The Memoirs

Sex with his aushna' had been wild. That's all Clark could think, and even now, two hours later, his ass gave a dull, hollow thump. He trembled, shivering softly, and passed a blushing smile at the knowing smile on Lex's lovely face.

They had all the trappings of a shindig laid out in one of Lex's party rooms. Thick, cozy couches, party games--including a nifty spread out twister board made for big groups, which Clark was taking more and more enjoyment and possibilities out of every time he looked at it, and of course, the big screen TVs for sports or TV show parties. There was an enormous screen pulled down, and the movie projector with the movie Shayla had made for her boyfriend ready to roll. The cake, gifts, cookies, sandwiches, pizza, and beer had already been laid out. Lots of big, fluffy pillows to sack out on on the floor, and the enormous, state of the art CD player already spinning disks. Laid back, easy music, though it could be changed whenever they so chose.

Clark adjusted the gifts once more, the enormous blue teddy bear Chloe had bought sitting behind them, and snickered, as he glanced towards his lover. "He's just going to love this."

Lex peeked at his lover around the mountain of blue fur as he stood up from behind the TV, where he'd just finished hooking in the game console and the DVD player. "I think I'm going to make sure I keep a copy of this party, if it's anything like yours was," he said, dusting his hands off and picking his way carefully around the game board spread out on the floor and the fluffy pillows to come and stand in the door, surveying the room. "Gee, I don't know, Clark. I don't think we have enough." His hands were on his hips, and he was mentally making a guest list. "We've only got enough for Pharaoh and his army."

Clark beamed. Broadly. "Only the Pharaoh? I was hoping for Moses and his people, too, Lex." Clark muttered, grinning cheerfully. There were tons of presents, balloons, and food, and he surveyed it carefully as he smiled. "Pete... is one of the best people in our group. He feels... left out sometimes, Lex, I can tell. Well, tonight is his night. We just need more alcohol, and more cups but that, my lover," Smooch, on the cheek. "Is your job."

"Yeah. I've noticed he does." Quiet pause. "You know... maybe I shouldn't stay, Clark. Pete... is not exactly fond of me, no matter how well we've been getting along lately." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I don't want his problems with me and my family to ruin his party." He sighed. "What other liquor do we need? I can get it from the storeroom downstairs."

"You're staying." Clark said, stoutly, and rose a brow at him. "Come on, I'll help you. Pete doesn't hate you half as much as he lets on. I don't think he hates your dad half as much, either. In a way, his dad is better off now than if he'd gotten the corn factory, Lex. He was three when it happened, Lex."

"Yes, he was three when it happened, but how you were raised does have a bearing on how you see people. And I'm talking from experience." He left the party room, door closed behind them, and started down the main staircase, towards the back hall and the storeroom there. "He was raised to hate the Luthors for what they've done."

"And you were raised to be a rich snotty snot. I'm not saying you aren't, because you are, but you're also the most down to earth person I know, and not everything your dad tried to show you happened, now did it?" Raised brow, as he waited for him to agree or not to agree, and they stepped down the hall and towards the small door Clark hadn't even realized was there. It led down a darkened stairway, lit with only a few light bulbs built into the ceiling.

"A rich snotty snot?" Lex had to snort at that as he went down the stairway and flipped a switch on the wall beside the door. A little buzz, and the door opened. "I lock it electronically now, since Ms. Bird told me Shayla gets in here. Not that I mind, but I don't want Dominic crawling my ass." He walked into the room, which was about thirty degrees cooler than the rest of the house, and flipped the lights on. "And to answer you, Clark, no, not everything happened, but that was because of a conscious effort on my part."

Clark's eyes lit up as he looked out at the wall to wall display of every liquor he could ever imagine. Oh, wow. "Lex, I'm going to be a drunk in college." He beamed at him as he ran his hand over the labels of expensive wines and champagnes, as he walked in. "How do you know what ones are the best?"

"Because they had the biggest price tags," Lex shrugged. He walked past the wines and fine liquors to the back of the room, where the drinking liquor was. "Now... what does Pete like to drink?"

"I don't really know... tequila... scotch?" Clark shrugged his shoulders absently, and looked over the liquors in the back of the room. Every shape, color, and label. "They're all sweet, though. I mean, I keep hearing all this stuff about hard, dry, liquor."

"You want hard and dry? All right." Lex handed his lover an empty box. "Okay. Let's seee... ah. There we go." Lex pulled the little stepstool over one shelf and climbed up, inspecting labels. "Captain Morgan. Here... Wild Turkey bourbon should dry him out, and make sure we have water on hand to chase it with." More studying the racks. "Ah... here we are. Black label Tennessee Whiskey." Lex pulled down four bottles of the whiskey. "There. That's not the smooth Irish, that's the rough one."

"Not all hard and dry. We want to stay sober for at least half the night, Lex." Clark took the bottles and set them on the floor. "I've had Captain Morgan. It tastes like liquefied starburst."

"Half the night? That's optimistic." Lex reached over, pulling down two, then pausing, and two more bottles of vodka and passing them down. "Here, keep one of those for yourself, and we'll stop by the kitchen for a pitcher of OJ and a large tub to mix it in for you."

"Okay." He grinned, then, and took down one of the several crates stacked in a corner of the lovely wooden shelves, and put the alcohol in it, bottle by bottle. "Pete's gonna think he died and went to heaven."

"Yeah, he is." Lex turned back to the shelves, and his elbow crashed into one of the bottle necks. The bottle flipped, and slid off the shelf, hurtling down towards his lover's head.

Lex held his hand. "STOP!" he bellowed, and the bottle froze in mid-air, as though suspended from an invisible wire. "Come." Shaking and bobbling the whole way, the bottle rose in trembling increments until his hand wrapped around the bottleneck, and he put it up the shelf.

Then his entire body went slack, the cold following exhilaration and adrenaline causing him to shiver.

Clark gazed up, at the short bark, and swallowed, hard, as he saw the bottle that had nearly careened into his noggin, of course, if it had he wouldn't have felt it, but he watched, astounded, proud, as his lover took it back into his hands.

Then jerked up, when his beautiful lover shuddered and almost fell off of the stepping stool, and quickly, carefully, tucked him up into his arms. "Christ, Lex. Jesus Christ, I fucking love you."

Lex laughed weakly. "You know, I think I'm going to stop doing that," he said, wrapping his arms around Clark and pressing his face close for a moment. "I love you, Clark. So much."

"You're the most unbelievable creature I know. Christ, Lex, Jesus Christ. God, I fucking love you." Clark pressed kisses all over his face, feeling his lovers tremors, and gently held him for long, long moments, holding his face close to Clark's neck. "Aushna', we have to tell our sha'nauch."

