Title: Shall We Dance?
Author: Lacey McBain
Email: laceymcbain@netscape.net
Rating: PG
Summary: Clark desperately needs Lex's help, and after some convincing, Lex obliges. Warnings: Slash. Clark/Lex.
Parts: Complete
Feedback: Appreciated.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I'm glad they're available for playtime.

Thanks to versipellis for the beta - her first time!!! Another beta cherry has been popped.

"Now, Clark, just relax. This isn't going to work if you're tense."

"I know. It's just that ... I feel awkward." Clark's eyes dipped shyly beneath long dark lashes.

"It takes practice. Come a little closer."

"Like this?" Lex could almost feel Clark's warm breath on his skin.

"Yeah. Now let me show you what to do." Lex moved until their bodies were almost touching, the space of a breath dancing between them. "I do have some experience with this, you know," Lex said with a slight smile.

"That's why I came to you," Clark said, letting his hands settle clumsily on Lex's waist.

"So, trust me. Relax."

"I'm trying, Lex. I'm just ... I'm just not sure where I'm supposed to put my hands."

Lex hid his smile and readjusted Clark's hands.

"There ... and there -- try not to move them too much," Lex said in a kindly voice, shifting one of Clark's hands to rest lightly on Lex's left hip, the other gripping his right hand firmly. Lex noticed that Clark's large palm was warm and strong, his hand practically encompassing Lex's long slender fingers.

"And don't be afraid to hold on -- I'm not going to break." He felt a slight pressure as Clark gripped him more tightly.

"And, Clark, you have to look at me. Stop staring at your feet. Just relax and for goodness' sakes get that expression off your face."

"What expression?"

"The one that says you're either about to be led to your execution or someone just killed your puppy."

"That's not funny, Lex. I'm trying!" Frustration rippled through Clark's tone.

"I know. You're doing just fine," Lex said with a smile that was trying hard not to be a smirk.

Clark's eyes caught Lex's, then dropped down again. Inwardly, Lex sighed. Normally he just kept his business face on for awkward situations, but the crimson colour of Clark's cheeks and the adorable clumsiness of his teenage body were causing Lex's outward defences to crumble. He could sit across the table from kings and CEOs, he could wage war on his father with a sword or a spreadsheet, but an awkward farm boy in well-worn flannel standing maddeningly close was enough to make his business face slide off like a dime-store mask. Lex was beginning to rethink the sanity of this particular scheme. Not that he minded being up close and personal with Clark, but still ... he closed his eyes for a moment and tried to remember exactly how the two of them had ended up in this position.

Two Days Earlier

"Please, Lex, you have to help me. You're my best friend, and there's no one else."

Clark's face pleaded with him earnestly across the table at The Talon. Lex settled back in his chair, weighing the idea as he would any business proposition, but there was something about those green eyes and Clark's desperation that made Lex want to give him anything he asked. Lex kept his negotiating face on and consciously pushed away the flutter he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. God save him from the needs of beautiful teenage boys.

"What about Pete?"

Clark's response was an automatic and horrified "No!"

"Well, how about your mother?" Lex tried, but Clark was already shaking his head vehemently.

"Why not? Lots of young men get help from their mothers."

Clark turned a deep red and dropped his green eyes to survey the tabletop.

"Your mother turned you down?" Lex asked with a smirk, taking a sip of his cappuccino.

"Not exactly. She tried when I was younger and declared me a hopeless case. You're my only hope, Lex."

The set-up was too good to pass up, and suddenly Lex Luthor, corporate executive, was replaced by a 22-year-old who'd seen too many science fiction films. Lex leaned conspiratorially across the table and whispered: "No, Clark, there is another."

Clark's eyes grew wide, then he slapped Lex on the arm as Lex started to laugh.

"Jeez, Lex, I'm beggin' here and you're making Star Wars references. What do I have to do? Get down on my knees?"

If Lex had been the type to blush, he most certainly would've done so then with Clark's earnest eyes holding his. Not to mention the images that the line "get down on my knees" brought to Lex's mind. He rapidly pushed those thoughts away and settled for a lopsided smirk.

"All right, all right, I'll help you. Stop looking at me with those big puppy dog eyes, Clark. I'll do it. But not a word to the rest of your little gang -- understand? My reputation will be ruined if this gets out."

"Thanks, Lex. You're the best."

And so, two days later, here they were in Lex's mansion. Late afternoon sunlight streamed through the castle windows and a classical waltz filled the air.

"You're doing fine. Just follow my lead," Lex said, taking a step backwards in time with the music.

Clark didn't move.

"Clark, dancing usually involves both people moving in the same direction at the same time."

