Title: The Obvious
Series: Finding Home. Sixth in series.
Author: Christie
Email: tinamishi@yahoo.com
Archive: http://number14.org/precious
Genre: Smallville (Lex/Lana); established relationship, drama, angst
Rating: R (sexual situations, strong language)
Spoilers: General S1 & S2 (nothing overt)
Summary: Is Smallville ready for Lex and Lana? Are Lex and Lana ready
for each other?  Series sequel to Close Quarters.   
Disclaimer: Smallville was created by Millar & Gough.  This story is
non-profit.
Distribution: If you've got Close Quarters, by all means take this.

***

Lana felt as if she were being smothered.  As if she were buried alive
and trying to push through a dozen layers of darkness.  She wasn't even
sure it was worth the struggle, wasn't sure she'd find light when she
finally broke through to the surface.

A palm pressed into hers.  Large and warm, and Lana felt she had an
anchor.  She strained to wake, using the contact like a beacon to find
her way from darkness.

"Lex," she said, fighting against the dryness of her throat and a
tongue that felt as if it were coated with honey.  She wanted Lex so
badly, wanted to open her eyes and see him there; wanted him to tell
her everything was okay.  Somehow, when he said it, she believed it.

She tried to cry out when the hand left hers, but her voice wouldn't
rise above a strangled whisper.  Lana could only grope blindly until
someone caught her again, this time long, slender fingers wrapping into
hers.  Lana would know those hands anywhere -- the smoothest, most
flawless skin, and a touch so gentle that sometimes she wondered if she
was imagining it.

"Lex," she said again, grateful to hear her voice resurface.

She felt the bed shift beneath her.  

"I'm here," was the reply, and Lana was overjoyed to hear his voice.

She tried to open her eyes -- wanted so badly to see his face -- but
only saw blackness swimming with little red dots.  They made her head
spin and her heart squeeze tight, so she shut her eyes against the
assault.  Blinked.  Tried again.  Her brain felt numb.

"Lana?"

Lex sounded worried and she felt his other hand, the cool skin of his
palm press against her forehead.  He brushed her hair back, then
trailed a finger down the side of her face.  With his fingertips, he
cradled her cheek.

Everything felt close, like it all should be so easy to see.  But Lana
felt so far away from it just the same.  She wanted to speak, wanted to
grasp reality, but couldn't find any words and couldn't push her way
through enough layers to the light. 

Her chest ached like a thousand tiny hammers were pounding on it with
each inhale.  Every limb felt weighted, wrists and ankles tied with
boulders and dropped into the deepest part of the ocean.  Her head
throbbed in all the places Lex wasn't touching.  She wanted to reach
out for him one more time -- ask him to keep talking to her, help her
find the light.  But when she tried to form the words, her tongue stuck
to the roof of her mouth.  

Lex -- one syllable -- not too much to ask; only surfaced as a long
sigh before Lana gave in to exhaustion and let darkness wash over her
again.

***

As a general rule, Lex knew that when things seemed too good to be
true, they usually were.  Except this time, when Chloe had sprinted out
of Lana's room and announced that she was *waking up*, and that she was
asking for him, something in Lex's head short-circuited and he forgot
to be cynical.

And of course, that's when he got burned.  Now everyone's eyes were
focused on the back of his head and Lana's hand was slack as it lay in
his.  She'd struggled to wake, he'd felt her asking -- no, begging --
for help, but there was nothing Lex could do and Lana hadn't succeeded.
 He felt a weight settle in his heart and it hurt.  It literally ached
and he could specifically remember the last time he'd felt so
powerless; he was 11 and his mom was dying of cancer.

The nurses scurried around him, most likely pretending that he wasn't
there, all big and unmovable in their way.  Finally a doctor laid a
large, comforting hand on Lex's shoulder and asked him to please make
room for them to work.  Lex didn't bother looking up at which doctor it
was.  He was sure he'd think him completely incompetent no matter what
his credentials were, no matter the fact that he'd personally seen to a
short tenure for the man at Smallville General specifically so that he
could tend to Lana and no one else.

