Archive of Our Own

Disclaimer: This is a continuation of my retelling of "The American President," which belongs to Warner Bros. and Castle Rock Entertainment. "Smallville" and its characters are property of the WB. I don't any of it. This story is for entertainment purposes only.

Author's notes: This is a follow up to my fic "The Lexian President." It picks up where the first story left off and does not include any more of the material from the movie. Thanks to Kellie and Rhiannonhero for beta-reading. Hope everyone enjoys and please send feedback!

_Part 1: The Circle of Trust_

Lex hardly batted an eye when Clark told him the truth about his alien origins. He simply said, "I see. Well, it's good to finally know. Thank you for trusting me with your secret."

"What? `It's good to finally know?' `Thank you?' That's it?" Clark said in disbelief. They were sitting on the couch in Lex's bedroom. Lex had finished giving the State of the Union address and the newly reunited couple had come back to the private residence to talk.

"Well, what do you want me to say, Clark?" Lex asked as he got up to fix himself a drink.

"I don't know. That you're surprised. That you're angry that I kept it from you. That you want to know more." Clark sighed. "That you're scared," he added quietly, staring into his lap.

"I'm not scared, Clark," Lex said as he put down his glass and the bottle of brandy. He moved back to the couch, taking Clark's hands into his and said, "I fell in love with you, not what you are biologically, although the package is quite lovely." Lex flashed Clark a smile as he let his eyes move over Clark's body, sending a shiver through them both. "And you're right. I do want to know more. But I can hardly say I'm surprised."

"What do you mean?" Clark said, looking up to meet his lover's eyes.

"Clark," Lex started, sighing as he returned to fixing his drink. He didn't want to have the discussion about secrets and honesty that they'd rehashed a thousand times over while in Smallville. After Nixon's death, they had put it behind them and silently agreed to a fresh start. "For almost four years, I watched you be stronger and faster than everyone else, not to mention practically indestructible," Lex said, pouring the finely aged amber nectar into a snifter. "You were hit by a maniac in a Porsche, bullets bounced off of you, you pulled two men up from a broken catwalk, not to mention staged a one-man prison break from a highly secured research institution."

Lex paused to take a sip, savoring the delicate flavor and preparing himself for a confession.

"I tried to find out everything I could about you from the day I met you," Lex said, his back still to Clark. "I know you were adopted by the Kents shortly after the meteor shower," Lex said, ticking off the evidence on his fingers. "I know my father set up your adoption. I saw how you reacted to the octagonal piece I found in Baker's Field. I met the crop-duster who saw your ship land the day of the shower. And your father may have destroyed Nixon's video footage, but Nixon still took notes that were... made available to me. I'm sorry if I invaded your privacy, Clark, but I can put the pieces together," Lex said as he turned to face Clark. "If you weren't an abandoned child affected by the meteor rocks, you could only be an alien."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Clark said, rising to his feet.

"Because I let it go."

"Let it go?" Clark said throwing his hands up in confusion. "Jesus, Lex, you would never stop talking about it when we were in Smallville. I mean, you were always investigating, digging around... at least until..."

"Until Nixon, Clark?" Lex finished for Clark.

"Yeah..."

"Nixon's notes provided me with enough information to finally make the pieces click in my brain, but Nixon's death provided me with the will to finally let go."

"Let go of what? Of your interest in me?"

"What are you talking about?" Lex said, shaking his head at Clark. "I didn't just give up a second-term and pretty much my entire political career because I ever lost interest in you."

"But Lex, I know you. You get fixated on things. Some would even say obsessed." Lex smiled at that, but Clark continued seriously. "And often, when you've finally figured something out, you get bored with it and let it go. Back then... you were always trying to find out more about me, my secrets. I have to admit: it was nice having you focus all that attention on me, even if it was about something I couldn't give you. But if you finally figured it out, if you let it go all those years ago, isn't the fascination over?"

"Clark, I could never stop being fascinated with you," Lex reassured.

"Lex," Clark started, a little frantic, "you're the President. Before that, you were a senator and before that, an incredible businessman--cultured, wealthy, famous. Handsome," Clark added, sighing. "What am I? A country kid who grew up on a farm who went to college three hours away from home and stuck around to become a lowly reporter for the local paper. If me being an alien doesn't fascinate you, I don't know what I'm going to do to entertain you for the rest of our lives," Clark finished as he collapsed onto Lex's bed in a state of hopelessness.

"Clark, I love you, but you're being an idiot."

"Excuse me?" Clark said, looking up to see Lex smiling at him.

"You're being an idiot," Lex repeated, putting his glass down and making his way over to Clark. "Clark, yes, I admit that my initial fascination with you centered around the fact that A) you saved my life and B) I was pretty sure you had done it after I'd hit you with my car. But I fell in love with you because you were a good man: kind and honest--well, about the things that mattered, at least. You saw past my name and my status and you saw something in me, something worth loving. Nobody had done that since my mother passed away, Clark." Clark looked up at Lex's mention of his mother. It still touched him to hear Lex share something so personal. "You not only gave me a chance at life when you pulled me from the river that day, but you gave me a chance to live that life as a better man."

