Title: Leana

Author: Marag & Terpsichore

(Email: clearasmud@sympatico.ca and terpsichore@bellsouth.net)

Fandom: Smallville

Pairing: Clark Kent/Lex Luthor

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Once upon a time in an old Scottish Castle...

Warnings: None.

Spoilers: None.

Disclaimer: The *second* I figure out how to make money at this...

Web: http://www.angelfire.com/falcon/insanityoutlet/

Leana
by Marag & Terpsichore

Lex looked across his desk at Clark. "You're kidding? You want me to drop everything and head to Smallville with you on..." Lex glanced at his watch, "...three hours notice?"

"It's Halloween Lex. Fun. Remember fun? You used to occasionally have some." Clark fought back a grin and used his best 'pleading' face. "C'mon. There's going to be a séance and everything."

"A séance? Who came up with that idea... never mind I know *exactly* who came up with that idea. So Chloe, us, who else will be there - and where is there anyway?"

Clark started ticking off the attendees on his fingers, "You, me, Pete, Chloe, Lana, her new boyfriend - uh, Steve or something, Chloe's cousin, and I think that's it."

Lex raised an eyebrow at Clark's suspiciously incomplete answer. "Chloe's cousin? Chloe's cousin Lois?" Clark just sat and looked innocent until Lex conceded defeat. "And, you want to hold this at the Castle don't you."

"Um, well, can you think of anywhere else with better atmosphere?"

"Atmosphere and Lois? Chloe, Lana, and Lois - all together with you - in the same room - in the dark, holding hands... Oh that does sound like great fun." Lex was all but growling, but Clark just continued to look innocent.

"And Steve. Let's not forget Steve." Clark's expression lost some of its innocence. He crossed his arms and stared at Lex, "If you're that concerned why don't you just pee on my leg?"

Lex glared at him, but finally sighed. "Fine," he asked picking up the phone "how many guest rooms do I have the staff make up?"

"Just have them air out your room. Chloe and Lois are staying with Gabe. Lana has her own place and I assume Steve will stay with her."

"Well at least I won't have to pee on your door in order to keep anyone from sleepwalking. Your parents will be happy to see you."

"I'm not staying at the farm. I saw them last week. They're going to a wedding this weekend."

Lex put down the phone and just stared at Clark. "Suddenly this trip is taking on entirely new dimensions. Unless you're planning to stay with Gabe?"

"No," the innocent look was back. "I'm not planning on staying with Gabe."

"Okay."

"Good."

Lex was reluctant to break eye contact. They had been dancing around this for so long... "One room? You're sure? You're very sure?"

"I'm positive. I want it to be there. In Smallville. I'd say the Loft, but the Castle has central heating."

"That's rather romantic when you consider the number of times it almost happened with one of us bent over the pool table."

"Lex!" Clark spluttered. "Well that killed the moment. Just make the call. I've got things to do. Pick me up this afternoon?"

Lex picked up the phone "Séance... this is such a bad idea. And I suppose we're driving Ms. Lane as well? Fine - but tell Lois to keep her hands off my property or my peeing on you will be the least of your concerns."

"I'll see what I can do, Lex. But it's your own fault for having cars with such tiny back seats. Lois can't help that she has to, y'know, stretch some."

"She could always ride in the trunk."

Clark grinned at Lex without commenting. Rising, he headed to the door of Lex's private office. "See you in a couple of hours."

Lex was already on the phone trying to figure out some way of taking three days off without major consequences.

*

The pleasure on Clark's face at seeing Chloe and Pete almost made up for the drive down with Lois.

Almost.

Next time she was riding in the trunk - or at the very least they'd take the limo - she could ride up front with the driver.

Steve - the new "man" in Lana's life seemed innocuous enough. Bit limp for Lex's tastes; but then again Lex's taste in men was rather specific. He seemed overly impressed with meeting Lex, and dismissed Clark out of hand.

Idiot.

Pete was looking good. He introduced them all to his current girlfriend, Lisa, who seemed a bit out of her element, but smiled a genuine smile and looked them all straight in the eye.

Chloe seemed pathetically glad to see Lois. He made a mental note to make sure he caught up with the details of her life. She looked longingly at Clark.

Lana looked at Clark like he held the key to the universe. He did, but Lana needed to learn quickly that it was Lex's universe.

Maybe he'd have to start peeing after all.

*

Clark could feel the huge grin stretching his face but he really couldn't help it. Lately every time he'd been home he had only had time to stay for a short while to visit his parents, helping out around the farm.

He'd been keeping up with Pete and Chloe by phone and with email, but it wasn't the same.

Lana. Lana looked the same. Seemed the same. She was still the beautiful, fragile, untouchable 'fairy princess' that she'd been in high school.

The difference was, he had changed. Untouchable fairy princesses weren't his fantasy any more. Clark smiled at her gently and shook Steve, the Whitney Clone's, hand. Another big blond. Possessive beefy arm around Lana's shoulder's.

He chanced a glance at Lex, and only just managed not to roll his eyes, as Lex stared, openly amused at the interaction between Steve and himself.

This could be fun.

*

Lex shook his head, and suppressed a sigh, needing a moment to himself, he waved to Clark, grabbed their bags, and took them inside.

Heading up to his room, he dropped them beside the closet, and just stared at the bed.

In a few hours he and Clark would be sharing that bed. After two years of watching him pine for Lana, another couple of coping with girlfriend of the week, and still two more of watching Clark come to terms with his feelings for Lex.... well six years was a hell of a lot of foreplay by anyone's standards.

Lex smirked, wondering if Clark was half as nervous as he was.

*

Clark dropped Chloe gently back to the ground and dropped his arm around her. "Come on. Let's go inside." He pulled Chloe to his side and gestured for everyone else to follow, smiling widely at Pete's new girlfriend

Clark grimaced slightly at the low whistle and the quiet "shit" from Steve as they entered the Castle.

The grimace turned into an outright frown, and a matching one bloomed on Chloe's face, when Lois came up on the other side of Clark and slid her arm around his waist and across Chloe's arm.

Clark stepped as nimbly as possible from between them and left the cousins with their arms around each other as he led the small group up the stairs. He turned at a smothered cough and caught Lisa's conspiratorial wink and suppressed a grin.

Lex watched from the stairs and swallowed a rather vicious comment as he watched Lois yet again try to grope his lover. He then managed to contain what was doubtless a fatuous grin -*his* lover, oh how he liked that description for Clark. He caught Lisa's grin and decided he quite liked the young lady.

"There you are," Clark spotted Lex coming down from the third floor and met him at the door to the 'small' study. "I thought I was going to have to send out a search party."

Clark pulled Lex against him and dropped a quick kiss on his head, the gesture more intimate than a passionate kiss would have been. "Is this where we're having the séance?"