The room seemed considerably more crowded than when Lex had come in,
and he found himself having no idea how long ago that was.   A minute? 
Five?  An hour?  Chloe was looking at him with something akin to
sympathy, Clark was studiously watching the doctors work around Lana. 
Nell gripped his arm as he walked by and Lex struggled not to shrug her
off and keep going.

He stopped.  He tried to look down at her, tried to look like the Lex
Luthor she was expecting him to be, although he wasn't quite sure who
that was anymore.  Instead, he just looked at her hand, noted how large
the diamond was that Dean had given her, and mentally calculated its
worth just to make the time go by.

"Lex," she said, and her voice was so strained with worry it was
difficult not to feel a little sorry for her.  It was difficult not to
feel a *lot* sorry for her.

She didn't say any more, and Lex wondered what he was supposed to do
with that.  Should he say her name back to her?  Tell her it was all
going to be okay?  He could spout the same song and dance he'd spouted
to everyone in this very hospital who'd ever needed his help; that he'd
flown in the best doctors from Metropolis, that they were doing
everything they possibly could and then some.  Assuming he could get
the words out of his hollow throat, assuming he could say them without
laughing out loud at the absurd emptiness of the sentiment, she'd have
to know he was lying.  And somehow, making himself out to be more of an
ass than she probably already thought he was for getting her niece in
this whole mess in the first place just wasn't an appealing option at
the moment.

In fact, the only appealing option at the moment involved a large
bottle of scotch, a comfortable chair and his fireplace.

So Lex said nothing, and she finally shifted as if broken out of some
private moment, and let go of his arm.  Lex continued out of the room
and into the inappropriately bright waiting area.  Faintly, he heard
Nell say, "I'm sorry."

***

Everyone was sorry.  Chloe said she was sorry and handed him a cup of
coffee.  Lex was convinced he'd ingested so much of the stuff that he'd
either lost all ability to discern good coffee from whatever this was,
or that he'd have a spontaneous orgasm the next time he sipped
something that wasn't complete crap.  Martha said she was sorry and
brought him sandwiches; not the kind from the hospital cafeteria that
had the date stamp of last Thursday, but ones she'd made at home.

Nell was now sorry.

The only one who didn't seem to be sorry was Clark.  But that was okay;
in fact, it was refreshing.  Lex had no idea why these women were sorry
anyway.  Was Lana going to die and they just weren't telling him?  Were
they sorry that she'd had the entire misfortune of getting caught up in
the likes of him?  Were they just sorry that he was Lex Luthor in
general?  On that point, he could relate.

Not that it was at all appropriate to be wallowing in pity for himself.

The day turned into another long and uneventful night, which Lex spent
at Lana's bedside hoping that she'd just move, just shift or sigh one
more time to give him back the little sliver of hope that had burned
him the first time.  Because he'd take it.  He'd take a billion little
signs that maybe, just maybe, she might wake up.  He'd get burned over
and over and over because one time she might succeed and open her eyes.
 And it'd all be worth it.

She didn't, and it was finally morning.  Lex only knew because there
were small shards of light breaking through the worn mini-blinds and
the nurse was handing him the newspaper, as she had every morning for
over a week.  The paper told him it was Sunday, and he had to believe
it because there was no other frame of reference for him to go by.

Lex wasn't sure he believed in God, but he tried, damn it, he did.  And
if there was any day to expect a miracle, Sunday, he figured, would be
it.  So he put the paper aside and waited for the nurse to finish
checking Lana's vitals, or whatever she did every four hours in a
stiff, unchanging procedure that never failed to remind Lex of the
hospice nurse that took care of his mom when her doctor told her the
days were numbered.

When the nurse had gone, Lex leaned forward and cradled Lana's hand in
his.  He used his other hand to brush stray hairs from her face, and
kept it there for just a moment, relishing the feel of her warm breath
on his palm.  

"Lana," he said, voice barely above a whisper.  "Please, Lana, try to
come back to us.  Try to wake up -- "

His throat constricted and Lex felt a burning lead weight begin in his
stomach and spread outward, snaking its way to his throat and stinging
his eyes.  It was the somewhat unfamiliar sensation that he was about
to cry, a sensation he'd become used to pushing so far down he barely
recognized it anymore.

