Clark couldn’t help but stare at the man across from him with a kind of fascinated horror. Everything about him screamed wrong; posture, expression, tone of voice, and gestures. Even the smell was off somehow, though he had no idea why, since Lex’s body hadn’t changed, just his consciousness. All the tiny little things that made up the Lex Luthor Clark knew and loved were gone, altered irrevocably.

Everything that he’d taken for granted.

But the very worst were the words that came out of the other man’s mouth. Words of being the world president. Of the war that had been sparked when the other Clark had gone on a domination kick. The casual arrogance the other displayed set his teeth constantly on edge and it was all Clark could do not to lock him up somewhere safe to make sure something like that didn’t happen on his earth.

Considering Bruce and Dick’s lack of supernatural experiences, they were dealing pretty well, in Clark’s opinion. They’d closed rank on him, which made sense since they probably weren’t sure how well they could trust him with the new Lex, but it hurt. And not like he couldn’t just eavesdrop if he wanted to since his hearing had come back, but Clark wouldn’t go where he wasn’t invited.

Clark sighed and shifted in his spot on the sofa. His head hurt and he felt unbelievably cold and alone. He couldn’t comprehend how this entire fiasco had taken place. How the two Lexs had changed places. And without understanding, there was a slim-to-none chance of it being reversed. The only benefit to having an evil Lex, was that the brain power was still the same. The other Lex was working on a solution, just as Clark was sure that his own Lex was doing in the other reality.

God, his head hurt.

“Clark? You okay?”

Looking over at the other Lex, Clark shrugged and answered, “As okay as I can be, without Lex here.”

“When was the last time you slept?” Lex questioned, a frown surfacing.

Clark thought about it and answered, “Um, I got a few hours last night. Mostly.”

Setting aside the laptop, Lex stood and crossed to him, sitting down with a hesitant air. “You need to get more than that, Clark. You always, I mean, my Clark always needs a good eight hours to be well-rested.”

“So do I,” Clark agreed reluctantly. “I just, I can’t sleep for longer than that. Haven’t been able to since this happened.”

Surprise widened Lex’s eyes and he demanded, “Why didn’t you say anything? It’s been four days!”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Clark slouched against the sofa, muttering, “Don’t want to talk about it.”

Lex sighed, a fond expression rising. “You might not be my Clark, but you’re so close that it’s damn near unbelievable. Clark, if you don’t trust me enough to sleep with me here, then go to your parents home and get some rest there. Wayne and Grayson are keeping a sharp enough eye on me that you don’t have to worry about me going anywhere.”

Uncomfortable, Clark admitted, “I tried that. The further I get from you, the worse I feel. But I still don’t feel good with you here, just not as bad.”

Frowning now, Lex asked, “So we’re talking a purely physical reaction here? I wonder if that double exposure to the red and green meteors altered your body chemistry altogether. Or maybe even your DNA. That wouldn’t be a pretty picture. I’d have to run some tests to be sure, but…”

“Stop it! Stop talking like that!” Clark burst out, jumping to his feet.

Shocked, Lex just stared at him a moment, then questioned softly, “Stop talking like what, Clark? Like Lex?”

Miserable, chest tight with emotions he didn’t want to let out, Clark nodded.

Regret chased across Lex’s face and he said, “I’m sorry, Clark, but that’s not something I can change. I know you miss him, I know how horrible you feel, because that’s how I feel about my Clark. Seeing you is both painful and comforting. I keep wanting to just drape myself over you and kiss you until you can’t think. But I can’t, because you aren’t the Clark I love.”

Tears threatened, but Clark forced them down. Breathing shakily, he apologized, “I’m sorry. It’s just… never mind. Don’t worry. I’m going out for a walk. Maybe the fresh air will help.”

“Clark, are you sure that’s a good idea? With your weakened state, something could happen,” Lex pointed out.

“I have to go, or I’ll go crazy,” Clark whispered, walking to the elevator before the other could say anything else.

To his surprise, when the doors opened, Pete and Chloe were inside. For a few seconds, all he could do was stare at them. With the insane road his life had taken, he had completely forgotten that they’d got back from their trip the day before.

“Why didn’t you or Lex call us back!?” Chloe demanded, poking him in the chest. “We’ve been worried sick! All the news reports told us that you were off in some other galaxy and Perry wouldn’t confirm or deny it. And where the hell is Lois? I’ve been trying to get to her too, but she’s dropped off the face of the planet!”

