Title: Unstoppable
Authors: Lex's Lady & Mistress Ace
E-mail: LexsLady@aol.com & rosewood@inreach.com
Feedback: It's the icing on the cake. We write because the story demands to be told. Feedback lets us know if we struck a chord with you.
Distribution: Our website, of course, www.fandomwriters.com. The list archives are welcome to it also. Anyone else, please ask first. We'd like to know where our fic is going.
Rating: NC-17 (eventually – or maybe quickly depending on the whim of the muses)
Category: Crossover, Romance, Angst
Spoilers: All of season 1 of Smallville and season 6 of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer
Pairings: Buffy/Clark/Lex (m/f, m/m, m/m/f)
Disclaimer: We don't own the characters at all (however much we might wish we did). Buffy and all references to BTVS are property of the great god Joss Whedon, et al. Clark, Lex and the Smallville storyline belong to Miller-Gough et al. We're just borrowing them for a while. We promise to put them back unharmed and perhaps a little happier.
Notes: ** denotes internal thought, * = italics.
Summary: What if the Summers girls moved to Smallville? What if Buffy discovered that Clark had a secret and thought he could use a confidant?
Dedications: From Em: To Ace, for her never-ending support and her willingness to work on this with me. She writes both Clark and Lex in a way I could never hope to achieve, and I couldn't possibly have done this on my own.
From Ace: To Em for reminding me why I love Buffy. To Beth for being my Smallville watching partner even when the scripts were awful. To the whole Clark/Lex list for opening my eyes to the potential here. And finally to Christina for her great story; Runaway Trains at 3 A.M. which was part of our inspiration. You can find it at: this site.
 

Chapter 3

"Sure, sounds good," Buffy agreed. She scanned the room, looking for a good way to start. Other than the brief struggle she'd witnessed in that alley earlier in the week, Clark didn't seem to be much of a fighter. He was just too gentle. So, though she wouldn't be able to hurt him, a demonstration on him would be highly unfair.

What to do, what to do? Her eyes finally lit on a dartboard on one of the far walls and the case of small, metal darts hanging beside it. Not the flimsy plastic kind, but real ones. Kind of a strange thing to be found in a gym but who was she to complain? They'd work just fine for what she had in mind.

"How about we start with these?" she asked, trotting over to the set. "One of my skills is increased accuracy. I can hit anything I aim for, head on. From a lot farther away than most people. Sound like an okay starting point?" She flicked the case open, gathering up the darts as Clark joined her by the board.

"That sounds great." Darts weren't easy. Lex had been trying to teach him how to play but Clark hadn't gotten the hang of it yet. After he'd drilled several holes in the oak paneling of the game room, Lex moved the dart set up to the gym where there were padded walls. That had been pretty embarrassing when Lex explained his reasoning. Clark hated damaging things.

So, darts turned out not be one of his favorite games even though Lex said he wasn't doing too bad for a beginner. Pool was a whole different story though. He was getting better at pool. A lot less of the balls ended up jumping off the table when he hit them now than they did when Lex began his lessons in a gentleman's art. Plus he'd managed to not break the cue or tear the fabric on the table, Lex called it baize, breathing the word in Clark's ear as he positioned Clark's hand on the cue and moved in close behind him to adjust the angle of his elbow, then his hips.

Lex didn't step back immediately after Clark took that shot. Instead he stayed put, discussing angles and tapping his fingers along the edge of the table while Clark felt the heat of a body so close to his just sink into his bones. He turned towards Lex and received a half-smile from his friend before the moment broke and Lex finally moved away from him.

That night had led to some pretty disturbing dreams.

Buffy picked up the handful of darts and walked away from the target. She passed the line on the floor where people normally shot from, then doubled the distance before she stopped. The darts ought to fly that far. "Can you take the darts out of the target after they hit? I wouldn't want to mess them up by making them hit too close together..." She waited for his nod, then smiled at him as she threw the first dart.

It slammed into the target, right in the center of the bull's eye, quivering from the force of impact.

"Nice shot," he called out, whistling in appreciation as he approached the dartboard. Wow. Dang. Even Lex wasn't that good. Clearly impressed, Clark did as requested. He removed the dart and stepped back. Not that she'd hurt him if he got hit but he didn't want to mess up her aim or break the dart. Lex was kinda fond of the set, he'd told Clark it was one of the souvenirs from what he called his misspent youth.

When he was clear, she turned her back to the target. With a quick glance behind her, she tossed a dart over her shoulder and hit the center of the target again. It impacted with less force, but was no less accurate.

Then she started showing off. When Clark was clear again, she took a couple steps back. Lunged into a forward roll and threw the dart as she came out of it. Hit the center of the target again. Absolute dead center.

The whistle this time was much louder. It took a lot of precision to hit a target that small when you were standing still. Clark could hardly imagine the coordination it took to hit it when you were moving. "Wow... that's amazing."

