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It was the perfect kind of day for a milkshake - hot sun, gentle breeze, not a cloud in the sky. Clark sat sprawled on the lawn outside his Met U dorm, head tipped back and eyes closed, basking in the heat. His feet swept to and fro in lazy arcs, making crop-circles in the grass. Perched on a rock beside him were two extra-large paper cups labelled in bright blue and red letters “Maisie’s Diner - for the best in shakes!”. Beads of condensation covered the surface of each cup. He reached over and drank from one, then wiped his damp hands on his jeans. Lex would be there soon, but in the meantime Clark was going to relax and recharge.
He hadn’t seen Lex for a few weeks - he’d been stuck in the library struggling with an essay (why had he let Chloe talk him into doing a Mediaeval English paper?) and LexCorp had been involved in yet another business merger. So when his friend had rung and said he needed to check a few things at the plant and would Clark like a ride back to Smallville for the weekend, Clark had accepted with enthusiasm.
He took another sip of his tangerine milkshake, the sharp citrus flavor contrasting with the creamy coldness of the milk. The first time he’d tried one he couldn’t figure out why it made him think of Lex. Only after some surreptitious sniffing and three trips to the local aromatherapy store did Clark work it out: the main ingredients in Lex’s cologne were sandalwood, vanilla - and tangerine rind. It occurred to him later that he could have simply looked in the bathroom cabinet at the penthouse. Still, it was reassuring to know his power of super smell was working okay, and now he could correctly pronounce “ylang ylang” while keeping a straight face.
The throbbing of a powerful engine interrupted Clark's thoughts and he looked up as the sleek red Ferrari glided to a stop, its fresh paintwork shiny and gleaming in the bright sunshine. He could see Lex’s outline through the tinted windows. Eager to get going, he jumped up quickly then stumbled, limbs stiff from sitting too long on the ground. He shook out his legs one by one, then reached his arms above his head as if drawn to the sun, so high it pulled his t-shirt right out of his jeans. Feeling the slight coolness of the air on his suddenly exposed skin, he stopped stretching, bent to pick up the milkshakes, and jogged over to the kerb.
Lex lowered the window as he glanced suspiciously at the large paper cup in Clark’s hand. “Is that safe in my car?”
Clark rolled his eyes, and offered the other cup to Lex. “Of course, I’m not a kid. Here, I got one for you too. Vanilla.”
Lex opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again as he thought the better of it. He sighed, accepted the milkshake, and took a small (very small, thought Clark) sip. Clark looked at him expectantly.
Lex grimaced back, but Clark could see the right hand side of his mouth twitching.
“Try some more!” Clark encouraged. He would have tried pouting, but he knew from previous experience that it just didn’t work while drinking from a straw.
Lex took another, bigger sip. This time Clark could see his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed, and his tongue as it darted out and licked around his mouth to remove a few stray specks of the creamy liquid.
Lex’s voice sounded rougher than normal when he spoke. “Thanks Clark. I’m normally more of an espresso kind of guy, but they say variety is the spice of life.”
“They do?” Clark regarded Lex with innocent, incredulous eyes.
Lex grinned, showing his teeth. “We’d better get going or we’ll be late to your parents’ place.”
Clark ambled around to the other side of the Ferrari and climbed in, his long legs bending awkwardly until his knees almost touched the roof of the car. Lex had once said that he looked like a grasshopper when he did that, which he guessed was a compliment when it came from a guy who gave etymology lectures at the drop of a hat. Or was it entomology? It didn’t really matter - if it ended in “-ology”, Clark had probably received a lecture on it.
He took one last sip of his milkshake, then looked around for a cup-holder. That was strange, there didn’t seem to be any. He looked over at Lex who was sitting smugly watching him. Clark raised an inquiring eyebrow and with a slight flourish Lex pressed a hidden button on the console between their seats, and a small panel slid open with an almost silent whoosh to reveal one perfect cup-holder.
“Carbon-fiber, Clark. It cost me three thousand to have as an optional extra.”
Clark widened his eyes at this, then shrugged and placed his milkshake carefully into the expensive holder, wiggling it slightly to make it fit. He grinned triumphantly at Lex and sat back, arms crossed, ready to enjoy the drive. Lex smiled back sweetly, then held out his paper cup.
“Hey Clark, hold this for me?”
Clark scowled. This made Lex laugh, harder than Clark had heard him laugh for a long time, and Clark couldn’t stop the smile which broke out on his face. This was going to be a great weekend.
They had swapped news, argued about politics, and attempted to discuss the latest James Bond movie despite neither of them having watched it. He’d solved the problem of Lex’s milkshake by putting it between his thighs, squeezing them together slightly so that it sat securely between his denim-clad legs.
Now Clark was day-dreaming. He stared out the window, watching the cows and wondering what sort of pie his mom would be serving them for dessert. His Mom had told him he could invite Lex for dinner, his Dad had grunted a bit but not actually objected. Jonathan had made it clear that he disapproved of their friendship, and was disappointed that the move to Metropolis had brought the two boys closer together rather than them drifting apart. He wasn’t sure how his Dad would react if he ever told him how he really felt about his friend. Not that he was completely sure how Lex would react. Perhaps he was putting the cart before the horse.
