Let's slow it on down for a minute.
Jul. 30th, 2006 05:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sabinetzinTitle: Jo
Series: K'ex
Summary: Meanwhile, back at Luthor Mansion. Again.
Fandom: Smallville
Word Count: 911
Rating/Warnings: PG this installment
Pairing: Lex/Lana this installment
A/N: Yes, I hijacked the plot for a chapter. And yes, I am a sucker for inserting comic canon into Smallville. Do you love it? You know you do. Much of this is setup for the sequel (that's right, I said it).
Lana stood near the wall in the garden, wishing she could fade into the earth. There were reporters everywhere; the security guard standing next to her had already batted a few of the less scrupulous ones away. She could already see the headlines: Grieving Luthor Finds Comfort With Mystery Woman.
Lex, on the other hand, was far calmer than he had any right to be. The press conference was brief, and stuck to the facts as they were supposed to be: his father was dead, LuthorCorp would continue business as usual, there was nothing to be alarmed about. He was cool and witty, and Lana was starting to envy his poise.
Inside the house, however, it was a different story. As soon as the study was clear, Lex collapsed on the couch. Lana sat down next to him, offering him a bottle of water and rubbing his shoulders.
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you before all the excitement,” she told him as he downed most of the bottle. “Mrs. Kent called. Chloe’s home. She’s staying with the Kents for now.”
“Good.” Lex sighed, rubbing his head. “Do you want me to have someone take you out there?”
Lana grimaced, slightly. “I actually wasn’t going to go over just yet. Mrs. Kent said that she’s still really shaken up.”
“I’m not surprised.” Lex sat the bottle down with a little more force than was necessary.
“That is, unless you want to be alone for a while.”
“Of course not.” He lay a hand on her knee, squeezing it gently. “I’m really grateful that you’re here.” Lex rose from the couch, walking over and pouring himself a drink. “I can’t help but notice that you haven’t said anything about Jason today.”
Lana stared into the fire. “He called this morning. He said that Clark finding out about us made him have an attack of conscience.”
“You didn’t tell him about-”
“I didn’t think it was a good idea,” Lana said, cutting him off. “I told him that if he can’t handle my closest friends knowing about us, then maybe he can’t handle our relationship.” She paused, staring ahead. “I don’t know, maybe I was too harsh.” Lana turned back to face Lex. “These last few days have just made me rethink what’s important.”
Lex looked into his scotch, avoiding her gaze. “I didn’t want to have to be the one to tell you this,” he said, bringing his eyes up to look at her. “My father and Jason’s mother are old friends. When I was going through my father’s affairs, I found out that they’d started corresponding again.” He took a deep breath. “It’s possible you didn’t meet Jason by accident.”
“But,” Lana protested, bewildered, “what purpose could me being close to Jason possibly serve?”
“I’m still doing some research, but I think it has something to do with the Countess, possibly even my father’s transformation.” He crossed the room, sitting back down next to her. “I just didn’t want you to think I was hiding anything from you.”
“Thank you,” she said, swallowing back tears. “Have you had any luck finding your dad?” Lana asked, avoiding the subject.
“Not much.” Lex finished his drink and sat it on the table. “He’s nearly impossible to track, and even if I could find him, I don’t think I could get anyone close enough to stop him.”
“What do you mean?”
He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Clark had an allergy to meteor rocks. It seems to be the only thing that stops the superhuman effects of the transformation. The fact that it’s surrounding the mansion is the only reason we’re safe here.”
Lana laughed slightly. “Kind of weird to be living in a house fortified against your best friend.”
“That’s not Clark out there,” Lex said bitterly, his face clouding over. “It’s not my father anymore either. That thing is a monster, and because of it, Clark is dead. I have to protect the people I really care about from that beast.”
Lana covered Lex’s hand with hers. “I have a feeling Clark is going to come through this somehow. For better or worse, he always does.”
Impulsively, Lex drew Lana close and kissed her chastely on the cheek. “I wish I had your faith.”
There was a heartrending moment where Lex thought he had made a mistake. But instead, Lana leaned forward and kissed him very gently on the lips. “You already have it.” Before he could recover, she got up and walked lightly from the room.
A knock came at the French doors some moments later, breaking his reverie. He crossed the floor and flung them open.
“Special delivery, Mr. Luthor,” the courier said brightly. “Special instructions not to leave it at the gate. Sign here.”
Lex scribbled at the clipboard and took the small package. Ignoring the courier, he walked over and placed it almost reverently on his desk. Inside the standard packaging was a small velvet jewelry case, which was oddly heavier than it looked.
Lex lifted the ring out of it, examining the green stone. It almost seemed to flash when he moved it. As if he’d made his choice, he slid it resolutely onto his finger.
---
“Is it done?”
Jason sighed peevishly. “Yes, mother.”
Genevieve kissed him on the cheek, petting his arm. “Such a good boy.” She rapped on the glass, signalling her chauffeur to move. “Now I think you’re really ready to proceed.”