Lex moved closer to Clark, raising his hands to run his fingers through Clark's hair. Clark dropped his head to savor his lover's gentle touch, eyes glazing over with tears, and brought his hands to rest on Lex's hips, his forehead resting on Lex's chest.

"And when I say I let go all those years ago," Lex continued, almost whispering in the quiet of the room, "I mean that I let go of my obsession with what happened the day of the meteor shower and the day of the car crash. I replaced it with my love for you. I finally admitted to myself that I was in love with you the day Nixon's notes confirmed my theories. Yes, you were an alien. Yes, you had been lying to me about all those times you seemed to be in the right place at the right time, defying science and logic. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered because I wasn't afraid of you. I didn't want to exploit you. I wasn't mad at you for lying or keeping secrets. If anything, I only wanted to know more because it would be more of you, more of who and what you are. Trust me, Clark, my fascination with you extends far beyond your alien origins."

"I hope I can live up to that," Clark whispered into Lex's chest, hands moving to hold Lex's waist.

"You already have," Lex replied, pulling Clark into him, holding onto each other as if they might never let go.

Clark and Lex stayed like that for a moment. It had been a long day and while the rest of the world ran around reacting to Lex's confession of his love for Clark, the couple took a moment to simply enjoy each other.

"Clark," Lex said, breaking the silence.

"Mm?" Clark replied, head still buried in Lex's chest.

"Did you say you were going to try to entertain me for the rest of our lives?"

Clark pulled back from Lex to look up at his lover's face.

"Oh yeah, well I figured since you won't have a job in a year or so and it's kind of my fault, you might want to shack up together," Clark said timidly.

"Well," Lex said, chuckling, "with an offer like that, how can I refuse?"

Clark smiled widely, holding Lex close to him. Clark was about to about to show Lex how much he loved him when they heard a knock at the door.

"Yes?" Lex said, loosening his grip on Clark and looking expectantly at the door.

The door opened slightly, but no one walked through.

"Dad?" Lily's voice called out hesitantly.

"Yes, Lily," Lex answered, walking over to open the door fully. "Come in."

"Hi Dad," Lily said as she walked in. "Hi Clark."

"Hi," Clark greeted, smiling.

"So, you're together now?" Lily asked, looking first at her father, then at Clark.

"Yes, Lily, we are," Lex answered simply.

"Do you love each other?" Lily asked, looking sternly at Clark.

"Yes, we do. Very much," Clark answered gently, smiling.

Lily smiled and rolled her eyes as she grabbed the door handle to leave.

"Told you so," she said triumphantly before she left the couple to themselves.

Clark raised his eyebrows at her exit, chuckling along with Lex.

"Should we tell her about you-know-what?" Clark asked, turning serious for a moment. After all these years, it was still hard for him to say the word "alien."

"It's up to you, Clark," Lex replied, placing a hand on Clark's shoulder.

Clark smiled, touching Lex's hand. "Okay. Someday."

Lex's remaining year as President went smoothly considering the events leading up to his decision to not seek re-election. His lame duck status started earlier than usual of course since there were no more coattails for his fellow party members to ride on. Lex reverted to pushing important legislation through his closest political connections, those who had stayed loyal, choosing to remain silent on controversial issues during his final year.

Lex still had millions to live off of from his years running LexCorp, not to mentioning inheriting LuthorCorp after his father's death, but Clark insisted on keeping his job. He asked to be relocated back to the Metropolis office once Lex's Presidency ended and Lex returned to LexCorp to sit on the Board of Directors. It had been a big deal when Lex handed LexCorp over to its board and executive staff to accept his seat in the Senate, but Lex had done it happily--with two provisions. The first was that the company would retain its name--after all, Lex wasn't absolutely sure he would become President one day and he needed a way to leave some legacy. The second was that the board be open to Lex's membership if and when he decided to return to LexCorp. Lex didn't want to necessarily return to running the place again, but hey, he needed a job, didn't he? Both employed and happily attached to each other, Clark and Lex--well, Lex really--bought the penthouse at the top of the Presidian building in downtown Metropolis.

The house staff was taking care of most of the moving, but Clark insisted on helping. While the staff was busy in the other wing of the penthouse, Clark used his powers to "help the moving process along." He was carrying five boxes of books to the study when he noticed an errant piece of paper lying on the hardwood floor. Ever the Boy Scout, he shifted the boxes to one side and bent over easily to pick it up so that no one would slip on it. That's when he heard a voice.

"Clark?" Lily said from the doorway.