Buffy blushed lightly. "It took a lot of practice. But you get into enough one-on-many fights and you learn. Punch, duck, throw a stake, punch another one, jump out of the way, roll with a hit... it all sort of becomes easier." She shook her head. "I used to train with Giles, my Watcher. He taught me a lot. And darts were a safe way to learn to target... much safer than throwing stakes at people. Plus, Giles was always good at darts. He said he played a lot when he was younger. Anyway, later on in my training I had someone strong enough to actually work out with me. I always had to hold back, but it's good to practice that way."

Clark nodded in agreement, he'd have given anything to have somebody strong enough to keep up when all this stuff started happening to him. So it was cool that Buffy'd had that in the past and yeah... she had that now. With him. Wow, coolness factor through the roof again. "Well... you won't have to hold back with me. I'm stronger than anybody I know."

He rolled forward onto the balls of his feet, his natural bounciness returning full force. Sudden energy came from everywhere at once, filling him up until all he wanted to do was run and laugh and jump and play. Just be a kid for once. Clark knew he was acting like a large puppy with a new toy as he grinned at Buffy but he just couldn't help it. He felt... free. "This is great! What else can you do?"

"Lots of things." She studied him for a moment, then held her hand out and grinned at him. That smile of his was infectious. "If you're sure I can't hurt you, I suppose I could toss you across the room..." She was only half-serious. She knew she could do it, but wasn't really asking him to let her throw him around.

Clark actually bounced this time, rising up on his toes and then back down again. When he was younger, his mom used to call him Tigger because he was so full of energy. Especially after he'd spent time outside. His folks wouldn't let him have caffeine or chocolate or anything like that cause he'd end up bouncing off the walls. The over-abundance of energy disappeared as he got older but it was back now in full force.

His smile broadened, "You can't hurt me, Buffy. If bullets can't hurt me, then nothing can." Clark moved forward until she could reach out to grab him and then waited. Natural exuberance and good humor practically vibrated all around him.

"Okay, then," she said, looking up at Clark with another grin. Buffy settled her hands on his legs, just below his hips so she could get some kind of leverage on him, and lifted. He was a little heavier than she was used to, but not too heavy. She felt his hands touch her shoulders for balance and she tipped her head back to smile once more.

On impulse, she spun around several times, just to see the look in his eyes as he whirled through the air. He radiated joy and innocence and so many of the things she'd lost along the way. As she stopped spinning, Buffy used the momentum to toss him across the clear space that was in the center of the room.

Clark hit the mat and rolled, coming easily to his feet. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Buffy again, laughing. Being thrown by someone who it didn't hurt to touch was exhilarating. Buffy wasn't a mutant, her strength didn't come from the meteor rocks and that made Clark even bouncier. "Again?"

Buffy looked up at him with wide eyes, then began to laugh. "Again? You know, you're the first person who's ever asked me to throw them around," she said between breaths. "Oh, goodness... okay, again." She turned them around so that her back was to the clear space and grabbed hold of his arms. Buffy dropped to the ground backwards, rolling her hips up and using her legs to throw him again.

Might as well practice her moves rather than just exercising her strength.

Once more, Clark absorbed the throw and rolled across the mat. He bounded up, wiping his hands on the back of his jeans. This was the most fun he'd had in a very long time... except for the day Lex let him drive his Ferrari 360 Spider but that was in a class all it's own. Or maybe it wasn't - driving that car had all been about controlling incredible power and so was this...

He could feel it in her muscles, could feel it when she lifted him so effortlessly and tossed him into the air. Any doubt he had about her story was gone now. Buffy was power; she was a force of nature... much like he was. This time when she reached for his sleeve, he set his feet and concentrated on staying right where he was. Just to see if shifting his center of gravity would work.

Buffy could tell the difference immediately when he started resisting. "Ooh, fighting back, are we?" This time, throwing him took some effort. But she had more experience with fighting and martial arts, and so was able to throw him once again. It just took more concentration and effort.

"Maybe I should teach you how to fight. Some skill to go with your strength. You'd probably end up pretty much unbeatable, unless those rocks you mentioned were nearby." The offer was second nature as she reached up behind her head to skin her hair back into a tighter ponytail while Clark got to his feet. Buffy was enjoying herself. It would be good to have a decent sparring partner again. Somebody to keep her sharp.

"Usually all I have to do it push someone. Most people are pretty fragile." Clark took note of what she did and when he got back into position, he shifted his weight on one foot. That shift changed the balance of everything and when Buffy grabbed for him again, she was the one that got thrown this time. He tried to be as gentle as possible but even so, she ended up more than three-quarters of the way across the room.

"Wow," Buffy shook her head as she rolled to her feet. "I guess so. You didn't even have to think about that, did you?" She tilted her head, looking into his eyes as she returned to his side. They were shadowed, his earlier joy clouded with worry.