Lex slowly calmed in Clark's arms. "Tell our sha'nauch what, exactly?" He didn't stop his slow nuzzles into Clark's neck, nor his little kisses.

"Tell our sha'nauch that you have these gifts. Because if I do, and you do, Chloe and Whitney will feel those gifts reflected onto them." His fingers carefully stroked over his lovers bald pate, gently stroking the nub, as he set him once more on his feet. "Later. Talk about that later. Now... party. Are you sure you're okay?"

Pleasured shudder as Clark rubbed over the knob on the back of his head, and he sighed. "Yeah. I'm okay. It's just... when I do things like that, when I do things outside of my head, it just... takes everything I have to do it."

"That will go away, with time." He whispered, tenderly, rubbing his lips ever so carefully against his lovers forehead. "That will go away, and you will be in control of yourself, and doing things, like catching bottles, and grasping things, and moving things, and seeing what others are thinking...it will come easier. The more you learn, the heavier the burden will be, though." At that, his eyebrows curved and furrowed. "I almost wish you didn't have to go through that, Lex."

Lex just shook his head carefully. "No, Clark. If you had to go through it, then so will I. I'll understand you better, and you'll be able to help me."

"Definitely will. Plus, think about all the great orgasms I can give you just by plucking your mind." Clark's smile broadened, wickedly, and he pressed a kiss to his lovers lips. "I love you, Luthor. Now lets get this liquor upstairs, before I get distracted."

"You say that... like distraction's a bad thing," Lex murmured softly, returning the soft, peppered kisses. "And just think how hard I can yank your balls." Nip to the full lower lip, and he slowly slid down to his feet. "You can carry it; you're the big strong man in the relationship."

"Yeah right. You could so kick my ass." Clark's grin returned, dimpling his cheeks and wrinkling his nose, and he bent down, lifting the box carefully and easily, like it weighed nothing. "Come on, little lada-y. Maybe I'll show you a few of my dabloons later."

"Doubloons, not dabloons, and you'd actually be more likely to show me pieces of eight, rather than doubloons, because pieces of eight were the pieces of pirate gold that were most often used on the docks and mainlands as well, before actual coins were minted."

"That's what I said. Dabloons." Clark glared. "Mister hoity-toity know-it-all. How do you take the light off, here?" He motioned to the big main light, that had come on when they'd entered.

"The light switch." Lex palmed the flat plate by the door, and the lights flicked off again.

"Cool. Race you up the stairs, AJ." Wicked raised brow with a wicked curved grin.

"I don't race," Lex said with a distasteful curl of his lips. "I compete, but not in anything like a physical race." He led the way, and when he was a step or two ahead of Clark, he burst into a run. "But I can make an exception!" he shouted out over his shoulder.

Clark burst out laughing, bottles knocking, as he took off, running human speed behind his lover. "You CHEATER!" He yelled it after him, laughing and skidding on the carpet, past a Ms. Bird with eyes wide, and came in a second or two behind his lover, to the stairwell.

"Guys!"

Stage whispered, loudly.

"Am not!" he yelled back, and skidded to a halt. Blinked. "Hello, Chloe."

Standing there, in her pastel outfit, and she glared at the two of them as she set her bag on the side entrance table and hustled over to them. "Pete's outside in the car with Shay, cause she's swearing up and down about her lipstick. We have precious little time! Is everything ready? Whitney's already upstairs."

"Everything's ready. We were just getting some last minute refreshments." He elbowed Clark gently and nodded up the stairs. "Don't forget the orange juice." An innocent beam at the glare, and he offered her his elbow. "Shall we?"

Chloe huffed and took his arm, not missing Clark's glare though she knew she was missing out on something between them, and she grasped her ashimels arm tightly as they walked upstairs. She was going in her thirteenth week, and already she could feel the little baby in her tummy, as odd as it was. She gave it a little rub as they walked up the steps, and sighed at her friend. "What we do for our friends, I swear."

Lex just gave a little shook of his ass as he started up the stairs, and his hand petted hers gently where it tucked into his elbow. "How is the baby doing?"

"Good. I can feel him, which is weird." She grinned up at Lex, as she squeezed his arm tightly. "I meant to ask you something. Something… I've been embarrassed to ask my OB."

"Ask, and I'll try and answer." He gave her a little squeeze. "And if I don't know it, we'll look it up or we'll take a little trip down to the laboratory."

She smiled, though she shifted a little. "Actually, its two questions. One... a more personal one. The other... an even more personal." She shifted, lightly. "I wanted to know... if having sex... is bad, while... you know."

"No, it's not. It's actually a recommended way of inducing labor, if you're past your due date. Just keep that in mind. Otherwise, you're free to have sex as much as you like. Granted, accommodations for the baby will have to be made; nothing hardcore, no spankings and such, but..." And here a little grin came to his face. "You should talk to Clark's mother. Clark and I walked in on them, and she's a little further than you are along."

Her eyes widened. Hugely. In her head. "You've got to be joking. Moving along. Is... the fact that you, Clark, Whitney and I are... going to affect the baby? I mean, in any way?"

"No, I'm not joking. You can ask Clark, though I'm sure he's repressed his memories of the whole incident." A little snicker, and then he looked seriously at her. "No. It shouldn't. But I'll talk to Clark's father in the morning, and I'll get back to you as soon as I know anything for sure."

"Cause... you know, I can read books in some fifteen odd seconds, Lex." Chloe answered, her brow up high under blond bangs. She felt... slightly weirded out, talking about her child having special gifts in any way, because she hadn't asked for what Clark had given them. Not that she begrudged it in any way, because she felt honored, but when her unborn baby was in the mix, she felt...slightly apprehensive, to say the least.

"I remember, you told me," Lex said, and he gently brushed her hair out of her face. "Don't worry. I'm going to take care of you, Chloe. That's what I'm going to do. We won't let anything happen to you, or to the baby."

"I want him to have everything in the world, Lex." Chloe said, softly, but because this was supposed to be a happy night, she shifted subjects with both her words and a smile. "Clark is almost acting normal again. Have you noticed?"

"He will have everything." Lex smiled at her, and looked back. "Yeah, I've noticed. It's been... amazing."

"I mean, even after he was well he was still... not himself, not all the way. But lately...it seems he's like... I dunno." She grinned, then, wrinkling her nose. "For a reporter, I sure have few emotional words."

Lex kissed the wrinkled nose. "We'll be talking to you and Whitney tomorrow, and explaining some of why that is," he said quietly. "But until then? Don't worry, and enjoy yourself."