Lex couldn't take his eyes off Clark. He'd just been claimed - publicly claimed. "What? Oh yes - I told the staff to get this room ready - I also had them clear out my old office - I figured we could just relax and have supper in there first."

It was Chloe's voice that broke through the shock "Um, guys, is there something you want to maybe share with the group?"

Lex could only watch when it was Pete, not Clark who answered her. "Jeez Chloe, you been living in a cave the last couple of years?"

Chloe looked stunned, Lana looked - resigned maybe? Lisa looked pleased - he'd have to see if he couldn't find an obscure scholarship she could win - and Lois looked... ah shit, Lois looked like she'd just been issued the biggest challenge of her life.

*

Lex looked around the darkened room, the table, the lit candles and thought of Clark to remind himself why this wasn't a really bad idea.

Dinner had been casual, relaxed and bizarre. Lana had suddenly turned Ice Princess - much to the confusion of Steve

Pete seemed delighted by everything. Lisa was good for him.

Chloe seemed... off. He understood that. He'd seen the same look in his own eyes watching Clark with the assortment of girlfriends and wondering if the next one would be "the one".

And if Lois didn't keep her goddamned hands to herself he was going to impale her on the Castle gate.

Chloe finally called the gathering to order. She had them all sit at the table, making sure she was seated beside Clark, quickly taking his hand in hers. Lex moved to take the chair on the other side of Clark, but found his way forcefully blocked by Lois.

When she planted herself beside Clark, it was all Lex could do not to growl.

"Just sit here, Lex." Clark shook his hand free of Chloe's, reached up and grabbed Lex firmly by the arm and pulled him into his lap.

"Comfortable?" He whispered just before brushing Lex's lips with his.

More so than I'm ever going to admit out loud he thought to himself before standing up. "Tempting as the offer is I don't want to scandalize the castle ghosts too much." Feeling better, though a little curious about the sudden - obvious - PDA's, Lex walked around the table to take a seat between Lana and Lisa.

Lisa squeezed his hand slightly - encouragement, acknowledgement. Either way, Lex was impressed.

She had class. He wondered if Pete had brains enough to hang onto this one.

*

The séance itself was deucedly anticlimactic.

Lex wasn't sure what he'd expected. Too many years of watching bad Sci-fi with Clark he supposed.

He'd felt a distinct shiver when Chloe had called to the ghosts seeking audience with Alexander Luthor.

Lex had a few too many ghosts in his past for comfort.

There had been a few strange sounds, a groan, and a squeak from Clark - something that sounded far too much like Lois coping a feel.

The lights had come up suddenly; Chloe seemed as confused as the rest of them, but announced that the sprits must be tired and maybe they should call it a night.

Lana and Steve left quickly. Steve looked like he was hoping he'd get some; Lex could have told him not to hold his breath.

Pete and Lisa also left fairly soon after - though judging from the look on Lisa's face, Pete was going to fare better than Steve.

Things didn't get awkward until Lois told Clark to get his things.

"Right - Chloe is tired, gather your stuff Smallville and we can hit the road."

"Actually Lois, I'm staying here." Clark didn't blink or blush or look away. He moved to stand beside Lex.

"Cool, where is my room?"

"At Gabe's house with Chloe."

Clark smiled a trifle sadly at Chloe who was standing silently, trying to look anywhere but at Lex, but he refused to feel guilty. "C'mon Chloe. I'll walk you two to the car."

Lois looked like she was going to argue. Lex debated reaching for his zipper, but Clark quickly hustled them out the door.

Lex felt bad for Chloe; he, more than most, understood what she was feeling. But Clark was his, and he couldn't feel remorseful about something that felt so right.

Happy that they would finally be alone, Lex wandered up the stairs to shut down lights and check the fire.

During dinner, he'd thanked the staff for giving up what would have been personal time to come prepare the castle for visitors, and had sent them back to Metropolis with instructions to make time next week to come and close up the place again.

When he'd called them this afternoon, with instructions to get the castle ready for visitors, he'd dropped Clark's name, and not one of them so much as murmured a complaint; even Enrique would do anything for Clark. There would be bonuses and a personal note attached to next week's paycheques. Clark's influence was becoming glaringly obvious.

Making sure all was secure; he went down to the kitchen for water and to check the alarms. He also wanted to check the thermostats. Central heating in a transplanted Scottish castle had seemed idiotic to him until he'd spent one winter here - then he all but kissed his father's feet for his foresight.

But damn it seemed cold in here suddenly. Must be leftover frost from the farewell look Lana shot him.

Gathering water and making sure that there was an after-loving snack ready for them - not that he planned to leave Clark with enough energy to get out of bed - Lex double checked everything and went off in search of Clark.

Who was nowhere to be found.

The front door was locked and the alarm set. Lex called for Clark but got no response. With a shrug he wandered up the stairs to the bedroom.

And found Clark waiting for him.

"Hi."

"Wow."

"Well, don't just stand there." Clark smiled, "Come over here."

Lex walked over to the bed where Clark lay, naked covered only with a sheet.

The words came unbidden. Lex looked away suddenly oddly shy. "Um, I should take a shower..."

"You should get naked and get in the bed." Clark held out his arms. "Hurry."

Lex leaned towards the open arms, but pulled back. "I've been planning this moment for years."

"Me too." Clark's arms remained steady, open, waiting.

Lex reached for the hem of his sweater, but stopped again. "I had a dozen different seduction scenarios played out in my mind."

Clark lowered his arms, but Lex could still feel the heat from the intensity of Clark's eyes on him.

"Lex, if you have a particular attachment to that shirt you'd better lose it fast because I'm about to rip it off you."

Lex reached for his sweater, but this time didn't hesitate, peeling it off and dropping it on the floor.

"Better?"

"Damn. Yeah."

Lex had to smile at the honest reaction. He reached for the waistband of his slacks, but hesitated again.

"Lex," Clark all but moaned the name, "what?"

"Clark, you know that there have been a lot of women in my life."

"Yes. Lex, I know."

"I guess you do. But... I'm not good at confessions Clark." He reached for his belt and removed it before he could change his mind. He opened his slacks but had another strange attack of shyness.

"Lex, if you don't want this..."

"Clark I want this probably more than anything I've ever wanted. It's just - you're my first."

"First? First what?" Clark rolled over onto his stomach, trapping the sheet underneath him, "male lover?"

"First love. Clark I could seduce you with words, with my hands. I can get into that bed and make you scream. Instead I'm standing here like a frightened virgin terrified that I am going to mess this up and scare you away." Lex looked at Clark; splayed like a virgin sacrifice. "Then again, that has to be the finest ass I have *ever* seen. So maybe I should just get over myself."

"Maybe you should." Clark grinned up at Lex from his position with his head at the foot of the bed and wiggled the ass in question. "You've been keeping me waiting long enough."

Lex stopped with his zipper half way down. "Me? I haven't gotten laid in three years while you slept your way through Met U's Journalism Program."

