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The footage is blurry and Clark wants to hide under his desk--not that he could even fit if he tried. Lois is seething as she fast forwards to the typical shot of a celebrity as they brush off paparazzi and retreat into the back of a limousine. Lex’s suit is a little rumpled and he’s smiling politely as the reporters ask him questions.
That’s when he says it. “I’m sorry, I won’t be attending. It’s my anniversary on Saturday.”
People call out his name, variations of “Lex” and “Mr. Luthor.” Clark doesn’t know why Lex has reached this level of celebrity obsession in the press, but he supposes the man is the closest thing Metropolis has to a human celebrity--whether they love him or hate him, he’s rich and they know who he is. The screen is paused and Clark does his best not to stare. It’s embarrassing.
“Five years,” Lois grits out. “Five years!” Searching through records, she could only find the date and that he was, in fact, married. The marriage had taken place out of state and Lex’s money made sure people didn’t know anything more than they needed to. The spouse’s name had been, unfortunately, redacted.
Jimmy raises an eyebrow at her outrage. “So?”
Lois raises her hand, remote still gripped tightly, and aborts the motion of pointing at him when she spins on her heel. “Did you know about this, Smallville? You were friends with him back then, weren’t you?” she asks Clark, stalking towards him.
Clark swallows and pushes his glasses up his nose, “It’s not as if he hasn’t been married before.” He shrugs, “I was the best man at his first wedding.”
Lois waves her hand dismissively, “None of those lasted.” Her attention is off of him again and she’s quietly intense as she speaks, “There’s been a Mrs. Luthor running around out there for five years. Why hasn’t she said anything? Why does no one know about her? I need that interview.”
Clark’s eyes flick back to the screen, the happiness in Lex’s eyes. He sighs, then hoping to keep his mouth shut, bites his lip.
Lois was going to find out, now that she was looking. He wasn’t going to just tell her. Not yet, at least. Not until he had to.
~
Lois stakes out Lex’s office and the penthouse. Clark flies in as Superman through secret entrances most of the time, but the first time he allows her to see him near Lex since the “incident,” she calls out to him. Hesitantly, he acquiesces, flashing her a brilliant smile and a raised eyebrow of concern. After all, she’d go through great lengths to get his attention once he donned the red and blue--and he didn’t exactly need her to cause a scene. Not about this.
As soon as the flirting stops and conversation turns to Lex, he shuts her down. “I’m sorry, Miss Lane. Even Lex Luthor is allowed his privacy.”
She tries pouting and when that doesn’t work, her anger comes out. Lois suggests that Lex has brainwashed some poor woman and hidden her away from the world as some sort of slave. Clark sighs, “I’ll look into it. If I think anyone is in danger, I’ll let you know.”
~
“Miss Lane,” Lex greets as he closes the door to his office. “How did you get in here?”
“There’s no way I’d tell you, Luthor,” she responds quickly, moving on. “Where is this wife of yours? Why has no one seen her?”
“What wife would that be, Miss Lane?” He turns a charming, patient smile on her as he continues walking down the hall, raising an eyebrow at his assistant, who simply hides his face fearfully. Lois was far too good at intimidating his staff. Then again, they usually had to deal with Clark, who, despite his size, was about the most demure man you’d ever meet--as long as you didn’t actively get on his bad side.
“Are you saying your previous statement was a lie?” Lois presses, having already seen record of the marriage, she speed walks as easily in heels as Lex does in his expensive Italian loafers.
He laughs, “I assume you mean my anniversary? No, I am married, as I’m sure you’ve verified.” He gives her a look and she bristles. “To someone quite…admirable, in fact. I just don't think he would appreciate being referred to as my wife.”
Lois pauses for half a second, her brain processing this new information. All of Lex’s previous spouses, however brief, had been women. Maybe it should’ve been a sign that there hadn’t been any of those on his arm in a while. She catches up quickly, “Are you saying that you’re gay, Mr. Luthor?”
“I prefer not to define my sexuality,” Lex tells her, closing the elevator doors as a security guard moves to stand in her way.
~
“A husband,” Lois repeats for the millionth time that day. The Daily Planet has no real reason to publish a story on what, to Lois, was actually quite shocking. Lex’s sexuality, although questioned in his youth, was no longer an issue. Lois, however, had never given real merit to the idea that he might marry someone of the male persuasion, especially since same-sex marriage was not yet legal in Kansas. Even as the man geared up to become a politician, news of his lasting marriage--whether to a woman or a man--only helped his ratings. It was just more proof that he had settled down, and the people liked to see stability in their soon-to-be elected officials.
Clark eats his bagel warily. It seems as if his friend has stopped shouting, but he’d been surprised by her zeal before. She had a mystery to solve, it didn’t matter if Perry White kept telling her that it wasn’t a tabloid they were running. That wasn’t the point. She needed to know. She needed to know first.
“Smallville, did you and Lex ever--” She shakes her head, laughing.
Clark chews very slowly and does not choke on his bagel. But it’s a near thing.