"You can relax, though. I'm fine. I know how to move with a fall, and I'm a lot less fragile than your average human. And though I don't doubt you could break me in half without breaking a sweat, it's going to take a lot more than that to really shake me up. So you can relax a little, okay?" Reassurance was important, she could tell from the look on his face. He really, truly didn't want to hurt anybody.

She knew exactly how that felt, having had Giles as a training partner for so many years. At least she was more resilient than Giles had ever been... or ever could be.

Clark nodded, grateful she wasn't hurt. He was trying to be very careful. They squared off against one another again and this time Buffy swept his feet out from under him with a kick. On his way down, Clark grabbed her shoulders and they both ended up on the floor with Buffy lying across his chest.

"You are quick," she acknowledged softly. "I'm glad you're on my side." Buffy lifted her head to look at him, but otherwise lingered where she was. She really just didn't want to move yet... even though her conscience was telling her that she should. Really should. They didn't need any more temptation here.

The feeling of her lying on top of him brought everything he'd felt earlier slamming right back. Clark could feel himself hardening, felt the sudden need singing under his skin. He brushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes, not daring to speak. Because if he did, he'd probably say something they'd both regret. Something like 'please'... or 'can I'... or 'God, all I want to do is kiss you'.

Slowly, tentatively, Buffy reached out and ran her fingers through Clark's hair. It was smooth and soft, and she found herself repeating the motion. It was both soothing and exciting... and was something that she could do, as opposed to most of the things that she wanted to do but couldn't. Or more accurately, shouldn't.

She closed her eyes to hide her desire and, other than the motion of her hand, held completely still. In utter silence, Buffy struggled with herself, trying to find some measure of control.

Now this was interesting, Lex mused as he stood in the doorway of the gym. He'd finished with the projections early and decided to check in on Clark and his... companion. There were a lot of things he'd never expected to walk into and this... this was pretty high on the list. Especially considering that this was Clark Kent, small-town hero and poster boy for everything good and decent and let's not forget - innocent.

But here they were, something out of a teen-age wet dream and shouldn't there be some sickly sweet alternative rock playing in the background? Something by The Calling or Lifehouse or any number of insipid bands that ruled the airwaves here in Smallville. What he wouldn't give to introduce Clark to Nine Inch Nails or Nirvana or some music that actually had some teeth. Expand his horizons... which looked like they were about to be expanded without his influence.

The beautiful girl Clark had brought into his home was sprawled across Clark's chest and she was playing with his hair. The body language between the two of them was fascinating. Lex couldn't remember when he'd ever seen Clark so at ease with a member of the opposite sex. Or when he'd felt such a sharp stab of jealousy. Lex debated announcing his presence but after a moment it appeared that at least one of them had heard him.

Clark sat up abruptly, shielding the girl from prying eyes and shot a quick, hard glare over his shoulder. That reaction Lex knew all the way down to the depths of his soul. The dog with a bone aware that another dog had just entered his yard. Standard reaction, a little surprising with Clark, but understandable. The almost angry, guarded look faded instantly when he spotted Lex lounging in the doorway. Ah, now there was the easy openness he usually associated with Clark.

"Lex... Has it been two hours already?" Clark was blushing furiously and he knew it, he could feel the heat in his cheeks and along the back of his neck. God, how much had Lex seen? He hadn't been there before, had he?

"No. I finished early. Are you two all right? I thought I heard some crashing around in here." Lex strolled into the room, his heels clicked on the polished floor and then were muffled by the mat as he drew nearer. His hands remained tucked into his pockets. He exuded an air of unflappable calm, while on the inside his curiosity about the beauteous Ms. Summers ran rampant.

Clark was young. His loyalties should change like the wind but from Clark's own admission he'd remained attached to Lana Lang for years without hope of being noticed. It was only when he earned Miss Lang's friendship that his attention turned to Miss Sullivan, who by all accounts had been angling after Clark for years as well. Despite the rest of the mysteries that surrounded his best friend, Lex knew one thing about Clark Kent.

Clark's loyalty was as constant as the Northern Star.

So why had he jumped ship now and ended up like this? With a young woman on his lap and, if Lex's single appraising glance wasn't mistaken, with one hell of a hard-on. The urge to whistle in appreciation was quickly curbed, as was any number of sharp comments that came to mind.

And despite his concern about the abrupt shift in romantic interest, he really couldn't fault Clark here. From what he'd been able to observe so far, Buffy Summers could get a rise out of the dead.

"Yes, we're fine," Buffy spoke up. She shifted in Clark's lap, both to be able to look up at Lex and to hide Clark's more visible reaction to her from prying eyes.

"Clark and I were having a sparring match. He has an advantage in height, weight, and reach, but I've been studying martial arts for a long time and know some tricks that he doesn't. It was a good match, but when I managed to knock him down this last time, he grabbed me and took me down with him." There, that was a reasonable explanation for Lex finding them on the floor, though not why they'd remained there.

