"No, they're still not sure what's going to happen. This whole thing is just... just. I don't know. I appreciate you asking, though."

Clark frowned, his embarrassment about not asking about Lex's dad's condition earlier only heightened by the fact that obviously Helen was asking all the appropriate questions. And what the hell was Lex doing talking to her anyway? Lex had assured him that there was nothing to be worried about on that front. Clark wasn't so sure anymore. Not after all the stuff Clark had said to Lex yesterday, all the venom he'd unloaded. Not that Lex was blameless or above suspicion, but maybe Clark had gone too far this time.

The only way to know was to just walk into the room and see.

He stepped inside the study and hesitated in the area around the door. Lex looked up and caught his eye before turning his back on him to finish his conversation with Helen. That wasn't a good sign.

"Of course. You should get back to your patients. I'll see you later? Great." Lex disconnected and placed the phone to the side on his desk before swiveling to face Clark.

Clark waited for Lex to say something but he didn't. He just looked at him, his eyes cold and distant. Just looking. Obviously Clark was going to have to break the silence.

"Lex...I...uh, hi?"

"Hello, Clark."

"Um, can I sit down?"

Lex just looked at him and Clark sat down without permission. "Yesterday I said some things, you know, things I shouldn't have said."

"Everyone says things they don't mean in anger, Clark. Forget about it."

But Lex hadn't forgotten about it. It was written in every cool blink of his eye, every sharp movement, in the way he was obviously preparing to dismiss Clark.

"No. I want to tell you that I'm sorry."

Lex dropped any facade of coolness, glaring at him from across his desk.

"Sorry?" Lex asked, sarcasm dripping and palpable. "Sorry for what, Clark? Sorry for accusing me of trying to kill my own father? We all know I'm probably capable of that. Who would you be trying to fool there? Or are you sorry for accusing me of trying to set up your father? Now that did sting."

Lex paused, rose from his chair and began walking around the other side of the desk. When he got close enough to Clark's chair, he leaned in predatorily. "Or -- are you sorry for using the circumstances under which I saved your father's life against me? For kicking me when I was already down? Just what are you sorry for Clark?"

As Lex came closer, Clark felt nauseous. He wasn't sure whether it was his nerves or his guilt, but he had to do something to let Lex know he truly *was * sorry for the things he had said. Clark looked up at him with wide eyes , "Lex, I don't know, I didn't know what I was saying. Just... don't be mad at me."

"That puppy dog pout isn't going to work this time." Lex sneered down at him, holding his gaze a moment before turning to walk away. "I think you know your way to the front door."

"Lex....wait." Lex stopped and turned around to face Clark. "Let me...." Clark got up from his chair, walked towards Lex, and slowly fell to his knees. "Lex.... I...I said stupid things....you just... you weren't answering me and you just make me so mad sometimes...."

Lex batted away the hands that were shakily trying to open his zipper. He scoffed, his lip turning into a snarl. "Right Clark. This is *my * fault. Of course it is. It's my fault your mother accepted a position as my father's assistant. It's my fault that your father has badmouthed my father every chance he could. Of course it's my fault that the sheriff would arrest your dad. And while we're at, clearly it's my fault that I fucking shot Nixon to prevent him from killing your father. How fucking dare you throw that back in my face." His voice grew increasingly louder as his temper flared. "Get off your fucking knees Clark and get out of my sight."

"Lex.... I didn't mean it like that." Clark's voice shook as he got up and followed Lex towards the door where Lex now stood. Clark shivered, feeling slightly cold and dizzy. It felt as if Lex had a meteor rock on him somewhere, but Clark couldn't see it. He felt like he might pass out. But he had to do this. He couldn't stop now.

He tried out his voice again. "Please Lex. Please. I'm so sorry."

Lex startled him by grabbing his shirt and pulling him close. It startled him more when Lex leaned in and kissed him, brutally, viscously, like he was pouring a lifetime of anger and hurt into the one kiss. Clark couldn't breathe . He felt suffocated and overwhelmed.

Lex broke the kiss, hissing "The one fucking person -- you are the one fucking person Clark that I didn't want this from."

Lex's hands were still tangled up in Clark's shirt and he jerked them , violently, ripping the t-shirt off Clark's body.

Clark stood frozen as Lex continued his tirade. "You want to lash out at me Clark? You want to lay all your shit on me and then expect to waltz back in here and make a pouty face and bat your eyes and everything's going to be all better? Well life doesn't always work like that Clark. I warned you to leave before you said something you would regret."