Clark’s mouth opened, but no words came out.

Chloe looked beyond him and snapped, “Lex! Clark’s doing a good imitation of a fish. Would you please explain what’s happening around here?”

“Ah, Chloe? I think you should calm down a little,” Pete suggested, gripping her shoulder in warning.

“I will not calm down!” Chloe nearly shouted. “I’ve been going out of my mind for the last week and I want to know what the fuck is happening!”

Lex stood beside Clark, looking Pete and Chloe over with a distasteful expression. “You’re just as loud and obnoxious as I remember.”

Eyes widening in anger, Chloe snapped, “Well you’re no prize yourself, Luthor!”

“Chloe! Knock it off!” Pete ordered, his gaze off to the side.

They all followed his look and found Dick and Bruce standing off to the side. Both men joined the group and Bruce suggested, mild but implacable, “Why don’t we take this back to the living room?”

Clark sighed, really just wanting to leave the penthouse and go somewhere that Lex wasn’t. He sat beside Chloe, scooting close to her and breathing in her clean, healthy and best of all, right, smell. She gave him an odd look, but didn’t comment, focused now on Bruce sitting in the overstuffed chair opposite them. Lex leaned against a wall, a faint sneer in place, and Dick sat on the arm of Bruce’s chair, lounging casually along the back.

“So. What’s going on?” Pete prompted. “The world hasn’t ended or anything, but there’s a helluva lot of crime goin’ on and Superman’s somewhere off-world, last we checked.”

Bruce gave them the short version.

When he was done, incredulity was clear on both Pete and Chloe’s face, but not outright disbelief. Clark supposed he should have been grateful, but all he could think about was wanting to get somewhere soft and comfortable and lie down. Hopefully before he fell down.

“And you’re working on a way to get this fixed?” Pete asked.

Arching an eyebrow at him, Lex replied, “Trust me. I don’t want to be here any more than Clark wants me to be here. I want to go home and I will.”

Doubtful, Chloe observed, “He sounds like Lex.”

“He’s not,” Clark stated shortly, getting to his feet. “I need to get some sleep.”

Even though he knew he should be more polite, Clark just couldn’t find it in him to care. He moved towards the bedroom, leaving the conversation going behind him. Falling into bed, he burrowed under the covers and closed his eyes, willing sleep to come.

The only thing that did come, though, were tears.

* * * *

Dick watched Clark’s slow exit and glanced at Bruce, who was busy deflecting Chloe’s tirade about not being informed. Bruce met his eyes briefly, and Dick nodded before getting up, permission received to go after Clark. He felt Lex’s hostile gaze on him the whole way, but ignored it. This Lex was just as protective of Clark as the real Lex.

It was still freaky, having the Lex here not be the Lex he’d come to know. This Lex they couldn’t trust. This Lex wasn’t someone they could rely on. This Lex was clearly driving Clark crazy because he wasn’t the right Lex. And man did his head hurt when he really tried to think about shit like this.

Shaking it off as he reached the door, Dick tapped softly on it and called out, “Clark? Can I come in?”

There was no answer so he waited a little longer before knocking again, a little louder. There was a muffled, “Come in,” a minute later, so he entered. He knew right away that Clark had been crying, even though his face was dry and his eyes weren’t red. There was just something to the pinched brow and desolate green eyes that told him Clark had been crying his eyes out.

“Hey. You okay?” Dick asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Clark shrugged as he sat up. “I guess.”

Awkward, Dick said, “It’s going to be okay, Clark. Lex isn’t going to let this get between you.”

“In other words, a little inter-dimensional psychic barrier isn’t going to get Lex Luthor down?” Clark questioned dryly.

Dick knew it was pointless, but the bleak tone in Clark’s voice worried him, so he agreed, “Definitely not.”

Snorting quietly, Clark replied, “Thanks, but don’t try, Dick.”

“You can’t give up, Clark,” Dick said. “This could get fixed any time now. One Lex is a helluva lot of a brainpower and you know it. Two of them are near unbeatable.”

“But what if...”

A frown surfaced at Clark’s utterly miserable tone and Dick prompted, “What if what?”

