Title:  Early Morning Surprises

Author:  twinsarein

Rating:  G

Word count:  1,516

Summary:  Clark is more about showing, than telling

A/N:  CLFF Wave #39 - Firsts & Christmas


“Clark!  What are you doing, here?  It’s six o’clock in the morning.  Not
even the sun is up, yet.  You have an exam at MetU at nine o’clock.  You’ll
be late if you don’t leave right now.”


When Clark just looked at him, Lex stood aside from the front door of the
mansion, and let his friend in.  He brushed by Lex carrying a larger wicker
picnic basket.  “I know, Lex, but I told you yesterday that I was trying to
gather my courage for something, and I’m just taking your advice.  You do
remember what you told me, right?”


Shaking his head in bafflement, Lex followed behind Clark as he strode
through the mansion.  “Of course, but I thought you were talking about
something to do with matters of the heart.”


Looking over his shoulder, Clark smiled back at Lex, and nodded his head.
“Yeah, I can understand how I gave that impression.”


Looking straight in front of him again, Clark continued striding past the
multitude of doors on the first floor, until he reached one at the back of
the house.  “I discovered this room by accident a couple of weeks ago.  Do
you know it?”


Lex walked through the door that Clark opened for him, and looked around.
It was a good sized room, with a stone fireplace in the middle of the floor,
and a sofa in front of that.  There was an armchair in two of the corners,
and an old-fashioned writing desk against one wall, but otherwise it was
bare of furniture.  “I took a tour of the house when I first moved in
several years ago, but I don’t believe I’ve been in here since then.”


Clark nodded, as though that was the answer he expected to get.  “I hadn’t
thought so.  When I found it, it was obvious that the staff had kept in
clean, but it had the feel of a room that had never been used.”


Putting down his basket, Clark walked to the curtain covered floor to
ceiling windows, and pulled the fabric all the way to the side.  The night
sky was just starting to lighten, but Lex could still make out the twinkle
of many stars.  He could also see the outline of a large evergreen tree not
more than twenty feet from the window.


While Lex had been distracted by the view, Clark had gone back to his basket
and started to unload it.   When Lex noticed, he hurried over to the sofa,
and looked at the items Clark had laid out.


There was a bowl of Lex’s favorite fruit, strawberries, and what looked like
a few of Martha’s delicious lemon poppy muffins - another of Lex’s
favorites.  These were carefully laid on the side table beside the sofa.
Then, Clark went to the fireplace and Lex watched him check the flue and the
already laid fire.


Returning to the sofa, Clark pulled out two mugs and a thermos.  He poured
what looks like steaming hot cocoa out, and then dug back in his basket for
miniature marshmallows and two candy canes.


Lex watched all of the preparations in perplexed silence.  When Clark
straightened and turned to him with a smile, Lex took the sweetly doctored
mug that was handed to him with a bewildered look.  His confusion only built
when Clark turned back to his basket, and took out a blanket.


Shaking it out, Clark sat in one corner of the sofa with the blanket draped
over his knees, put his arm across the back of the sofa, and then beckoned
Lex to join him.  Lex just stood there, holding his mug, and stared down at
his friend.  His mind was completely and utterly blank; a sensation Lex was
quite unfamiliar with.


Clark turned to the side table and put his cocoa down, and then leaned
forward and held out a hand to Lex.  Lex looked at it, and then down at the
drink he was still holding.  Smiling, Clark took it from him and put it down
on the side table, too.  Then he turned back to Lex and held his hand out
again.  “C’mon, Lex.  Join me, please.”


The slightly uncertain tone in Clark’s voice unfroze Lex’s brain, and his
usual grace was gone as he lurched forward to sit on the sofa with Clark.
Immediately, Clark’s arm went around him, and he sat back into the corner of
the sofa, pulling Lex with him, until Lex was leaning against the other
man’s side.