~
Five years ago, Clark had only just turned eighteen according to his none-too-accurate birth certificate. Was it strange to feel impossibly young and old enough at the same time? He didn’t regret it as Lex slipped the ring on his finger, as his mother cried and even his father had to smile at the undeniable peace Clark had found with a man he so desperately wanted to hate.
Jonathan and Martha Kent hadn’t wanted him to get married at eighteen, but here they were, supporting him hundreds of miles from home. Lex had explained it to them in the most reasonable of terms. He attracted danger and he loved Clark with all his heart. The marriage made sense, would allow him to protect Clark should something ever happen to him. Clark would inherit everything. Then, softer, he had told them that he wanted them to know how serious he was. His interest in their son was no mere whim.
It had been a secret, for everyone’s sakes. Then, when Clark graduated college, they were going to come out with it--or at least have the kind of ceremony expected of a Luthor. Things were moving too fast though, and Clark was already working his way into The Daily Planet… With Clark proving himself journalistically and Lex running a multi-billion dollar company, it would have been hard to find the time. Adding into that the fact that Clark was a superhero and Lex was researching, helping, and worrying… It seemed impossible.
They hesitated. It had been their secret for so long--one of their many. Somehow, people had come to the conclusion that Superman hated Lex Luthor in all of his corruption, his riches, and Clark didn’t know how to address it…so he didn’t. They had their arguments and if that was all people saw of them, how was he to explain otherwise? Even Pete and Chloe only knew that he and Lex were still in contact, not that they were married.
This whole thing was beginning to get very out of hand.
~
Lois was flipping through the news channels until she saw Lex Luthor’s bald head. “--your husband, Mr. Luthor. Are you ashamed of him?”
There was a flash of something indignant in Lex’s eyes before he smiled--well, it had a bit of a sneer to it, but he was trying--and joked, “Maybe he’s ashamed of me.”
Lois clicked the TV off with a huff, “Well, that tells us nothing.”
“Maybe he’s married to Superman,” Jimmy suggests, leaning back so far in his chair that the look Lois shoots him nearly has him toppling over. His chair makes an unpleasantly loud scraping sound as he rights himself.
“Superman wouldn’t lie to me,” Lois returns hotly, idly--although angrily may have been a better adjective--tapping a pen on Clark’s desk.
“Did he?” Clark says, turning red. He clears his throat, “I just mean, uh, what exactly did Superman tell you?”
“He said--” Lois’s tongue clicks, mind whirring, and it takes her only a second to go from defensive to contemplative to incensed. “Son of a bitch. But it still doesn’t make any sense! Luthor?!”
Jimmy shrugs, “The man does ooze sex, Lois.”
Cat perks up at the words but seeing no man to ogle, settles back down and sips at her latte.
Clark isn’t sure why he made the decision to make this whole situation even worse for himself. Someday, he was going to tell everyone he was married. To now have everyone suspicious that Superman was married to his husband…that was stupid on so many levels that he’d bang his head on his desk if it wouldn’t break it. That would definitely give him away.
Lois and Jimmy debated the pros and cons of Lex Luthor while Clark sent him a text. Although not in these exact words, it said something to the effect of, “I’m dumb. Please help.” That is, of course, how Lex read it. After a moment, Clark sent another, one to both Pete and Chloe. It was only polite to let his oldest friends know before it was likely to become public knowledge.
Clark spent the next ten minutes watching the whole thing escalate until, suddenly, Lex was there, looking both confident and a just bit worried. If Clark wasn’t Clark, he wouldn’t have even noticed the apprehension in Lex’s features.
“Mr. Luthor!” Lois shouts in surprise. She wants to ask more, but she needs his attention first, having had too many brush-offs that included the pseudo-innocent, “Oh, what was that? Were you talking to me?” Being dismissed by powerful people was a constant frustration a journalist, especially one so bold, had to bear.
Ignoring her, Lex moves to Clark’s side, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. Clark notices Lex’s hand, the simple band of white gold there. He slips the matching ring from his pocket--it’s been hiding there long enough. He slides it onto his finger.
“Miss Lane, Clark tells me you’re a brilliant journalist.” Clark had never used those exact words, but the pink dusting Lois’s cheeks tells him they were the right ones. “You wouldn’t be interested in being the first to interview me with my husband, would you?”
Clark is bright red, but he stands up, letting Lex wrap an arm around him as he adjusts his glasses sheepishly. “Sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, Lois. It’s just…” He shrugs, not knowing how to continue.
“Don’t be offended,” Lex adds, covering for his husband. “We didn’t tell anyone.”
Lois is stunned silent, watching the light glinting off Clark’s ring. Her jaw clicks.
Jimmy just starts laughing. He claps his hands together, “Congrats, Clark! You landed yourself a billionaire.” He rubs his chin, “Always knew you were hiding something.”
Lex squeezes Clark’s side reassuringly as the other man tenses. Clark glances at him and Lex looks back, he’s smiling and Clark can’t help grinning, too. “Uh, thanks, Jimmy. I guess,” Clark tells the redhead with a nod.
Lois clears her throat and belatedly responds to Lex’s initial question, the world having gone hazy for what felt like a very long time there. She responds as if nothing else has been said, only the very neutral, “Fine.”