"Are you sure that I look okay?"

"Joey, you look fantastic. C'mon, think about who dressed you. Who knows more about fashion than me?" Bruce chuckled and reached out towards Joe, gently brushing the imaginary dirt off of his shoulder. "Purple is your color. I've been telling you that for years."

Joe smiled a wide Cheshire grin and nodded towards the heavy office door that separated them from one of the numerous Wayne Enterprises boardrooms. "I gotta admit, Brucie, I never thought that a rat like me would end up at a fancy place like this. Dad wouldn't be able to wrap his fat head around the idea that me, loser boy Joe, would be a corporate man." The young man shivered with delight, or perhaps nervousness, and wrapped his coated arms around himself. "You sure I can do this, Brucie?" Joe asked softly, pulling at the collar of his royal purple dress shirt.

Bruce paused before answering, giving his hazel eyes an opportunity to look Joe over one last time. After four years of schooling and training, it was ludicrous to think that Joe was not capable of the position that Bruce had offered to him. Bruce found it endearing that Joe could not see it as clearly as he could.

"Joey, I don't see how you couldn't do it. You're perfect for this. Don't worry so much, all right? I'll take care of you." He grinned playfully and slapped Joe on the back, causing the smaller man to jump slightly. "C'mon, Joey. Everyone is waiting for you."

The boardroom was filled with suits about twice the age of either Bruce or Joe. Men with balding heads, waning libidos and a burning jealousy for Bruce and his playboy lifestyle. A twenty-seven year old genius/billionaire without the obligation of a wife and family to time him down, running his own mega-corporation without anyone telling him what to do, ever? Yeah, you'd be feeling the flames of envy lick at your heels, too. The men were an unexciting mix of blacks and grays, dull colors to match even duller personalities. Bruce blew through the door with an energy that took over the room, invigorating all of the half asleep corporate junkies who were already cursing the fact that they had to stay and "work" past two o'clock in the afternoon. Joe followed behind Bruce closely, his speed an indication of nerves rather than confidence.

The twenty-something tycoon stopped at the head of the conference table where a small podium waited patiently. Bruce situated himself behind the podium and flashed a smile at the unresponsive crowd. "Gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting. Don't worry, I promise this will be short and sweet." The old men forced chuckles out of their thin lips for the boss, but Bruce didn't care much. Their opinions of him were moot. "I would like to take the time to introduce to you gentlemen a new addition to the company. This wonderful man next to me," he placed his arm around Joe's shoulders, sending pleasurable shivers down the young man's spine, "is an alumni of Gotham University, top of his class. He has all the skills and intelligence we can possibly expect of a Wayne Enterprises employee, and I know that he will accomplish great things. So, gentlemen, I shall waste no more time in introducing our new head of public relations, Joseph Kerr!"

Bruce gently placed his hand on the small of Joe's back and pushed him in front of the podium as the men lacklusterly and reluctantly applauded for the young upstart that had taken a very well paid position that one of them was certainly more qualified for. Joe's light brown eyes jutted down to the wringing hands in front of him, up to the many pairs of crow's feet-lined eyes. "I'd like to thank Mr Wayne for this amazing opportunity." His voice faltered for just a moment, as if the rest of his words had leaked from his brain and left Joe with nothing to say. After a second of silence he regained what little composure he had and continued. "Mr Wayne promised that this would be short so all I'll say is that I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations and do something extraordinary. Thank you, gentlemen. I'm proud to be a part of the of W.E. team."

With a quick smile and nod, Joe moved away from the podium, whispering in Bruce's ear as he turned around. "Was that good, Bruce?"

"Beautiful, Joey," Bruce whispered back. "Just beautiful."

As Joe reveled in Bruce's praise, Bruce thanked and dismissed the men, waiting for their exits until taking Joe into his arm. "See, Joey? That wasn't so horrible, now was it? You're going to have to get used to talking to people. You're very charming when you want to be, you know?"

The smile that graced Joe's face at that moment would have appeared grotesque to anyone other than Bruce. The long scars on either corner of Joe's mouth gave the illusion of a never-fading smile, a grin that no tragedy could bring down. When Joe wasn't smiling the scars were nothing more than unfortunate imperfections on an otherwise handsome face. But when he smiled, the smile never stopped. Bruce didn't mind. There was something about those scars, something about the way Joey always smiled as wide as he could, as if he were laughing at those scars, laughing at the cruel father that gave them to him that made Bruce adore the younger man.

Stretching out a hand, Bruce let his fingers graze the left side of Joe's face, caressing the harsh mark on Joe's cheek. "How about I take you out on the town tonight, pretty boy? A little celebration dinner. Doesn't that sound like fun?"

Joe nodded his head fiercely, forcing his shaggy dirty blonde hair to fall across his face, covering his sparkling eyes. "Yes, yes! That sounds fucking awesome, I'd love to go out Bruce, love it. Where are we going? Downtown? I like downtown. Perhaps we could go to that fancy French place, or that Japanese place, I love that place, too. Or maybe we could--"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there, tiger. We'll go wherever you want to go. As soon as you make up your mind, anyway. C'mon." Bruce led Joe outside of the boardroom and down the hallway towards the shiny silver elevators.

"After we go to dinner, where would you like to go, Mr Kerr?"

Joe blushed, his freckles almost disappearing in his bright red cheeks. "Oh, I don't know. I think that I would be perfectly happy to just go back to your place. We can figure out what to do from there. I mean, if that's okay with you. Actually, maybe we should go to the movies, or perhaps we don't even need to. I'm sure that you have a theater in your mansion, right? I know you do."

"Okay, back to my place it is. I'm sure that we'll manage to keep ourselves amused." Bruce chuckled as he and Joe walked outside of the skyscraper towards the limousine that waited for them.

BRIIIIIIIIIIIIING. BRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING.

"Hey, hold on, Joey," said Bruce, halting his motion to open the car door for Joe and reaching for his cell phone instead.

"Hello?"

His footsteps echoed down the hallways; the sounds simply pierced the cold silence. If there was one thing Clark hated about Lex's mansion, it was that the place just didn't feel like a home. Of course, he had a feeling Lex had never once felt at home to begin with. Clark couldn't really blame him, though. Lex was just a city boy after all. Born and bred city boy.

The youth pushed his shaggy black hair from his gleaming emerald eyes and turned the corner. To be honest, he wasn't really sure if Lex was in today, but the older boy had always told him that Clark pretty much had free reign of the mansion and therefore, should consider it as his "second home." Though, he was never quite certain how literal Lex was by that. Regardless of such qualms, he found his hand upon the brass door of one of number rooms in Lex's mansion.

It was locked. Well, that didn't make any sense. Lex never locked any doors. He just didn't. Not for Clark anyway. So, what was so secret and important that Lex had to keep hidden? Well, whatever it is, he was about to find out. Clark fiddled with the door knob a few minutes, considering how he should break into the room. Finally, he tucked his elbow and pushed gently against the solid oak door. It creaked and groaned beneath his weight, finally breaking under Clark's great strength gaining him entrance.

The room was lit with a neon blue. At least along the surrounding walls, otherwise, there hung two large lights over a few pedestals that filled the enclosure; something green gleamed within one of the pedestals near the far wall, making Clark feel slightly queasy. He eyed it with great animosity before moving on. A large screen began to flicker to his right, catching the boy's eyes. He felt his insides twist as he shuffled towards his. His feet felt heavy and the boy's palms began to sweat. Why did he feel so nervous? Perhaps it was just the stupid meteor rocks shining beneath the bright lights. Probably. Clark's long slender fingers reached out towards the screen. He blinked once... twice and one more to make sure he wasn't staring into an actual mirror. A fire erupted inside of the Clark and before he could resist the temptation, he smashed his fist into his own picture. What was this all about? What about all those pacts and pretty little promises Lex had sprouted about stopping all those on-going investigations? Had they all been lies?

Clark wasn't sure whom he ought to be angry with: himself or Lex? Yes, Lex had obviously lied about calling off all those damn investigation, but then, he had been a fool to fall for the rich man's pretty little words. His dad was right. Everyone had been right about Lex. He was nothing more than a Luthor. For God's sake! Look at all the pictures and videos that filled this room. All containing his image, doing something or another; a video of him tending his cow, Bessy, in the pasture and the picture of his mom, dad and him standing in front of their booth in the Farmer's Market. It was all just weird!

Ugh! No! There had to be a reason for all of this. Besides, the obvious anyway. Lex. He sighed. A muscle in his jaw twitched. Where was he anyway? Using his x-ray vision, Clark searched the through the mansion floors. Although, all he could really see were fragmented images of the mansion's steel work, but he did recognize one skeleton. Lex's long time Butler: Enrique. If anyone (besides Clark, that is) knew Lex's whereabouts, it would be him. Utilizing his super speed, he ran to the downstairs kitchen.

"Where's Lex?" It wasn't really a question as much as it was a demand.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Kent," replied Enrique.

Clark blushed. He was slightly ashamed of his unabashed behavior. "Sorry," he muttered avoiding the butler's eyes. "Do you happen to know where Lex is, Enrique?"

"Of course, Mr. Kent. He's--" He checked his sterling silver pocket watch. "Boarding his jet to Gotham. He'll be away for approximately a week, sir. Would you like to leave a--"

The old man felt a sudden gust of wind as he removed his gaze from his watch and to the boy...next to him? Where had he gone? With a knowing smirk, he gently pushed his watch back into the interior pocket of his suit jacket before shuffling to his work.

--

Everything around him was simply a blur as he sped through cornfield after cornfield to the airport. It took no more than five minutes to reach the runway, despite the fact that it was nearly twelve miles away from the Luthor Mansion. Such distances were hardly a measure of despair. With his immense speed, he could easily get to Metropolis within ten to fifteen minutes flat. So, it was hardly alarming when Clark skidded to a half just a few feet from the airport terminals. He easily towered over the people around him, giving him a fantastic view of the LuthorCorp jet boarding in the L3 Terminal. He quickly pushed past the sea of people and was almost stopped by security to reach the young Luthor scion.

"Lex!"

"Clark? Hold on, let him go! It's okay," he shouted to his bodyguard. They grunted in response but released the boy's arms nonetheless. "What wrong wrong, Clark? Are your parents okay?"

Clark bit down on his bottom lip, shuffled his feet and avoided the older boy's eyes for a good five minutes before replying. "I.. I thought you said you had destroyed all the stuff you had collected about me. You told me you stopped all the ongoing investigations! YOU LIED TO ME!"

It was Lex's turn to bit down and make the muscle in his jaw twitch. Normally, he didn't mind Clark wandering around the Mansion. What difference did it make? It was more his father's mansion than his own. So, he told his staff to welcome the boy with open arms, but it was times such as these that he really, really hated how curious Clark had the tendency to be. Who was he to snoop around in his house? If a door is locked then chances are someone doesn't want you snooping around. "Look Clark, I didn't lie to you. I told you that I had stopped all those investigations and I did. All that stuff you saw was simply mementos of our past. The Porsche I had crashed the very day I met you is in there, too. It's not just about you! It's about me too. There's a reason why we met on the bridge that day. I know it! And the answer--"

"No! No, Lex. You told me you had that stuff destroyed and you lied. You're supposed to be my friend--"

"I am, Clark! Just listen to me." He knew Clark wouldn't understand. That's why he had the door completely sealed. Now, how the boy got in there in the first place was beyond Lex and it was due to Clark that all of this had started in the first place. If he would just tell Lex was it was he was constantly hiding then they wouldn't have these problems. All these excuses, lies and every single time Lex asked him about his "sudden disappearances" and how the boy manage to show up exactly the right time to save his life (although, Lex wasn't really complaining about that), all he would received would be one lie after another... but he could see it in the boy's eyes: a gleaming mistrust. Despite everything (and anything) Lex did, it was never enough. It probably never would be. "Actually, you know what, Clark? I'm done explaining myself to you. You'll never listen. You never do."

"Lex..."

There just wasn't a point in explaining anymore. Frankly, he was sick of it. He was sick of following the same good damn pattern everytime Clark was upset with him. The boy would confront him with whatever issue, whine, rant and finally, he'd ignore Lex until he felt like he had punished the other boy enough. Bastard. No more child's play. "Goodbye, Clark. I'll see you when I get back."

Lex turned away and ascended the stairs into the plane. He could feel Clark's pouting lips and glossy emerald hues burn into the back of his head. No! Lex wouldn't look back. He couldn't. If he did, Lex knew he'd only rush back to Clark and tell him all those pretty words he knew the boy wanted to hear. Screw it! Clark needed to grow up, already.

The young Luthor heir settled into the thick cushioned leather seat and buckled himself in. Ah, Gotham. It certainly had been awhile since Lex had found himself in the depths of Gotham. The city brought him back to his younger years; years full of neon lights and all the cocaine he could sniff through one nostril before his nose bled. Of course, that was all beyond him. Bruce had made sure of that. Oh! Speaking of Bruce; Lex pulled his sleek cell phone from the confines of his jacket.

"Hello?"

