Written by request as a birthday gift for annexia_lex, who said, "How about something where Draco accidentally pops into Lex's world and they meet? Perhaps he pops into Lex's fireplace while Lex is intensely staring at it?"

Even though I'm a hardcore Clexxer, I couldn't resist.

I can't remember what day "Run" took place, so I'm pretending it was a Friday. Purists can hate me, but I'm all about the contrived.

Thanks for the Brit!stuff, Lyd. <3

...

It might've been the brandy.

Lex couldn't exactly remember just how many glasses he'd had or exactly when it was he'd started drinking in the first place. All he could remember was Clark smiling at him with that soft, innocent look, promising that he knew nothing at all about the manuscript; a computer screen glowing with Clark's lies; and the need to get fucked up now.

An indeterminate amount of time later, he found himself just this side of conscious, staring intently at the fireplace from his vantage point on the floor when it happened.

His first thought had been, 'Wonderful. Dad's been poisoning the brandy again' followed immediately by 'Holy shit.' The next thing Lex knew, he was flat on his back, sporting a brandy-stained lavender silk shirt, and cursing a blue streak.

"Well, that's entirely inappropriate," said a distinctly English voice.

A distinctly male English voice.

Lex looked up to find a pale-faced boy stepping out of the fireplace, brushing ashes from an impressive set of black robes that clung in a somewhat provocative manner, which Lex wouldn't have anticipated, considering the amount of fabric. The scent of scorched cloth wafted to his nose. He licked his lips, studying the apparition through one eye while rubbing at the other with his right fist, and wondered momentarily if it would be physically possible to have sex with a ghost.

"I'm sorry," Lex said, struggling to sit up but finding his stomach muscles were most unwilling to comply. "Did you just walk out of my fireplace?" He rolled onto his side instead and got to his knees.

"There seems to've been a mix-up in the Floo Network," the boy was saying, fishing around in his robes. Lex wondered if he had much on underneath. "I'm quite certain I said 'Malfoy Manor,' but I've somehow ended up here. You haven't got any extra Floo Powder lying around, have you?"

"Any what?"

The boy narrowed his eyes, studying Lex with the hint of a smirk on his lips. "You're a muggle, aren't you."

Lex had been called names before, but this was a first for him. It was probably some new, flashy term for "bald" he hadn't heard yet. Whoever coined that "Sticks and stones" bullshit was a fool who deserved a satisfyingly horrific punishment like hot tar and feathers, or possibly being drawn and quartered.

Still, he made a sincere attempt to keep any and all emotion from his face. "Excuse me?"

The boy rolled his eyes and waved of Lex's questions off with his hand. "It doesn't matter. Where am I, anyway?"

Looking longingly at the pool of brandy seeping into the small area rug (the price of which could've bought the damned island where he was stranded) he'd had imported from godknowswhere last year, Lex sighed.

"Kansas."

"Kansas?" the boy repeated, his mouth agape and pink and wet and oh, Lex needed to get laid. "How the hell did I end up here?"

With the help of a nearby chair, he pulled himself to his feet. "I ask myself the same question every day."

The boy gave him a once over, and Lex suddenly felt very naked. He rubbed at the wet places on his shirt and considered removing it and getting them one step closer. If this was a dream, which was almost certainly the case, there would be no repercussions. And if he really had been drugged again, he could always claim insanity.

"You look terrible," the boy observed. The fireplace was casting shadows across his face. "What on earth have you been doing?"

Lex grimaced. "Drowning my misery."

"Don't tell me. You're in love with some tosser with dark hair and glasses who lies to you on a constant basis."

And that was just weird.

"...how did you know?"

"Let's just say I've been there."

Lex cocked an eyebrow. "How old are you?"

"Twenty four."

"Oh."

Lex had a sneaking suspicion he was around the same age, but his brain wasn't exactly functioning properly. No matter. It was all legal.

"So why are you flitting around in my fireplace?" he asked instead, fluttering his hands in the air and drawing out the final syllable in an impressive slur.

Shrugging, the boy said, "Didn't feel like apparating. And my wand's been malfunctioning, anyway. I need a new one."

Lex Luthor wasn't easily impressed, but he felt his eyes widen. "You have a wand?"

The corner of that perfect, perfect mouth lifted ever so slightly. "D'you want to see it?"

That was a sex invite if Lex had ever heard one. He slinked forward a few steps and placed his hand on the mantle just next to the boy's head.

"I might not remember seeing it in the morning," Lex whispered.

"Good," the boy said, and kissed him.

Kissed him, this unearthly boy with rice paper skin who was anything but Clark and tasted bitter. Free.

Kissed Lex until he couldn't stand any longer and the two of them leaned against the fireplace.

"You've got a scar on your lip," the boy murmured when he pulled back.

Lex reached up to touch his mouth; the boy looked away. He reached into his robes and withdrew a thin, elongate object, resting it in his palm as Lex looked on.

"Is that it?" Lex asked, nodding at it.

"That's it."

"How does it...work?"

"Like any other sort of magic," the boy replied. "Incantations, that sort of thing."

Lex blinked. "Can I touch it?"

The boy held it out, and Lex placed three fingers upon it, then drew them back quickly as it sputtered out a little cloud of sparks.

"It's been neglected," the boy explained, pushing the near-white hair from his eyes. He cracked a smile.

"What's your name?" Lex whispered.

The smile was sweet, but not innocent. "Close your eyes."

Something like trust had him complying. A kiss wetter than the first. Ghost of a hand across his cheek. Whisper of something that wasn't quite Latin. His eyelids fluttered open at a sound like a champagne cork.

Lex blinked and looked around, his vision lagging behind as he turned his head.

The trace of burnt cotton still lingered in the air, but the boy was gone.

Lex stumbled back onto the couch and fell upon it, heart fluttering in disbelief, mouth open, cheast heaving. His eyes rolled back in his head, and in his memory, that face grew paler and paler until it was nothing more but flames licking at the logs as they consumed them, and then all he saw was Clark.

.

He woke to Clark's hands cupping his face.

"God, Lex, you scared me," Clark said.

"I did?"

"You were supposed to meet me for coffee an hour ago!"

Lex opened his eyes.

The moment light hit them, a blinding pain sliced through his head, and he closed them again with a groan.

"What time is it?"

"Just after noon," Clark said. "Bad night?" He drew his hands away.

"Don't even ask," Lex muttered, slinging an arm over his face. "I had the weirdest fucking dream."

"What about?"

"Some kid walked out of my fireplace and kissed me and then disappeared."

Under the shadow of his arm, he dared to look again. Clark sat back on his heels and stared down at him.

"Huh. And that was weird?"

"He had a wand, Clark. He disappeared."

The kid shot him a lopsided grin, and Lex would've shaken his head and laughed were it not for the hangover.

"He?"

Lex smirked.

"You were probably just projecting."

"Taking psychology?" Lex jested.

"Nah. Chloe's been reading these books. I think she's trying to psychoanalyze me."

Lex took a deep breath, exhaled, then sniffed the air and got an eerie feeling down his spine.

"Clark...were you burning something earlier?"

Clark frowned and shook his head. "Nope. I think you need to eat something. C'mon."

Lex let himself be plucked from the ground and only pretended to put up a fight when Clark started to carry him out into the hallway.

"I can walk, you know," he pointed out, his cheek brushing against the soft red flannel shirt.

"I know," Clark said, but he didn't put Lex down.

"We need to talk more about that manuscript."

Clark ducked his head. "We need to talk about a lot of things."

Lex reached his arms further around Clark's neck. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Clark's footsteps echoed in the corridor.