Uht oh. Her brow rose, arching, and she gave him that same reporters glare she'd just been talking about, that paired with her lack of emotional words. "Now what was that, Lex Luthor? You're so mysterious, anyone ever tell you? Oh! But!" She slapped his bicep lightly as she remembered, as they entered the room where they'd be partying. "I forgot to tell you, I was reading in the Inquisitor that People is going to be contacting you soon over getting a story on you and your teenaged hunky lover. There was a great picture of Lionel and Dominic in it." She beamed. "They're so in love. But yeah! Why didn't you tell me Lex Luthor and his significant farm boy were going to be doing a layout?"

"Because I haven't told Clark yet that they're going to be calling us. I've been putting it off." He sighed. "He's not had an easy adjustment to the age thing, and I've been reticent to add in any other concerns right now."

"I don't know." She raised a brow. "With Whitney on the road to recovery… Clark's been better, even more so. I think he's just putting you on about being angry, Lex. I think he secretly likes it."

Soft little chuckle. "I think he does too. Just don't tell him I've figured it out. I rather like being able to coddle him, for a change, without him whining about it. I can say I'm doing it make up for him missing his 18th birthday, and he loves the extra attention." He winked.

She grinned at him as she glanced up, saw her lover, and her cheeks bloomed with a soft blush as she held her hand out to him. "Hey, baby. Everything set up?"

Whitney wrapped his fingers through Chloe's, and pulled her carefully out of Lex's arm into his. "Hey yourself, baby. Check it out; you did great on the cake." Pointed to the three-tiered chocolate cake and grinned. "Everything's set up, including Super-Twister from Hell."

She beamed. Just… beamed, and turned a little glance at Lex as if to say, isn't he better? eee!, and giggled softly, stroking his fingers tenderly as she hugged him. A thunk and Clark came in, carrying juice and liquor, the latter of which she couldn't have, and she smiled at him anyway. "Hurry up, Clark, Shay can only keep him at bay for so long."

"I was hurrying, but my dumb boyfriend here," A shift of his elbow towards a Lex, plus a glare. "Decided to burden me like a donkey. Hey, Whit." Clark leaned over and pecked his lips warmly, before setting the crate with liquor down beside the table, sighing. "Christ, that looks good." He gazed fondly at the cookies Chloe was so good at baking, but didn't dare sneak one as he started putting the liquor up on the table.

Whitney kissed Chloe back softly, and went over to help Clark unpack the liquor. "Don't even. She threatened my balls, and my future hopes of having any other children if I touched. Believe me." He pulled out the tall quart bottles of juice and sat them on the side, and handed one to his girlfriend. "Here you are, baby. And shouldn't you be sitting down? Lex! Do you have, like, a real chair around here? You don't need to be sitting on the floor like that!" Whitney fussed over his girlfriend for a long moment

Chloe. Glared. "Whitney, keep your balls and leave me alone."

Clark would have said something, but mid lift he heard Pete bitching, and Shay bitching back, and he grinned and straightened, reaching for Lex's fingers with dancing eyes.

"Christ, Shay. Baby, you don't need all that goddamn shit smeared over your face, I told you. You look pretty just as it is!"

Shayla, bless her anal little heart, was the thorn in Pete's side over the damn makeup. She spent more time slathering it on than she spent kissing him, and he glared. Didn't dare smear her lipstick with a kiss, because smearing it meant another twenty minutes sitting in the car, and he just sighed, deeply, as he climbed the stairs beside her.

Shayla just glared. "Fine!!! Be that way!!! Be seen with an ugly ass girl, I don't care! Hey, it's your reputation on the line, buddy, not mine! See if I try to waste MY precious time looking good for YOU ever again!!" Her little feet were stomping up the stairs, and she was trying not to laugh her fucking ass off.

Whitney flinched and hid behind Clark and Lex, blond head peeking up over their shoulders.

Lex slid his fingers back through Clark's and squeezed gently, not letting go.

"You spend more time fuckin' putting that shit on than you spend kissing me!" Pete yelled back, loudly, at her, and tweaked one of her curls with a glare. "My reputation ain't gonna be no better with you lookin' like you just stepped off fuckin' Broadway where the houselights melted your skin!"

Clark was choking on the grins, glancing over his shoulder at Whitney, and Clark gently kissed the corner of his lips, with a big smile.

"I do not look like houselights melted my skin!" she yelled, topping the steps and putting little hands on her hips. "I happen to look beautiful!!!! So kiss my skinny white Senatori ass if you don't think so!" She spun on her heel and wiggled said butt in his face.

Whitney kissed back and grinned as they listened to the yelling come closer. "Should we stop them before they get serious?"

Lex shook his head. "Jesus. She's got the family lungs, that's for sure."

"No, cause I got a feeling, Pete ain't gonna win." Clark whispered back, mischievously, and he grinned at Chloe beside him. She was tucked under his elbow, looking at the door, and she giggled up at him, which… just made his heart melt. he dropped a kiss down on her hair, grinned, and gazed back up as the steps got closer.

"You are beautiful, but save the six different foundations and ruby red lipstick for the fuckin' competition!" But Pete was grinning, broadly, as he snagged said hips and took a little bite out of that lovely butt, pulling her back into the valley of his crotch and wriggling. A strongly muscled am wound around her waist and snuggled her back, all while smiling. "I love you anyway."

She tried to keep her nose stuck up in the air, but she couldn't as he snuggled her in, and he giggled. "I love you too. And I'll even wipe the lipstick off before I kiss you so it doesn't make a big red smoochmark on your face. Give you fruit-punch mouth."

"Cause that's the last thing I need, lookin' like I--"

"Surprise!!!!!!"

Pete… just... blinked. The door was open, music suddenly came on, cake, candles, presents, booze.

Holy fuck. He thought everyone had forgotten.

He ogled for a moment, blinked, and looked behind him just in case, feeling almost like... well, weird, that was for sure. No one ever really made a big deal over him, but now they were and it was... understandably kind of a strange feeling, embarrassing, but at the same time... really... really great.

Until Chloe began to sing, broke him out of his reverie, and he blushed six shades of crimson under his skin as he snickered.

"Haaaaapppyy... birthday... Mr.... Rooooosss." Chloe pretended to have a feather boa over her shoulder, and bat her eyes provocatively, wriggling a shoulder in a come hither motion. "Happppyyy.... biirtthhdhaaay. Mmrrrrrr. Rooosssss!!!!"

Pete was nearly a shade darker in mortification, even as he cracked up.

"Haaaapppyyy biiiirrrtthhhdaaayyy... Mister..." breathyy sigh. "Rooossssss.... Happy..biirthdaaayy. Toooooo. Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!"

Shayla was giggling like a loon behind him, and she jumped on his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Happy birthday, baby!!!" She wiggled against his back, and then slid down, making a beeline straight to the food table, grabbing a handful of napkins, and wiping her face off. "Never ever am I bein' the fuckin' decoy again!" she yelled emphatically as she scrubbed the extra layers of makeup off.