“What if he doesn’t want to come back?” Clark answered, a hitch in his voice. “He’s got everything he ever wanted over there. He’s ruling the world now. You don’t know, Dick, you just don’t know the scope of his ambition. When we met that was his game plan. For years he was going to find a way to get that much power. He wanted it so bad! What am I, compared with the fulfillment of his life-long dream?”

Dick blinked in shock, that thought never having crossed his mind. He didn’t say anything for a minute, trying to get past the image of their Lex actually ruling the world. He could do it, no doubt in his mind, but would he? Taking a breath, Dick gripped Clark’s shoulder and moved closer, saying, “You’re his heart, Clark. I never even thought about that happening because in my mind, he’s not that person any more. You changed him, changed his dreams and his ambitions. You, Clark, you’re his dream and ambition now. Doing whatever it takes to protect you, and love you, and keep you happy.”

“He’s right, you know.”

Dick jerked around in shock at Lex’s voice, his hand falling off Clark. He took in the sober expression with a bit of relief, but was still wary. Glancing back at Clark, he was taken aback by the hungry look in the normally mild eyes. Clark only had eyes for Lex, as he always did, even one that wasn’t the right Lex. The main reason that he and Bruce were so worried.

“In my world, Clark gave me what I wanted, but I know the cost to him now. If I’d known at the beginning, I never would have let him,” Lex continued. “This Lex, your Lex, he’s smarter than me, obviously. He changed his path because he knew what would make you happy. He’s less selfish than I am. He’s trying to get back, Clark, I can say that with certainty.”

The hope and need on Clark’s face was too much for Dick to look at for more than a few seconds. It was the kind of all-consuming expression he remembered from his parents’ marriage. They’d been almost one person, though distinct in their own right. The way they’d been constantly together from the moment they’d met, until their deaths, which had also been together.

And though Dick had never felt excluded, he’d always been a little intimidated by the way they’d loved each other. His brothers had all found wives and love, but Dick had always been on his own with no one to understand him. Well, until Bruce had taken him in. Bruce was a pain in the ass sometimes, but he almost always knew where Dick was coming from and tried to understand, even if he fell short of the mark sometimes.

Dick’s eyes widened in shock as the knowledge hit.

“Lex, I just...”

Clark’s voice broke the spell of his own thoughts and Dick stood abruptly from the bed, interrupting whatever Clark had been going to say and bringing both men’s attention to him. He stammered, “And if you don’t believe me, you should believe that.”

Clark frowned a bit, as if realizing that Dick’s thoughts were somewhere else entirely, and asked, “Are you all right? You look a little shaky.”

Oh I’m fine, Dick thought, a little hysterical. I just realized that my perfect mate is the man who’s been a father figure, or at least an older brother to me, for the last four years.

Clearing his throat, keeping all of that inside, Dick answered, “I’m fine. Just, ah, I need to, go...do something else. Sorry, just. I’ll see you later, Clark.”

Hightailing it out of the room, fully aware of the curiously worried and amused looks from Clark and Lex respectively, Dick thought, Well, mission accomplished. Clark’s no longer on the edge of whatever cliff he was looking over. Of course, now he thinks that I’ve completely flipped out, but hey, you can’t win them all.

* * * *

Chloe was really glad that Pete was sitting right beside her as she and Bruce went back and forth, arguing about the merits of letting a world-conquering Lex Luthor even have access to the information and technology he might need to switch himself back. The solid presence of her lover was something she needed in such an insane situation. She still couldn’t believe everything that was going on, even though she had to.

When Dick hurried past them to the elevator, Bruce’s attention immediately focused on the young man and he called out, “Dick? What’s wrong?”

“I’ll be back,” Dick called back, just as the elevator doors closed on him.

Bruce looked as surprised as Chloe felt at Dick’s apparent desertion. She knew it wasn’t permanent, he wasn’t that kind of guy, but it felt a little weird for him to just take off with no explanation. She looked at Pete, who shrugged his own incomprehension. “So what about Lois and the bomb? Who’s been looking for them the last four days?”

“Wonder Woman, for one,” Bruce snapped, eyes still on the elevator doors. “And most of the others as well. Everyone has agreed that this is a priority. Having the Luthors on the loose with that kind of destructive capability is bad for everyone.”

“Doesn’t seem to be doing much good.”

“Chloe, ease off,” Pete warned softly. “Bruce has been doing the best he can.”

