Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 19:50:10 -0800 (PST)
From: Whitney Ross <whitney_ross01@yahoo.com>
Subject: Soulmates Part 2

This is fantasy fiction intended for an audience of gay males over the age
of 18. It contains detailed description of homosexual activity and if you
find this offensive you should not read on.

This story in no way reflects the true sexual preferences of any of the
characters or actors who may have portrayed them and should not, in any way
be taken as a true representation of any activities that have ever been
performed.

Superman and some of these characters are trademarks of and copyright of DC
Comics. Smallville, its plotlines, characters and ideas are the property of
the WB.

*****

It was early morning on the Kent farm but Martha was already awake. She had
to get up early to prepare breakfast and while things had slowed somewhat
since Jonathan's illness she was still in her regular routine.

As Martha walked downstairs and into the kitchen she was surprised to see
that someone was already there. Chris Kean smiled and greeted her. She
could see that he had been working hard preparing breakfast. There was
bacon and eggs already warming on the stove and a pile of pancakes ready to
eat. Coffee and juice were sitting on the table.

"Chris, you didn't have to do this. You should have slept in on your first
day" she said.

"It was no trouble; I usually got up to fix breakfast at home. My
grandparents were getting a bit old so I decided to give them a rest. I'm
used to it' he replied.

"Well, don't think you have to do this every morning."

They discussed the subject for several minutes before agreeing that Martha
would cook some days and that Chris would cook others. As she sat down and
began to eat Martha had to admit that Chris was a pretty good cook and it
was nice to have someone serve her for a change.

It was a short time later when Jonathan and Clark headed down and both were
impressed with the morning meal. They spent some time discussing what Chris
would be doing around the farm. Both Jonathan and Martha made it clear that
while they needed help around the place that Chris was also expected to
have a social life of his own.

As they finished breakfast they discussed what needed to be accomplished
that day. Although there were a few projects to be completed, none of them
were vital and they could wait until the next week. Instead they would just
do the regular chores.

This would allow them to take time to show Chris around the farm and
introduce him to the routine. It would also leave time in the afternoon and
evening for Clark and Chris to spend time getting to know each other and to
go out to the Talon and meet some friends.

By 7:30am breakfast was done and the dishes were cleared. Clark, Jonathan
and Chris headed out to the barn where they showed Chris the machine tools
that were needed to keep the equipment in check. They also fed the animals
and reviewed the crop rotations.

Jonathan was impressed when Chris had several good ideas for improving the
way they kept track of things. It seemed that he had learned a great deal
on his grandparents' farm. It was obvious to him that Chris had pretty much
been running the farm for several years. He was mature beyond his years,
and while Jonathan admired this he also regretted that Chris seemed to be
missing out on his youth.

As he watched the two young men working around the barn it occurred to him
that perhaps they could help each other. As much as he loved Clark he
sometimes felt that his son was too impulsive about things and needed a
level of maturity to go with his powers. Perhaps Chris could help mature
Clark while Clark helped Chris learn to be a teenager.

Jonathan was starting to feel a little tired, it was so frustrating
recovering from his illness but he had promised himself not to push too
hard. He was determined to be there for his family, so he reluctantly
headed back to the house while Clark showed Chris around.

The two young men headed out into the fields and checked the condition of
the crops. The corn and wheat were both looking strong, as were the
vegetable crops. They made sure the irrigation canals were clear and
running and inspected for bugs or weeds. It didn't take long and they both
enjoyed spending time with the land.

"You really know your way around a farm" commented Clark.

"Yeah, well I worked on my grandparents place for as long as I could
remember. I sure will miss the old place" replied Chris.

"I know what you mean. Seeing my dad sick and everything, I just worry and
wonder what I would do if something happened. Ya know"

"Yes. I know" said Chris with a catch in his voice.

"Oh man I am so sorry I didn't mean to hit a sore subject" said Clark. He
mentally kicked himself for not realizing that Chris had spent his whole
life with a sick father and that he had died recently.

"No problem. You didn't mean anything about it. Now that our work is done,
let's go see if you ball is as good as you claim" said Chris.

Clark laughed and smiled at Chris. He knew the comments had brought up bad
memories and was touched that Chris not only got past them but was more
concerned about how Clark felt. His respect for this new friend grew and he
felt a warm feeling inside as they walked back to the house.

