An hour later, Clark was having a cup of coffee and chatting with the obviously bored night guard when Lex showed up. Guilt spiked through Clark when he saw the dark circles under his boyfriend's eyes, the telltale tremble when he shook the guard's hand. When Lex tossed him the keys, saying, "You drive, I'm exhausted," Clark knew something was really wrong. Lex never admitted a weakness if he could help it, not even to Clark.

Clark was pretty sure he knew the answer and was dreading it, but he felt compelled to ask, "What's wrong?" He pulled his boyfriend into an awkward hug. He was acutely conscious of the possibility that they might be seen, that word might get back to Lionel prematurely. He rubbed his cheek once against the smoothness of Lex's head before reluctantly letting go and unlocking the car.

"I was worried, your mom was worried, and I had a lot of legal paperwork to get set up," said Lex tersely as he flopped into the passenger seat. He sprawled gracefully, and it was clear that he didn't want to broach the subject of Clark's day any more than Clark did.

"Legal paperwork?" said Clark, adjusting the seat and belting himself in before starting the car. He took a moment to just appreciate being at the wheel of a genuine Ferrari 360 Modena. He looked over at his boyfriend and felt a trickle of real warmth for the first time since their goodbye kiss this morning.

Even worried and exhausted, Lex's presence made everything alright. Lex, and the Ferrari. Because, damn was this a nice car. Troubles and worries aside, Clark was still a teenage boy and Lex in a Ferrari was enough to divert his mind from everything else. Well, except the road; Clark pulled out carefully, following Lex's vaguely gestured directions. The visions in his head of what he and Lex could do in or on this car distracted him enough that he only half-heard Lex's reply.

"Your mother's helping me to make it legal for you to live with me while you're fighting with your dad -- turn right here -- so when the sheriff shows up asking what I think I'm doing with Jonathan Kent's seventeen-year-old boy, I won't immediately go to jail."

"Why jail?" Clark asked, puzzled.

"This is Kansas, and there's sodomy laws, oh underage one."

Clark remembered the infamous Club Zero incident and chuckled, replying "Somehow, Lex, I think that's not such a big problem. You're more likely to get knocked unconscious again."

"There's also the fact that I am by no means your legal guardian and you're living under my roof, having run away from home," said Lex.

"I didn't run away, I was kicked out." And damn, but that hurt even to say. Clark's chest tightened up, his good humor draining away.

Lex grunted noncommittally. "The freeway's off to the left, there, and safety orange isn't my color, Clark. I'd prefer not to risk it now that I'd be tried as an adult."

"Yeah, that's cool, I just... it hurts, you know? That my dad didn't want me," said Clark, subdued. Lex rubbed at the tension between his eyes, while Clark merged smoothly onto the nearly empty freeway.

Despite the fact that Lex hadn't been attacked in a while, Clark still worried about his boyfriend's frequent headaches. When they next hit a straightaway, he pulled into the middle lane and did a quick x-ray of Lex's head. His eyes traced the now-familiar shadowy contours of Lex's skull, looking for damage as Lex said, "Well, your mother and I want you. That's what's important."

There was nothing unusual there, but something lower down caught his eye. Concentrating too much to reply, Clark squeezed Lex's hand as he scanned carefully past the neck, keeping one eye on the road as he did collarbones, ribs, and arms. Something in the left arm wasn't... oh God. Lex's left upper arm had a fracture, a hairline crack that ran almost completely through the bone, right underneath the purple-green bruise of Clark's handprint.

Clark had broken Lex's arm. And Lex hadn't... "Why didn't you tell me?" he croaked, throat suddenly tight. He knew he was being infuriatingly vague, but he was having trouble voicing his thoughts. He'd trusted Lex to help him work through his strength issues, and he couldn't do that if Lex hid it when he was hurt.

"Tell you what, Clark?" Lex sounded weary, and guarded, and at that moment Clark knew that not all of Lex's secrets had been revealed in his confession. After all this, Lex didn't trust him.

He turned his eyes to the road, his voice full of quiet anger as he replied, "Your arm. I *broke* your fucking *arm* and you didn't see fit to share it with me."

One shaking hand shot up to cover the spot, and Lex's eyes grew wide. "It's not..."

"It's broken. You've got a hairline fracture, right beneath that huge bruise you also didn't tell me about."

"Fuck," said Lex, swallowing hard. "Well, I thought it was just a bone bruise, OK?" Leather squeaked as Lex shifted to look at him. "Shit... I would have told you if I'd known."

Clark sighed. Trust was a two-way street, and a quick glance at Lex's showed worry and hurt, no trace of the furtive guilt from before. "I-I'm sorry, Lex. I guess this means we slow things down even more. Find some way I can learn to keep control while I'm losing control, or something."

They rode in silence for a stretch, both of them lost in thought. Clark tried to get back into the groove of driving the Ferrari, wanting to enjoy the freedom of long, traffic-free stretches of road. He turned over ideas in his head, maybe something with tissue paper, or eggs... His teenage libido wasn't ready to give up its newfound image of Lex bending him over the hood of this car without a fight.

"I was thinking of running some tests, anyway," said Lex, softly.

Clark braked suddenly, pulling over to the side of the road at the last minute. Panic squeezed his chest as he said, "Tests?" He turned to Lex, fear making all the blood drain from his face. "What kind of tests, Lex?"

Lex laid a comforting hand over Clark's. The worry was still hovering around his eyes, boyfriend warring with scientist. "Nothing terrible, but if you're really not... from around here, I'd like to make sure your bodily fluids aren't poisonous to me before I come into... intimate contact... with any of them. And vice versa, for that matter."