He swallowed (years of practice made it easier than it probably was for
most people) and blinked several times until the sensation slipped
away.  "Lana, I need you," he said, voice stronger now, louder to his
ears.  "I never meant for any of this to happen, but I need you so much
I can't stand it.  And I don't care," Lex said, now feeling less
vulnerable and more resolute than he had in days.  "I don't care who
knows and what they think, because if you wake up I think we can handle
anything.  I know we can.  If you wake up, we're gonna say screw you to
everyone who doesn't agree with Lex Luthor and Lana Lang."

He paused, feeling foolish as he looked around the room and realized
how passionately he was speaking, to himself and his girlfriend in a
coma.  He squeezed her hand and waited a crucial second, something he
found himself doing every time now, just hoping that he'd feel the most
minute squeeze back.  He didn't, and lowered his voice again.

"I love you, Lana, and I should have said that when I wanted to, in the
stables.  I should have told you the second I knew it, so that you'd
know it too and I wouldn't be sitting here wondering if you're going to
die not knowing that I love you."

He stopped talking and silence enveloped the room.  Even the muted hum
of the machines sounded like white noise; not significant enough to
register as genuine distraction.

There was nothing for Lex to do but sit there; hear the hollow thump of
his heart as the words he'd said ricocheted around in his head. 
Nothing was the way it was supposed to be and complete hopelessness
settled into his bones and seemed to rattle there.

Sitting with Lana's limp hand in his and her form so still she seemed
dead, was not an option anymore.  With a movement more abrupt than he'd
intended, Lex pushed his chair back and stood.  He let Lana's hand drop
and he muttered a loud and resolute curse as he turned and walked out
of the room.

*

Clark hadn't even bothered to make sure no one was watching before  he
super-speeded himself from the door of Lana's room to the soda machine
at the end of the hall.  He only admonished himself after he got there,
grateful that the hall was deserted.  He pretended to be inserting
money into the machine's coin slot as Lex stepped from Lana's room,
hands shoved deep into his pockets.  If Lex noted Clark's presence, he
made no indication.  Clark felt frustration and helplessness radiating
off of the young billionaire as he strode past.

Soda foregone once there was no reason to keep up pretenses, Clark
found Chloe in the cafeteria and folded himself into a chair next to
her.  

"He loves her," Clark said unceremoniously, listlessly helping himself
to a sip from the Styrofoam cup that sat in front of her.

Chloe put her magazine down and folded her hands on top of the glossy
cover.  "Hi, Clark," she said pointedly.  When he only looked at her
sideways, she sighed and shifted.  "Okay.  Then…huh?"

Clark sighed as well.  The clock on the wall said it was 8:30, which
meant he'd only arrived at the hospital a half hour ago.  Somehow it
felt longer than that.  He supposed it was like that; one instant could
change your life and suddenly you feel decades older.  Or smarter.  Or
dumber, as the case may be.

"Lex," Clark clarified.  "Lex loves Lana."

Chloe's eyebrows only moved a fraction of an inch skyward.  The rest of
her expression remained unchanged.

"Uh huh."

Clark shook his head.  "I mean really.  Not just in a superficial way
or in a sexual way but really and truly loves her.  It scares him."

Chloe leaned forward now, suddenly seeming infinitely more interested
in the conversation than she was 30 seconds ago.  She took a long sip
of her coffee.

"At the risk of coming off as completely clueless, I thought you
weren't speaking to Lex.  Why would he suddenly go all dear diary on
you?"

"He didn't," Clark said, a little embarrassed to have to admit he had
been eavesdropping.  "I overheard him talking to Lana when I got here
this morning.  I probably shouldn't have listened but -- "

He let the thought trail off, knowing if anyone would understand, it
would be Chloe.  She was unphased by his admonition.

"Wait, he was talking to Lana, as in still unconscious Lana or hey by
the way Lana's awake Lana?"

"Unconscious," Clark muttered.

Chloe clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth.  "Moral standards
suck," she mused, a frown tugging on her lips.  "LUTHOR CONFESSES LOVE
TO LANG really has a nice ring to it."  She held up her hands as she
said the headline, capitalizing each word with emphasis in her voice.