"You know, Lex they didn't mean anything. I just did what everyone expected. What my parents expected. What you expected. You kept saying 'Have fun. Date.' Every time I tried to talk to you about how I felt, you pushed me toward some other co-ed. So, I dated. I didn't have sex with any of them."

Pants forgotten Lex sat down on the bed. "Again please?"

"You wanted me to have some 'life experience'. I believe that's how you put it. To have some fun. To date. I had fun. I dated. I met some girls. I dated. I had fun. I learned some stuff. Kisses a lot of girls, kissed a couple of guys too actually. Did a little more than kiss some of the girls. Didn't sleep with any of them. Maybe if I hadn't noticed your sudden celibacy, it might have been different, but... here we are."

Lex leaned over and kissed the base of Clark's spine. "You're a virgin? You're giving me your virginity?" Lex feathered soft kisses across Clark's back. "Do you have any idea what that means to me? I had no idea... god it hurt so much watching, imagining..." Soft kisses morphed into gentle bites along Clark's shoulder blades. "I thought I wanted to make you scream, I was wrong." More bites, soft kisses, tiny licks to the back of his neck. "I want to make you sing."

"Lex," Clark whimpered. "Please. I've been waiting so long."

"So have I. I've wanted this forever." Strong hands followed the path of the kisses, to hard to be a tease, to gentle to be anything else. "You're even more perfect than I imagined. I've seen your skin, but I've craved touch - to know what it felt like to do this."

Clark sighed and melted into the mattress.

His hands and mouth began the journey back down Clark's body, not stopping at the base of his spine. Gentle strokes across his perfect ass, and Lex wondered if he was going to come simply from touching Clark.

"Lex," The name was nothing more than a whimper and his legs spread immediately.

Lex shuddered at the total surrender of Clark into his hands. "I am going to make such sweet love to you Clark."

"Please."

"I like the sound of your voice begging me."

Lex lowered his mouth and rained more soft kisses on the tempting ass.

"I'm going to show you so many things."

Tiny licks to the inside of Clark's thighs, the hair tickling his tongue. "I am going to make your body crave mine."

"It already does." Clark whispered.

Suckling kiss to the back of one knee a quick bite to the other, then the journey upward began again. "You're trembling Clark. I love that I can do that to you." Fingers tracing patterns across his ribcage. A lick from the nape of his neck to the top of one perfect ear. "Will you turn over for me?" Words a soft whisper blown across Clark's mind. "Will you let me see you?"

A soft kiss in the center of Clark's back and Lex withdrew. Years of practice enabled him to quickly and efficiently shed the rest of his clothing without disturbing the man laying spread out before him.

Clark was trembling with need. Lex found he was trembling with emotion.

Lex lowered himself so that he was lying on his side beside Clark, head braced in his hand. Clark's face was turned into a pillow, the back of his neck still on offer. Who was Lex to refuse?

Gentle kisses and soft words

"I loved thee, though I told thee not,
Right earlily and long,
Thou wert my joy in every spot,
My theme in every song."

"Lex, I love you." Clark turned to Lex and wrapped his arms around his shoulders and pulled him down to him, mouth seeking Lex's

A first real kiss... or perhaps it was their second. Lex shuddered and almost came from the simple touch of Clark's mouth on his.

The kiss was so much more than Lex had dreamed of. Clark's tongue stroked softly in his mouth and Lex gave up any pretence of control.

Clark moaned softly and opened his mouth further, melting deeper into the soft mattress.

Lex pulled away with soft kisses and began another journey of exploration down Clark's body.

Clark's chest was dusted with fine hair, so unlike his own. Lex wanted to explore each individual one. He settled for in-depth mapping of first one sweet nipple, and then the other.

The strong chest and abdomen offered more treasures. A soft bite to Clark's navel elicited a moan that Lex wanted to hear over and over.

Clark sighed and stroked the soft skin of Lex's scalp.

Clark's thighs spread open and he murmured Lex's name again and again.

Lex was on his hands and knees over Clark. "You're so amazing." He placed a soft kiss on Clark's stomach "I'm going to take you in my mouth. Clark, I want you to remember than nothing you do could be anything less than wonderful to me. Do you understand?"

Clark's hands stroked over Lex's skin. "Yes. Oh God, Lex. Please."

Lex twisted himself around and braced his body for whatever reaction his virgin love had to what he was about to do. He understood, even if Clark didn't, just how close the other man was to completion. Need overcoming style, Lex simply took the head into his mouth and gently sucked.

A scream of Lex's name trapped in Clark's throat and emerged as broken sobs, his hips surging forward once, his orgasm washing over him in one huge wave pulling him under shuddering shaking trembling.

Clark pulsed against the back of his throat, and Lex was stunned as his own orgasm hit as he swallowed and held on as Clark broke apart beneath him. Riding out the physical, he crawled up and gathered his sobbing love in his arms. They clung together, kissing, whispering promises, riding out the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm them both.

"You're mine now Alexander J. Luthor."

"Oh Clark, have I ever been anything but?"

Clark succumbed to sleep first. Lex gathered the blankets around them and held Clark close. The room seemed so cold suddenly. Sleep about to take him, he whispered words of love to Clark, snuggling closer when he felt an ice-cold breeze waft by.

*
Clark shivered and cuddled closer to Lex.

Lex. He smiled against the smooth skin of Lex's shoulder, pulled the blankets tighter around the two of them and settled back in.

It was getting colder. He should get up and bump the thermostat up but there were more interesting ways of keeping Lex warm. His smile threatened to stretch into a grin - until he heard the first soft sob.

"Lex?" Clark craned his neck to get a look at Lex's face, his smile fading quickly into concern.

But Lex's face was quiet. His lover still asleep.

The quiet sobbing grew louder and Clark's arms tightened slightly around Lex's body. He strained to see, his vision flickering to x-ray. There was no one in the house. No one other than the two of them. Small rodents scampered through the basement, bones that he chose to ignore buried in the crypts below.

They were alone but the sobbing continued.

"What's wrong?"

"Lex? Shit." Clark's arm's tightened involuntarily, "you scared me."

Lex tried to snuggle closer to Clark, in spite of the fact that might actually require him crawling into his skin. "Sorry. Why is it so cold in here?"

"Shhhhh. Listen. Do you hear that?"

Lex listened, "I'm not sure... maybe?"

"I don't know. I was wondering that myself. Maybe. Maybe what? What do you maybe hear?"

"It sounds like... I don't know what it sounds like. Almost like... Okay, it's official, I am going to kill Chloe."

"Chloe? Why? What's she got to do with this?"

"Her and her damned séance. She's got my imagination working over time. Hell it's cold in here."

"No. Lex. Tell me what you hear." Clark pulled another blanket around them and snuggled even closer.

"We should have started a fire last night. Stop glaring at me. I hear someone crying."

"I hear it too."

