"Look at him, Jonathan. Oh, he's so nervous!"

"Relax, Mrs. Kent. Clark told me he was ready for this sort of thing," Lex stated calmly though his insides twisted at Clark's obvious discomfort on the television screen. He took a long sip of his Scotch and mentally shouted at Clark to look up, to do something to make Lex less nervous on his behalf.

Almost as if he had heard Lex, Clark lifted his head, chewing on his lips and not looking at the camera. The lip chewing was bad. This meant that Clark was truly nervous and Lex was starting to question their decision to allow the press a few interviews with him. The fuzzing of the screen was bothering him as well and, as his heart rate increased, he was seriously considering some corporate revenge on the satellite company.

Finally the screen unblurred enough to read the caption beneath Clark's picture: "The young Clark Kent flies into the studio...next!"

He tried to steady himself by studying Clark's appearance. This was a youth oriented show. Mitch had assured him that Clark would do well to wear jeans and something that would make him look like the college senior he was--nothing to emphasize his status as the lover and life partner of the soon-to-be governor of Kansas. The first openly gay governor of Kansas.

Clark disappeared from the screen, replaced by an ad for detergent. God, they'd gone to commercial. Lex turned to Mrs. Kent and patted her arm reassuringly. Though he didn't imagine that she could be more anxious the he was at this moment.

And it wasn't just Clark's discomfort that had Lex tied in knots, he was also nervous because of Clark's little hobby on the side. Clark had an arresting face and having pictures distributed throughout the world would only increase the chances that someone would discover that Clark was Superman.

And what a stupid name. Superman. Heh. And that suit he wore. Completely disgusting. Well, the suit was so blinding maybe no one would notice Superman's face. But who wouldn't notice Superman's face? And why wouldn't Clark just wear a mask? It would make things so much easier. Perhaps he should add all of that to his list of things they needed to discuss during their next argument. It was good to have plans for these things.

Lex realized that the commercials were over and that they had all sat in stark silence for several minutes, just waiting.

When the show came back on and Clark was shown again on screen, he was smiling and standing confidently next to a horridly dressed young man about his age. Lex participated in the collective sigh of relief around the room.

Lex tried hard not to look at the way the jeans clung to Clark's long, thin legs and cupped his crotch, or the sexy way Clark was standing with his hand in his pocket and the gleam of the new leather jacket.

Part of him felt like growling that this beautiful man who belonged solely to him was being shared with the American public and part of him was proud to display him. Look at what I have! He's all mine and you can't have him!

The young man conducting the interview, Brick Barrett, introduced Clark to the audience.

BB: We're excited to have on the show today, Clark Kent, the life partner of Kansas State's governor-elect Lex Luthor. We are even more excited that this is Mr. Kent's first interview and that he agreed to give it with us at Real News Live. Mr. Kent is there anything you'd like to say before we get going with the interview?

Clark looked into the camera for the first time and spoke, "I need to say 'hi' to my mom and dad who are watching in Kansas. They are a little nervous." He flashed a smile and then paused before continuing, "And, um, hey Lex."

BB: So your folks are watching?

CK: Yes. In Kansas.

BB: And Governor-Elect Luthor is watching?

CK: Yes.

Brick Barrett looked into the camera then as well, "Hello Mr. Luthor! Fine looking young man you've got here."

Clark smiled a little shyly. He started to say something that began with, "Um, thank you, I think..." when a girl's voice screamed from the audience, "I love you, Clark!"

The television fuzzed again, but Clark's blush was obvious as he ducked his head, grinned and spoke into the microphone, "Thanks. I appreciate that."

BB: I am sure you understand how much you are going to be hearing that now that you are a celebrity.

CK: I'm not quite used to the idea of being a celebrity. That's Lex. Not me.

BB: Well, sure Lex Luthor's been a celebrity his whole life. But as the life partner of the first out and proud governor of any state in this union, you have to realize that you will become the object of a certain amount of scrutiny and, as we just witnessed, adulation.

Another few voices screamed from the audience, it sounded like two females and one male. "Marry me, Clark!"

"We love you!!"

Lex snorted as the screen again cleared up. It had been the male screaming the marriage proposal.

CK: Thanks for the offer, but I'm pretty sure that Lex wouldn't like me accepting it.
Clark appeared amused as he looked into the audience at whoever had screamed the proposal.

BB: Do you always do what makes Lex happy?

Clark evaluated his interviewer with a good natured glance, but Lex knew that look, he gave it himself. Clark was measuring the man before responding. After a bare blink of a pause, Clark answered the man easily.