"Bruce? It's Lex. I'm half way to Gotham right now. Care to join me for dinner in--" He checked his silver and purple Rolex. "Approximately an hour? I know, it's short notice but I'm going to be in town soon. I thought it'd be a grand opportunity to catch up on things. If you're not too busy, that is."

"Bruce? It's Lex. I'm half way to Gotham right now. Care to join me for dinner in-- Approximately an hour? I know, it's short notice but I'm going to be in town soon. I thought it'd be a grand opportunity to catch up on things. If you're not too busy, that is."

“Lex, is that really you? Oh, if it weren’t for my tabs on LuthorCorp I would have thought that you ran away to some middle-of-nowhere town in Kansas. Excuse me, you’ve already done that, haven’t you?” Bruce laughed a full attractive laugh, one that hadn’t escaped his lips in a long time. Who was it on the phone that could make Bruce exclaim like that?

“You’re coming into town? Metropolis getting too dull for you? It’s okay, I understand. Without a doubt we should get together, go to dinner and catch up. You need to tell me more about that boyfriend of yours. Call me when you arrive at the airport, okay? Have your driver take you to our place. See you, Lex.”

Bruce hung up his phone and slipped the little electronic device into the hidden pocket inside of his black trench coat. Joe had not moved into the limousine. He had stood by, eavesdropping on Bruce’s impromptu conversation. His arms were crossed over his chest and his foot was tapping impatiently on the sidewalk. Once the conversation was over a smile graced Joe’s face and suddenly it seemed as if all annoyance dissipated and the younger man’s affect was greatly improved. “Brucie, you’re such an important man. Just make sure those phone calls don’t get too numerous during our dinner, okay? I’d have to throw a fit if that was the case.” Joe made a sound resembling a hyena’s laughter and moved to get into the limo. Bruce frowned and reached out, grabbing Joe’s arm gently and pulling him back.

“Sorry, Joey. New plans. My old friend Lex is coming in for business and I haven’t seen this boy for a while now. He’s the light of my life, you know.” Although the comment was made jokingly, there was a glint in Bruce’s eye that Joe didn’t recognize. A glint that made Joe instantaneously suspicious.

“The light of your life?”

“I’ve know Lex for years, Joey--”

“Lex? Are you talking about Lex Luthor?”

“Yes, Joey, Lex Luthor. I’ve told you about him before. We went to--”

“Yeah, yeah, you went to Excelsior Prep together and you two are best friends, isn’t that precious?” Joe laughed as he talked, the smile on his face stretching dangerously. It looked as if Joe’s seams were tearing and his face was going to fall apart.

“We’ll reschedule and go out some other time.” With a stoic face Bruce opened the door to his limousine and guided Joe into the seat. “Anthony will take you anywhere you want to go, Joey.”

“No, Bruce, you can’t just leave me. You said that you’d take me out.” The laughter and smile had faded, replaced with a face that burned with anger at Bruce and his little friend from LuthorCorp. "You can't just break your word."

Bruce chuckled; he found it amusing whenever Joe threw one of his little fits. It did not bother the older man much that Joe was glaring at him so furiously. Within a day or two, after whining and complaining to his friend Harleen, Joe would be calling Bruce and telling him how sorry he was that he had ignored him. Bruce would forgive him without even thinking about it for a second and then the two would go on to continue being best friends. It's just how life worked.

"You're so cute, Joey. Talk to you later." Bruce closed the car door on Joe and walked around to the front of the window, bending down and speaking to his driver. "Tony, take Joey down to Harleen's, would you? He's going to want to blow off some steam."

"Sure, anything ya want, sir."

"Thanks, Tony." Bruce walked back to the sidewalk and watched as the limo drove off through the city toward Harleen Quinzel's house. Harleen was a friend of Joey's from school. A sweet girl with a devious smile that Bruce knew was one day going to get him and Joe in trouble. She had been studying to become a psychiatrist and often practiced her craft on Joe, who certainly needed a bit of therapy every now and then. Joe would rant and rave to the chestnut haired beauty and once she had stripped him of all his negative feelings he would come running back.

The restaurant that Bruce had instructed Lex to meet him at was a quaint but upscale place called Antonelli's, located around the corner from the Wayne Enterprises main office building. With a small smirk and deep breath, Bruce began weaving his way through the crowds of people passing him on the sidewalk towards the restaurant. While he walked Bruce whipped out his phone and dialed the restaurant's number (he had taken many a business partner to Antonelli's and thus had the number memorized) and instructed the peppy hostess to save Mr Wayne's favorite table for himself and Lex Luthor.

Tonight was going to be a good night.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

How COULD he?

How could Bruce just ABANDON him like that?

Joe sat in the back of the limousine, staring at the window without really looking through it with a cruel smile painted across his face. Bruce was a fucking bastard, Bruce knew just want to do to drive Joe fucking INSANE. It wasn't fair that Joe always came second when it came to sweet little Lex Luthor. It wasn't fair that Bruce found the need to break plans that he had made only two minutes earlier. Sometimes Joe was convinced that Bruce didn't give a flying fuck about him. Bruce was so. So. So not right sometimes. He was often flaky, missing dates and appointments, finding excuses for every little event that he couldn't possibly attend because he was busy doing something. Oftentimes it felt to Joe like Bruce was carrying a secret with him that he refused to share. Almost every second of the day Joe taught about taking an axe to that pretty head of Bruce's in an effort to make all those secrets bleed out.

As Anthony crossed the intersection of First and Kingsley, images of that first day speed through Joe's head at a speed that only he could follow. Images of the Wayne building, Joe's prehistoric car being hooked up to the tow truck, the truck driver who wouldn't cut the seventeen year old kid a little fucking slack and Bruce. Bruce, the ridiculously handsome young billionaire that just happened to wander out of his building at the exact moment that Joe was down on his knees, begging the tow truck driver to just give him this one free pass, just once. He remembered that smile that Bruce gave when he walked up and placed a large hand on Joe's thin shoulder, a smile that was filled with confidence and just perhaps a little arrogance.

"Don't worry about your car," Bruce had said, his eyes glittering as he peered down on Joe. "I'll buy you a new car. Anything you want."

Anything he wanted. Four years ago, Joe was allowed to get anything he wanted. Now he was lucky if he could even receive a fucking dinner with Bruce. So much for the celebration; at least Harleen would be proud of him, right?

Lex flipped his cell phone closed with a distinct sound of plastic against plastic. He rested his head against the cool window pane, which shot a rather welcomed chill down his body. As he stared at the darkness through the slightly fogged window, he could vaguely see the outlines of Clark's angelic features in the clouds. The image became more pronounced as the moon drifted in and out of the clouds. Clark's eyes momentarily highlighted by the brief appearances of the moon. He could see the outline of betrayal chiseled into those brilliantly green hues. A green so vivid, so vibrant that it simply entranced Lex. Threw him into a whirlwind of absolute lust and admiration for a boy who fed Lex nothing but mistrust and excuses. If he didn't feel such an anger towards Clark, the young Luthor would almost go as far to say the small pang he felt in his ribs was simply guilt, but what had he to feel guilty of?

Well, yes. He had told Clark he would call off all investigations and he did! The room simply help contents of his past and future. He truly believed that. He somehow believed that this boy... this high school teenager was his future. Where and how exactly that was, well, Lex wasn't sure. Therefore, he had built this room to discover that very reason. Clark seemed to be the source of most (if not all) of these meteor freaks. Okay, perhaps that was a little too unrealistic. Clark wasn't exactly the 'source' of it, really. The boy had a hero complex far beyond that Lex could really comprehend. Nonetheless, this room... the photos, his Porsche (that he was still certain had hit Clark that day on the bridge), the meteors, and all those damn homicidal meteor freaks had something to do with his Savior. His angel.

Damnit! He had to stop thinking about Clark like this. It wasn't healthy. He closed his eyes. If only he could make Clark believe him. It seemed like only a few days ago, the boy was completely mesmerized by Lex's charms. Laughing at Lex's odd humor and horrible jokes. Only a few days ago Clark had treated him like a friend and not some criminal. If only he could rid Clark of his father's sanctimonious platitudes! Ugh! If anyone had it out for him, it was certainly Jonathan Kent, but he wasn't going to go there. Not tonight anyway. Clark had provided more than enough emotional distress for Lex without adding the senior Kent into the mix.

Lex slipped his near paper thin cell phone into his suit pocket. He slowly opened his eyes to watch as the plane elegantly flew over cornfields towards the dark and gloomy city that was known as Gotham. He certainly didn't miss that element of Gotham. It was too dark and damp for Lex's liking. Unfortunately, it was Bruce's humble abode and Lionel's destination for most of his black market dealings. Not that Lionel ever formally admitted to it, of course but Lex wasn't an idiot. He knew his father better than he knew.. well, Clark, really. God damnit. A muscle twitched in his jaw again.

"Lex..."

He could hear him so loud and clear in his head. It was almost as if the tall dark Angel had leaned over him and whispered into his ear...

The small passenger jet began to shake as it descended back to Earth. Although, his father had scolded Lex for closing his eyes during landing, he couldn't help himself as he listened to the sounds of the jet plane's wheels coming in contact with the landing strip; his hands firmly grasping the seat's armrest and pale blue eyes firmly rested upon the black television screen at the head of the plane.

-----

Clark watched as the older boy disappeared into the confines of the plane. A feeling of deep regret emerged its ugly head in the pits of his heart but he refused to acknowledge its presence. He wanted to stop Lex and demand a further explanation than what he had offered; though, he knew it would do no good. He wasn't sure what to believe when it came to Lex. While the young Luthor never bluntly lied, often times, he never told the complete truth. But then, could Clark really talk? He wasn't exactly the epitome of truth himself. How many times had he outright lied to Lex to protect his secret?

Too many to count, quite frankly. He suppose he couldn't blame Lex for being so curious, really. However, he had taken it too far! A room entirely dedicated to him? That was beyond creepy. That was nearly stalker-ish, really! No, he'd give Lex the space he needed for now. Maybe. A part of him wanted to run after Lex. He wanted to follow the older boy to Gotham and plead with him. Maybe apologize for acting like a total jerk.

He watched until the plane became nothing more than a speck on the horizon. His shaggy black hair flew into his shining emerald hues when the wind blew it back. Yeah, he'd wait for Lex to calm down and come back to Smallville...

Er, maybe..

-----

Lex retrieved his cell phone from his suit jacket and dialed Bruce's number. Hearing the man's voice always brought a genuine smile to his ghastly pale face. It was an odd sensation to cross his features but welcomed nonetheless. "Bruce, it's me. The usual place then? Fantastic, I'll see you there in a few minutes then. Order me a glass of their finest Cognac, please. I need a drink."

He briskly hung up the phone.

Speaking of alcoholic beverages, Lex reached for the mini-bar and quickly grabbed his father's favorite Cognac (L'Esprit de Courvoisier) from within. He almost consider skipping on a glass, but it would be a great shame to simply chug a two hundred year old bottle of Cognac. In fact, that would be downright disgraceful. Therefore, like a proper gentleman, he found himself gracefully sipping from a crystal glass.

It had been years since he had seen Bruce. Years since he had seen that somber yet youthful face. He wondered vaguely if Bruce still contained that somberness; he wouldn't be surprised. Of course, the billionaire's face was often times printed across the pages of magazines such as GQ and FORTUNE, but Lex didn't have time for such things. He rather preserve Bruce's image from their schoolboy days. Despite the fact that it was much too late for that.

The limo lurched and Lex knew they had arrived. While it had taken no more than thirty minutes for his driver to reach the restaurant, the smell of alcohol was already heavy on his breath. He almost regretted drinking so much but simply blamed it on shit-tastic day and shoved his slender pale hands into the depths of his pockets. His breath lingered in front of him; the icy winter air stung his lungs and made his nose turn a little pink at the very tip. Lex quickly entered the restaurant. While it wasn't Lex's favorite, it certainly made Bruce happy.

And the smile that graced Bruce's lips when he slid into the seat across from him, made the trip here entirely worth it. "Bruce." Lex's smile was a little off but he tried to pull himself together for his friend. "God, has it really been a lifetime since I've seen you? You look great."

Bruce was well aware of the fact that Lex, as far as his taste buds were concerned, did not hold Antonelli's as one of his favorite restaurants, but it was their place. The same restaurant that Bruce's parents had taken him to every weekend before they died and the same restaurant that Bruce had taken Lex to on their first "date" back in high school when the illusion that there was a romantic future ahead for Bruce and Lex still existed. It was a classy albeit cliche place, equipped with thick red table cloths and crystal wine glasses that still managed to sparkle in the low lamp and candlelight. Going to another restaurant just seemed blasphemous under the circumstances.

Emily, the pretty redheaded hostess at Antonelli's always saved Mr Wayne's table whether he called ahead or not. When the handsome dark billionaire walked through the heavy stained oak doors, Emily was waiting to lead him to his table in the back. Her dazzling smile was always something that brightened Bruce's day. "Will you be needing any menus tonight, Mr Wayne?"