Clark suddenly lost his balance, partly out of surprise, partly out of the habit of intentionally looking clumsy, and the boxes came crashing down to the floor.

"Oh, hi Lily," Clark said, as he looked at the girl, grinning sheepishly. "Back from school already?"

"Yes," Lily said calmly, putting her backpack down in the foyer and taking off her coat. "Is there something you want to tell me, Clark?"

"No, not really," Clark said, trying to fake confusion at her question. "I was just helping the staff move some of your father's things."

"I see," Lily said as she eyed the mess of boxes on the floor. It was eerie how she was starting to sound and act more and more like her father everyday. "Clark, you were carrying quite a lot of boxes there."

"Yeah, well, they're light," Clark said, laughing nervously.

"They're labeled `Books'," Lily said as she pointed to the boxes.

Before Clark could come up with anything even resembling a plausible lie, Lex rushed into the room. "Clark, what was that sound?"

"Dad," Lily answered for Clark, "I think Clark has something to tell us."

Lex looked at Lily, Clark and then the mess of scattered boxes and figured that Lily had seen Clark do something that, by all stretches of the human mind, shouldn't be possible.

"Clark," Lex said, shaking his head, "I don't know how you managed to keep your secrets all these years when you can't even hide it from a fifteen-year old, albeit very intelligent, girl.

"Dad, what's going on?" Lily asked, confused.

"Lily, Clark isn't exactly from around here," Lex said as he guided his daughter and his lover over to the sofa to have a seat. "Remember when I told you about when I lost my hair?"

"In Smallville, right?" Lily asked, crinkling her forehead. "The meteor shower?"

"Yes, well, I had something to do with that," Clark said guiltily.

"But I thought you said you didn't meet each other until the day of the car crash."

"Yes, well... actually, we met before that," Clark said to Lex.

"We did?" Lex said, suddenly looking over at Clark in surprise.

"The day of the shower," Clark answered. "My father. He's the one who gave your father a ride from the cornfield to the hospital. I was in the truck that day."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lex asked, forgetting about what they were trying to tell Lily for the moment.

"I didn't really think it mattered," Clark answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Dad," Lily interrupted, looking at her father, "what is going on?"

"I'm an alien, Lily," Clark declared.

Lily snapped her head to look at Clark, eyes wide, mouth agape. Clark waited for her to say something, but when Lily didn't seem like she was going to say anything any time soon, he continued.

"I came down with the meteor shower in a spaceship," he said, rubbing sweaty palms over jean-covered thighs. After all these years, he was still wearing flannel and jeans. "My biological parents sent me to earth because their home planet was going to be destroyed. As far as I know, I'm the last of my people and I've been living here on earth ever since," Clark explained in one anxious breath before pausing to stand up. "In fact, I didn't know the truth until that day your father hit me with his car."

Lily just sat there, watching Clark pace back and forth, taking in everything he had said. Clark looked back nervously at her stunned face.

"Lily," Lex urged, "please say something. You're scaring us."

"This is awesome!" Lily exclaimed, jumping up to run over to Clark. "Can you do stuff? I mean, yeah, you're obviously very strong since I saw you carrying all those boxes, but what else? What else?"

"Um," Clark started out slowly, not sure if he was relieved or even more nervous at Lily's enthusiastic response. "I can run really fast, I'm pretty indestructible--your father actually shot me once--I can see through things like an x-ray, not to mention things really far away, like a telescope. I have really good hearing, powerful breath, like a strong wind... oh, and heat vision. I have heat vision, too."

"Heat vision?" Lily said, looking up at Clark in wonder.

Clark stared at the fireplace, lighting up a crackling fire.

"Sweet!" Lily said, looking at the roaring flames. "Anything else?"

"Oh, yeah... I can fly," Clark muttered under his breath.

"What? You can fly?" Lex asked in disbelief. Lex hadn't really gone through an inventory of Clark's powers until today, but he had no idea that Clark could fly.

"Yeah," Clark answered, clearing his throat. "I kind of did it by accident after my sophomore year in college. I had been floating on and off since I was fifteen, but after a particularly long run through the fields one summer, I just... took off," he finished, mimicking flying with his arms.

"This is so cool!" Lily exclaimed again. "Can I see? Can we go fly somewhere?"

"Uh, I don't think so, Lily," Lex said, getting up and trying to be the reasonable parent. "I think you need to get comfortable with this whole thing first."

"I'm fine with it, Dad," Lily whined, looking at her father.

"Okay, then, I need to get comfortable with this whole thing first," Lex replied.

"Are you sure you're okay with this Lily?" Clark asked timidly before she could plead with her father again. "You're not freaked out or scared or anything?"

"Not really," Lily said nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, you look pretty human, as far as I can tell. Although I'm sure my dad has a better idea than I do," she said, flashing her father a smirk. Lex's sexual history had made it to national newspapers and Presidential press conferences, but it was still strange to hear his own daughter joke about it. "And I like you," Lily said, considering her father's lover. "You seem to love my dad a lot and you're good to him--not to mention good for him. And this whole thing is just so cool!" she repeated as she jumped up and down.