CK: Well, no one's perfect.

The interviewer smirked a little at the equivocation and turned to the camera.

BB: We'll be back with more from Clark Kent after these messages from our sponsors.

Martha and Jonathan let out a sigh as the toothpaste commercial came on. "So far so good, huh, Lex?"

Lex nodded. Clark was being cautious and he wasn't underestimating this Brick Barrett which was good. But Lex was still nervous.

The commercials ended and Real News Live again dawned on their screen. Clark was the focus of the camera and he appeared to be openly laughing at whatever Brick Barrett was saying to him. Lex wished they didn't have the music playing so that he could hear. He mentally willed that Clark not relax too much, that he not let his guard down.

"He seems much more comfortable now, doesn't he Lex?" Martha murmured. "Look at him smile."

Lex muttered, "He might blind someone in the audience if he isn't careful."

Martha chortled and Jonathan grunted a near laugh.

But he did look good. That smile, that messy hair...Lex wanted to crawl through the screen and be the recipient of it. Silly to be envious of the interviewer when he was the recipient of that smile more days than not...but still. Just look at him. That should be all for Lex.

Lex took a deep breath as Brick began the interview.

BB: Clark...it is okay if I call you Clark?

CK: Sure.

BB: Clark, you are six years Lex's junior, correct?

CK: Yes. I am.

BB: And just how old are you?

CK: Twenty-one.

BB: And Lex is?

CK: Twenty-seven. And if you ever meet him in person you should call him Mr. Luthor...he's more formal than I am about those things.

Lex laughed. "He's doing that on purpose. That guy must have said something during the break to make Clark want to keep him off balance. I never realized he had picked up so much from me."

Jonathan made a rumbling noise that sounded rather disgruntled, but Brick was speaking again so Lex ignored him.

BB: So, boxers or briefs?

CK: For me? Or Lex?

BB: Both. Either.

CK: Ahhh. I see. Well. It sort of all depends, doesn't it?

BB: Depends?

CK: On whether I want the entire country knowing my choice in underwear.

BB: Come on now, Clark.

Clark lifted his brows and shrugged, his eyes twinkled a little in a mischievous way.

CK: Sometimes people deserve a little privacy. But you can tell me if you want to share...boxers or briefs?

Brick choked out a laugh.

Clark grinned wickedly, "Or maybe commando?"

Only Martha, Jonathan and Lex would have noticed the rapid eye blink Clark had given the interviewer's crotch. Only Martha, Jonathan and Lex would know that Brick Barrett was definitely going commando.

Brick blanched a little and made a witty retort. Clark just nodded and managed to look shy again. He glanced out into the audience and nodded his head at someone who must have been trying to get his attention.

Lex moved to the edge of his seat as Clark's face grew slightly wary and serious with the next line of questioning.

BB: Mr. Luthor is the youngest man to take the governor's seat in Kansas history. How do you feel about Mr. Luthor's ability to govern the state?

CK: Lex will do a great job.

BB: That's it? That's all you have to say on the subject?

CK: Did you want me to expound on it? Why don't you ask something specific?

BB: How do you feel about Mr. Luthor's ability to handle state funds, budget problems, and the school system crisis, amongst other issues?

CK: Well, he is perfectly accustomed to handling funds and budgets that are...of a size that rival that of the state. The school system? Well, that is a priority of his...Lex is all about education.

BB: All about education?

CK: That's what I said.

Clark flashed a smile that seemed to take the sting out of his last comment. Lex nodded. Clark was doing rather well. The coaching with Mitch the prior week was really paying off.

BB: Now, how long have you and Mr. Luthor been together?

Clark paused briefly. They had discussed this; they had to be a little dishonest here for the sake of public opinion.

CK: Nearly four years. We started dating when I was eighteen.

Lex muttered, "Thank God he lies better now than he did when I met him." Another rumble issued from Jonathan.

BB: Clark, seriously. You expect us to believe that? Everyone knows you and Luthor were friends for three years while you were seriously underage. You're saying that Lex waited until you were eighteen to begin a relationship with you?

Lex almost shuddered at the expression that flashed over Clark's face. A Luthor look of appraisal, calculation and "you-have-no-idea-who-you-are-up-against" if he had ever seen one.

CK: Yes. I am saying exactly that.

Martha gasped. "That jerk!"

"Shh. Mrs. Kent...please." Lex held his hand up to silence her, leaning forward toward the screen, intent on the drama beginning to unfold.

BB: Lex was twenty one when you met, was he not?

CK: Lex was twenty-one; I was fifteen when we first became friends.

