slid off the couch to the floor as he howled. Between gasps of laughter, he managed, "I could be a hooker," and then lost it again.

Lex was now a solid, bright red. "I didn't mean that."

A reflexive Lex answering on hidden thoughts was a wonderful thing. Clark thought that he really shouldn't tease the man in love with him. Oh, who was he kidding? It was entirely too much fun to tease Lex. "Male model would be tied down to times and dates and hours of shooting. A hooker would be much more flexible."

Finally, Lex laughed as well. "A nightclub dancer. You'd bring in so much money, they wouldn't even care when you were late."

"You've seen me dance, Lex. No way. You, on the other hand..." Oh, this was going to spawn some wonderful loft images later tonight. Clark had a hard time not going there in his mind right now.

"Um." Lex sobered up again.

That's right; Lex did have that club background of his own, and the latter parts of it were decidedly not nice. Clark shouldn't have gone there. Ah well, back to majors.

Standing up, Clark stretched. He'd been sitting on that couch for way too long. "Pool?"

"Sure." Lex also stood up and then glided his cat-foot way over to the pool table where he racked the balls.

Clark got the cues and the chalk out of the display and flipped the chalk up over the table. Lex's hand darted out almost faster than human speed and grabbed it. Clark shrugged. "You break." He handed Lex his stick.

The break sank three balls; two stripes and a solid; and Lex studied the rest on the table for awhile before he claimed solids and then sank three more before he missed.

Pool shark would have been a good occupation for Lex, Clark thought as he sighed and looked at what Lex had left him. He lined up for an eleven-ball in the side pocket, got it, and moved over and eyed the twelve-ball.

"Lex, I know there's a lot of things to consider... but you know me best. What do you think I should major in?" Clark flubbed the shot and shifted to let Lex in.

Lex sank the five-ball, then paused. "I think you should do what you want." He walked around the table for a difficult banked shot at the two, and barely missed it, the ball bouncing off the edge of the hole.

"Your career, in the end, is going to be based on both need and what you like to do. Right now, you're concentrating so much on other things that you don't know what you like. Take the time in college to explore them. See what appeals to you more as you do it than just what sounds good on paper. Any career can be made into a flexible one, if done right. Well, almost any. But don't commit yourself so early to only one path. You already have one weight on your shoulders, no need to add another."

It was good advice. Clark made his next two shots absently, thinking about it. "It's harder to get in as an undeclared."

"I could—"

"No." Clark rolled his eyes as he cut Lex off. He put up his pool cue and decided it was time for at least one of the talks he'd been thinking about.

"I'll let you help me write my college and scholarship applications. I'll even use you as a personal reference for them and ask you for recommendation letters. But you can't invent a scholarship for me, or go muscle somebody into getting me into a college."

Lex sighed. "Using me as a personal reference will probably have the same effect."

Clark shrugged. "That's okay – that part of it is real, and I'm not ashamed of you or going to hide you. But I want to know what I do is my own work. And when I'm in college, no talking the teachers into giving me passing grades if I happen to get a D or F."

"Clark—"

Again, Clark cut him off. "Lex, I'll let you help me. I promise I will. But doing that sort of stuff isn't help, it's just illusion. If you do that, even if you never tell me you do, I'll never know what is real or what isn't. I'll stop trying, knowing that no matter what I do, you'll be there to clean up the mess. I'll have no idea what is really something I can do or what was something I couldn't. What would be the point of it, if everything I did magically came out right?"

Looking troubled, Lex held his pool cue in front of him like a guard.

Softening his voice, Clark said, "It's what Lionel did to you."

Stiffening, Lex put the cue on the table and walked away in the direction of the bar.

It had been a shot in the dark, but one that Clark had been pretty sure would hit. Why else would somebody who loved learning as much as Lex did turn instead to such self-destructive actions as he had? Even forced into a major he didn't want, there were still things to learn. Instead, Lex had partied his way through college and gotten himself involved in drugs, prostitutes, and enough other illegal things to have a permanent paid cop to watch over him. And still, not a scratch on him. At least not on the outside. Ensuring that Lex wouldn't fail, Lionel had pretty much made it a guarantee that he would.

"I wouldn't do that to you," Lex said softly, his back to Clark, his head bowed over the drink as he poured.

Not if Lex thought about what it meant. But Lex had reflexes, and years of conditioning behind him. The really scary thing was that Clark was sure Lionel had done all that out of affection. Lionel did seem to care about Lex, he just really seriously sucked at being a parent. It was probably the best thing in Lex's life when Lionel had exiled him to Smallville and removed himself from direct influence. Even so, it was a constant battle for Clark to overcome Lex's need to have his father approve of him.

Clark walked over and put his hand on Lex's shoulder, leaning in. "You're not him. I believe in you, Lex."