Whitney leaned over to Clark. "You know... we forgot a stripper." A pause. "Think he'd notice if I filled in?"

Clark choked, and just about died laughing, rolling his eyes at Whitney as he gave Pete a big bear hug, and lifted Chloe up with one arm off of him to do it. "Happy birthday, Petey. Come on, we got chocolate and booze dude."

Pete hugged him back, tighter than he'd intended to, but grinned and rolled his eyes anyway, just for the masculine show. It meant a lot to him, a lot, that they'd done this, and he grinned as Chloe shrieked, helping her down from one of Clark's tree trunk arms. "Thank you, Chloe." A kiss to her cheek. "Thanks Clark, guys. You guys are just...jeez. Make'n a big ole' deal out of natch." He offered his hand to Lex, smiling, with Chloe still hugging him.

Whitney elbowed Clark out of the way and gave Pete his own hug, and then claimed his girlfriend while kicking Clark viciously in the shin for manhandling his pregnant girlfriend.

"It's not nothing, it's your birthday!" Shayla crowed, hanging off his back again and kissing his ear.

Lex shook Pete's hand firmly, smiling as he was jostled out of the way by his over-exuberant friends, but he didn't let go of the tight clasp. "Happy Birthday, Pete."

Pete hugged Whitney, right back, with his own arm, and then because he was like that, pulled Lex in for one too, their hands still clasped. "Thank you. Ya'll didn't have to do this for me... Christ, you bunch of ninnies." But he grinned as he let go, and sighed, hitching his girlfriend up on his haunches so she'd hang off his back. "Ya'll, dude, after we eat and shit, ya'll are gonna get your special performance of the dance, aight? Competitions a week and a half away, and we gotta see what ya'll think, aight? That means no booze yet, Shay."

"I've been dying to see it." Clark beamed, as he poured a glass of juice for Lex, ignoring the kick with a smile as he cracked a beer open and gave it to his ashimel. "But for now, pressseents! And cake!"

Chloe had already wormed out of her boyfriends arms after a big kiss on the cheek, and she was building plates with goodies. Cookies, cakes, finger foods, pizza, and she motioned Shay over to help with drinks. "Come on, soodaa first guys. Heavy drinking comes later, with twister! I think I'm more excited about being the only sober one than being drunk!" A grin, and a giggle.

Shay slid off her boyfriend's back, and kissed his ear again, and then nodded. "No booze yet!" She bounced off over to the table and started taking the cups from Chloe, setting them in a straight line so she could pour soda. "Um... did any of you bright people think about getting ice??"

Whitney shrugged. "Don't look at me, we came with you guys."

Lex shot a glare over to Clark. "um... did we forget ice?"

Clark grinned, winningly, took one of the plastic cups...and opened his mouth.

Silence, in the room. It was so... fucking… weird, to see Clark use his powers. Weird as hell, because it was always unexpected, and Pete blinked a few times, watching, silently. Dearest Jesus. He swallowed, shifting, and brought one of his hands out to clasp Shayla's, tightly. A fine white frost was coming from between Clark's barely slit open lips, and he watched, amazed, as he frosted the inside of the cups easily. "Fuck."

"Oh, wow," Shayla breathed. "I forgot we had our own personal icemaker." She grinned up at Clark. "You are so cool to have around!" She hugged his waist tightly before bringing him the stack of five cups left to be chilled, and took the cold one over to Chloe to be filled up.

Lex rolled his eyes. "One would think she'd never seen an alien before," he muttered under his breath, but he grinned winningly at his lover anyway.

"I'm one in a million." Clark grinned, rubbed his chest where he was cold, and breathed out again. Another little bit of cold air, then a little more, as he busily continued the cups.

Pete was way too busy staring, almost so busy that he didn't see the plate heaped with food and cake, pushed into his hand. He took it, then the chilled coke cup, and blinked again as he watched. "Dude. Lex gotta hire you out for parties, dude. Make millions."

Lex snorted calmly at that, and raised an eyebrow. "I'm already worth close to a billion dollars now, after the merge, not to mention the fact that I'll inherit half of my father's not-inconsiderable fortune. Why do I want more?"

"True. Maybe just rent him out for party tricks." Pete hadn't taken his eyes off of him, cause this was the first time he'd seen Clark use all his alienness... REALLY USE IT. And he was just... holyfuck and god DAMN. He blinked again, taking a drink of soda, and finally shook himself out of reverie when… "Who bought me the big gay blue bear?"

"Me!" Chloe squealed, laughing as she wrapped her arms around his waist for a squeeze. "Come on, you think a year would go by when you didn't get a gay bear?"

"Can always count on you." Pete snickered, then grinned, and kissed her temple as he rolled his eyes. "Dude, ya'll are too much."

"Nah, we're not. We just like any occasion to party, that's all. And a Pete Ross birthday? Primo party time, my man." Whitney gave a little smile at that. "The only thing we didn't get you was a stripper."

"Damn! Bastards." But he grinned, anyway, because he was happy to see Whitney... not so depressed anymore, and he motioned him over to the fluffy couch. He blinked at the movie projector set up as he plunked down on the floor, and sighed, shaking his head. "How long you guys been planning this?"

"Three weeks. Though it was all Chloe and Shayla. We just got roped along." Clark sighed, dramatically, as he set the last glass down and took the plate Chloe had handed him. Chump change, he'd inhale it in five minutes. He picked up the bottom pizza of the stack, at both girls glares, smiled, and took it with him to find a seat. "Chloe, make sure Lex gets a big plate. Hasn't eaten anything all day."

"Yes, mother," Lex deadpanned. "I had dinner at the country club with Dominic, I'll have you know. Oysters and quiche with Chardonnay."

"That's right!!! We cracked our little dominatrix whips and had you boys steppin' and fetchin' to please us womenfolk!" She grinned at the entire group and bopped saucily over to her boyfriend giving him a coke in the first glass Clark had chilled. "Here you go!!" Then she started handing out drinks to everyone else. "Here, Clark, you get Coke too."

Whitney opened his mouth to speak, but the growl in his belly spoke for him.

"From what I can see, you ended up throwing the oysters at each other, Dominic thought the quiche was gross, and you ended up springing for some greasy, greasy Wendy's on the way home." Clark sing-songed.

Oh. Dominic. Mention of it had her sighing, softly, eyelashes fluttering at her best friend as she passed her boyfriend a plate too, and blushed crimson.

"I'm sure you're one hell of a dom, baby." Pete offered, though he snorted at Clark. "Lex, man, oysters? Quiche? Jesus. That ain't food, that's a snack."

"He started it; he threw the oyster at my hat. Of course I couldn't let the effrontery go unavenged." Small grin. "The Wendy's was an apology for Dominic not liking the rest of the food."