"You said to follow your lead. I thought I was supposed to lead," Clark said, his brow wrinkling in consternation. "So do I follow you, or do you follow me?"

Lex tried to keep his face passive, but a low chuckle tumbled from his lips.

"You said you wouldn't laugh at me."

"I'm not laughing, Clark," Lex said fighting without much success to keep his face from erupting into a huge grin.

"Then your face is having some sort of seizure," Clark said, pushing Lex away. "I'll never get this right. It's hopeless. My mother was right."

Lex watched the long-legged teen fling himself backwards on the couch, his hands pushing through his dark hair in barely contained frustration. Lex got control of himself and sat down beside Clark.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at you. Really."

Green eyes glared at him, but Lex could see that the glare didn't go very deep. Clark was too easy-going to stay upset for long.

"It's just that you're taking this so seriously, and it's ... it's ..." Lex's voice trailed off as he realized continuing would probably get him into even more trouble.

"It's what, Lex?" Clark said steadily, a thread of warning woven into his undertone. "You'd better not have been going to say 'cute'."

Lex bit his lip and quickly sought a synonym for the word that had indeed been about to roll off his tongue. Adorable? Endearing? Sweet? Charming? None of them seemed to strike the right tone, and Lex didn't want to risk a fight with his friend. He really did want to help Clark out.

"Actually, I was going to say 'sexy'," Lex blurted out, then immediately thought 'where the hell did that come from?' Lex briefly wondered at what point his common sense had decided to abandon him to what would no doubt be a tragic and painful fate. Probably around the same time that Lex had started to notice how uncomfortably warm he was feeling, how Clark smelled faintly of sunshine and Old Spice, and how he couldn't recall his black pants fitting quite this tightly earlier in the day.

Lex couldn't tell if Clark's expression had shifted from pissed off to mildly pleased or moderately psychotic, but there was definitely something different in the way Clark was looking at him. Something that made the skin on his arms tingle with anticipation. Lex felt a flush of heat staining his own cheeks red.

"Gee, Lex, I didn't think you were capable of blushing," Clark said in a low voice that made something reverberate deep inside Lex. Clark's tone was almost primal. It smacked of dark rooms and rumpled clothing, smooth liquor and smoother skin. Suggestion rippled through Clark's voice the way muscles rippled beneath his tanned flesh. Lex could feel the blush spread all the way to the crown of his very naked head. He stood up suddenly and stepped away from the couch, holding out his arms in a dancer's stance.

"You're the one who wanted to learn to dance," Lex said, letting the music guide his feet in a waltzing rhythm. Lex held out his arms as if Clark were filling the space within them, closed his eyes against the foolishness he felt inside, heard the insistent pulse of hot blood thrumming in his veins, and let the music take him.

"Just watch for a minute," Lex said softly, moving across the floor by himself. "Get a sense of what the movements look like. It's just like breathing. Before you know it, you won't even notice you're doing it."

Clark couldn't help but stare as Lex moved gracefully across the floor in a series of perfect steps. His slim hips swayed slightly to the beat, and Clark imagined what those hips would look like shifting to the sharp beat of a Latin salsa or even a tango. He couldn't help his mind from straying to thoughts of how those hips might look swaying to an entirely different rhythm. Clark didn't think that he could stand to look away from his friend's body moving so fluidly, so effortlessly to the lilting strains of the violin. He was grateful that Lex's eyes were closed. Eyes that would undoubtedly sense something beyond friendship in Clark's appreciative gaze. He had forgotten how beautiful Lex could be when he was at ease, when he forgot who he was, who he was supposed to be. How unbelievably intoxicating it was to watch him move without the slightest hint of self-consciousness. As if his entire body were made of wind and silk.

"And when you're dancing with someone else --" Lex continued with his eyes still closed, seemingly unaware that he had Clark's rapt attention, "someone you care about, someone you love -- it's the most comfortable feeling in the world. And it won't matter if all the steps are perfect or not because the two of you are together."

Lex spun to a stop in front of Clark as the music faded into silence. Lex opened his eyes and met Clark's gaze ... and faltered ever so slightly at the raw hunger he saw there. Lex held out a hand in a gesture of conciliation.

"No laughing. Just trust me," Lex said earnestly, and Clark took the hand that was offered and stood up. He placed one hand lightly on Lex's hip, took the other hand in his own and waited for the music to begin again. He looked steadily into Lex's eyes, aware of the heat that was passing between them.

"I trust you," Clark said, not looking away or down as Lex took a careful step backwards. Clark followed through with a step of his own.