"Yes, Lily," Clark said, laughing, "I love your dad a lot. And I think I may just love you too," he said as he pulled her into a great big bear hug.

"Oh," Lily said suddenly, pulling away for a moment. "But we can't tell anyone. If this information were to get into the wrong hands..." she said, deep in thought.

"Right," Lex said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "So you can't tell anyone, Lily. Not even your friends. The only people who know are the three of us, Clark's parents and his friend, Pete."

"Right," Lily said, nodding. "Top secret," she stated as she raised her right hand to mimic taking an oath. "Luthor's honor."

_Part 2: Birth of A Superhero_

Clark shot up in bed, cold sweat breaking out over his body. He never really sweat--he didn't experience the usual consequences of physical exertion--but he did when in times of extreme distress or fear.

"Clark?" Lex said sleepily, turning to look at his lover. Upon seeing him breathing hard, eyes wide in fear, Lex sat up immediately, placing a hand on Clark's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"She's dead, Lex," Clark whispered matter-of-factly.

"Who's dead?"

"An old woman on the other side of town," Clark said, burying his head in his hands. "She's dead. They broke into her house, robbed her and killed her."

"No, Clark," Lex said, rubbing Clark's back. "It was just a dream."

"No, Lex," Clark said, lifting his head to look into his lover's eyes, his own glistening with tears. "It wasn't a dream. I could hear it. It was like I was there. I can hear everything," he finished in despair.

"What do you mean you can hear everything?" Lex asked hesitantly.

"I mean that I can't go a minute without hearing somebody crying for help or getting hurt," Clark shouted. "Even when I'm sleeping," he explained, "I drift on the edge of consciousness and wake up when the noise in my head becomes too loud. I learned a long time ago that I can't save everyone, but I also can't live like this anymore. I have to do something," Clark said as he got out of bed.

"Something?" Lex asked, concerned. He certainly didn't have Clark's powers, but he could imagine the burden Clark was carrying--to know that you have been given special gifts, to be constantly bombarded by those in need, knowing you have something to give them, but also knowing that helping them could open a flood gate that could never be closed. Lex sometimes felt the same way Clark did--his money and affluence, his power as President often reminded him of his responsibility to help others. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, money, affluence and power can usually shield you from feeling the pains of that responsibility.

"Yes, help them, save them," Clark said, interrupting Lex's thoughts. "Something."

Lex watched as Clark put on his robe and sighed.

"Well, we'll just have to get you a costume then," Lex said, calmly.

"What?" Clark said, turning to look at Lex, eyebrows raised.

"A costume," Lex repeated, getting up to put on his own robe. "Every superhero needs a costume, Clark." Lex hadn't spent the better part of his childhood reading comic books to not put his knowledge to good use eventually. After all, Bruce Wayne, his old friend from prep school, had seemed to pick up a few pointers from Lex's long rants about his comic book obsession.

"Lex," Clark said, exasperated, "quit joking. It's not funny."

"No, it isn't, Clark," Lex snapped back, looking at Clark. "And I'm not joking. You think this is the first time I've seen you wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, looking like you've seen a ghost?" he said, trying to control his voice for fear of waking Lily. "I can't go on seeing you like this. You can't go on like this. But I'll be damned if I let you go flying around, stopping bullets and saving people looking like Clark Kent. You might have been lucky in Smallville, but here, they'll lock you away and study you until... until..." Lex trailed off, unwilling to finish the thought.

"There's nothing that can hold me, Lex," Clark said, not needing to hear the end of Lex's sentence. "You've destroyed all the meteor rocks."

"Yes, I have, Clark," Lex replied, softer, but more desperate. "But they'll find a way. And I can't lose you like that. Not when I can protect you. I got rid of all those damned rocks. I can do this."

"You got rid of the rocks for me?" Clark asked, confused. "I thought you said you did it to help the people of Smallville, the mutants."

"I did, Clark," Lex said, sighing, "but don't you think I saw the way you reacted to the rocks? To Lana's necklace? To the rocks in your pockets when I shot Nixon?"

Clark met Lex's gaze, remembering that day in the woods. Clark had thought Lex hadn't seen Jonathan remove his rock-filled jacket, but leave it to Lex to be unnervingly observant even after shooting a man. It had been over twenty years ago, but the memory was still fresh in his mind: the pain of the rocks as he helplessly watched Nixon attack his father, the loud sound of the gunshot when Lex saved his father.

"Please, Clark," Lex said, breaking the silence. "Let me do this for you."

"Okay, Lex," Clark acquiesced, pulling Lex to him. "Okay."