"But you're not surprised," Clark said, shifting again in the hard
metallic chair that suddenly seemed way too small.  He was
uncomfortable (big understatement) with this new confirmation.  Chloe
should have at least been surprised.  Maybe even shocked.  Thrown for a
loop.  Stunned.  Whatever.  But she was sitting with a magazine and
coffee like her life was the same as it had been before.

He frowned at her teasing grin.  "What?"

When she shook her head slowly and patted his arm, Clark saw something
beyond amusement in her expression.  Sympathy.  The kind of look his
mom had given him in the seventh grade when he asked a girl over for
dinner and she said no.  The kind of look his dad gave him when he
offered the advice, sometimes you'll be one step ahead of the world,
Clark, and other times, well, the world will be one step ahead of you.

"Clark," Chloe began, and he wished she didn't sound so poignant…so
compassionate.  "It's been right out in the open for anyone who wanted
to see.  Lex has it bad for Lana and I'm guessing she probably feels
the same.  You've been hoping it wasn't true since you found out about
them, you even said so yourself."

She paused.  Clark thought maybe he should say something but for all of
his superhuman abilities, he couldn't unstick his tongue from the roof
of his mouth.  

"Maybe you've convinced yourself Lex was this bad guy that couldn't
possibly love Lana.  Not really and truly.  You told yourself there had
to be a motive, something beyond what Lex's heart is capable of.  And I
get the feeling," she went on, "that you and Lex aren't speaking now
because you went from the only person in town to see any good in him to
someone who didn't trust him because he showed interest in, of all
people, Lana Lang."

Now Clark shook his head.  "That's not true."

Chloe was undeterred.  She bit out a sharp laugh.  "It's not?  You just
walked in and announced Lex Luthor really does love Lana Lang, like it
was new to anyone but you.  You've had your Lana blinders on again,
Clark.  The rest of us have known, processed and are now choosing
sides.  You're just now figuring out that this could be more than a
fluke.  And when it comes time, Clark, I'm wondering if you're going to
preserve your friendships or lose both Lex and Lana altogether."

Chloe had always been a 'put it on the line' type of person.  But Clark
had never quite been called out like this and he had no idea how to
handle it.  He didn't have to plan out right now (did he?) whether he
would grin and bear it through the whole Lex and Lana show?  He didn't
want to decide anything now.  He looked up when the cafeteria door
opened and Nell was standing there with a wild look in her eyes.  One
Clark had come to recognize even when the rest of her appeared
perfectly coiffed and pulled together.  The familiar feeling, half
panic half hope, seeped into his chest.

"I was looking for Lex," she blurted as she made her way around mostly
empty tables to where Clark and Chloe sat.  She was silent until she
reached them, but Clark could hear labored breathing, as if she'd run
all the way there.  She put two hands on the table top, beautifully
manicured nails contrasting severely with the chipped and yellowed
Formica.

"She's awake," Nell finally said unevenly, as if he wasn't sure whether
to laugh or cry.  "She's really awake."

*

Driving far too fast and far too recklessly had lost some of its allure
in the years since Lex had moved to Smallville.  Still, the music was
loud and the top was down, despite it being barely forty degrees
outside, and Lex was convinced this was exactly what he needed to clear
his head.

His cell phone rang for what seemed like the dozenth time, barely
audible beyond the din of the stereo.  Instead of ignoring it until his
voice mail picked up, Lex retrieved the phone from the pocket of his
coat and tossed it, still ringing, into the back seat.

Without thinking he headed south, drove without really seeing until he
came to the white washed sign announcing McCormick's Stables and
Boarding.  So many things on all rational levels told him it was a bad
idea to turn in, but tempting fate was one of Lex's oldest games with
Life, and he steered his car onto the gravel drive and pulled it around
back.  

The place seemed deserted, and Lex was glad because he had no intention
of talking to anyone.  As he knew it would, the large barn itself
looked different in daylight than at night, so different that it might
as well have been an entirely altered place.  The expanse of floor
where Lex had lay his coat down and taken Lana's virginity was swept
and clean, unlike the way they had left it over a week ago.  In so many
ways that night seemed like a lifetime ago; a different place and
different people -- people so desperate to cling to each other and make
their relationship seem, at least for a moment, untainted.