"No, thank you, Emily. Mr Luthor and I have the menu all up here." Bruce tapped his temple with his middle finger and grinned. "Could you ensure that our dinner remains uninterrupted, sweetheart?"

"Certainly, Mr Wayne," Emily replied quickly, blushing. "I'll have Roger bring you something to drink?"

"Just a glass of Perignon for myself. And could you also have Roger bring a class of cognac for Mr Luthor? Preferably Courvosier Erte, if possible."

"Of course, sir. Enjoy your dinner."

"Thank you, Emily." Bruce watched the pretty girl leave and sat down by the window, watching as the evening clouds darkened and began to hang low with coming rains. It was only about ten or fifteen minutes before Bruce spotted Lex weaving through the tables, carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders and something hazy on his mind. Bruce stood up to pull his old friend into his arms, inhaling deeply as he pressed Lex to his chest. He missed Lex’s scent, the sweet smell that always seemed to linger on Lex’s smooth skin. When the two separated they sat down at the same table that they always sat at and smiled at one another.

"Bruce. God, has it really been a lifetime since I've seen you? You look great."

“Not half as good as you, Lex. You still have that lovely snow white glow to you. I’ve always liked that, you know.” Bruce chuckled and took a sip of his champagne, letting his eyes roam over Lex, all of Lex (even the part hidden underneath the table), an area that Bruce was all too well familiar with. “Have a little bit of cognac before coming? I don’t know why you can think that you can get away with tipsiness with me. I was the one that gave you your first drink, remember?”

The atmosphere was perfect, just like the night of Bruce and Lex’s first date. Back when Bruce and Lex had been just old enough to buy into the whole idea of boyfriends and romance, back when they had both been seduced by the idea that they could be together forever, as if either of them thought that far in advance. The lighting, the table, the gloomy weather outside the windows. The only thing different from that night was their height and beverage choices, and perhaps a waiter or two.

“I can’t believe we have went this long without seeing one another. I suppose we’ve been just preoccupied with running our companies, hm? Well, at least we get to be together now, share a pleasant meal, and if you’re not doing anything remarkably important then we can plan the rest of our night together. I assume that you’re staying at Lionel’s penthouse? If you would rather not have to deal with your... charming father, you know you’re always welcome to stay with me.”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, Joseph, why so serious, hm?”

Harleen feigned a pout and pulled Joe down onto her couch, a piece of decadent furniture that anyone could just sink into and die happy. Her thick brown hair fell in loose artificial curls past her shoulders, and her pale skin seemed to emit an eerie glow in the low light of her apartment. Joe sat next to her, his dirty blonde hair hanging in front of his eyes, his lips turned down in a perpetual frown.

“I don’t understand how he thinks that he can just dump me like that and have there be no consequences for his actions. Does he believe in utter chaos? Does he think that his actions have no reciprocal reactions? The logical train of thinking would be Bruce acts like an asshole and I’m angry with him, but somehow he seems to believe that he can do whatever he wants and that I, me, myself, that Joe will not hold him accountable for what he has done? Just because some freaky billionaire weirdo calls him up suddenly I’m not good enough to hang around with anymore? Lex Luthor, who does that little punk think he is, anyway? If he thinks that he can steal Bruce away from me then he is mistaken, he understands nothing about Joe.”

“Joseph, Joseph, calm down. You know how Bruce is. He does what he wants, when he wants. Bruce has always been like that, I’m sure. Would you like something to drink, Joseph?”

“No, Harley, no. You don’t understand. Bruce, Bruce takes care of me, okay? If Bruce doesn’t take care of me then I have nothing, I have no one.”

“You have me,” Harleen replied, her voice tinged with an ounce of hope.

“You’re not Bruce. Bruce is my other half, he is my mirror image. He’s just as crazy as I am.”

Harleen smiled sadly and looked at Joe’s face, admiring his Chelsea grin. “Well, if you really think that--”

“How do you save a man from drowning?”

“I don’t know, Joseph.” Harleen smiled. “How?”

“Take your foot off of his head.” Joe erupted into a fit of maniacal laughter, causing Harleen to sigh gently as she reveled in the sound of his laugh.

“Do you feel better?” she asked sweetly, running her fingers through Joe’s thin hair.

“Bruce is going to want me tonight.”

“Of course he is, Joe. Who wouldn’t?”

Lex closed his eyes as he felt Bruce's arms wrap around his frail, thin body. The older man's scent engulfed him, just as his arms had. It felt for a moment as if they had been transported back to their boarding school days. Days that Lex had spent in these arms; his head resting on Bruce's chest as they lounge beneath the shade of the vast oak trees on the school grounds, escaping the summer heat. He clung onto the memory until Bruce had finally pulled away and they both took their seats across each other. His body no longer felt cold from the dreary Gotham weather. No, Bruce's body had given him a blazing warmth as he slid into his seat. While he never appreciated the restaurant's cheesy Italian theme, he had to admit the dim lighting and the dancing candlelight from their table set an almost ethereal glow about Bruce. It reminded him vaguely of the last time he had seen Bruce.

Wow, it really had been a lifetime ago, hadn't it? He hadn't seen Bruce since he had graduated from Metropolis University; the very same school his father had graduated from. Originally, Lex had wanted to go to Gotham University to be with Bruce and also take advantage of their Science department since it was far more recognized than any other University around. When Lex had finally graduated high school (Bruce had been a year ahead of him), he had conjured up all these idealistic plans of them living together and going to GothamU. Unfortunately, Lionel had the final say in Lex's higher education and therefore, he was majoring in Business and attending school in his home city: Metropolis. Not that it was necessarily a bad thing. Lex loved Metropolis! He simply spent his entire college career in clubs and entirely drugged up. Regardless, he graduated with Summa Cum Laude. Yes, he was just that amazing or rather, Lionel had that much money. Either way, really. He wondered if Bruce ever knew about his drugged rampages. He probably did. Bruce knew everything about Lex and despite knowing Bruce nearly his entire life, he felt like he knew next to nothing about his best friend. How odd. It was nearly identical to how he felt about Clark. No, he knew Clark.. he almost knew him better than Bruce, really. Perhaps..

“Not half as good as you, Lex. You still have that lovely snow white glow to you. I’ve always liked that, you know.”

He hadn't anticipated how the sound of Bruce's voice would simply consume. It felt so familiar to him like a whisper from a past memory. No matter how far apart or how much time elapsed since he had seen Bruce, he would always remember the older boy's (more like man, really Lex) voice. Always. He had such a strong, authoritative if not compelling voice that Lex remember falling over and over for when he was younger. Well, he supposed he still did. At least it would seem so.

"Yeah, I vaguely remember." Bruce's chuckled almost led Lex into one, but he stifled the temptation. Instead he took a sip of the Cognac sitting in front of him. Hmm, Bruce had gone out of his way to order the most expensive Cognac it seemed. Well, of course he did; that was hardly surprising, really. He could feel Bruce's eyes raking over him already. The thought made him feel horribly self conscious and again he attempted to drown it out with Cognac.

“Have a little bit of cognac before coming? I don’t know why you can think that you can get away with tipsiness with me. I was the one that gave you your first drink, remember?”

Busted. It would seem that despite all the years that gone by, Bruce still knew him all too well. Lex blushed and stared into the amber depths of his drink. He could vividly remember the first drink he had. It had placed him in immense trouble with Lionel, since Lex had drunk all of his father's fine liquors. In fact, he still had the scar on his lip where Lionel had punched him on. Oh yes, he definitely remembered that incident. "I try not to," he muttered. He gave a sardonic chuckle. "Not exactly the highlight of my life as you recall."

“I can’t believe we have went this long without seeing one another. I suppose we’ve been just preoccupied with running our companies, hm? Well, at least we get to be together now, share a pleasant meal, and if you’re not doing anything remarkably important then we can plan the rest of our night together. I assume that you’re staying at Lionel’s penthouse? If you would rather not have to deal with your... charming father, you know you’re always welcome to stay with me.”

"Our companies? I have no company. Any concept of possessing my own LeXCorp was very publicly truncated by my father, you know that. As far as anyone is concerned, there is only LuthorCorp. I wouldn't say I've been particularly busy with that anyway. No, actually, I've been wasting my time in Smallville until my father deems me fit to run things from Metropolis," he paused a moment to take a sip from his glass. "I met this boy named Clark Kent. He's a peculiar boy, really. I'll have to tell you more about him in a bit. I'm not really hungry and frankly, I prefer not to stay in any of Lionel's humble abodes. So, do you mind going back to your place?"

---

"Clark, stop pacing, you're driving me nuts."

"Sorry!" Clark blushed and immediately stopped in mid-step. He gently put his foot down before retreating back to his desk."I just feel the need to move around."

"Really? I couldn't tell." Chloe muttered darkly casting evil eyes upon the raven haired boy. "What's wrong, anyway?"

The teen crossed his arms over his chest and looked out through the hayloft doors. Above them, the sky was beginning to darken as the sun retreated for the evening. Gentle colors painted the vast canvas with subtle hints of pink, blue and touches of purple around the clouds. It was a perfect evening. The breeze was cool yet the temperature was warm given the spring season. In the distance he could hear the birds chirping and the faint rustling of the tree leaves in the Spring breeze.

"Excuse me! Hellooooo! Earth to Clark!"

"Oh, sorry Chloe. I was just thinking about Lex. He left for Gotham this morning." He turned to face Chloe. "I was in Lex's mansion this morning and I found this room he had in one of the abandoned wings. It was a room practically dedicated to me! It had pictures of me and meteors in glass cases. It also had Lex's damn Porsche! The one he smashed on the bridge that day. He told me he had gotten rid of it, but he lied. He lied about everything! All the investigations.. everything, Chloe! How can I trust him?"

It hurt his heart to think about it, really. Chloe got up and approached Clark, the look of concern filled her eyes. She placed her hands on Clark's shoulders. "Calm down, Clark. Maybe it's nothing. Did you ask Lex about it?"

"Yes." His lower lip trembled. Pull yourself together, man! He tore his eyes away from Chloe and stared at something far behind her. "He said it wasn't about me. That I was being selfish to think it was. He said it was about him and his future. That somehow it all tied in with me and the meteors. Whatever that means. I think.. well, I... there were pictures of me everywhere! What does that have to do with his future?"

That he loves you. Chloe didn't say it aloud and she doubt she ever would. That was Lex's secret to tell Clark whether he realized it or not. The poor boy obsessed over Lex, she wondered how someone as smart as Lex could fail to notice. "Look Clark, maybe there's more to the story than that. I mean, he was leaving. So, it wasn't like Lex had a chance to really explain himself."

"So, we should go to Gotham then?"

"No, I doubt either of our parents would allow that to happen. Just give him an opportunity to explain. That's all I'm saying, Clark. It can wait for him to come home."

"If he ever does."

Clark sighed. He brushed the hair from his eyes and miserably threw himself onto the couch.

Perhaps Lex had a bit of an alcohol problem; Bruce wouldn't blame him if he did. Chances are Bruce would never blame Lex for anything. Each time Bruce's eyes moved over Lex's body the younger man took another sip from the glass of cognac, probably to water down the anxiety that was overwhelming his thin frame. Bruce could not help but be attracted to Lex's obvious discomfort, a quality that the young Luthor never seemed to grow out of, no matter how many times Bruce took Lex's clothes off for him. During their time in prep school it had been almost every night that Bruce's hands felt all over Lex's pale body, exploring places that Lex had been too afraid to explore himself. Lex had seemed so nervous then, and he appeared to be nervous now. After a few moments Bruce decided to spare Lex the discomfort and look into his eyes, something that he was sure his old friend would prefer.

"Our companies? I have no company. Any concept of possessing my own LeXCorp was very publicly truncated by my father, you know that. As far as anyone is concerned, there is only LuthorCorp. I wouldn't say I've been particularly busy with that anyway. No, actually, I've been wasting my time in Smallville until my father deems me fit to run things from Metropolis."

"You'll get LeXCorp, I know you will. It's just a matter of time. One day your father will realize that you're more of a threat than he could have ever imagined, and gaining control of LuthorCorp and creating LeXCorp will be just another walk in the park." Bruce smiled and took a sip of champagne, letting the pleasant bubbly liquid sensation trickle down his throat. "To be frank, the only reason that I have complete control of Wayne Enterprises is because I have no parents to share the power with."

Bruce's smile faltered for a moment but then regained its charming structure, leaving only slight evidence of his continuing mourning over his parents' murders. As a child and even now, despite the fact that Bruce and Lex were quite wrapped up in their own complicated lives, Bruce often wondered whether it was worse to not have parents or to have a father like Lionel, constantly asserting his power over you, purposefully creating a weak creature to blindly follow his every step. While Bruce did not envy his friend's position, the selfish part of his being forced him to feel that some parent was better than no parent at all.

Although to the common outsider it would seem as if Lex changed subjects from LuthorCorp to the small town farm boy rather quickly, Bruce had known the young man long enough to notice when the cogs in Lex's head were turning and changing direction. The way that his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed, Bruce could tell that there was something important coming along, waiting to fall from Lex's soft lips. He watched Lex's mouth closely as he commenced speaking.

