Chapter Text
Morning found Lex in his office, staring blearily at his computer screen.
When he was younger, Lex had never been a morning person. Mornings were for crawling into bed after a long night of partying to pass out until the afternoon had long since commenced. Necessity had changed that when he'd finally assumed his place in Luthorcorp and self-discipline had made it natural now that he was CEO of his own rising company.
Not that he enjoyed getting out of bed before the sun had risen. No, that hadn't changed but the reasons behind his dislike of mornings had. Now mornings meant having to untangle himself from a still sleeping Clark before slipping quietly into the shower. Mornings were a soft kiss on a slightly stubbled cheek and moments indulged in staring down at the exhausted figure sprawled across the bed while Lex breathed a silent prayer of thanks for the man who'd become the other half of who he was. The half he couldn't do without. Mornings were having to force himself to rise and turn away, to climb into the penthouse's private elevator with only one look backwards, before descending to the waiting car that would bring him to the LexCorp building for yet another long day in meetings and teleconferences.
Lately, mornings came accompanied by a tension headache, one brought on by muscles taut from waiting sleeplessly in bed for Clark to complete his patrol for the night and return to his side. In the five years that they'd been living together, Lex had never been able to fall completely asleep until he knew that his lover was safe again. It might be incredibly difficult to hurt Superman, but it was still possible. So Lex fought the heavy pull of exhausted lids until he felt familiar weight dip the mattress beside him and a strong arm slide gently across to curl across his waist. No words spoken, just the soft brush of lips across his own and then Clark's head drifting down to rest against the curve of his neck and Lex could finally close his eyes again.
In the beginning, Clark had tried to tell Lex that he didn't need to wait up for him to come home. Lex had responded by asking Clark if he would be able to sleep if their roles were reversed. The topic had never been broached again. Instead, Clark had tried to complete his patrols as quickly as possible, but the increase of crime in Metropolis had seen a corresponding rise in the need for Superman and early nights were a rarity.
Last night had been no exception and Lex had fallen asleep at the first touch of Clark's arm.
The buzz of the intercom brought Lex out of his daze with a snap and he rubbed a hand across his face before pressing the button.
"Yes, Shari?"
"Clark's on line two." Lex looked at his watch - 9:05 a.m. Like clockwork.
"Thank you, Shari." A deep breath to shove the exhaustion back and Lex picked up the receiver.
"Clark..."
"I'm so sorry, Lex." The misery and guilt in Clark's hushed voice was like a punch to the gut. It always was. Lex exhaled slowly.
"Clark, you have nothing to apologize for. I understood what was involved when I signed on for the duration." Softly spoken, soothing words that held all the conviction Lex could place in them. A long silence followed by the shaky sigh that meant Clark wasn't about to be placated so easily.
"It was our anniversary, we were going to celebrate on the balcony with dinner and candlelight. But then..." Clark's trembling voice trailed off and Lex felt his chest tighten in sympathy.
"I know, Clark, I know. It's OK." Lex had read the paper on his way into work this morning and the fire that had engulfed the apartment complex had been enormous. The police and firemen were crediting Superman with the fact that there were any survivors at all.
"I don't know why you put up with me." Some of the misery had left Clark's voice and Lex felt the vise around his chest loosen a little.
"Because I love you, idiot." Contrary to both their expectations, Lex had never found those words difficult to say. Not to Clark, not after he'd seen the answering expression radiating from the younger man's face. A soft snort from the phone brought Lex's attention back to the present.
"So eloquent, Lex." There it was, the sound of a smile finally creeping back into that deep voice and Lex could breath again.
"I learned from the best." This time his words were answered with a chuckle and Lex's own lips curved into a smile.
"Yeah, I know. Look, why don't you meet me for lunch? Say, 12 o'clock?"
"I can't, I have a meeting with Bettincour Industries at 12 - how about 2 instead?"
"Damn it, I can't. Perry wants me and Lois to interview Councilman Allen to find out what his intentions are to curb the rising crime rate. By the time we get back and write up the article..." Lex could hear the smile already dimming on Clark's face and he responded quickly.
"Hey, it's OK. I have a few proposals I need to work on this afternoon anyway. Raincheck for tomorrow?" His words were met by the muffled sound of someone shouting and Clark's frustrated sigh.
"Listen, Lex, I have to go. Perry's having a coronary about something. I'll see you tonight, ok? Promise. Love you."
"Love you too, Clark." The words were barely out of his mouth before the dial tone was ringing in his ear. Exhaling quietly, Lex gently replaced the receiver in its cradle and turned back to his computer.
No, he was definitely not a morning person but he would be whatever he needed to be, for both of them.
*********
Lex barely heard the soft click as the passkey disengaged the lock on the door to the penthouse, one hand busy loosening the tie about his neck and face drawn with exhaustion from a day filled with meetings that went on too long and subordinates who never stopped clamoring for his attention. Slow, confused blink at the unusually dim lighting, and he opened his mouth to call out. A blur of movement and then.