Lex unbuttoned Clark's jeans roughly, and pulled them down around Clark's knees. "I'm so sick of this crap Clark. Sick of you coming over here and wanting things from me, taking, taking, taking. And the one time, the one time, I fucking need you, when my father has been shot for God's sake and is in a coma, do you even think for one fucking second about me? About the fact that I might need some support? No, it's all about Clark. It's always all about Clark."

Lex pushed him then, and they were both surprised when Clark fell to his knees. Clark's mouth hung open. He wasn't sure what was going to happen now. He had never seen Lex this angry.

"Lex, calm down!!"

"Don't tell me to calm down, Clark". Lex said, shoving down on Clark's shoulders until Clark was on his hands and knees. Clark began to panic. Everything he was saying kept coming out wrong. And now here he was on all fours with his jeans and boxers pooling at his knees. Was Lex going to fuck him like this? Was Lex angry enough to hurt him like that? He was shaking as the nausea rolled over him again.

Lex moved away and Clark could feel him behind him. Could feel Lex's shoes, cold against the inside of his calves as they pressed his legs apart, opening him.

Clark looked back over his shoulder and met Lex's eyes. They burned into his and they weren't loving, they weren't kind. Lex's eyes reflected only anger and aggression, and Clark felt fear roil in his stomach along with the nausea.

Lex began to undo his belt, slowly, drawing it out while staring into Clark's eyes. Looping the belt and raising it in the air, a smirk graced Lex's mouth.

"What...what are you doing, Lex?"

"I'm punishing you Clark. Haven't you ever been punished before?"

"What?!! No... not like this."

"Of course not. The perfect Kent parents would never hit their son."

A rush of wind and a stinging slap that shocked the breath out of him. Clark trembled and cried out in unexpected pain. A sharp sting now slashed down his other ass cheek, too, hard and ruthless.

Clark whimpered, both in pain and in confusion. How could this hurt so much? There must have been meteor rocks nearby, but he still had no idea where.

"You're....you're hurting me Lex." His voice quivered, surprising him.

"Oh, like you hurt me, Clark?"

"Lex...I said I was sorry."

"I'm not sure that 'sorry' is good enough this time."

Clark jerked as another sharp slash whipped across his ass. He looked back over his shoulder again and saw red stripes across his buttocks and he shuddered hard.

He gasped when the heat of another slap of the belt hit him. Lex grunted in obvious appreciation. Lex reached out and touched the welts rising on Clark's flesh and Clark whimpered at the indelicate touches.

Clark's voice was little more than a hoarse whisper. "I'm sorry, Lex...I'm so sorry."

Another stinging flash on his ass and he threw his head back and cried out. He heard the whistle in the air as Lex raised and lowered the belt again and he tried to brace himself, but it didn't stop him from howling out when the lash hit again.

He thought he felt something wet on his skin and looked over his shoulder again to see speckles of blood. His blood. He shook his head and felt slightly faint at the sight. He braced himself again as he heard the belt whine through the air and felt it crack on the backs of his thighs.

Something wet dropped onto his ass and it stung in the welts. Lex's sweat. The salty drops falling into the blood dotted lashes brought tears to Clark's eyes, but he blinked them back hard. He wouldn't let it be the sting of Lex's sweat that would break him.

Lex raised his arm again as Clark watched and there was lust burning in his eyes, frightening and hot.

"Please, Lex, stop...don't do this. I'm really sorry."

"What part of this do you want me to stop, Clark?"

Lex unbuttoned his pants and Clark watched him ease the zipper down over the straining erection. Oh God, Lex was going to fuck him. Clark turned his head to look between his arms, down at his own body, his own hard cock dripped on the floor, so tight and strained. He shivered with a shock of lust, wondering at his depravity that he wanted this -- wanted Lex to fuck him raw.

The whipping might have been more than he could handle, but this would make it okay. This would be enough for Lex to forgive him.

"Yeah, fuck me, Lex. Please, fuck me. Make it right." He arched his back and raised his ass in invitation. "Fuck me. I'm so, so sorry. I'm a bad friend, I was out of line."

He heard the jangle of metal hitting the floor as Lex tossed the belt across the room. Immediately Clark began to feel a little better and he realized there must've been meteor rock somewhere on Lex's belt buckle. He relaxed a little, knowing the physical pain was over. Now Lex could fuck away his anger. And Clark could let him.

