In a Cab by jessica
The guy was staring at him, not the professor. Clark was sure of it. So, he kept his eyes down, took his notes, and sent Lex a quick email, just to say 'I love you'. But the guy was still staring and he was waiting in the hall when Clark stepped outside.
"Haven't I seen you somewhere?" he asked, like he didn't know it was a line.
"Yeah. Just now. In class."
The guy laughed too long for such a bad joke and that's when Clark figured it out. Lex used to laugh at his corny jokes too, back when he wasn't allowed to do anything else.
"I'm Ethan," he said, offering his hand. Clark shook it carefully, two pumps learned from his dad.
Ethan's eyes were blue, like Lex's. Clark thought maybe that meant something.
"My name's Clark," he said.
He lent Ethan his lecture notes. They had lunch in the cafeteria. Clark told him about Lex.
The band always got free beer, but they had never taken advantage of it like this. Clark tried to keep track of everyone, but it was harder with three than it had ever been with Lex. Three drunks could have been four and it was the first time Clark was grateful for Lex's business trip.
Astrid took a cab with Thomas downtown to make sure he made it home to Franny. Ethan was falling asleep and Clark shoved him in the cab headed uptown to the penthouse. Lex was away, but he had left the good painkillers, and Ethan had stayed in the guestroom before.
Ethan curled into Clark like instinct as they made themselves comfortable in the back of the cab. The one time Clark remembers driving a drunk Pete home had never been like this.
"Clark, my head hurts," he said, softly, because that probably hurt too.
"Yeah. That's what happens when you start doing tequila shots behind my back."
Ethan groaned deep in his chest, rumbling against Clark. He curled up closer, resting his head on Clark's shoulder.
"I'm in love with you, Clark."
He heard the words, but he wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear them or if he just could. Then Clark felt Ethan's lips on his neck and then he was pretty sure the words were for him to hear.
"Ethan, don't."
He didn't stop, but Clark didn't really expect him to. There were enough songs about 'unrequited love' and 'the other man' in their set-list for Clark to know that it wasn't something Ethan was doing lightly.
He pulled Clark down to him, one hand behind his neck, the other tangled in his t-shirt. With Ethan's tongue in his mouth, Clark could taste just how much Ethan drank that night. The kiss lasted a block, maybe two, but Clark couldn't tell with his eyes closed.
Then Ethan pulled away and stared at Clark with glassy blue eyes. "There. Now we know everything there is to know about each other."
Clark froze, too long, but Ethan was drunk and he didn't notice. He curled back into Clark, holding his hand and leaning against his shoulder.
"You guys are gonna be together forever, right?"
A million words spun in Clark's head. He opened his mouth and hoped the right one came out. "Probably."
"Sound happy, Clark. You found your guy."
The cab ride cost twenty-three dollars. Ethan fell asleep in the guest bed with his shoes on. Clark phoned Lex to say 'I love you', and Lex didn't ask questions because Clark did that all the time.
03/31/03