**Thank God, thank God, thank God.** was all Clark could think as Buffy managed to cover up everything from Lex's curious gaze. One of his best friend's strongest points as well as his weakest was his insatiable curiosity. If Lex figured out how he felt about Buffy, Lex would be throwing concert tickets and limo rides and anything he could think of at them to make it happen for Clark.

And honestly, Clark really wanted to do this on his own. Without anyone's help or interference. Especially since he was pretty sure Buffy wasn't going to jump ship and join the 'We Want Lex' band-wagon. He kept his head down for a minute and when he was satisfied the blush had faded, Clark looked up at Lex.

Steel-grey eyes swept over every single detail, including their position. Especially their position, with Buffy straddling his lap. The silent study was unnerving. For once, Clark wondered if Lex was the one with the x-ray vision and that thought was enough to make him want to squirm.

"Well, as long as you are both fine. Clark, you should have told me you were interested in martial arts. I know of several excellent instructors..." Lex leaned against the vaulting horse, one ankle crossed idly over the other. The very picture of urbane indolence. Right down to the casual smirk and the tilt of his head towards a rack of swords over by the mirrored wall. "Or I could show you how to fence?"

Okay, there was an offer Clark could concentrate on. "Umm... I'd like that, Lex. You did give me a foil and it'd be nice to know how to use it." Parts of him were going down, disappearing under the strain of trying to act normal. Clark let go of Buffy slowly, not really wanted to lose contact with her but if they stayed this way much longer, there would be so many more questions Lex would be throwing at them.

Buffy smiled at Clark and slid her fingers through his hair once more before standing up. She held out her hands to him with a grin and pulled him to his feet. Just because she could, though from where Lex was standing it ought to look like he was getting up on his own and she was just helping to balance him.

"You fence?" she asked Lex after a moment of relative quiet while Lex continued to study both of them. "I never learned that, but I'm fairly proficient with an ordinary sword. Is it similar?"

"It depends on the style. I've heard that saber comes close. What type of sword are you used to?" Still leaning against the horse, Lex looked her up and down, immediately rejecting the idea that she worked with anything like a broadsword. The girl was simply too small to wield anything that heavy.

The thought of watching her work with whatever she was proficient in remained intriguing despite his determination to respect Clark's prior claim. Irritated with himself, Lex filed away the images that his overactive imagination was happily providing. He could save them for later, his evening shower maybe. "What discipline do you follow? Western or Japanese?"

"A little of both, actually. My... my mentor had a wide variety of skills from many different disciplines. I tend to use a katana or a specially made broadsword - it's made of some odd metal alloy that's a little lighter than usual, I think." That would, hopefully, keep him from being suspicious. The broadsword was currently in her apartment, on a stand that made it appear to be a display piece. Ready to be used if word got out in the demon world where the Slayer had gone.

The interest kicked up another twenty notches. Broadsword and katana? If she was telling the truth then his shower tonight was probably going to be the highlight of his day. Pity he hadn't found her first. But life in Smallville had taught him to respect limits and anyone Clark was interested in, he couldn't be. "I'd be happy to teach you both. It's not like I get much practice here in Smallville."

"That'd be great, Lex." Clark dusted off his jeans, wiping his palms on the well-washed fabric as he did so. It looked like his and Buffy's exercise time was over. That was disappointing but he'd missed Lex this last week and he always enjoyed Lex's company. Maybe this would be a good time to tell Lex that Buffy was going to be working for him.

It might help avoid awkwardness in the future. Plus the conversation that followed an announcement like that would probably divert any questions Lex had about what was going on between him and Buffy. Clark could practically feel Lex' curiosity where that was concerned.

But telling Lex that Buffy was going to be working for him was really something Buffy should bring up. Maybe he'd get her alone for a minute or two and suggest it.

Buffy smiled brightly. "That would be great. I'd hate to lose my skills through lack of practice. Even if it's learning something new, it ought to keep me in practice well enough." She bounced on her toes out of sheer enthusiasm, then quickly did a couple of back flips as a way to release her pent-up energy.

She was more than a little disappointed that their workout had been cut short; it left her fairly keyed-up. Smallville had been very quiet thus far and with no one to practice with and nothing to practice on, she was concerned about losing her edge. She could only do so much training in her tiny basement workout area.

So. Keyed-up all right.

Hence the back flips.

Fortunately for her sense of modesty, her shirt was tucked into her pants and didn't ride up. But if they looked closely enough, they would probably see her breasts bouncing - she needed to tighten her bra strap again, as it had a tendency to slip during the course of the day. But oh, well. If they looked, they looked. If they commented... well, she'd heard far worse things.

"She's... limber, Clark," Lex commented mildly a moment or two later as Clark ambled over with boots in hand to where he stood. Both men watched her move around the room, each of them fascinated. Their usual camaraderie only a little strained by their obvious mutual interest.