"I met this boy named Clark Kent. He's a peculiar boy, really. I'll have to tell you more about him in a bit. I'm not really hungry and frankly, I prefer not to stay in any of Lionel's humble abodes. So, do you mind going back to your place?"

"Yes, you will have to tell me all about your new boyfriend. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't dying for details." Deciding not to push the issue further, Bruce called and paid for the check, leading Lex outside. He wasn't surprised when Lex said that he wasn't hungry, he often wasn't, and didn't mind whisking him away back to one of his penthouses instead of sitting inside the restaurant, despite how sentimental it was to them. Or Bruce, at least.

The two got into Bruce's limo, finding themselves in downtown Gotham in a matter of minutes thanks to the chauffeur's excellent driving. They talked about simple things, pointless things. Business matters, weather patterns. Bruce briefly mentioned the new head of public relations, a young and fresh Joseph Kerr, graduate of Gotham University. Thinking about Joey made Bruce's heart ache for a minute. He should not have left Joe so quickly, but he couldn't reject an invitation to see Lex. Bruce would make it up to Joe once Lex left. Go out to dinner, take him shopping, buy him a new suit or television or car, whatever Joe wanted. It was easy to please the boy, and he would forgive Bruce for his minor transgression. Yes, he would forgive him easily. No need to worry about Joe, Harleen would take care of him, she always did. Lex was here now, Lex needed him.

"Take off your coat, stay a while."

Bruce's place was immaculate, not a piece of furniture that did not match, not a book or magazine out of its place from the shelves that lined the walls. Each painting and photograph was framed and hung perfectly on the wall. There was a large patio outside behind sparkling glass doors that overlooked Gotham. The lights from the city were bright but somehow Gotham still seemed to look gloomy and dark, an aspect of Gotham nightlife of which many newcomers immediately took note.

"Lex, you really should not go so long again without coming to see me. Next time you do, I'm coming for you." Sometime in between walking from the doorway to the couch in the livingroom, Bruce had discarded his coat and unbuttoned his dress shirt, run his fingers through his hair and mussed it in just the way that he had when he was a teenager. Something had begun to stir inside of Bruce, a little voice had been nagging him beginning the very second that he had seen Lex approach the table inside Antonelli's. Just a whisper then, it was screaming now. Screaming, panting, yelling, a screeching banshee locked inside of his brain that had to be released, that could only be released with the feel of Lex's body against his own.

With a sharp turn towards Lex and a strong, determined hand, Bruce pulled the shorter man towards him and wrapped his arms around his waist. "You can tell me about your boyfriend," he whispered, his lips brushing against Lex's cheek as he spoke, "you can tell me about your father. You can whisper all your dreams and desires if you want. But I'd much rather you scream them." His lips were hot against Lex's, his heart was pounding in his chest. Lex's lean body was the perfect counter to Bruce's muscular build. Bruce's kiss was filled with passion and lust, a carnal desire that the older man had to satisfy before the screaming tore through his temporal lobe and left him deaf for the rest of his life.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

"You want to know my philosophy, Harley, hm? You want to know what makes Mr Joe Kerr tick, tick, tick?"

"Sure, Joseph. Tell me what makes you tock."

Joe smirked at Harleen's cute little joke. That's what it was, cute. Like Harley. Harley was cute. "Well, Miss Quinzel," Joe slurred, his breath smelling of vodka, "my philosophy, theory, whateveryouwannacallit, is one bad day. Just one! It can change everything. One bad day can make a man go fucking crazy, y'see?"

"How, Joseph? How can just one day drive someone insane?"

"It's simple, really. You put the sanest man on the planet, you take him and you put him in the most horiffic situation possible, you can drive him mad. His tiny little brain won't be able to cope with the tragedy, the trauma that's washing over him like a tsunami from hell and he'll just POP. Like a sanity balloon, just pop and there'll be nothing left but pure insanity."

Harleen paused and tilted her head, pursing her lips as she thought. "I dunno, Joey. Some people have more coping skills than others. I'm sure that there are some people that can resist the temptations of psychosis."

"You sure about that?"

"Well, no, of course I'm not sure. How could I be? It's just a thought."

"I'm telling ya, Harley. One bad day, that's all that it takes."

"Have you had a bad day, Joseph?"

"My whole life is one bad day."

The hand Bruce had placed on the small of his back as he led Lex to his awaiting limo, burned vivaciously over his skin, sending a tingling warmth up his spine and down his hairless arms. He was sure if he did, in fact, had hair, it would most certainly be standing on its end. Of course Bruce had this effect over him. In fact, Bruce contained a lot of power of Lex. Perhaps it was odd that he knew this and yet, did nothing to avoid it. He wasn't sure what he or Bruce was intending as they slid into the pristine leather seats in the back of the limo.

No. That was a lie. He knew exactly what Bruce wanted from him. Lex always knew what Bruce wanted. The older man was so very direct with his desires. If Bruce wanted something, he wouldn't take no for an answer; perhaps it was the spoiled Billionaire in him. Lex, on the other hand, meticulously planned and schemed until he got what he wanted. Granted, it was the long and complicated way around such things but frankly, it didn't matter. Eventually, he would get whatever it was he wanted. Although, it would always seem like Lex had the tendency to also lose whatever he gained as well. Two steps forward, one step back. Right Lex?

Bruce had placed himself dangerously close to Lex. Their thighs were lightly touching each other, which made Lex incredibly nervous for the first time in years. Why was he feeling this way? He had known this man since he was thirteen. Come to think of it, this was the same way he felt when Bruce had first introduced himself. When everyone had called the older man (then boy) Spooky. The thought made him chuckle internally. Children they had been; once and long ago. When dreams were a possibility and a blooming romance once danced within Lex's (and maybe even Bruce's) vivid blue eyes. A time when Bruce's hands had eagerly explored Lex's pale lean body. He remembered the warmth it filled him with, how it eased his anxiety. He shook such sentimental inklings from his thought and occupied himself by staring out the window.

How could anyone live in such a dark, gloomy and criminally infested city? Granted, Gotham had it's Batman (the thought always made Lex chuckle) to protect it's citizens, but even so, the atmosphere was just so uninhabitable. Gotham was the true antithesis of everything Metropolis looked and stood for. While the bright Metropolis sun stood blazing over the city's tallest skyscrapers, the Gotham sun was hidden beneath the dreary overcast skies. Gazing through the windows (quipping idle chatter to avoid any unwanted silence in the expansive limo) with bemused eyes, Lex observed the Gothic architecture. The burly faces of gargoyles peered back at him, staring him down as the limo moved swiftly (almost elegantly so) through Gotham's downtown district. In the near distance, he could see the building that held his father's penthouse, it was not far from Bruce's prime real estate. The limo made a rather sharp turn, forcing Lex to bump shoulders with Bruce. He clenched his jaw. Think about Clark.. what about Clark? There was nothing going on between him and the farmboy. Nothing at all. Not by design of course, but rather.. well, Clark was just a boy. That was just it. So, what had he to feel ashamed about?

Absolutely nothing.

Lex mumbled a faint apologize and stared at his shoes. The limo came to a halt in front of Bruce's luxurious building. The older man held the door for him as he exited the vehicle. In what seem like a blur of words, noises and colors, he was soon led up through the elevator into Bruce's penthouse suite, complete with a full bar, aquarium and whatever else a bachelor could possibly want. Lex considered making a bee-line straight for the bar. Resisting the urge (partly deciding that he had enough to drink for the night), he entertained himself simply by observing a framed photo on the wall. It was a picture of him and Bruce; Bruce's arm was slung over his shoulder and his face held a genuine piercing smile. It lit his face, making his eyes sparkle. This was the Bruce he knew; his hair a tousled mess, falling into his dark eyes and his body hard, toned with the years of training in the Orient with the various renown Kung Fu masters.

"Take off your coat, stay a while."

"I probably shouldn't stay long, Bruce," he started. Bad things might happen, silently added. "Business meetings bright and early tomorrow. Besides, you know how Daddy Dearest will react if his boy fails to attend his precious business dealings."

Actually, he wouldn't care if Lex failed to show up, but he wasn't going to mention that.

"Lex, you really should not go so long again without coming to see me. Next time you do, I'm coming for you."

The young Luthor scion gulped. "You know I don't mean to. Things simply come up, surely you understand how that goes."

Lex moved to follow Bruce into the living room. Evidently, Bruce didn't take much time to get himself settled in, having discarded his coat and unbuttoned his dress shirt, so that his defined muscles peaked from beneath. The image made it very hard for Lex to avoid raking his eyes over Bruce, head to foot and over again. His heart began to pick up pace within his chest. Did Bruce ever age? With his hair mussed in that perfect way, he looked as if he were eighteen again. He bit down on his tongue. No, Bruce wasn't his anymore. Bruce didn't want him. Isn't that the impression he had made when the other man stormed out on him the day he announced 'his' decision to go to Metropolis University instead of Gotham University? So, what was he playing at now?

Bruce had suddenly stopped just a couple of steps ahead of him; his back foot swerved toward him and in a rush of desperate desire, Lex found his waist being grasped with strong arms. "Bruce?" He dared to whisper. Although, it came out more as a gasp than anything else. "What are you--"

He was cut off by Bruce. "You can tell me about your boyfriend; you can tell me about your father. You can whisper all your dreams and desires if you want. But I'd much rather you scream them."

His best friend's lips were so close to his own. The man's breath felt so hot against his cold pale skin; he grasped Bruce's shirt into his hands to support his weight. He felt light headed and lost in the man's clear desires. Bruce wanted him. Did he still love him then? Whatever the case, whatever the reason or story behind it, the mere fact that Bruce wanted him made Lex feel alive. It sparked a fire within him that he had thought disappeared and died like their boyhood relationship had. His lips were suddenly engulfed by Bruce's, lost within those lush rosy lips. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss, his hand snaked around to grasp Bruce's thin waist as the other quickly assaulted the belt the man wore, quickly releasing the buckle.

Bruce didn’t hear any of the words that Lex had tried to say, didn’t listen to anything that came out of the younger man’s mouth other than heavy breaths and moans. Bruce was the type of man that heard exactly what he wanted to hear. And if the sounds he wanted weren’t being given to him, then he would find a way to get them through any means possible. Lex was skilled at knowing exactly what Bruce wanted when he wanted it, so getting him to emit the sounds Bruce desired wasn’t much of an issue.

Perhaps it was improper for Bruce to have forced himself upon Lex so suddenly; after all, they had only been reunited for a couple of hours at most. Perhaps it was inappropriate for Bruce to let his hands wander down Lex’s back until his large palms cupped his buttocks, but nothing in the world at that moment could have made Bruce care about propriety. Lex’s lithe form was too tempting, his pale skin far too alluring for Bruce to resist. It had been years since Bruce had taken Lex into his arms, into his bed. It was time for a reminder of why Lex had been the only one allowed behind Bruce’s closed doors for all those hormonal teenage years.

The feel of Lex’s fingers grappling with Bruce’s belt made the dark haired billionaire smile amidst his lip lock with the former. It was what Bruce wanted. He needed to know that Lex still found him as attractive as Bruce found him, he needed to know that Lex would always be his go-to boy when it came to all things lascivious. Of course, it was more than that. Bruce was in love with Lex. He would always be in love with Lex whether he was sixteen, twenty-six or sixty. Despite the fact that Bruce had refused to talk to Lex for almost a year after breaking the news that he wouldn’t be joining Bruce at Gotham University, he had still thought about the other boy every day. Every casual encounter, every one-night stand that Bruce had only reinforced the thought that no one was as good as Lex, no one was as sexy as Lex, no one would ever, ever be Alexander Luthor.

“Do you remember the way you used to spread your legs for me?” Bruce growled, squeezing Lex’s tight ass before moving his hands around the smaller man’s waist so that he could remove the trousers that blocked Bruce from his ultimate goal. “I’m sure you do. I’m sure you remember the way you used to moan my name, don’t you, Lex? The way my cock used to just slip inside of you and make you squeal. I miss the way your ass feels, Lex. I miss you.” A deep breath escaped his lungs, washing over Lex as Bruce unbuttoned his pants and watched them fall to the floor. Next came the coat and shirt that Lex wore. Off they were in a matter of seconds, revealing the smooth, hairless skin that Bruce admired so much.

Bruce felt himself aching beneath his trousers, his cock begging to be freed and touched by Lex’s soft hands. No one ever made Bruce so hard, so fast. Lex was the only one that could do that to him. “Hurry up, Lex. Go faster. I want to feel your fingers wrapped around my shaft. I want you to feel how hard I still am for you, how much I want you.”

Rough fingers felt their way up Lex’s stomach, his chest, gently wrapping around his thin throat. There was something about the way that Lex’s pulse pounded so strongly against his fingers that made Bruce groan with pleasure. He could take Lex to the bed, he could take him right now; but something about that scenario seemed almost too cliche, too fake and pseudo-romantic to feel real. Bruce had always been about hard, real sex. The kind that left you sore for days afterwards. But every once in a while he was willing to go gentle, to go slow and whisper sweet nothings into his lover’s ear. But only if that lover was Lex.