"Shit, we're supposed to be alone for the weekend. Right, well we need to get up and at least find out what happened to the heat."

"No. Not yet." Clark held Lex still. "Stay here. I'm trying to figure out where it's coming from."

They listened but the strange sounds had stopped.

"Well this is one of my more unique morning afters. Then again, everything about my behaviour around you is unique."

Clark looked at Lex and blushed, as if he suddenly remembered where he was. "Well at least it kept you from having second thoughts." Lex felt that odd shyness come over him again. "Are you okay Clark?"

"I'm good. I'm really, really good." Clark blushed and grinned. "How are you?"

Lex reached out a hand and touched Clark's face almost reverently. "Really, *really*, good."

"Good." Clark traced a finger down Lex's forehead and nose and gently across his lips before leaning in for a kiss. "I'm glad."

Lex closed his eyes and just let himself melt into the kiss. So good, so perfect. He didn't want the kiss to ever end, he wanted to stay here, in Clark's arms, in Clark's love, forever. He whimpered slightly when he felt Clark gently ending the kiss. He felt Clark smile against his lips and he knew it would be okay. "I guess this means no regrets?"

"Well..." Clark pulled Lex tightly against him, "maybe one."

Lex paled slightly, but didn't pull away. "Oh?"

"That I waited so long." Clark watched Lex for a moment, then continued, giving Lex a break from the emotion of his words. "That, and I wish it wasn't so cold. All the good parts are covered up."

Lex shivered, and not from the cold. He thought about suggesting they create some heat of their own, but the room suddenly seemed colder. "Given the temperature in here all the "good parts" have gone into hiding. So, how about we scope out the thermostats, grab some breakfast, then see how much hot water this mausoleum can generate."

"Okay. Just one question... Who's going to get the clothes?"

Lex thought for a second, then decided to jump in with both feet. "Would it send you into total denial - or piss you off - if I suggested the one who can run faster than video cameras can track? And before you get all strange - just remember you love me and I'm freezing"

Clark opened his mouth, but Lex gently placed his hand over it. "I promise we can argue about it later."

"Later." Clark looked at Lex silently for a moment and then was up and out of the bed, had the clothes in hand and was back before Lex had a chance to get cold or even pull the blankets back over himself.

Lex looked at the clothes, and then at Clark. "Fuck."

Clark smiled at hearing the seldom-used expletive. "I thought you were hungry."

Lex threaded a hand into the sable hair and pulled Clark's mouth within reach "Starving."

Clark moaned and opened immediately to Lex's seeking mouth.

Clark tried to memorize every sensation. The soft slide of Lex's lips. The disruption of the smoothness by the scar. Clark nipped and then sucked at the scar in the middle Lex's hot, hot mouth. He traced the edges of his teeth with his tongue before sliding back in to stroke
Lex's tongue with his. He licked Lex's tongue and teased it out of his mouth and back into Clark's so that he could suck on it. God. Kissing Lex. "So my powers turn you on?"

Lex growled, resenting the disruption of the kiss. "Everything about you turns me on."

The cold, the room, everything was quickly forgotten with the building passion. Lex seemed as if he wanted to crawl inside Clark, and Clark decided that was just fine with him.

The anguished scream echoed through the room and tore through them like a hurricane.

Lex gasped into Clark's mouth. Clark moved, as if to pull away, but Lex grabbed him tighter. "Tell me you heard that."

"I heard that."

"Central heating be damned - we're going to go make love in the loft after breakfast - okay?"

Clark just looked at him. "Lex I am not losing my virginity in the hay mow - that's just too much like a bad country song." He looked at Lex, but his lover was staring at him with a new light in his eyes. "Lex? Breakfast? Then we can find a nice blazing fire that is no where near silage?"

"Breakfast." Lex knew he had a silly grin on his face, but just thinking about finally being allowed to make love to Clark... "Okay."

"Dress fast." Clark tucked Lex's clothes under the covers and slid into his own clothes as quickly as possible. When Lex showed no sign of moving, he simply used super-speed to dress the other man.

Lex looked at his now clothed body. "Uh, some time can you do that the other way around? No, actually don't; I'd like to keep my reputation and not come within the first thirty seconds."

With a determination he didn't feel, Lex forced himself to get out of bed. Even dressed, he still felt chilled to the bone. "Shall we?"

*

Twenty minutes later Lex had been sent to, as Clark put it, 'Scout for food' in the enormous kitchen while Clark hauled in wood for the bedroom fireplace. The thermostats *seemed* normal even though there was something obviously not quite right in the castle.

"Hey Clark - we've hit the mother lode - bacon, eggs, sausages, three kinds of... Fuck!"

Clark peered at Lex over the top of a pile of wood, "What?"

Lex looked at the load of firewood Clark was carrying, and wondered if maybe it was time to have that fight. "Clark, just how much would you say that pile of lumber weighs?"

"Ummm, I don't know. I have a hard time judging weight. What things are supposed to weigh. A lot, I guess. It's not heavy though."

"Yeah, for Mighty Mouse."

"Hey! I resemble that remark. And don't call me Mighty Mouse."

"I'm cooking bacon - want to have this conversation before during or after food?"

"After. I'm hungry. Let me dump the wood and I'll be right back." Clark frowned at the look on Lex's face and turned for the stairs.

"Fine mouse boy - how do you want your eggs?"

"Over medium."

"Fi... Clark, where's the wood?"

"I dumped it. I told you I was going to be right back."

"Do you do everything that fast?"

Clark's eyes darkened and dropped for a quick perusal of Lex's body. "Not everything."

Lex met his eyes, heat and need blazing. "I'm going to hold you to that. Breakfast?"

Lex turned on his heal and walked back into the kitchen. "Right, you tend to the stove, and I'm going to go try to deal with the heating system. According to the security board it should be a comfortable seventy-eight degrees in our room."

"Yes, sir!" Clark gave a mock salute, barely managing to contain a whoop of joy at Lex's description of the bedroom as "theirs". He quickly turned to poke at the bacon sizzling on the stove.

Lex rolled his eyes and went over to the security panel. This thing was supposed to run everything in the house - including the heat. It seemed to be working, but if it was seventy-eight degrees in the bedroom, he was Rapunzel. "Eggs over easy," he called over his shoulder, intent on what he was doing. Damn, what the hell was wrong with this thing. Shaking his head he wandered over to where Clark was now breaking eggs into the pan. "Mmmm Cholesterol heaven." He commented as he wrapped his arms around Clark, nuzzling into his hair. "Listen, after we fight, can I interest you in some serious make up sex?"

"We're going to fight?" Clark deftly flipped eggs and eased them back into the center of the pan.

Lex sighed "Probably. There are a few secrets that we need to get out in the open - on both our parts." Lex stopped and pulled away "At least we are if we're on the same page here. This isn't just a weekend for you is it?"