The hard lines of a familiar body pressed him into the door behind him, the crush of lips against his own that swallowed his soft gasp of surprise. A gasp that changed to a strangled moan as possessive hands roamed across his jaw and down his neck to his chest, pulling the tie from his collar as a thickly muscled thigh was pressed insistently between his own shaky legs. Momentary prayer of thanks that at least *one* of them was strong enough to hold him upright before he found his head being tilted back and sharp teeth begin to nip at the curve of his neck.
"Clark... aren't you supposed to be... oh god... patrolling?" Clark's lips leave his skin only briefly to respond.
"I decided to call it an early night to make up for yesterday."
Then the sudden flare of heat as blood vessels broke beneath the renewed onslaught of that hungry mouth strangled any further questions in his throat and he could hear himself whimpering into the almost silence. Almost, except for the wet sucking sounds and ragged breathing that had robbed him of any thought save one.
"Clark..." A desperate buck of his hips against the slow, teasing grind against his achingly hard cock and the words were gone again. Rational thought followed them right out the window when Clark dropped to his knees before him and talented fingers went to work on his belt. He managed to drag a single gulp of air into rapidly working lungs as cool air hit sensitive skin.
Wet, volcanic heat. Welcoming, unrelenting tightness took him in and drew him down in a single, practiced motion. Tightened lips drew back slowly, he could hear himself begging incoherently, before they dove right back down again. Narrow, pale hips thrust in quickly shattered rhythm and his fingers found their way to twine in damp hair. Desperate attempt to anchor himself, to make it last, but he could already feel the liquid rush building along his spine. A particularly skillful curl of the tongue and that was it. He was vaguely aware of screaming as the world was obliterated by his orgasm, and then everything went dark.
He came to some time later to find himself being cuddled under warm sheets, with gentle fingers traced his face and smoothed across his chest. Had to swallow several times before he could manage to make his throat form actual, coherent words.
"That... was... mmm... nice. But... it's early, what happened to patrolling? Not that I'm complaining, mind you..." The warm puff of laughter against his bare scalp and then the comforting rumble of Clark's voice.
"I did a few quick sweeps but the city's pretty quiet. I figured it could do without me for one night and well... I missed last night and I wanted to make it up to you."
Clark's voice had gotten softer as he finished speaking and Lex shifted until he could press his face into warm skin. Placing a gentle kiss against the pulse of Clark's neck, he shook his head.
"You make it up to me every day, Clark, just by being here." The arms holding him tightened and Lex let his eyes drift shut. For the first time in longer than he could remember, he fell asleep before midnight.
*********
Weak sunlight against his eyelids brought a smile to Lex's face and he stretched slowly, only to let the smile fade into a frown when his arm encountered the bare space beside him. Opening his eyes to find the room empty and the shower silent, he threw the sheets off and grabbed for his robe. It might be Saturday and he might have slept in a little, but Clark almost never woke before him. Ignoring the sudden warning bells clamoring in his head, he didn't bother to tie the sash as he opened the bedroom door to call out for his lover.
"Clark?" The faint rustle of paper from the living room at the end of the hallway was the only response to reach his ears and Lex quickly hurried towards it.
The first thing he saw was Clark's bowed shoulders from over the back of the leather sofa, tension radiating from the other man's stillness. The lack of response, of any indication that Clark was aware he was there sent a shiver down his spine. Something was very, very wrong.
"Clark?" He didn't bother to hide the concern in his voice, not with fear pounding his heart against his ribcage. Rounding the edge of the sofa slowly, he felt it seize up at the sight of silent tears streaking their way down Clark's face and the newspaper clenched tightly in his fists.
"I heard it happening, Lex. I could have stopped it." The raw pain in Clark's voice broke his paralysis and Lex found himself beside him in an instant, one arm reaching out to draw Clark to him. For a moment, his actions were met with resistance and then Clark broke. A ragged sob choked its way out and then a wet face was buried against his shoulder as that broad frame threatened to shake apart.
"I could have stopped it, but I'd heard it before and I thought... I didn't think she was being hurt this time... I just wanted to get home... to surprise you..." Running a soothing hand up and down Clark's back, Lex slowly pulled the twisted paper from his hands and spread it on his lap. He had to close his eyes after the first few sentences.
'Prostitute found brutally murdered in apartment on Lower East Side... Traumatized child taken in by Child Services... No other family... No witnesses found...'
Letting the paper fall to the floor, Lex wrapped both arms around Clark and held him close.
"Oh Clark... You can't be everywhere, you're not responsible for every act of sick violence in the world. Shhh, it's not your fault..."
"It *is* my fault, Lex! If I'd only stopped to check it out, that woman would still be alive... that little boy wouldn't have... wouldn't have lost..." Renewed sobs strangled the words in Clark's throat and Lex tightened his arms, rocking him gently.
"I have to fix it, Lex... I don't know how, but I have to fix it..." The whisper was barely audible, filled with overwhelming guilt, and Lex found himself nodding his head slowly. His own voice solid and comforting, despite the pain in his chest. The need to take the despair from Clark's voice as involuntary as breathing.
"Whatever it takes, Clark, I promise." He could only hope it was a promise he could live up to.