Clark and Lex put a costume together with help from Lily. They chose the primary colors that Martha had dressed Clark in for so many years--bright and vibrant, guaranteed to catch the public's eye--and the symbol of his people back on Krypton, as the AI from the ship had explained and that had reminded Lex of the breastplate of Alexander the Great, for the mark of this new superhero. They chose to err on the side of too noticeable, too loud, hoping that the tight spandex body suit, flowing cape and bright emblem would distract people, taking attention away from Clark's face. Clark took to wearing clunky, dark-rimmed glasses at work, citing years of staring at books and computer screens and an aversion of sticking things in his eyes as reasons for the hideous eyewear instead of simple, unobtrusive contacts.

Clark knew that he couldn't save everyone. He had learned that years ago when he had exhausted himself during his freshman year of college, constantly distracted by those in need in a crowded urban area. He decided that he would only get involved in situations where his powers were a real advantage--uncontrollable natural disasters, complicated crime rings, and international crises. He concentrated his activities to Metropolis, taking the city under his wing like many superheroes had done before him--Batman with Gotham City, the Flash with Keystone City, the Green Lantern with New York, and Wonder Woman with Gateway City. And with the help of his life partner and his newly adopted daughter, no one knew that Clark Kent had become Superman.

Years passed as Superman watched over the city and Clark watched over his new family. Lily was set to graduate high school at the top of her class and had offers from the nation's best schools. Perhaps she would grow up to be a doctor, like her mother. Lex became the head of the LexCorp Board of Directors, but also went into the venture capital business, helping new companies get their start. He specialized in young entrepreneurs trying to fight the legacy of their fathers. Clark stayed on his local beat as a Daily Planet reporter, writing articles on regular city news as well as the occasional one on the activities of his alter ego.

"So, have you decided between Princeton and Stanford?" Clark asked as he used his heat vision to make some toast. Ever since they had told Lily about his powers, Clark had finally relaxed around his lover's daughter, able to use his powers and open up personally. He was free to be himself and Clark and Lily had grown closer over the years.

"I don't know," Lily answered, sitting at the kitchen counter and flipping through college catalogues. "They're both great schools, but California!" she said, thinking of the bright sun and blue skies of California compared to the snowy drudgery of the east coast.

"But, Lily," Clark said, buttering a piece of toast and taking a bite, "I thought you said you liked Princeton more after visiting both schools."

"I did," Lily answered dejectedly. "Stanford was a little too... granola," she said, crinkling her nose. "But still, at Princeton..." she trailed off.

"Afraid to follow in your father's footsteps?" Clark asked gently as he handed Lily the rest of his toast. Clark often provided Lily with perspective on being a Luthor much like he had offered her father over the years.

Lily looked up at Clark, taking the toast and sighing in relief. She knew Clark would understand. Lily loved her father and usually tried to be like him, but the Luthor in her still tempted her to rebel, even if it was just for the sake of rebelling.

"It's his alma mater, Clark," Lily replied, spreading honey over the toast. "Not to mention, by some weird twist of fate, I want to study the same things he did."

"What's wrong with that?"

"I don't know," she said. "It's just a lot of pressure to go to your father's old school."

"Lily, I think you'll feel pressure anywhere," Clark said as he poured Lily a cup of coffee. Lex didn't like it when she drank coffee--he said it would stunt her growth--but Clark slipped her some every once in a while. All that coffee at the Talon during high school hadn't seemed to hurt him or any of his friends. "Your father was President and your last name is Luthor. You know the burden that carries and you've never been one to shy away from it. Why now?"

"I don't know," Lily muttered. "Aren't Luthors supposed to rebel?"

"I think that tradition ended with Lex," Clark answered, smiling.

"I just know that he's going to be so happy when I tell him I'm going to Princeton and not just that, I'm going into the biochemistry program too."

"Well, don't do it just to make him happy. Do it because it's what you want to do."

"I know. And it is what I want," Lily said firmly, but then slumped her shoulders despondently. "I'm just afraid to live in his shadow."

"Lily, if you ask me, there are worse shadows to live in," Clark said, putting a hand on Lily's shoulder. "But if I've learned one thing all these years, it's that Luthors don't live in anybody's shadow."

"Well said," Lex said as he entered the kitchen, tying his necktie. Upon seeing Clark and Lily talking so seriously, he stopped. "What's going on? Something wrong?"

"No," Clark said, patting Lily on the shoulder and walking over to get Lex his coffee. "Just talking about colleges."

"Oh," Lex said, taking the cup from Clark, "Have you decided?"

"Yes," Lily said, closing up the catalogues and getting up from her stool. "I'm going to Princeton."

"Congratulations," Lex said, smiling and hugging his daughter. Clark and Lily waited for him to say more, but were only greeted by a cheerful Lex helping himself to some toast.

"That's it? `Congratulations'?" Lily said. "No talk of `daddy's little girl' and your glory days at Princeton?"

