Title: Wait
Author: danceswithgary (danceswithgary@yahoo.com)
Pairing: Clark/Lex
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 888
Archive: Fine, just let me know
Summary: Left behind, Lex waits. Sequel to 'Golden Slumbers' but may be read as standalone.
Most nights, it wasn't that Lex suffered from insomnia, it was more like he tripped and fell into his bed when he could no longer avoid it. Mercy tried to ensure that happened as often as possible, but even she couldn't make Lex actually fall asleep when he sprawled between cold and lonely sheets. There had been so many sleepless nights that Lex was convinced that only the continued lack of regular news coverage saved him from seeing his haggard features splashed beneath banner headlines predicting the President's imminent collapse.
Twenty-one months.
It had been that long since he'd kissed Clark goodbye, and Lex had no idea how many more months would pass before he saw his husband again, before he could look into blue-green eyes and watch them sparkle with irrepressible humor. He missed Clark's smile, he needed his optimism in the face of unbeatable odds and craved his warmth in the chill of long, dark nights.
Twenty-one months.
One week after they'd exchanged vows and rings, Lex had stood outside the entrance to the presidential bunker, and shared their farewell with his crippled nation. He'd understood the need for a symbol; that the people who'd survived the aliens' devastating attack needed to witness the bright colors of a hero where Lex saw only the face of love. He'd watched along with the world as the Earth's best hope rose through the atmosphere and disappeared from sight.
Twenty-one months.
Left behind, it had been Lex's task to rebuild and prepare, feed and heal, to lead...and wait. The warships had arrived before spring planting had been finished, and the harvests had suffered as a result. Distribution of whatever food had been salvageable was an ongoing struggle, and the first winter had been brutal with the dwindling supplies of heating fuel. Lex had been forced to consider gathering the survivors inside a centralized location to facilitate the nation's recovery. Only the recognition that it would place them in far greater danger if the aliens returned left the scattered groups isolated in their remote homes. The military and politicians had learned from their mistakes. There had been a second harvest and a second winter...and the human race still survived.
Twenty-one months.
Clark's AI had been unable to project how long the mission would take. The proposed strategy to search for allies had been based on information gathered by his long-dead parents, data subject to the vagaries of time and space. It had been Earth's only alternative, since none of the weapons deployed against the enemy had been effective, and the remaining scientists and engineers had been unable to design anything better. Not even the unparalleled strength and speed of Superman had been able to prevail against the invincible alien armada that had arrived and departed without warning. To redeem his failure and save the future, his unearthly powers had been called upon to travel outside human limits.
Twenty-one months.
Lex had taken Mercy's strong suggestion and ventured from the benighted depths to wander the White House's untended gardens in the late-winter air. Clumps of snow had given way to early shoots of green, and in one sunny patch, a single white bloom raised its head as a harbinger of spring. Crouching down, he traced the delicate petals and remembered reading once that certain scholars believed that the magical herb moly that appeared in Homer's Odyssey was actually a snowdrop. Their contention was supported by the fact that an active substance in snowdrop called galantamine could have acted as an antidote to Circe's poisons.
He stood back up, shivered in the cool breeze, and wished with all his heart that Clark were there to listen to him lecture about flowers and ancient history and tease him about the useless facts his brain had accumulated through the years. Shoulders bowed with the weight of his nation's needs, Lex sighed and returned underground. Mercy, as always, followed behind.
Hours later, the garden a faded memory overridden by paperwork, decisions, and all too many words, Lex stumbled towards his bed, chivvied by an unrelenting Mercy. Unbuttoning his shirt as he walked into his room, Lex noticed something different. A snowdrop, quite possibly the one he'd seen earlier, lay broken against the cotton cover of his pillow, the white petals a soft sheen in the dim light of the bedside lamp, the torn stem weeping for its loss.
"Mom always watched for them every spring. She told me they stood for hope. I think she'd have been happy to see they still come up...in spite of everything."
Lex was afraid to turn around, convinced that he'd somehow slipped into one of his many wishful dreams. He stammered, "Clark?"
"I'm home. It is still home, isn't it?" The voice was tentative, an unspoken fear hidden within the simple words. The warmth of the hands on Lex's shoulders was welcome, but the tremor in the grasp brought a lump to Lex's throat, one that grew even larger at Clark's plaintive words, "I found them right where the AI said...and they're on their way to help. I couldn't...I left them behind, and I came back as fast as possible. I'm not too late...am I, Lex?"
Overcome by his relief and Clark's kisses, Lex still managed the most important word.
"Never."
fin
***
Wait (Lennon/McCarthy) Rubber Soul 1965
It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh, how I've been alone
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
But if your heart breaks
Don't wait, turn me away
And if your heart's strong
Hold on, I won't delay
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
I feel as though
You ought to know
That I've been good
As good as I can be
And if you do
I'll trust in you
And know that you
Will wait for me
It's been a long time
Now I'm coming back home
I've been away now
Oh, how I've been alone
Wait till I come back to your side
We'll forget the tears we've cried
***
Notes: Written for the gotclex Spring 2008 Challenge
Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters herein. The characters of Lex Luthor and Clark Kent as well as any supporting characters are the property of their creators and DC Comics. Gough/Millar Inc and the WB Network TV own Smallville. Any deviations (or deviant behavior) from the originals, however, is mine.
Feedback is both welcome and appreciated.
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