"Chloe's got a cru-ush," Shayla sang out, bumping her best friend's hip with her own.

"Amen to that. Real food, Lex. Steak and eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, hash browns, biscuits, coffee. Breakfast. Sandwiches, lots of meat, no vegetables. Hamburgers, bologna, ham, salami, turkey, piled up in a triple decker. Food."

"Man after my own heart." Clark gave Whitney a breathy sigh, and dramatically pressed the back of his wrist to his forehead.

"Dude, for real." Pete piped in. "Pizza, half a meatloaf, bowl of cereal in a serving bowl with enough calories to feed a fuel a fuckin' horse. Hot pockets, man! Christ, oysters and quiche." But a moment passed, and he blinked. "We should pay homage to the hat. Cause, man, damn. Clark'n'I never thought you'd actually wear it."

"Its like a paisley raccoon with eyes." Chloe chimed in, glaring at Shay but it was with amusement. "We should have it framed somewhere, Lex. You just looked so dashing and nobleman-like."

Shayla popped her boyfriend over the head. "Y'all were mean to AJ. That was a horrible trick to play on him. Horrible." She plopped down beside him on one of the pink poofy things in the room and started eating, four slices of pizza, two cupcakes, eight cookies, and half a sandwich, along with a huge tumbler of soda.

Whitney just choked on his mouthful, then swallowed it. "Can't blame us... thought Lex had taste! Didn't know he was whipped!!"

"Whipped." Clark confirmed, but he gave his lover, sitting beside him, such an adoring grin. "Can't say I'm any better."

See? Now Shay was Pete's kinda lady, and he beamed at her, and kissed her cheek, rubbing off some tomato sauce in the process.

Chloe grinned, rolled her eyes, and set her own plate, which just had a big piece of cake on it, and her own coke, beside Whitney, before turning on the movie reeler. "Alright guys, now. Shayla, in all her glory, dragged around a camcorder for a whole week and a half, and… well. She made a movie. A slashy, slashy movie," A glare at her, cause yeah, she'd noticed, "But a movie nonetheless. So... without further ado..."

"Me? Slashy? Never." She beamed. "Before the movie proceeds? Everybody in this room has to promise that they're not going to kill me."

"Uht oh." Clark muttered, around a mouthful of pizza, and quickly chewed, swallowing. "Did you catch Lex and I having sex, Shay?"

Shayla raised her hand. "I invoke the fifth amendment."

Pete snorted, loudly, at that. "Jesus Christ, Shay." But he leaned over, nibbled on one of her fingers, and grinned as he leaned against the couch. "I'm all for it. Its my birthday gift?"

"You... could... say that." Chloe answered, cheerfully, winking at her friend.

She just grinned. "You could say that," she said, echoing Chloe. Then she leaned over. "Yeah. It is. And I'll tell you about it later, kay?" She whispered it, just for him, and then straightened up, and flipped the switch on the projector. Lex had the best, auto-fed, of course, and the cheesy porn music started playing.

boom shaka-laka-laka-laka boom boom.

boom shaka-laka-laka-laka boom boom.

Pete about busted his ass laughing, cracking up as the horrible, horrible porn music shook the little room. It was like sitting in the middle of a really horrible eighties porn, and he snorted, loudly, as Clark cracked up beside of him, which just got him going again.

Chloe did a little dance, shaking her bum as she slid in beside Whitney and beaming up at him.

The porn music faded, to be replaced by Shayla, standing in front of Pete's bedroom door. "That was just for effect," she said. "Because now you'll be laughing so hard you won't beat up CJ for letting me in the house." She opened the bedroom door on screen. "Okay. Everybody? Welcome to the domicile of everyone's favorite Pete. I'm Shayla"--and she did a little curtsey--"and I'll be your hostess throughout this event." The room was clean, for a change, because she'd cleaned it, and she sniggered on the tape. "For the next little while, because I don't know how long the final edit of this tape will be, I'm going to be introducing you to Pete's closest and dearest friends, and throwing in some juicy tidbits, just for fun." Another grin at the camera. "First on the list is Clark Kent, who has been Pete's friend since grade school."

A decent fade, done in the high school video editing lab, and they faded back in on Clark, sitting on Pete's bed beside Shayla. "Clark, can you tell us what it is exactly that makes you love Pete so much?"

Chloe watched, absolutely tickled pink, as she watched Clark shift and blush on tape, grinning over at Clark, who... was doing the exact same thing, only into his lovers shoulder. He was just so darling, and she smiled, shaking her head as she gazed up at Whitney with a giggle.

The blush on Clark's cheeks on the video mirrored the one he had now, and the tape jiggled just the smallest bit. "Cause he's a good guy. Honest, kind. Does whatever you need him to, even beat guys up for. He'll do anything for you, no matter what. He's... he's really great."

"Aweeee!" Pete crowed, and leaned over to give Clark a big, shiny, wet kiss on the cheek.

Clark burned crimson. Just... crimson.

The bad porn music cued again, and Shay's voice did a voiceover as they faded. "And, let's see Clark in his natural habitat, as we go through our interviews and figure out who we're going to show next."

The fade opened back up into a full length shot of Clark and Lex naked and heavily making out on the desk in Lex's office. "We see here that Clark is most naturally at home in Lex... who, by the way, just happens to be our next interview!"

In the little party room? Shayla jumped to her feet and skipped nimbly around, and behind the food table.

Lex didn't bother getting up. "You know, I don't have to kill you now," he said conversationally. "I know where you live."

Then he shut up, as the movie thing played. "I've always respected Mr. Ross because he's never been afraid to say what he thinks, or what he feels about anything. He's always been up front with how he feels about me, my family, and yet, he's been able to put that aside, and when we needed his help, he was there. He helped us with a lot of important things, including our plans for the merger and the move, and I think that's what I admire most about him."

"AHHH!" Clark cried, gasping, and blushing even hotter as Pete just about died beside him, and he buried his face in Lex's shoulder, tightly, because yeah, the sounds were them, and oh my GOD. "SHAYLA!"

Pete was still grinning, and he kissed his fingers and blew a saucy kiss Lex's way, winking cheerfully even as he watched. It was the best thing, ever, and he couldn't have been more pleased.

Chloe was flushed, giggling helplessly, as she ate her cake, watching cheerfully.

The scene faded again, and it was a montage of moving clips, first Clark and Lex making out again but this time in the library, to kind of fuzzy security footage tape of Whitney and Lex in the same library, hunched over a book and reading. Lex's hand was pointing out something in the book, and Whitney was just rolling his eyes. "Next, we're going to talk to Whitney Fordman, Pete's teammate and friend." Another fade, and they were back in Pete's bedroom with Whitney sitting at the desk, back to the window.