Tonight wasn’t that kind of night. It was not the night to go slow, they hadn’t seen each other in so long and it was obvious that they both needed to be satisfied in just the right way. Bruce reached into Lex’s underwear and wrapped his calloused fingers around Lex’s cock. It felt amazing to feel that beautiful organ in his grip again. “I’m going to fuck you, Lex. I’m going to make you scream so loud for me, just like you used to. You’re going to be mine tonight and you’re going to love it. Get down, Lex.”

In one swift movement Bruce removed his hand from Lex’s underpants and placed it on his shoulders, forcing the hairless beauty down on his knees. “Blow me, Lex. I’m dying for your lips.”

He missed this. This feeling of being wanted more than anything in the world. He missed the feeling of Bruce's hand over his bare skin. Lex had never wanted to say goodbye to any of this; it had never been his intention on leaving Bruce to return to Metropolis. He wondered vaguely if this would have been his life had he not left. Or perhaps Lex was simply dwelling far too much in the past and none of this meant anything to Bruce at all. It was a distinct possibility. Bruce took what he wanted, when he wanted it and Lex would never deny him anything. No matter how hard he tried to erase the older man from his thoughts, his memories and his heart, it merely took a whisper of enchantment from Bruce's lips to break it all back. The dark haired man would always hold his heart within his hands.

Lex had thought of himself as one to dwell on the past. Yet every gasp and moan to escape his slender rose lips simply brought him back to a time best forgotten. It reminded him of the summer nights Bruce had roughly pushed him against the brick fence behind the school's gymnasium, assaulting his neck with little nibbles and licks as he rubbed his deck against Lex's ass. His first time with Bruce had very little to do with romance than raging hormones. The older boy had taken him behind the old worn building and fucked him until he screamed. Then fucked him again until Lex could no longer take it. He couldn't ever remember being fucked with so much heated passion after that. Of course he had plenty of sex with women, boys and trannys alike through his drunken era of college, but faces came and went. He never let anyone fuck him. It just didn't seem right. Of course, to be completely and utterly honest, Bruce had never been his first fuck, but he would never tell the older man that. Never.

“Do you remember the way you used to spread your legs for me?”

Bruce's voice was so fierce against his mouth, his breath hot and lingering above his own lips like devilish temptation. Lex was eager to answer the older man's wishes, completely willing to be the compliant slave Bruce so bluntly desired. The man's large hands came over his ass, squeezing his cheeks tightly. It forced a deep moan from his chest, ripping the very air from his longs and producing a livid vein to appear along pale throat. The hands moved quickly away from his ass and reappeared with fingers scrambling to undo his belt buckle. For moment, Lex considered stopping Bruce from proceeding, especially as the thought of Clark appeared within his head. The boy's face, his sparking emerald hues and chiseled features... No! Clark had his chance. He wouldn't think about this. He had no reason to feel guilty none. Especially as Bruce was quickly undressing him; first his pants then quickly followed his heavy wool coat and shirt. "I've missed you too, Bruce..."

Did he really? He hadn't at all thought about it until he was flying over Smallville, but that hardly mattered. His father was always telling him he needed to step out from the shadows of history and live in the current reality. That eventually, with such ideologies, he would fall into the pits of failure. His fingers fumbled briefly over Bruce's zipper; he could feel the man's hard cock beneath his silk slacks. God, how he fucking missed Bruce's dick; Lex sincerely missed the way the pink head would glisten with precum because of his touches, and now, he had the opportunity to reclaim what was once his. Finally unleashing the belt buckle, his fingers grasped Bruce's finely woven boxer briefs and pulled them down to allow his hard dick to at last breathe.

His fingers trailed along the underside of Bruce's cock, the very tips played along the profound veins that encircle the swollen member. A musky scent filled his nostrils. He inhaled deeply. Yesss, this is what he knew, what he remembered. The true and unadulterated scent of Bruce Wayne. He doubted anyone knew his scent as well as Lex did. Yes, he sincerely doubt Bruce had taken anyone else so deep as he had taken the young Luthor heir. Something about the concept made Lex smirk.

“Hurry up, Lex. Go faster. I want to feel your fingers wrapped around my shaft. I want you to feel how hard I still am for you, how much I want you.”

"I think at this point, I'm quite aware of such things." He giggled. At least until Bruce's fingers had traced lines from his stomach to his throat, wrapping around the pale taunt skin. A muffled gasp struggled from his lips. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of being completely consumed by Bruce's haunting presence. The lust and desire in his breath mixed with the scent of his pre-cum. A rough hand quickly seized his cock from his own boxerbriefs, which made Lex's vivid blue eyes widen and jump in shock. "FUCK!"

“I’m going to fuck you, Lex. I’m going to make you scream so loud for me, just like you used to. You’re going to be mine tonight and you’re going to love it. Get down, Lex.”

"Bruce--" The young Luthor exclaimed before he was suddenly forced upon his knees with Bruce's cock just mere centimeters from his lips. It taunted him. The swollen head nudged his cheek.

“Blow me, Lex. I’m dying for your lips.”

Lex gazed momentarily up into Bruce's dark eyes. His ass was dying for the man's cock, but he refused to admit it aloud. Instead he satisfied himself by licking along Bruce's shaft while his left hand played with his balls, cupping the heavy load as he fingered the sensitive area just behind it. He swirled his tongue around the head and collected the gathering cum. GOD, it fucking tasted amazing. The tiny beast in him decided that he needed more of this silly concoction. Lex teasingly sucked the head, letting his right hand stroke the base of Bruce's cock. His left hand, however, hand found a way to tease the man's pucker. It clenched at his intrusion, but Lex gave hardly a notice as he took all of Bruce's cock into his mouth. He gagged briefly and was force to back off for a moment before trying again. Frankly, he had forgotten how thick Bruce was. It filled his mouth, hardly allowing him room to breath or move his tongue along the underside again. Bruce's fingernails were digging into his shoulders now. He was pleased with the man's reaction; a sense of pride filled his chest. Yes, only HE could do this to Bruce. On his mouth, his ass.. His hands grasped Bruce's tight muscular legs now. Should he make him cum? He certainly did want Bruce to explode into his mouth. Lex wanted to taste Bruce's cum again, wanted it to fill his mouth and heat his throat as he swallowed every last drop of it.

Lex's mouth was a little bit of heaven. Bruce was sure that when the Luthor boy was born he was given the gift of God's mouth. Of course, whether God would approve of the actions currently being performed with that mouth was difficult, if not impossible to say. Bruce did not care much either way. God could smite them down right that second and Bruce would be elated. Lex was committing miracles with his lips, tongue and hand. Bruce couldn't help but dig his nails into Lex's shoulders as the growls spilled out of his lips. "Fuck, Lex. You're still amazing," Bruce panted, doubling over Lex as he felt his source of pleasure take all of his dick into his mouth.

The feel of Lex's wet, warm mouth around his throbbing cock brought back memories from their school days in a whirl of ecstasy and fog. The first time Lex had wrapped his lips around Bruce, Bruce had been a healthy seventeen years old. Lex, a sweet thirteen. Lex had just transferred to Excelsior Prep, skipped a few grades so that he was a sophomore while Bruce was a junior. The older boy had spent weeks coaxing Lex to his room and had finally succeeded with the help of plenty of smiles and charisma. From that night on, their relationship exploded, both figuratively and literally. The night after Lex had given Bruce the most amazing blow job he had had up until that point in his life, Bruce had taken Lex behind the old gymnasium and fucked him for that first time. Even then, Lex was amazing. Ten years later, Bruce's opinion hadn't changed.

The way Lex's tongue swirled was pristine, the fashion in which he sucked so eagerly was euphoric. Bruce could tell just from the way that Lex worked on him that Lex was excited at the prospect of tasting Bruce's cum, eager to swirl his semen around his tongue and swallow, letting the heat engulf his throat. Could Bruce allow that? Could Bruce allow Lex to tell him when to come, how hard to come, where to come? Never. That wasn't Lex's place, and it wasn't Bruce's place to listen to Lex in that way. Bruce was the boss, Bruce was the one in control. It had been that way when they were teenagers and it would be that way now. Bruce almost chuckled amidst his moans as he felt Lex's finger try to force its way inside of him. Lex had never been the inserter, only the insertee, and Bruce was not planning on having that recipe changed.

He permitted Lex to continue his sucking for a few minutes, reveling in the way Lex made him feel like he was king of Gotham, king of the fucking world. The tingling sensation started in the depths of his balls, building, climbing, racing up his shaft. Seconds before Bruce felt like he would not be able to stop the orgasm he pulled his dick from Lex's mouth, heaving, his muscular chest rising and falling heavily with each labored breath.

"Bad Lex," Bruce barked, wrapping his fingers around the younger's throat and pulling him to his feet. "You know the rules. You do not decide when Bruce comes. If all of my seed goes down your throat then there's nothing left for your ass, now is there?" Bruce let a knowing smirk crawl across his face. His hazel eyes were locked on Lex and his flawless face. The gentle pulsing of his dick was constantly reminding him that he needed release, he needed to fill Mr Luthor with his semen until it dripped out of him.

He pushed Lex over the arm of his Italian leather sofa and grinned at the sight of Lex's white ass exposed. "Wait," he said simply, kicking off his shoes and pants so he could walk properly to his bedroom where he kept his extensive collection of lube and other sexual necessities. Bruce grabbed a random bottle of lube and for half a second pondered about whether or not he should grab a condom. Bruce had never fucked Lex with a condom before. Shit, who cared if they hadn't fucked in four years? Bruce trusted Lex, Lex would trust Bruce. Condoms were pointless when it came to the two.

He made his way back to the livingroom, opening the lube bottle and squeezing a generous amount onto his fingers. He rubbed the cold, silky liquid onto his dick and used the rest to lubricate Lex's tight ass. One finger pushed its way inside, getting Lex used to the feeling of having something inside of him again. "I could be nice," Bruce whispered, staring at Lex's behind as he moved around inside of him. "I could slowly stretch you out, gently get you ready for the feeling of having my cock inside of you. But I'm not that nice, Lex. And I love you too much to ever be that nice."

Without another word, Bruce leaned over Lex, wrapping his arm around Lex's waist and slipped his pulsating dick into Lex's perfect hole.

As he took Bruce's cock deep into his mouth, he looked up to watch the man's facial expressions. Sweat blanketed Bruce's forehead, his hair looked like seaweed and dripped into his hauntingly dark eyes, which actually seemed to sparkle for the first time tonight. Lex enjoyed watching Bruce's well defined muscles quickly rise and fall as he struggled to maintain his breathing, the gasps and moans that escaped from the man's angelic mouth were simply music to his ears. A fucking symphony to his trained ear, an ethereal beauty with such poetic boundaries within Lex's minds. He wondered vaguely if Bruce was quite aware of how sexy he was. Ha. He probably did. The way Bruce walked with such grace, elegance and mind numbing confidence; how could he not know how sexy he was? He was Gotham's crowned prince, the playboy billionaire who enjoyed to fuck boys as much as girls. Yes, he definitely knew it, Lex was certain.

He was also certain he had Bruce so close to the edge, so close to cum deep into his mouth. The Billionaire's grip on his shoulders was so tight now, he knew it would make a mark come the morning. Of course, Bruce could never resist marking Lex whenever they had sex. Whether it was with his mouth, hands or dick; he had to make sure Lex knew when he awoke the next morning that he belonged to Bruce. Or at least, his ass did, and no one would ever take that away from him. While Lex could fuck as many boys and girls as he wanted, no one would ever fuck him as deep and hard as Bruce could. Now, he was certain there was something wrong with that. Wrong for Lex to allow a man he hadn't spoken to in over a year to continue to own him in such a way, but it was Bruce and that was simply how things worked.

Lex tugged on Bruce's balls; yes, he could now feel how close the older man was. He always knew exactly when Bruce was on the verge of cumming or if he needed more. In fact, he was quite pleased that he could read Bruce's every moan and pleasure filled gasps. Although, just when he had thought the man was actually going to spill his seed into his mouth, Bruce had wrapped his large fingers around Lex's throat, effectively pulling him off of his rock hard cock, which made him frown. He found himself suddenly on his feet, his chest quickly rising and falling from the effort of sucking Bruce off. "You know the rules. You do not decide when Bruce comes. If all of my seed goes down your throat then there's nothing left for your ass, now is there?"

"I see you're as generous as you've ever been, Bruce."

Oh, right. Bruce's "rules". A concept the man had developed when they had been teens locked behind their dormitory doors with nothing better to do than fuck each other until they grew tired of it: which they never did. Bruce seemed to get a high from fucking Lex, whether he wanted to be fucked or not. He filled Bruce's predator-like corporeal lust and desires. Their eyes locked onto each other; a vibrant blue against those dark steaming hues. The man hands swiftly came over his waist again. However, instead of pulling Lex toward him, Bruce had turned him around and pushed him unceremoniously over the fine Italian leather sofa; the cold leather felt welcomed against his body but stuck to his skin as he wiggled to adjust his weight over the armrest.

