True Wealth (Smallville; CLex; #405: Routine; G/K)

[katleept.livejournal.com]

Title: True Wealth
Author: Kat Lee
Fandom: Smallville
Character/Pairing: CLex (Clark/Lex)
Rating: G/K
Challenge/Prompt: slashthedrabble #405: Routine
Warning(s): None
Word Count: 500
Date Written: 3 July, 2016
Summary:
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to DC Comics, not the author, and are used without permission.





Every day has been the same for so infernally long now that it's difficult sometimes to remember when his days were not just one long, boring meeting after another, but recently, he's started going home early. The world thinks he's a free and powerful man, able to make his own choices as to what to do with his time, but they have no idea the pressure of the demands that are always on him. He could refuse to attend the meetings, but his absence would have a profound impact on his company and, thereby, the money he uses to fund his own, special, after-hours projects.

Like trying to figure out exactly what is in the boy who's about to join him. Lex always has a viable excuse for leaving early, but the truth is that his evening routine has changed -- and he likes it. Lex sets three, new, brightly shining apples into the bowl of fruit on his desk, then darts behind it and picks up his pen. His head is bent when the boy enters. He glances up and pretends his breath doesn't still at the sight of the teenager.

"Hey, Lex!" Clark greets him.

Only then does Lex lift his head as though hearing him for the first time. "Clark," he beams, "what a pleasant surprise." They both know his visit isn't really a surprise; after all, he's been visiting for weeks now. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Clark just grins and plops down in the seat in front of him. Lex stands, hands him an apple, and pours him a glass of the sweet tea he procures from Martha when Jonathan is away from the farm. Clark is rambling on about school, and Lex listens intently but yet not too intently. If Clark were to ever stop and ask him a question, Lex knows he would be caught but would find a way to talk himself out of the fact that he isn't really listening to his dearest, and truthfully only, friend.

He's listening to him, but it's to the sound of his voice to which he listens so attentively. He loves the way Clark babbles so excitedly and openly. It almost makes him feel as though he'd tell him anything, although Lex knows that's not true. Still, he watches raptly as Clark beams, laughs, and smiles in his seat. He watches those big, white, shining teeth bite into the crispness of the apple and the way his throat moves when he drinks the tea.

He watches his every movement and knows he'd rather have five minutes with this handsome, young man who saved his life than five hours adding to his monetary fortune. Martha said something once that made perfect sense to Lex: He knows he can have a financial fortune, but his true fortune comes in grabbing moments like these. It's no coincidence that he ends his meetings early every day now, or that he jumps in the shower every evening after Clark leaves.

The End