"But you don't trust me."

"You, I trust with my life." Clark rested his forehead against the back of Lex's head. Close enough to kiss. "My everything. So much so that you want to do everything for me. And I appreciate that, I do. I just need to do some of it myself."

Lex put the drink down without tasting it and reached his hand up to cover Clark's. "I know you do, Clark. I'm sorry. You're right to tell me when I go too far. Tell me. Let me know, because you're right, I don't know. Trucks for a life, a loan for a deed, a spy's life for my curiosity."

Clark couldn't resist, he laid his lips upon Lex's head in a careful kiss. "It's not that bad, Lex. Come-on. We'll work it out. I just wanted to talk about it now, before we get there. If we talk now, no argument then." Clark chuckled. "When I get to college, you can help me find an apartment, and I'll even let you furnish some of it. Just not a mansion. You can't pay for it. You can help me find a job so I can pay for it, but you can't give me one or make somebody give me one.

"And after college," Clark paused for effect. "Well, we'll get to it then. But I promise you, Lex, you'll be involved when we figure it out. It'll be the two of us, deciding things together."

Lex turned around, almost within Clark's arms, looking into Clark's eyes as if trying to read him.

"Just one more year," Clark whispered, gazing back into the blue eyes. Then he just couldn't help himself. He leaned in and kissed Lex.

Soft, warm. Lips melting under his. Moving. The suction of the kiss shared between them. A yearning for more even as there was the marvel of this moment.

It lasted for an eternity, that forever that Clark wanted.

When Clark finally opened his eyes, there were a pair of stunned and hopeful ones returning the wonder to his. "Oh hell, I wasn't going to do that," Clark sighed.

Lex blinked and drew away, his expression changing to confusion and fear. "You weren't?"

Clark held onto Lex's waist, that he'd apparently grabbed sometime during the kiss, and wouldn't let Lex go too far. "Not for another year. Not until I was out of Smallville and we were both somewhere else and I was one hundred percent legal and there were no shotguns in sight."

The confused look disappeared and a grin took its place. "You were?" Lex took a step forward, putting himself into Clark's arms.

"I was," Clark confirmed and dipped his head down to kiss Lex again.

Still the wonder, the softness, the joy. This time with heat and action and an awareness of the rest of the body wrapped around his. Lean hardness pressing against his, strong arms holding him, a hand in his hair.

They disengaged much slower this time, bodies not completely leaving each other, hands wandering over clothed flesh, lips returning over and over again for another quick touch.

"You're legal now," Lex pointed out, as his hand gripped Clark's ass tightly.

Clark had to laugh. This was just why he hadn't said anything earlier. Lex had it within him to be good and strong and to resist temptation... but not if it was thrown in his lap and kissing him. While Lex hadn't been sure of Clark, he wasn't going to make the first move; Lex had been trying so hard not to corrupt Clark. However, now that Clark was the one making the move... Lex was more than ready for the next step and the step beyond that and... "There's still the shotguns. And the reporters. No, Lex. Not until college."

If Lex wasn't going to protect himself, Clark would do it for him. It would tear Clark up with longing and there were going to be hours upon hours of loft time, but it had to be done.

Just as long as Clark could get enough will-power to stop the current groping.

Reluctantly, Clark disengaged the current kiss, removed the hands on him – one from his hair and the other from his ass – and moved his leg from out between Lex's legs.

He couldn't help the last caress on Lex's face, and the way Lex leaned into it just encouraged more petting.

One last kiss and Clark finally pulled himself away, going as far away as he could in the room just to make sure. He felt lonely and incomplete without his hands touching Lex, his mouth exploring Lex's, his... before Clark knew it, he was almost back to Lex again, with Lex coming to meet him.

"Oh God," Clark groaned and retreated again. "A year. How the hell am I ever going to do a year now?" The taste was not enough.

With a curved smile turning up those delicious lips, highlighting the single scar across them, Lex stopped his advance on Clark and he turned back to the bar. "You really want to wait?" He took up the drink he'd been pouring earlier and sipped from it.

Lex looked so hot, leaning against the table, his body curving into the position, his legs slightly apart. His wicked eyes smoldering over the glass at Clark.

Clark almost reached down and rubbed himself, but he managed to change it to rubbing his upper thigh instead. That wasn't much better and he had to close his eyes and gulp. "I'm sure," he said in a wavering voice.

A clink of glass on glass was probably Lex putting the glass down. Clark didn't want to open his eyes because he knew he'd see Lex prowling across the room towards him. Just the imagination of it alone was enough to make him gulp again.

There was a sound of leather creaking and Clark opened his eyes to see Lex calmly sitting on the couch again, pulling some of the pamphlets over to him.