****

A little while later the two were out by the barn playing basketball. Their
game had been delayed somewhat by Martha insisting that they stop for lunch
but they were now refreshed by a great meal and ready to take each other
on.

Clark was a pretty good basketball player even without using his powers. He
had regularly beaten Pete in their games although the two hadn't played as
much since they had a falling out over the racing incident and the death of
Jason Dante. Clark regretted that they weren't as close but he was just too
concerned over the sense of betrayal.

Clark took the ball out first and made his patented spin move towards the
basket, certain that he would make an easy shot. He was stunned to see
Chris slide in between him and the basket to make an impressive block. He
was just recovering from the first surprise when Chris spun around and
slammed the ball into the basket.

"Wow. Nice shot" he said.

"Just lucky. I used to play against a guy who made a similar move. I
learned to block it because he played for our big high school rival."
replied Chris.

The next play was one Clark was determined to win. As Chris made his way to
the basket Clark slid past him and stole the ball for a quick layup. Chris
gave Clark a respectful nod and the two continued to play back and forth
trading shot for shot.

They had decided to play 3 games, first to 21 winning each game. Chris
managed to use some of the plays he'd help design for his high school team
and won the first game 21-17 but Clark rallied in the second to win
21-16. The third game would decide the first unofficial Kent-Kean playoffs.

They both played hard and pretty soon the game was tied 20-20. The next one
to score would win the game. Clark had the ball and decided to use a fake
out that Pete had taught him. He made a couple of fake turns and spun to
the basket then cut away for a jump shot. Chris was caught off guard and
Clark took his shot but it was a little off balance and spun out of the
basket.

Chris recovered the ball and went for his shot. Clark was several feet away
and without thinking about it he gave himself a little super powered
push. He shot towards the basket and slammed into Chris full force; the
young man flew off the ground and smashed into a woodpile on the side of
the barn. Clark was horrified for a moment that he'd hurt Chris and quickly
ran over but when he got there Chris was standing up. Chris grabbed the
ball and made a quick layup to win the game.

"Man I am so sorry about that. I could have really hurt you" said Clark.

"No problem. I'm used to rough play from high school. No worries".

Clark was pleased that Chris was not hurt and assumed he must have used
less force that he had thought. But when he looked at the barn he saw that
a number of the logs were cracked and broken. Chris was a very lucky guy it
seemed.

By now it was late afternoon and they headed inside to grab showers before
they headed out for the evening. Chris told Clark to go first and so he
headed to the bathroom. He was just finishing up when the bathroom door
opened and he heard someone approach the shower. He turned to see Chris
standing there in his underwear holding a towel.

"Uh your mom said I should bring up some fresh towels" mumbled Chris.

Clark stood there as water dripped off of his naked body. He froze for a
moment as he stared at Chris wearing nothing but boxers and had an
overpowering urge to tear them off and pull him into the shower. But he
settled for admiring the still dirty but very well developed body before
him.

"Uh thanks. I'm done here so why don't you hop in." replied Clark. The two
men quickly changed places and Clark stole a look as Chris stripped off his
boxers. For a moment the two stood there and then Clark quickly exited the
room. As Clark walked to his room he couldn't help but focus on what it
would have been like to hold Chris for a while but he knew that was
impossible since Chris was straight. What he could never know was that
Chris had similar thoughts.

Later that evening Clark and Chris hopped in the truck and headed into
town. It was a clear night as they drove along the bright Milky Way glowed
with a deep intensity. Chris told Clark that in a week or so that there was
going to be a huge meteor shower, one of the most intense in many years. It
sort of surprised Clark that Chris would be interested in meteors given
what had happened to his family. But Chris explained that by studying
astronomy and by observing meteor showers that were safe, it helped him to
deal with the memories.

"It's always good to know that the meteors are all gonna stay up in the
sky, or burn up before they hit the ground" he said.

They talked it over and agreed to go out and watch the shower. Clark said
he knew of a place out by the woods that was completely clear of light or
obstructions so they could see the shower without any problems. By now they
had made it into town and Clark pulled up in front of the Talon.

"Wow, this place looks great." Chris said "nothing like this for kids in
Granville."