"Lex, no! Of course it isn't." Clark sighed. "I just wish we didn't have to fight. Of course, if it leads to make-up sex, then it might be worth it."

Lex grabbed Clark's shoulders and turned him around. "I can pretty much guarantee it'll be worth it." He slid his hands down Clark's arms, caressing his biceps. "I could offer a brief demonstration; just in case you have any doubts."

Clark reached back and moved the eggs off the burner then rested his hands on Lex's hips. "Demonstrate away."

Lex leaned in and held his lips a hair's breadth away from Clark's "I'm very hungry."

Clark's eyes narrowed slightly, "For food?"

Lex leaned in even closer, the heat from his lips, the breath of his whisper a tease against Clark's. "That too."

"Good thing the eggs are ready then." Clark backed up a step and pulled the plates off the rack and set the on the counter. "Get the juice, would you?"

Lex smirked, glanced at Clark's crotch, and raised an eyebrow. "Orange, Apple, or do you prefer something with a little more bite?"

"Bite this." Clark stuck his tongue out at Lex and grinned.

"Later, I promise."

Lex laughed out loud at the look Clark shot him, and went over to the fridge to grab the juice.

Except the fridge wouldn't open

"Uh, Clark?"

"Lex?"

Lex tried again, this time opened the fridge easily, "Uh, nothing?" Turning back, he looked inside... and screamed, slamming the door and dashing across the room into Clark's startled arms.

"Lex? Problem? Not that I mind or anything, but... what's wrong with the refrigerator? Mouldy bread?"

Lex pulled back and glared at Clark. "Is this Chloe's idea of a joke? Because it isn't funny."

"What?" Clark peered over Lex's shoulder at the refrigerator but didn't look into it.

"The model of the dead baby in the fridge. That's not a prank, that's just sick - especially one that..." Lex shuddered, "realistic."

"Dead baby?" Clark shivered in revulsion. "That doesn't sound like Chloe."

Lex watched as Clark squinted and glared at the fridge. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ummm," Clark shrugged. "Trying to get up the guts to go look."

"Clark, lie to me later."

"Fine. I'm trying to see it."

"What can you see? Don't look at me like that, I've known for years you can see through walls."

"I see Orange Juice, blocks of cheese, enough meat to feed an army, all sorts of food. No baby a la carte." Clark shuddered at his own morbid humour. "Sorry. Sorry. Gross."

Lex made a face at him. "Fine, go get the orange juice, I'll wait here. And stop with the looks; I'm not opening that fridge cause if there isn't a plastic dead baby in there then..." Lex looked less panicked and more sheepish, "Well, it's going to ..."

"What?" Clark asked, now fighting a grin at Lex's discomfort.

"Say Zhule okay!" Lex shouted "I'm going to open the fridge, and a voice is going to say Zhule, so just go get the damned orange juice so that we can have breakfast, fight and then have makeup sex for the next several hours - think you can handle that?"

"Okay. Yes, I can handle that. Zhule? Lex, you watch way too much late night television. Too many 80's movies." Clark grabbed the orange juice out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter.

Lex grabbed a glass and sat down to eat. "I'll have you know I have it on DVD." He mumbled half under his breath as stabbed a strip of bacon.

They ate in silence, Lex just enjoying the company. "You taste sweet, like burnt sugar."

"Like burnt sugar? Doesn't burnt sugar stink?"

"Caramelized - like the topping on Crème Brule."

"I can live with that." Clark blinked at Lex and fought back a grin and a blush. "You taste like Lex to me. Like nothing, I have ever tasted before. Delicious though." Clark's blush got deeper.

Lex sighed, and put down his fork. "I'm not talking about your skin Clark; I'm talking about your semen. Your seminal discharge tastes like caramelized sugar."

"What?!?!? You. Me, my. I... taste..." Clark spluttered orange juice across the table.

Lex looked at him for another few moments, then picked up his fork and calmly continued eating.

"Lex", Clark put his juice down and carefully wiped stray drops from his chin. "Are you telling me that my *come* tastes like candy?"

Lex's head shot up. A myriad of thoughts and emotions crossing his face. "I guess I am; although that really wasn't the point I was trying to make."

"Then what is the point?"

"That mine doesn't."

"Okaaaayyyy."

Lex put his fork down again, food losing its appeal. "Clark, this is why we are going to fight, not because you can run faster than a video camera can see, not because you can see through walls and not because meteorites make you ill or, well, dress better. We're going to fight because instead of just saying 'Hey Lex, I'm not from around here.' you're going to make me drag it out of you one goddamned sentence at a time."

Clark slammed his hand down beside his plate, the noise sounding like an explosion. "And you keep throwing out ambiguous little statements and expect me to know what the fuck you're talking about. 'You taste like burnt sugar.' 'I don't.' Like I know what other people's fucking semen tastes like! And, no, I am not from around here! Yay Lex; you guessed it."

Clark kicked the chair next to him and watched as it flew across the room and slammed into the wall.

"You think it should be oh-so-easy for me to just blurt it out. Even to you. Or especially to you. I have *never* willingly told this to anyone in my life. Hell, I haven't even known that long. I mean, I knew I was a fucking freak, but I didn't know I was...." Clark stopped and crossed his arms over his chest and looked away.

"Not from Kansas?"

Clark looked back for a moment and nodded, "Yeah. Not from Kansas. I didn't even know that myself until you hit me. That's when I found out."

Clark sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"It's been drilled into my head since I can remember - never tell. Never, ever tell. No matter what - lie. And you think it should be easy to undo that conditioning? For you? For anyone? Especially for someone I love?"

Clark glared at Lex and slumped back in the chair. "It's not an easy or fun secret."

"Clark, you realise you've fallen in love with an alien don't you?"

Clark blinked, and looked at him. "Lex, you do realize that that's my line?"

"Why? It's a true for you as it is for me." Lex stood up, walked over, and looked down at the remains of the chair. "Clark, you're you. Personally I'm delighted you're indestructible; it's saved my ass more than once. But... for a long time I didn't know why you were lying, just that you were; and honestly, it hurt that you felt you couldn't trust me."

"It wasn't you I couldn't trust," Clark whispered.

Lex knelt down and began picking up the pieces of the chair. "I do this a lot."

"What, pick up after me? Fix what I've broken?" Clark slumped lower in the chair.

"To date? A little over seven hundred thousand dollars in blackmail payoffs. LeXcorp now owns outright, or runs the editorial board of, three newspapers and seven television stations. And it was five years before I could be sure that my father's blood wouldn't have join the rest directly staining my hands."

Clark sat bolt upright "WHAT?!?!"

Lex gathered the rest of the chair and dumped it on the counter. "As much as I adore your innocence, it's your greatest weakness. Did you honestly just think you were lucky? That no one would notice things like a permanently frozen lake, or the trail of destroyed trucks? I told you early on, I'd do anything to protect my friends. Protecting my lover? The man I hope to spend the rest of my life with. There is *no* price I will not pay."

