DISCLAIMER & NOTES: Smallville, Lex property of DC Comics and other folks. Used without permission. All made up. For entertainment only. Thanks to stuff and Katie.

LANCE

"Well, this is culture. With a capital C. Exactly why are you in Smallville, again?" Lance looked over at Lex.

"It's not so bad." Lex sipped his coffee. "It grows on you."

"It wouldn't ever grow on me." Lance glanced around the boring, cookie-cutter coffee place. "You actually own this place?"

"Silent partner. It's an investment." Lex's eyes went to the door and then back down. Almost a smile. Lance turned around to figure out what prompted that. Now there was a reason to stop and look. Amazingly pretty boy who really shouldn't have been in a place this dull. Lex hissed, "Stop being rude."

"Oh, come on." Lance turned back and smirked. "See, now I get it. I mean, wow, who knew Kansas grew 'em like that? It's like, like, Super-Twink. Do you know him or just show up for the, uh, show?"

Lex frowned. "This cynical sleaze act isn't very you, Lance."

Lance leaned forward to complain starting with how the hell Lex ended up an expert in things Lance but then someone walked up. Super-Twink. All blushes and big lips and cheekbones and sixteen, maybe. He said, "Hey, Lex," all bright and cheery.

Lance leaned back and tugged down his baseball hat. Lex smiled, genuine, Lance thought, but he didn't really know. Lex said, "Hey, Clark."

Clark the Super-Twink glanced at Lance and Lance looked down at his over-priced coffee. Even in Kansas, for god's sake. There was chatter, something about school from the twink and Lex being concerned and witty. Then Lex waved at Lance, called him a friend from his college days and stood up.

"Are we heading out from, uh, here?" Lance ignored Lex's almost glare.

"You don't seem in the mood to play well with others, so we really should." Lance stood up as Lex smiled at Clark and then they went to Lex's car.

Lex drove too fast, and it was like driving with Justin, Lance thought. Except minus the annoying hip hop music and frequent gesturing about the latest "dope joint" or whatever the kids were saying these days. Lance said, "Clark is cute."

"Stop that."

"This is going to be a fun visit. Have you sworn off sex, because, for serious, that would be the icing on the cake." Lance looked out the window but it was nothing but cows.

"Petulant is much more genuine from you than cynicism. I don't mind petulant." Lex looked calm and serene which was fairly annoying.

"I have every right to be --"

"Oh, please. You've had some setbacks."

Setbacks. No space, betrayed, abandoned. Lance bit his lip because he thought Lex's "let me tell you about bad families" spiel would start if he said anything. He decided to focus on his other beef with this lecture. "Right. And you know me so well to judge what emotions I'm allowed to wear, or whatever."

"I've known you three years and while I wouldn't say I'm the most qualified judge," Lex's voice trailed off. "So you got screwed."

"Twice." More cows, green, yellow, fall. Lance wished he smoked.

"Professionally and personally, right?" Lex didn't even look over. "So this is, what? Your third professional setback, of the big variety."

"It's more than third."

Lex almost laughed. "You sound like a child. It's more than third," he said, his tone whining and wheedling. "Fine, you win. You should never trust anyone, ever again. Ever. But you're not very good at pulling it off. It's not very you."

Lance thought that it had been three years but really, it wasn't that at all. The only time they'd ever been together for more than one night in a row was two weeks back at the end of '99 when they first met. And since then, it's been maybe once a month, mostly once every two months and not so much conversation as sex and banter. Lance said, "Maybe it's the me I am when I'm not with you."

"Maybe. I doubt it. I think you're bitter and petulant and you're trying cynical on for size. So, accept this: it's not your size."

"I've had a miserable few months." Lance crossed his arms.

"And that I agree with. So here you are as a little stopover on your vacation and you want to wallow. Wallow away. Just stop trying to be something you're not. It's not turning me on." Lex gunned the engine again and a castle came into view.

"A castle? For serious. You weren't joking."

"I wish."

Either Lance was being less cynical or Lex had been lying about not being turned on because he was hard when they finally got to Lex's bedroom. Lance had thrown his bag on the floor and immediately took off his shirt. So he went straight for Lex's pants, hand pushing in, kissing his neck. "Did you close the door?"

"Closed." Lex turned him around and pushed him on the bed. "Now, since you're wallowing ..."

Two hours later, Lance stretched his arms out and rolled over in the bed. Empty other side. "Lex?"

"Someone's here I need to see. Stay up here, okay?" Lance looked over at Lex fastening his belt.

"No, I was thinking of coming down naked right into your meeting. Asking if we'd used all the lube or something?" Lance rolled back to his original spot and laughed.

"Well, I think that would be a bad plan. I'll be back."

After a half hour Lance couldn't fall asleep, still thrumming from the usual athletic sex and the nice booze Lex had. He should have been tired, really, but the whole thing had been rather cathartic. Get yelled at, get fucked by someone who definitely wasn't the least bit interested in your money unlike the scumbag that betrayed him, rest on nice sheets. Maybe Lex could start a program. Maybe Lance should pass Lex's number to JC.

So he was bored and he got out of the bed. He crouched down and crawled across the floor, just in case the cows were peering into Lex's lit windows. It made him laugh, at least. He peeked his head over the sill and watched someone, maybe Super-Twink what's his face walking out. The guy looked back and yes, Clark. Huh. Must have been a really long walk, Lance didn't remember any farms or houses nearby from when he'd been memorizing the scenery.

He snuck back in bed and sat up with a grin. Lex walked back in a minute or two later. Lance decided he was absolutely in a good mood. He pulled Lex onto the bed by his belt and pulled it off.

Lex was hard again and Lance tried not to giggle. Super Twink, he thought. Lex said, "You already did this," but his hands were buried in Lance's hair. Lance smiled as he licked.

Lex had set his alarm to go off at 3 am, Lance's stupid flight and the drive to Metropolis. Lance glared at the stupid thing, but he got out of the bed and started reaching for his bag for clean clothes.

"It's a long drive. Want company?"

"Oh, sure. How would you get back?" Lance tied his shoes, ran a hand through his hair.

"Because it would be so difficult to get back from Metropolis for me." Lex smiled and rubbed his head.

"Up to you. But hey, what's the deal with, you know, the twink known as Clark?"

Lex stopped smiling. "He's not a twink, he's a friend."

"Dude, my ass. Friend. Okay, first of all, I know twinks. I'm in a band with the twinkiest twink of them all. Really. That? Is a twink. And also, friend? Really?"

Lex got out of the bed and started getting dressed himself. "Friend. Do you spend a lot of time hitting on high school students these days?"

"Well, you know. I have. Hit on people who were high school age. At the time. Or thought a lot about it." Lance watched Lex choosing shirts from a very nice closet. Fucking castle in the middle of Kansas. Someone in the Luthor family was nuts.

"How'd that turn out?"

"Well, he ended up fucking this twenty-five year old and then that ended and I didn't get him in bed until five years after that. But it did end well."

"I really try not to listen when you start talking about your sickeningly incestuous inter-band relations." Lex paused. "You want me to come or no?"

"Sure, come with me. It'll be a fun drive. You can point out the sites. And continue to deny your lust for the twink." Lance hoisted his bag and put on his baseball cap.

"You seem to be in a better mood."

"Yes, so stop yelling at me." Lance paused in the doorway. "Maybe I'm trying it on for size."

Back to Stories