BB: Now I've heard that is an interesting story. Why don't you tell us how you met Lex?

Clark looked out into the audience, and flashed a smile briefly at someone out there and then focused back on Brick.

CK: It is an unusual story. We met in a very unique way. Lex had just moved to Smallville, the town where I grew up. He was driving over a bridge just outside of town when a passing truck dropped a roll of wire onto the road; the Porsche hit the wire, swerved out of control and almost hit me. Luckily, it plowed through the barrier about eight feet from me and off the bridge into the river. I jumped in, pulled him out and saved his life. We were fast friends. Good friends. Best friends.

BB: Amazing. So are you still saving Lex today?

CK: I'm not sure what you're asking.

Brick gave a smirk and shook his head, "I withdraw the question."

Clark looked at him blankly, but Lex knew that Clark was well aware of the implication in the question.

BB: So, you are a journalism major at Metropolis University. I understand you have been given the Jacobson Award.

CK: Yes. That's correct.

BB: Care to explain to our friends at home just what that award is exactly?

CK: It is an award given by the journalism community to a college senior whose work as either an intern or student journalist is deemed worthy.

BB: And you were deemed worthy?

Clark smiled, tight lipped. "It seems that way."

BB: So, tell me about your friendship with Lex during the time you were in high school."

CK: Those are some of my best memories. We had a lot of fun together. Well, there were some stressful times, but, all in all, we discovered a lot about friendship during those years. We gave each other a fresh perspective on life, I think.

BB: Those are some interesting sentiments. What else do you remember about your early days as friends?

CK: Well, three years is a lot of time to cover. I remember a lot of things. Oh. Here's something Lex wouldn't mind me sharing...I hope. The first year that we were friends, my class had a field trip to the LuthorCorp plant that Lex was managing. There was a sick and mentally unstable employee who showed up with a gun and took our class and some of the plant employees hostage.

BB: That must have been terrifying.

CK: It was pretty upsetting, yeah. Well, Lex came into the building and negotiated with the guy. He ended up saving a lot of kids' lives that day.

Clark glanced at the camera and smiled. A smile obviously intended for Lex out there somewhere over the airwaves.

BB: So the governor-elect is an erstwhile hero. Who would've thought?

Clark grinned a little and snarked, "Someone who read the back publicity on Lex before conducting an interview?"

BB: Back to your friendship, was the fresh perspective you gave each other by any chance a homosexual outlet that would otherwise have been denied you both in a small town like Smallville?

Clark's face went from vaguely friendly to angry and nearly threatening in a heartbeat.

CK: As I stated before, Lex and I were friends until I was eighteen. So, no, that is not the fresh perspective I was referring to.

BB: I'm glad you have your story straight.

CK: I'm far from straight, Brick. I think we all know that.

The audience began laughing and Clark smiled into the crowd.

Clark turned back to his interviewer, his face serious. The apples of his cheeks glowing with an undercurrent of anger.

Clark reached out and touched Brick's shoulder with one hand.

CK: I'm beginning to sense a trend in your questions. Let me clarify one last time. Lex and I began dating when I was eighteen years old. We were friends for three years before that. The youth of Kansas is safe.

BB: Well, thanks for the clarification, Clark. It looks like our time is up. Thanks so much for giving us your first interview and give my best to Lex.

CK: Thank you.

Several more women screamed out their love for Clark and a few men as well. Clark didn't seem to notice.

The camera captured a drained-looking and lip-biting Clark as it faded to commercial. Everyone sat in tense silence for several long moments.
Martha spoke first, looking to Lex and noticing that he seemed a little unnerved. "That wasn't too bad. Was it?"

Lex shrugged. "It could have been worse."

Lex's cell phone trilled. He jumped up and located it in the pocket of the jacket he had discarded earlier.

"Clark. Hey." Lex spoke into the cell. "No, no. You were great. The guy was an ass."

Lex sank down onto the sofa. "Yes, yes. I heard that. Yes." He shrugged a little and continued, "Listen you did a great job. No, you did."

Martha watched as he ran a hand over his head nervously.

"Clark...I promise. It was terrific."

"I know. You'll handle it just fine. One more interview and then we can just not do any more."

A long pause while Clark talked. Lex's face softened considerably, "Yes. You know I do. Okay. Call me later. I'll tell them. Bye."

Lex turned to them and said, "Clark sends his love." He stood up and began bustling around the room, gathering his belongings.

"Lex?"

Lex looked up and smiled at Martha. "I'm flying to New York. I'm going to be there for the next one. He needs me."

The End.