Picnic Training 101
Notes: Originally appeared in my LJ.
Dedication: For Wendi, because she needed something to smile about and she gave it a title *hugs*
"Come on, Lex. You'll enjoy this! Just... loosen up a little."
Lex scowled a bit, rubbing the palms of his hands down the front of his sweat
pants. Enjoy this? Clark had clearly lost his mind, as had the person who
thought that holding a company picnic for the plant was an excellent idea. They
would be fired as soon as...
Oh yeah. The picnic had been Lex's idea. Almost forgot that in his
annoyance-rage-panic at the idea of... this.
Fuck.
"Clark, you could have warned me that people in Smallville are so enthusiastic
about planning these types of things." Lex plucked at the front of his pale
gray t-shirt. He was sweating and they hadn't even started yet.
Clark chuckled at him. "This is not complicated, Lex. I'm certain
you can handle it. Besides, you should look at this as a way to get to know your
employees better. Kind of a bonding thing." With that, Clark crouched and
tied a rope around their thighs, binding his left leg to Lex's right one.
So... okay. That part wasn't something to complain about. Except Clark wasn't a
LuthorCorp employee and thus wouldn't be the person Lex would be tied to on the
following Saturday. Lex chose to forget about that for the moment, instead
relishing the rub of Clark's toned leg against his. 'Bonding experience' indeed
-- Clark Kent proving himself no stranger to irony.
If Lex wasn't about to make a complete and utter ass of himself, this would
actually be enjoyable.
He looked over when Clark nudged him with a shoulder. "Three-legged race.
Very simple. Two people with their middle legs tied together race for a finish
line. The main thing here is making sure you stay in rhythm with your partner.
Things can get messy otherwise."
Lex sputtered out a laugh, covering it with a cough. At Clark's concerned look,
he waved a hand. "I'm fine. Continue."
Clark shrugged. "That's it, really. You ready?"
"No."
"Lex..."
A heavy sigh that Lex punctuated with a swipe of his hands again. "Let's
get the humiliation over with."
Clark grinned. "Tied legs first, okay? Ready...go!"
They worked well together for several strides, and Lex thought he might just
manage this without completely destroying his dignity. Clark's longer strides
did them in eventually -- Lex catching a sneakered-toe trying to keep up with
him, both of them twisting and falling into a pile on the ground.
Lex had no idea how Clark had managed to end up underneath him when he'd fallen
first, but that's the position he found himself in -- sprawled across Clark's
chest, tied legs caught between their bodies, and just...
Laughing his ass off.
"Lex? You okay?" Clark started laughing as well, little line between
his brows like he was mentally questioning Lex's sanity.
"Fine... I'm..." Lex couldn't even explain what was so funny about
this. Perhaps a psychological defense to stop his body from reacting to the
living mattress he'd landed on. "I... can't breathe..."
"It might help if you cut the hysterics."
"Not that... you've got your elbow in my stomach."
"Actually, you've got your stomach in my elbow."
The arm shifted from underneath him, but Lex stayed where he was. Maybe the
laughter was his body's excuse to be distracted enough not to move. "Are
you remaking that old Reese's cup commercial?"
Clark chuckled even louder, body shaking under Lex in a really nice way.
"No. But you are the one on top."
Lex's laughter died an unnatural death. Paging the coroner -- hysteria is DOA
from a terminal shot of lust. Staring down into Clark's eyes, and he should
definitely get up. Right. Now. "So I am."
Clark had stopped laughing, too. Shifting under Lex in a way that didn't urge
removal of his weight. More like he was accommodating it, and heat flared in
Lex's blood. Had to be imagining the welcome, because the look on Clark's face
was... strange. Unreadable. Completely not Clark at all, and that couldn't be
good.
Lex planted his palms on the ground and pushed up. "Right... so-"
Landing back in a sprawl across Clark again, breath whooshing out in an
undignified grunt, Lex wondered what deity he'd managed to piss off so much that
his legs wouldn't work at this particular moment. Clark's arm encircled his
waist, lips tilting up in a grin, and Lex thought maybe this was a reward
instead, though he had no idea for what.
"It'll be easier to stand up if I untie us."
Oh yeah. That.
Clark's hand slipped between their bodies, brushing against the crotch of Lex's
sweat pants on its way to the tether binding their thighs. Unintentional tease
of light friction, and it was an effort to not press down against Clark.
Lex deserved a damned medal for the restraint he was displaying. Fingers
brushing his thigh as Clark untied the rope, and he really couldn't help the
images flooding his head or the reaction his body was having to them.
Clark's hand came out from between them, fingers pulling the loosened rope out
with them. "There."
Lex stared down, searching the sea-green eyes for a moment. "You need to
move your arm, Clark."
Ingenuous smile, but there was something in Clark's eyes... "Why?"
"So I can stand up."
Little jolt, and Clark's arm dropped away from Lex's waist. "Oops. Sorry.
Kinda forgot."
So much for fantasies involving rope and a willing farm boy groping him on his
back lawn.
Damn it.
Lex got to his feet, reaching out a hand for Clark. Pulling against the weight
to steady Clark as he got to his feet and reluctantly letting go. "So...
what's next on the teaching agenda? That egg-throw thing?"
Clark tilted his head. "Egg toss, and I don't know, Lex. We didn't
even get halfway to the finish line. I really think we should practice the
three-legged race some more."
Lex was torn between celebrating and screaming in frustration.
Celebration won.
"You're right. Let's try that again."
--- The End ---