Clark agreed that it was good, explaining to Chris as they walked in about
how Lana ran the place and how Lex had helped them out. As they walked
inside they saw Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan sitting at a table in the
corner. The two were talking but stopped as they approached. Clark thought
he heard them say the name Adam, so he assumed that they had been talked
about Lana's former guest, a very strange person that Clark considered
dangerous.

"Hey Clark" said Lana. "I see we have a new friend"

"Yeah" said Chloe. "Finally a good lookin guys for a change"

Clark noticed Chris seemed to be very uncomfortable at the comments and
assured him that this was just the way Lana and Chloe welcomed new
people. They both agreed and quickly apologized for saying anything
wrong. Chris assured them that everything was ok but Lana had a feeling
that there was something more there.

Chris had that same odd something about him that Clark did, she wasn't sure
what it was, but if what she suspected was right then she knew there would
be some interesting times at the Kent farm. Maybe there was finally someone
to help Clark.

As the evening progressed the four got to know each other better. Clark
kind of wondered why Lana was smiling when she looked at Chris. Was she
attracted to him or something ? Just what he needed. He'd loved Lana all
those years before learning the truth. Now he was attracted to Chris. And
it looked like the two of them were going to become a couple. What a mess.

Chloe also was watching the scene but she saw something very different. It
had been clear to her for some time that Clark Kent had to be gay, there
was no other way to explain his odd behavior. She was also pretty sure that
he was attracted to Chris. She just hoped that things would work out for
everyone. Chris seemed like he could be gay but she wasn't sure. Although
the way Lana and Clark seemed to be acting it didn't really matter, he had
someone attracted to him either way.

As they sat there thinking about things the conversation continued. The
crowd began to thin and pretty soon it was getting late. The four teens
headed outside and walked around town. Chris shared some memories of
Smallville and also talked about his home in Granville. Chole was
interested to hear about his visits to Metropolis although she was careful
not to dwell too much on the subject when she learned that many of the
visits were to take his father to the hospital for treatment.

But Chris seemed willing to talk so the others mostly listened as he
discussed his friends, family and school. There was some good natured
teasing about the rivalries between Smallville and Granville as well as
debates over which school had the better mascot. In fairness though crows
versus gophers was tough to argue, both mascots seemed sort of odd.

Eventually it was time to go home. Lana and Chloe had driven over together
so they didn't need a ride home. As Clark and Chris drove home they were
lost in thought as each reflected on the evening. Several times they looked
at each other with silly smiles, but it wasn't yet clear to either of them
that there was anything more than a growing friendship.

The next morning the family was up early for church. Chris enjoyed being
with the Kents but he couldn't help but feel like people in the church were
staring at him. It was really his first public appearance since arriving in
town. People who had lived in town for a while remembered what happened to
the Keans and they wondered why Chris was back.

Thanks in part to a call from Martha Kent, the minister had chosen to speak
that morning on the subject of family and community. He discussed how the
people of a community were like a family and how they should be joyful when
someone returned home, especially when they had been taken away by
tragedy. He went on to urge them to remember that it was important to love
them for being here now rather than focus on the past. It was a clear
invitation to welcome Chris and most of the community accepted the
invitation.

Among those who stepped forward was Lex Luthor who extended a firm
handshake to Chris.

"Welcome back to Smallville. I know what it's like to be the stranger in
town so feel free to stop by anytime." he said

"Well actually there was something." Clark stated. "Chris was talking about
wanting to look around his old house. and well"

"And I now own that land." Lex replied. "No problem, as long as you stop by
the house sometime for a visit:"

They agreed that they would meet later that afternoon for lunch and then
would head out to the old Kean farm. Martha would be a little upset at them
skipping out on the first Sunday afternoon dinner but she would understand
Chris wanting to visit the old farm.

After smoothing things over with Martha, Clark and Chris drove out to the
Luthor estate. Chris was impressed with the huge castle but Clark was
interested to notice that he didn't seem to be intimidated by it. The
Luthor name was just as powerful in Granville as it was in Smallville but
Chris didn't seem to care. He was, as always polite and respectful of Lex
and his home, but he didn't seem to have that same deference that many did.

Lex noticed the same thing and commented on it.

"You are one of the few people I've met that don't seem scared of me. The
last person like that was Clark."

