Saturday Breakfast by jessica
Clark stumbles into the kitchen, half-dressed. Lex would say half-naked. The corduroys were the only thing on the floor when Clark rolled out of bed and he didn't feel like looking for the rest of his clothes.
Lex is sitting at the counter, like every morning, the newspaper spread out in front of him and his fingers tapping on his mug. He didn't feel like getting dressed either, it seems. His black boxer briefs and Oxford shirt - the same from last night, wrinkled now and left unbuttoned - with Clark's pants make almost enough clothes to dress one of them.
"So, a boyfriend?"
Lex doesn't look up when he speaks, and it startles Clark, stopping him in mid-step. He recovers quickly.
"I've got one, thanks."
Lex smiles at the joke, but still shakes his head. Grabbing Clark's mug off the shelf, he pours the coffee, then carries it over to Clark, standing in the doorway.
"Ethan," he clarifies. Clark takes the mug and Lex takes his seat. "Last night? You were telling me about--"
"The boyfriend. Right."
Clark lets his eyes fall to the coffee. No milk or sugar, but any diversion will do and he drinks it anyway. Slow mouthfuls, not his usual impatient gulps because Lex is folding up the paper to give Clark his full attention. He's waiting for Clark to finish his coffee and tell the rest of the story.
Clark sets the mug on the counter with a thunk. He steps around to Lex, pressing up against him from behind.
"I don't want to talk about other people." Clark mouths wetly at the back of Lex's neck. He slides his hands down over Lex's chest, under the shirt. "Let's go out. Eat waffles and pretend we don't speak the language."
Lex twists his head around and up, studying Clark's face with narrow eyes and keeping his mouth in a tight line.
"He's hot, isn't he?"
Clark steps between Lex's thighs, letting Lex pull him forward with his hands on Clark's hips. Lex stretches up off the stool and they kiss, slow and careful. Playing with Lex's shirt, Clark buttons it up - foreplay in reverse. Then he drags his mouth away.
"Of course, he's hot," Clark says and walks out of the kitchen.
"Um, the apple cinnamon waffles. Extra whipped cream. And throw an order of bacon in there, too."
Clark seems finished, though he's still reading the menu. It's two columns of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, laser-printed and laminated. He must have it memorised by now, but Clark's playing tourist. He waits for the waitress's prompt.
"And to drink?"
"Orange juice, please." Clark gives her a blinding smile as she reaches across for his menu. "Thank you, ma'am."
Lex gives her a break, handing over his own menu with a quick order for blueberry pancakes and coffee.
"I thought we were playing foreigners, not annoying tourists."
Clark shrugs, then goes back to stacking the creamers. "Tourists are more fun. We can go to the zoo, the science museum. Buy some cheesy souvenirs. Astrid said she'd bring something back for me."
"From Gotham?"
The waitress interrupts Clark's nod with the orange juice and coffee. Lex turns his mug over for her, and Clark lets him take the top of his creamer pyramid.
"Why didn't you go with her?" Lex asks when the waitress is gone.
"With who? Astrid?"
"I thought... I don't know. I thought you might want to visit Chloe."
"Oh," Clark says, looking down at the table.
He's been avoiding a lot of questions today. "Look, Clark, if you don't want--"
"What Ethan said, when he was trying to get me to join the band. He said, 'You don't have to be yourself on stage.' And he's right. But it's not just on-stage anymore. I'm different and I don't think I'm Chloe's friend anymore."
Lex stirs his coffee. He doesn't know what to say, and some part of him wishes the food would arrive.
"You're the same person I've always known," he says finally. It's not true. Clark's been changing since they first met, but Lex hadn't realised that it was a bad thing.
Clark grins. "You're lying, but that's okay. It's okay that I'm not friends with Chloe. It's okay that Benedict was hitting on me. It's okay that I can't help everyone in Metropolis."
And it does seem okay, because Clark leans over the table to kiss Lex. It doesn't last nearly long enough, but the waitress and their food is waiting when they break apart.
Lex saves his question until Clark shoves a forkful of waffle in his mouth.
"So, Benedict, huh?"
05/05/03