#preslash

I Just Needed to Talk

“What are you really doing here, Clark?” Lex asked fingers toying with his pawn. “And don't say it's for chess, god knows you are horrible…”

The brunette frowned at the chessboard between them. He never won against Lex, but it really wasn't why he came here. Why did he come here today to talk to the other man? It didn't feel like his typical excuses for visiting. So often he came here in hopes of helping Lex find himself again, find the redemption he didn't seem to want. Clark couldn't give up on him, didn't want to give up on him. No matter how many times Lex had tried to kill him, the Kryptonian could only remember the days when they had been best friends.

Lex looked up to him leaning on his hand. “Is something the matter?” He asked, taking in the other's expression.

Clark frowned, eyes flickering up to the bald older man before returning back down to the board. “It's your turn Lex.” His voice was a mumble as he looked at the board knowing the other would put him in check soon enough.

“Oh, I'm well aware, Kent,” he sighed, watching him and lifting his finger from his piece. “I am also well aware that something is troubling you today. More than usual when you deem it fit to grace me with your presence.”

Clark frowned at the board, glaring at it as Lex sat back from it.

“Lex-”

“Come now, Clark. I am not playing if you won't talk,” he crossed his arms over his chest. “Out with it. I know you better than anyone else, I know when you are holding something back. When something is bothering you."

Clark hated how true that was, how much Lex still knew him and how much he desperately wanted to talk to him. To talk to anyone about it, especially someone who could hope to understand what he meant. His eyes looked at Lex sighing at the interest he saw and the concern he found in blue eyes.

“I…” Clark shrugged, pushing up his glasses and rubbing a hand down his face. “I just needed to get away from the apartment. Lois…”

Lex's lips parted in understanding a small sound leaving him. “I take it that things have not been going well?” he ventured, finally moving a piece as Clark began to talk.

Clark rubbed his eyes, groaning, taken back to the days where he would go to Lex to talk about his relationships. “No,” he frowned thinking about. “It's going fine. Same as it always is, but,” he bit his lip it sounded so foolish.

“But?” Lex pressed as he watched Clark finger at his knight.

“But,” his head tilted to the side, “You know her, knew us before…” his hand waved to the prison they were sitting in and Lex released a hum. “Does she… does she love me —Clark, or…?” Clark winced at his own words, at the question and doubt in it. He sounded so childish to complain about something so small.

Lex watched him, studying the discomfort that radiated from the alien across from him. He frowned. It wasn't the first time he had wondered about it himself. “Ms. Lane has always enjoyed a good story far more than the one reporting it,” he answered diplomatically. “Perhaps it is something best raised with her.”

“I've tried, Lex, but she just… it's stupid isn't it?”

Lex took a breath before answering, pushing away his own complex feelings regarding Superman and Clark. “Far from it,” he dissuaded. “I often struggled living in the shadow of Superman, it's not a surprise you do as well,” he pushed out a sigh. “Just another thing we have in common, I suppose.”

Clark frowned at the board as Lex took his turn. “You think I should try to talk to her again?” He questioned, wishing that Lex would give him some other advice.

“Yes, Clark. Communication and honesty is key,” he said, looking at the other who seemed dismayed by his advice and the memories it dredged to the surface. Lex smiled, his point made. “If it is worth anything, I have always hated every part of you equally, farm boy. Check,” he added as he moved his bishop with a huff of a laugh.

Clark chuckled, taking in Lex's teasing grin. “Not always,” he reminded, returning the smile.

The older man nodded, reluctant to remember the memories of friendship and near romance that was now bathed in distrust and hurt feelings.

Suddenly Steve had an armful of nervous shaking metalhead. He tried not to, but when Eddie collided with his still healing wounds on his chest he hissed. Eddie started to skid backward again and so Steve did the only thing he could think of.

He held on.

"Hey, hey, no Eddie, it's ok," he repeated, "I'm ok Eds."

Slowly Eddie untensed as the nonsensical sounds continued to wash over him. Before he knew it he had fallen forward with his head resting in the crook of Steve's neck.

Steve continued to murmur out his reassurances as he felt Eddie loosen up fully, until eventually he felt Eddie's breath tickling his neck at an even rate. Controlling the shiver trying to make it's way down his spine Steve slowly reached a hand upwards, hoping to keep the frightened metalhead calm. Taking a risk he put his hand on top of surprisingly soft curls.