Clark tried to shut his mouth. He knew it was hanging open in shock, but... "Lex, I... Lex."

Lex looked at the chair, the floor, anywhere but Clark's eyes. Silently he began gathering the remains of their breakfast. "I debated not telling you, but I figured there were enough lies between us already."

"Lex", Clark stood and took the plates from Lex's hands and set them slowly and deliberately on the counter. "I love you."

"LeXcorp has a standing offer to anyone in the area- we pay for any and all meteorites of any size, shape and colour. It's housed in a lead lined room on what used to be Level 3 - I liked the irony of that."

He pulled Lex tightly against him. "And I thought I loved you before."

"I did it for you. There are no strings attached."

"What if I want strings? What if I want strings holding us together forever."

Lex let himself melt into the warmth of Clark's embrace. "There's more we need to talk about."

"I'll tell you anything you want to know. But Lex, there are things that *I* don't know. New things all the time. New stuff happens. Like, ummm", Clark dropped his head onto Lex's shoulder and mumbled "setting stuff on fire with my eyes when I get hot."

"Excuse me?"

Clark turned his very red face into Lex's neck and forced the words out again, "When I'm really hot, ummm horny, if I'm not careful, I can set stuff on fire. With my eyes."

Lex closed his eyes and brought one hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Anything else?"

"Strong. Fast. You know about the seeing through stuff. And the kinda indestructible stuff. Other than that there's just the floating thing."

"So other than the potential of setting fire to me... we're pretty much okay?"

"Lex!" Clark glared for a second before grinning. "I've learned how to control the fire thing. We're fine. As long as you aren't too afraid of heights. I tend to float when I'm really happy."

"I'm terrified of heights, but since I very much want to make you happy, I'll risk it." Lex took Clark's hand in his. "Come upstairs with me?"

Clark whimpered, "Yes."

Lex kissed Clark, and then hand in hand they walked up the stairs. Lex opened the bedroom door and a blast of ice-cold air knocked him back into Clark's arms.

"What the hell?"

The room was so cold that a heavy, frost like fog hung in the air.

Clark pushed Lex behind him and scanned the room but didn't see anything.

"See anything?"

"No. Nothing."

"But there's definitely something and I think we can safely eliminate Chloe. Clark? Let's get the hell out of here."

"I don't think we should leave. I think we should find out what or who this is."

"Why?"

Lex saw the look Clark gave him and gave in gracefully.

"Fine, but the temperature in that room is somewhat of a mood killer."

Clark pulled Lex into the room and settled him on the edge on the bed and wrapped a thick blanket around him; offering Lex a sheepish look, he lit the fireplace - using his heat vision.

That Lex didn't comment told Clark a lot about how upset Lex was.

Lex sat still for all of thirty seconds before he was up and prowling the room, trailing the blanket behind him.

"Lex..." Clark sat on the corner of the bed that Lex had vacated.

"I don't want to be here... more to the point, I don't think whatever is doing this wants me here."

Lex turned and looked at Clark, but then continued pacing around the room aimlessly. "I want to find a nice, warm, safe place and make love."

"This is 'our' safe place, Lex. It's become *my* safe place. I don't want whatever, whoever, this is, to take that away from us. This is ours. This bedroom is for us. I want this to be the place where we come to be safe." Clark sighed. "Does that make any sense?"

"It makes perfect sense." Lex wrapped the blanket around himself. "I'd be happier if 'safe' equated with 'warm', but I'm not... uh Clark?"

"Yeah?"

Lex's voice was soft, but steady. "Could you please turn around very slowly and tell me if you see a lady floating in the air by the window?"

Clark's voice didn't shake at all as he turned and looked and said, "I sure do."

"Okay. I'm seeing a semi transparent apparition, dressed in clothing that would put her oh, about twelfth century C.E. and looking directly at me, seeming less than pleased... is that what you're seeing?"

"Something like that. I would have said 'A ticked off old-fashioned see-through lady' but yeah, that's her." Clark edged off the bed and over toward Lex as he spoke.

As Clark moved closer to Lex, the "lady's" expression darkened. "Clark, move away from me." As he did so, the apparition seemed happier.

"Clark, come over here and kiss me."

Clark wrapped his arms around Lex and kissed him slowly and lovingly.

The temperature in the room dropped about fifteen degrees.

Clark pulled back, "I don't think she likes that."

"Okay - I'm going to pretend to slap you, react as if I hurt you."

"Okay."

Lex closed his eyes and shoved Clark away from him, one hand coming up to slap Clark across the face.

Clark winced and his hand flew up to his cheek and he stared at Lex in imaginary shock and hurt.

Lex turned away and walked to the other side of the room. Clark turned and faced away from him. Within a minute, the room was warm enough for Lex to ditch the blanket. Another few moments, and it was comfortable.

"Well, at least we know which of us she doesn't like." Clark tried to inject some humour in his voice

"Okay; so we have a ghost who is jealous of me. Can we leave now?"

"No! Lex, we have to get rid of her! I don't want some dead woman chasing us out of here. I want you to make love to me. Here. In your bed. Not at a hotel. Here." Clark knew that he was dangerously close to pouting but he couldn't help it.

"Fine, you're the expert - what the hell do we do?"

"I'm not sure. I just know I don't want to let her chase us away. Come on. I'm pretty sure I know how to get her back." Clark climbed onto the bed and patted the empty space beside him.

Lex started pulling off his clothes and joined Clark on the bed. "We piss her off. Do you think you can track her? Or maybe communicate with her? Maybe we can figure out who she is, and why she's so angry?"

"That's all I can think of to do to get rid of her. And I can probably tell you who she is. Give me a second and I'll read the names off the crypts. We can at least narrow it down." Clark pulled his shirts over his head as he spoke.

Lex stripped off the rest of his clothes and then began tugging at Clark's. "Sounds like a plan... wait a minute, what Crypts?"

"God, you're gorgeous. There are crypts below the basement." Clark stroked his hand up the fine-grained skin of Lex's arm.

"Dad brought the graveyard over? Can't you strip any faster?"

Clark moved and the next second he was back on the bed beside Lex completely naked. "I guess so. The crypts are there. Complete with. Well, you know. The occupants. Fast enough?"

"This really isn't how I imagined our first time." Lex wrapped his arms around Clark, enjoying the warmth of his skin, the feeling of security from being in his arms. "But considering I'd almost given up on us ever having a first ti.... wait a minute; occupants? As in remains? Are you telling me my father imported the fucking *bones*?"

"Yeah. I mean. I don't think they ever opened the crypts. I think they just shipped them the way they were. They're all together, except for one, so I think the one we're looking at is Leana Luthor. And she's not alone in there." Clark stroked Lex's back and placed a soft kiss on one bare shoulder.