Not wanting to admit that she was honestly worried for the other woman who’d been in Lionel Luthor’s hands, and at his mercy, for five days, Chloe replied sharply, “It obviously hasn’t been enough.”

Lex and Clark returned to the room just then and Bruce rounded on them with, “What happened? Where’s Dick going?”

With a shrug, Lex answered, “He just freaked out for no apparent reason. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

Clark was a little kinder when he explained further, “We were just talking and he seemed to figure something out, but didn’t tell us what.”

Clearly suspicious as Bruce stared at Lex, the older man demanded, “What were you talking about?”

“Not much,” Clark answered, flushing a little. He looked over at Lex and continued, “Just that my Lex would do anything to get back.”

Curiosity reared inside Chloe when Bruce’s eyes widened, obviously making the same connection that Dick had made. Chloe waited, but Bruce didn’t say anything, just looked back at the elevator door in alarm.

“Bruce?” Clark questioned.

Shaking his head, Bruce said shortly, “Nothing. Never mind. Back to the subject at hand. Chloe, since you and Pete are here now, you can take over for Dick and myself here at the Penthouse. We’ll go looking for Lois and the bomb.”

“I’m going with you,” Clark announced.

Chloe frowned at him and said, “Twenty minutes ago you were ready to collapse. What’s the difference now?”

“Does it matter?” Lex interjected, looking up from the laptop.

The frown increased when she took in Clark’s blush and she answered, “It might.”

Ignoring her, Clark asked Bruce, “You ready? We should go now.”

Bruce nodded, his thoughts plainly still on Dick, not catching the interplay that Chloe could see. “But...”

“Chloe, knock it off,” Pete ordered under his breath.

Aggravation rose at the lack of support, but she backed off. Pete didn’t often ask her to rein it in, but when he did, there was inevitably a reason for it. Clark was avoiding her gaze, Lex had gone back to his laptop, and Bruce was already heading for the door. Still scowling, she called out, “Keep us updated this time!”

Clark waved acknowledgment as he and Bruce got onto the elevator and the doors closed on them. Turning on Pete, she demanded softly, “What!?”

“Whatever’s going on, someone with a clear head needs to keep an eye on this Lex,” Pete answered, just as quiet. “And neither Clark nor Bruce have that right now. We need to stay here.”

“What about Lois?”

Pete sighed and gripped her shoulder. “We just have to hope that she’s not too badly off because there’s nothing we can do about it.”

* * * *

As prisons went, Lois had to admit she’d been in worse. She’d done an undercover story on the state of, well, state prisons a couple of years back. Something that she never, ever wanted to do again. Lois had discovered a lot about herself during that story, about how far she’d go to get a story and how far she would go in the name of self-preservation.

Really far, much to her shame.

Looking around the soft, muted colors of her room, Lois sighed and poked at her food. Food that was served on a silver tray. Despite the fact that she couldn’t leave, Lionel Luthor was definitely wooing her. It was disturbing and flattering all at once.

And how on earth she always managed to attract the attention of psychos in the first place was something Lois didn’t really want to know. Why couldn’t she find someone like Clark, or Lex? Though, really, Lex was only good because of Clark, so she probably would have attracted Lex in some other life.

Groaning at the insanity that was her life, Lois stood from the mahogany table and walked to the window. They were in a mansion on private grounds somewhere in Gotham. She recognized the skyline from a few stories she’d done on Batman before moving back to Metropolis. There was just something too dark about Gotham for her tastes. She definitely preferred the light metallic high-rises of Metropolis to the staggeringly gothic stone buildings of Gotham.

A knock at the door brought her attention back to the present and she called out, “Come in.”

It opened on a smiling Lionel Luthor. “Good morning, Ms. Lane. I trust you slept well?”

“You trust wrongly,” she snapped. “Look, Luthor, some women might get off on the whole power kick, but I’m not one of them.”

He smirked and corrected, “Of course you are. Why would you be Superman’s constant companion, did you not?”

Uh oh. That doesn’t bode well, she thought. Wary, she asked, “What’s that got to do with the price of tea?”

His smile broadened and Lionel replied, “Why nothing, I was just making conversation. You do have a suspicious mind, Ms. Lane.”

“That’s the reporter in me,” she allowed, slowly and visibly relaxing. Maybe there was a better way to go about this than screaming and hollering. Something about flies and honey that Clark’s mom was always going on about. “So tell me. Do I at least get an exclusive out of this whole mess?”