Yearning to relax back into the younger man, Lex didn’t allow himself that
luxury.  He didn’t know what was going on, but he did know that he didn’t
get his dreams handed to him on a platter.  He never had, and he couldn’t
let himself believe that it was happening now.


Clark turned his head a little, which put his mouth just a couple of inches
from Lex’s ear.  “This will be a lot more fun if you relax, Lex.  Maybe what
you need is to warm up.  That may help.”


Before Lex could respond, Clark looked towards the fire, and the logs laid
inside burst into flame.  Lex’s mouth dropped open, and he looked between
Clark and the fire.  “You...you just set that fire with your eyes.  And,
you’re cuddling with me!”


A mischievous smile crossed Clark’s painfully handsome face.  “Which
surprises you more?  The fire, or the cuddling?”


Lex didn’t even have to think about that one.  “The cuddling.  What’s going
on, Clark?”


In his surprise, Lex had relaxed back into Clark a little, so he could feel
it when Clark shrugged his shoulders.  “I just wanted to enjoy some time
alone with you before heading back to my last week of classes before
Christmas break.  And...”


Not the most patient of men when something he’d been wanting for years
seemed suddenly in his grasp, Lex twisted against Clark so he could see him
better.  “And, what, Clark?  Don’t you dare stop there.”


Clark didn’t answer in words, however.  Instead, quick as a wink, he leaned
forward and pressed his lips to Lex’s in the chastest kiss Lex had received
in a very long time.  It still made his fingertips tingle and his toes curl,
though.  “I’m sorry, Lex, I didn’t...I don’t...it’s just I guess I was
hoping your reaction would be as it was tonight, but I kind of expected you
to throw me out on my ass.  So, that’s why I did it when I have a class to
leave for soon.”


While disappointed, Lex could appreciate the strategy.  “How much time do we
have?”


A shy smile crossed Clark’s face, this time.  “I shouldn’t need more than
fifteen minutes to run to Metropolis, grab the stuff I need from my dorm
room, and walk into my class on time.”


Feeling a combination of amazement, delight, and a sudden fear that he
wasn’t worthy of the trust and faith Clark was giving him right now, Lex
kept his reaction to a small nod.  “Okay then, Clark.  That gives us plenty
of time to enjoy the sunrise, the fire, and the delightful snacks you
brought with you.”


“And the cuddling?”


Lex nodded once. Sharply. Jerkily.  Then, he took a deep shuddering breath,
and relaxed more fully into Clark.  It looked like they were going to have
plenty of time to talk about all of this in their future.  Clark was right,
they didn’t need to do it now.


As he relaxed, Lex could practically feel the smile on Clark’s face.  He
certainly could when Clark nuzzled his lips against Lex’s bare scalp.
“Thank you, Lex.  Now, lets relax and watch the show.”


“Show?”


In response, Clark lifted his arm from Lex’s shoulder and pointed out the
window.


Since they had arrived in the room, the sky had lightened considerably.  The
sun wasn’t up yet, but its light was heralding the start of a beautiful
winter day.


Because of the rising sun, the evergreen tree right outside the window was
outlined by a halo of light, and Lex could see what he couldn’t before.
“Are those popcorn strands over the branches?”  Lex looked more closely.
“With apple slices and orange sections as ornaments?”


Lex didn’t need to ask why, because as he watched, color filled the air as
birds fluttered between the branches, and a doe and her fawn walk across the
lawn.  After that, small mammals start coming from everywhere, and picking
at the treats on the tree.  “I can’t believe you did all of this, Clark.
This is wonderful.”


Clark picked up their hot cocoa and handed one to Lex.  “I’m glad you’re
enjoying it, Lex.  When I finally worked up the courage to show you how I
felt about you, I decided that I wanted to do something memorable for
our...our first date.”


Lex could say something about how Clark was always memorable, or that the
morning had more than enough surprises to never be forgotten, but instead,
he just leaned back into him and sipped his hot cocoa, a small, satisfied
smile on his face.