"Mmmm-hmm. And she's smart too." Eyes riveted to Buffy's lean form, Clark tried not to blush when he saw her breasts bounce. He wondered how they would feel in the palms of his hands and if she would let him touch her that way... ever. They were getting along really well but getting along and getting to second base were two entirely separate subjects.

"How long have you known her?" Casual, oh-so casual, his tone betraying nothing. Clark tilted his head to look at Lex. Who was doing that thing where he looked like he was pacing even when he was actually perfectly still. There was a flash of... something... hunger, maybe... that showed in his eyes before it disappeared behind a wall of calm.

"I've known about her for a week. Just caught glimpses of her at the school a couple of times when she's come to pick up Dawn, her sister. But today's the first time we actually got a chance to talk." Clark studied Lex for another minute or two and then shrugged. Whatever he'd seen in Lex's eyes was gone now.

He continued to talk to Lex while pulling on his socks and boots. "Buffy came by the farm today. Seems she heard about Mom's pies from Lana and came to the source..." Still warm from the workout, Clark didn't bother with the flannel shirt. He'd grab it later. Coming back for it'd provide an excuse to get Buffy alone for a minute and ask her about telling Lex she was going to be his new assistant.

With too much energy still vibrating through her, she decided to take advantage of the space in Lex's gym; Buffy ran herself through a number of tumbling moves. Pass after pass, back and forth across the clear space in the gym. She pushed herself until she was beginning to breathe faster before stopping.

The moves themselves were almost automatic, relatively mindless; it gave her a chance to calm herself down and release her pent-up energy. It also gave the guys a chance to talk a little without worrying about her listening. Which guys generally needed, at times.

Male bonding was what Riley always called it. He and Xander did it occasionally before Riley took off for parts unknown. It usually involved consuming a lot of beer and talking about sports. And Xander had mentioned missing it once Riley was gone.

"Your mom is a great cook," Lex agreed, his attention once again fixed on Buffy. His voice was distracted and he straightened up out of his indolent slouch when she completed a pass that any Olympic gymnast would give their eyeteeth for. "My God..." under his breath, so quiet that Clark shouldn't have heard him at all. Who the hell was this girl?

"Yeah," Clark agreed in an equally hushed tone. Lex hadn't been there to see the other demonstrations but it was clear that his friend was impressed. More than impressed.

"If she's not on the Olympic team, the U.S. is missing out, Clark. I think I need to make some calls." Pushing off from the horse, Lex looked surprised when he noticed Clark's hand on his arm restraining him. "Clark?"

"I don't think she wants the attention, Lex. She came here to... have a quiet life. To raise her sister and be out of the limelight." He knew Lex could pull strings. Clark could practically hear the wheels turning in his friend's head as they continued to watch Buffy move.

Buffy nailed one final tumbling run and stopped. She stood still for a couple of moments, her eyes closed, and managed to catch her breath. She felt eyes on her as she stood there, and when she looked up she caught both Clark and Lex staring at her.

She blushed lightly as she crossed the room to join them, slipping her shoes back on as she walked past them. Her socks, she could get later. "Hey... sorry. My mom got me into gymnastics as a kid because I always had too much energy. Tumbling gave me an outlet, and I still do it sometimes."

Facile explanation, but it was honest. She had taken tumbling as a kid to channel her energy. It kept her from breaking things. Her strength and coordination levels had jumped when she was Called, but she'd always had a high metabolism and energy to burn. That never changed.

"You're very good at it." Lex's voice was smooth and his appreciation of her form honest. That performance had been nothing short of incredible. His eyes raked up and down her body before he turned toward Clark. "Are you two interested in lunch or did you want to wait for a bit longer?"

"You know me... I can always eat." Happy that Lex had dropped the subject, Clark reached out to take Buffy's hand. "Are you hungry, Buffy?"

"After all that exercise? You bet." She slid her hand into his and smiled. Buffy chose not to comment about the way Lex had looked her up and down appreciatively. If he wanted to admire her, that was fine - not that she felt she was anything worth admiring. He was being polite enough, so there was really nothing for her to take issue with.

She kept to her place beside Clark, though. Not because she needed his protection, but because she wanted to be there. And so that he wouldn't have to worry about losing her to his friend. Because that wasn't going to happen.

"Good. Let me call down to the kitchen." While they watched, Lex pulled a slim cell phone out of his pocket and touched a single button. "Damien?... Yes, in the west garden, please. Ten minutes?" He paused, listening for a response. "Good."

Clark's fingers tightened over hers and he drew Buffy in a little closer. She followed his lead, her free hand coming to rest on the inside of his elbow. They both listened to Lex arrange for their meal. He was used to Lex's casual displays of wealth. In fact Clark was sure Lex wasn't even aware that things like calling down to the kitchen for a meal weren't exactly normal.