Lionel smiled.

* * * *

Clark followed Bruce to the car, not surprised to find Dick leaning against it. He met the startled blue eyes with as much innocence as he could muster, but knew that his guilt showed on his face.

“Clark? What are you doing here?” Dick asked.

Bruce answered, “Helping us look for Lois and the bomb.”

“But you were just…”

“I’m fine now,” Clark interrupted, trying to ignore the heat in his face. He opened the passenger door and climbed into the back. He could drive, but he wasn’t nearly as good a driver as either of the other two. Besides, his vision would be best used to search, not to stay on the road.

Dick was still frowning when he sat in the front seat, but didn’t make any further comments or ask any other questions. Thankfully, because Clark wasn’t sure what he could say to answer or deflect them. Spin was Lex’s game and Clark was mortified enough that he couldn’t do anything except think just then. And barely that.

All from a single kiss.

His head and heart might be horrified at the way he’d grabbed Lex and yanked him onto the bed for an extended tonsil-hockey session, but he could finally think clearly enough to be horrified. The headache was gone and so was his exhaustion. He wasn’t energized exactly, more like he’d had a good nap. Lex had briefly posited that there was an actual, physical need for Clark and Lex to remain in contact that they hadn’t discovered simply because they hadn’t really been parted in a long time.

Whatever the reason, Clark was feeling much better and his sight had returned to normal. Maybe now they could find the bomb, and Lois, and put Lionel and Lucas behind bars.

* * * *

It had taken a lot of fast talking to keep Clark at a figurative arms’ length all night until the end of the celebration. And even more fast talking to keep Clark from putting him in a padded room when Lex tried to explain why they couldn’t make love in their own private celebration. Well, not a padded room, really, but at least calling the doctor. Clark had been convinced that he’d hit his head again, somehow, even though they hadn’t been apart for longer than a couple of hours on any given day in the past week.

The big, hurt look on Clark’s face had nearly caused Lex to cave, but he kept reminding himself that it wasn’t his Clark that was looking at him that way. Not even a reasonable facsimile if the reports that Lex had subsequently read to bring him up to speed on this world’s history were to be believed. Entire divisions of armies had been wiped out from Clark’s heat ray or freezing breath, which was a new one to Lex, he was going to have to have his own Clark try that when he got back.

And the super-heroes were all dead. Bruce and Dick had been part of the last battle to stop Clark and paid the ultimate price. At the last, Bruce had jumped on Dick to try and spare him the full blast of the heat vision, but they’d both been burnt to ash. Lex shivered as he remembered that and glanced across the room at where Clark was watching television.

He made a mental note to have a nice, long chat with Bruce when he got home about just what kind of feelings his friend had for the young man in his care.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Clark muttered sullenly. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Clearing his throat, Lex replied, “No, of course not. I’m sorry, Clark, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Clark heaved a sigh and looked over at him. “Any luck?”

“Well, no, not as such,” Lex answered.

“Not as such? What does that mean?”

“It means that I’ve ruled out a lot of possibilities and that’s success in and of itself.”

With a frown, Clark asked, “What are you going to do now?”

“That depends on if your Lex kept some kind of diary?” Lex replied, rubbing his eyes. He was damn tired and his head was killing him.

Clark was surprised. “You don’t?”

Lex was equally as surprised. “He does?”

“Sure. Lex always says that it’s important to let history know exactly what happened, right from the horse’s mouth,” Clark explained.

Darkly amused, Lex murmured, “So much for ‘leave no evidence.’”

“What?”

Lex waved it away with, “Nothing. Just something my father tried to instill in me.”

“And you listened to that pompous windbag?”

Laughing out loud at Clark’s question and the incredulity, Lex answered, “In this particular case, it seemed like good advice, but no, not generally. So. Where is this living history lesson kept? Online, I suppose?”

Clark snorted. “Not hardly. Hang on, I’ll be right back.”

Only about three seconds later, Clark was at his side, holding two thick, leather-bound journals out to him. Lex jumped in surprise, then took them hesitantly. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Just…find a way to fix this,” Clark said, sighing. “I could use a good night’s sleep.”

Lex frowned and asked, “You haven’t been sleeping?”

“A few hours a night, tops,” Clark admitted.

Lips pursed, Lex observed, “That’s not good. My Clark needs a good eight hours a night to be rested.”