"Well, I could, but I thought I'd save that for when we took you to freshman orientation," Lex said. "The whole thing really goes off better if we're actually on campus."

Clark chuckled, but Lily just rolled her eyes and went to her room to finish getting ready for school.

"So, you're really not going to say anything?" Clark said as he picked up the morning paper.

"No need to," Lex said, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm just glad I didn't raise a daughter that completely hates me."

"Lex," Clark said, walking over to stand behind Lex, arms snaking around his lover's waist. "You're not your father," he whispered into Lex's ear. "If anything, Lily wants to be just like you."

Lex sighed, closing his eyes and feeling the warmth of Clark's body against him.

"Whatever you say, Clark," Lex said. He opened his eyes and began buttering his toast with a little smile on his face.

_Part 3: All Good Things Must Come to An End_

Clark and Lex had met up in the penthouse for an extra long lunch break, none of it spent eating. They lay in bed, spooning, sleep threatening to turn their rendezvous into an all-afternoon affair. Before he drifted off completely, Clark got up to go to the kitchen, knowing that he should get back to the Daily Planet office soon before Lois threw a fit. They had stopped being partners a long time ago, Lois still in the prime of her career as an investigative journalist, but she still liked giving Clark a hard time about his long lunches with his lover--whom she had yet to get an interview with, not for lack of trying. She often reminded him of Chloe. Clark let Lois hunt down Superman once in a while, giving her the occasional interview and watching her swoon over the Man of Steel. It still made him laugh to see Lois Lane, tough city reporter and investigative journalist, turn into a puddle of hormones at the very mention of his alter ego.

Clark was finishing a glass of water as he mused to himself about Lois when Maria, the cook, walked in.

"Oh, Mr. Kent, I didn't know you were here," she said, pad and pencil in hand.

"Hi, Maria, and please, call me Clark," Clark said, smiling. After all these years, she still refused to call him by his first name. "Just decided to come back to the penthouse for lunch."

"I see," Maria replied, grinning to herself. Mr. Luthor and Mr. Kent often came back to the penthouse "for lunch." They had done it often when Lily was still living at home, going to school. She guessed old habits were hard to break. "Your parents grow artichokes, right? We're going to need them for the produce order this weekend."

"This weekend?" Clark asked, confused. "You're going to have it shipped all the way here to the city?"

"No, sir, to the castle," Maria corrected. "The staff is moving in on Saturday. Didn't Mr. Luthor tell you?"

"Oh, yes, I remember now. Sorry," Clark said, feigning understanding. "Yes, they have artichokes. Well, have a good day, Maria," he said absentmindedly.

"Yes, sir," Maria answered, looking at Clark with a slightly confused look.

Clark walked back to the bedroom, quietly opening the door and closing it behind him. Lex was still in the same position Clark had left him, on his side, curled up into a ball, as if he was waiting for Clark to return to his position beside him.

"Lex?" Clark called out gently as he climbed back into bed.

"Mm?" Lex answered softly, rolling over to be pulled back into Clark's embrace.

"When were you going to tell me you were re-opening the castle?"

"Um, now?" Lex answered as Clark felt him tense in his arms.

Lex pulled away and sat up, rubbing sleep away from his eyes. He folded his hands in his lap and sighed.

"Clark," he began, "I'm re-opening the castle."

"And?" Clark said, sitting up to look at his lover.

"And what?" Lex said, trying to sound casual.

"And there's more. You have your Presidential face on."

"My Presidential face?" Lex asked, confused.

"Yes, your Presidential face, not to be confused with your Luthor face," Clark explained, smiling. "It's the one where you have bad news, but you're going to be diplomatic about breaking it."

Lex made a face at Clark's statement, but continued, "And I'm going to be moving back to Smallville."

"What?" Clark cried in surprise. "What about your job?"

"I'm going to step down from the board," Lex said calmly, "and I can do most of the VC work from Smallville. I'm having a staff put in a fully-equipped office with all the technological bells and whistles."

"And me? What about me?" Clark asked, hurt creeping into his voice.

"Well, my house is your house, Clark," Lex said as he took Clark's hands into his. "You're welcome to stay here in the penthouse. Continue with your job at the Planet. Continue being Superman. Nothing has to change."

"Nothing has to change?" Clark repeated, pulling away. "What about us? How can we live three hours away from each other and still be together?"

"A lot of people have long distance relationships, Clark."

"Not when they've already been living together for so long. And certainly not when they don't have to, Lex."

"We'll still be together, Clark. Just not as much," Lex added.

"Just not as much?" Clark said, repeating Lex's words in confusion. "You know, even I can't deal with flying back and forth between the castle and Metropolis all the time. Besides, the increase in trips would only increase the risk of being discovered."

"That's why I'm saying you should stay in Metropolis," Lex said softly.

