Power Struggle (AU)


Title: Power Struggle, Chapter 5

Author: Vigdis

Fandom: Smallville

Pairings: Clark/Lex

Rating: PG-13

Category: AU, Angst

Status: WIP

Series: The Power Series

Date: March 30, 2002

E-Mail: vigdis@squidge.org

Feedback: Craved! Need feedback! Please be constructive... Details are good! Also, tell me what you want to see more of, what you want to find out the answers to, etc... I love details!

Archive: WWOMB, Vig’s Vale

Valdron’s Handy Dandy Disclaimer: (modified for this work)
Smallville, the series, concepts and characters, are the property, copyright and trademark of Warner Bros. & DC Comics. No ownership or claim on said property, copyright or trademark is made or implied by the use in this work. This work constitutes a personal comment on the aforesaid properties pursuant to doctrines of fair use and fair comment. This work is non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes. All other characters and situations which are not specifically owned by the above mentioned are sole copyright of the author.

Thanks: To Caroline Corken for inspiring me with her lovely Smallville stories and to Mom-Ra for beta reading for storyline. She is wonderful. (And very helpful.)

Notes: I don’t remember if the Kents have a swing on their front porch, too, or if that’s just Lana, but this is an alternate dimension, and I have decided that they do have one here... So there!!! (hehehe)

As for the Kents’ reactions... Well, I just can’t see them reacting any other way - in any dimension.

Also... the spelling of “G-d” without the vowel... Personal idiosyncrasy... That's why I don't use those type of phrases very often. It tends to annoy people.

Warnings: Discussion of a M/M relationship, some cuddly type stuff.

Also... It’s all Lex’s fault! He didn’t warn me or anything! He just did it!
So don’t blame me...

Summary: Clark brings Lex home for dinner. Lex faces the Kents, for the first time, as Clark’s mate.

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Chapter Five:

The moment the car came to a stop, Lex’s panic returned full force. He hid it carefully behind a mask of implacable control.

He didn’t fool Clark for a minute.

Clark walked around to Lex’s side of the car and opened the door. He knelt down and took Lex’s hands in his own. “Do you want to wait here while I go talk to them?”

“Absolutely not,” Lex grated out his refusal.

“Not willing to show any weakness, huh?”

“Not to them,” Lex said quietly. He pulled his hands out of Clark’s and took a ragged breath. “Let’s go,” he said, his mask firmly back in place.

Clark smiled sadly and slipped his arm around Lex as they walked toward the house. Lex was stiff and unresponsive. He moved purposefully away from Clark’s embrace. Clark stopped dead still. “Lex,” he called sharply. “Wait!” Lex stopped. But he didn’t turn around. His breathing was just a little too fast. Clark went to him and looked into his expressionless face. Lex stared straight ahead, not meeting Clark’s eyes. Clark made a snap decision. “Wait here, Lex,” he ordered. “I’ll be right back.” He turned and took a couple of steps toward the house, then stopped and turned back to Lex. “I mean it,” he said, quietly determined. “Don’t move from that spot, Lex.” There was a warning in his eyes.

Lex nodded sharply. He felt as though his entire body was wound to the breaking point. He tried, desperately, to regain his control. He closed his eyes and took slow measured breaths as he waited for his love, his mate, to return.

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Clark entered the house alone, to the surprise of his parents.

“Where’s Lex, son?” Jonathan Kent asked. His mind was whirling with possibilities. Had the man broken Clark’s heart already? He found himself hoping, fervently, that that was not the case. Clark loved and trusted Lex. For that reason alone, Jonathan wanted to believe in him. To accept him.

“He’s outside, Dad.” Clark’s expression was worried.

Jonathan quickly looked out the window and then let the curtain fall closed. “He’s standing halfway down the walk.” He sounded exasperated.

“What’s wrong, Clark? Why didn’t he come in with you?” Martha asked, gently.

Clark sighed.

“He’s afraid of you,” he told them. “He doesn’t believe you can just accept him now, because he’s my lover, when you could barely tolerate his presence before.”

“Well... I don’t blame him. That would be a hard one for him to swallow, now, wouldn’t it? But from what you’ve told us, Clark, he’s a great deal more to you than a lover,” Jonathan said firmly, gently. “He’s your mate. Your life-partner.” He reached over and took his wife’s hand. “As far as we’re concerned, he’s our son-in-law. And that means he’s a part of this family. Of course we’ll accept him. And welcome him.” Martha nodded in agreement.

“Maybe you could get him to the porch?” Martha asked hopefully. “Then your father and I could come out and talk with him and set his mind at ease.”

“I’ll try, Mom,” Clark said, “but it’s not going to be easy. Give me few minutes alone with him once we get to the porch, before you come out, okay, Dad?”

“Sure, son,” Jonathan nodded in understanding.

Clark smiled gratefully and walked out the door.

Jonathan and Martha glanced at each other and quickly positioned themselves to eavesdrop.