Bruce had muttered something and when Lex glanced over his shoulder, the man had disappeared down the dimly lit hallway. The young Luthor boy took the opportunity to reach down and grab his own dick, which evidently hung flaccid against his leg. Ugh, God, Lex was such a fucking waste of a man. His father had always told him so: what? That thing between your legs? That's a lie, just like all the lies that leave your girly lips. Although, Bruce was quite aware of Lex's inability to achieve an erection without anti-anxiety pills (which he hadn't taken since the last time he seen Bruce, really), it was still frustrating nonetheless. He tugged on his dick, stroked it a few times but had no luck. He didn't have much time to work on it anyway. Lex heard Bruce's footsteps enter the living room.

He closed his eyes and turned his head into the sofa's cushions. Lex bit down on his bottom lip as he felt Bruce's lubed fingers come over his asshole; they simply rubbed lube over the hole before one finger found its way into Lex's tight hole, pushing through the first ring of muscle. Luthor's eyes shot open and he gasped. It had been so long since he had last felt anything there. So, he could only imagine how tight he was now. The finger was moving in circle inside of him now, having now pushed through the tight muscles.

"I could be nice...I could slowly stretch you out, gently get you ready for the feeling of having my cock inside of you. But I'm not that nice, Lex. And I love you too much to ever be that nice."

"Bruce," he moaned. Lex wanted to add something else to do that. Something to protest against Bruce's wishes to simply impale him with his thick cock before his ass was properly prepared to take it. Of course, it wasn't the first time he had been taken this way and he was damn sure it wouldn't be the last. Thick hands roughly seized his waist now; Bruce's hard cock bumped against his hole before one of his hands left Lex's waist to properly push himself into Lex's hole. "FUCK!"

He shut his eyes tightly, as tight as he could. Pain ripped through his ass, up his spine and made his dick tingle. Lex wasn't ready for it but it seemed Bruce hardly took a notice as he began to move inside of the younger man. The hands around his waist prevented him from squirming away from Bruce's thick dick. The pain was fresh, raw and crisp. It once again brought him to a simpler time, but he refused to acknowledge it. No, it was all about the present. At least for the moment it was. If it wasn't for the sofa, Lex was sure his legs would have given out under him. His thin pale hands attempted to grab at the sofa cushions as Bruce brutally pushed in and out of his ass. With his head lying against the sticky leather surface, his cheek began to rub against it, making his skin feel raw and tender.

"Bruce!" Lex gasped and moan. He would have screamed but he didn't have the air to do it. "Bruce, please!"

Please, what? He wasn't sure. Please make me cum? Or perhaps it was more of a "Bruce, please cum; I can't take it anymore!" The latter sounded more like a reality since his own dick wasn't exactly rock hard like Bruce's. Lex wasn't sure if he could take much more of Bruce's pounded; when he closed his eyes, he saw nothing but vibrant neon colors. The pain had long subsided now. Therefore, with every vulgar thrust, pleasure erupted in the core center of his brain, sending shivers down his spine and elapsed at the very base of his own dick now.

The sounds of Lex's protests did little to slow Bruce's thrusts into his ass; Lex always protested. It wasn't so much that Lex didn't want Bruce to fuck him--he always did--it was more that Lex was never fond of the initial pain that gripped his body in those first few minutes. Bruce knew this, Bruce never did anything to make the pain any less. Despite the horrible things that Lionel said, Lex was not a princess and thus Bruce would never treat him like one. Lex was a man, and he could take cock like a man. Of course, Lionel would probably never understand that having a dick inside of you did not make you feminine in any way, but Lionel was not Bruce's man concern. As long as Lex understood that Bruce admired him for his masculine qualities, nothing else mattered.

Feeling Lex's muscles tighten around his cock was nothing less than rapturous for Bruce. Over the years, Gotham's most eligible bachelor had fucked a lot of people. A lot of people. But no one ever gave him as much pleasure as Lex. Bruce didn't like to think that it might have something to do with the fact that Bruce loved Lex, although it most certainly did. Instead, Bruce liked to disillusion himself with the thought that Lex was just the best fuck, plain and simple. He had not been Bruce's first, he may or may not be Bruce's last, but he would always be the best. That belief was only reaffirmed when Lex's muscles clenched down on Bruce's shaft, forcing a deep moan to sound from his mouth, filling the entirety of Bruce's penthouse.

Bruce's right hand reached down in between Lex's legs, gently touching the soft dick that hung there. It seemed almost out of character for Bruce to be so gentle with Lex, but Lex's conditional impotence was something that, while very familiar with, Bruce could never bring himself to be harsh about. Although Bruce gave off the impression that Lex's problem did not bother him, even years after discovering that only the addition of medication could allow Lex to harden, Bruce still felt pangs of quasi-inadequacy in his chest. The whole point of being a man was not to fuck anything that moved, it was to please. One of the reasons Bruce enjoyed sex so much was because he loved seeing his partner aroused. He loved it when boys' dicks grew hard and thick, or when ladies' clits swelled and their pussies dripped from excitement. He loved knowing that his partner was experiencing just as much pleasure as he was. Unfortunately, that was not the case with Lex. Unless he had his pills there was no evidence that he was having any kind of pleasure. It was lucky that Bruce was so sexually attracted to Lex, that he could just fuck without be too affected by Lex's flaccidity. But it still hurt, no matter how much Bruce said that it didn't.

"Bruce! Bruce, please!"

"Please, what?" Bruce growled, slamming his cock inside of Lex and letting it rest there for just a moment as he bent down to breathe in Lex's ear. "What do you want, Lex? Want me to stop? Slow down? You know that I can't do that, no matter how much you beg for it. Don't you want me to just explode inside of you? I know you do; I bet you're dying to feel the same heat that filled you every night in high school. I have to fill you, babe."

A small, quick, precious kiss to the cheek and then Bruce was up again, but he had not resumed his thrusting. Bruce pulled his cock from Lex's widened ass and pulled his partner up, turning him around and looking into his bright blue eyes. Bruce opened his mouth as if to say something but no words came out. A flash across his hazel eyes signaled that Bruce came to the conclusion that speaking was useless. He slowly forced Lex down onto the leather couch so that he could see Lex's face as he came into him, see that beautiful look that always came over Lex whenever Bruce released himself inside of him.

Bruce laid himself on top of Lex, lifting up Lex's legs and placing his ankles on his shoulders. Bruce slipped himself inside of Lex again, letting the warmth of Lex's body wash over him. It was fucking amazing, making love to Lex. The tips of their noses were touching, Bruce was smiling as he moved back and forth inside of his best friend. He could feel the heat and pressure building inside of him again. This time, Bruce made no effort to keep the orgasm from coming. "Lex," he purred, his lips brushing against Lex's as he spoke. "Fuck, Lex, fuck!"

The orgasm was, as cliche as it might seem, entirely reminiscent of a volcano. Bruce's cum spilled from him and into Lex, filling the paler boy up like a glass until he overflowed. Bruce's chest was rising and falling erratically, his breathing labored and his body was coated in a layer of glistening sweat. "Fuck, babe... " he whispered gently as the last drop poured out of him, " ...thanks for visiting." He smirked, bit his lower lip and gently pulled himself out of Lex, watching as his own cum dripped out of Lex's asshole.

"Please, what?"

The brutal, nearly carnivorous thrusting came to a halt. Though, Bruce's dick was still buried balls deep in Lex's ass. It stung a little yet Lex sadly enjoyed it. He enjoyed how the Billionaire's thick cock simply filled his ass with no restraints. Lex was a martyr for Bruce's love. A desperate empty core wishing, if not down right pleading for some kind of feeling. Something, anything to make him feel whole again. He felt so close to that sensation of emotions; of simply feeling again. He could feel Bruce's hot breath against his ear again, though this time instead of sending shivers or shocks down his spine or through his very veins, it brought a wave of anxiety. A nervousness erupted from his chest, making his heart beat faster than it already did. Sweat glistened across his forehead, down his back and dripped along the curve of his ass, where he was sure would eventually follow along Bruce's body. Why did he feel so nervous, so afraid all of a sudden? So weak... so.. lost. Lex turned his head away from Bruce's heat, away from his voice to avoid that sultry temptation.

"What do you want, Lex? Want me to stop? Slow down? You know that I can't do that, no matter how much you beg for it. Don't you want me to just explode inside of you? I know you do; I bet you're dying to feel the same heat that filled you every night in high school. I have to fill you, babe."

What did he want? That was a very good question. Lex had no idea what he wanted or who he wanted it from. Yes, he was dying to feel...something. At first, he had thought it was Bruce's heat he wanted to feel deep, so fucking deep inside him. However, at this point, Lex was no longer sure if, in all actuality, that was what he wanted. Of course, it didn't matter. Bruce always and would always have his way with him. Lex was never one to refuse Bruce, never. He loved him far too much, and therefore, he did anything to please him; anything to maintain the love and admiration Bruce had for him. His eyes widened. The older man planted an all too quick kiss upon his tender cheek then pulled out from Lex's stretched hole. Had Bruce caught onto his thoughts? Oh no! Had he sense Lex's remorse, his guilt and his desperation? He hoped not. Lex had been turned over and now supported his weight on his hands; blue eyes once again locking onto Bruce's brilliantly hazel hues. Was he going to say something? Another mumble of admiration, perhaps? Something quick crossed the other man's face, an acknowledgment or maybe something else, Lex couldn't be certain. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to hold much foundation as Bruce's thick hands once again came over his shoulders, forcing him to lie upon the sofa, spreading his legs apart to make room for his muscular frame.

Lex wanted to say something to fill the silence, but nothing he could conjure in his head seemed appropriate. Of course, it honestly and truly didn't matter as Bruce laid himself upon Lex's abnormally thin frame, lifting his slender legs to rest upon either shoulder; it made Lex's ass rise into the air again, which allowed Bruce to easily slip his dick back into the younger boy's recovering hole. Lex attempted to disguise the deep moan rising from his chest by roughly biting his bottom lip. They were so close now. So fucking close, the very tips of their noses touched; the sweat dripping from Bruce's hair made a drunken trail down his nose to land on the very tip of Lex's own. He felt too close to the man now. It would be easy for Bruce to read the expressions on Lex's face; it hurt to see the smile that now pierced Bruce's face. A smile that oddly resemble the very sheepish smile Clark wore when he was up to no good.

Bruce's thrusts had become erratic. He knew the man was coming near to his climax. The frantic push drove Lex hard into the sofa below them, it pulsated into his very core; the very center of his being. His hands had nothing to grasp upon the sofa, therefore, he simply grabbed Bruce's shoulders and dug his fingers into the bronze skin. He bit into the tendon between Bruce's neck and deltoid. Lex felt so lost in the man's growls and thrusting; it was pure ecstasy. The older boy said something against lips, but Lex took hardly any notice to his words. Then it... happened? He wasn't sure how else to explain it. Yes, it felt fantastic! Bruce's seed spilled deep inside him, heating him like he had imagined and every other lovely analogy his quick processing mind could possibly make up. Yet, he felt... empty nonetheless. As Bruce pulled out, he could feel his thick cum quickly following its master's lead and down his leg.

"Fuck, babe.... thanks for visiting."

"Yeah," he whispered with his sore voice. "Yes."

He didn't know what else to say. The young man felt tired.. so worn and exhausted from Bruce's brutal fucking. Though he knew the older man was bound to feel the same. Bruce often fell fast asleep after their infamous fucks; Lex wish he could say the same about himself. Unfortunately, sleep was not part of his routine. It never was; it never would be. Being a man of routine, Lex rested his head upon Bruce's chest and listened to the man's heart beat slowly calm. "Thanks for the memories..."

"Thanks for the memories..."

Bruce wrapped his arms around Lex and held him close. The feel of the younger man pressing his head against Bruce’s chest was a simple pleasure that the Gotham native had missed. It had been a long time since Bruce had truly held anyone in a way that was even remotely significant and being able to do that to Lex now was satisfying.

“You know that you never need to thank me,” Bruce whispered, pressing his lips against Lex’s temple before pulling away and getting up from the couch. He looked down at his body, glancing over the drying sweat that covered his skin. “Cognac?” Bruce chuckled, walking over towards the bar in his kitchen and retrieving two glasses from the cupboard. He poured a glass of cognac for Lex and one of whiskey for himself, never being one to out-class his long time friend when it came to hard liquor. He placed the glasses on the art deco coffee table that sat in front of the couch where Lex still rested. “Here you go, Lex. A little something to help calm down the nerves, hm?”

He took a sip from his own glass and looked at Lex, a serene smile gracing his face. “Now, unless I am mistaken, I believe that there was someone that you wanted to tell me about before we became involved?” Bruce was tired, his eyes felt heavy (the alcohol did not help that much) and his muscles felt exhausted after the amount of tension he had just placed upon them with his intense orgasm. He wondered how Lex felt, if he enjoyed the warmth that most likely still consumed him, if he enjoyed the feeling of having Bruce’s cum leak from him onto the expensive couch that Bruce couldn’t have cared less about.