Lex laughed out loud and it echoed sharply in the austerity of the
barn.  The problem back on that night, the one that had seemed so big
was now not even a blip on his radar.  What Clark thought about Lana,
what Clark thought about Lex, what Nell thought, what the town would
think, none of it mattered.  Lex wished he'd known that night what
awaited them.  It was looming and Lana had confessed to Lex a fear of
being swallowed by it -- not secrets and lies but the truth and
consequences it would bring.

Lex knew from experience that if tragedy brought anything, it was
perspective.  The fear of Clark, the fear of Nell, the fear of
Smallville proper was nothing -- less than nothing -- compared to the
fear of losing Lana forever.  So Lex stared at the spot where he should
have told Lana he loved her.  Damn the consequences.  Damn the pride. 
He stared at the spot where he had felt complete for the first time in
his life and wondered if he'd ever feel that way again.

*

The heavy, suppressing blanket lifted.  Nothing spectacular preceeded
it; no sign that she would suddenly be able to reach the light.  No
monumental struggle and triumph.  Just -- bam.  No blanket.  Lana felt
her eyelids open of their own accord; like when you wake from a
nightmare and even though it's still the dead of night, all inklings of
sleep have left.  It felt like that, only more sudden.

She opened her eyes because she had to.  Because her body seemed to be
insisting upon it and it wasn't going to rest any longer.  Nell was the
first person Lana saw.  Not Nell sitting tirelessly at her bedside, but
Nell standing half in and half out of the room.  Nell looking perfect
on the outside, but obviously crumbled on the inside.  Nell looking ten
pounds thinner and her sweater hanging off of her like it was still on
its hanger and not on her shoulders.

Nell.  But not.

Lana reached a hand out as if she'd somehow be able to touch her aunt,
bring the woman closer because she so badly wanted someone close by
now.  Dimly, she realized she wished it was Lex.  Because Lex wouldn't
be standing half in and half out of the room.  Lex wouldn't look like
he was crumbling inside.  Lex's sweater would fit like it was tailor
made for him.  Lex's sweater *would* be tailor made for him.

These were the things she'd come to expect from people and it couldn't
have all changed while she was sleeping, could it?

Nell shrieked when she saw Lana.  Her eyes got big and filled with
tears and she rushed over to hold Lana's hand.  And Lana felt guilty
for wanting Lex, because Nell was her aunt -- for all intents and
purposes her mother -- and shouldn't you want your mom at a time like
this?

Nell's hand was cold, colder than Lana's, but its grip was tight and
excited and sure.  That was enough.  Nell stroked her face and babbled
about something Lana couldn't follow but she was just glad someone was
there and talking to her.  In a matter of time, several doctors and a
nurse or three were also there, taking her vitals and asking her
questions, like who was President and what was the last thing she
remembered?

Which was kind of scary because Lana began to wonder how long she'd
been asleep and what if Bush wasn't the President anymore?  Come to
think of it, Nell looked a few years older.

But everyone seemed satisfied with her answers and told her to rest
(because apparently she hadn't been resting enough lately) and not to
get too excited.  Lana wondered what the heck there was to get excited
about, but didn't bother dwelling on the question.  Nell said she was
going to find Lex, and Lana loved her aunt even more because she hadn't
had to think of a way to ask about Lex without seeming ungrateful for
the company she did have.

Lana closed her eyes while she waited, but forced them open again after
a minute when she found herself wondering if she would ever be able to
open them again.  With the room empty, Lana was left to realize she was
hurt -- badly -- especially when she breathed which wasn't exactly
something she could stop doing.  Her midsection was bandaged completely
around and Lana glanced at the bag hanging from the IV stand and
wondered what "DEM 45% SOL" stood for and if it'd be prudent to ask for
some really strong pain killers to be added in there.

Nell came back with Clark and Chloe in tow, and Lana was thrilled to
see them even if Lex, Nell said, had left the hospital and wasn't
answering his cell.  Clark held onto her hand as if he might never let
go and Lana felt warm and safe and protected.  Chloe made her laugh
(which hurt) and filled her in on everything she'd missed (which hurt
in an entirely different way) and Clark just looked on like he couldn't
bear to look away.