"What's going on, Lex?" Clark asked. Lex was pushing this too far. This wasn't just an idea he had been considering. He had made a decision and Clark wouldn't let it happen.

"Nothing's going on, Clark," Lex answered, trying to sound relaxed. "I'm just saying that I'm at a point in my life where I'd like to retire from the daily grind, move to the country. Enjoy my life outside of the hustle and bustle of the city."

"And me? Am I not a part of that life you'll be enjoying?"

"No, Clark, you'll always be a part of my life, of me. I'm just saying that Lily's in college now, you have your responsibilities at the Planet and as Superman. Maybe its time for me to get away, spend some time alone."

"Alone?" Clark asked indignantly. For lack of a better word, Lex was breaking up with him and he felt like he had just been hit in the chest with a sledgehammer. And unlike a real sledgehammer, this might actually kill him. "I thought we agreed to stay together forever, to make a life together. How can we do that if you're alone? You can't possibly mean for us to be apart."

"Maybe I do," Lex whispered, refusing to meet Clark's eyes. Yet, when Clark didn't answer, he looked up to find large green eyes, shiny with coming tears.

"Clark, you've hardly aged a day since we met," Lex said, trying to control his voice. "The AI told us you would live on for centuries with the power of the earth's sun. I'm not. Maybe it's better I leave now. Let you get used to a life without me."

"No, Lex, I don't want to get used to it," Clark moaned, crying in desperation. "I don't understand. Where is this coming from? Why are you doing this?"

"Because I'm dying, Clark!" Lex shouted, hurt by Clark's crying and angry that he was the one to cause it. "And this time, you can't save me," he finished.

Clark fell silent. Lex wouldn't say something like that lightly. He switched on his x-ray vision and began to scan Lex's body. He hadn't done this in years--it simply hadn't occurred to him to monitor his lover's internal health. Lex had a team of the best doctors, after all. He eyes stopped when he saw the growing mass in Lex's abdomen.

"Cancer?" Clark gasped.

"Of the pancreas," Lex replied, nodding. "It's inoperable."

"How long?" Clark whispered.

"Six months," Lex said, swallowing the lump in his throat. He had been diagnosed almost a month ago, but it was still hard to say the words. "Maybe a year."

"There's got to be a cure, a treatment, something," Clark said quickly, rushing to Lex's side. "We'll see more doctors, get second opinions..."

"No, Clark, I've seen all the doctors I'm going to see," Lex said, pushing Clark's hands away. "It's a rather aggressive tumor and unfortunately, the pancreas isn't exactly something you can just remove and be okay."

"But there's got to be a way..." Clark whined desperately.

"No, Clark, it's over!" Lex yelled. He didn't know if leaving Clark or the cancer was going to kill him first, but he was frustrated and wished Clark would just accept this. "Please, Clark," Lex pleaded, refusing to look at Clark. "I've buried everyone I've ever loved except you and Lily. I can't let you watch me die. I can't put you through that."

Clark sighed and considered Lex. Lex was sick and he was scared. Clark had never had to deal with the former, but he knew more than enough about the latter.

"Lex," Clark said gently, "do you remember when we first started dating? That weekend at Camp David?"

"Yes," Lex answered, calmer.

"I offered to go away for a while. To get out of the picture so Rumson would stop using me to attack your character."

"Yes, I remember it," Lex said. He didn't know where Clark was going with this, but at least they weren't fighting anymore. Maybe Clark would accept his decision.

"Do you remember why I offered to do it?"

"You said my Presidency was my destiny."

"Right. And do you remember what you told me?"

"Clark," Lex said with an exasperated sigh. "My destiny might have been to be with you, to make a life with you, but I've done that and I can die a happy man. But you, you're meant for much more than I ever was. Superman, that godforsaken costume, all of it," Lex said, waving his hands in the air. He may have helped to design the outfit, but he didn't have to like it. "That's your destiny, Clark. You came here as a gift to everyone who has ever even heard of you, most of all to me, but you weren't meant to live an ordinary life. You weren't meant to watch your lover die. You're Lily's father now as much as I am. Take her, take everything and let me be," Lex finished as his voice cracked.

"No, Lex. You keep everything. You keep all of it," Clark said almost angrily. "Don't you get it? I was meant to watch my lover die. I was meant to watch everyone I ever loved or knew die before me," he said, voice cracking at the harsh truth of his statement. When Clark had seen Cassandra's vision, he didn't fully understand it. Only as he grew older, watched his family and friends get sick and grow old, did he understand that he would have to endure the pain of delayed mortality. "But I'm not going to just let you walk out of my life because of it. Do you think I give a flying fuck about being Superman when you're sick? When you're about to leave me?"