"I think the best thing about Pete is, he's a guy's guy. You can talk jock straps with him one second, but in the next, he ain't afraid to talk about serious shit too, and really listen and help you figure shit out. And he's not afraid to listen, either. You got something to say... he'll listen. And he'll hear it."

He was teasing, but Pete... he felt something heavy, and dark, that had been in his heart for a long time, kind of lift up. He smiled, quietly, and grinned at Whitney over Clark's blushing, nodding his head at him before he watched again. He was enjoying this, immensely, and he couldn't believe his girlfriend had gone to all this trouble...for him. He grinned, chuckling quietly, and shifted on his fluffy bean bag pillow, drinking his soda and watching.

"You guys are such manly men." Chloe giggled, and rubbed Whitney's elbow softly.

The familiar fade was back again, and this time, it was Chloe and Whitney seriously making out against the lockers in the gym. The video stayed on that for almost a full minute before starting to fade back out again, to Chloe sitting on Pete's bed. "Next up? We talk to the radiantly beautiful Chloe Sullivan, about why she adores Pete."

"SHAY!" Chloe shrieked it at her friend across the room.

The Chloe on the video smiled, her cheeks pinking softly as she waved at the camera. "Hi, Pete!! First of all, Happy Birthday of course. And the reason I love you sooo much is because you're so easy to talk to, and you don't share stuff with other people. You're not secretive... and though you don't have bologna, I still love you to bits. You're my brother, and I'm so happy you're in my life."

Pete was mush. Just… yeah. He was turning into a puddle of goo there on the pillow, though he wouldn't ever let on. Ever.

The camera jogged one last time, but instead of Chloe and Shay, it was Pete and Shay, upstairs in her room, with ruffled skirts and heels and hose flying everywhere. "Well, that's enough of that," the voiceover said, and when it faded again, it was just Shayla sitting on the edge of Pete's bed. "And, that brings us to me. And why I love Pete. And that's a tough one to put into words." On screen she blinked, while in reality, she was creeping back around the room to hide on his other side. "I love Pete because he's sweet, and caring, and generous. He's got all this macho manly going for him, but then on the inside, there's a soft, gooey person, just like the rest of us, and if you ever get close enough to see that person... then you feel really blessed. Because not a lot of people do, and I've gotten to see it. I feel really special because of it. And I just... wanted to say that. I love you, Pete. Happy birthday."

There was one last fade, and it was all of them together--even Lex--shouting Happy Birthday from the cramped confines of Pete's bedroom. Then a fade to black, and the horrible porn music came back on, to run over the credits. Then, Shay's voice, mixed with the music. "Stay tuned after the credits for special bonus footage!"

Pete just had a dopey grin on his face, and he laughed as Clark elbowed him in the ribs, thanking him with his eyes even as he turned over his shoulder, looking for Shayla. She was right there, right close, and he wound his arm around her waist and hugged her close, kissing her very softly. "Now, all the sex, coulda done without, thanks."

Clark was still a bright, bright shade of crimson, but with the downed lights it didn't look as bad as it was. He coughed, softly, wincing as he could barely look at Lex, and winced again.

Shay kissed him back, then grinned. "Then you, uh, might not wanna watch the bonus footage," she smirked. "I dug through all the security cams and got all the footage I could and put it at the end."

"SHAY!" Clark wailed, loudly, and hid his face again in near horror. "Oh my God, we're sending your Canadian ass back to Canada!"

Pete choked, laughing out loud at his friends horror, then snickered and pinched her cheek. "That's my Shay!"

"I'll pay the air-mail postage and stamp her ass myself," Lex said. "Next time? You don't get the tapes unsupervised. I thought you were helping her, Chloe?" Glare towards his ashikana.

Chloe winced under the glare, and ducked her head under Whitney's arm.

Pete grinned, and shook his head. "Watching my friends have sex is a kink for later. Ya'll done eating? Wanna see Shay and I dance our asses off?"

Shayla reached up and turned the projector off, and grinned. "Well, they're going to see it, whether or not they want to. Come on." She shook her hips. "I can even go put on the dress and stuff."

"Hey now, I'm all for it. Where are you guys gonna do it?" Clark asked, coughing and trying not to bring his head up too much when his face was burning, but he didn't have that nifty curtain of hair anymore. He blushed, hard, and climbed to his feet, grasping Lex's hand and wincing at him.

Chloe nodded, brightened, and grinned, grabbing what was left of her cake and her boyfriend. "I'll bring them down to the gym. Lex, the bleachers are still down, right?"

"That my boyfriend has how own basketball court, complete with bleachers, makes me sick." Clark muttered, though he was grinning as he kissed Lex's hand. "Don't forget the cocks."

Pete's head snapped up, and his eyes widened.

Silence.

Before he burst out laughing.

"C-Coke." Clark blushed, furiously, and wailed as he hid his face again.

Shayla busted out into giggles halfway to the door and just fell back on the nearest pouf, which happened to be the one Lex was being pulled off of.

"Y'know, AJ... you've got a nice ass," she gasped out between giggles, as Clark pulled Lex to his feet. "No wonder Clark's got cock on the brain!"

Her sides were starting to ache.

Clark. Just. Glared. "Not. Funny."

Pete grinned, too, rolling his eyes at her as he helped her up. The Whitney CD was stuck in his back pocket, waiting for use, and he dragged Shay out the door to go get their costumes on, snorting and offering her a piggy back ride. "Lookit mine and catch a ride, baby."

"Hysterical!!" She took a flying leap and landed lightly on Pete's back. "Come on, get me the hell out of here before he kills me!!"

Lex sighed as he watched her pelt out the door with her boyfriend. "One of these days, I'm gonna kill that girl. She's not going to live to see nineteen."

Whitney just laughed. "You've got to admit. She's like... a nice breath of smog-infested hyperactive Canadian air. Plus? It's never boring when you're watching your back for a Shayla attack."

"Never." Chloe answered, with her own grin, as she plucked up and pressed a kiss to Whitney's cheek, as they walked out, drinks and food in hand.

And when Lex said he had a basketball court?

He wasn't playing around.

Chloe just... gasped, quietly, as they entered. It was enormous, with glossy wooden bleachers, and she sighed, softly. It was obviously meant to be an indoor tennis court, but had been converted to a basketball course so that both sports, plus what looked like volleyball, could be played. "This...is very cool."

Lex shrugged it off gracefully, even though his face was slightly flushed. For some reason, suddenly flaunting his money embarrassed him. "Had it converted after I met Clark," he mumbled. "Knew he liked basketball." He didn't exactly shuffle, but he did move closer to his lover.

"Its awesome. Come on, lets get a good seat. You both... have no idea what you're in for, in any sort of capacity." Chloe was flush with the pleasure of what they were about to watch, and she wriggled as she grabbed Whitney and started across the gym floor to the stairs. "Come on. You can sit next to me, Lex."