Eddie sighed and burrowed farther into Steve's neck. Smiling in response Steve started slowly scratching Eddie's head through his curls while telling him about the latest shenanigans the kids they somehow had shared custody over had gotten into.

Eventually Eddie became aware of a hand playing with his hair the way he hadn't had since his mom had up and left. Unsure whether he wanted to give into the soothing motion it provided or pay attention to the soothing voice that was still speaking he hummed in contentment.

Steve paused waiting to see if he would continue but Eddie was content as he was and so he merely continued farther into his story of trying to shove three bikes in his car with three overgrown at this point teenagers.

An unknowable amount of time later Eddie started to pick up key words from the voice. Henderson was mentioned several times and Eddie smiled rubbing his nose into the neck he was ducked into. As he did so he picked up the leathery scent of the hair products Steve always used.

Feeling Eddie tense Steve stopped his tale and glanced down as far as he could to try and read his friend.

"Eds?" he tried, "You back with me?"

"….Steve?"

"The one and only big boy," Steve replied hoping to get a laugh out of throwing Eddie's commonly used phrase for Steve back at himself.

Not receiving one in reply Steve waited for Eddie to untense or pull away but when neither happened he chose to take a risk and started up with scratching at Eddie's hair again.

Eddie's eyes widened for a second before he huffed in amusement.

"You know you could've left me man," he mumbled into Steve's neck. Steve merely laughed in reply.

"I know."

For a minute Eddie thought that was all he was going to get before Steve opened his mouth once more.

"But I mean," he continued, "I don't mind. You know, sometimes…"

Steve peetered out and clenched his hand in Eddie's hair for a second.

Humming inquisitively Eddie tapped his hand twice against Steve's side where he'd had his hand clenched in the shirt.

"Come on big boy," he said, "don't hold out on me now."

Unclenching his hair Steve huffed in amusement but continued.

"Sometimes it makes me feel safer to be able to do something. You were," he paused before choosing to continue, "there was so much blood by the time we got to you Eddie. At least if I'm doing something you're not…"

He removed his hand from Eddie's hair to gesture nonsensically hoping Eddie would get the point.

"Ok Steve," Eddie said in reply.

Surrendering the rest of his weight he flopped fully down on Steve making him stumble backwards and ended with them both laying on the ground.

"But I hope you know if you get me used to this treatment I feel like we have to swap nicknames at this point. It's required, sorry, the reign of King Steve is over."

Laughing fully Steve moved his hand from Eddie's arms to wrap both his arms fully around his back.

"It was an overrated title anyways," he chuckled.

Eddie finally removed his face from where he had it hidden in Steve's neck and pushed up to stare down at Steve, causing Steve to move his arms from around his back lower down to his waist. This of course meant that Eddie blushed and started the process of trying to untangle his limbs from Steve's.

"Your safety is my highest concern," Steve continued smirking when he finally caught Eddie's eyes, "my liege."

Eddie's eyes widened and he blushed harder as he continued trying to remove his arms from where they held himself up. Fumbling he only ended up falling once again, this time smack on Steve's chest.

Steve laughed once again and rolled them over so he was leaning over top of Eddie instead.

"My king," he said poking Eddie's side. Covering his face fully now Eddie tried to slap Steve's hand away ineffectually.

"My most honorable."

"Steve-"

"My most kingly of kings."

"Steve man, you gotta-"

"My most courageous of-"

"Steve!" Eddie said as he slapped both hands on Steve's face. "You've gotta stop saying my man."

"But you are mine," Steve replied. Eddie opened his mouth several times before finally managing to make it work.

"Uh, what?"

"You're my friend. At least," he said looking concerned at what he was saying finally, "I mean, that whole talk in the woods, I thought we'd become, you know-"

Eddie scruffed up Steve's hair cutting him off.

"Yeah, yeah, you're mine too Harrington."

Steve smiled back down at Eddie and Eddie knew he was fucked. Groaning he let his hand flop back down onto his face.

"Can you let me up now that we've declared our everlasting bond of friendship like weirdos?"

"Whatever you'd like my king," Steve fired off one last time before getting off of Eddie to let him up.

God, so fucked.

-----------------

I will probably continue and flesh this one out more as well eventually in a larger fic with several other scenes but for now I'm just posting this scene.