Lana was grateful for her friends and her smiles were genuine.  Mostly.
 Her eyes flitted to the door from time to time, hoping to see one
person.  But he didn't come.

*

It was nearly noon when Lex checked his messages.  There were 8 of
them, all from Nell.  The drive back to Smallville General was a blur. 
Lex pushed the little Aston Martin to 130 miles per hour and ran three
stop lights that he knew of.  If he thought he was pissed at himself
before, this took the cake.  He'd refused to leave Lana's bedside all
week.  Damned if he was going to be getting some coffee or in a stupid
meeting when she woke up.  He was going to be there, holding her hand
and telling her everything was going to be alright.

He was going to lie through his teeth if he had to, just to make her
smile.

He'd picked today, of all days, to flip out.  Today to decide that if
he didn't leave the hospital he would end up in court for destruction
of property.  Today to turn off his ringer, ignore his messages, and
generally cease to care about anything but his pathetic breakdown.

It was Sunday; the least God could have done was give him a clue.

Lex gripped the steering wheel hard as he pulled into the turnaround in
front of the hospital doors and got out of his car.  It was illegal to
park there, but he'd pay the fine ten times over if he had to.  He
ignored the orderly that brazenly told him he couldn't leave his car
there (the kid had balls, Lex gave him that) and forwent the elevator
for the stairs.

Lana was surrounded by friends and family and people who generally
considered him bad news when Lex got to her room.  She was laughing at
something Pete had said, and Lex felt his heart skip once, twice, as he
watched from the doorway.  Henry Small held one of her hands in his,
Clark held the other.  

It was Nell who noticed him first, and she walked over and hugged him. 
It was one of the strangest things Lex had ever experienced, but in a
way he was grateful for such a warm welcome, since it could have easily
been something along the lines of 'what the hell do you think you're
doing here' or 'stay away from Lana, you bastard'.  Henry was looking
like he *wanted* to say those things, but he kept quiet and let Nell
usher him out.

"Let's give them some time alone," Nell said loudly to everyone in the
room.  She gripped Henry's arm and pulled him away, and Chloe did the
same to Clark.  Pete went of his own accord, clapping Lex on the
shoulder as he walked by which qualified as the second very strange
thing that had happened to Lex in a span of 30 seconds.  The group's
chatter died down as the door shut slowly behind them, and Lex stepped
toward Lana as if he was stepping toward some revered object that you
knew you shouldn't approach too quickly.

She was smiling at him, which was really all he had wanted to see for
days.  When he sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand in his, she
squeezed it and he felt his throat constrict.  He had been planning for
this moment, planning everything he would say to her to make sure she
*knew*, and now he did not know where to start.

When she bit her lip and looked down at their intertwined hands, almost
as if she was unsure of what to say herself, Lex was overwhelmed with
emotion.  He abandoned plans of talking altogether and put his free
hand on her cheek.  He leaned forward and captured her lips with his.  

The kiss that Lex had intended to be tender, gentle and quick ended up
with a lot more feeling behind it.  Lana's mouth felt so warm and alive
against his, her lips soft and her tongue silky and Lex wanted nothing
more than to just do this forever.  But Lana gasped a little and pulled
back, squeezing his hand with hers tightly.  

"It -- "  she grimaced and Lex heard his conscience screaming in his
ears.  "Hurts," she finished, leaning back on the pillows as if that
one kiss had taken everything out of her.

Lex stroked her hair back from her face.  "I'm sorry," he said faintly.
 He blinked.  Tears would come if he wasn't careful, and tears were not
something he showed to anyone, not even Lana Lang.  He swallowed the
lump in his throat down and sat up a little straighter.  He meant to
say 'I love you' but what came out was, "are you okay?"

She nodded and touched her middle.  "My ribs hurt."

"They're probably broken," Lex told her.  "Mine were cracked and they
had me taking Vicodin all week."  Her eyes widened at what he said, but
Lex plowed on, afraid to stop talking about practical stuff, afraid to
let random thoughts scramble his brain again.  "I can get the doctors
to give you something for the pain," he said.

Solving problems was something he was comfortable doing.  People
expected him to do that.  They did not expect him to profess his love
at their hospital bedside.