“So do I.”

“Hmm. All right. I’ll try and think of something to help you sleep. In the meantime, how about something to eat?”

Clark smiled again, though it was faded, and nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

Lex watched as Clark left the room at normal speed, momentarily unable to reconcile the man who’d just left to the one he’d been before, well, before Lex Luthor had given in to his wild ambition and set Clark upon such a bloody path. That he’d been the absolute corrupter of someone as good and kind as Clark weighed heavily on Lex, even though technically it hadn’t been him to do it.

What had been the difference? What had kept him to Clark’s path in their world, and sucked Clark onto his in this one? Out of morbid curiosity, Lex moved to the computer and looked up Willis McCanthor. It had been Willis who’d been the straw to break the camel’s back and make Lex want to go back to Clark’s life. To find a refuge from the darkness that had surrounded him.

Lex snorted when he found out that in this world, Willis had died at the age of ten due to a freak accident. Which meant that he’d never created his empire and Lionel had never brought Lex to watch and learn from the other man how life on the streets could be as vicious as any jungle, but not nearly as honest.

One man. Only one thing had changed the world.

Shaking his head, feeling the headache get stronger, Lex turned away from the laptop and opened the leather diaries.

* * * *

Lex woke suddenly and completely, but unsure of what had woken him. It was pitch-black and silent in the room and for a moment, he didn’t even breathe, so convinced was he of danger. Then he relaxed with a shuddering breath and shook his head at his own foolishness.

“Lex?”

Jumping in surprise at the nearness of Clark’s voice, Lex managed to keep his voice steady as he replied, “Yes, Clark?”

“Can I sleep with you? Just sleep, I mean, not anything else. I’m so tired, and my head hurts and being near you makes it a little better.”

Lex hesitated, but couldn’t really see a reason to deny Clark the rest he needed. Finally, he agreed, “All right.”

The bed dipped and Lex found himself scooped into the all-too-familiar hold. It brought back all the times he cheated on Clark without even realizing that was what he’d been doing. All the times he’d been in another world and simply thought they were bizarre dreams.

“Did you find anything useful in Lex’s journals?” Clark asked softly.

Lex remained stiff and unyielding for a few seconds longer, then sighed deeply, resigning himself to the fact that for now, this was his life. “I may have, actually.”

“Which is?”

“A drug that my father was slipping me in my reality,” Lex answered. “That never happened here because Lionel can’t get within a hundred miles of me to do something like that. I think it made me more susceptible for this to happen.”

“But, how? Especially if my Lex never went through it.”

“I’m still working on that. But it’s really the only explanation I can come up with.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Recreate it and take it here.”

“What!?”

Lex grunted when Clark’s arms tightened protectively and rubbed the broad chest in soothing motions as he explained, “It’s the only recourse I have, Clark. And it won’t harm me or your Lex as long as you’re here to watch over us.”

Clark’s arms loosened and he asked, “Are you sure?”

“Honestly? No. But I think it’s the best shot we have,” Lex admitted.

Warm lips brushed over Lex’s bare head and Clark murmured, “Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Swallowing heavily at the shot of heat through his body, Lex resolutely ignored his body’s demands. Just a few more days and they’d be back to normal. He’d be back in his world and then he and Clark could make love over and over again.

The thought of which wasn’t helping him sleep any, so he sighed shakily and closed his eyes.

* * * *

“No. You leave this to us, Clark,” Bruce hissed.

Glaring at the other two, Clark replied hotly, “I have most of my powers back! I can help!”

“All it takes is one push of the button and there’s no more Metropolis,” Dick interrupted calmly. Making sure he had both men’s attention, the younger man continued, “Bruce and I can get in on a pretext, Clark, you can’t.”

“He’s not going to fall for that twice,” Clark pointed out, trying to stay calm.

Bruce smirked and countered, “Sure he will. He’s just that arrogant. And if he doesn’t, then you can speed in and get Lois.”

Grimacing at the backup plan, Clark demanded, “Are all of your plans this sketchy?”

Bruce and Dick exchanged a look before both nodded.

“Pretty much.”

“Yes.”

Eyes rolling, Clark observed, “I don’t know how you two have lived as long as you have.”

“Luck.”

“Good timing.”

About ready to punch one of them in frustration, which was not good because his strength had finally returned, Clark’s hands closed into fists and he turned away.