Clark was shouting now in frustration. Lex just stood there, taking it all in. Seeing Lex so still, Clark could see how hard this was for Lex. It was true: Lex had buried everyone he loved except for Clark and Lily. Alien or not, Lex had already had a taste of what Clark would experience. Lex was too proud and too scared to make other people see him in his time of need, weak and unable to help himself or help those he loved who were hurting. But Lex had told Clark once to not make the same mistake Lex had when his mother was sick, that the most important thing had been to spend time with her before she passed away. Lex was right. Clark had spent time with Ryan before he passed away and now, Clark would be there for Lex.

Clark made his way over to Lex, placing a hand on the older man's cheek. "I'm going to Smallville with you," he said firmly, but gently. "You told me when we first met that we had a future together, the stuff of legend. My destiny isn't flying around in a costume. Quite frankly, I'm not even supposed to be doing that--non-involvement in human events, remember?" Clark said, letting a small smile creep over his face as he turned Lex's face towards him. "If anything, my destiny is to help people and call me selfish, but I've decided that I want to help you. You're everything to me. I didn't expect to have to lose you so soon, but if I am, I'm going to spend every minute with you until I have to."

"I hope you don't regret it, Clark," Lex said quietly. For all his decision-making and experience commanding armies, Lex still folded under the touch of his lover. He couldn't deny Clark anything. Even if it was letting Clark watch him die.

Clark gave his two weeks notice to the Daily Planet the next day. When Lois heard about it, she sidled her way over to his desk and plopped herself down across from Clark.

"So, Smallville, big city life too much for you?" Lois asked, smiling. "Finally heading back to the farm?"

"Something like that, Lois," Clark muttered as he organized the pile of papers on his desk. They had been sitting there for months, probably years, but now that he was leaving, he might as well tidy up.

"What's wrong, Kent?" Lois asked seriously. She was used to friendly jibing, but Clark wasn't responding today.

"Nothing."

"Oh come on, Kent," she said, "I haven't worked with you for this long to just get a `nothing' out of you before you leave. Come on. As a friend?"

"As a friend?" Clark asked, looking her in the eye. "Off the record, then?"

"Ooh, then it must be good," Lois cooed.

"I'm serious, Lois."

"Okay, okay, off the record."

"Lex is sick," Clark said, praying he wasn't making a mistake in telling Lois. He had come to consider her as a friend, but you never knew with a journalist. He should know. "We're going back to Smallville. He's only got a little while left."

"Fuck, Kent," Lois cursed, sounding sincerely apologetic. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize."

"I know, Lois," Clark sighed. "It's not your fault."

Lois watched Clark fidget with the papers on his desk, at a loss for words. "So, you're moving back to the castle?"

"Yeah, his father gave it to him as a gift when LexCorp celebrated its IPO. He said he'd rather spend his last days there instead of Metropolis."

"Makes sense," Lois said, nodding.

"Why?" Clark asked, looking up to question the brunette.

"Well, that's where you met, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, from the story of how you two met--which I've heard about a thousand times at every Christmas party you two throw," she said, rolling her eyes, "sounds like he wants to die in the town where you gave him life."

Clark smiled at that. "Maybe, Lois. Maybe."

*(on the news)*

"Hundreds came to Metropolis Memorial Church today to celebrate the life and mourn the death of former President Alexander `Lex' Luthor. Luthor suffered from pancreatic cancer and passed away two days ago in his home in Smallville, Kansas.

"An intelligent and ambitious man, Luthor graduated from Princeton University with degrees in biology and chemistry. While Metropolis was his home, he declined his acceptance into the Metropolis University graduate program and moved to Smallville in 2001 to run the LuthorCorp fertilizer plant, owned by his father, Lionel Luthor, head of LuthorCorp. In 2002, he staged a buy-out of the plant with help from plant employees and opened his own company, LexCorp. Through Luthor's leadership and business acumen, LexCorp has grown to be one of the largest corporations in the world, especially after absorbing LuthorCorp in 2005.

"Luthor was elected to the Senate in 2010 as the Democratic representative from Kansas and fast-tracked his political career to become President in 2016. At thirty-six, he was the youngest elected President ever and enjoyed some of the highest public approval ratings during his term. Luthor was responsible for passing revolutionary environmental and crime legislation, but was perhaps best known for the scandal surrounding his sexuality toward the end of his Presidential term. He declined his party's nomination for re-election after revealing the nature of his relationship with Clark Kent, a former reporter for the Daily Planet and later his life partner, making Lex Luthor the nation's first and only bisexual President. Luthor served on the board of directors of his former company when his presidency ended, as well as embarked on his careers as venture capitalist and philanthropist. Numerous companies got their start with money from Luthor's six-billion-dollar venture fund and even more foundations and charitable organizations benefited from the former President's benevolent gifts.

"Luthor moved back to Smallville with his family upon his diagnosis nearly a year ago, but will be buried in the Luthor Memorial Site in Metropolis, next to his parents, Lionel and Lillian Luthor. Luthor is survived by his partner Clark Kent and his daughter, Lillian."

The End.