Lex leaned into the kiss, enjoying the feel of Clark's hands on him. "Okay, how sick is it that we're going to have sex so that we can annoy a ghost, we're talking about graves, and you're still managing to turn me on. She's not alone?"

"Ummm, no. That baby you saw in the fridge? I'm thinking that's who's in there with her. I'm betting some ancestor of yours was a real jerk to Leana." Clark rubbed his entire body against Lex's. "And I could be talking about an autopsy with you right now and be getting turned on. I've wanted this a long time."

"Clark, do me a favour? When making love with an alien, never, ever, use the word autopsy."

Clark snorted and tried not to laugh. "Shut up and kiss me, Lex."

"I can do that." Lex complied, and arched into Clark's embrace. "Is it getting cold in here yet?"

"Personally I think it's getting warmer."

Clark stroked his hands over Lex's body almost obsessively. "I love your skin. God, you feel good." He rolled onto his back, pulling Lex on top of him, gasping as their naked bodies came into full contact.

Lex relaxed into the stroking hands. "I could come just from this, from your hands worshiping me."

Clark blinked at the stinging in his eyes. "I love you so much. I've wanted to be able to tell you that for so long. I've wanted to be able to touch you for so long.

Clark caressed the smooth skin of Lex's back, cupping the soft skin of his ass cheeks and pulling him tighter against his groin, not bothering to hold in the soft cry at the sharp sensation.

Lex shivered, Clark's voice a balm to his soul. "I have dreamed of you. I have wanted and needed and *craved* you." Lex looked down into the dark eyes and felt tear forming. "You're everything."

"You too, Lex. Oh God, you too. I thought about this, about you, all the time. Sometimes it was the only thing that would get me through the day."

Clark swallowed around the thick lump in his throat.

Lex stroked the hair off of Clark's forehead, a gesture of deep affection, "I want to make love to you, to be a part of you."

Lex thrust gently against Clark "Will you give that to me? Will you let me become part of you?"

"Yes. Please, yes. God, yes." Clark shuddered.

Lex kissed him, slow and gentle quickly becoming consuming. Both men were breathing hard when they broke apart. Lex nuzzled into Clark's neck, while searching under the pillows for a small bottle of lubricant he had stashed there.

Showing Clark the bottle, he kissed him again, then pulled back and moved to lie beside him. "No surprises, I want to take this slow and easy, I don't want to hurt you or do anything you don't like or enjoy."

Clark smiled. Sudden. Bright. Blinding. "I will enjoy it all. I will love it all because it's you." He brushed a quick kiss across Lex's lips and flipped onto his stomach, resting his head on his crossed arms and lifting his hips slightly.

Lex struggled to control his breathing. "God, do you have any idea how amazing you are?"

"I just want you. Now." Clark smiled back over his shoulder at Lex.

One hand stoked slowly down Clark's back. "I'm going to touch you, play with you, I need to be careful, I don't want to hurt you, and you may find this feels a little strange at first..." As he spoke, Lex trailed one lubricated finger along the cleft of Clark's ass, teasing, but not penetrating.

Clark moaned and spread his thighs wider. "Please."

Quickly added more lube to his fingers, Lex gently penetrated with just the tip of his index finger.

There was a moment of resistance, then nothing, and Lex's finger slipped in easily. "Clark, how does that feel?"

"Ohhhhhh," Clark's entire body shook. "Sooooo good."

Lex added a second finger, again finding no resistance. If the tremors in Clark were any indication, his lover was greatly enjoying his ministrations. With a tender smile, he moved his fingers around, seeking the small gland.

Which apparently wasn't there.

"Am I hurting you?"

"Noooooo. More. Please." Clark was trembling uncontrollably

Lex continued to search for Clark's prostate gland, but felt nothing but smooth velvet heat. The scientist in Lex wondered for a second, but the lover quickly beat the scientist into submission. "I'm going to move, I'm going to give you more. God I wish I could see your eyes."

Lex shifted his body, quickly spreading lube onto himself. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he placed the head of his penis at the entrance to Clark's body and held very still.

Clark was beyond words now. Moans, Lex's name and something that might have been please were pouring from his mouth.

"Are you sure? Clark, please tell me, are you ready?"

Clark took a deep, sobbing breath. "Please. God. Now. Please."

Slowly, Lex pressed in. There was no resistance, only velvet heat. Then just past the point where his fingers would have been able to reach, he felt them. Dozens of hard lumps, different sizes, but feeling like the tips of dozens of fingers gripping him.

They felt *wonderful*, and Lex thrust hard, pushing past them without thinking.

Clark screamed. The sound shook the windows.

Lex opened his mouth to ask if Clark was alright, when Clark shoved back against him hard and Lex felt the top of his head blow off.

Clark's screams faded to whimpers and his cock jerked over and over as streams of semen pulsed onto the bed.

Unable to thrust, unable to even move, Lex could only clutch onto Clark, mouthing the back of his neck as wave after wave of incredible, intense pleasure washed over him.

Clark's orgasm pulled Lex's from him, the feeling indescribable. Lex could hear himself whimpering.

"Clark? Oh my god, are you? Did you? Oh my god."

Clark collapsed forward onto the bed.

Lex simply collapsed on top of him, not attempting to withdraw, barely attempting to move.

"Clark?"

"Hmmmm?"

"You really aren't from Kansas are you?"

"You'd better be glad I'm too tired and too happy to smack you."

"You're not floating"

"Lex, I'm barely breathing."

"Oh. I think I'm going to go to sleep now."

"Not until we get me off the wet spot." Clark gently, without dislodging Lex from his back or from his body, lifted up and shifted the two of them to the other side of the bed. "Blankets."

"mmmm"

Lex felt Clark's chuckle, but was having a hard time fighting off sleep. His last thought, as he snuggled safe and warm into Clark's broad strong back, was that he could see his breath.

*

The Bishop himself had married them.

She had not laid eyes upon Alexander before that day.

He had lain with her that night. He spoke no words of love. He was kind, tender, not the brute her mother had warned her of. But he performed the act as one would a duty. When they had done he had held her but a moment, then left the marriage bed, not to return.

When no child came of that night, he came to her again.

Thus the pattern began. For many months he would lay with her only one night between the full and new moons.

Leana was but a child herself. Alexander was so gentle. He never said the words, but as the new year began she herself began to wonder if she were barren

When she told her husband of her fears, he held her close and soothed her. "It matters not my wife. An heir is vital, but you have become as dear to me as a sister and I will not cast you aside."

He came to her chambers that night, but still no words of love passed his lips. When he departed, Leana wept; for she had come to love Alexander with a depth of passion she was unable to voice.

But that night, God blessed them.

The bairn was born strong. A son, with the stormy blue eyes of his father.

Alexander never came to her chambers again.

When the lad reached his fifth year, Alexander spoke to her of perhaps another child.

Leana agreed readily, but waited in vain for her husband to come to her. So one night, she became brave and bold, and sought him in chambers.