Suddenly Clark caught a glimpse of something ahead of them - something furry and brown, with four legs. “Lex! On the road!”
With lightning reflexes Lex slammed his foot on the brake, then released it a moment later as the dog realised its error and returned to the safety of the sidewalk. Clark tensed up as the car braked then accelerated again. The powerful muscles in his thighs squeezed together - and Lex’s milkshake popped out from between his legs and went flying. Clark watched in horror as the thin paper cup hurtled towards the windshield. It seemed to be moving in slow motion as he wondered desperately if he should try to stop it, but Lex was right there - he’d notice if he used his super-speed…
The moment he made the decision to do nothing, time sped up again and the cup hit the windshield with a wet thud. The lid flew up, then fluttered gently above the air conditioning vents as a cascade of white foam poured down the windshield and over the dashboard, sending splatters of the creamy liquid out in a large circle centred around the now crumpled paper cup. The splatters mainly landed on Clark, but a good amount also made it onto the smooth-grained camel-colored leather of the passenger door.
Lex slowed the car and pulled over to the side of the road. Clark could see his eyes moving around as he surveyed the damage. The entire right hand side of the car was covered with milkshake. Luckily the steering wheel had escaped unscathed, but all the control panels were coated in the thick creamy liquid. Clark wasn’t sure if ‘mortified’ was strong enough for what he felt.
The drip, drip, drip of the milkshake as it slid inexorably downwards was the only noise in the car. Clark watched nervously out of the corner of his eye as with deliberate patience, Lex took a pristine white handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and removed the few drops that had had the temerity to land on his head. In silence, he offered the handkerchief to Clark. Clark didn’t feel strong enough to meet the other man’s eyes, but meekly took the fabric. He wiped the offending milkshake from his face, then did his best to clean the windshield with the sodden silk. They sat there, Lex with his eyes closed, Clark wishing he had never heard of Maisie’s, or milkshakes. He forced himself to say something.
“Lex - I’m so sorry. I can pay for the damage…” Clark ground to a halt. If a cup-holder cost three grand then he had no hope of repairing this. Shit.
“Clark.”
“Maybe I could clean it up at the farm?” He knew his voice sounded desperate.
“Clark. It’s fine. It was an accident.” Lex’s voice was a flat monotone, and when Clark dared to look at him his eyes were a cold distant blue.
It obviously wasn’t fine. But Clark had no idea how to fix it. Eventually, just as Clark was about to stumble out another useless apology, Lex abruptly started the ignition and they were on their way again.
He knew his Dad would be proud of him for not revealing his powers but now Lex was mad. Really mad. Every time Clark tried to even glance at the other man, he was met with an icy glare. Hmmmm. Maybe that was something else Lex had gotten from the meteors - super-pissed-off-ness. He sighed, and slumped down a little into his seat. The air-con had died with a puff of smoke and an acrid burning smell. He tried turning on the CD player but after a few minutes playing Wagner or whatever opera CD Lex had in there, it started to make a horrendous screeching noise. It made Clark think guiltily of the sound a Porsche makes when having its roof ripped off. Sensing rather than seeing Lex’s look of displeasure, Clark hit the button to turn the stereo off and sank even lower into his seat, resigning himself to a journey in ominous silence.
It wasn’t until they turned onto the driveway leading to the Kent Farm that Lex finally spoke.
“I’ll have to buy myself a new one.”
“A new milkshake?”
“No, Clark - a new Ferrari.”
“Ah”. Clark was silent as he stared once again at the ruined interior of the previously beautiful car. Trails of white ran down the dashboard onto the floor, and every time they went over a bump in the road a few more drops seeped out from the glove box. It looked a lot like a seagull colony, and after two hours in the hot sun it was starting to smell just as bad. It was, thought Clark, an unmitigated disaster. Maybe this would drive them apart. Clark had worried about his secrets, Lex’s secrets, his Dad, Lionel… but he had never anticipated that their friendship would be ruined by a milkshake. Maybe he should go dairy-free?
He continued to sit miserably as Lex stopped the car outside the farmhouse. He heard a click as Lex’s seatbelt was unbuckled, then a smooth rustle as it slid over Lex’s somehow still crisp and pristine linen shirt.
“Hey Clark.”
Clark’s heart stuttered. Lex sounded friendly again! Maybe he would forgive him - after all, it was just a car, right? He lifted his head and found himself gazing straight into Lex’s blue-grey eyes, bright and familiar. Also a lot closer to him than he had realised. Clark blushed under the close scrutiny. Lex’s expression softened, but he seemed to be waiting for some kind of acknowledgement, so Clark gave a quick grin, shy and a little uncertain.
“Hey Lex.”
Lex quirked up one side of his mouth in a smile, then reached out a finger and gently wiped a stray drop of milkshake from Clark’s cheek. Hope spread through Clark like wildfire, fierce and hot. Lex put his finger in his mouth and sucked thoughtfully for a moment before he spoke.
“This time, I’ll get one with two cup-holders.”
--- The End ---