AN: Just to clarify, this is now officially happening either in a) an AU 'verse where Clark and Lois never got together, b) an AU 'verse where they broke up, or c) a canon 'verse sometime after the epilogue where they broke up, whichever works best for you. But you can go ahead and consider most all other Smallville stuff as still canon.

It was past ten at night when Lex knocked on the door to Clark's apartment. Anyone else, and Clark would have been annoyed. But Lex had just gotten back from having dinner with Conner, their first face to face meeting, and was, for Lex, practically vibrating with excitement. So Clark just led the two of them to the couch, while listening encouragingly as Lex talked about his evening. He sounded, Clark thought amusedly, like nothing so much as a proud father.

Then Lex turned to Clark and smiled. A genuine smile, one of the ones that even Clark was lucky to see, and the whole world shifted. If Clark had been asked only a seconds ago, he would have been able to honestly say that Lex was his best friend, something like brother to him. But, in the space of a moment, Lex was suddenly nothing short of the man Clark was deeply, passionately, desperately, and hopelessly in love with.

There was a part of Clark, the part that had never gotten over all the drama that went down between him and Lana, that was constantly afraid of missed opportunities. That part teamed up with the piece of him that never wanted to keep things from Lex ever again to hijack Clark body, and he suddenly found himself pressing his lips to Lex's.

The kiss was over in seconds, as soon as Clark realized what he was doing.

"You just kissed me." Lex's voice was flat and his eyes gazed at nothing.

"I know; it just happened. I – I," Clark stuttered, trying to figure out what the right thing to say was here. "I'm sorry, I just…"

That seemed to snap Lex out of whatever daze he was in, stormy blue eyes fixed solely on Clark. "Don't," he said, hands gripping the sides of Clark's face, "ever apologize right after kissing someone. Frankly, it's a bit insulting." His thumbs ran gently back and forth over Clark's cheekbones, and it was all Clark could do to remain semi-coherent when he really just wanted to close his eyes and lean into the touch.

"But I wasn't even thinking about what you wanted or how you might feel about it," Clark protested. "I just," a small gulp, "kissed you."

"And even if I hadn't wanted it, you still shouldn't apologize. Not unless the other person makes it clear that's what they expect from you."

"If you hadn't" Clark repeated, voice barely a whisper.

Lex's answer was to lean in, one hand slipping up to bury itself in Clark's hair, and kiss him again. Clark responded automatically, arms wrapping around Lex's waist and pulling until Lex was sprawled across Clark's lap, a place he seemed more than happy to be. The kiss itself was slow and sweet. Passion boiled just underneath the surface, but neither of them felt any need to push past that threshold yet.

When Lex pulled back to breathe, Clark heard himself saying, in hushed tones, "I love you." Lex stiffened and Clark ran a soothing hand up and down his back, hastening to explain. "I'm not telling you this because I'm expecting anything, or because I'm about to go homicidal and try to kill you." Lex smirked a little at the joke, and emboldened, Clark continued. "I just didn't want to keep any secrets from you, not anymore, and I wanted you to know I'm not going to leave you again."

Lex considered him for a moment, gaze taking in every bit of Clark, tangible and not. "You are going to leave again, eventually," Lex said, voice full of a finality and absoluteness the allowed for no argument.

Not that that would stop Clark from trying. "I'm not, I wouldn't-"

Lex leaned in and recaptured Clark's lips, a lingering kiss stealing any further protests. "But that's okay," Lex said, pulling back just far enough to get the words out. "Because you always come back."

AN2: Sequel to this story is "Acceptance" (Story ID:8208535)