"You don't have to go for undeclared; just pick something you like and then change if you want later on. It's easier to change majors once you're in college. If you wanted to go for undeclared, though, your grades and your SAT should be high enough to do it. There's no doubt about your extra-curricular activities either, between the journalism and the volunteering you do helping everybody out."

Clark blinked a few times. Finally, he let go of his thigh and walked with bow-legged steps to the other end of the couch and settled himself down. Or tried to. His body was still on an adrenaline high. How Lex could be sitting there so calm and sure...

"You know what I'm the most afraid of?" Clark asked quietly, his gaze on the coffee table without seeing it.

"What?" Lex's gentle voice almost reassured Clark. Almost.

"That once we start this, that once we're together, that you'll find that the dream was what you wanted more than the reality. That I'm not really what you wanted after all, and you'll leave."

Lex's hand crossed the expanse of couch to settle on Clark's. "That's not going to happen."

Clark twined his fingers through Lex's, holding on. "It happened with me and Lana."

Everybody else Clark had asked about it, without him mentioning names, had called his feelings for Lana "calf love" and had dismissed the question, saying he'd know it when it was real. But Clark had thought it was real... until it went away. He was sure now that his love for Lex was real... but how did he know Lex's for him was? How did he know his own wouldn't be as fickle as it had been before? He didn't want to break Lex's heart, he didn't want his own to be broken; Clark wanted to stay with Lex forever.

Lex was silent, though his hand stayed in Clark's, his thumb gently moving over Clark's skin reassuringly. Finally he said, "I don't think there is any guarantee in love. It's different for everybody, and while I can tell you that what I feel is never going to change... it won't be a fact until we've been married for fifty years and are heading into the grave together."

Married for fifty years, him and Lex. Clark liked that image.

"All I can say is that worrying about it now is no reason not to try. We can't ever know unless we take that first step. And Clark, I want that first step with you." Lex's voice turned low and hungry. "I want to be in your arms, I want you to be in me, I want to shower you with kisses and turn you inside out. I want to be there when your floating turns to flying, I want to be there when you show yourself to the world for the first time. I want to be there for your graduation – both graduations. For when you get your job. For making breakfast together in the morning, and dinner at night. Walks in the park, and comfortable reading time in the living room. Movies, and cuddling that turns to more.

"I've had some of that as your friend, Clark, and I told myself I was happy to have that much, to be in your life as your friend. I am, actually. I'm delighted to be your friend, and still astonished that you would be mine. To be more..." Lex's hand tightened on Clark's. "Clark, I love you beyond belief. How can I not want the more now that you've put it in my reach?"

Year to go or not, Clark had to lean over, pulling Lex in with their clasped hands and kiss him. Slow and sure and that promise and surety was there within Lex's kiss as much as it had been in his words.

Slowly, they disengaged. Everything except for the hands, which stayed entwined. Clark rested his head on Lex's shoulder and enjoyed the feel of them together.

"Lex, where are you going to be?

The startlement was in Lex's voice. "What?"

"After I graduate and go on to college." Clark was pretty sure of the answer, especially now, but he still wanted to ask it. "You can't run LexCorp from Smallville, Lex. I know how stretched you already are running out to Cadmus every week and then back here again. You also want to expand, and you can't do that in Smallville. So what are you doing here? Why don't you move somewhere where it'll be easier?" It was a little silly, asking it like that after what they'd just been doing, but Clark had been rehearsing it for days in his mind and he just couldn't get it out of the pattern he'd memorized. He'd intended it to be one of the tests for number one, if Lex really liked him or not, which was kind of a moot point now with Lex's declaration of love still thumping around in Clark's chest. But he still wanted to know what Lex planned to do with the company.

Lex snorted. "I'm staying in Smallville for you, you goober."

Clark grinned. Yeah.

"Afterwards... Metropolis, of course."

Clark frowned. "That's too close to your dad and Lucas. No. You'd never be able to run LexCorp there."

"But," Lex hesitated. "Met U. That's where you're going, right?"

Confirming completely Clark's supposition that Lex was going to follow Clark wherever he went. Clark grinned. "I said it was the obvious one – I didn't say I was actually going to go there. Cadmus Headquarters is in Virginia, isn't it?" Without letting go of Lex's hand, Clark reached out and unerringly picked up the brochure for Virginia Tech.

Beside him, Lex laughed. "Yes, it is." Lex leaned over and rested his shoulder against Clark's, looking at the brochure. "Virginia Tech is a research school. Strong in engineering and biology."

As Lex went on, Clark smiled and listened. This next year would be hell with the waiting, but there was cuddling to look forward to, and a future together when they moved on. One year, and then their life; together.

END

story notes:
- Parts of the story partially draw upon a conversation about a year ago in ladydreamer's journal where she raised the question as to what Clark would be if he wasn't a journalist.

[Poll #1742479]