And found him not alone.

He whispered words of love. Soft poems of seduction, of joy. The sounds of passion hid the sounds of her tears.

For her husband lay with another man.

She told no one, but many nights she slipped into the shadows and watched as her Alexander gave another the love denied to her.

Until the pain gave way to madness, and late one winters night, Leana walked the parapet - and dreamed she could fly.

*

Lex woke with a start; the dream had been so real. He was still in the castle, still with Clark. He moved carefully, shifting so that he was lying half beside Clark, who was still asleep, but seemed to be having a disturbing dream. He reached for him when he saw her.

"Clark, I really, really, need you awake now."

"Lex?" Clark slowly reached a hand back for Lex. "I'm here."

"Yep, so is our friend."

"I see that."

"I dreamed..."

"Me too."

"So, Leana...?"

"I'm thinking so. You wanna ask?" Clark squeezed Lex's hand gently. "You're the one she likes."

"She thinks I'm her Alexander, and she's jealous."

"Yeah, well. I'm the one she's jealous of. I'm the one she hates. So, I'm thinking you."

"Is that my fault? You're the one who started with the PDA's"

"I was just trying to keep you from peeing on me in front of the company!"

"So what the Hell do you want me to do?"

"Ask her what the fuck she wants! And remind her that she's DEAD. And tell her that you aren't HER Alexander. That you're MY Lex!"

Lex glared at Clark, but sat up, taking a moment to wrap a blanket around himself. "Leana? What is it you want from me? I'm not your husband"

"Oh Alexander, if it had just been the whores; that I could hae understood I know the needs of a man are great, but to give your seed to another man, to lie with him as you would your wife...Oh I can nay forgive that my love."

"Leana... I'm not... Clark, I don't think she can hear me."

"Well, damn."

"So now what?"

"How am I supposed to know? Do you see "Houngan" tattooed on me?"

"Thank you Baron Samedi. Okay, you said earlier she's downstairs in the crypts yes?"

"That's what it says, yeah."

"How about we get the hell out of here, hire a contractor, and just transplant the whole lot over to the Mansion in Metropolis."

"Lex..."

"Well, why not? My father has haunted me for years!"

"Lex! Be serious. We've got to think of something now. Tonight. She's here. Now." Clark nodded at the apparition that hung in the air, looking at them with a decidedly irate expression.

"Right. Okay. How about a stupid question. If we get rid of her bones, will she go with them?"

"That's actually a pretty good question. Might work. It's worth a shot. Maybe we can actually find a way to talk to her too."

"Clark, I guess I've not made myself clear, I do *not* want to initiate a dialogue with the ghost, I want the ghost to go bye-bye, and take her dead baby with her."

"Shit, Lex, that's it. In the dream she has a son by you. Well, not you. By her husband. But then he didn't sleep with her again. So that's not her baby. And if it's not her baby, then..." Clark
shuddered. "If it's not hers, then who's is it?"

"I'm wondering if maybe we've found the reason for our haunting... guilt." Lex sat up straighter, and smiled. "Hey, this is perfect, we have the answer."

Clark sat up too and glared at the apparition before turning to Lex. "Great. An answer. Or sort of an answer. And what good does it do us. Why? And what do we do about it?"

"Simple. She stole a baby, then jumped with it. All you have to do is go down to the crypt, remove the bones of the baby, place them in a separate grave, and Leana gets over her guilt, and we get the fuck out of here. Easy."

"Uh huh. All *I* have to do. *You* were the one cheating on her."

"Remove the bones, then destroy her remains. I'm going to stay here."

"I don't think so. If there is any bone removal to be done, we do it together."

"No, you go." Lex stood up, and let the blanket fall. "I'm going to stay here and try to seduce a ghost."

"I don't *think* so!" Clark grabbed Lex and picked him up easily in one arm and gathered both of their clothes in his arm and with one parting glare at the glowering apparition and ignoring Lex's squawks of protests he stalked out of the room.

"Clark?"

"What?" Clark stopped at the bottom of the stairs and started to dress Lex.

"You didn't like my plan?" Lex ignored the slightly breathless tone of his voice.

"I don't like you seducing anyone else. Dead or alive." Clark stopped buttoning Lex's shirt long enough to kiss him softly. "You're mine now."

"I have an alien lover who is jealous of a ghost. Part of me is thinking that's kind of neat, but most of me is just trying to cope with the sheer insanity of this entire situation."

"Let's just get this over with so we can go back to bed." Clark finished buttoning Lex's shirt, shrugged into his own clothes and scanned the closets and drawers downstairs until he found a couple of flashlights.

"I thought..." Lex started.

"I can, but you can't."

Clark pulled the heavy door to the basement open and flipped the lights on.

"Uh Clark? One thing before we do this."

"What?"

"I love you."

Clark beamed. Understanding how much Lex loved him was wonderful, but actually hearing him say the words. "Come on, let's do this." Hand in hand, he and Lex slowly made their way down into the dampness.

"I've been down here more than once. There's a wine cellar over there, but where are the crypts?" Lex flipped his flashlight on and shined the light into the dim corners where the overhead lights didn't reach.

"Back here." Clark turned Lex toward the northwest corner of the basement and pushed an old chest away from the wall. A small stone door was barely visible in the dimness. it blended in almost perfectly.

"Stay behind me."

"Like that's a problem."

Clark grasped the metal pull and, with a scream of protest from rusty hinges, the door came open.

"Okay." Clark moved forward into the small, dark room with Lex close behind him.

Lex shined his flashlight around the room. "Let's get this over with." Taking off his shirt, Lex walked over and gingerly gathered up the bones of the baby. Glancing over his shoulder at Clark, he also took a small piece of Leana's remains and placed them in his pocket.

He moved his tiny bundle to the other side of the room, placing them gently in a corner. Then he returned to Clark's side.

Clark had watched the almost reverent way Lex had handled the baby. Gathering Lex into his arms, he held his head against his chest. "You don't want to see this." Clark focused and in a few seconds heat began to pour from his eyes and the bones were incinerated.

A scream reverberated throughout the house.

Then all was still.

*

Clark closed the drawer, the last of his clothes put away. He looked around the bedroom, already showing signs of being "theirs" rather than "Lex's"

Lex even conceded to letting him open the drapes. The Penthouse offered a wonderful view.

Not even trying to keep the joy off his face, he wandered down the hall to his Lover's office. The joy quickly became concern when he saw Lex sitting at his desk looking shell shocked.

"What's wrong."

"I got the results."

"What results?"

"DNA. I had the bones tested."

"Okay, and?"

"The adult was most definitely a relative. Most likely direct line."

"Leana."

"Reasonable assumption."

"So what has you so spooked."

"The baby."

"The baby?"

"Male, about four months old, but there were a few irregularities."

"Irregularities?"

"Clark." Lex looked up then, meeting Clark's eyes. "The baby wasn't human."


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