Bruce reclined against the couch while waiting for Lex’s response, brushing the wet black hair from his eyes. His chest moved very slowly as he breathed and the rest of his body seemed absolutely still. There was something about the orgasms that Bruce had when having sex with Lex that was very different than the orgasms he had with other people. The former always drained him, sucked the life out of him while it felt like with everyone else Bruce could come time after time and not feel any hint of fatigue. Perhaps it had something to do with the quality of the orgasm that Bruce received from Lex, or perhaps the intense passion that Bruce put forth with Lex added to his exhaustion. Whatever the reason, Bruce couldn’t say that he was exactly guilty about his romp with Lex despite the sleepiness that overwhelmed him at the moment.

“You know what we should do tomorrow, Lex? We should go to the opera.” Bruce laughed and looked at his friend, his eyes sparkling with amusement. It was an odd suggestion for Bruce to make; he hated the opera. But he knew that Lex loved the performances and the drama of opera and denying his best friend of that pleasure was something that Bruce would hate himself for doing. “Carmen is playing tomorrow. I always have a box reserved, so getting it won’t be a problem. It’ll be fantastic. I can take you to dinner afterwards, anywhere that you want to go. Anywhere at all.”

Bruce’s eyes were too heavy to keep open now. His breathing had slowed and his body was limp. It was difficult to resist the alluring comfort of the couch that the two sat on, and it seemed that Bruce had finally succumbed to its coaxing. With a last bit of consciousness Bruce roughly reached out and grabbed Lex, pulling him to his chest and holding him there laxly. “I missed you,” Bruce mumbled, sloppily kissing Lex on the forehead before drifting into sleep.

[Sorry it's so short. xD]

He felt dirty. Infested with utter filth, germs just coated his body in a blanket of whorish deceptions and sinful temptations. Lex wanted so badly to get up from the couch, push Bruce away from his body and wash away the filth. His skin tingled and he was quite aware of the cum leaking from his ass. While he was sure Bruce (as well as a multitude of people) found such a concept erotically pleasing, Lex had never once felt satisfied with the feeling. Granted, he had begged for this; he had thought this was what he had needed, to be filled like a dirty whore. Hadn't he pleaded for Bruce to cum deep inside his ass? So, why wasn't he satisfied with it? Lex received what he had asked for; therefore, logically speaking, he should be pleased with himself. But he wasn't and he couldn't figure why.

Bruce's strong arms wrapped around his chest. He could feel the other man's body adhering to his sweaty back. If it had been any other person, Lex would have been quick to either throw him off or swiftly get up and retreat into the bathroom for an hour or so. Perhaps it was the guilt that made him feel so filthy. Maybe. Although, what had he to feel guilty about? He loved this man. Loved him more than anyone Lex could possibly thing of. Save maybe his mother, of course. However, that was another and entirely different story; a different type of love, of course. Bruce was the only other person besides his mother that he had utter the word 'love' to. Given his pension for hopping from one relationship to another, the chance of Lex speaking the word to anyone else was very, very minimal at best.

“You know that you never need to thank me."

Of course he didn't. He just didn't have anything else to quip, but of course, Lex would hardly mutter that to darling Bruce. Never. He felt Bruce's warmth move from his body as the older boy pushed himself up and off the couch. The man seemed to give his ethereal built body a look over before heading towards the bar; the sight of this made Lex's spirits rise a bit. He felt slightly abashed given Bruce's cum slowly, almost tauntingly spilling from his hole. It helped when Bruce shoved a justly filled glass of cognac in front of his face. He snatched it from the delicate coffee table. While he knew cognac should be enjoyed slowly elegantly by small tedious sips, Lex hardly contained the patience for such things. No, instead he was quite happy to simply toss the fucker down and feel the burn as it flowed down his throat. “Here you go, Lex. A little something to help calm down the nerves, hm?”

"You always knew how to cure me from my ailments, Bruce. Thank you." He smile around his glass, which he held with both hands and savored the cognac to the very last drop. "Although, you might as well call yourself my enabler."

A smile graced the man's gorgeous features and he wondered if it had been in response of his horribly unwitting remarks; he didn't know why Bruce tolerated humoring him. It did horrible, horrible things to Lex's comedic timing.

“Now, unless I am mistaken, I believe that there was someone that you wanted to tell me about before we became involved?”

"It's nothing important, Bruce." He started. "Well, at least it's not important enough that it cannot wait till the morning. I know how exhausted you are, Bruce. You can't fool me."

The other boy had reunited himself with the plush sofa, reclining against the large cushions. He looked utterly adorable with his hair matted against his bronze skin, his eyes twinkled beneath the bright halogen lights. In some distorted sense, it was quite a site to behold. Fortune 500's richest men sat naked together, side by side, thighs bumping each other when Lex's leg twitched on occasion. Oh how he made Daddy Dearest proud. A sardonic smile graced his pale face. He rested his elbows upon his knees and slouched over; his eyes focused between his big toe and index toe. A silence came between them. It was comfortable no less but also a little unsettling for Lex. So he was glad when Bruce finally broke it.

“You know what we should do tomorrow, Lex? We should go to the opera.”

It wasn't very often Lex was caught off guard. In fact, he had a mental list to record the number: 12. That was counting the death of his nanny, Pamela. Come to think of it, the last time he had been caught off guard he had been with Bruce. Damn that man. He knew Lex too well. God, how he adored the opera! He loved how the music simply consumed him. Between the whistle registers and the falsettos, he lost himself to the poetic Italian verses and glorious set designs. The young Luthor couldn't quite understand Bruce's clear dislike for the opera but to each his own.

"Perhaps Bruce," said Lex, bemused. He glanced at his companion, taking in his good humor. "I can't imagine why you'd suggest such a thing; you hate the opera."

“Carmen is playing tomorrow. I always have a box reserved, so getting it won’t be a problem. It’ll be fantastic. I can take you to dinner afterward, anywhere that you want to go. Anywhere at all.”

"You know how to hit me where it hurts, Bruce. I can't say no to Carmen. That would be taboo, strictly taboo." Lex grinned. He could see the exhaustion settle in Bruce's eyes now, the man was slowly beginning to tilt towards the younger man. "Sleep old man, you could use it."

The air left his lungs making him gasp as Bruce suddenly seized him, pulling him inward to his massive chest. He wasn't sure what to expect. Therefore, he allowed Bruce the gesture, resting his head in the nook between the man's head and shoulder.

“I missed you."

With that, Bruce seemed quite content to pass out beneath him. He waited a few minutes to see if his beloved friend would stir, but he did not. While Bruce was often a troubled sleeper, it seemed the moments he truly rested were typically after the pair had finished having sex. Bruce's heart beat was prominent in his chest, the gentle rise and fall let Lex know the older had fallen into a relatively deep slumber. The young bald headed man wiggled his way from within Bruce's arm. He scrambled to gather his clothes that had been abandoned near the corner of the sofa.

"I missed you too, Bruce," he whispered in the silence. Lex retreated to the guest shower far along the shadows of the hallway. One hour. Two hours. He wasn't sure how long he spent scrubbing the sweat and cum from his body. However long it was, it wasn't sufficient. It never was. Though he wasn't going to run the risk of encountering Bruce on his way out. He wasn't necessarily running away. No, he just needed some fresh air. A walk about town would console his anxious mind.

Bruce's body was beautifully traced by the moonlight that poured through the massive glass doors in the living room. It played along the hard lines of the man's hard body. Lex could have spent an hour observing the man, but felt his time was better spent away from it. Away from the temptations Bruce led him towards. His ass was sore but it was a welcomed sensation. As he waited within the elevator to reach the first floor, he could see the tender skin on his face where Bruce had forced his head against the sofa. Lex tore his eyes away from his reflection and found solace in watching the floor numbers above the elevator door. It dinged once it reached the first level.

The gold doors slid open with great ease, granting the young man entrance into the elaborate lobby. A man at the front desk tipped his hat and buzzed him through the building's grand doors. It was well beyond midnight in Gotham. Yet the city streets were still littered with people. Some homeless, some drunks but most were simply homeless drunks. It was rather humorous. Pushing past a rather aggressive homeless man who smelt a lot like weed, Lex made for the nearest pub.

It felt good to be out of Bruce's penthouse. Despite it's massive square footage, the familiar claustrophobic feeling had begun to poke it's ugly head. He just needed to get out and away from Bruce's gorgeous smile and twinkling hazel eyes.

The pub smelled heavily like piss. Above him the lights blinked, yet this hardly bothered the patrons sitting at the bar. They clung to their drinks and kept their eyes embedded in the bar's horribly maintained surface.

"Whatta want?" The barman growled. An eye patch covered the right side of his face, the left eye gleamed an old silver complexion and a mole blemished the same cheek. He stood over the bar cleaning a glass that looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in over a week. "I said, whatta ya want, baldy."

"I'll buy the bottle of the strongest shit you have, thanks." Lex situated himself at the end of the bar, far from the other patrons. The barman handed a bottle of an off brand brandy. It wouldn't have been his first choice but hard liquor was hard liquor and he wasn't going to complain too much. Lex was rapidly discovering that something was often times better than not receiving anything at all.

1:34 AM

That was the time that stared back at Bruce as he slowly opened his eyes, his lashes fluttering in the transition from slumber to consciousness. His body was cold, no longer as hot as it was when he had fallen asleep just a few hours earlier. He sat up, tracing his fingers along his body and cringing at the feeling of the dried salt that covered his skin. Bruce usually liked to take a nice showered after engaging in physical activities so that he would not have to deal with the salty leftovers of his own sweat, but this time sleep had come too soon. Sex with Lex always did that to him. Speaking of which, where was Lex? Bruce turned his head and looked around in the darkness, but no outline of the smaller man could be seen, and Lex certainly wasn't nowhere next to Bruce.

The Gotham resident stood up, stretching his limbs and making his way into the bedroom. A small tinge of hope lay in his chest, holding fastidiously that perhaps Lex wasn't gone, that maybe the couch just hadn't been as comfortable to him as it had been for Bruce and he had instead just moved to Bruce's bed to cuddle up with the blankets. With each step that Bruce took his hope diminished by just a little bit. He didn't see any of Lex's clothes littering the floor, no evidence that Lex was even still in the penthouse. And sure enough, as Bruce slipped into the bedroom there was his own bed: neat, pristine, expensive, empty. "Lex?" Bruce called out, his voice a rumble that shook the silence of the room. "Lex, you here?" he shouted again, his voice tinged with an ounce or two of anger.

He went into the bathroom. The lights were out but the shower was still wet, evidence that it had recently been used. Bruce sighed. He did not need to check the rest of the penthouse to know that Lex was long gone. He had run away while Bruce was sleeping, as if the his old Gotham friend was nothing more than an embarrassing one night stand. Perhaps, at this point in their lives, Bruce was exactly that. Through Lex's actions how could Bruce think any differently? He wanted to believe that perhaps he knew Lex better than that, he knew that whatever Lex was out there doing that he would come back. But no matter how much Bruce wanted to believe without a doubt that Lex would return, he could not allow it to happen.

Bruce slipped into the shower and let the cold water run down his body, letting all evidence of his time with Lex wash down the drain. The cold water was refreshing, slightly soothing. It made him feel more alive. He lathered his body with soap and closed his eyes as the suds were rinsed away. He remembered how beautiful Lex had looked underneath him, his blue eyes wide and his mouth open. His smooth skin dotted with drops of crystal sweat. He looked so fucking gorgeous... and now he was gone, lost to the Gotham nightlife.

It was timed to get dressed, but the typical suit and tie just wasn't going to cut it tonight. Like Lex, it was Bruce's turn to venture out into Gotham, but he had some other tasks to handle. He wasn't going to worry about Lex. He couldn't worry about Lex. He couldn't even begin to fucking think about Lex. Lex...

Bruce had bigger things to worry about.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

The air was cold and biting, but Batman could hardly feel it underneath his mask. The only thing exposed to the night breeze were Batman's lips, which felt numb. He crouched on the roof of a convenience store, perusing the alleyways that weaved behind the cluster of stores along King Street. It seemed like the streets of Gotham were quiet tonight, nothing for Batman to due other than watch over it as its quiet protector.

There! A scream sailed through the ear into Batman's ears, causing him to sharply turn his head in the direction of the cry. A woman was running down the alleyway past the convenience store, her shirt torn, practically falling off of her and her skirt stained black in the darkness. A man chased after her carrying an object in his right hand but Batman could not see what it was, not that he cared much. The only thing that mattered was taking care of the villain, hurting him in a way that would make him never want to cause harm to any human being ever again.

Batman sprang across the rooftops with the agility of a gazelle, jumping down onto the cold ground just as the man had pinned the poor crying woman up against a brick wall. Without dishing out the usual quip, Batman pulled an especially sharp batarang from his belt and threw it at the man's back, watching with a sadistic pleasure as the man screamed in pain as the batarang lodged itself in between his shoulder blades. The woman screamed and ran as quickly as she could before her attacker even hit the ground, leaving the assailant and Batman alone.