For him, they probably were.

"I suppose you need cell phones to run a house this big," Buffy commented when Lex put the phone away. "It looks like it could easily house several dozen people. But you live here alone?" How odd. Buffy didn't think she could live comfortably in such a huge, empty place. It was as quiet as a cemetery, and living in a place like that would quickly drive her crazy.

The unwanted reminder of Lex's solitude, however politely phrased, hit a nerve. Life in exile was proving harder than he expected. Especially with temptations that he didn't dare indulge in. "I have a full-time cook and an live-in assistant. Until earlier this year, there was a family living in the care-takers' house but I sent them back to Metropolis."

Lex swept them both with the same intent gaze he'd graced Buffy with earlier. The unguarded hunger was back for a second before being tucked away behind a polite mask. Turning on his heel, he led the way toward the door.

Clark caught the look again and was puzzled by it. Sometimes his friend was very hard to figure out. For a second, he wasn't sure if the hunger was directed toward Buffy or toward him... or toward both of them. It wasn't like Lex hadn't looked at him that way before. He didn't dare ask Lex about it because it'd probably just lead to more questions.

Buffy also caught the look Lex gave them, and she mused over it as they followed him silently. She tried to decide if Lex was envious of their open affection or their obvious attachment to - not to mention desire for - one another. She'd never seen Lex and Clark together before, obviously, so she didn't know if there was a mutual-interest thing going on...

But she knew all too well the needy, hungry feeling that could fill a person when they were certain that they could never have the thing - or person - that they most wanted.

When that thought crossed her mind, Buffy began to wonder when she'd decided Lex must be bisexual. Probably about the same time she realized that Lex was eyeing not just her but Clark as well, she finally concluded. What an unusual twist this was... as if things weren't complicated enough, what with her attraction to Clark and his being underage and all.

Nervous that Lex's abrupt manner might have upset Buffy, Clark shot her a look from under his lashes. She had a thoughtful expression on her face, like she was trying to figure something out. That was a feeling he understood very, very well where Lex was concerned.

Clark had been trying to figure him out for months. Every time he thought he had a handle on Lex, his friend would slip away from him... it was like trying to catch moonlight in his hands... or a fish that flickered near the surface of the water close to his hook and then skimmed away in the blink of an eye.

There were times when Lex treated him like he was a little brother. When he went out of his way to smooth things over for him. And then there were times, when Lex thought he wasn't paying attention, when that strange hunger showed up. When Lex looked at him like he was the last bit of food on the planet and he hadn't eaten for weeks.

Clark used to think it was because Lex envied his relationship with his parents because honestly... Lex's dad was the coldest person Clark had ever met.

But now Clark wondered if that look meant something else entirely. That maybe Lex wanted him from something other than a friend. And that was a very scary thought. Scary and kind of exciting and here was something else he couldn't talk to his parents about.

Buffy considered Lex as she walked along, wondering how she might be able to get him to open up. Being a person who was normally self-contained herself, she recognized Lex as being a similar type. Then she recalled something Clark had mentioned earlier and thought perhaps she might try to meet him on common ground. "Lex? Can I ask you something? I know it's a little on the personal side, but..."

Stopping in the hallway, Lex turned to look at Buffy. There was a brief flash of surprise before he tilted his head to one side. This was a little early for personal questions, especially since she was clearly interested in Clark. But if she was going to be Clark's girlfriend he needed to be polite.

If she asked something he didn't want to answer, he could always lie. "Go ahead."

"Clark mentioned that you're not much older than I am, and it looks like you live here alone... I was wondering how do you cope with life without a parent around to help you. My parents split up while I was in high school, and my mom died last year. I've been struggling with life and my sister and just trying to cope... my dad didn't even show up for the funeral. And I just wanted to see... to find out if it ever gets any easier."

Wow. Okay, she'd said a lot more than she originally planned to, and very real tears were starting to form in her eyes. But she kept her gaze on Lex and waited to see if he would answer.

Lex stood there for a moment or two, perfectly still. Clark watched as Lex looked down at the floor, very curious to hear his friend's answer to Buffy's question. Maybe this was one of those times when Lex opened up the door behind his eyes and let them see inside. Lex wasn't that shy about talking about his dad but his mom... whole different story.

"Ms. Summers, that's a difficult question to answer. My mother passed away many years ago... My father is still alive but we don't have much contact." Lex sighed, his hands tucked deeper into his pockets while he considered making any further response. "We can't all be as lucky as Clark. His family... I envy your relationship with your parents, Clark. You know that."

"I do," Clark said quietly, wanting to reach out and hug Lex. He'd seen the longing on Lex's face months ago when Earl Jenkins tried to take over the plant. Lex stood there while his father patted him awkwardly, icy eyes fixed on Clark and his parents while they hugged each other in sheer relief. That whole situation had sucked.

