Disclaimer - DC and WB own 'em.

An episode addition for 'Spirit', so spoilers for that ep. Clex and sap! Many thanks to nel. *smooch*

I feel like I haven't written anything in ages. *attempts to flex fic writing muscles* I told you about the sap, right?

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It'd been way too long since they'd played pool together, so Clark was thrilled when Lex asked him to stay for a while. For once there was no place Clark had to be, no rescue needed. His chores and homework were done, there were no meteor mutants rampaging through Smallville, and no one was expecting him anywhere in particular.

Clark's life seemed to be getting busier and busier, and he could only hope the trend wouldn't continue.

Lex definitely looked pleased when he agreed to stay, which was an added bonus. He'd acknowledged a long time ago that making Lex happy made him happy.

It didn't take long before Lex, as usual, was kicking his butt. Clark may have had excellent hand-eye coordination thanks to his abilities, but that felt a little too much like cheating.

As the game progressed they fell into almost long forgotten old habits.

And gossiped.

Clark told Lex what he could about Dawn and the Prom; Lex told Clark about the latest casting rumours for the Warrior Angel movie.

"I'm telling you, Clark," Lex complained, lining up another shot, "he looks nothing like Warrior Angel. It's going to be a disaster." A ball clunked smoothly into the corner pocket.

Trying to hide his smile, Clark enjoyed the view as Lex straightened and moved around the table to bend over again. "Lex, the movie is not going to suck."

"You don't know that," Lex protested.

Well...no. "Not for sure, no, but isn't it better to be optimistic about it? Sure, you could be disappointed in the long run, but at least you'll be happy and looking forward to it until it's released. Besides, even if it *does* suck," he paused, grinning, "you have enough money to get it re-made the way it should be."

Pocketing another ball, Lex's lips twitched. "Clark, I'm not about to bankroll a childhood interest."

'Childhood' interest, Clark's right butt cheek. "Right. You're just going to buy all the comics, action figures, models, original prints-"

"So how was the Prom?" Lex interrupted. "Psycho seniors aside?"

Had he not been invulnerable, Clark would have bitten the inside of his cheek off. "Good, I think." He paused. "I got to dance with Lana."

Lex missed his next shot by *miles*. Well, inches.

"That's nice," he said, standing back to let Clark move in towards the table. "How was the entertainment?"

"Lifehouse?" Clark asked, mentally going over which shots he could risk taking. "They were fine." Forgetting the game for a moment, Clark decided that this was one thing he could at least be honest about. "It was really nice that you did that, Lex, and I know everyone really appreciated it..."

"But?"

Looking up, Clark let his apology show on his face. "They're not really my thing. Sorry."

Honestly looking *lost* for a few seconds, Lex blinked before quickly recovering. "No need to apologise, Clark. Not everyone has the same taste in music, and I'm sure there were others there who do like them."

Relieved, Clark grinned as he held onto his pool cue with both hands. "Sure. But, you know, they were very good. They sang in tune and everything," he teased.

Lex rolled his eyes. "You can stop trying to be nice now."

Clark was still grinning. "Okay." Eventually deciding on a shot, he moved to step around to the other side of the table.

"So..." Lex began curiously, "didn't you used to have a Lifehouse CD? I mean, I thought I saw one in your room once."

Lex had been in Clark's bedroom exactly three times; all three when he'd been staying at the farm after Lionel'd kicked him out of the mansion.

Not that Clark had been paying attention to that. Or anything.

Right, and Lex had asked a question...and Clark *did* have a Lifehouse CD. "Well, yeah, I do have one but I haven't played it more than five times, I think." A little embarrassed, he forced himself to continue. "To be honest, I got it freshman year because Lana was into them at the time and..."

A knowing look spread across Lex's face. "You were trying to be the sensitive, understanding guy? Who also happened to love Lifehouse?"

At least he wasn't blushing. "Something like that."

"I understand." And Lex looked like he did.

Focusing on the game, Clark bent over and positioned the cue, moving it back and forth a few times. "I can't believe you remembered that I have that CD." It wasn't like they'd talked about it, *ever*. Lex and Lifehouse typically weren't a combination that went together, but then Lex *did* remember all kinds of freaky...

Clark stopped moving the cue. Tilted his head up, and stared. "You...you didn't get them for *me*, right?"

Lex all but snorted. Which was a dead giveaway.

Clark stood up, eyes wide. "You bought me *Lifehouse*?"

Lex, normally unflappable, suddenly seemed incredibly uncomfortable, fidgeting as he moved towards his desk. "Maybe I like them myself."

Riiiiiiiight. "Lex, you like Schubert. And I've heard you listening to Nine Inch Nails a few times," usually when he was spying on him, but Lex didn't need to know that, "but never anything even remotely like Lifehouse."

Doing his best to look haughty, Lex was failing miserably. "So a person can't like more than one genre of music? I like many things, Clark. It's not as if I'm compromising my musical ethics."

Clark thumped the pool cue down on the table. "Musical *what*?"

"I'm not betraying another musical genre by liking Lifehouse," Lex explained quickly, adjusting his desk lamp so it was parallel to the phone. "Anyway, I have things to do now, so it'd probably be best if you..."

It'd been so long, so *long* since Lex had done anything like this. Made some ridiculously large gesture, not because Clark had asked, but because Lex just wanted to. For him.

Clark had always been brought up to understand that it was the small gestures that mattered; the small moments, the things that took up your time and not your money, and he thought that Lex had finally been grasping that, too.

But he was wrong. Wrong about Lex, and wrong in thinking that the big gestures didn't matter. It all came down to perspective, and the person doing the giving.

Besides, it wasn't like Clark was going to *keep* the band. But it was kinda nice. Almost romantic. Thinking that Lex had bought them.

For Clark.

He was by Lex's desk, suddenly, and he honestly couldn't tell if he'd used his speed or not. It really didn't matter because he'd thought things had changed forever, but they hadn't, not yet. "You bought me Lifehouse," he said, dorkily.

Lex, apparently, gave up pretending. But kept his lips carefully pursed and looked away as he confessed. "More like rented."

And Clark's responding grin was *huge*. "Lex?" He waited until Lex turned and lifted his head, until he was actually *looking* at him. "I may not like Lifehouse..."

Lex waited, unblinking.

Clark moved forward.

"...but I do like you."

~FINIS