Chapter Text
Still can't find what keeps me here
When all this time I've been so hollow inside
I know you're still there
Watching me, wanting me
I can feel you pull me down
Fearing you, loving you
—Haunted by Evanescence
“I’ll be out until late tonight, Omega. You’ll stay here and be good for me, won’t you?”
Lex breathed the words softly into the Omega’s ear. Clark was still trembling, sticky with sweat and seed, prostrate on the bed, pressed beneath his Alpha.
“Yes, Alpha.” He let out in a clipped voice.
“Good Omega.” Lex nipped at the bond-mark on Clark’s neck, making him whimper.
“If you’re really good, I might take you someplace nice this weekend.” Lex whispered thickly.
Clark bit his lip, trying to hold back, but the words dropped of their own accord.
“Could I see my mother?” it was nearly a sob.
“Maybe. If you’re good.”
Lex drew back, heading for the ensuite.
Clark didn’t want to move. He would rather just cry himself to sleep. Lex made sure he had come, but, as always, he felt empty, like he had been gutted.
It never used to be this way. When they had mated for the first time, when they had bonded, it had been wonderful.
But then slowly things had changed. Clark couldn’t leave the penthouse without him anymore. Pretty soon Lex stopped taking him out altogether. He kept saying he’d take him places, but it never worked out.
He hadn’t seen his mother in five years, even though she had moved to the city to join her father's law practise following his father’s death.
He’d missed his father’s funeral.
He tries he tries he tries he tries…
Clark told himself, because he believed Lex when he said that he tries.
“Running a business is a lot of work, Omega. I wish I could take you somewhere, but it’s just not a good time right now. Now, come on. Daddy’s had a long day. You want to help Daddy feel better, right?”
It had once been making love.
At some point it had become ownership.
But Clark never complained, because if Lex was spending time with him it was because he loved him. Right?
If he didn’t love me he wouldn’t prep me. Clark reasoned. Because Lex always took the time to make sure Clark was slick; he always made sure he came.
Whatever he felt before or after, he told himself, it must mean something’s wrong with him. Lex is doing the best he can, he told his aching heart. He still loves me; I know he does.
Clark forced himself from the bed and started cleaning the room. He put the clothes they had been wearing before Lex brought them to the bedroom in the hamper, then stripped the bed and threw those in the hamper, too. He used a cloth from the linen cupboard to wash himself at the sink in the half-bathroom near the entrance to the penthouse. The whole time he worked, silent tears tracked down his cheeks.
He worked with a mechanical determination, wanting to be finished before Lex left the shower. Soon, the bed had new sheets, Clark was dressed in a dark-blue button-down and jeans, and Lex’s suit for the evening was hanging on the closet door, ready to go.
He carefully wiped away the tears, looking himself in the vanity mirror to be sure that no trace remained of his having been--
Over-sensitive. Silly. Melancholy nonsense. Lex’s descriptions of his earlier outbursts echoed through his head.
Of course it’s silly. Why would Lex keep me if he didn’t love me?
It was only another minute before Lex stepped out of the ensuite, towel wrapped around his waist, smiling; the complete opposite of the mess going on in Clark’s head.
“Come here, Omega.” Lex held his arms out. Clark crossed the distance in three strides, scenting at Lex as his Alpha closed his arms around him.
“Such a good little Omega. You did so well.”
Clark closed his eyes as Lex stroked his hair. Maybe this weekend, finally…
“I’ll be leaving very soon. You be good and make sure everything’s set before I get back, and tomorrow I’ll see about taking you to your mother.”
It was something Lex had said a hundred times.
Clark still believed him; he always did.
With Lex dismissing him from the bedroom so he could finish getting ready, Clark left to throw the hamper’s contents into the washing machine.
As soon as Lex was at the door, briefcase in hand, sport coat over arm, Clark was standing there, ready to see him off. Because he was a good Omega, needing to bid farewell to his Alpha. He kept his eyes to the floor, waiting for Lex to make the first move.