"Well Mr. Luthor it"

"Please, call me Lex and may I call you Chris"

"No problem Lex. I didn't mean to be impolite or anything. It's just that
my father taught me that people deserve to be treated well but they have to
earn being superior"

"You dad sounds like a wise man. I was sorry to hear about his passing"

"I appreciate that" said Chris. Chris assumed that Clark had told Lex about
the death to avoid any new uncomfortable moments. But Clark was surprised
that Lex knew as he hadn't said a word.

"Well it was good of you to come, let's eat lunch" said Lex as he guided
them out onto the patio.

The three young men sat on the patio enjoying a meal of grilled salmon as
well as the views of the Luthor holdings.

"I want you to feel free to visit the farm anytime you want" Lex told
Chris. "The only reason I bought the land was to prevent it being used by a
short sighted developer. I haven't done anything with it and don't plan
to. So consider it yours as much as mine"

Chris was touched by this gesture and shook Lex's hand with a smile. As
Clark and Chris were headed out they heard a voice from above.

"I didn't know we had guests"

They looked up and saw Lionel Luthor staring down at them from the upstairs
landing. He was dressed <FREE GIFT FOR LILLI, SHE GETS TO DRESS LIONEL>

"We don't, I have some friends over" said Lex as they moved towards the
door.

"No problem Lex. Nice to see you Mr. Kent, you too Mr. Kean." Lionel
responded as he walked back towards his bedroom.

Lex apologized for the incident but both Chris and Clark dismissed it as
meaningless.

Clark and Chris drove out to the old Kean family farm, located on the other
side of Smallville. It was an eerie moment for Chris as he returned to the
place where his family had once lived. The house was badly damaged by the
meteors and had fallen into deeper disrepair over the years. There wasn't
much point in going inside but Chris wanted to see if he could find
anything. Clark understood. If he had a chance to explore his birthplace he
certainly would have done so.

As they carefully entered the home Chris related to Clark what little he
remembered of the old place, pointing out where he had played as a boy,
where the kitchen and living rooms had been and so on. They carefully moved
upstairs and Chris stood for a moment staring at what had been his
bedroom. Clark stood back quietly not wanting to intrude. As they headed
downstairs Clark asked if Chris wanted to check out the basement but Chris
gave a terse No and left the house. Clark realized he'd done it again. The
basement must have been where Chris was trapped during the meteor shower.

They headed outside and moved towards the barn, which seemed to be in
better shape, although still suffering from years of neglect.

"I'm afraid I never got to fix up our barn like you did." stated Chris.

"Well now we can work on ours" replied Clark, hoping to make Chris feel
more like part of the family. He flashed a big smile at Chris and was
pleased to get one in return.

They looked around the barn and found what had been Thomas Kean's work
area, similar to the one Jonathan had back at the Kent farm. Clark moved
towards the equipment while Chris moved towards the pens, telling Clark
about their old milk cow Jennie. Clark was looking around the work area,
hoping to find some tool or item that would remind Chris of his dad.

As he moved some broken boxes both he and Chris heard a creaking
noise. Clark's actions had loosened a beam supporting the workbench and it
began to slide away from the wall. In an instant both of them saw a couple
of welding tanks start to crash towards the ground, hissing as gas began to
escape. Clark started to move towards the tanks, planning to protect Chris
from the pending explosion.

But before he could do anything he felt someone slam into his side and
knock him away. At the same moment he heard Chris yell a warning. A second
later he felt the blast of an explosion as the leaking gas was ignited. He
heard crashing noises as the side of the barn began to collapse. Clark
turned in horror expecting to see Chris horribly injured or worse.

But to his amazement he saw something else. Chris was crouched on the
ground between Clark and the explosion. A bright glow surrounded Chris and
extended out to encompass the explosion. As Chris crept backwards he told
Clark to get out of the barn. A stunned Clark complied and he saw the barn
collapse into a pile of burning rubble. Moments later Chris emerged from
the ruined building, still emitting a slight glow. The glow vanished and
Chris fell to the ground.

Clark rushed over, afraid Chris was really hurt, but in just a few minutes
Chris regained consciousness. The two of them sat for a little while as
Chris recovered his strength and Clark recovered from his shock.

"I guess I need to explain what happened...." began Chris