"It does get easier..." Lex finally said, his gaze fixed on his friend's face, for once not hiding a single thing. He was tired of hiding. He was sick to death of it. If he lost Clark because of this, at least it wouldn't be because he'd lied. Not about this. "The loneliness... it fades. Having good friends does help." The hunger came back, along with sorrow and fear and a hint of anger... all of which were swept away by something very close to love.

Too much, he'd revealed too much. Lex turned away, unable to look at Clark any longer. Rejection from his only friend would crush him. Relief came like a flood when Clark remained silent. Probably because the kid had no idea what he'd just seen. Thank God for Clark and his utter cluelessness.

"Assuming that you have them," Buffy bit her lip, wondering just how loud that comment had been. She hadn't meant to say it, but sometimes... she just missed the old gang so much. "Thank you... it helps a little to know that maybe I have a reason to keep hoping that things will get better. I came here for a fresh start and a safe place to live with my sister. Maybe I actually found it." She gave the two men a small smile, then turned away briefly to rub the tears from her eyes.

She almost wished that she could really be honest with them both. That she could tell them about the hell she'd been living in for most of the past several months. But she didn't know them well enough for that. And though Clark might believe her, Lex would probably think she was crazy. And she really couldn't blame him.

Torn between responding to what Lex just said as well as the look on his face and wanting to comfort Buffy, Clark stood there for a moment. It was Lex who came to the rescue. He closed the distance between them and silently handed Buffy a handkerchief. While she dabbed at the tears that were still sliding down her face, he raised a hand as if to touch them, then drew it back.

Not normally moved by tears, mainly because so many women used them as weapons, Lex still felt something stir within him. He wanted to hold her, kiss her, do anything to push the pain away. No wonder Clark was so taken with her. There was something about this girl. She was almost enough to distract him from his unending fascination with Clark...

Almost.

"Are you all right?" Lex murmured, raising his hand again and this time he actually did stroke her cheek.

Clark drew in a quick breath. Outside of himself and Victoria, he'd never seen Lex touch anyone voluntarily. A surge of pure jealousy swept through him. It shocked him how strongly he felt it. The only problem was - he couldn't be certain who he was jealous of...

Unconsciously, Buffy leaned into his gentle touch. Comfort was something she had very little of in her life, and she wasn't about to refuse it. Not when he seemed to genuinely care, even if it was sudden and even though he barely knew her. "No," she murmured, lifting her head to look up at Lex. Dark hazel eyes still spilled tears down her face, but she managed to give him a watery smile. "But I will be eventually, right? Things will get easier in time..."

"It does." Lex refrained from spouting platitudes; that was more Jonathan Kent's venue than his. He wanted to tell her everything would get better and one day she'd wake up and it would all be in her past but Lex was a pragmatist. Sometimes, with some people it worked that way. And sometimes it didn't.

He was an example of where it didn't.

Every year, his heart shrank a little more. Every time his father bested him at something - either on the fencing strip or in the boardroom or in the bedroom - case in point, his unfortunate liaison with Victoria Hardwick - another piece of the boy his mother loved died. The only thing keeping him human right now was his friendship with Clark Kent. A friendship he wished was something else but that was never going to happen.

From beside him, Clark made some indefinable sound and Lex looked up from his study of Buffy. And found himself drowning in the utter marvel that were Clark Kent's eyes. Warmth and honesty and mind-numbingly pure innocence shone in their depths, drawing him in.

God, this place was making him maudlin. He was starting to sound like his mother's old romance novels. Hid dad would have a field day with this.

But he couldn't help it. His feelings for Clark ran deeper than anything else in the world. He wanted so much. He'd never held back in his life and now all he could do was hold back. He couldn't lose Clark. Not even when all he wanted to do was sink his fingers into the dark mane of Clark's hair and pull him in for a kiss - a kiss that would probably end that precious friendship.

This wasn't the first time he felt that need and it certainly wasn't going to be the last.

Buffy watched Lex as his attention turned to Clark. And suddenly she knew. Lex wanted Clark, wanted him so badly that he could barely think straight. Buffy recalled her feelings for Angel and knowing that they could never again act upon them and she sympathized with Lex. She then turned her attention to Clark and recognized both the confusion and the longing in Clark's eyes as he looked back at Lex.

She suddenly felt very much in the way.

Buffy knew she was the outsider, here. The two men in front of her had been very close for a long time, but there were secrets that stood between them. And even though her heart sank as she realized as much as Clark liked her, she would never compare to Lex. If Clark ever realized what he really wanted, she'd be left behind.

She wiped her eyes one more time and murmured, "Just kiss him already..." Buffy wasn't really sure which one of them she was talking to, but it didn't matter. She'd leave it to them to sort themselves out. Shaking her head slightly, Buffy turned and headed down the hall in the direction Lex had been taking them in earlier.

Better to go now before she began to cry again. She was already on the edge enough as it was.