“Give Daddy a kiss, Omega.” Lex crooned, as he put down the briefcase and sport coat.
Clark closed the distance between them and went pliant while Lex threw one arm around his waist and used the other to grab a fistful of hair from the back of Clark’s head, then pulled, hard . Hard enough to make Clark yelp even as Lex claimed his mouth.
There was nothing gentle about it. This was another show of how Lex owned him.
Lex pulled back after having thoroughly chewed at Clark’s lips until they were swollen and pink, before whispering huskily, eyes locked with Clark’s:
“Who’s your Daddy?”
“You are, Alpha.” Clark whimpered.
Lex smiled.
“Such a good boy.”
He planted one last kiss on Clark’s mouth before letting go, straightening up his clothes, and reclaiming his sport coat and briefcase. Clark had retreated to his previous position, eyes downcast.
“I’ll be back rather late, as I said. Japanese investors care nothing for the time difference. Make sure everything is ready. You should probably have a nap, but make sure to be awake when I get back.
Clark nodded.
“Yes, Alpha.”
***
Before settling down for his nap, Clark had eaten a couple of sandwiches and downed a glass of milk. He hadn’t really been hungry, but he knew from experience that if he didn’t eat during regular mealtimes, he would be hungry later, no matter what his mood, and he’d really rather not have to explain to Lex that he’d skipped dinner should his stomach start growling after Lex came home. His brain supplied what he already knew Lex’s reaction would be.
“I’m disappointed, Omega. You should know to take better care of yourself. Aren’t you a good Omega?”
Clark knew that Lex might not allow him to see his mother if he disappointed him in any way.
Clark woke from his nap quite suddenly, mouth open in a silent scream. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. His heart was pounding, and he felt the same punishing rhythm rampaging through his head.
Lex. Something’s happened to Lex.
Clark managed to sit upright and reach for the cordless phone on the nightstand. With shaking hands, it took longer than usual to dial Lex’s cell number.
With each ring, Clark felt his heart nearly stutter to a stop.
The neutral female voice of the automatic voicemail did nothing for his nerves.
It was against the rules to call his mother without Lex standing nearby, but Clark was in such panic he couldn’t help himself.
He’ll understand. When I tell him how scared I was, he’ll understand.
His mother picked up after the second ring.
“Clark?” she sounded almost disbelieving. Clark hadn’t called her in several weeks. Lex had always been too busy to supervise the calls.
“Mom?” Clark sounded frantic, even to himself. “I think something’s happened to Lex. I felt-- something. Mom, it hurts to breathe.” he was sobbing through his words.
“Okay, honey, I’ll make some calls.” Martha Kent used the tone she employed when Clark had scraped his knee or had a nightmare: soothing, but authoritative. “Just stay put and I’ll take care of everything. When did this start?”
“I don’t-- I think-- five minutes? I tried his cell, but-- mom, what’s happening? It hurts ,”
“I’ll find out what’s going on. Are you at home?”
“Yes.” came out the quiet reply.
“Just stay there until I can figure this out. I love you, sweetie.”
“Love you, too, mom.” the words came out with a sob.
“I’m gonna hang up, now, so I can find out what’s going on. Stay by the phone.”
Clark nodded before replying with a verbal okay.
“Alright, I’ll call back, soon.”
***
Instead of calling back, about two, fitful hours later, the doorbell rang. Clark ran for it, slamming the intercom button, practically yelling into it.
“Yes!?”
“Clark, it’s me.” Martha’s voice sounded strained.
Clark hesitated as he forced himself to overcome the no-visitors-unless-I’m-here-to-approve-them rule that Lex had ingrained in him so that he could push the door buzzer to let his mother in.
It was only two minutes, but felt like hours, when Clark heard the chime of the elevator from the hall, announcing his mother’s arrival. When he opened the door, he found her flanked by two plainclothes officers. One was a thin, blonde woman, the other a somewhat beefy old man.