"You know I wouldn't hurt you," Lex said, keeping his eyes on Clark's, his feet finding the rhythm of the music, emphasizing the shifts of his body with his hips, trying to teach Clark to read the signs that would guide his steps. So far, so good.

"I know," Clark said, pushing the need to think about every step out of his mind, the need to avoid looking stupid. This was Lex, after all. Clark relaxed his shoulders slightly, felt a reassuring squeeze from Lex's hand, and just kept moving. He watched Lex's eyes -- the absolute acceptance there, and a hint of something else, something between affection and hunger. He marvelled at the way Lex's body seemed to press one way or the other, his own naturally following the course Lex had set. This time he even remembered to breathe ... and was greeted with the scent of light musky cologne and a lingering sense of heat, one hand full of warm silk draped loosely over warm skin, the lush pull of a cello making him feel weak in the knees. Or maybe it was something else. Someone else.

As the shadows grew longer, they continued to move together, eyes smiling at one another, bodies relaxing into familiarity, a gentle rhythm.

"Um, Clark?"

"Yeah, Lex?"

"The music stopped a minute ago."

"Did it? I didn't notice." Clark's eyes were closed, both arms wrapped snugly around Lex's waist holding him closely against the length of his body. Lex's arms had snaked comfortably around Clark's back and the two swayed together, Lex's head resting lightly against Clark's shoulder.

"You never actually told me who the lucky girl is. I think I should know who's going to benefit from my excellent tutelage."

Clark lifted his head from where it had been resting against Lex's. Lex raised his eyes.

"Who said it was a girl?" A mischievous smile licked at the corner of Clark's lips.

"I thought Clark Kent was interested in dancing his way into the heart of the girl-next-door," Lex said, unable to keep a note of surprise out of his voice. This afternoon's closeness had been more than Lex could have ever hoped for, and he had already accepted that no matter what he might feel, he was only there to help Clark learn to dance. For someone else. Now he wasn't sure what Clark was trying to tell him. He fought to keep the butterflies from punching holes in his stomach.

"I just assumed this was about Lana or Chloe ..." Lex said, feeling a little awkward. Something he wasn't used to feeling, especially around Clark.

"How about the boy-next-door?" Clark said seriously. "Or better yet, how about the mysterious stranger in the castle at the edge of town? Don't you believe in 'happily ever after', Lex?"

"Happy endings are for fairy tales, Clark. True love is about as believable as magic spells or aliens from outer space," Lex said softly, casting his eyes down. For the first time since they'd stopped dancing, he realized that the room seemed to be slightly out of focus. The floor looked wrong, somehow. Like it was too far away.

"Such a cynic, Lex," Clark said, shaking his head.

"I'm a scientist. A realist."

"A cynic." Clark brushed his lips lightly along the edge of Lex's mouth, heard the soft intake of breath. "But I believe in happy endings. I believe enough for both of us."

"Clark -- " Lex started, but his words were lost as Clark's mouth covered his completely, kissing him firmly and passionately, tongue gently probing until Lex opened his lips and allowed him entrance. Clark felt both their bodies responding, pressed closely against one another, and he smiled as he felt Lex's hands tighten around his back. Neither of them wanted to break the spell of that first kiss, lips soft and supple, gentle and infinitely patient, the movements of their mouths speaking about trust and friendship, loyalty and secrets in ways that they never could in words. Promising safety, love, protection ... hope. For both of them. For always. When they finally broke apart, it was an act of mutual acceptance. There was no hurry. No rush. They could learn to do this ... they could learn every step together.

Lex took a deep breath and sighed, resting his head against Clark's strong shoulders. He looked down again and his hands tightened along the hard muscles of Clark's spine.

"Um, Clark?"

"Mmm?"

"That was incredible, but I'm just wondering ... at exactly what moment did we leave the ground?"

Clark's eyes flew open. He risked a quick glance downwards and saw that they were clearly floating about a foot above the floor. He looked into Lex's face, saw lips softly flushed from being kissed, one eyebrow raised in a questioning gesture.

"You mean ... you're not doing that?" Clark asked, adopting his most innocent look.

"Clark ..." Lex said softly, a distinct edge seeping into his voice.

Clark kissed him lightly on the lips, then whispered into his ear: "Well, you might just have to get used to believing in the unbelievable." He pulled back and watched the expression of interest that crossed Lex's face.

"Like magic?" Lex asked.

"Or aliens from outer space," Clark added with a small smile that was almost a wink.

"Next you'll be expecting me to believe in true love," Lex said, gazing intensely into Clark's eyes.

Clark's only response was to lean in and claim Lex's mouth with his own.

THE END