"Are you okay?" she asked him when he took a breath, her eyes still
wide with concern.  

Lex felt his lips split into a smile.  "I'm fine," he said resolutely. 
"I'm worried about you."

Lana shrugged a little, and Lex noticed another slight grimace as she
did so.  He tightened his grip on her hand and continued stroking her
face with his other one.  He felt an overwhelming need to keep touching
her; like if he stopped this all might vanish and end up being some
cruel, cosmic joke.  He had been cursing God a lot lately, and Lex knew
God was the shrewdest businessman out there.  It wouldn't be beneath
Him to toss in a little monkey wrench every now and then.

"The doctors said now that I'm awake, I should be alright," she said
softly, scraping her fingernails against the fleshy part of Lex's palm.
 The contact sent shivers up and down Lex's spine and he had a hard
time concentrating on anything else.

He managed a nod.  "I flew in the best -- " 

Abruptly, Lex stopped, his eyes widening at Lana's sudden chuckle.  
"What?"

"You flew in the best doctors from Metropolis," she said, her eyes
shining with amusement.  "That's your forté."

Lex felt a small burn start below his eyes and spread down into his
cheeks.  Yes, it was his forté.  It was what rich people did to help:
they spent money and provided quality things.

"I needed to make sure you were alright," he admitted softly,
connecting his eyes with her in a long, intense gaze.  As quickly as
the mood had lifted in the little hospital room, it turned somber
again, and Lex felt the familiar suppression against his chest, the
now-habitual burning sensation that started in his stomach and made
it's way up his chest until it settled  in his eyes.  "The accident…I
was so scared," he told her.  "I thought I'd lost you."

Lana shook her head, and Lex noticed tears brimming at the corner of
her eyes as well.  He used his thumb to wipe one away before it escaped
down her cheek.

"I'm going to be tough to lose," she said firmly, attempting to smile
despite the obvious weight of emotions pressing her down.  "That night,
before the accident, it was the most amazing time in my whole life.  I
couldn't -- I don't -- "  she paused, her eyes searching Lex's and he
wondered if she was looking to him to provide the words.

"I don't want you to regret what happened," he said earnestly.  "I
didn't intend your first time to be that way and I don't want you to
think I took something from you that you can never get back because --
"

She shook her head quickly and reached out a hand, pushing her finger
against his lips.  "You're not listening, Lex," she said resolutely. 
"It was amazing.  I never knew I could feel like that; that someone
could make me feel so treasured and -- " she cut herself off with
another laugh, this time self-depreciating.  "God, that sounds so
stupid."

It was Lex's turn to shake his head quickly.  "No, it doesn't," he told
her, feeling a smile return to his lips.  His heart was less erratic in
his chest and his head was finally rid of the buzzing of uncertainty
that had occupied it for a week.  "I love you, Lana, and I'm glad you
felt treasured because you are.  It didn't take this accident to make
me realize how I feel about you.  I knew before, and I was too much of
a coward to say anything."  He paused, and took a breath.  Tears were
flowing freely from Lana's eyes now and he made a concerted effort to
wipe them away with his thumbs.  "I love you," he said again, and it
drew a sob from her lips.

"It hurts to cry," she whimpered, and Lex chuckled softly.

"So don't."

"I love you, too," she said, breathing deeply in, then out; calming
herself fractionally.  She held her arms out and he took her into a
gentle hug.  "I don't care what anyone thinks, Lex," she said into his
ear.  Her breath was warm and moist and it tickled where it reached his
flesh.  "I'm going to be with you no matter what."

Lex nodded.  The lump in his throat was suddenly too big to swallow
down.  Definitely too big to speak around.  He blinked rapidly, but
knew there was nothing he could do to keep the tears at bay.  There was
a first time for everything, he figured, and it seemed to him that
letting Lana Lang see him crying tears of happiness probably wouldn't
be the end of the world.

-end-
5 Feb 2003
Continued in Finding Home VII: The Last Thing.

Author's Note: Sorry for the wait, guys.  I had some personal stuff to
deal with in January.  I appreciate everyone's enthusiasm and patience
regarding this story, especially the girls over at DTS.  The next part
is the last, so hang in there with me!

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