A strong hand landed on his shoulder and Bruce said, “Clark, really, we’re not trying to exclude you, but you’re a liability right now and I’m not talking about your abilities. If Lionel sees you, he’ll head straight for the remote or signal Lucas somehow. You found it for us, now let us take care of the rest, okay?”

Clark hesitated, but nodded and faced the older man. “All right. But I’ll be listening in.”

Bruce nodded as well and held out a hand. Clark took it, then shook Dick’s hand and waited at the car as the two men strode to another. After they got inside it and burned rubber out of the garage, he walked wearily to elevator of the underground facility. It had been an additional two days from the time that Chloe and Pete had shown up before Clark, Bruce and Dick had finally had the inspiration to check out Gotham.

Once in the city, it actually hadn’t taken long to find out where Lionel had holed up with Lois and Lucas. That had only been the day before and he’d been brimming with impatience to get Lois and snag the bomb from Lionel’s hands. Bruce had insisted on checking out the place with city records so they knew what they were getting into since, as he’d pointed out, they didn’t all have x-ray vision.

That, however, had been the extent of Bruce’s plan. That and strolling up to the stronghold as Bruce Wayne on some business excuse. And even though Clark had been arguing since they’d gotten back to the mansion two minutes ago, he also hadn’t been able to think of a better idea. He could use his speed to get Lois or the bomb, but he couldn’t do both at the same time. And those few seconds were enough to either kill Lois or set off the bomb.

And Clark knew Lionel well enough to know that the older man would do both if at all possible.

Just as the elevator door opened, his cell phone rang. Pulling it out of his pocket with a yawn, Clark straightened in alarm when he saw it was Chloe. “Chloe!? What’s wrong?”

“I-I don’t know, Clark! It’s Lex! He just collapsed and now he won’t wake up! You have to get back here right away!” she exclaimed, panicked.

Elation lit all the way through Clark and he shouted in happiness. If Lex was in another coma, it was entirely possible that the two Lex’s were somehow being switched back. “Don’t move him! I’ll be back as soon as I can!”

He hung up, striding into the elevator and bounced impatiently as the doors closed.

* * * *

Lex groaned, head throbbing painfully, and opened his eyes. Hovering directly in his line of sight was Clark, even if it was a blurry Clark. He blinked a few times to bring his lover into focus and gasped, “What the fuck hit me?”

“Lex?” Clark asked hopefully. “Lex, is that you?”

“Who the hell else would it be, Clark?” Lex demanded, frowning. Then he froze in place, remembering what the last week had been like and questioned, “What was the Inauguration like?”

Grinning broadly, Clark answered, “We tangoed in front of everyone and I dipped you and we practically made out on the dance-floor. Everyone cheered.”

“Yes!” Lex shouted in exultation, grabbing Clark and hauling him in for a long, deep, and desperate kiss. Clark responded eagerly and suddenly they were in the air, rolling together on waves of nothing but passion and Clark’s powers.

Everything was right in the world again. This one anyhow.

* * * *

Clark waited anxiously for the elevator door to open into the penthouse. The second the did, he had an armful of Lex, his lover jumping on him, wrapping his arms and legs around Clark. Clark had a second to realize that Lex was stark naked, then their mouths were plastered together and he sped into the bedroom, thinking of nothing but getting inside his lover. He dropped Lex onto the bed and in the next two seconds sped out of his clothes fast enough that he tore them rather than took them off.

He was on Lex a second later, seizing Lex’s mouth in another desperate kiss while his hands roamed over the other man’s body in a frenzy. Lex moaned and bucked against him, strong legs locking around Clark’s waist as he pulled back enough to stare into Clark’s eyes and order, “Fuck me, Clark, God, please, take me!”

“Yes, yes, yes,” Clark muttered, lining himself up with shaky hands and then pushed inside the willing and already lubed hole.

Lex groaned as Clark’s cock invaded him. His fingers gripped the thick dark hair tight enough to be painful on anyone else and yanked Clark’s mouth back to his. Everything was perfect for Clark, the taste of Lex’s mouth, the feel of the body under him, the smell of his lover, who reeked arousal and need, the moaning and gasping that came from Lex, and everything fit like a glove.

