Smallville Great Grid Challenge Fic

Break-up (931 words)

Clark paced the penthouse, barely out of breath from his run to Metropolis, but his heart was pounding like a jackhammer because Lex couldn’t go like this. Clark hadn’t talked to him all week and now his jet was ready to take off for a three month trip to Hong Kong.

Clark knew he could catch Lex before he took off, but he’d already taken a big risk running from Smallville to Metropolis and the staff knew he was at the penthouse. If Lex knew he made it to the airport in less than a minute he’d know a lot more.

“Come on, pick up,” Clark pleaded into the phone. He knew Lex was never without his phone so the only reason he wasn’t answering, that he hadn’t answered all week, was he really didn’t want to talk to Clark. Clark only knew about the sudden trip because he’d heard about it on the news.

“Clark,” Lex answered finally. “Mary tells me you’re here. I thought your tour of the campus wasn’t until tomorrow. If I’d known--”

“If you’d returned any of my calls you would’ve known,” Clark shot back angrily. He quickly regretted it when he heard… nothing but cold silence from the other end of the line. And then the engines started. Backtracking, he forced his voice to remain calm. “Lex, what’s going on? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Clark, I’m sorry, the connection is going to be bad when we take off.”

“Wait, Lex, you can’t leave like this.” Clark lowered his voice in case the staff was still lurking. “What about us?”

“Yo—sch—I—t--”

“Lex? Lex, you’re breaking up.”

“No—break—with—y—ark--”

Panic bloomed in Clark’s chest. “You’re breaking up with me!? On the phone!?!?”

He was at the airport before the phone clattered to the floor.

***

“Clark?” When he got no response he closed his phone and put it in his jacket pocket. Lex thought it was perhaps for the best this way. Being obsessed with a seventeen year old boy, an oddly gifted boy who had drawn his father’s attention as well, was not a prudent relationship. Especially for Clark.

The pilot was starting to taxi so he fastened his seatbelt just as the plane started to slow again. They stopped moving and Lex removed the seatbelt again.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Luthor,” the Captain called back to the cabin, “there’s a man on the runway. Security is in pursuit and we’ll be under way again shortly.”

Lex went to the cockpit and peered out the window. Clark was standing on the runway waving his arms.

“Call off security and open the door.” Lex waited for the stairs to unfold and headed down where Clark was nervously pacing. “Give me ten minutes,” he told the Captain.

***

“I don’t believe you,” Clark sputtered.

“I’m having difficulty with the situation myself,” Lex countered.

“You? You broke up with me.”

“That’s not true, Clark. I warned you the connection was bad and I would’ve called you when I landed,” he lied.

“I don’t believe you,” Clark repeated flatly. “Why are you doing this?”

Lex removed the sunglasses from his pocket and put them on his nose so he could stop squinting at the sun over Clark’s shoulder. “I simply think you should take some time to carefully consider your options. I don’t want you to attend Metropolis University just because of our relationship.”

“What relationship? You leaving without even telling me doesn’t seem like much of a relationship to me. I didn’t get any say in this!”

“Careful where you throw stones now, Clark.”

Clark looked away uncomfortably. Like he thought it wasn’t going to come up? “I wanted to tell you, Lex--”

Lex looked at his watch. “Clark, I think we should talk about this later--”

“I don’t think this should wait.” Clark argued.

“It’s business, Clark, and you need to get used to that if you’re serious about this. Something else to think about.”

Lex started up the stairs again and Clark didn’t make an effort to stop him. Lex didn’t look back over his shoulder, but as the attendant pulled the door closed he saw that Clark was gone.

***

Clark watched Lex prowl around his suite, anxiously wondering if Lex would be in for the evening or if he had plans. There was a beautiful woman who had followed him up to the suite after dinner and Clark had been sickeningly afraid she would spend the night. But she left after signing some paperwork and sharing a glass of champagne.

Now Lex was alone and he tapped his cell phone absently on the desk. Seemingly making up his mind, he started to dial and then closed the phone again, but not before Clark had seen it had been his phone number. Lex left the phone on the desk and poured himself another glass of champagne. When he sat down on the sofa and put his stocking feet on the end table, Clark let himself in through the balcony door.

The sound of Hong Kong bustling below drew Lex’s attention and his head turned, startled. Clark waved shyly. “I thought you should know about some other things you need to think about too.”

Lex left his head resting on the back of the sofa and closed his eyes tiredly. “Touché, Clark.” He waved his arm for Clark to join him.

Clark used his super speed to grab Lex and they tumbled on the bed instead.

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