Those quiet words snapped Lex out of his trance. He was stunned he'd been that damned transparent, that he'd been so obvious that a girl he'd never met before caught what the rest of the world had missed. Stepping away from Clark, Lex spun on his heel and followed Ms. Summers down the hall. He caught her at the top of the stairs and laid a hand on her shoulder.

When Buffy turned to look at him, Lex asked, "How..? I've been so careful. How did you figure it out?"

*****

Back down the hall from them Clark stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, trying to sort out what just happened. He couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Kiss him? Buffy wanted Lex to kiss him? His ears had to be acting up because Buffy couldn't have said that and Lex... Lex had gone after her and was confronting her about it.

Probably because it wasn't true... was it?

It had never even crossed his mind to kiss Lex... well, it had but only when he was really deep in despair over the whole thing with Lana. There had been some nights when Clark sat up wondering what it might be like to kiss somebody who had some experience and wasn't out to kill him. Kissing Chloe was simply wrong, she was one of his best friends but he thought of her like a sister. The Spring Formal had been more out of wanting to make her happy then anything else.

And Lana was so tied up with Whitney.

Anybody else thought of him as the weird Kent kid.

So... until today - until Buffy - that left only Lex...

******

"Been there, done that," Buffy answered softly. "Broke my heart over it and it nearly killed me. Literally. But I know Clark likes you, even if he doesn't know it yet. I saw the way he lights up when you walk into a room. And, having been where you are, I recognized the look in your eyes. You hide it very well, but I think you and I have more in common than either of us is really aware of."

And that was the truth. He knew almost nothing about her, she knew almost nothing about him... but she could see and identify the emotions in his eyes, even if he thought he was keeping them to himself. Which, to her eyes, he really hadn't been. But perhaps he didn't know that. To her, they seemed very much the same.

Lex was so much like her. Stubborn, independent people who, for whatever reasons, had been forced to grow up too fast. And both of them dying a little more inside each day because they were close to the one that they loved and couldn't do a single thing about it. "I don't think Clark would or could hurt you the way Angel hurt me. I think that if you take the chance, you won't be disappointed."

"I can't take that chance. He's underage and we're in Kansas. Clark's dad would have me locked up so fast my head would spin." Lex was amazed at the words coming out of his mouth. He was admitting to it, to all of it. God, he was telling perfect stranger that he'd gone so far as to look up the laws. Not because of Amy Palmer, like Clark thought, but because of Clark himself.

He had to stop this, had to somehow turn it into a joke. Make her forget what she'd seen. He could spin this, could tell Clark that she'd made a mistake and maybe salvage the friendship. "Orange is not my best color," Lex commented dryly, his mouth quirking into a smile that he hoped reached his eyes.

That comment drew a laugh from Buffy as well as a quiet smile that Lex was curious about. The Mona Lisa had nothing on this girl. Had she kissed Clark before he wandered into the gym? If she had... maybe he could taste Clark if he kissed her too. She wasn't underage and for God's sake, he wouldn't get arrested for doing it.

Though Clark would probably clean his clock.

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at Lex's comment about orange. Her laughter settled into another small smile as she regarded him quietly for several long moments. "I was underage when it happened to me, too. And Angel... God, you wouldn't believe me if I told you how much older than me he was. It can be done, just discreetly. Besides, I know all about that particular law; my sister is the same age, and I looked it up so I would know. You can kiss him, just like I can... and if you have to keep to the law, at least you'd have him with you for those few years until he's fully legal."

She hesitated, then looked away. "I promise, if you two want to try anything... I'll stay out of the way. Clark and I have a lot in common, and I think that's why he likes me as much as he does. But it's so new, I don't think it will get in your way. And I promise you that I will do my best not to." Even if it broke her heart again. She wanted Clark but more than anything else, she wanted Clark to be happy.

Lex shook his head in disbelief. Not at her comment about the guy who'd been so much older than she'd been, that one made sense. She was a beautiful girl and any man with eyes would happily pursue her. But the thought that Clark actually wanted to kiss him.

That was laughable.

Clark Kent liked girls, they were his entire focus. Getting kissed by his best male friend didn't fit into the picture at all. "There's where you're wrong, Ms. Summers... Yes. I do want to kiss Clark. I want it so badly I can taste it. But Clark doesn't want to kiss me. I honestly don't think he'd understand and I don't want to lose the one friend I have."

"Call me Buffy," she said softly. "And I think you're wrong about him. He's young, Lex, and very innocent. Like he's been sheltered his whole life by the kind of family life you and I never had. He's confused because he thinks he's attracted to girls and there are labeling issues with wanting to kiss you. But he does. I could see it earlier, when you were staring at each other. He's still standing back there because I threw him for a loop and he doesn't know what to do about it. But he cares about you a lot, and I don't think even he has realized the extent of it yet."

*****

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