The attacker struggled to get up, yelling in pain each time he moved. Once he settled his feet onto the ground and slowly began to stand up he was met with a heavy foot to the face, knocking him down again. Batman straddled the pained man, gripping his throat with his gloved hands and digging his fingers into the attacker's neck, cutting off his oxygen.

With his free hand Batman commenced pounding on his victim, his punches filled with an anger and passion that seemed almost inappropriate. Blood poured from the man's nose and mouth, he began choking on his own teeth. His eyes were red with broken blood vessels and bruises were already beginning to form on the man's body.

"Please," the man sputtered, blood mixing with his own saliva. "I'm sorry, please! Please s-s-stop!"

But Batman didn't stop. He continued to beat the man senseless and did not cease until the attacker was unconscious, shallowly breathing in his own blood. Batman stood up, his breathing ragged and his body suit and gloves wet and stained. He needed to go home, he needed to get out of here. Tonight wasn't the night for him to be doing this. He looked down and watched the as petty crook coughed and then stopped breathing completely. Batman didn't stay long after that.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Lex still wasn't home by the time that Bruce returned home. Bruce had stripped himself naked, hiding his suit away so that he didn't have to see any evidence of his own crime. His breathing was still rather rough and he couldn't stop the burning in his eyes.

"FUCK!" he screamed, slamming his fist down upon his glass table, cracking the fragile top and cutting his fist. He watched with dull eyes as the blood seeped from his wounds. "Fuck you, Lex," he mumbled, making his way to the kitchen sink to wash and clean the cuts.

After cleaning and bandaging his hand, he made his way to the couch where he and Lex had "revived" their relationship. He sat down and closed his eyes. "Damn it, Lex. Come home."

By the time he stumbled from the confines of the seedy bar, the sun was already beginning to break from the horizon. The dark skies above him were rapidly becoming clear, a dash of pink erupted from just beyond the skyscrapers and the street lights around him no longer flickered with life. Lex tripped coming down the steps of the bar. He came close to ramming straight into the street pole in front of him but had quickly thrown his arms out in time to cling onto to it instead. He patted the cold steel like an old friend and mumbled ill wishing upon its soul.

Street vendors were now beginning to flood the sidewalks with their carts. Some carried crates over their shoulders to stock inventory as others began to steam hot dogs or turned their mobile grills on. A Gotham Inquirer truck passed Lex by as he wobbly made his way back to Bruce's penthouse which was--he swirled around to observe his surroundings. That way! He pointed a finger towards the sun, which now peaked over the tall buildings. Yes, it was definitely that way.

One foot in front of the other. One foot in front of the... hmm, maybe he was thinking too hard about it. Just when he thought his stride was in alignment, Lex wounded up bumping into a trash car or innocent bystander, to whom he'd quickly apologize for not only invading their personal space but also for any foul odors his body was currently emitting. He hiccuped and wiped at his stuffy nose. It was rather cold this morning. His breath lingered in front of his face, which made Lex's eyes crisscross as he tried to look at his very pink nose.

"Hey! Watch where you're goin' man!" Cried a young newspaper carrier clinging to his bag which Lex had chosen to use as a rail.

"Maybe...you know what, who stands in the middle of the sidewalk to begin with?!" Lex grumbled tiptoeing his way around another street pole, his feet tread the very edge of the sidewalk. "Seriously, that's not convenient for anyone."

The young Luthor heir pulled his wool coat tightly around his slender body. He reached into the back pocket for his wallet in the hopes that he could call a cab to pick him up, only his wallet evidently had gone on vacation for the pocket was vacant. Oh well. So, he'd have to walk the remaining few blocks. He was used to this. Lex's entire college career had been spent drunk off his ass, but somehow, he had always managed to find his way home. Always. Then again, he didn't know the backstreets of Gotham as well as he knew Metropolis. No matter, he'd stick with the main streets. That was always the safest of choices.

He didn't want to think about Bruce. Even if that was currently the owner of the penthouse he was wobbling towards. He'd confront the anguish thoughts when it was time. For now, he'd occupy himself simply with getting there. At the moment, it was priority numero uno. Heheh, Spanish. He didn't appreciate the language very much. In fact, he kind of hated it's simplicity. No, he much preferred French or even German, really.

Fuck! Lex blinked hard. His face hurt now. For some odd reason, he had thought the entrance to Bruce's penthouse had been a revolving door. Apparently, he had been very, very wrong. His face now glared back at him from the window. Lex grinned sheepishly. Especially so when the bellman buzzed him.

"Um.. I thought it moved," hiccuped Lex. He giggled as he sauntered towards the elevator. To prevent anymore mishaps, Lex stretched out his hands and touched the door before it magically slid open. "Right. Elevator, right."

After clicking ten buttons and visiting approximately ten floors (excluding the first one, of course), Lex finally reached the correct one. He approached the penthouse door only to fumble with the keys he had taken from small table inside the penthouse. Which key was it? Maybe it was the shiny one with all the ridges. That was dumb. It was the slightly duller one with the ridges.

Click.

Yeah, it was the latter. One point for Lex. Or maybe it was two points? Two points for successfully walking to Bruce's penthouse without permanent injury. That sounded good to him. He quietly opened and closed the door behind him. After all, Lex hardly wanted to wake up Bruce. He loudly bumped into the small table in the hallway and dropped the keys onto the hardwood floor. It really shouldn't have been that loud. Fuck, it sounded like glass breaking. Crazy shit.

"Oops," he exclaimed. Really, Lex would have normally picked up the keys but given the darkness of the hallway, he figured it was better left on the floor. It was safer that way. His heart skipped the beat the moment he saw Bruce situated upon the couch. The way the man sat with his head bowed and eyes seemingly closed, made his stomach drop. Perhaps if he hadn't seen or heard Lex then he could slip away. He wasn't sure if he really recognized the man sitting on the couch to begin with. This man looked so worn and exhausted. Bruce was never... exhausted. Unless they had sex, of course but that was a different sort of exhaustion.

"Bruce?"

Bruce could hear Lex stumbling inside; the Luthor heir was not the quietest man when he had alcohol flowing through his veins. He kept his head hung down, partially due to the fact that he did not want to look at Lex and partially because Bruce had allowed himself to fall in a state of half-sleep. Although sleeping comfortably hadn't been an option, Bruce at least took the time to let his mind reboot, to fix itself before Lex's arrival. Whether it had actually worked or not, Bruce couldn't be sure. He had hoped that allowing the reboot would make him more rational, less emotional, less angry. He remained in his half-sleep for a minute or two despite Lex's disruptive actions.

Through the fogginess of his own mind Bruce could hear his name being called numerous times in a very familiar voice. He managed to pull himself out of his semi-consciousness into a full awareness of what was going on around him. "Lex," he replied, pulling the robe that he had managed to slip onto his form sometime during the early morning tighter around his body. Bruce's voice was dark, but even. Bruce wasn't angry about the fact that Lex was drunk. He had seen Lex wasted enough times to practically be immune to the sight. What upset Bruce was the fact that Lex had felt the need to leave, felt the desire to run away from him. In fact, were it not for Lex's inebriated state and lacking of reasonable judgment, he probably would not have returned to Bruce's penthouse at all.

"Nice of you to come back," he said sardonically, finally lifting up his head and moved his dull eyes in Lex's direction. Bruce took in all of the sensory information around him; how Lex looked, how Lex smelled of booze, how bitter the taste was in Bruce's mouth, how his own breathing sounded so loud, how cold his bare feet felt against the smooth hardwood floor. He especially concentrated on what he saw, the way Lex did not look as pretty as he usually did. But then, Bruce was positive that he did not look so great, either. "I hope that you had a good night. I had an interesting one myself." The older man smiled and ran his good hand through his hair. There was not a secret message hidden in Bruce's words, although in Lex's state the Luthor boy might try to think otherwise. Bruce was very blunt, very to the point. Secrecy and cryptic ways did not suit him.

Suddenly, the smile faded. Bruce could not hold up the facade anymore, he couldn't pretend that he was not as angry as he truly was. He licked his lips and clenched his jaw, his eyes locked onto Lex's. "Why did you even come here, Lex? Why did you bother calling me if all you were going to do was run out on me again?" The words were impromptu and perhaps a bit uncalled for, but Bruce could not seem to help himself. Unfortunate images of lonely college years surrounded by fake friends flashed past Bruce's eyes, only to exacerbate the negative feelings that were already coursing through him. "Fuck, Lex. Why do you have to do this to me?" Do what, exactly? What was upsetting Bruce so much? Was it that Lex couldn't wait to leave him to go get a drink? It was sick how Lex couldn't handle life without the bottle. It was so sick, so pathetic, so... Lex.

Bruce stood up and turned his back towards Lex, staring at the broken glass that still littered the floor. He wondered for a moment if Lex had even noticed, if he would ever notice the glass, the bandages, or if the alcohol would cloud his sight and diminish his concern for his old friend.

For a moment, Lex wasn't sure if he had been calling Bruce's name at all or if it'd simply been all in his head. The man had been unresponsive to his calls for quite some time now until he finally stirred with life. Though, when Lex caught a quick glimpse of the Bruce's eyes, he soon wished he hadn't disturbed the older man in the first place. Bruce's eyes no longer sparkled with light humor. No, instead the hazel irises had gone dark, almost cold. It chilled Lex to his very dense bones.

It wasn't often that Bruce was ever really angered by Lex's often moronic and more frequent, obsessive behavior. In fact, the only time the older man had truly been furious with him was when Lex had left Bruce for Metropolis that night. Though, he was hardly going to travel down that path again. Or maybe he would. At this rate, he couldn't really be all too certain. hm, was Bruce upset that he had left the penthouse? He couldn't understand why Bruce would be. It wasn't as if they were a couple. Frankly, Bruce could shove it, actually. Lex was his own man. If he wanted to leave, he could damn well leave. Lionel had thought he controlled Lex; now it seemed Bruce too thought he controlled the young Luthor heir. He was sick their bullshit. Their pretty words laced with an infectious disease.

"Nice of you to come back."

"Yeah, in fact, I'm feeling rather elated," quipped Lex sarcastically. He could hear the quiet resentment in the dark haired boy's voice. It made Lex a little angry. "I haven't been to Gotham in a very long time. So, it's refreshing to know I can still find my around it."

Bruce finally decided to full acknowledge Lex as he lifted his head. Lex however, stumbled on his way into the living room, but only just caught himself on the kitchen's marble counter top. Perhaps it would be safer for everyone if he simply recovered here in the kitchen. His eyes, unfortunately, drifted towards Bruce's fully stocked bar. If he could just have one more, just a small tumbler really, it would help lubricate this horribly tense conversation. It seemed like coming to Gotham had been a terrible idea at this point, which was rather unfortunate.

"I hope that you had a god night. I had an interesting one myself."

Lex wasn't sure what Bruce had meant by that or if anything at all. Whatever hidden message Bruce had intended the young Luthor to decipher was lost to his inebriated mind. he frowned but let his eyes follow the older man's hand as he dragged it through his jet black hair.

"I wouldn't say it was bad," he muttered.

"Why did you even come here, Lex? Why did you bother calling me if all you were going to do was run out on me again?"

It was a lot to take in and nothing he had really expected Bruce to force on him. He had thought Bruce understood him better than that. Lex had never intended to run out on his beloved friend. Never. He only wished Bruce could understand that it had never been his first choice from the beginning to leave for Metropolis; which he had a feeling was the true source of Bruce's unadulterated anger. Regardless, Lex didn't really see a point to tell him the reality behind 'his decision'.

"Fuck, Lex. Why do you have to do this to me"

Dressed in his fine silk pajamas, Bruce elegantly stood from the large couch to apparently stare at the morning sunlight. Lex did a little shuffle step towards the bar but the guilt quickly arising from the bottom of his stomach prevented him from moving any closer. Forgoing the concept he timidly took a step towards Bruce, though kept his distance from the man.

"Bruce," he started but pause. What could he say? Lex stared Bruce's broad shoulders trying to think of a reason to justify his actions. "I didn't intend to run out on you. I just needed to clear my head. I don't know why I came to Gotham, Bruce. I don't. Other than to see you again."

He turned his eyes from Bruce, only to notice the shattered coffee table; they then flickered towards the older gentleman, upon which he noticed a bloodstained bandage wrapped tightly around his hand. "Bruce, what happened to the coffee table?"

In a split second, Lex went from feeling remorseful to extremely concerned. He bumped into the sofa's armrest as he scrambled to get close to Bruce. "I'm sorry," he whispered into Bruce's ear when he was close enough. "I really am, Bruce."

Suddenly, he felt so exhausted for the first time in almost years. His eyes felt so heavy and his head so foggy. Lex wanted no more than to collapse upon the couch, but sleep was a weakness. Sleep was where the memories crept upon him and the monsters hid themselves. No, he wouldn't nor couldn't sleep. Ever.

"Bruce?"