Clark gently, gently stroked his lovers fingers, smiling warmly at him, tenderly in his love, and held him closer to him as they followed Chloe and Whitney across the room.

Lex followed Chloe and Whitney across the floor, and picked his way up the stairs behind his friends, but instead of sitting beside Chloe, he sat on the bleacher behind her, and leaned forward to kiss her, then wrapped his arms gently around her from behind and hugged. Didn't say a word. Just... hugged her carefully.

Whitney scooted in on one side of his girlfriend, and grinned at Lex behind her, and then up at Clark. He'd only seen the costumes, not the dance itself, and he was really kind of curious as to why Shayla was dressing up like a pink flamingo.

Chloe blushed, very softly, and wrapped her arms around Lex, snuggling him warmly because it felt right. She beamed over at him, shushing him, and pointed as Pete and Shay came in. Shay's dress was just SO jealousy inducing, and Pete looked so handsome, and eee!

"Alright, guys. For the beginning part of this dance there'll be lights on us, blah blah blah, okay?" Pete said to them, and yeah, shy and kind of nervous, cause they hadn't done it DONE it for an audience yet. "Lex, got the CD running on your sound system, alright?"

"Yeah, it's on. All you have to do is, when you're ready, pick up the remote down there at the bottom of the stairs and flick it on, and the CD cues up in about five seconds." Didn't move from his hug of his ashikana, and didn't care that anyone else saw.

Nervous? Hell yes. Couldn't believe she was dressed up like this, in needle heels and ruffled corsets and stockings and garters, in front of her friends, getting ready to do the Uncoordinated White Girl Shuffle, as she'd come to think of it. "You know... it's going to be a damn good thing there's no audience at the competition," she said under her breath.

Pete... didn't say anything, to that. Didn't mention about six hundred people would be watching them. Instead, he smiled at her, and assumed his position, carefully, making sure their distance was exactly as it should have been apart, and he waited for the music quietly, smiling at her.

She was the most beautiful girl on the earth. Any earth.

And he loved her more than words could express.

Shayla picked up the remote, started the CD, and waited for the music. She smiled back at her boyfriend gently, loving him with everything she had in her, and when the music started, she started moving. Wasn't watching his feet any longer, just his face, her hands on his shoulders pushing herself into the half turn that put her in his arms to start.

He grasped her, carefully, as Whitney's voice echoed over the gym, and listened to the beat like it was his blood. The beginning was slow, painfully slow and romantic, and he'd written the steps to be the same, dipping her and rolling her gently, until they were nose to nose, almost kissing.

They turned, steps carefully, perfectly aligned as she tried to pull away from him, spinning her gently, carefully, and when the beat began he let her go. Her steps were perfect, lovely in the shoes, and she was moving like she was meant to move on the dance floor. Grace, fluidity, her hips moving sharper as Whitney Houston sobbed about not being what he needed.

Clark was in awe. He always was, whenever he watched Pete dance, but this...this was special. This, here, with Shay...this was very, very special, and he watched, quietly, in awe. This was amazing, wonderful, unlike anything he'd ever seen.

Not only was Pete going to win, he was REALLY going to win.

Shayla couldn't help the look on her face as she watched her boyfriend move, beauty and untamed power in his motions and his arms, and even though she didn't know it, it fit right in with her steps to be looking so wistfully in love with him, even as she started to pull away, the steps getting slightly more complex as she left him, over and over again, even as he pulled her back and refused to let her go.

Finally he dropped down, on a hard pulse of beat, begging her to stay, and when he knew she wouldn't his head arched back as if in a cry, and he executed the first of the movements the judges looked for, a spin on the ground. He spun, facing his girl, and waited for her. Moment. Of. Truth. With his friends watching, the music going, his girlfriend, and he waited for her to come around him as his heart raced.

She almost didn't do it. But she did. She crossed the space in another spin, which ended her to stand right in his space, in the middle of his arms, feet spread and she flashed a grin down at him as she leaned her body into the turn as he lifted her up for the flip.

She felt her body weight shift smoothly and she landed perfectly, heart pounding in her throat, and her lips parted softly as she panted.

Chloe about fell out of her seat. She kept quiet, quiet as she could, but her hands flapped cause SHAY MADE IT! EEEEEEEEEEE!

Clark gasped, softly. Christ, that was...Christ. He just shook at his head, glancing at his lover in awe, before continuing to watch.

Quick, quick, to his feet, he spun on one knee, leaning her over his chest, then back as she pulled away, and finally... finally he reinstated his manhood. He spun back to his feet, climbing up and jerking her close, doing another roll like at the beginning before he took her into a dance. The steps were intricate, quick and hard, but they'd already learned them some time ago, and it came like the breeze. Step step left, right, front back spin dip spin, movement catch. It was all a rhythm, a lovely one, and at the beat of the final part of the song that led down to the finale. Whitney Houston's voice sang out over the gym, echoing as it rolled, and Pete lifted Shayla up in a movement Dirty Dancing had stolen from HIM, spinning her in a circle, dress fluttering, and yeah he knew how cool it looked, grasping a tiny waist tightly as he circled, and let her land, because yeah, he'd won her.

He danced the last few steps with her, spinning her again so that she spun by herself, and he caught her waist as Whitney's voice, without music, sang about loving you. He touched her face quietly, her hair, and held her close as they got into the final position.

There was dead silence for a half a moment after the song ended, and Chloe was up, squealing and screaming on top of her lungs, whistling loudly and plunking down the steps to run to her friend. "YOU DIDN'T FALL!"

Shayla was swinging from Pete's neck as the song ended, and she squealed in his ear as she heard Chloe come plinking down the stairs. "I didn't fall!! I made it!! I did it!!!" She squealed again, and kicked off the high heel shoes as she set off at a run towards her best friend. "I did it and I didn't kill Pete!!!!"

Lex was applauding loudly. He'd been shocked; didn't know either of them had had the talent in them, but was thoroughly, completely impressed. His jaw would have been hanging open, if he hadn't been a Luthor.

"No more concussions!!!!" Chloe cried as she met her friend, hugging her tightly and jumping up and down like a crazy person. "No more concussions, contusions, or anything else! Shay! That was gorgeous! PETE! That was gorgeous!"

Pete was flushed, hotly, blushing as they applauded him. He smiled, shyly, and shook his head, going to exasperated route instead of the flushed, embarrassed, thankful part. "Come on ya'll, it wasn't that great." But it was. And he knew it.

"Yes it was!!! Pete, we ROCK!!!" Shayla was still bouncing and squealing with Chloe, hugging her tightly and jumping like an idiot. "We did it right, we got it down, I did it in front of you guys and I didn't kill him and we're gonna be so good!!!!!!" More squealing.