“Yes, mother.”
Series: K'ex
Summary: Meanwhile, back at Luthor Mansion. Again.
Fandom: Smallville
Word Count: 911
Rating/Warnings: PG this installment
Pairing: Lex/Lana this installment
A/N: Yes, I hijacked the plot for a chapter. And yes, I am a sucker for inserting comic canon into Smallville. Do you love it? You know you do. Much of this is setup for the sequel (that's right, I said it).
Lana stood near the wall in the garden, wishing she could fade into the earth. There were reporters everywhere; the security guard standing next to her had already batted a few of the less scrupulous ones away. She could already see the headlines: Grieving Luthor Finds Comfort With Mystery Woman.
Lex, on the other hand, was far calmer than he had any right to be. The press conference was brief, and stuck to the facts as they were supposed to be: his father was dead, LuthorCorp would continue business as usual, there was nothing to be alarmed about. He was cool and witty, and Lana was starting to envy his poise.
Inside the house, however, it was a different story. As soon as the study was clear, Lex collapsed on the couch. Lana sat down next to him, offering him a bottle of water and rubbing his shoulders.
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you before all the excitement,” she told him as he downed most of the bottle. “Mrs. Kent called. Chloe’s home. She’s staying with the Kents for now.”
“Good.” Lex sighed, rubbing his head. “Do you want me to have someone take you out there?”
Lana grimaced, slightly. “I actually wasn’t going to go over just yet. Mrs. Kent said that she’s still really shaken up.”
“I’m not surprised.” Lex sat the bottle down with a little more force than was necessary.
“That is, unless you want to be alone for a while.”
“Of course not.” He lay a hand on her knee, squeezing it gently. “I’m really grateful that you’re here.” Lex rose from the couch, walking over and pouring himself a drink. “I can’t help but notice that you haven’t said anything about Jason today.”
Lana stared into the fire. “He called this morning. He said that Clark finding out about us made him have an attack of conscience.”
“You didn’t tell him about-”
“I didn’t think it was a good idea,” Lana said, cutting him off. “I told him that if he can’t handle my closest friends knowing about us, then maybe he can’t handle our relationship.” She paused, staring ahead. “I don’t know, maybe I was too harsh.” Lana turned back to face Lex. “These last few days have just made me rethink what’s important.”
Lex looked into his scotch, avoiding her gaze. “I didn’t want to have to be the one to tell you this,” he said, bringing his eyes up to look at her. “My father and Jason’s mother are old friends. When I was going through my father’s affairs, I found out that they’d started corresponding again.” He took a deep breath. “It’s possible you didn’t meet Jason by accident.”
“But,” Lana protested, bewildered, “what purpose could me being close to Jason possibly serve?”
“I’m still doing some research, but I think it has something to do with the Countess, possibly even my father’s transformation.” He crossed the room, sitting back down next to her. “I just didn’t want you to think I was hiding anything from you.”
“Thank you,” she said, swallowing back tears. “Have you had any luck finding your dad?” Lana asked, avoiding the subject.
“Not much.” Lex finished his drink and sat it on the table. “He’s nearly impossible to track, and even if I could find him, I don’t think I could get anyone close enough to stop him.”
“What do you mean?”
He paused, choosing his words carefully. “Clark had an allergy to meteor rocks. It seems to be the only thing that stops the superhuman effects of the transformation. The fact that it’s surrounding the mansion is the only reason we’re safe here.”
Lana laughed slightly. “Kind of weird to be living in a house fortified against your best friend.”
“That’s not Clark out there,” Lex said bitterly, his face clouding over. “It’s not my father anymore either. That thing is a monster, and because of it, Clark is dead. I have to protect the people I really care about from that beast.”
Lana covered Lex’s hand with hers. “I have a feeling Clark is going to come through this somehow. For better or worse, he always does.”
Impulsively, Lex drew Lana close and kissed her chastely on the cheek. “I wish I had your faith.”
There was a heartrending moment where Lex thought he had made a mistake. But instead, Lana leaned forward and kissed him very gently on the lips. “You already have it.” Before he could recover, she got up and walked lightly from the room.
A knock came at the French doors some moments later, breaking his reverie. He crossed the floor and flung them open.
“Special delivery, Mr. Luthor,” the courier said brightly. “Special instructions not to leave it at the gate. Sign here.”
Lex scribbled at the clipboard and took the small package. Ignoring the courier, he walked over and placed it almost reverently on his desk. Inside the standard packaging was a small velvet jewelry case, which was oddly heavier than it looked.
Lex lifted the ring out of it, examining the green stone. It almost seemed to flash when he moved it. As if he’d made his choice, he slid it resolutely onto his finger.
---
“Is it done?”
Jason sighed peevishly. “Yes, mother.”
Genevieve kissed him on the cheek, petting his arm. “Such a good boy.” She rapped on the glass, signalling her chauffeur to move. “Now I think you’re really ready to proceed.”
“Yes, mother.”