“Sweetie, come sit down.”
Clark allowed himself to be led by his mother to the plush, white sofa, where she sat down beside him, holding his left hand in both of hers. He held back the instinct to scent her in front of the officers.
“Mr. Kent-Luthor,” The woman officer began. “My name is Lieutenant Sawyer. My partner, Detective Turpin and I regret to inform you--”
Clark barely heard anything more after that, only registering the essentials.
Crash. Joyriders ran a redlight. Direct collision. DOA.
He wasn’t sure how he ended up there, but suddenly Clark was on his side, his head in his mother’s lap. He hadn’t even realised he was crying until he felt his mother dab at his face with a tissue.
***
Lex hadn’t written him into the will. Everything had been left to Lexcorp, now under new management by Derek Powers. Clark could take any personal belongings from the penthouse, but couldn’t stay in it.
Martha assured him that she’d fight to get him something. He and Lex had been mated for ten years, he should be able to have something to live on. Her father’s name still carried significant influence in legal matters, and he, too, thought it shameful that Powers was unwilling to give any sort of living to Clark.
Neither of them said anything against Lex; at least, not in Clark’s presence. Martha had all sorts of things she wanted to say, but bit her tongue. She could only suspect why and how Clark was kept from calling or visiting, but didn’t voice any of it. Because, no matter her suspicions, Clark was still grieving. A severed bond was one of the worse things anyone could go through.
She had a spare room made up for him in her apartment. Any personal belongings of Lex’s or that otherwise wouldn’t fit were placed in storage, with two exceptions:
Lex’s lounging robe and the towel he had used that night were placed in a pillowcase for Clark to have in his bed.
Clark held it close for scenting before falling asleep.
***
“He’s not well, Martha.” William Clark whispered as they sat in the living room. Clark had retreated to his room. He had spent the whole day tidying, and had even tried to make dinner, but Martha had quickly shooed him from the kitchen.
“I can tell, dad.” Martha sipped at her coffee. “He was never one to shirk chores, but now he’s acting like a housekeeper. I don’t think he’s had a proper cry since it happened.” She sighed heavily. "He doesn't smell right anymore, either."
“I have to admit to you, Martha, I think you were right in pulling out of society. Your mother and I did well in it, but, I guess you saw more than what I did.”
“You mean about how the upper crust treats Omegas?”
William took a long drink of his coffee and sighed, putting down the cup in its saucer.
“When I had first heard that Lionel Luthor’s son was marrying my grandson, I couldn’t have been happier. I thought for sure you had ruined our family’s chances at making their mark by running off and marrying a farmer. But, I know Jonathan treated you decent. Whatever Alexander Luthor has done to Clark…” he sighed again, more heavily, unable to continue.
“I hadn’t seen him in five years, dad.” Martha pursed her lips tensely before continuing. “Whenever he phoned, which wasn’t often, it was like I just knew that Lex must be over his shoulder. I should have said something sooner. As soon as I received Lex’s letter saying they couldn’t come to Jonathan’s funeral, I should have seen, should have realised. It’s like you said: I left society because I saw how Omegas were treated. You were among the few good Alphas.” Martha’s voice began to shake as her speech increased in pitch and speed. “I just couldn’t see it because Lex always seemed to be the opposite of his father. He was always so pleasant when he came to visit. I just didn’t see , dad. I--”
Martha broke off with a sob. William quickly took her cup from her and placed it on the end table with his before taking his daughter in his arms.
“Dad, what’s he done to my son?” Not wanting Clark to hear, she fought to keep quiet even as she gave in to the flood of emotions that had been building over the past three weeks; ever since she had seen just what state Clark was in, it had been building. Anger at Lex for doing this to her puppy; anger at herself for not doing something sooner.
“I don’t know, Martha. But we’ll find out. We’ll get him help. I won’t leave either of you behind, again.”