Clark's heart was racing, adrenaline or the alien equivalent making his blood sing with the fight-or-flight instinct. Lex squeezed Clark's hand comfortingly as he added, "I really don't want to have to call your parents and say, 'I think my cock killed your son.' Is that ok?"

That startled a laugh out of Clark, and some of the unreasoning terror drained away. "I... I'll have to think about it. For the most part, food and the like have affected me the same as... other people. But..."

There was a long pause while Clark tried to sort out his feelings. He had a deep-seated fear of labs, doctors, and tests, one that his parents had wisely instilled in him. Just like his fear of hurting people. But he was starting to realize that a big part of growing up was learning when to look past his childhood fears. This was one of those times where he could protect himself and his lover better by overcoming them, and trusting in Lex.

"Clark... we don't have to do any of this if you don't want to. Safe sex practices will protect us from most of the dangers; I just wanted to... you know, be sure. I'd be more comfortable if I knew there was nothing to be afraid of."

Clark took a deep breath. He could do this. He could act like and adult, and trust Lex, his boyfriend, the man he lived with and already trusted with so much. "You're right, Lex. It's smart, and really, I should know more about my body than I do. I don't even know if my internal organs are the same." He thought back to Friday night, blushing as he added, "Although I think I can say on pretty good authority I've got a prostate, or something like it."

Lex's eyebrows rose. "Oh, really?"

Clark just blushed deeper, glad the road they were on was deserted, and then began driving again. Apprehension still curled tight in his belly, fluttering and cold. He tried to sound calm as he asked, "Where?"

"Huh?"

"Where would you... test me."

"Well, I wasn't really planning on testing *you* per se, actually. I just wanted to get a semen sample and maybe blood, saliva, and urine. Whatever you're willing to give me. You don't even have to come into the lab."

"Would anyone else know?"

"Nope, not a soul. I built myself a private basement lab so that I can work on confidential projects in my spare time, without fear of industrial espionage."

That was such a bizarrely Luthorian image that Clark just had to ask. "Confidential projects? What do you do in there, clone babies?"

Lex laughed. "Well, right now I'm working on your father's idea of finding a cheaper, organic way to make fertilizer. Very exciting, but I do run a crap factory."

"Oh."

Miles passed quickly as thoughts circled around his mind. Lex was going to test him. In a private lab. Where no one else would know, or care. But he trusted Lex. He did. And Lex trusted him, even though he'd broken Lex's arm. And was on the verge of ruining Lex's reputation. And possibly sending his best, and at this point possibly only, friend to jail.

"Lex?"

Lex had been in a light doze, and it took him a second to respond. "Huh?"

"What're we gonna tell Chloe? I mean, if she tells everyone that we're dating, won't it make things harder for you?"

Lex sighed. "It will and it won't. If your mother is in the interview with us, we may be able to spin things so that people will actually believe that we've chosen to abstain until you're of age."

"So, we're going to tell everyone that we're not doing it?" Clark was dubious. "I mean, will they believe that?"

"Well, your mother's a pillar of the community. If she's there, endorsing the relationship, it will help. We'll explain how tragic we all feel it is that it's tearing your family apart, and how we're planning on waiting until you're eighteen next year before we make any permanent, life-altering decisions, out of respect for your father."

"Is it true?" His hands gripped the steering wheel, feeling anxious and sick.

"What?" Lex asked, confused.

"Are we going to abstain until I'm 18?" Almost a whole year of not touching Lex, no matter what happened with his powers. He didn't think he could stand it.

Lex's eyes widened. "Clark, I... I don't want to rush you into anything. I want to let things progress naturally between us."

"In English, Lex?"

He smiled ruefully. "Sorry, sometimes when I'm in PR mode it's hard to get back out. What I mean is, we'll have sex when you're ready, regardless of whether that's tomorrow or ten years from now."

"Huh," said Clark, and Lex let his exhaustion take over, and went back to napping. Clark fell silent, lost in thought.

Eggs. Or tissues, but eggs seemed like a better place to start, since gripping seemed to be his biggest problem. And maybe some kind of restraints? He felt his cock stir at the thought, and let that line of reasoning keep him occupied the rest of the way home. He'd bring it up to Lex one of these days, but for now he needed something to keep him going, something that wasn't tainted by cold, harsh reality.

The road stretched on before them, and he hadn't even had to shift gears in miles, so he put a hand out to cup the back of Lex's head gently. He splayed his fingers out over Lex's skull, feeling the knob rest in the center of his palm. He felt the soft skin, letting the warmth in his loins grow as he imagined the things he'd do with it. Licking, gentle nibbling, feeling it rub against his belly, his thighs. His cock. Lex rubbed against him like a cat, a soft noise escaping his throat.

The noise turned to a whimper when Clark's hand tightened just a touch too far. Clark snatched it away, heart plummeting. It seemed destruction was all he had to offer these days. His friendships with Pete and Chloe, his reputation, his family, Lex's arm... they were all broken, some of them beyond repair.

Clark pulled into the driveway with loneliness weighing heavily on his heart, while Lex slept unaware beside him. He shoved his feelings down and plastered a wan smile on his face before shaking Lex gently awake. Lex stumbled, exhausted, into the mansion, and Clark followed long enough to make sure he made it into bed before retiring to 'his' room. But it was a long, long time before he slept.

continued in Out, Chapter 11: Home Sweet Home