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Clark took Lex’s hand and gently pulled him into his arms. “It’s going to be alright.” He caressed Lex’s head and tilted his head to meet his lips in a tender, searing kiss. Lex melted into his arms as the kiss ended. Clark cradled him lovingly, waiting while he regained his composure.

Finally, Lex raised his head and looked into Clark’s eyes, his doubts and fears written on his face. Clark smiled, softly. Lex smiled back, but he couldn’t keep the tears from welling up in his eyes. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“I’m sure,” Clark nodded.

Lex took a deep breath and nodded back. “Okay, then.”

Clark led him up the walk to the porch. “Want to sit for a while?” Clark suggested. “They’ll give us a little time.”

“Okay.” Lex sounded very nervous and uncertain.

Clark led him to the padded bench swing and they sat. Clark pulled Lex back into his arms, encouraging him to draw comfort from his touch. Lex lay back into Clark’s embrace and closed his eyes. His breathing began to return to normal.

“Clark?”

“Yes?” Clark purred, nuzzling at his neck.

“I’m afraid.”

“I know, sweetheart. I know,” Clark assured him. “There’s no rush to get through the door, here. They’ll wait. They understand. Dad knows he hasn’t given you any reason to feel comfortable around him. And they both know that this unconditional love and acceptance thing is totally new to you. They have met your father, after all.”

Lex smiled and let out a sad little laugh. “So they have... And he wasn’t even at his best.”

Clark kissed Lex’s jaw and maneuvered them both back into a sitting position. He turned Lex to face him. “I want you to listen very carefully, Lex.”

Lex locked eyes with Clark and nodded solemnly. “Alright.”

Clark’s eyes glinted as he continued. “I love you,” he said fiercely. “That will never change. You have my heart. Now and forever. My mom knows it. My dad knows it. Now I need for you to know it. To know it deep down in your very soul. I want you to be supremely confident in my love. To know beyond any doubt that it will never go away. It will never lessen or fade. I need you believe that I will always be yours and you will always be mine. That I will never leave you. You are my mate. My life partner. My lover. My love.” Clark’s smile lit up the dark porch. “You’re just going to have to accept that you’re stuck with me, Mr. Luthor.”

“Why, Mr. Kent... I do believe I can find a way to live with that,” he smiled.

“Good. Because I need you, Lex. I need your smiles when I’m sad and your hand when I feel lost and alone. And your kisses. Let’s not forget your kisses. I really need those,” Clark grinned then turned serious. “You’re my best friend, Lex. I felt closer to you than to anyone else even before I fell in love with you. You are, in some strange way, my other half. Funny, isn’t it? I find my soulmate on a planet I wasn’t even born on...”

“I don’t know,Clark... I just feel so damn lucky; no - blessed. I feel blessed. Like someone up there likes me or something. I’m not even sure if I believe in that sort of thing, but I do know that you are a precious gift. You need to be treasured and cherished. I promise to hold on tight, Clark. I never want to let go. And if at some point I lose my mind and walk out on you... Please! Chase me down and drag me back. Don’t ever let me leave, Clark. Promise me. Please...” he pleaded, his hands gripping Clark’s forearms fiercely. “Promise me.”

Clark leaned over and kissed him sweetly, softly. “I promise, Lex. I promise.”

Lex relaxed, finally allowing the tension to drain out, as Clark reached up and gently massaged his neck.

They sat in silence for several minutes before the door opened.

As the screen door creaked, Lex sat up straight. The mask was back in place. “Good evening, Mr. Kent, Mrs. Kent,” Lex said formally.

“Don’t do that, Lex,” Jonathan said, shaking his head sadly, his arm resting lightly on Martha’s shoulders.

Lex raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“A few minutes ago you were open and honest and genuine. Now you’re hiding.” Jonathan smiled a little. “That just doesn’t work in this family, son. Oh, I know it isn’t what you’re used to, but that’ll change. It might take a few years... But you’re not going anywhere, so you’ve got time.”

That’s right,” Martha beamed at him, her arms folded over her chest as she leaned into her husband’s embrace. “As far as we’re concerned, you two are married.” She nodded at his confused look. “That’s right. We consider you our son-in-law, now. You are as much a part of our family as you would be if it was legal for you two to marry each other.”

Lex stared at his “in-laws” with a dumbstruck expression. His mind was whirling. “It is! We can!” he said suddenly. “There is one place in the world that has legal same sex marriages that this country has to recognize! The US has a treaty with them that requires our government to recognize all of their legal contracts - including marriage licenses.”

Turning quickly to Clark, he slipped off the swing and onto one knee.

“Will you marry me, Clark?” he asked, wild hope glowing in his eyes.

A look of wonder drifted across Clark’s face, melting into a blinding smile filled with love. “Of course I will, Lex. Nothing would make me happier than to be your legal spouse.” Tears threatened to spill.

Lex kissed him hard and fast. “Thank G-d!” he sighed.

Clark laughed, happily. Jonathan and Martha grinned.

“Is everyone ready to eat, now?” Martha asked, sniffling and brushing away her joyful tears.

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