He heard the whisper of silk falling to the floor and the sound of Lex's pants dropping to the floor.

Lex knelt behind him, hairless legs brushing against Clark's own. Strong hands positioned Clark's hips, fingernails digging in hard.

Again Clark said "I'm sorry Lex."

"Shut up, Clark," hissed in his ear, venomous and cruel. "Why don't you show me how fucking sorry you are."

Lex spit into his hands and shoved two fingers in Clark's asshole and stretched ruthlessly. Clark's body jerked at the feel of his skin pulling tight and fingers pushing in. Reflex made him scramble on the floor to try to get away from the discomfort that would've been serious pain to anybody else, serious pain if the meteor laced belt was any closer. But Clark understood that Lex needed this, needed Clark to submit. His knees shook and he almost collapsed as Lex continued to work his ass open with his jabbing fingers.

Clark whimpered as Lex slowly stroked his cock, finally letting Clark feel some relief. Then the hand was quickly pulled away and Lex whispered in his ear, "I'd use your come to slick my way, but you really don't deserve to get off, do you?"

Clark shook his head. No, he didn't suppose that he did.

Lex spit into his own hands and Clark heard the wet slap against Lex's cock before the spittle-slick head nudged Clark's hole. Lex pushed in hard and it actually hurt a little. Clark's body was too tense.

He couldn't believe how different it felt than the other times they had had sex. When they both wanted it so badly that Lex had to race to get his cock inside before they both came. This time it just felt bad, it hurt, and Clark didn't enjoy it. He just took it. Just took it as Lex's fingernails dug into his hips, gripping hard, hoping to hurt.

After the first cruel thrusts, his arms collapsed, face on the floor and ass in the air, shaking on his knees. Lex didn't stop. He pounded into him. Not any tenderness, just violent thrusts that snapped Lex's hips against the torn flesh of his ass cheeks.

Clark wanted to lift his head, wanted to look behind to see if Lex was enjoying this, to see if this would be enough, but he couldn't. He looked down between the floor and his body and watched Lex's white thighs jerking back and forth in a staccato beat. He closed his eyes so he wouldn't have to look. But he couldn't close his ears.

"I give you everything Clark, everything. You ask me for things, I give them to you. Why can't you give me anything back, Clark? Why can't you fucking trust me? Why don't you fucking care?"

Clark tried to relax, swaying to the rhythm of Lex's thrusts and the angry grunts of, "Fuck you, Clark. Fuck you."

Clark arched hard when a slap of Lex's hand landed on his still aching cheeks.

"You want to accuse me of things, Clark? You want to fucking accuse me of lying when you lie to me every. Fucking. Day?" Each word punctuated with a ferocious thrust.

Clark's heart rose in his throat and blood rushed in his ears; he suddenly knew that Lex wasn't accepting his apology.

"What's the matter, Clark? You can't take it?"

"Lex, I'm sorry. I lov...love you."

"You love me, Clark? You love me? You have a funny way of showing it."

Clark managed to struggle up to his elbows and Lex fucked him harder and harder. Clark knew that there would be bruises on Lex's hips later. He let his head hang down between his shoulders and just took the thrusts, wanting to give all that he could, wanting to believe this could still be enough. But he knew. It wouldn't be.

Faster and faster, harder and harder. Lex's grunts grew loud, filling the entire room and echoing from the rafters. Clark whimpered. He wasn't enjoying this. It wasn't working.

He felt the telltale stutter of Lex's hips and tried to relax to feel the orgasm fill him. Instead Lex's hand tangled in his hair in a deadly grip and pulled him to his knees. Lex ripped his cock from Clark's ass and, wrenching Clark's head around, came on his face. Five long spurts of hot, salty come splattered across Clark's forehead, globbed in his lashes and clung to his lips.

"That's what I think of your fucking apology, Clark."

Lex shoved Clark to the floor, stood up and began re-dressing. Clark remained frozen, mouth and eyes wide in disbelief. He watched as Lex crossed the room and bent down to pick up the discarded belt. He slowly wrapped the leather around his hand, keeping his back to Clark.

"You know," he began, still not turning, "I never liked this belt. My father gave it to me for my birthday. Told me that I would know what to do with it. It seems that my father was right after all. And he's feeling better now Clark, thanks for asking."