"Holy shit, she's getting supersonic." Whitney picked his way down the bleachers as he headed for his girlfriend and his best friend. "Pete, man... you got it down. Big time down. You are going to kick so much ass."

Pete was blushing hard, but he shrugged, shyly. "We'll see. Ya'll haven't seen the other competitors... believe me, theirs some people who might wipe the floor with us, if they worked on their problems from last year." But he smiled, anyway, as he watched the two squealing girls. "Man, hope she don't do that at the competition."

Clark came down behind his ashimel, fingers unconsciously sliding over his hip, as he reached across to hug Pete. "You guys are great, and nobodies gonna wipe the floor with you. If anything...it'll be the other way around." His lips quirked. "Can't get any better than Whitney Houston."

Pete beamed and hugged Clark, tightly, smiling and shaking his head. "Ya'll are too much. Don't take much to impress you buncha hicks." Big grin. "Come on Shay, take the dress off before you drool on it."

Shayla ignored Pete for a minute, and then grabbed Chloe's hand. "Come on, come on, you can help me take this off, and see tat it's NOTHING to be so jealous about!" She dragged Chloe with her, and left the guys alone.

Lex followed Clark down the stairs, and held his hand out to Pete. "That's some of the best footwork I've seen lately," Lex said. "If you're interested in a job this summer, I know the rec center and the day care would be glad to have you conducting dance classes."

Pete shook it, firmly, and smiled crookedly, the other hand in his pocket. "Yeah? I mean… I'd have to think about it, but I think it'd be cool to teach a bunch of little kids how to dance. Ain't no Justin Timberlake'er some shit, but it'd be fun, yeah." He beamed, then, cause Lex wasn't as bad as he'd previously thought. "Just… no Whitney Houston, aight? I'm so sick of her I could choke."

Lex just laughed at that. "Yeah, I can understand the aversion. I tell you what. I'll talk to the day care teacher, see what her summer plans are, and you'll get to make your own choice of music and steps, provided that it's not offensive to the age group or groups you'll be teaching."

"Aight. Thanks, man." Pete smiled at him, and shook his hand again, tightly, cause they weren't quite at the hugging thing yet, and instead sighed at Clark and Whitney, sharing warm kisses discreetly around the corner. "You know, I wish ya'll had told me about whatever this thing is you got goin' on. Shay told me, though you didn't hear that from me. Already had it figured out, but she confirmed. Don't have to hide from Shay and I, y'know?"

Lex just glowered. "That child is not going to live to see her nineteenth birthday. I promise that. Because I'm going to kill her, with my own two hands." Deep sigh. "It's not that we are hiding from you, Mr. Ross--Pete. And it isn't an issue of trust--if it was, the two of you wouldn't know about Clark at all. What we have is considered... high personal, in Clark's world, and it isn't something to be shared lightly. If Chloe told Shayla, then it's because she needed to talk about it, or didn't understand it. It's not something that is shared with friends for no reason."

He tipped his head. "Then you should talk to Big C, over there, cause he looks at Whitney and Chloe sometimes like he could fuck um against the wall." A look upwards, with an eyebrow raised. "And you aren't any better."

Clark didn't hear them, not at all, because he had his ashimel pressed against the wall, kissing him softly. Warm, gentle kisses that made their lips stick a little before letting go, tongues sliding out to touch, and the easy, warm kisses of the very familiar, and the very close.

"Its weird." Pete said, as an afterthought, shaking his head. "I dunno if I could let Shay kiss other people."

Whitney was returning the kisses softly, sliding his hands through Clark's hair, tugging gently, kissing back firmly, tongue lapping at Clark's as it touched his gently, and then retreated back as he waited for the next kiss. His eyes were closed, his body pressed against Clark's, and he was happy.

"Yes. It is weird, sometimes, but it's very less weird when you're a part of it. It's... natural." Lex gave a small smile.

"You aren't jealous or anything, Lex?" Pete asked, softly, looking up at him with both hands in his pockets.

Clark heard that last part, and he gave Whitney one long, deep, ending kiss, face cupped in warm hands, before he stepped around the corner back to Pete and his lover. He took Lex in his arms, snuggly, and kissed him much, much more differently than he'd been kissing Whitney. Deep, heavy, lovely… different, much more beautiful and intense, and when he finally broke it, breathless, he was smiling. "He is my aushna', Pete. I'm glad you finally know."

"No, I'm not jealous or anything." Lex turned eagerly into his lover's arms, returning the kiss just as deeply, tasting Whitney but tasting Clark more, and he brought his hands up to stroke over Clark's cheekbones. The kiss was long and sweet, and he was smiling too, as his hand dropped to stroke over the mark on Clark's forearm with his thumb. "He is mine, and I am his," Pete said softly. "There's nothing else."

Pete just... rolled his eyes, but he grinned anyway, thumping them both on the back. "I better be in the wedding when ya'll get hitched, dude. I ain't, I'ma be pissed."

Clark grinned down at Pete before offering his hand back to Whitney, because... it was okay now. "I'll explain what we have to you and Shayla both, when she and Chloe are finished. She doesn't understand all of it, but I'll show her."

Whitney took Clark's hand and came around then, holding Clark's hand tightly and squeezing his fingers. "It's all just... it's amazing, Pete. If it were possible, I'd wish that you could experience it too."

Yeah. Sometimes, Pete wished he could to. But he just smiled, and shrugged. "Come on, the girls are waiting. See, now I'm gonna get drunk."

Whitney just laughed. "You damn right we are. Gonna wake up puking, but hell yeah. Gonna get drunk tonight!" He blinked. "Does this mean no naked Twister?"

Pete grinned, broadly. "Hell yeah naked twister! Same rules of strip poker dude."

"There are rules?" Whitney asked. "I thought we just got drunk, got naked, spun the dial, and bent."

Pete snickered and tugged Whitney away from Clark, so he could shake his head and sigh. "Man, course those are the rules. Are there more rules than that in strip poker? I mean, really?" A snickering chuckle, as they both entered the room. Chloe was plunked on the couch, eating her cake, Shay was jabbering on about something, and he smiled at the two of them as he tugged his dance shoes off, pushing them in a corner for retrieval later. "Shay, baby, I think your shirts inside out."

She smirked. "Yeah, but Chloe told me about the plans for Twister later. I have the balance of an ox, so..."

He just grinned, broadly, and kissed her on the temple as he settled back on the couch.

Clark had very tenderly, very carefully, kept his lover back, in the hall, as he listened to his friends talking outside. He stroked over Lex's head, tenderly, the back of it, and whispered, "Look, Lex. Look into their minds, their hearts... look into Pete's heart. See the joy we've brought him, the unspeakable joy, for doing this for him and showing him we love him."

-fin-

go on to the next part