He wanted to go slow, wanted to savor having his Lex back, but couldn’t. Before he knew it, he was humping hard into Lex, his cock eagerly spilling into the tight hole. Panting, his heart thundering in his chest, Clark reached for Lex’s cock to finish him, but Lex gasped and came before it got there.

“Oh God, oh God, Clark, Clark, it’s really you,” Lex exclaimed, fingers still buried in Clark’s hair. “Need you so much, thought I was going to go crazy without you.”

Clark nuzzled at Lex’s throat, sucking hard on the pale, flawless skin, marking it as his. His hips started moving again and his cock thrust gently. “Lex, my Lex, can’t believe it. Can’t believe you’re finally back!”

He rolled them so that Lex was on top and his lover instantly started riding him. Clark’s hands splayed out over the taut abdomen, caressing and squeezing every bit of skin that he could reach. Then he sat up and wound his arms about the slender waist, holding Lex tight as strong arms did the same around his shoulders. Lex’s lips pressed against Clark’s hair and he continued to ride, lifting up and down with strength and growing force.

It wasn’t long before they both gasped in renewed need and Clark’s hands gripped Lex’s hips, urging him to go harder. Lex obeyed, muscles straining as he fucked himself on Clark, arching back as far as Clark would let him, hands gripping Clark’s knees for leverage. Sucking on the nipples presented so temptingly to him, Clark licked and bit at the sweaty flesh, bringing them back into hard nubs and increasing the urgency to Lex’s moans.

Leaning back on one hand, Clark added a counterpoint to Lex’s movements, thrusting up when Lex pushed down. His balls tightened and he wanted to tell Lex that he was coming again, but his breath and heart stopped as he came even harder than the first time. Collapsing backwards, utterly exhausted, Clark took in the exquisite sight of Lex grinding down on him, head thrown back as he came, his seed spurting all over Clark.

Lex smiled down at him as he fell forward, plastering himself to Clark’s chest and groaning, “Love you, Clark, love you so much.”

“Love you too, Lex, you don’t know how glad I am you’re back,” Clark whispered, hugging Lex tight.

With a gasping laugh, Lex reminded, “Ribs, Clark, watch the ribs!”

Clark eased off a bit, but not much, grinning through a yawn. “So. Sleep. Then making love again. Sleep some more. Make love again.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Lex agreed, sucking lightly on Clark’s ear. “We should throw food in there somewhere. And maybe save Metropolis while we’re at it?”

Chuckling softly, Clark allowed, “Think I can manage it, if Bruce and Dick don’t first. I’ll keep an ear open to make sure they don’t get into trouble.”

For some reason, that roused Lex and he sat up again, poking Clark in the chest and exclaiming, “And you just let them go off on their own?”

Clark groaned and, despite his earlier misgivings, protested, “They are super-heroes, Lex, they know what they’re doing.”

Instead of calming down, Lex slowly pulled off of Clark, wincing. “Clark, you have to go after them. Bruce doesn’t really know what he’s doing when it comes to my father. He’s too, ah, personally involved.”

“Le-ex!”

“Now Clark! Move!”

Clark rolled out of bed and complained, “We barely even got to see each other yet!”

Grinning at him from the closet door, hand on a shirt, Lex answered, “You’re the only person I know who can say that and mean it after we’ve fucked like animals twice in a row.”

Unable to help the flush, Clark tugged Lex into his arms and said, “That’s because it’s true.”

Nibbling at Lex’s throat earned him a groan and a slap upside the back of the head. “Stop trying to tempt me. Making love later. Saving Metropolis, Bruce and Dick now.”

Aggravated, Clark nonetheless obeyed, speeding into his Superman uniform and suddenly realized that he was back to full strength. He looked at Lex and accused, “You knew! How did you know?”

Lex hauled him in for a long, deep kiss, then pulled back with, “I suspected, Clark. From the way your other self reacted when we were apart, I thought that your slow recovery could be a result of us not being in contact enough, or the right kind of contact at least.”

“So just think about how strong I’ll be if we have another quickie,” Clark pointed out, grinning as his hands slid down Lex’s back to grip his ass.

Eyes rolling, Lex pulled free and said, “No! Look, the faster you do this, the faster we can get back in bed. Go and rescue people, would you? I want to cuddle, damn it.”

A happy laugh burst from Clark at the improbable demand and he kissed Lex once more before running to the balcony and leaping from the rail into the air, aiming for Gotham as fast as he could go.

Superman was once more on the job.