The snow squeaked and crunched under Lex's boots as he squinted against the sun reflecting off the bright whiteness. "What about this one?" He pointed with his axe at a majestic fir.

Clark laughed softly, nudging his shoulder against Lex's. "We'll never get it through the door."

Shrugging, Lex turned a smug grin on him. "So fly it through the window."

Shaking his head in exasperation, Clark sighed and rolled his eyes. "The window's smaller than the door, Lex."

"Right." Lex shook his head. Clark was adorable when he was pretending to be annoyed with Lex. "We should've taken the other apartment. It would've fit there."

"We agreed that it was too big for two people." The cold air coloured Clark's cheeks a rosy, kissable pink and his every breath was a puff of warm fog that Lex wanted to breathe in despite how ridiculous that was. Clark's exhalations were still mostly carbon dioxide even though he wasn't human.

Stepping closer, he caught Clark's gloved hand in his. "Okay, so which tree do you want?"

Clark's eyes, clear blue like the sky above, held Lex's. He pointed without looking. "That one."

Lex took another step forward. They were just touching now, and he could feel Clark's ridiculous body heat through the several layers they wore against the cold. "It's too small," he said without even glancing in the direction Clark had indicated.

Laughing, Clark dropped his hand to rest on Lex's hip. "You just like to argue."

"Yes. Because making up is such fun." Reaching up, Lex curved his hand behind Clark's neck and pulled his head down into a kiss. Pulling back almost immediately, he said, "Or is it making out? I can never keep it straight."

Clark's eyes sparkled as he laughed. Wrapping his arms around Lex, he pulled him close and kissed him again. Clark's lips were warm, despite the bite of cold in the air. Lex threaded his gloved fingers through the hair at the nape of Clark's neck and focused on warming his own lips against Clark's. It didn't take long before his whole body was warm—almost too warm, and yet it was a very pleasant feeling, like sitting in front of a roaring fireplace while a blizzard raged outside.

Lex pushed a knee between Clark's, and Clark gasped, took a step back, tripped on something, lost his balance, and fell full-length in the snow with Lex sprawled on top of him. Laughter shook Clark's body, sending vibrations through both of them, and Lex leaned down to kiss him again, pressing his hips down against Clark's. The multiple layers of fabric between them obstructed and muffled, and Lex growled in frustration. "Too many clothes."

He sat up, straddling Clark, lifted his hands and began to unbutton his coat with trembling fingers. Clark caught his wrists and serious blue eyes met his. "I don't want you to catch a chill, Lex."

Laughing breathlessly, Lex shook his head. "I'm not cold. Quite the opposite, actually." He grinned. "Besides, I never get sick anyway."

Nodding slowly, Clark released his wrists and slid his hands down to Lex's hips. Pushing his coat open, Lex bent and unfastened Clark's as well, then ran his hands up under Clark's shirt and over his impossibly muscled abs. A sharp gasp accompanied by a cloud of white escaped Clark's lips and he squirmed beneath Lex, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Still too many clothes." Lex's voice was rough, and his hands shook slightly on the zipper of Clark's jeans. Clark's fingers tightened on Lex's hips—he was going to have bruises there, but they would fade quickly. They always did.

Then Clark's hands were on the front of Lex's pants, tugging at the zipper—Clark had taken off his gloves at some point, but his hands were unbelievably warm. Every part of Clark was always so warm. It wouldn't surprise Lex if the snow beneath them melted away, leaving green grass and crocuses behind.

Pushing Clark's pants and underwear down past his knees—Clark's skin was nearly hot against his fingers, contrasting sharply with the biting chill in the air—Lex shoved his own clothes out of the way and settled his hips between Clark's thighs. Shuddering, he tangled his fingers in Clark's shirt. Strong warm hands on his hips guided him as they began to move together, skin sliding against sweaty skin.

"You're sure you're not cold?" Clark's voice was ragged, yet threaded with worry.

"I'm—very sure," Lex managed through panting breaths. "I'm—very—not cold." It was true. He felt he might burn up from the fire raging inside his skin, the sparks dancing across his nerve endings. And then he was flying, shattering into a million billion fragments to soar among the stars.

As Lex returned to himself, Clark was convulsing beneath him, head thrown back and eyes closed, his arms thrown out to either side as if he was making a snow angel. Above him, a perfect pine stood guard, snow-covered branches glittering in the sun.

Lex smiled, delighted. "I think we found our tree."